USDA Natural Resources in Florida and Rural COVID Infection Rate
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida continued its work across the state despite a year marked by a pandemic and natural disasters.
morningagclips.com reports, the agency helped farmers and ranchers implement practices to help conserve natural resources and boost their bottom lines.
NRCS also launched new online tools to increase efficiency, effectiveness and delivery of crucial programs.
Florida State Conservationist Juan Hernandez says NRCS helps people help the land in the good times and bad.
https://www.morningagclips.com/conservation-efforts-continue-on-floridas-farms-ranches/
**During the first wave of the pandemic, rural meatpacking counties had infection rates 10 times higher than rates in other rural counties, according to the USDA.
According to agriculture.com, the Covid-19 rate in the 49 U.S. counties that rely on meat plants for jobs remains somewhat higher than the rest of rural America.
The USDA says rural Americans, who make up 14% of the population, accounted for 27% of Covid-19 deaths nationwide during the final three weeks of October.
https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/covid-19-cases-in-meatpacking-counties-were-10-times-those-in-other-rural-counties
**The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service can now quickly sanction and, when necessary, remove retailers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for engaging in fraudulent activity.
This comes as a result of a cooperative agreement with USDA’s Office of Inspector General.
Deputy Undersecretary Brandon Lipps says USDA will not tolerate retailers abusing this vital program that helps millions of Americans put food on the table.
