We don’t have a day to waste’ on climate mitigation, says Vilsack
U.S. agriculture faces a triple imperative — market, environment, and income — in responding to climate change, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday, his first day on the job. “We don’t have a day to waste on this,” he told reporters while indicating that the USDA will move at deliberate speed to identify and support successful mitigation practices.
Weaker dollar will help meat and dairy but not cotton exports, says CoBank
U.S. farm exports are forecast by the USDA to hit a record $157 billion this year, aided by a weaker dollar against many foreign currencies. Agricultural lender CoBank says the impact will be somewhat uneven, with meat and dairy products benefiting the most.
Headquarters at home for Vilsack
Like millions of Americans, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is working from home. “I’m still in Iowa,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I just got my second shot” of the coronavirus vaccine.
Today’s Quick Hits
Monarch butterfly setback: The number of monarch butterflies at their wintering grounds in Mexico plunged by 26 percent this year from 2020 and is only one-third the number recorded in the 2018 survey, said government figures. (Guardian)
Low food inflation: After a 3.5 percent rise in grocery prices in 2020, an increase of 1.5 percent is forecast for this year, below the 20-year average of 2 percent. Meat prices are expected to decline after surging last year due to the pandemic. (USDA)
Signup stays open: The USDA waived the Friday deadline for farmers and ranchers to apply for pandemic relief and will accept applications until 30 days after it completes a review of the payment plan announced just before the Trump administration left office, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
JBS eyes faux meat: The world’s largest meatpacker, JBS, is considering starting a separate company devoted solely to plant-based products, such as veggie burgers, because of rising demand for protein, said chief executive Gilberto Tomazoni. (Bloomberg)
Record world wheat: The global wheat crop will be a record 790 million tonnes in 2021/22, including better harvests in Europe, North Africa, and India, according to a preliminary outlook that also expects rising demand for wheat because of tighter supplies of corn and barley. (International Grains Council)
Food bank bonanza: Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott included 42 food banks and 30 Meals on Wheels programs around the country in a flurry of giving at the end of 2020, a windfall that may allow operators to upgrade their equipment and facilities. (Food Bank News)
