USDA opens enrollment as Conservation Reserve grows for first time since 2007
The Conservation Reserve signup that opens on Monday could see landowners idle the largest amount of fragile cropland in years, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, although some analysts say lower government payment rates will hold down enrollment in the program.
EPA boosts safety rules for M-44 cyanide cartridges
The EPA said on Thursday that although it will allow the continued use of cyanide in the anti-predator M-44 device, it will add safety requirements, including that the devices be placed farther away from residences.
Late harvest, bad weather put revenue pressures on country elevators
Between a weather-delayed harvest and uncertainties about the demand for their crops, farmers have been slow to sell corn and soybeans this fall. One consequence is tighter margins and revenue pressures on country elevators, said a report from ag lender CoBank.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
More fake meat, bigger packages (CNN): Beyond Meat plant-based burger patties will soon be available in bulk at select Costco outlets, as the faux-meat brand continues its rapid expansion.
Cutting food waste at schools (World Wildlife Fund): An estimated 530,000 tons of food is wasted each year in U.S. schools, but with even “minimal interventions,” such as serving food to students only if they want it, waste could be reduced by 3 percent.
Three-year campaign to take on spreading pest (FAO): A “global action plan” will expand the fight against the spread of the destructive fall armyworm, a crop pest native to the Americas that has spread through Africa and into the Middle East and Asia in the past four years.
Lukewarm concerns about water quality (Cedar Rapids Gazette): A relative handful of people at the Iowa Farm Bureau’s annual meeting attended a panel discussion on how to prevent erosion and nutrient runoff.
USMCA approval a ‘challenge’ (Reuters): U.S. approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a “tough challenge” because of disputes between House Democrats and the Trump administration over issues including environmental and labor provisions, said Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister.
