AgClips
Recent AgClips
604,000 uninsured veterans in 2017 unless more states expand Medicaid
McClatchy DC | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Rural NewsMore than 600,000 military veterans are likely to be without health coverage next year unless more states expand income eligibility for the Medicaid program, researchers at the Urban Institute reported. Of 327,000 uninsured vets in non-expansion states, only 39 percent currently qualify for Medicaid or subsidized marketplace coverage.
USDA To Extend Deregulation To Two Lines Of Genetically Engineered Potatoes
Growing Produce | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Food NewsUSDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has preliminarily determined that it will extend deregulation to two lines of genetically engineered (GE) potatoes developed by J.R. Simplot Company for late blight resistance, low acrylamide potential, reduced black spot bruising, and lowered reducing sugars. APHIS previously reviewed and deregulated these GE traits in other GE potatoes.
Ag Secretary, NPPC Agree $150 Million Not Enough for FMD Vaccine Bank
WNAX | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThe U.S. pork industry wants Congress to fully fund a foot and mouth disease vaccine bank in the next farm bill. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack told the Senate Ag Committee last week it would take more than the $150 million livestock groups want for the bank. National Pork Producers Council President John Weber agrees with that assessment and says while they projected $150 million over five years, the U.S. livestock industry is not prepared for any possible FMD outbreak. He says the two foreign laboratories the U.S. could source vaccine from are getting high demand from other countries.
Dairy Sheep Research Coming To An End In Spooner
Wisconsin Public Radio | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Agriculture NewsDavid Thomas is looking over his life's work at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station in northern Wisconsin. After 26 years with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the professor of sheep genetics and management is retiring and the research station's dairy sheep program is going along with him. The university's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences decided to end the program after being dealt a nearly $3 million cut as part of reductions in state funding to UW System.The Spooner Ag Station has been home to the only land-grant university in the nation researching dairy sheep.
China Wants GMOs. The Chinese People Don't.
Bloomberg | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Food NewsThe latest food safety scandal in China might be its most damaging.
The science doesn't warrant banning gmo crops in Sonoma County
The Press Democrat | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Agriculture NewsEleven years ago, voters were at the center of a food fight over whether genetically engineered crops should be banned in Sonoma County. Proponents sought to scare voters with claims that GMO foods jeopardized the health of children while opponents argued that, given how the ballot measure, Measure M, was worded, it put children at risk by preventing common vaccinations.
Puerto Rico finds unexpected source of growth in agriculture
The Washington Post | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Agriculture NewsPuerto Ricans are buying rice produced on the island for the first time in nearly 30 years. They are also eating locally grown mushrooms, kale and even arugula, along with more traditional crops such as plantains and pineapples. The U.S.
Hershey official confident in smart label technolog
Brownfield | Posted onOctober 3, 2016 in Food NewsAn official of The Hershey Company is confident that consumers will embrace the industry’s new SmartLabel technology on food products. Anti-GMO activists have argued that GMO disclosure statements need to printed on the labels of food products. They say a large segment of consumers either don’t have access to smartphones or won’t take the time to scan labels for the GMO information. But Deborah Arcoleo, director of product transparency with Hershey, says their research shows consumers will use the SmartLabel technology.
Massachusetts Launches $1 Million Loan Fund To Aid Farmers Affected By Drought
WBUR News | Posted onSeptember 30, 2016 in Agriculture NewsUp to $1 million in micro-loans will now be available to Massachusetts farmers struggling under the impacts of a widespread and historic drought. The launch of the Drought Emergency Loan Fund, announced Wednesday, is one of a series of steps Gov. Charlie Baker and his administration are taking in response to five months of abnormally dry weather.
House Committee Looks Into International Cancer Agency
DTN | Posted onSeptember 29, 2016 in Federal NewsBecause the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, receives federal funding, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is launching an inquiry into the National Institutes of Health's support for the group that has made several controversial proclamations about agricultural chemicals and their safety. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the committee chairman, asked in a letter to the National Institute of Health to provide a number of documents and to agree to a briefing with committee staff.