Covid-19 cases, deaths among meatpacking workers three times worse than thought
Five large meatpackers fell staggeringly short of their duty to protect their workers during the pandemic, with at least 269 deaths and at least 59,000 infections from Covid-19 among their employees — roughly three times more than thought — said Rep. James Clyburn, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Wednesday.
Lawsuit charges poultry price-fixing, asks restitution
Nineteen poultry processors, including industry leader Tyson Foods, are accused of conspiring to fix chicken prices in a lawsuit filed by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The suit asks for restitution for Washington consumers that could potentially run into the millions of dollars.
Today’s Quick Hits
‘Haircut’ for USDA: Senate Agriculture Committee chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said that although agriculture and child nutrition provisions got a “haircut” during negotiations to reduce the cost of the administration’s social welfare and climate change package, they were still in good shape. (Hagstrom Report)
Striker dies: A 56-year-old Deere worker died in a pre-dawn traffic accident on Wednesday while crossing a street to join a picket line outside a company parts distribution center in Milan, Illinois. (ABC News)
McCain is ambassador: On a voice vote, the Senate confirmed Cindy McCain as U.S. ambassador to UN food agencies, including the FAO, in Rome. (Senate)
Food bank pinch: Even as the number of people in need stays high, food banks and pantries are being squeezed by both the rising cost of food and a decline in donations. (New York Times)
Lower fertilizer rates: Given the high price of nitrogen fertilizer, farmers should consider reducing application rates for 2022 crops, said university economists. (Farmdoc Daily)
