Brian Roach scrawled a simple outlook for corn prices in a spiral notebook, with a line diving from the upper left hand corner to the lower right. Sitting in a hotel ballroom at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum last week, the commodity broker predicted increasing supplies and weakening demand would slow
Glass is still half full for flush American farmers
U.S. rolls out second bid at livestock tracking plan
A livestock tracking plan introduced on Tuesday aims to improve the United States’ ability to combat disease outbreaks faster, marking the U.S. government’s second attempt on such a system after an earlier plan fizzled out over cost and privacy concerns. The plan introduced by the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) could reduce the time it takes
USDA Deregulates Industrial GE Corn
The U.S. Agriculture Department said Feb. 11 it has deregulated a variety of corn genetically engineered to produce a common enzyme that speeds the breakdown of starch into sugar, a vital step in making ethanol. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said Syngenta, the Swiss maker of the enzyme, called alpha-amylase, will create an
Meat, Poultry To Have Nutrition Labels By 2012 — USDA
Nutritional labels will be mandatory on 40 popular cuts of meat and poultry products beginning in 2012, a measure the U.S. Agriculture Department says will make it easier for consumers to understand the content of the foods they buy. USDA said the nutritional information will be required for major cuts of raw, single-ingredient meat and
HSUS Targets Laying Hen Abuses
“I don’t think anyone can see this footage and feel good about this production system.” – WAYNE PACELLE An undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States of major U. S. egg producers showed “rampant abuse” of hens, which the animal rights group said April 7 could prompt more consumers to embrace “cage-free”
U. S. Farmers To Cut Wheat, Boost Cotton, Corn Acres
American farmers, taking advantage of rising cotton prices, will sharply increase their plantings of that crop this year, and also look to reap better returns from corn and soybeans, growers said in a poll released Jan. 13. A random survey of 980 farmers at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting found they will increase
USDA Seeks Comment On Genetically Modified Alfalfa
Alfalfa is not the only crop that has come under fire. The U. S. Agriculture Department on Dec. 14 said it determined there would be no significant environmental harm to deregulating genetically modified alfalfa, but said it will open its preliminary finding to public comment before issuing a final decision. USDA first deregulated two types
More Fruit, Fewer Calories Urged For U. S. School Lunch
“This will be a very wise investment in children’s health.” – VIRGINIA STALLINGS U. S. children should get more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in their school meals even though this will push up costs, and calories should be limited, a panel recommended to the federal government Oct. 20. As obesity among adolescents continues to
USDA Raises Dairy Support Prices
The government announced a three-month increase in U. S. dairy support prices on July 31 that would put an additional $243 million into farmers’ pockets and offset the lowest milk prices in 30 years. Burdened by economic recession and an abrupt slump in exports, dairy prices collapsed last fall. They are two-thirds of last year’s
Gulf Of Mexico “Dead Zone” One Of Largest Ever
The Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” – a region infested with algae that consumes most of the oxygen, deterring habitation by marine life – could be one of the largest on record, with much of the blame going to agriculture and flooding, the government said June 18. The dead zone, located off the coast of