Historic Drought Cripples Ranches And Farms In American West
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**U.S. farm exports are forecast by the USDA to hit a record $157 billion this year, aided by a weaker dollar against many foreign currencies.

Agricultural lender CoBank tells www.agriculture.com, the impact will be somewhat uneven, with meat and dairy products benefiting the most.

It based its projections on a comparison of U.S. market share for major commodities and exchange rates against nations that compete with America for sales of those products.

www.agriculture.com/news/livestock/weaker-dollar-will-help-meat-and-dairy-but-not-cotton-exports-says-cobank

**American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall told lawmakers Thursday farmers are part of the solution to climate change.

Duvall gave testimony to the House Ag Committee during a hearing on climate change and the U.S. agriculture sector, saying farmers and ranchers are already making an impact, as agriculture accounts for just 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gasses as agricultural productivity grows.

Duvall says U.S. farmers and ranchers enthusiastically embrace new technologies, and more research will further improve their impact on the environment.

**Agricultural crime remains a serious problem in many parts of California, though reported crimes declined in some rural counties the past year.

Detectives say they’re not sure why the decline occurred, and farmers say they continue to be plagued by thefts, illegal dumping and other problems.

A new bill introduced would increase fines for illegal dumping.

Some crews that clear dump sites have been reduced due to pandemic concerns.

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