Pig in an R&D Poke Various coalitions of U.S. agricultural research universities are lamenting that the House Agriculture Committee-approved farm bill failed to include increases in federal subsidies for their research. It is natural for these largely academic institutions to seek greater support, but their rationale is flawed. They warn that other countries like China have substantially increased their agriculture research and development (R&D) spending, and this is a threat. That is an overly simplistic characterization of the situation due to the following factors:
Broader Scope: As noted in a 2016 report (U.S. Agricultural R&D in an Era of Falling Public Funding) by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, U.S. privat...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...