AgClips
Recent AgClips
Republican rancher will chair Idaho House ag committee
Capital Press | Posted onDecember 11, 2016 in Agriculture NewsRep. Judy Boyle, a Republican rancher from Midvale, has been selected to chair the House Agricultural Affairs Committee. She is one of 11 current or retired farmers or ranchers who will chair House and Senate committees in the Idaho Legislature when the 2017 session starts in January.Boyle, who is in her fifth term in the legislature and has been named one of the 100 most influential people in Idaho, said her predecessor, Ken Andrus, set a high bar.
USDA final analysis recommends deregulation of GE bentgrass
USDA | Posted onDecember 11, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service received a request (APHIS Petition 15-300-01p) from The Scotts Company LLC of Marysville, OH and Monsanto Company of St. Louis, MO seeking a determination of nonregulated status for ASR368 creeping bentgrass that has been engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. When APHIS receives a petition for nonregulated status of an article currently regulated under its PPA authority codified in 7 CFR part 340, the Agency is required to make a decision.
Ranchers seek exemption to electronic device trucking rule
Capital Press | Posted onDecember 11, 2016 in Agriculture NewsCattle ranchers want an exemption to a livestock hauling rule change that they say will hinder their ability to transport animals long distances. The new rule requires the use of hours-of-service electronic logging devices by drivers who are currently required only to prepare records of duty status.The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration’s Electronic Logging Device rule goes into effect Dec. 18, 2017.The final rule does not change federal hours-of-service requirements, said Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration spokesman Duane DeBruyne.
South Africa to Allow U.S. GM Corn Imports for First Time
Bloomberg | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Agriculture NewsSouth Africa approved imports of genetically modified corn from the U.S. for the first time after its worst drought since records began 104 years ago cut local output. Local white corn prices fell. The nation will allow both white and yellow GM corn from the U.S. to be brought in, Dirk Kok, a spokesman for the secretariat of the Pretoria-based South African Cereals and Oilseeds and Trade Association, said in an interview on Monday.
Delaware: winter application of fertilizer and manure regulated
Delaware Government | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Agriculture NewsDelaware farmers, lawn care companies, golf courses and other nutrient handlers should not apply nutrients to the ground during the winter months, the Delaware Department of Agriculture reminds applicators. Regulations adopted by the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission in 2007 prohibit certified nutrient handlers from applying commercial and manure-based fertilizer from December 7 to February 15, the time of year most vulnerable for nutrient runoff.
Wendy’s joins sustainable beef effort
Meatingplace (registration required) | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Food NewsWendy’s International Inc. has announced a partnership with the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) to help advance sustainability efforts throughout the U.S. beef value chain. Joining the USRSB is expected to offer Wendy’s an active role in discussions about the beef industry’s environmental, social and economic sustainability.
U.K. officials order poultry indoors to fight HPAI spread
Meatingplace (registration required) | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Federal NewsAuthorities have designated all of Scotland and England an Aviation Influenza Prevention Zone in order to protect commercial and backyard poultry flocks from the avian influenza outbreak that so far has affected 14 European and Asian nations in recent weeks. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has yet to be confirmed in any part of the United Kingdom, but officials at the Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are concerned enough to order poultry farm managers and others to keep birds inside for the next 30 days, according to several local media reports.
Iowa beef checkoff passes with 56% approval
Des Moines Register | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Agriculture NewsFifty-six percent of Iowa cattle producers voted in November to create a state checkoff program that will generate up to $1.6 million annually, the Iowa Department of Agriculture said. Producers will pay 50 cents per head of cattle to support the state checkoff. The money will be used to promote Iowa beef, fund production research, expand international markets, consumer education and other activities, the Iowa Cattlemen's Association says.
Grants help fund livestock upgrades
Fairmont Sentinel | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Agriculture NewsMinnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson says livestock producers can apply for a portion of $2 million in grants available for on-farm improvements, as part of the Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation Program.
Radical Changes Are Coming to Grocery Business
Forbes | Posted onDecember 9, 2016 in Food NewsAmazon is opening its first food store without checkouts! Walmart opens its first grocery pick-up and gas station concept!Lidl and Aldi are trading up and will each open 2,000 grocery stores!My previous predictions are quickly coming true—the food retail industry is rapidly changing due to new technology and new entries into the marketplace. With big plans to operate smaller stores featuring a convenience food assortment at very low prices in many parts of the U.S., the roll out of these small stores by these retail behemoths will profoundly impact the traditional grocery chains.