EPA measures will stop the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on food (WASHINGTON/August 18, 2021) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will stop the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food to better protect human health, particularly that of children and farmworkers. In a final rule released today, EPA is revoking all “tolerances” for chlorpyrifos, which establish …
Groups Asking Stores to Pull Roundup from Shelves
A coalition of consumer, health and environmental groups are calling on Lowe’s and Home Depot to remove Roundup from their store shelves. The groups claim consumers can’t wait, urging the stores to remove the products now. Bayer last month announced long-term risk mitigation actions to prevent further litigation regarding Roundup. The plan calls for replacing its glyphosate-based products in the …
Vilsack, Tai, Meet with Ag Policy Advisory Committee
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai released a statement following a meeting with the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee last week. Ambassador Tai detailed how the Biden-Harris Administration’s trade agenda aligns with the objectives of the agricultural sector. The Ambassador discussed how USTR is working to support the ability of U.S. agricultural producers to expand access to …
USDA Gathering Data on Feral Swine Damage to Livestock Operations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has announced they will be conducting a Feral Swine Livestock Damage survey to measure the costs of feral swine damage to livestock operations. The survey is conducted in cooperation with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services. Over 4,000 farms and ranches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and …
EPA and Army Corps Announce Next Steps on Writing WOTUS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps announced plans for community engagements to let people know about their efforts to revise the definition of “WOTUS,” or the Waters of the U.S rule. The goal of the rewrite is to better ensure clean and safe water for everyone. The EPA and the Army Corps say they are committed to …
DeSantis, Fried Offer Different Takes on Red Tide
(NSF, August 3, 2021/TALLAHASSEE) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried made appearances Tuesday along the Gulf Coast, offering competing views about an ongoing toxic red-tide outbreak. Fried, the state agriculture commissioner, reiterated a call for DeSantis to declare a state of emergency to help combat the outbreak that has caused at least 600 tons of dead …
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Update
(GDA/August 3, 2021) — The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA) Animal Industry Division confirmed Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2) in domestic rabbits at a single Gwinnett County premise. This is the second confirmed case this year. The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the virus and currently it does not appear to be linked to the Cobb …
Seven Georgia Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of …
Thompson Seeks House Hearing on Senate Climate Bill
The top Republican on the House Ag Committee calls for a hearing on the Senate Growing Climate Solutions Act. In a letter to Chairman David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, Glen GT Thompson of Pennsylvania says, “I write to express concerns with this legislation and request further review by the House Committee on Agriculture.” Thompson has maintained concerns of government involvement …
Florida, Georgia FFA Members Named 2021 American Star Finalists
The National FFA Organization has announced the 16 finalists for its 2021 top achievement awards: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience. And 4 members from Florida and Georgia are among the 16 finalists. The American Star Awards represent the best of the best among thousands of American FFA Degree …