Chance of trade war payments ‘less than 10 percent’
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the odds of a multibillion-dollar round of trade war payments to farmers this year are “less than 10 percent,” although a senior lawmaker said the payments may be “absolutely vital” for survival in the Farm Belt. China will turn to the U.S. market for soybeans “late this spring, this summer,” Perdue predicted during a House Agriculture hearing on Wednesday.
Voluntary, not mandatory, meat-origin labels, says Perdue
Despite interest among cattle activists, a return to mandatory country-of-origin labels on beef “is not going to happen unless we want to do a billion-dollar litigation damage with Mexico and Canada,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Wednesday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
USDA to push job training via SNAP (FERN’s Ag Insider): The USDA will propose a regulation this week to encourage states to create employment and job training programs that are adjuncts to SNAP as a way to “move people into self-sufficiency,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
Plan due soon on RFS waivers (Reuters): The EPA is considering new measures to help oil refiners cope with the cost of complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard; it also expects to respond soon to an appellate court ruling that could nullify many of the RFS waivers it has granted to small-volume refineries.
Coronavirus and food systems (Johns Hopkins): Food prices in China surged in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak and government-imposed quarantines, showing how food systems are a crucial component of disaster planning, says the Center for a Livable Future.
More ag inspectors at ports (White House): President Trump signed into law S.2107, which authorizes funding for an additional 720 agricultural inspectors and 60 new canine teams at land, sea, and air entries to screen for plant and livestock pests and diseases.
Argentina raises soy export duties (AgriCensus): The government set duties of 33 percent on the bulk of Argentina’s soybean exports, including soy oil and soymeal, an increase of 3 points from the previous levy, while maintaining the duty of 12 percent on wheat, corn, and sorghum.
