A class-action antitrust lawsuit charges that U.S. broiler companies conspired to reduce chicken production to cause chicken prices to rise to “unprecedented” levels during the period from 2008-2014. [node:read-more:link]
The Agricultural Development Bank of China [AGDBC.UL], one of the country's main policy lenders, agreed to loan at least 3 trillion yuan ($450 billion) by 2020 for the modernization of China's agriculture industry, state media said on Sunday. The Ministry of Agriculture and the bank, which lends in line with government policy, signed an agreement to protect national food security, support the sector doing business overseas and develop China's seed industry, according to the official Xinhua news agency. It was not immediately clear whether this commitment is separate from the bank's plan a [node:read-more:link]
Animal rights activists are facing little organized opposition as they push a ballot question that would ban the sale of eggs and other food products in Massachusetts that come from farms where animals are confined to overly restrictive cages. Supporters of the question have reported raising $1.6 million so far in direct contributions and another $525,000 in in-kind contributions, like donated staff times. The state's latest campaign finance deadline passed without any opposition group filing a fundraising report with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The single biggest sourc [node:read-more:link]
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie today announced a new three-year, $328 million restoration strategy to improve water quality and help coastal ecosystems heal following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The strategy will guide how USDA will steer conservation efforts on private lands in priority areas of the Gulf of Mexico region. [node:read-more:link]
When it comes to farming, it seems the critics always have the easy answer. They portray this line of work as if every day brings blue skies and no worries. The reality is the farming business comes with a fair share of challenges; chief among them is the unpredictability of weather and markets. Anything can and will happen. Most kids don't return to the farm, which is evident by the average age of the American farmer. It's 58 years old and it keeps creeping upward. This is not a good trend for American agriculture and something that should worry all of us. [node:read-more:link]
The Senate has approved a bill to boost efforts to combat illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking, a growing problem worldwide with an estimated cost of up to $10 billion a year. The measure is aimed at protecting a variety of animals, from lions, elephants and rhinos to exotic birds and sharks. It supports ongoing work of a presidential task force on wildlife trafficking and directs U.S. agencies to work with countries affected by wildlife crime, such as the 2015 killing of Cecil the lion by an American during an illegal hunt in Zimbabwe. [node:read-more:link]
In New York state, it's the law that working police dogs injured in the line of duty must be transported to the nearest veterinarian in an ambulance. The law to authorize paramedics to transport injured police dogs to appropriate facilities was sponsored by State Senator David J. Valesky and passed during the 2015-2016 Legislative Session. [node:read-more:link]
Half of private sector employees don’t have access to a workplace retirement savings plan, but by next year several states expect to have new plans up and running. Washington state is anticipating an early 2017 start date for its Small Business Retirement Marketplace, where financial services firms will offer low-cost plans to businesses with less than 100 employees, including solo business owners. The Marketplace will be voluntary for employers—and employees. [node:read-more:link]
Governor Charlie Baker signed an executive order directing state officials to develop regulations for specific, annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by next summer. The order comes on the heels of a court ruling that the state has not done enough to meet its obligations under the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires Massachusetts to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. [node:read-more:link]
The 27 states challenging Obama’s Clean Power Plan in court say the lower emissions levels it would impose are an undue burden. But most are likely to hit them anyway. Already, Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Dakota appear to be meeting the CPP's early targets. And changes in the power market, along with policies favoring clean generation, are propelling most of the rest toward timely compliance, according to researchers, power producers and officials, as well as government filings reviewed by Reuters. We are seeing reductions earlier than we ever expected,” U.S. [node:read-more:link]
