North Carolina Disaster Funds and Food Animal Vet Shortage
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**The North Carolina Department of Agriculture sent out the first round of checks to farmers through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program.
Ag Commissioner Steve Troxel says the payments are part of a total of $478 million in disaster assistance crop loss funds appropriated by the N.C. General Assembly.
The funds are intended to help farmers who suffered almost $5 billion in ag losses from Helene, drought, and Tropical Storm Debby.
**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.
