Problem Expands for Avocado Growers

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

by Brad Buck, University of Florida,/IFAS 9 beetle species carry deadly fungus Many people love their avocados – not to mention guacamole dip. So it was bad enough when scientists said a beetle was ravaging avocado trees in South Florida. Then scientists found out that the redbay ambrosia beetle — originally determined to transmit laurel wilt — is rare in …

funding

Canada Farmland Values Up 10 Percent

Dan Industry News Release

Farm Credit Canada announced this week farmland prices in Canada increased 10 percent last year as the nation’s property boom is spreading to agriculture. A report by Farm Credit Canada found the average price of farmland across Canada increased 10.1 percent in 2016 as low-interest rates and strong crop income helped maintain demand. The 2016 increase, according to the report, …

poultry processing

Grassley Bill Would Ban Packer Ownership of Livestock

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Livestock

A bill reintroduced in the U.S. Senate last week by Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley seeks to ban packer ownership of livestock. A news release from his office says the Senator is concerned about the continued impact of consolidation within the livestock industry. Grassley says over the last several decades large packing companies in the poultry and pork industries have …

railroad

Trade Critical for U.S. Railway Operators

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

Union Pacific says millions of American jobs depend on trade occurring along the U.S.-Mexican border, and that fact needs to be considered during any discussion of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The railroad company is highlighting the impact of the agreement as an effort to promote trade across the border. Less trade between the U.S. and Mexico …

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White House Plans to Tackle Tough Issues First in NAFTA Talks

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

The Donald Trump administration is considering front-loading the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by negotiating the political issues first, ahead of more technical talks. A former official at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office told Politico this week the idea would be to “have a lot of those high-level discussions with principals at the beginning, and …

usda

$21.8 Million to Combat Citrus Disease

Dan Citrus, Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $21.8 million in available funding to combat and manage citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB)Huanglongbing (HLB), which has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (CDRE), …

funding

Funding to Support Disaster Preparedness

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $462,000 in available funding to decrease the impact of disasters through cooperative extension programming. Funding is made through NIFA’s Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP). “There has been an increase in the number and severity of disasters, from tornadoes to acts of terrorism,” said NIFA Director …

analyst

Funding to Foster a Diverse Agricultural Science Workforce

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $400,000 in available funding to support more women and minority representation in the agricultural science workforce. Funding is made through NIFA’s Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS). “Science must be inclusive to thrive,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “Through investments such …

national bioengineered

USDA Announces $150.2 Million in Funding through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

Dan Industry News Release, Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced $150.2 million in available funding to support projects that build a foundation of knowledge in agricultural sciences to address a range of societal and global challenges such as food security, food safety, sustainable agriculture, and rural entrepreneurship. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative …