Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down and Cattle Losses Amid Pandemic
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture continue to decline, according to government data analyzed by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The AFBF analysis says agriculture accounts for less than
10% of total U.S. emissions.
On a per-unit basis, methane emissions from livestock operations have declined, even as production has risen, and crop farmers have been able to grow more on fewer acres.
**While milk markets have been in a tailspin, a lot of dairy groups have called on USDA to reopen the Dairy Margin Coverage program, but Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says no.
Sign-up for 2020 was down 19%, with over 23,000 dairy enrollees, or about 82% of those eligible. For 2020, enrollment was just 63% of those operations.
Perdue tells milkbusiness.com, we don't want to incentivize people to wait and not take out insurance again and then call on Congress in order to have an ad hoc disaster program.
https://www.milkbusiness.com/article/perdue-says-usda-will-not-reopen-dairy-margin-coverage-program?mkt/
**A new study estimates cattle industry losses from COVID-19 will reach $13.6 billion.
The study was commissioned by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to assist USDA in determining how best to allocate CARES Act relief funds.
The study shows cow-calf producers will see the largest impact, with losses totaling an estimated $3.7 billion.
Without offsetting relief payments, those losses could increase by $135.24 per mature breeding animal, or $4.45 billion in the coming years.
https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/129928
