China running out of stockpiled pork: A London economics consultancy estimates China has less than 100,000 tonnes of frozen pork and will use up the reserve within two or three months, removing a stabilizing factor on domestic prices. (Financial Times)
Ethanol waivers and farm voters: With both presidential candidates targeting the Midwest, EPA waivers that exempt oil refineries from the RFS “are becoming a central issue in the battle for the farm vote.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Farmer says dicamba is too dangerous: South Dakota farmer John Zuhlke, a plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to a court-ordered withdrawal of EPA approval of dicamba, said he suffered “tens of thousands of dollars of damage” in recent years to the specialty crops that he grows. (Ag Week)
New approach to rural growth: In a report on “the path to rural resilience,” the Center for American Progress recommended three steps: a Rural Opportunity Administration to foster economic growth, federal laws for higher wages and benefits, and adoption of a bottom-up approach that directly funds rural communities. (Center for American Progress)
Toxic algae killed elephants: Officials said that the mysterious deaths of at least 330 elephants in Botswana, home to one-third of the elephants in Africa, were caused by toxins produced by cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae. (Reuters)
Glyphosate in manure inhibits plant growth: A Finnish study showed that glyphosate residue in poultry manure reduced plant growth in strawberries and meadow fescue when applied as fertilizer. (University of Turku, Finland)