Family Farm and Food Byte
TARIFFS ON EUROPEAN FOOD COULD EXPAND UNDER NEW U.S. PROPOSAL (Wall Street Journal) – The Trump administration is considering expanding and raising tariffs on $7.5 billion of imports from the European Union and U.K. that it first imposed last year, part of a long-running dispute at the World Trade Organization that faults European countries for subsidies to aircraft manufacturer Airbus SE.
AFTER LONG DECLINE, SNAP ON THE RISE DUE TO COVID-19 (Politico) – The number of people participating in SNAP went up in March and the cost of the program jumped by nearly 15 percent, to $5.1 billion, new data shows.
US HONEYBEES ARE DOING BETTER AFTER BAD YEAR, SURVEY SHOWS (Associated Press) – American honeybee colonies have bounced back after a bad year, the annual beekeeping survey finds.
TYSON TURNS TO ROBOT BUTCHERS, SPURRED BY CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS (Wall Street Journal) – The pandemic is speeding the shift from human meat cutters to robotic butchers, but machines can’t yet match people’s ability.
USMCA COULD BE MUCH-NEEDED BOOST FOR U.S. AGRICULTURE (Post Register) – Amid the market challenges farmers and ranchers are facing because of the coronavirus outbreak, the new USMCA trade deal offers the U.S. agricultural industry a ray of optimism.
LOWER EMISSIONS STANDARDS HURTING ETHANOL INDUSTRY (KX News) – The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule effectively eases emission restrictions through 2026 put in place by the Obama administration. But groups across the country say the EPA ignored the benefits that cleaner fuel brings to cars, including mid-level ethanol.
U OF I EXTENSION LAUNCHES NEW WOODLAND WEBSITE (FarmWeek) – The University of Illinois Extension forestry program launched a newly designed website, making it easier for forest owners to find tools to manage woodlands. Check it out at https://extension.illinois.edu/forestry.
“Our new website was developed to help educate, advise, and assist the public with questions about the conservation and stewardship of Illinois’ forest resources,” said Jay Hayek, Illinois Extension forestry specialist. “Our goal is to make it a one-stop shop for all forestry related questions.”
The resources page offers homeowners a variety of research-based information, including an invasive species guideline and directory of professional foresters and includes a map of Illinois’ biggest trees and timber bulletins dating back to the 1970s to estimate market value.
“UNITED WE STEAK” CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES IN MIDIST OF GRILLING SEASON (FarmWeek) – Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner, managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, recently launched a new summer grilling campaign, “United We Steak” to celebrate the season and promote beef as a part of a tasty and healthy diet. Go to UnitedWeSteak.com for beef fun facts by state, tips, and recipes for the grill.
AMERICANS TEAR UP OLD EATING HABITS, FORCING FARMS TO RAZE CROPS (Bloomberg) – Americans have rapidly changed the ways they buy, cook, and eat food in just four months, leaving everyone from farmers to restaurants unable to match their pivot.
EIA: WEEKLY ETHANOL PRODUCTION UP 2%, STOCKS DOWN SLIGHTLY (Ethanol Producer Magazine) – U.S. ethanol production was up nearly 2% for the week ending July 10, while weekly ending stocks of fuel ethanol were down slightly, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on July 15.
FOOD PRICES ROSE IN JUNE FOR SIXTH-STRAIGHT MONTH (NBC News) – The cost of food rose for the sixth-straight month, rising by 0.6 percent in June, according to data released Tuesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The larger-than-expected price hike represents a further pain point for millions of American families already living on the edge amid layoffs and lockdowns.
CHINA'S SLOWER MEAT IMPORTS SEEN WORSENING PROTEIN SHORTAGE (Reuters) – China’s dwindling pace of meat imports, thanks to its tough measures against coronavirus contamination, will provide further support for prices already buoyed by a severe shortage of pork, analysts said.
About Family Farm and Food Bytes: This is a collection of articles gathered from both mainstream and agriculture media and is designed to keep you informed as a member and leader within the Cook County Farm Bureau® organization. The articles summarized above are not intended to represent Cook County Farm Bureau policy or positions, but rather to provide members an idea of what is being reported regionally, nationally, and globally.