U.S. and EU, agricultural giants with fewer and fewer farmers
For all their differences, the United States and the European Union share a common experience — the abrupt decline in farm numbers, said the agriculture ministers of the agricultural powerhouses. The transformation of the agriculture sector resulted in a relatively small number of large farms that produce the majority of the food and many small farms with little revenue from crops and livestock.
‘Most vulnerable’ list includes five House Ag panelists
The race for control of the House in 2024 begins as a toss-up, with five members of the House Agriculture Committee—three Republicans and two Democrats— on the bubble, said Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Exploitation of migrant children: In the “new economy of exploitation,” migrant children work in punishing jobs, including food processing and on the farm, in a shadow labor force across the country, “flouting child labor laws that have been in place for nearly a century.” (New York Times)
Bird flu kills girl: The WHO is investigating the death of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia from the H5N1 avian influenza virus, and the infection of her father, illnesses that raised the possibility of human-to-human spread of the disease although no such cases have been found. (NBC News)
Loss for ag-gag law: A U.S. appeals court ruled that North Carolina violated the First Amendment with a state law that barred people from going undercover in jobs, such as farmworker, to conduct investigations. (News & Observer)
Tip of the iceberg: British supermarkets, already short of lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables, ran low on turnips over the weekend in supply gaps blamed on bad weather in southern Europe and North Africa. (Washington Post)
Rural school funding crisis: The Secure Rural Schools program, which gave $238 million to support schools in areas where the federal government is a major landowner, is due to expire in October, the latest cliffhanger moment in a program that has seen nine short-term extensions. (Los Angeles Times)
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
American Enterprise Institute holds panel discussion, in-person and online, on “The state of the farm economy,” 9:30 a.m. ET. One panel of agricultural economists will review the farm sector’s financial health and a second will examine trends among different types of farms.
The National Potato Association holds National Potato Washington Summit, through Friday, Washington.
Opening day of enrollment for the long-term Conservation Reserve, through April 7. Some 23 million acres are enrolled in the reserve at present. Contracts expire on 1.9 million acres on Oct. 1. USDA is aiming for the statutory limit of 27 million acres.
American Frozen Food Institute holds Frozen Food Convention, through Tuesday, San Diego.
National Grocers Association Show, through Tuesday, Las Vegas.
American Sweeteners Association and International Dairy Foods Association hold the annual International Sweetener Colloquium, through Wednesday, LaQuinta, California.
USDA releases annual Trout Production report, 3 p.m. ET.
Tuesday
House Agriculture Committee hearing, “Uncertainty, inflation, regulations: Challenges for American Agriculture, 10 a.m. ET, 1300 Longworth.
Renewable Fuels Association holds the National Ethanol Conference, through Thursday, Orlando, Florida.
USDA releases State Stories, noon ET. Issued on or near the first Tuesday of each month from December through March, State Stories provides “an assessment of winter weather on crops, livestock, fruit trees; consideration for moisture, snow cover, temperatures, and crop condition; and the effect of weather, insects, diseases, etc., on crops and livestock.”
USDA releases annual Cold Storage and Poultry Slaughter reports and monthly Agricultural Prices report, 3 p.m. ET.
Wednesday
Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, “Farm bill 2023: Conservation and forestry programs,” 10 a.m. ET, 328A Russell. Witnesses are Randy Moore, chief of the U.S. Forest Service; Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of the Farm Service Agency; and Terry Cosby, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
Senate Environment and Public Works holds confirmation hearing on nomination of Joseph Goffman for EPA assistant administrator, 2:30 p.m. ET, 406 Russell.
Consortium for Common Food Names sponsors discussion of “the need for heightened U.S. efforts to level the playing field,” including in the farm bill, on use of “common food names,” such as “Parmesan” and “bologna,” 4 p.m., The Capitol. Speakers include Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Reps. Jim Costa of California and Adrian Smith of Nebraska.
Thursday
USDA, AGree Initiative and the University of Illinois sponsor an online discussion of results of a pilot project in six Farm Belt states to assess whether cover crops and no-till practices play a role in whether a field is declared “prevented plant” as a result of an extremely wet planting season; 2 p.m. ET. The pilot looked at the outcome of an extremely wet spring in 2019 in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota. Growers received $4.2 billion in crop insurance indemnities because they were unable to plant crops on 19.6 million acres.
Farmdoc daily holds webinar, “Crop risk management for 2023, Part two,” 10 a.m. ET.
Friday
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases monthly Food Price Index, Rome.
Sunday
School Nutrition Association holds its annual Legislative Action Conference, through March 7, Washington.
National Farmers Union holds annual convention, through March 7, San Francisco.
