AgClips
Recent AgClips
Right to Farm stays on November ballot, state high court rules
Tulsa World | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsA state question seeking to enshrine the rights of farmers and ranchers in the state constitution will stay on the ballot, according to an opinion released Monday by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Lawmakers put State Question 777 — dubbed “Right to Farm” by supporters and “Right to Harm” by critics — on the Nov. 8 ballot.SQ 777 would add a section to the Oklahoma Constitution that would create a constitutional right to engage in farming and ranching. It would protect the use of agricultural technology, livestock procedures and ranching practices.
Dean Foods Revenue Declines Amid Milk Glut
Wall Street Journal | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in Food NewsDean Food Co. struggled with a glut of milk in the second quarter, obliging the dairy giant to cut prices on the private-label products that make up much of its milk and ice-cream sales. Even though consumers are paying less, they didn’t buy more milk, contributing to what Dean Foods said on Monday was an 8.2% drop in second-quarter revenue to $1.85 billion. Analysts expected profit to fall, but Dean Foods’ earnings announcement still sent shares down as much as 8% in early trading. They regained some ground to close Monday’s session at $18.16, a drop of 3.5%.
U.S.: GM Fuji apple edges closer to regulatory approval
Fresh Fruit Portal | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in Food NewsFollowing breakthroughs the Arctic Golden and Granny, Canada-based Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) is one step closer to having another genetically modified apple cultivated in the U.S. The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) publicly shared OSF’s final version of a petition seeking regulatory approval for non-browning Arctic Fuji apples. APHIS said it had reached a preliminary decision to extend its determination of non-regulated status to the variety.
Agriculture and overuse greater threats to wildlife than climate change – study
The Guardian | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in Rural NewsAgriculture and the overexploitation of plants and animal species are significantly greater threats to biodiversity than climate change, new analysis shows. Joint research published in the journal Nature found nearly three-quarters of the world’s threatened species faced these threats, compared to just 19% affected by climate change.
New protein process in E. coli could lead to more efficient options for 'tiniest of factories'
Science Daily | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in Energy NewsThe often-maligned E. coli bacteria has powerhouse potential: in the lab, it has the ability to crank out fuels, pharmaceuticals and other useful products at a rapid rate. A research team has discovered a new way to remove a major stumbling block in the process, and boost biofuel production from E. coli.
China money, market spur Canadian blueberry deluge
reuters | Posted onAugust 11, 2016 in Food NewsAn aging mansion sits vacant on an estate outside Vancouver, the garage overtaken by a blueberry sorter and a walk-in cooler packed with the fruit. The owner, an investor from mainland China, leases the estate to Fred Liu at such a bargain the farmer grows blueberries in its fields even though the bottom has fallen out of the market. As it turns out, the same wave of Chinese wealth that has fueled real estate booms in cities like New York, Sydney and San Francisco and stoked the art market worldwide also has contributed to an unexpected glut of blueberries.
Why Monsanto Moved Forward with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans
Agriculture.com | Posted onAugust 10, 2016 in NewsOff-target movement of dicamba has damaged thousands of soybean acres in the bootheel of Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The damage is linked to Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans that tolerate dicamba. Following Chinese approval last February, Monsanto released Xtend varieties for planting in 2016. These soybeans tolerate both glyphosate and dicamba applications. However, federal regulators did not approve a key link of this system — new dicamba formulations low in volatility potential. Existing dicamba formulations could not be used on Xtend soybeans in 2016
Lawsuits mounting against Monsanto over alleged cancer-causing ingredients in Roundup
Madison St. Clair Record | Posted onAugust 10, 2016 in Agriculture NewsSeveral law firms in Illinois are mounting a case against a multinational agrochemical manufacturer, claiming one of the ingredients in its herbicide product causes cancer. In what could become a class-action suit against Monsanto Co., several law firms are banding together to find clients who allegedly have been affected by the company’s Roundup product, which they claim has caused cancer in several consumers. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, was declared by the World Health Organization earlier this year as a probable carcinogen to humans.
N.D. ag commissioner takes aim at animal cruelty training for law enforcement
Grand Forks Herald | Posted onAugust 10, 2016 in Agriculture NewsNorth Dakota's top agriculture official warned Monday that training provided by the Humane Society of the United States on how to handle animal cruelty cases poses a threat to the state's livestock industry, but an HSUS spokesman said that's untrue and trainers are only going where invited.Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said he believes the Humane Society's intentions behind the training "are misleading as they have a long history as an animal rights activist organization with the intention of ending animal agriculture." "HSUS is encouraging and training law enforcement to identify
The drought no one is talking about in the southeastern United States
The Washington Post | Posted onAugust 10, 2016 in NewsCrops are wilting in the fields in several states in the southeastern United States from an extreme drought that has crept up under the radar of most people living outside the region. Farmers in northern Georgia, northeast Alabama, southeast Tennessee, western North Carolina and northwestern South Carolina are desperate for rain as harvest time nears. Combined with above average heat this summer, the corn crop in numerous counties has already been wiped out.