Farm Labor Scarcity Grows and Food Animal Vet Shortage
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Farm labor scarcity is a growing challenge for farmers, particularly in light of the mass deportations.
A new report from the University of California Giannini
Foundation of Ag Economics suggests labor shortages may prompt some California farmers to alter their production practices.
The report says IF immigration enforcement targets undocumented farmworkers, California farmers might have to raise wages, change cultivation practices, implement labor-saving technologies, and using farm labor contractors.
**Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a commitment to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S.
This includes recruiting new veterinarians to join the USDA in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and food supply.
Rollins says as the number of rural food animal vets continues to decline, USDA is putting Farmers First to ensure we build back our first line of defense in our animal food production system.
**The Trump administration will soon propose a new Clean Water Act rule that could eliminate federal protections for many wetlands, according to POLITICO’s E&E News.
Under the proposal, the federal government would regulate wetlands ONLY if they meet a two-part test: They would need to contain surface water throughout the “wet season,” AND they would need to be abutting a river, stream or other water body that flows throughout the wet season.
