California Cattle Restrictions and Farmers Understanding Sustainability

**The California Department of Food and Agriculture has implemented import restrictions on cattle from premises with confirmed or suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The move comes as ag officials acknowledge the H5N1 virus has spread between cows, affecting dairy herds in six states, prompting calls to minimize dairy cattle movement.

Dairy cattle entering California from states with infected cattle must be inspected by a veterinarian within seven days of shipment.

**McKinsey and Company research reveals a vast majority of American farmers have an understanding of sustainable farming and shows a positive outlook for its future.

Adoption of practices is correlated with perceived return on investment.

Practices that require only behavioral changes, such as reduced or no-till, have the highest adoption levels at 68 percent.

Despite the perceived benefits of sustainable practices, farmers expect costs to remain high.

**Republicans on the Senate Ag Committee proposed putting the government on the hook for a larger share of the policy premiums at the highest coverage levels.

The plan, called the FARMER Act, would inject $4.2 billion over ten years.

Premium support for revenue and yield protection at the 80% coverage level would rise from 68 to 77%.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall says, “The FARMER Act will make higher coverage more affordable.”