AgClips
Recent AgClips
Americans Are Drinking Less Milk, But They Can't Get Enough Cheese
Bloomberg | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Food NewsAmericans love their cheese, but maybe not as much as dairy farmers do. Even after people cut back on milk use for decades -- a consequence of more drink options including juices, sodas and sports drinks -- U.S. cows are producing the most ever. While the glut has eroded dairy income, the industry is getting a jolt from demand for high-fat byproducts that have given the world creations like the Grilled Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza and led McDonald’s Corp. to start using butter on its Egg McMuffins rather than margarine.
500,000 Dutch dairy cows are staring down death because of the amount of dung they produce
Quartz | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsHalf a million Dutch dairy cows have a pretty big problem. If the Netherlands can’t find a way to manage the dung they produce, European Union environmental rules mean they will have to be killed. If those cows are culled, it would remove roughly a third of the dairy cows in the Netherlands, which wouldn’t be good news for the dairy sector; the Dutch dairy industry had a production value (pdf) of €7 billion ($7.4 billion) in 2014, the last available year for records. The problem has to do with groundwater.
Nebraska agriculture leaders outline principles for property tax reform
KTIC Radio | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsLeaders of Nebraska agriculture organizations who represent tens of thousands of Nebraska farmers, ranchers, and livestock feeders have come together to outline principles to guide actions on comprehensive tax reform for Nebraska. The principles are targeted at addressing Nebraska’s current tax system, which has led to an imbalance and overreliance on property taxes to fund government services. The Agriculture Leaders Working Group principles for tax reform state: 1.
First GMO apple slices to go on sale in Midwest
Capital Press | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Food NewsA small amount of genetically modified sliced apples will go on sale in 10 Midwest stores this February and March. The first genetically modified apples to be sold in the U.S. will debut in select Midwestern stores next month. A small amount of Arctic brand sliced and packaged Golden Delicious, produced by Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Summerland, B.C., will be in 10 stores this February and March, said Neal Carter, the company’s founder and president. He would not identify the retailers, saying that’s up to them.
Citrus Growers Optimistic About Genetically Engineered Trees
WFSU | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsDespite a decade of bad harvests, a Florida lawmaker says the state’s signature industry is recovering. Growers are optimistic new genetically engineered trees will survive the deadly citrus greening disease. A small bacterium is ravaging Florida’s citrus industry, killing thousands of trees and forcing many growers out of business. The crisis is spurring state regulators to invest in genetically engineered trees that are disease resistant. Researchers are beginning to see positive results, though it may take a few years for crop yields to catch up.
Genetic engineering improves crops, helps the environment
Columbus Dispatch | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsWhen you have a garden, you know you want the best seeds and the most nutrient-rich soil. You water your garden faithfully, weed, and hope for the best produce possible. With farming hundreds of acres, you have the same requirements — just on a larger scale. However, with farming, there’s a lot more at stake than a home garden. Your livelihood and future lies in your fields.
Gene-silencing spray lets us modify plants without changing DNA
New Scientist | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsDon’t like the look of those roses in your garden? One day you might be able to buy a spray that changes the colour of their flowers by silencing certain genes. Farmers may use similar gene-silencing sprays to boost yields, make their crops more nutritious, protect them from droughts and trigger ripening. The technique could let us change plant traits without altering their DNA.
Can CRISPR Technology Help Us Meet the Goals of “One Health”?
Biotech Now | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe concept of “One Health” recognizes that the health of people, animals, and the environment are linked. Human population expansion and increased global migration have led to significant land-use changes and urbanization, all of which have an impact on the environment and increase the risk of disease transmission between animals and people. Although increased specialization within scientific disciplines and professions has greatly improved the health and well-being of people and animals, it has also led to silos that impede interdisciplinary communication.
PETA Hit With Two Lawsuits in One Week
| Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsPETA, say hello to 2017. Last Thursday, the animal rights group was slapped with a defamation lawsuit filed by a primate facility in Missouri. That follows a belated Christmas present PETA received the previous week: A second defamation lawsuit, this one filed by a zoo in Michigan. Both lawsuits claim to be responding to PETA harassment, and it’s certainly great to see people sticking up for themselves against animal-rights bullies. Both facilities claim that PETA has been threatening to sue them under the Endangered Species Act to try to take away their animals.
Agricultural Credit Market Update
Farm Doc Daily | Posted onJanuary 14, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe continued "margin squeeze" faced by crop producers across the Midwest has led to a drastic reduction in working capital buffers. As a result, many grain farmers may seek additional debt capital to carry out marketing and production plans, to finance their capital base, or to provide short-run liquidity.