Agriculture News
Iowa Latest to Declare Storms Disaster
DTN | Posted on March 19, 2019Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamationfor 15 counties hit by the latest catastrophic flooding in the Midwest, Reynolds announced in a news release. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts issued an emergency declaration on Tuesday ahead of the storm that raced through the Midwest this week. As of Thursday, South Dakota Gov. Krisi Noem was preparing an emergency declaration for damage from the blizzard
Pa. reaches settlement on abandoned wells
Farm and Dairy | Posted on March 19, 2019The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a settlement with Diversified Gas & Oil Corp. and Diversified Oil & Gas, (collectively referred to as Diversified) and Alliance Petroleum Co LLC (Alliance) over well-plugging violations in 23 Pennsylvania counties. “This agreement is a win for the commonwealth because it ensures that over 1,400 oil and gas wells are properly maintained or plugged and that these operators, not Pennsylvania citizens, bear the full cost of operating or plugging them,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.Diversified and Alliance have agreed to a $7 million surety bond for the wells covered by this settlement, plus an additional $20,000 to $30,000 bond for each abandoned or non-producing oil and gas well acquired in the future.
As workload grows for Iowa's pesticide inspectors, Ag Secretary says not to expect staff increases
Des Moines Register | Posted on March 19, 2019Iowa will not add investigators to handle an increased number of pesticide drift complaints, favoring instead more efficient ways to handle complaint inspections, the state’s chief agriculture officer said. “I’ve got to manage the department of ag within my budget,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said during IowaWatch’s weekly radio program that aired this weekend.“It’s true, we’ve not seen a budget increase in the pesticide bureau, and I don’t expect to see a dramatic increase in the pesticide budget. So, what we do is look at how to manage the workload with the crew that we have.”
U.S. farm belt slammed by floods, heavy snow from bomb cyclone
Reuters | Posted on March 19, 2019A harsh late winter storm broadsided a vast swathe of the U.S. agriculture industry this week as heavy snow closed roads and buried cattle in the Plains while excessive rain flooded Midwest farm fields and swamped grain elevators.
American farmer on trade war: 'We're not seeing an end'
Yahoo Finance | Posted on March 19, 2019A meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping to sign a trade deal has been delayed until at least April. In the meantime, farmers are still fighting to offset the effects of the tensions (and tariffs) between the U.S. and China. Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, detailed these struggles.Among members of his union, “their largest concern comes with the fact that their farm income is off about 50% from probably five, six years ago,” Watne told Yahoo Finance’s First Trade. “We’re not seeing an end to the trade war, and we’re questioning what a so-called win will look like.”President Trump has made it clear that he’s “in no rush” to get the results he wants. While this trade stalemate has been occurring, farmers have suffered major economic setbacks. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that American farmers are filing for bankruptcy “at levels not seen for at least a decade.” Though the trade war is not the only factor, it’s had a significant role.“We’re seeing bankruptcies up by 98%, and farmers are trying to get their operating money put together this spring, and it’s going to be really hard,” Watne said.
'An utter disaster': Ag losses from Nebraska flooding could top $1 billion
KSTP | Posted on March 19, 2019The Nebraska Farm Bureau president says farm and ranch losses to the devastating flooding could reach $1 billion in the state. President Steve Nelson estimates $400 million on crop losses because of crops that will be planted late — if at all. He also estimates up to $500 million in livestock losses as the state struggles with swollen rivers and breached or overtopped levees following heavy rain and snowmelt. He told the Omaha World-Herald , "That gets us close to a billion dollars. I would not be surprised to see the lost agriculture numbers go over a billion dollars. ..."Agriculture amounts to 20 percent of the state's gross domestic product and provides one of every four jobs.
Fighting floodwaters and keeping calves alive, a wild weather day in Nebraska
Journal Star | Posted on March 18, 2019A foot of new snow fell in the Panhandle on Wednesday, while rivers and creeks already swollen from melted ice and snow jumped their banks across eastern Nebraska.State officials urged Nebraskans to stay put in areas where heavy snow and high winds have made travel dangerous, and asked those threatened by flooding to heed evacuation warnings and to avoid water that has spilled over roads.The weather system — which Gov. Pete Ricketts and other state officials alternately described as “unprecedented,” “significant” and “prolonged” — flooded several communities and caused the interstate to be shut down for hundreds of miles.
USDA Celebrates National Ag Day with New Youth Website
USDA | Posted on March 14, 2019The U.S. Department of Agriculture joins the nation in celebrating National Ag Day, which highlights agriculture’s crucial role in everyday life, and honors the farmers, foresters, scientists, producers and many others who contribute to America’s bountiful harvest. As part of this effort, USDA is launching a new Youth and Agriculture website to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.
The health and well-being of animals comes first on the farm
AgWeek | Posted on March 14, 2019This brings me to my big thought. One of the most discussed issues in animal agriculture today is the use of antibiotics. The concern being that they are being overused, unmonitored and dumped into the food chain. It made me pause and consider that maybe it is important to reiterate the process we take in treating sick cattle and the rules we are required to follow. First, we do not treat animals unless they are sick and require a prescribed antibiotic that is recommended by our veterinarian.Second, once administered, the animal is monitored closely and only give additional treatment if they are not getting better.
The Promise of Gene Editing for Animals & People
Explore Animal Health | Posted on March 14, 2019Today, scientists worldwide are using gene editing to help solve a broad array of difficult challenges – seeking solutions to improve human nutrition and health, environmental stewardship and food insecurity. For example, one possible application is to treat sickle cell, an inherited disease that affects 100,000 people in the United States. It can cause severe pain, heart failure and early death. Imagine being able to prevent it. In food production, gene editing can help farmers keep pace with the growing demand for healthier, more abundant and affordable food while using less water and land. That said, what really captured my attention as a veterinarian is the technology’s potential to address disease in animals. For example, there is a deadly disease that affects millions of pigs worldwide. It’s known as the PRRS virus, which stands for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. One farmer describes it as the most economically and emotionally draining disease for all those raising pigs. Gene editing technology has enabled researchers to develop PRRS-resistant pigs. This application is still being tested, but it’s expected to become commercially available. It is difficult to quantify the impact that would have on animal health in terms of reduced suffering and fewer premature deaths, which equates to a reduction in both emotional and economic strain on farmers.