Another Round of NAFTA Talks Getting Underway

Trade negotiators are in Montreal for the next round of talks regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The session could be the last round of significant talks before the Mexican presidential campaigns which lead up to a July first election, making negotiations too difficult, according to the Hagstrom Report. The talks will last until January 29th, when the …

Senate Votes to End Government Shutdown

Senate leaders have reached an agreement to end the government shutdown, passing a bill to fund the government until February 8th. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to end a filibuster on the spending bill, in exchange for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s word that the Senate will begin debating immigration by the day the short-term spending bill expires. The Senate vote …

Agri View: Honeybee Dilemma Continues

Everett Griner talks about honeybee research continues but still not quite there in today’s Agri View. Honeybee Dilemma Continues It has been over a decade now since the honeybee industry almost collapsed. Scientists have worked every day to try to determine what has caused it. So far they still don’t have an answer. They have decided that it was a …

Farmers Union Releases Priorities for Farm Bill

Urges Increased Funding for Farm Safety Net Given the persistent and ongoing economic challenges in farming and rural economies, National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling on Congress to increase funding for farm programs in the farm bill and pass the legislation as soon as possible. The NFU Board of Directors recently passed a resolution to this effect, outlining requirements for a farm …

USDA-APHIS to Review Research for Determination of Non-Regulated Status for Ultra-Low Gossypol Cottonseed

Ultra-Low Gossypol Cottonseed Part of Cotton Incorporated Research Activities Cotton Incorporated-funded research into the suppression of gossypol in cottonseed is being reviewed by USDA-APHIS for a determination of non-regulated status for a specific type of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed (ULGCS) referred to as TAM66274.  Cotton Incorporated has funded research at Texas A&M AgriLife Research of College Station on this technology because …

Experimental Crop Bed Design Survived Hurricane Irma

While producers and growers across Florida lost some, if not all, of their crops due to Hurricane Irma, a University of Florida researcher saw his experimental bedding survive the storm. “We were testing for flooding, and didn’t expect to have winds strong enough the effects of wind force on crops,” said Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS professor in the agricultural and biological …

Senate Taking Up Florida Forever

The Florida Senate on Wednesday is expected to take up a bill that would set aside $100 million a year for the Florida Forever program. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, that bill was among nine that the Senate Special Order Calendar Group on Monday scheduled to go to the full Senate during a Wednesday floor …

Root Biologist Joins UF Fight Against Citrus Greening

An inventive fruit tree researcher has joined the University of Florida Indian River Research and Education Center. Lorenzo Rossi is the center’s first-ever root biology professor and will support the university’s statewide Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ commitment to restore Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry. “Healthy roots are essential for a healthy plant. Dr. Rossi’s root biology research will …