SNAP costs too much, program needs revisions, say House Republicans Warning that “pandemic aid is morphing into endemic aid,” the Republican leader on the House Agriculture Committee said on Wednesday that it was time to rein in food stamp spending. Other farm-state Republicans called for stricter eligibility rules as a… Continue reading

High commodity prices lure double-crop farmers Nearly three of every 10 farmers with experience growing wheat and soybeans in one season say they will sow more winter wheat this fall, said a Purdue University poll on Tuesday. The practice, known as double-cropping wheat and soybeans, would mean larger wheat production… Continue reading

Few vote early in Trump-tinged primary in Central Valley Although the former president stayed out of the race, his name might as well have been the first words uttered by Chris Mathys, a conservative challenging Rep. David Valadao in the Republican primary in a U.S. House district in the Central… Continue reading

Highest-ever ethanol mandate will boost homegrown biofuels, says EPA As part of an effort to “reset and strengthen” the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the EPA set the corn ethanol mandate at its highest level ever, 15.25 billion gallons, for this year. Ethanol is cheaper than gasoline at present, so biofuel… Continue reading

Slow growth in organic food sales as pandemic fades After surging nearly 13 percent during the eat-at-home early days of the pandemic, sales of organic food rose by less than 2 percent in 2021, as Americans abandoned pantry loading, said the Organic Trade Association on Thursday. Sales of organic food… Continue reading

Vilsack: Transform food system with more processors and local marketing The pandemic exposed the weaknesses of a food system built around large-volume production and national supply chains, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. As a remedy, he said, the USDA would help independent processors start up or expand their… Continue reading

Boom in commodity prices more likely to be transitory than permanent Electrified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, commodity prices are sky high, with soybean futures topping $16.80 a bushel and the USDA forecasting the highest-ever farm-gate price for wheat. But high prices for corn, wheat and soybeans are far more… Continue reading

Worst U.S. outbreak of bird flu in seven years fades in May Nearly 38 million birds in domestic flocks have died in outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from coast to coast since early February, but USDA data suggest the threat is fading. With one day to go in… Continue reading

Trust the farmer, says Vilsack, as senators warn of food shortages Republican senators slammed the Biden administration on Thursday for high inflation nationwide and said the USDA should free American farmers to plant as much land as they want to avert a potential food crisis. “We’re all hammered with” inflation,… Continue reading

USDA would reform ‘tournament’ system in poultry production Poultry farmers would have more protection against abuse by processors under a USDA proposal to revamp the “tournament” system that pits producers against each other in a competition for income, said the Biden administration on Thursday. The administration also announced $200 million… Continue reading