AgClips
Recent AgClips
Washington warns pot growers about unapproved pesticides in products
Capital Press | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThe Washington State Department of Agriculture Thursday identified 15 products thought to be commonly used in marijuana cultivation that contain undisclosed pesticides. WSDA issued a notice telling growers to immediately stop using the products. Processors were told to notify retailers about the possible use of unapproved pesticides and for retailers to post the notice for their customers to see. “There has been a lot of concern by both consumers and retailers regarding pesticide use in marijuana production,” WSDA spokesman Hector Castro said.
Sioux County landowners win appeal
Scottsbluff Star Herald | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Energy NewsDistrict court judge rules against Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission in fracking wastewater case
Appeal to delay $50M settlement to Northeast dairy farmers
CNBC | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAn appeal of a financial settlement to be paid by a national dairy marketing cooperative to thousands of Northeast dairy farmers could delay the payments for at least a year. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Vermont approved a $50 million settlement to be paid by Dairy Farmers of America to about 8,860 farms to settle a lawsuit that accused the marketing group of trying to drive down milk prices. A lawyer representing one group of plaintiffs in the case says a small group of farmers are unhappy with the settlement terms and have appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Farmers, Fisherman have highest suicide rates
Agri-Pulse | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Rural NewsFarmers, lumberjacks and fishermen have the highest suicide rate in the U.S., while librarians and educators have the lowest, according to a large study that found enormous differences across occupations. The study didn't explore the reasons behind the differences, but researchers found the highest suicide rates in manual laborers who work in isolation and face unsteady employment. High rates were also seen in carpenters, miners, electricians and people who work in construction. Mechanics were close behind.
Maryland weighs delay, changes in farm pollution regulation
Bay Journal | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Agriculture NewsMaryland agriculture officials are weighing the delay or easing a 4-year-old regulation aimed at curbing farm pollution of the Chesapeake Bay after farmers and municipal sewage treatment plant operators said they need more time to comply – or want out from under it altogether.
Chlorpyrifos decision needs to wait, EPA tells court
Agri-Pulse | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Federal NewsEPA says it needs more time to decide whether to cancel the registration of chlorpyrifos and revoke all of the pesticide's food tolerances, as requested in a petition. In a report filed with 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday, the agency asked the court to give it untilJune 30, 2017, to respond to the petition from Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA). Last December, the 9th Circuit ordered EPA to make a decision on the petition by Dec. 30.
Froman: Rejecting TPP would weaken the US
Agri-Pulse | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Federal NewsA rejection of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal would go far beyond just causing U.S. exporters to miss out on lower tariffs, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said today. It would also weaken America and hurt the status of the U.S. as an international leader, he said in an address to the CATO Institute in Washington. “Rejecting TPP would undermine U.S. leadership, not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but around the world,” Froman said in a speech that warned about the consequences of becoming a more protectionist country.
TCU lab tries to save bats from death by wind turbine
Star Telegram | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Energy NewsTexas may be known for oil, but it is also the nation’s largest producer of wind energy. And while renewable energy is generally a good thing to most people, it’s not great for bats. Those towering wind turbines that harness the wind’s power kill a lot of bats every year.
Energy developer again seeks Missouri approval for transmission line from Kansas wind farms
St Louis Post Dispatch | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Energy NewsBuoyed by recent high-profile endorsements from the public and private sector, Clean Line Energy, developers of the Grain Belt Express transmission line from Kansas wind farms, submitted a new application for the project’s approval. The fate of the project now rests in the hands of the Missouri Public Service Commission, which scuttled the project's original application last year amid concerns from farmers and other landowners in the project’s path.
Soybeans on Upswing as Corn Slips After USDA Acreage Report
Ag Web | Posted onJuly 7, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAnalysts were expecting soybeans and corn futures to keep heading in opposite directions, even though USDA raised acreage and ending stocks for both grains and soybeans in Thursday’s Acreage and Grain Stocks reports. “Corn was the most bearish surprise,” observed Brian Basting of Advance Trading, Bloomington, Ill., and the commentator on a post-report MGEX press call. The soybean rally “underscores the export demand,” he explained.