AgClips
Recent AgClips
Arkansas approves seasonal ban on dicamba use
Agri-Pulse | Posted onJanuary 25, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA group of Arkansas state legislators has approved a ban on dicamba use between April 16 and Oct. 31 of this year, meaning that soybean and cotton growers will not be able to use Monsanto's Xtendimax or BASF's Engenia for over-the-top applications. The action by the state's Legislative Council came without discussion this morning.
Cats and Dogs Could Help Human Disease Breakthrough
The Daily Beast | Posted onJanuary 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsFarmer has high hopes for her spina bifida treatment as well: At the four-month, postoperative checkup, Darla and Spanky were able to run and play like typical puppies, seemingly free of the debilitating paralysis that plagued them just a month earlier. Within the next year, Farmer plans to file a request with the National Institute of Health to start a clinical trial of the stem cell treatment in human fetuses with spina bifida. Like the puppies, her hope is that children born with spina bifida will be able to enjoy a life free of wheelchairs and walkers.
The U.S. Can No Longer Hide From Its Deep Poverty Problem
The New York Times | Posted onJanuary 25, 2018 in Rural NewsYou might think that the kind of extreme poverty that would concern a global organization like the United Nations has long vanished in this country. Yet the special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, recently made and reported on an investigative tour of the United States. Surely no one in the United States today is as poor as a poor person in Ethiopia or Nepal? As it happens, making such comparisons has recently become much easier.
America must get out of the woods on medical research funding
The Hill | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Federal NewsBipartisan voices have recognized the importance of adequately funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the House and Senate proposing $1-2 billion in increased funding. We may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief that greater support from the federal government is forthcoming. But we shouldn’t. Current proposals, while increases, fail to bring the NIH up to historical funding levels after correction for inflation. And equally importantly, they don’t adequately address support for the myriad other federal agencies which play key roles in supporting medical research.
Bird flu prevention zone declared across England as farmers called upon to stop disease spreading
The Telegraph | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Agriculture NewsA bird flu prevention zone has been declared across England as all farmers are told to cover ponds in netting to prevent infected birds landing. The move, announced by the Government's chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens, means all poultry and bird keepers in England have to follow strict measures to protect their livestock from the disease.It comes as 13 dead wild birds were confirmed to have the virus in Warwickshire, following the discovery of the disease in wild birds in Dorset, where a total of 31 infected birds have now been identified.
Court due to enforce manure reporting rule Jan. 22
Capital Press | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Agriculture, Federal NewsA federal court is expected to finalize an order Monday that will require untold thousands of farms to report that their animals are continuously releasing at least 100 pounds of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide per day, even though there is no generally accepted way to calculate emissions from decaying manure. The Environmental Protection Agency, which argued against the mandate, has instructed producers to email the National Response Center, rather than deluge the Coast Guard-staffed center with phone calls.
Washington Legislature passes Hirst bill on wells
Capital Press | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe back-to-back votes ended a yearlong standoff created by the state Supreme Court’s Hirst ruling. Some Democrats said new wells will trample tribal treaty rights. Some Republicans complained lawmakers were turning over millions of dollars to unelected watershed-restoration panels. Still, Senate Bill 6091 received bipartisan support in both chambers. “This bill provides a path forward for the people who just want to build on their few acres,” said Moses Lake Sen.
Milk price paid to dairy farmers for 2018 is deplorable
edairynews | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Agriculture NewsAfter consultation with government and industry personnel, it’s very clear that milk prices paid to dairy farmers in 2018 still will not be pretty. The price in Federal Order #1 could average between $16.40 per cwt. and $16.60 per cwt. (hundredweight) for this year. This is deplorable, and this time, something must be done.What happens to dairy farmers in Federal Order #1, will also happen all across the United States.
Sanderson urges shareholder “No” vote on antibiotic free proposal
Meat + Poultry | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Food NewsShareholders in Sanderson Farms Inc. will vote on a several proposals during the company’s annual meeting Feb. 15, including a request for the company to transition to antibiotic-free (ABF) chicken production. The Sanderson Farms board is recommending a “no” on the ABF proposal. The company remains the only large poultry processor that has not committed to transitioning to antibiotic-free chicken production. In a securities filing, Sanderson said an oversupply of ABF poultry was among the reasons the board advised against adopting the proposal.
Farmers struggling with low milk prices find little help from safety net
Southern Minnesota | Posted onJanuary 23, 2018 in Agriculture NewsDave Schwartz has been milking cows full-time for nearly 60 years, through boom times and busts. And since the late 1950s, he’s seen a lot of both. He tries to keep an optimistic outlook, but that’s been a difficult thing to do lately, as milk prices fall — prices in 2018 so far are nearing a two-year low. Schwartz says that’s putting a lot of financial stress on his dairy farm near the southwestern Minnesota community of Slayton.“It’s just a survival thing and hopefully you can hang in there until it turns around,” said Schwartz. “That’s kind of the way dairying is.