AgClips
Recent AgClips
Economists flee Agriculture Dept. after feeling punished under Trump
Politico | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture, Federal NewsEconomists in the Agriculture Department's research branch say the Trump administration is retaliating against them for publishing reports that shed negative light on White House policies, spurring an exodus that included six of them quitting the department on a single day in late April.
USDA Announces Repayment Options for Producers with Coverage in Previous Margin Protection Program for Dairy
USDA | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture NewsUSDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that dairy producers who had coverage under the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy), which provided payments to producers when the price of milk fell below the feed costs to produce it, are eligible to receive a repayment for part of the premiums paid into the program.
Dean Foods Falters in More Concentrated Milk Market
The Wall Street Journal | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture NewsAmerica’s biggest milk maker is running out of options as milk consumption continues to decline in the U.S. Dean Foods Co.’s sinking sales also have been hurt by big customers such as Walmart Inc.opening their own dairy plants to help guarantee their own supply. The dairy company’s sales last year of $7.8 billion were down 38% from a decade ago.Shares in Dean Foods have lost around 60% of their value this year, and the Dallas-based company’s $141 million market value is about 5% of what it was worth a decade ago.
USDA economists fear crackdown on research
Politico | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture, Federal NewsAgriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s plan to relocate the Economic Research Service outside the Beltway has triggered a brain drain of veteran economists, amid staff complaints the administration is cracking down on research that doesn’t align with White House priorities.
Florida Producer Survives Undercover Video Attack
Milk Business | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture NewsSomeone had shot an undercover video on his dairy. “I’ll always remember that day, Nov. 9, 2017,” Larson recalls. “We really didn’t have any warning. By the time she emailed it to me it was already online. Boy, it was rough. The initial reaction when I first saw it, I was just gut shot. I literally didn’t eat anything for 24 hours. I just wanted to throw up.”Larson’s phone was blowing up with calls, and he couldn’t keep track of them all. There were so many that he couldn’t even get a call in to his office.
Humans Are Speeding Extinction and Altering the Natural World at an ‘Unprecedented’ Pace
The New York Times | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Rural NewsHumans are transforming Earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival, a sweeping new United Nations assessment has concluded.
Washington sets aside $21.55 million for faster rural internet
Capital Press | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsOver the next two years, Washington plans to lend $14.44 million and give another $7.11 million to public agencies, tribes and businesses to bring high-speed internet to rural areas and Indian reservations.
FDA finds euthanasia drug in pet food ingredient
Smart Brief | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Food NewsPure tallow made by JBS Souderton for use in pet food contained the euthanasia drug pentobarbital, according to an FDA warning letter. The company, which does business under the name MOPAC, said it had cleaned equipment after the FDA and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture found lax testing protocols, but traces of pentobarbital were subsequently found, indicating that measures the company put in place were insufficient to prevent pentobarbital-contaminated ingredients from being used in finished tallow, according to the warning.
Bill Would Allow Vets To Report Suspected Animal Abuse
WUFT | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsVeterinarians in Florida may soon be able to report suspected animal abuse they witness at work. The Florida Senate is considering a criminal justice bill, HB 7125, that would allow vets to report suspected criminal violations, like animal abuse, to authorities as long as the animal doesn’t live on agricultural land. Clients who own the animal on agricultural land would need to be given notice before the vet can call the authorities.Currently, state law prohibits vets from discussing a patient’s condition without a subpoena and notice to the client.
New York wants to fight climate change through good farming. Here's the dirt.
Grist | Posted onMay 9, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsDobson’s work drew the attention of Barrett a few years back. In 2015, she toured the farm for the first time and asked him for advice on how to incentivize climate change–thwarting farming practices. “It just seemed like a no brainer,” Barrett said. “New York can lead on this.” The resulting pilot project, included in this year’s state budget, will test out different methods of farming in a way that promotes soil health and fights global warming.It’s true that nothing quite compares to the natural ability of trees to soak up carbon dioxide. Reforesting parts of the U.S.