The Sacramento County Superior Court has issued a major setback for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed Delta tunnel project.
The court halted work underway to collect soil samples to refine the engineering and design of the tunnel. The judged reasoned the geotechnical investigations violated the 2009 Delta Reform Act.
The State Water Contractors refuted the claim, pointing out that the Delta Stewardship Council recently made the opposite determination. SWC General Manager Jennifer Pierre responded that “once again, common sense has been defeated in California, continuing to drive the cost of living up and putting water supplies at risk.” She argued the decision sets a dangerous precedent in potentially barring housing, transportation and energy projects from collecting engineering data prior to construction.
But: Delta counties opposed to the project applauded the ruling. They argued the Department of Water Resources has squandered public resources to avoid complying with an earlier court injunction.
DWR is appealing the ruling.
Lawmakers raise concerns about seed oil, pesticide findings from MAHA commission
Republican lawmakers are urging members of the Trump administration to ensure the Make America Healthy Again Commission relies on sound science in developing recommendations about pesticide use and seed oils.
The bicameral letter was addressed to members of the MAHA Commission, including USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
USDA announces slate of political appointees
The Trump administration has named Jaye Hamby director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and appointed new policy advisers, chiefs of staff for four USDA mission areas, and senior personnel for communications and external relations.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
Biden’s climate-smart commodities initiative gets new name, rules
Out with the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. In with Advancing Markets for Producers. That’s the Trump administration’s new name for PCSC, the Biden administration’s $3 billion climate initiative for agriculture.
Project sponsors are trying to figure whether their projects still qualify for funding after USDA announced Monday it was rebranding the program and modifying its rules.
Kirk Leeds, CEO of the Iowa Soybean Association, says the multi-state project his group is sponsoring may have to be restructured between public and private funding to comply with a new rule that 65% of the USDA funding goes to farmers. “At the end of the day, we are hoping that we just need to resubmit and reallocate expenses,” he tells Agri-Pulse.
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Keep in mind: Under the program, farmers have been incentivized to use conservation practices such as cover crops and low- to non-till farming to lower the carbon intensity of their crops. USDA’s press release says the “partnerships are overburdened by red tape, have ambiguous goals, and require complex reporting that push farmers onto the sidelines.”
An industry consultant tells Agri-Pulse that major commodity projects should be OK and that reporting requirements will likely be less climate intensive.
An architect of the program, former USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie, told Agri-Pulse he was pleased Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins is continuing with the initiative, albeit under a different name. “Don’t let the bombastic statement fool you. Secretary Rollins learned from producers just how popular and effective this program is," he told Agri-Pulse.
By the way: Based on a previous Agri-Pulse analysis of 82 PCSC projects with $5 million or more in overall funding, 19 of them would meet the threshold for providing at least 65% of federal funds to producers. Bonnie said he worries that some of the smaller projects with higher administrative expenses may now be ineligible to receive funding.
Trump slapping tariffs on Mexican tomatoes
Florida tomato growers have scored a victory in their long-running battle with Mexican imports. The Commerce Department announced Monday it’s ending a suspension agreement and imposing an antidumping duty of nearly 21% on Mexican tomatoes.
“The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration,” the department says.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
Democratic ask for clarity on tariffs for US ag
Senate Democrats are pressing the Trump administration for details on its tariff goals and how the potential impacts on farmers were examined ahead of the rollout.
Nineteen Democrats led by Ag Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have written to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer looking for answers.
“We have serious concerns about the haphazard approach taken by the Administration to tariffs that cause unnecessary uncertainty and harm for U.S. farmers and their markets,” the letter reads. The senators ask whether officials have assessed potential tariff impacts on farmers, whether the tariffs will be permanent, and how crop consumption and production might shift, among other questions.
Farmers “have started spring planting and rely on stable markets for their planning,” the lawmakers argue. “[F]armers already have enough uncertainty without tariffs adding more volatility.”
UK suspends tariffs on several US ag exports
The United Kingdom has dropped its tariffs on almost 90 products, including pine nuts, spices, raisins and fruit juice. The move comes as the country grapples with new 10% U.S. tariffs and is angling for a deal to secure some relief.
The U.K. government argued that the steps are necessary to help U.K. businesses, lower prices for U.K. consumers and spur economic growth. The suspension will last until mid-2027.
In a statement, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said that the U.K. is in “a new era of global trade” but stressed that “free and open trade grows economies … which is why we’re cutting tariffs on a range of products.”
Take note: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that the administration is in negotiations with the U.K. government on a potential agreement.
Researchers analyze food manufacturer responses to state laws
A recent study highlights different ways food manufacturers adapt to varying state policies on ingredients and labeling.
The research comes as more states are considering bills to ban certain food dyes and chemicals in school meals and the broader market.
The study identifies four options food manufacturers may pursue in response to new state regulations: reformulating the product while maintaining separate production for other states, reformulating products for all markets, leaving the regulating market or ignoring the regulation.
Researchers found that the patchwork effect that state laws can create could have a significant impact on food manufacturers and others in the food supply chain — which could create additional costs for consumers.
The study was conducted by professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was published in the Journal of Food Distribution Research.
Lawsuit targets removal of environmental justice information
Environmental and science groups are suing the Trump administration over its removal of climate change and environmental justice information from websites.
The Sierra Club, Environmental Integrity Project, Union of Concerned Scientists, and California Communities Against Toxics joined the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Unlike a previous lawsuit targeting USDA’s removal of climate-related material, the latest lawsuit goes after the efforts at EPA, the departments of Energy and Transportation, the Center for Environmental Quality and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Among the tools removed: EJScreen and the Climate and Environmental Justice
Final word
“Sixty-nine percent of Canadians said it’s going to be a long time before I make a change to purchasing anything by Americans.” — Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association.
Lemaire described “a radical shift in consumer behavior” following President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, reports The Packer.
