Get FERN’s Ag Insider Daily
H5N1 virus was undetected for months in dairy cattle, researchers say
Genetic testing indicates the H5N1 bird flu virus jumped from wild birds to dairy cattle in Texas approximately four months before it was identified in late March, said a nationwide team of researchers. “Continued transmission of H5N1 HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] within dairy cattle increases the risk for infection and subsequent spread of the virus to human populations.”
FDA clarifies its approach to biotech animals
The Food and Drug Administration, the lead U.S. regulator of genetically engineered animals, issued two documents to clarify its risk-based oversight of the creatures and their developers. The agency exercises varying levels of scrutiny, ranging from full-scale review of an animal and its risk profile to instances in which developers can take an animal directly to market without consulting the FDA.
FERN is a three-time finalist for James Beard awards!
All of us at FERN were thrilled to learn earlier this week that we are a three-time finalist at the James Beard Media Awards, in collaboration with two of our valued partners. (No paywall)
Today’s quick hits, May 3, 2024
Celebrating women farmers: The UN General Assembly, looking to increase awareness of the role women play in food production, adopted a resolution declaring 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. (FAO) Vilsack on the Mississippi: On Friday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and other …
‘Let’s get serious,’ says Stabenow, proposing 2024 farm bill
With the new farm bill months overdue, Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow proposed a farm bill on Wednesday that would boost so-called reference prices — a roadblock issue — while rejecting the $28 billion cut in SNAP sought by conservative Republicans. “That is a hard red line for me,” Stabenow told reporters.
Bird flu virus likely travels from cow to cow via milk, says USDA
The “primary vector” for transmitting the H5N1 bird flu virus from dairy cow to dairy cow seems to be milk from an infected animal, said the USDA’s chief veterinary officer on Wednesday. Dr. Rosemary Sifford also said the USDA was considering whether to offer compensation to dairy farmers for cooperating in the investigation of the disease and for adopting stronger biosecurity safeguards.
Today’s quick hits, May 2, 2024
Still a vegetable: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack personally called Maine Sen. Susan Collins to say that the upcoming version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans would list potatoes as a vegetable, not a grain, as some proposed. (Sen. Collins) Ban on lab-grown meat: With a blast at the …
GOP vs. Democratic split as House nears farm bill markup
Republicans and Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee disagree on three major issues for the new farm bill — SNAP cuts, climate funding, and USDA access to a $30 billion reserve fund — despite recent exchanges of ideas. The committee apparently is headed for a "very partisan" bill-drafting session at the end of May, said a House Democratic staff worker on Tuesday.
Today’s quick hits, May 1, 2024
South led in rural growth: An analysis of Census Bureau data found that counties in the South saw 90 percent of rural America’s population growth — an increase of 108,000 people — in 2023. (Daily Yonder) Milking parlors a suspect: Disease experts said milking parlors, where the same …
Farm practices will open the door to SAF tax credits, for some
Sustainable aviation fuels will qualify automatically for tax credits of up to $1.25 a gallon if they are derived from corn and soybeans grown under a specific set of carbon-reducing practices, said the Biden administration on Tuesday. Farm groups and biofuel producers grumbled at the restrictions — a fraction of U.S. biofuels would be eligible at present — and said they would seek better terms in the long-term regulations now under consideration.
USDA is testing ground beef for bird flu virus
Agriculture Department scientists are conducting three beef safety studies following the first-ever discovery of bird flu in dairy cows a month ago, said a USDA spokesperson on Monday. The studies include tests of ground beef purchased at grocery stores in states with infected herds.
Coalition: High price, low volume pose challenges to sustainable aviation fuel
Cleaner-burning sustainable jet fuel costs two to four times more than fuel distilled from petroleum, said the newly formed Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition, which aims to ramp up production and bring down costs. Aviation accounts for 2 to 3 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.
Today’s quick hits, April 30, 2024
Lucas, No. 1 on Financial Services?: Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas, a former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is part of a four-way race to become the top-ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. (Roll Call) U.S.-grown truffles: Truffles are a gourmet crop …
FDA: Bird flu viral fragments in milk were dead; pasteurization works
Although fragments of the H5N1 bird flu virus were found in one-fifth of milk purchased in grocery stores, a new round of high-precision testing "did not detect any live, infectious virus" and reaffirmed that the commercial milk supply is safe, said the FDA. (No paywall)
New USDA rule limits salmonella bacteria allowed in raw breaded chicken
Raw chicken will be rejected as an ingredient in making breaded, stuffed chicken products if there is too much salmonella bacteria in the meat — a step to protect consumers from food-borne illness, said the Agriculture Department. The rule, which would take effect in a year, is the first to name salmonella as an adulterant in a class of raw poultry products.
Today’s quick hits, April 29, 2024
Long-running water heist: Prosecutors accuse the former general manager of the Panoche Water District of stealing $25 million worth of water from a federal canal and selling it to farmers and water districts for two decades. (Los Angeles Times) ‘Placeholder’ GREET model: Agriculture …
Substantial oil, gas, and wind payments go to a sliver of farmers
A fraction of U.S. farmers, about 3.5 percent, receive payments for oil, gas, and wind energy production on their land, and those payments provide “substantial income,” said a USDA report. With the growth of wind and solar energy, a wider array of farmers could benefit from the payments, now centered in the Great Plains, said the Economic Research Service.
Analyst: ‘Sure looks like’ ag census undercounted corn and soybean acreage
The latest Census of Agriculture, released in February, reported a 2.2 percent decline in U.S. farmland from 2017 to 2022. A portion of that reduction, involving corn and soybean cropland, may be overstated, said Aaron Smith, a professor of agricultural economics at UC-Davis, in a blog.