Reading Time: 2 minutes Questions about the safety of glyphosate have resurfaced in a warning from a U.S. scientist that claims the top-selling herbicide may contribute to plant disease and health problems for farm animals. Plant pathologist and retired Purdue University professor, Don Huber has written a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warning that a newly discovered […] Read more
Plant Pathologist Cites “High Risk” Of Glyphosate
Forget Fuel Costs, U.S. Farmers Cheer Oil Surge
Reading Time: 2 minutes Not too long ago, a surge in oil prices would have caused a groan of misery from the U.S. farm belt, forced to pay higher prices for tractor fuel and fertilizer. Today, farmers are far more likely to cheer. The farm sector’s response to a surge in fuel costs has inverted for two important reasons: […] Read more
GMO Crops Planted In 29 Countries In 2010
Reading Time: 2 minutes Global plantings of biotech crops increased 10 per cent last year, continuing steady growth over the past decade that has been spurred by concerns about feeding a growing world population, according to an industry analysis. While the United States remains the largest user of genetically modified seeds, Brazil posted the biggest growth, with plantings rising […] Read more
USDA Partially Deregulating Biotech Sugar Beets
Reading Time: 2 minutes U.S. agricultural regulators Feb. 4 said despite a court ban, they would allow commercial planting of genetically modified sugar beets under closely controlled conditions while they complete a full environmental impact statement. The move marks the second-such boost by the United States for contested biotech crops in a week, and underscores U.S. determination to expand […] Read more
U.S. Gives Green Light To Roundup Ready Alfalfa
Reading Time: 2 minutes U.S. agriculture regulators on Feb. 3 said that U.S. farmers could proceed with planting genetically altered alfalfa without the restrictions that opponents say are needed to protect conventional and organic farm fields from contamination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the decision made by its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was made after […] Read more
Monsanto Sees Gains In Corn, Soy, Wheat Projects
Reading Time: < 1 minute Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, said on Jan. 6 that a lineup of new biotech seed products has the company well positioned for future growth. St. Louis-based Monsanto said it has 19 projects advancing through its research and development pipeline, including nine added in the last two years. Notable advancements are being made in […] Read more
DuPont Says New Corn Seed Yields Better In Droughts
Reading Time: < 1 minute DuPont said on Jan. 5 it was launching a new corn seed that would yield better in “water-limited” environments, as growers around the world seek ways to maximize production during droughts. DuPont, which owns Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s largest agricultural seed companies, is introducing a limited quantity of the corn hybrids for planting […] Read more
Pricey U.S. Farmland Touted As A Solid Investment
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fears that rising farmland values may be building toward a bubble are overblown, according to a leading U.S. farmland investor. The fundamental factors driving rising farmland values are long term and are coupled with low debt levels in the sector, indicators not commonly associated with asset class “bubbles,” said Hancock Agricultural Investment Group (HAIG) president […] Read more
U.S. Animal Disease Lab Carries Risks
Reading Time: 2 minutes A planned U.S. laboratory aimed at studying dangerous foreign animal diseases and preventing their spread to American cattle, hogs and other livestock carries the risk of spreading highly contagious pathogens, the National Research Council said Nov. 15. The National Bio and AgroDefense Facility (NBAF), planned for construction in Manhattan, Kansas, would be the world’s third […] Read more
As Sask. farm values rise, investment kept limited
Boston (Reuters) — Growing investor interest in high-production farmland in Saskatchewan is helping push up farmland values, but the province’s limits on foreign agriculture investment are not likely to ease any time soon, according to a leading ag official. Saskatchewan is one of several provinces that restricts farmland ownership by non-Canadians. The Farm Land Security […] Read more
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