Global growth to boost U.S. farm exports
U.S. farm exports, in a slump since setting a record in 2014, are projected to bottom out this year and grow steadily for the rest of the decade, says USDA in long-term projections released ahead of the Ag Outlook Forum next week.
Pesticide registrants vow to fight EPA plan to bar use
The government is moving ahead to cancel the registrations for flubendiamide, a pesticide sold under the trade name Belt, with Bayer CropScience and Nichino America vowing to fight the decision, says Agri-Pulse.
Global food prices are lowest since April 2009
USDA removes beef and pork from COOL requirements
Meat packers and retailers are free of the requirement to identify the origin of beef and pork sold in supermarkets, according to a notice scheduled to appear today in the Federal Register.
More clashes as GMOs move into fruits and vegetables
Nearly half of U.S. cropland is planted with genetically engineered crops, say four USDA analysts, but the risk of cross-contamination of organic and non-GMO crops may rise with the approval of genetically modified apples and potatoes.
Bayer declines EPA request to pull pesticide
The German pharmaceutical and chemical company, Bayer, recently declined when the EPA requested that the company pull the pesticide flubendiamide off of shelves.
Monarch butterfly census flutters upward
The monarch butterfly population, "after years of being ravaged by severe weather and shrinking habitats," shows signs of recovery, reports the New York Times.
USDA punts cottonseed subsidy back to Congress
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack handed the question of a $1 billion a year cottonseed subsidy program back to Congress, telling lawmakers they hold the power to expand the farm program but USDA does not. In a novel proposal, the cotton industry asked that cottonseed be declared an oilseed and thus become eligible for the crop subsidies offered to grain and soybean growers.
Scientists call for independent review of Roundup
A growing body of evidence shows that regulators’ assumptions about the safety of glyphosate, commonly sold as Roundup, are based on outdated science, according to a team of environmental and public-health experts in a statement appearing in the journal Environmental Health.
NASA study: world getting both wetter and drier
New data from NASA satellites show that the wettest regions of the world are getting wetter, while drier regions are getting drier, reports The Desert Sun.
WIC shifts to electronic benefits nationwide
States will begin a four-year transition to electronic delivery of WIC benefits that total $6.4 billion annually, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at an anti-hunger conference.
Obama to ask for doubling of funds for USDA ag research program
After years of gradual increases in funding, the administration will seek $700 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative in the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, said White House science advisor John Holdren.
FERN story on pesticides wins health-reporting award
"Fields of toxic pesticides surround the schools of Ventura County," by Liza Gross, won third place in the investigative category for smaller circulation news organizations in the Association of Health Care Journalists' annual Awards of Excellence contest.
New crop insurance provision will aid transition to organic farming
It takes three years for farmers to transition a farm from conventional agriculture to certified organic production, a substantial hurdle. To make the transition a bit easier, USDA is expanding the Contract Price Addendum for crop insurance.
Interview: Des Moines case has ‘changed the conversation’ on water quality
In Iowa, a lawsuit by the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) is forcing the state to confront the question of whether agriculture should be held accountable for nitrates that leach into urban drinking water. FERN’s Kristina Johnson recently spoke with Neil Hamilton, director of the Agricultural Law Center at Iowa’s Drake University, to learn more about the suit.
Is agriculture’s moment in 2016 politics still to come?
The Iowa caucuses, often the high point for attention to agriculture, passed with little discussion of food or farm policy. Yet, "there are a numÂber of sigÂnals that farm policy could conÂtinÂue to be a factor in voters’ deÂcisions all the way to the genÂerÂal elecÂtion, says National Journal.
Head of Center for Veterinary Medicine to leave FDA
Bernadette Dunham, the director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, said she will leave the FDA in April to join a collaborative One Health initiative between George Washington University and the FDA.
A sticky subject – maple syrup that isn’t from maple trees
U.S. and Canadian maple syrup producers asked the FDA to stop food companies from selling products that claim to contain maple syrup when it isn't the real thing, says CBC. Maple syrup is made by boiling down sap from maple trees, while others are diluting the product with corn syrup.
House votes to delay menu-labeling provision in Obamacare
In "yet another fight over Obamacare," the House passed a bill "to weaken an Obama administration regulation to require nutrition information on restaurant menus," reports The Hill newspaper.
Dam removal plan means hope for Klamath Basin salmon
Oregon and California announced on Tuesday that they will remove four hydroelectric dams in the Klamath Basin that have been at the heart of a years-long fight between tribes, farmers and environmentalists.