Schumer pledges speedy Senate action on Vilsack, other Biden nominees
President Biden wants U.S. agriculture to be the first in the world to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, with Tom Vilsack guiding the effort as agriculture secretary. Vilsack, who will have the opportunity to spell out the details of climate mitigation on Tuesday, already has the backing of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Economic recovery will be stronger than expected, says CBO
The U.S. economy will grow by a robust 4.6 percent this year — its fastest pace since 1999 — as the country rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic and the accompanying economic contraction, said the CBO on Monday. Economic growth would benefit U.S. agriculture by boosting demand for crops and livestock at a time when federal subsidies are expected to shrink.
House committee to investigate meatpacking plant outbreaks
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis launched an investigation Monday into the spread of Covid-19 at meatpacking plants during the course of the pandemic. The committee sent letters to the country’s top meatpackers — JBS, Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods — as well as to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requesting scores of information on the entities’ management of the spread of the virus among meatpacking workers.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
More heat waves at sea: Marine heat waves are 20 times more frequent due to climate change and harmful algal blooms are expected to become more common on the West Coast, so researchers are looking for ways to help fisheries adapt. (Inside Climate News)
Greater food insecurity: The pandemic will inflict persistent and long-lasting in food insecurity in 76 low- and middle-income countries where the number of food-insecure people rose by 21 percent, to 921 million, in 2020 due to steep declines in GDP. (USDA)
Covid in Wisconsin mink: Mink farming is a mostly invisible business in Wisconsin, the largest U.S. producer of mink pelts, making it difficult for the state to respond when the coronavirus began killing the animals. (Wisconsin Watch)
U.S. ethanol in Peru: In a step that could re-open the market, a Peruvian trade tribunal has overruled a government duty of 15 cents a gallon on imported U.S. ethanol. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Rate the appointees: Members of the Rural Assembly give generally good marks to Biden appointees at USDA, particularly to signs the new administration will revive the post of undersecretary for rural development. (Daily Yonder)
