National Pork Producers Delegate Body Appointed

Dan Industry News Release, Pork

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the appointment of 163 producers and five importers to the 2017 National Pork Producers Delegate Body.  The appointees were selected from nominees submitted by state pork producer associations and importer groups and will serve a 1-year term. The Delegate Body will be seated during the Feb. 27, 2017, to March 3, 2017, …

Role of Fossil Fuels in the U.S. Food System and the American Diet

Dan Industry News Release

by Patrick Canning, Sarah Rehkamp, Arnold Waters, and Hamideh Etemadnia/USDA Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? The consumption of fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable energy by the U.S. food system was on par, in 2002, with the entire national energy budget for India and exceeded the combined energy budgets of all African nations.

Common Crop Chemical Leaves Bees Susceptible to Deadly Viruses

Dan Industry News Release, Research

By Sara LaJeunesse, Penn State University A chemical that is thought to be safe and is, therefore, widely used on crops — such as almonds, wine grapes and tree fruits — to boost the performance of pesticides, makes honey bee larvae significantly more susceptible to a deadly virus, according to researchers at Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Funding for Potato Breeding Research

Dan Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of $1.85 million in funding for regional potato breeding research to support the development of superior-performing varieties that can be brought to market as soon as possible. The United States is one of the top potato producers worldwide, and industry sales estimates topped $3.6 billion in …

Funding to Support Agriculture Programs at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced availability of $8.8 million in funding to support agricultural science education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program promotes and strengthens HSI programs that attract, retain, and graduate outstanding students capable of enhancing the nation’s food, agricultural, natural resource, and human sciences work …