Dozens of congressional leaders signed a letter urging the USDA to prioritize funding for farmworker safety.
Credit: Photo by David Rodriguez, The Salinas Californian
Two farmworkers sit at the end of strawberry field rows for their lunch break in Watsonville. Author: Kate Cimini | CalMatters Updated: 12:43 PM PST January 14, 2021
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. Farmworkers lost out on up to $1.5 billion in grants and loans for COVID-19 safety needs after the USDA committed funds earmarked as such for a food box program.
The USDA announced on Jan. 4 that it planned to spend $1.5 billion in a fifth round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. It has yet to commit additional funding for farmworker safety.
Vaccines bring optimism for economic recovery, but significant risks remain
-CoBank
DENVER The coronavirus still dominates the economy and continues to impact rural industries, but with vaccines rolling out, the virus will slowly loosen its grip in 2021. Shifts in the political landscape bring new legislative possibilities, including an increased probability of more COVID-19 financial aid and other fiscal spending, which are pushing up expectations for 2021 GDP growth.
According to the new Quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, it will likely be summer before the economy really begins to gain steam, but the second half of the year should power the economy to annual growth of roughly 4.5%–5.5%.
2021 Farm Economy Optimistic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The new year is bringing some optimism for the farm economy, thanks to multiple factors. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Chief Economist John Newton said one of those factors is trade with China, which could reach near record levels.
“Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that preliminary exports to China during November [are] nearly $5 billion,” Newton said. “So, when you add that to the existing total, we’ve now sold about $22.5 billion to China. That’s significant progress, and a step in the right direction. We’re unlikely to hit the Phase One targets, but we could be close to record exports to China this year.”
#StillFarming started when pandemic shutdowns led to disruptions in the food supply chain. Now, the president of the Farm Bureau says that it is time to take it to the next level.