USDA updated basis for SNAP calculations without peer review, says GAO report
When the USDA increased SNAP benefits by 21 percent last year, it relied on a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan that should have been subjected to peer review but was not, said a congressional agency on Wednesday. The Government Accountability Office also said key decisions in the re-evaluation were not adequately explained, analyzed, or documented.
Iowa farmland values skyrocket, again
High commodity prices and low interest rates helped drive farmland values in Iowa to an average of $11,411 an acre, up 17 percent from 2021, when they rose 29 percent, said Iowa State University’s annual Land Value Survey.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
U.S.-Mexico corn talks: Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he and other Mexican officials would visit Washington on Friday to seek “points of agreement on genetically modified corn and other issues,” potentially defusing a trade dispute between the nations. (Associated Press)
Destructive pest gets new name: The USDA pest control agency said it would replace the name “gypsy moth” with “spongy moth” and “Asian gypsy moth” with “flighted spongy moth complex” to align itself with the common names used by the scientific community. (APHIS)
Rural opioid survey: Two in five rural Americans say they know someone who is or was addicted to opioids or prescription painkillers, and one in 20 say they “have abused or been addicted to opioids or prescription painkillers.” (NFU/AFBF)
Invasive carp find a home: Black carp, an invasive fish species native to east Asia, are “established” in the Mississippi River basin, meaning they can reproduce and grow to adulthood, said the U.S. Geological Survey. (USGS)
USDA clean energy announcement: On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to announce funding for critical infrastructure in 46 states to combat climate change and expand access to clean energy. (Ag Insider)
