Reuters
Bird-flu vaccine needs more work, only 60-percent effective
The government said it will not approve release of a vaccine against the worst U.S. epidemic of avian influenza in poultry because none of the drugs now available works well enough. "Currently, there is lack of a well matched, effective vaccine for HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] from the public and private sectors. The vaccine currently available offers just 60 percent effectiveness in chickens, leaving 4 in 10 birds unprotected," said the USDA.
Few new plants expected as U.S. ethanol mandate plateaus
The U.S. ethanol industry has 213 plants with capacity to produce more than 15 billion gallons a year. With the EPA proposing ethanol use at close to current production levels, "there is little need for new plants in a saturated market," says Reuters after interviewing...
USDA developing bird flu vaccine, no plans to use it
USDA scientists are working on a poultry vaccine against avian influenza with no immediate plans to use it, says Reuters. A test is expected within a couple of months at a poultry-disease lab in Georgia.
WHO advisers analyze weedkiller 2,4-D for cancer risk
A panel of two dozen scientists begins a week-long meeting today in Lyon, France, to "analyze scientific findings regarding links between cancer in humans and the herbicide known as 2,4-D," says Reuters.
TPP talks slow as U.S. wrangles over fast-track voting
Canada and Japan will not wrap up negotiations for the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership unless the United States can guarantee that Congress will not try to re-write the deal, says Reuters.
Drought emergency is declared in Washington state
The governor of Washington state declared a drought emergency in three regions of the state, including key agricultural areas, due to record-low snowpack levels, said Reuters.
Found in Minnesota, Missouri, bird flu now suspected in Arkansas
The highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza was confirmed in two turkey flocks in Missouri, the Agriculture Department announced, five days after the same virus was identified in a turkey flock in western Minnesota.
Costco trying to curtail antibiotic use in chicken
Big-box retailer Costco "is working toward eliminating the sale of chicken and meat from other animals raised with antibiotics that are vital to fighting human infections," says Reuters, based on interviews with senior executives.
McDonald’s opts for no-antibiotic chicken, no-BST milk
The largest U.S. restaurant chain, McDonald's, announced a two-year plan to stop serving chicken raised with medically important antibiotics at its 14,000 outlets. "Our customers want food they feel good about eating -- all the way from the farm to the restaurant," said McDonald's U.S. president, Mike Andres, in a statement. The environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council said the announcement was "a big step forward" in efforts to prevent over-use of antibiotics and...
Monsanto “close to final stage” on GE corn in India
Seed company Monsanto says it has competed a field trial of genetically engineered corn in India, and aims to submit data within a year to the government for use in deciding whether to approve the strain, according to Reuters.
U.S. ag-trade delegation begins meetings in Cuba
"The most important U.S. agricultural delegation to visit Cuba in more than a decade" hopes to find business partners and is urging an end to the decades-old trade embargo, says Reuters.
Goat, the other red meat
Sustained high prices for beef are leading to creative changes to restaurant menus - such as the addition of goat meat, "an alternative, and normally budget-friendly, option to beef," reports Reuters.
Ag giants Australia and United States eye quinoa
Two of the world's leading grain exporters "are racing to become mass producers" of gluten-free quinoa, native to South America and the world's newest super food, says Reuters.
As income falls, farmers lease equipment rather than buy it
With farm income on the wane, U.S. farmers "are increasingly leasing equipment instead of buying it," says Reuters. It quotes an analyst who says some producers probably are selling equipment and using leases for replacements.
Organic farming grows worldwide, says federation
The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements claims that 2 million of the world's 1.5 billion farmers produce organic goods and 80 percent of them are in developing countries, according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor.
FAA rules limit drones’ range, and appeal, to farmers
The FAA's proposed rules for drones are too restrictive for them to live up the farmers' hopes to search for stray cattle or monitor trouble spots in crops, says Reuters.
Seed diversity is in the hands of small farmers
Researchers say small farmers hold up to 75 percent of the seeds to produce the huge array of crops grown around the world, says Reuters.
U.S. allows imports from private businesses in Cuba
The Obama administration "opened the door for Cuba's small-business community to export goods and services" to U.S. customers, says Politico.