Around the Country

Food Inflation Less than Average in 2014, USDA Says Agri-Pulse

Food prices rose by 2.4 percent last year, less than the historical average, despite sharp increases in meat costs and the drought in California, the Agriculture Department says.

Hope Fades for the End of California's Drought Daily Herd Management

Currently 78 percent of the state is in extreme or worse drought, unchanged from last week's report.

Around the World

Japanese Rice: The New, Safe Luxury Food in China Reuters

First it was European infant formula, then New Zealand milk. Now Chinese consumers are adding Japanese rice to the list of everyday foods they will bring in from abroad at luxury-good prices because they fear the local alternatives aren't safe.

Thai Junta Unloading Mountain of Rice Amid World Surplus Businessweek

Exports from Thailand will surge 9.7 percent to a record 11.3 million tons this year, USDA data show. Since government buying began, Thai 5 percent broken rice, an Asia benchmark, tumbled 35 percent from a three-year high of $647 a ton in 2011 to $420 on Jan. 21. On the Chicago Board of Trade, futures reached $10.82 per 100 pounds on Jan. 26, the lowest since 2010.

Trade and Tariffs

U.S. Helps Move WTO Trade Facilitation Pact Forward Agri-Pulse

The U.S. has formally accepted the World Trade Organization's so-called Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), an accord designed to cut red tape among trading partners and which is projected to generate hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity.

Health and Nutrition

How to Make Rice a Nutritious (and Tasty) Part of Your Diet Washington Post

Reasons to make rice an integral part of your diet including nutritional profile, explanation of different types of rice and their cooking methods, and additional tips to enhance this economical staple.