Ag News: Grocery Food Prices Up and Cattle Feedlots Low on Space
**Prices at supermarkets are rising at the highest rate in eight years, as the coronavirus constricts meat production and grocery chains limit sales.
And, according to the USDA monthly forecast, grocery prices will rise by a higher-than-average 2.5% this year, double the previous estimate.
Agriculture.com reports, the ‘Food Price Outlook’ shows the closure of many meat-processing facilities has put upward pressure on retail meat prices despite abundant farm-level meat supplies, with beef prices surging 4.2% and poultry 4.7% in April.
**Washington D.C. could soon take action as cattle feedlots are running out of space, and several processing plants are running at a low capacity or closed.
Drovers reports there's a proposal developed by Beef Alliance that would fund placing feedlot cattle on a maintenance diet for 75 days.
The proposal, called the Fed Cattle Set-Aside Program, would seek to reduce risk of massive economic collapse in the beef cattle industry.
According to the Farm Journal, the proposal is now floating around the cattle industry.
**Rural sections of the University of California, Davis, campus is attracting more visitors, as people look for new outdoor recreation spots during the pandemic.
But the university says the additional foot and vehicle traffic threatens to harm habitat and agricultural research.
Officials say increased dog walking activity could unknowingly disrupt sensitive research projects and harm farm animals housed on the Davis campus.