COVID
New research finds the surge in grocery prices was driven mainly by substantial increases in commodity prices and supermarket wages, rather than price gouging.
From improved telehealth services to reimagined small-town hospitals, the National Rural Health Association is working to help folks in farm country tap into more and better medical care options.
The rural economy is slowly improving after being crashed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Reps. Dusty Johnson and Jim Costa on Tuesday introduced the Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act to expand the trucking workforce and offer flexibility in times of need.
“There is a problem with people thinking the pullback of Covid-zero measures is equivalent to the economy reopening, which it is not.” says Leland Miller, CEO of research firm China Beige Book.
The top official in charge of China’s COVID-19 response told health officials Wednesday that the country faced a “new stage and mission” in pandemic controls.
China moved to close parks, malls and museums on Tues. as COVID-19 cases hit near-record levels. Lockdowns follow reports that, days before COP27, Xi sent policy and business advisers to New York to meet U.S. executives.
President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency because the coronavirus COVID-19 and waived the hours of service rules for truck drivers transporting emergency supplies of produce and other foods.
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives is sounding the alarm about restrictions on the movement of H-2A workers within Mexico in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bayer’s Crop Science Division’s Future of Farming Dialogue has changed from an in-person event to a virtual series.
As backlogs at U.S. ports and climbing shipping rates plague the supply chain, new data shows container shipping rates between the U.S and China are dropping by more than 50% in just a month.
The timeline on these actions are tight—while arguments are heard on January 7, that’s three days before the enforcement efforts by OSHA are scheduled to start
“I wouldn’t be surprised as we put Omicron behind us that we’re going to see a restaurant recovery in the summer. But right now the supermarket is still doing quite well on a historical basis,” says Michael Swanson.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides that eligible employees are entitled to paid sick time because of COVID-19, and employers are eligible for a tax credit to offset the expense.
The Centers for Disease Control agrees that frontline meat and poultry workers should be some of the first vaccinated after health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.
“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it’s not always as easy to travel to one location that’s close to everyone to get a vaccine,” Dr. Murthy says.
The company says it will also provide $200 to fully vaccinated frontline team members.
Black swans emerge, to cast shadows of doubt on agriculture’s future
Increased regulation and the search for better work-life balance are two factors leading to a shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. Walmart is now increasing the starting salary for drivers to try to attract new people.
The commodity markets came under pressure to start the week as traders tried to shed risk over shipping concerns in China as COVID-19 concerns caused officials to shut down transportation amid a two-pronged lockdown.
Hundreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars were circling the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, threatening to cause traffic backups around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions.
A red zone is defined by the White House as an area with 100 or more new infections over a one-week period. The good news is the rate of new cases is dropping, says Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.
If international trade were an Olympic sport, then the U.S. would have lost this latest round of competition by more than a mile.
Farmers and ranchers are facing a time of unparalleled uncertainty and disruption. No one is left unscathed by the effects of COVID-19. Dealing with stress during a time of social distancing makes the challenge greater.
Rural communities are likely to see an outbreak of the COVID-19 variant omicron later than big cities but Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the pandemic will eventually end.
Small, rural hospitals are struggling to keep, find or hire staff as the omicron variant begins its push across rural America. Rural healthcare advocates say it’s already creating an unsafe situation.
ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock said: “Based on the concerns of our members, ARA expressed opposition to the employer mandate.”
Jeff Tarsi credits the successful fall application across the Nutrien Ag Solutions retail footprint for lessening the potential pressure of the upcoming spring season.