Reading Time: 2 minutes The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee passed its version of a $1.5 trillion farm spending bill late Thursday night with few Democratic votes, prolonging a standoff between the parties over key nutrition, agriculture, and climate policies.
U.S. committee passes farm bill draft with little support from Democrats
US to provide nearly $200 million to contain bird flu spread on dairy farms
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Biden administration said today it will provide nearly $200 million to fight the spread of avian flu among dairy cows, in the government's latest bid to contain outbreaks that have fueled concerns about human infections with the H5N1 virus.
U.S. finalizes higher standard for ‘Product of USA’ meat label
Canadian meat sector concerned labeling could have chilling effect on exports to U.S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday finalized a rule requiring meat, poultry, or eggs labeled as a U.S. product to come from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the country.
US is ’18 months or so’ away from finding bird flu vaccine, says agriculture secretary
USDA plans to discuss poultry vaccinations with trading partners amid trade restriction concerns
Reading Time: < 1 minute The U.S. Department of Agriculture is "18 months or so" away from identifying a vaccine for the current strain of bird flu and is developing a process to distribute it, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday.
US agriculture secretary sees ‘chaos’ in meat market without congressional action on Prop 12
Canadian sector worried state-specific regulations will cause severe complications for producers selling into U.S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes There will be chaos in the U.S. meat marketplace without congressional action on California's Prop 12 law that tightened animal welfare requirements for pork products sold in the state, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Number of US farms falls and size increases, census shows
Number of acres in production falls by 20 million
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farms in the U.S. continued to get larger and the number of farms fell between 2017 and 2022, new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed on Tuesday.
Biden backs ethanol industry on low-emission aviation fuel tax credits
Aviation is seen as one of the few routes to increase ethanol demand amid rising electric vehicle sales
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters - The Biden administration said on Friday it will recognize a methodology favored by the ethanol industry in guidance to companies looking to claim tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a pivotal win for the politically powerful U.S. corn lobby.
Lab-grown meat can be kosher and halal, experts say
Opinions seen as guidance for future products
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Lab-grown meat can be labeled kosher and halal as long as its cells are derived in methods compliant with religious standards, according to two panels of experts commissioned by the nascent industry. The opinions are a win for cell-cultivated meat companies, executives said, because it means observant followers of Judaism and Islam could […] Read more
U.S. Lawmakers seek to limit corporate, foreign ownership of farmland
Farm groups, lawmakers are concerned that foreign, investor ownership is driving up prices and threatening national security
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters – U.S. lawmakers from both parties are pushing legislation that would limit who can own American farmland, with a latest effort from Democratic Senator Cory Booker aimed at curbing corporate ownership. Farm groups and lawmakers are concerned that land buys by investors and foreign countries are driving up farmland prices and threatening […] Read more
U.S. regulator allows first sales of lab-grown meat
Products to go first to high-end restaurants
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — Two companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, said on Wednesday they have received final U.S. Department of Agriculture approval to sell lab-grown meat, paving the way for the nation’s first-ever sales of the product. With the approvals, the U.S. will become the second country after Singapore to allow the sale of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
