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2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/3664 | The Vanuatu Cocoa Growers’ Association: Inclusive Trade in Rural Smallholder Agriculture 1 Nov 2013Working paper series The Cocoa Grower’s Association (CGA) in the Republic of Vanuatu is a fundamental example of how the organization of local cooperatives can make a significant impact and create an environment for inclusive trade. This paper will review a case study of implementing a governing association that coordinates cocoa cooperatives in Vanuatu, and which is focused on organizing the production and trade in the region, as a method to highlight key lessons learned and potential for scalability in furthering inclusive trade goals. What complementary policies may contribute to the inclusiveness of international openness?1 Nov 2013Working paper series This paper studies the linkages between international openness and inclusive growth, understood as better access to productive employment and entrepreneurship, the reduction of poverty and a more equal income distribution. It introduces the notion of inclusive trade as the linkages through which international integration can contribute to inclusive growth. Four dimensions of potential linkages are analyzed, namely: (i) aggregate employment and its distribution, (ii) aggregate productivity, (iii) poverty and income inequality, and (iv) equal opportunities. 2013 ESCAP Population Data Sheet2 Oct 2013Flagship publications and book series The 2013 ESCAP Population Data Sheet for Asia and the Pacific focuses on maternal health. In light of the current challenges in achieving MDG 5 on maternal health, indicators such as births attended by skilled health personnel, maternal mortality ratio, unmet need for family planning and adolescent fertility rates are provided. Report (Launch of the Asia-Pacific regional MDGs report 2012/13)20 Sep 2013Books The Millennium Development Goals have helped rally political support for global efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable human development. The Asia-Pacific region has achieved remarkable progress on the MDGs, particularly on reducing income poverty; however, it still has a significant ‘unfinished agenda’. People in the region continue to face major deprivation, along with many new and unaddressed development challenges. As the finishing line for the MDGs approaches, this report articulates Asia-Pacific aspirations for a post-2015 development framework. Asia-Pacific Regional MDG Report 2012/13 Asia-Pacific Aspirations: Perspectives for a Post-2015 Development Agenda20 Sep 2013Books This report highlights that Asia and the Pacific has made good progress towards the MDGs, through the region will still need to make greater efforts if it is to meet some important targets. Now it has the opportunity to set its sights higher when considering priorities for a post-2015 framework.
Designing and Implementing Trade Facilitation in Asia and the Pacific, 2013 Update6 Sep 2013Flagship publications and book series This book, co-published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), provides guidance for the implementation of trade facilitation measures and reforms in Asia and the Pacific. It attempts to bridge the gaps among policy makers, practitioners, and economists by outlining operational guidance on how to assess the status of trade facilitation, what measures and reforms are necessary, and how to implement them at the national and regional levels. Asia-Pacific Development Journal Vol. 20, No. 1, June 201330 Aug 2013Journals The Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) is published twice a year by the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The primary objective of the APDJ is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, information and data on all aspects of economic and social development issues and concerns facing the region and to stimulate policy debate and assist in the formulation of policy. An In-Depth Study of Broadband Infrastructure in the ASEAN Region20 Aug 2013Working paper series Between late 2012 and mid‐2013, Terabit Consulting performed a detailed analysis of the broadband infrastructure in the nine largest member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Terabit Consulting’s analysis also included trans‐border broadband projects extending into contiguous regions such as Yunnan Province, China. UNNExT Brief No. 9, Pan Asian e-commerce Alliance (PAA): Service providers join forces to enable cross-border paperless trade1 Aug 2013Working paper series UNNExT Brief No. 9, Towards an Enabling Environment for Paperless Trade - Pan Asian e-commerce Alliance (PAA): Service providers join forces to enable cross-border paperless trade, August 2013. Development Financing for Tangible Results: A Paradigm Shift to Impact Investing and Outcome Models, The Case of Sanitation in Asia1 Aug 2013Working paper series Household water security is a basic requirement of life. More than being simple basic needs, water and sanitation services are recognized as crucial elements that otherwise would put other development investments and public health at risk. Asia and the Pacific as a whole is an early achiever for halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, but not however, sanitation. Most of the Asia-Pacific countries will not come close to achieve the MDG target on access to improved sanitation. Pages« first | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/3849 | admin - March 11, 2010
Ohio governor, challenger address 300 farmers at OFBF’s Ag Day Leave a Comment
Buckeye Farm News
Many farmers aren’t happy with the move of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to overturn the will of Ohio voters. Neither are Gov. Ted Strickland and his 2010 Republican gubernatorial opponent John Kasich, who both addressed a crowd of approximately 300 farmers during OFBF’s Ag Day at the Capitol in Columbus.
Before lawmakers had a chance to establish the details of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, HSUS launched a ballot campaign that would force the board to adopt the policies of the Washington, D.C.-based animal rights group.
“If we want to eat, and if we want access to affordable and inexpensive food, it is important for the agricultural community within our state not to be hamstrung and to have their hands tied behind their back by those who do not fully appreciate the value of what happens on our farms,” Strickland said. “(The HSUS ballot initiative) is unnecessary and I will oppose it.”
Kasich referenced HSUS’s “extremism,” saying the initiative is about regulations. “No outsiders ought to come in here and try to destroy our farms…I’m stomping with you. It is wrong.”
The candidates also laid out their individual platforms for the upcoming gubernatorial race.
Strickland said Ohio can be the center of advanced energy solutions and that agriculture can be instrumental in this effort. He stated that in 2007, no ethanol was being produced in Ohio, but now there are four functioning facilities annually producing 295 million gallons. “It is better to depend on the Midwestern farmer for energy than Middle-Eastern oil barons,” he said.
Strickland described Ohio as “the polymer state,” and that it is the ideal location for advanced polymer research and development. He also noted that Ohioans spend $43 billion per year on food, with only 3 percent of that going to products grown on Ohio farms, an equation he wants to work to change.
Kasich, who focused on fixing the state budget, referred to his experience as U.S. Budget Committee chairman in 1995, where he headed up the only U.S. budget surplus since 1969. “You hold yourselves accountable (fiscally) and you should hold legislators just as accountable,” he said.
He said the Third Frontier Program needs more agriculture inclusion.
“You’re in the business of alternative fuels and bioproducts, and doing remarkable things,” he said. “This program can help you be prosperous, and (in a Kasich administration) you’ll be included.”
“Agriculture is exciting, valuable, and it works,” Kasich said.
Farmers also shared lunch with their legislators and visited them in their offices at the Statehouse.
Allen County Farm Bureau President and hog farmer Troy Ernest, who made the trek to visit his lawmakers, said it’s important to voice opinions on everyday issues in person.
“It’s extremely important for them to see faces from back home. It helps them realize the issues are more localized than they might think,” he said.
“The fact farmers are willing to come to Columbus and take part in the policy process shows the strong grassroots component of our organization,” said OFBF Director of Legislative Relations Chris Henney. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/4674 | Quad bikes to get safety star ratings with test program underway
By rural and regional reporter Pete Lewis
Data is collected from a quad bike as part of a test program to develop a safety star rating. (ABC)
Farmers will soon be able to compare the stability of quad bikes under a new Australian safety star rating system similar to the one that already applies to all other passenger vehicles.Quad bikes or ATVs as they are also known, are now the leading cause of death on Australian farms, with 18 people killed in 2012 and another 13 so far this year.The National Farmers' Federation has called on quad bike manufacturers to commit to a range of measures to ensure greater on-farm safety, including the introduction of a safety star rating system similar to ANCAP - the Australian New Car Assessment Program.Professor Raphael Grzebieta says it will be based on the findings of a test program now underway at the University of New South Wales' Transport and Road Safety Research Unit."We need to look at the safety of these off-road, recreational and farm vehicles and the best way to do that is to apply science," he said."That's why we have commenced a three-stage program involving tilt-table testing in a laboratory, dynamic testing of 16 different models at Eastern Creek Raceway and crash worthiness testing."Recent field trials showed up some alarming preliminary results, with some vehicles tilting on to two wheels while being driven as slow as 20 kilometres per hour in a gentle circle.The UNSW researchers are also going through coronial reports into 130 quad bike related fatalities and liaising with manufacturers."Obviously we are going to make our own decisions about what that testing regime will be and likewise when we start rating these vehicles for safety we'll also be doing that independently," Professor Grzebieta said.Overnight three men were taken to hospital after seriously injuring themselves on quad bikes in two separate accidents.Two 37-year-old men suffered spinal injuries after crashing into each other while riding quad bikes.The incident happened at a campsite near Darwin at about 9:00pm. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor.Meanwhile, South Australian police have launched an investigation into a serious quad bike crash near Waikerie, in the Riverland, which has left a man with life-threatening injuries early this morning.Police believe several people were riding quad bikes when there was a head-on collision.The man, in his late 30s, was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition. Another person was also injured and is being treated at the local hospital at Waikerie.90 per cent of quad bike users don't have training: WorkcoverThe latest $1.3 million project is being funded by the New South Wales Government.Workcover NSW's general manager of work health and safety, John Watson, says authorities are increasingly concerned by the rising death toll and issues related to the stability of these versatile and popular vehicles.
Quad bikes are the leading cause of death on Australian farms. (7pm TV News NT)
"The test program will obviously look at the design of the vehicles and also the fitting of after-market roll bars to prevent riders being trapped under the bikes in the event of a rollover," he said.He says authorities are also anxious to ensure a greater level of training is available to those operating quad bikes for the first time."We know that over 90 per cent of people who purchase these machines don't have any formal training to use them," he said."It's also clear that in some cases they are being used irresponsibly and against the specific warnings - particularly when it comes to letting children under 16 years of age ride them, taking passengers and failing to wear helmets and appropriate protective clothing."Queensland grazier Jim McKenzie agrees that some of the serious problems people have with quad bikes relate to rider experience and common sense."We have used them on our place for years without incident - to check stock, water troughs and electric fences," he said."They're not really suited to mustering here because we are so heavily-wooded."Mr McKenzie says making sure people are thoroughly trained and competent is the key."Out here the biggest issue operating any sort of vehicle is the distances we cover," he said."Every vehicle is fitted with two-way radios and it's the rider's responsibility to make sure they are all in working order."Basically what it comes down to is, that out here you've got to be responsible for your own safety."Mr Watson says it also comes down to farmers assessing what is the best tool to do the job."Farmers, as they consider buying new vehicles, need to consider whether quad bikes are the most appropriate bit of machinery to be used on their properties or whether two-wheel bikes or so-called 'side-by-side ATVs' would be better and safer," he said."We are hoping the research will provide us with some rating in respect to the stability and usability of the equipment, which will assist farmers in making the right decision for their particular situation."
agricultural-machinery,
farm-labour,
Contact Peter Lewis | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/4767 | The Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program fellowship will provide a full package of support for Kalia to pursue her Ph.D., which will include research on wheat breeding and enable her to find ways to increase food production in developing countries.
Kalia also is a graduate research assistant in plant pathology at K-State. Her research mentor is University Distinguished Professor Bikram S. Gill. She will collaborate with CIMMYT, a non profit organization that researches sustainable development of wheat and maize farming, and Punjab Agricultural University, which played a prominent role in ushering in the green revolution in India. A native of Ludhiana in Punjab and a citizen of India, she received an M.S. in genetics from Punjab Agricultural University.
"Norman Borlaug was the father of the green revolution in the 1960s, especially relating to the Indian subcontinent and Mexico where wheat production doubled and tripled. This work avoided famines that used to kill hundreds and thousands of people," Gill said. "It was Bhanu's wish to see Dr. Borlaug at the World Food Laureates meeting in Des Moines but he passed away a few weeks before. Attending the conference and meeting with world food laureates and other scientists was a deeply moving experience for Bhanu, a rare opportunity for a graduate student that will inspire her research."
"I thank my family and friends for their continuous support and encouragement," Kalia said. "I owe special thanks to my adviser, Dr. Bikram Gill, for having faith in me and always encouraging me.
"It was a great experience to be a part of the World Food Prize ceremony," she said. "It gave me an opportunity to meet present and previous world food laureates, eminent scientists and other highly important figures. The speakers, each with different issues and concerns, showed a clear picture of what we have achieved and what more needs to be done.
"This ceremony is a turning point in my life and Dr. Borlaug's achievements create the light that will show me the path. Dr. Borlaug is a great inspirational source and his works, his dedication, passion and empathy for the downtrodden will always inspire us to do our best," Kalia said.
Kalia's project is "Methodology for Efficient Mapping of Alien Introgression for Adult Plant Resistance to Leaf Rust and Other Agronomic Traits in Wheat Aegilops Tauschii Hybrids." She and the 11 other award recipients will conduct at least one season of field work in a developing country.
"The committee was extremely pleased at the quality of the submissions for the first year," said Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program Director Dr. Ed Runge. "It was great to see such a diverse group of candidates from all over the world submit their research projects for review. Dr. Beachell and Dr. Borlaug dedicated their lives to improving rice and wheat breeding in order to feed the world, and the committee is certain the 12 recipients -- and all of those who submitted projects -- will carry on their legacies."
Rice and wheat are considered by many to be the most important staple crops in developing countries, providing necessary calories to feed billions of people every day. Many of the world's poorest people rely on the two grains as a key source of food. Accelerating yield growth will help reduce hunger by helping to produce more food on the same number of acres.
'/>"/>Contact: Bhanu Kalia
bkalia@k-state.edu
Kansas State UniversitySource:Eurekalert1GOODRelated biology news :1. Nanyang Technological University and Karolinska Institutet Sweden launch new Ph.D. program2. AACR applauds nomination of Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., to be the new NIH director3. Georgetown Universitys Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D. receives Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award4. Imperial College London and NTU collaborate to offer joint Ph.D. programs in engineering and science5. Jonathan Berg, M.D., Ph.D. awarded Richard King Trainee Award for Best in Genetics in Medicine6. Sihoun Hahn, M.D., Ph.D., FACMG is the 2009-2010 Luminex/ACMGF Award recipient7. UTSA wins $500,000 to develop biosensor and regenerative medicine Ph.D. program8. BIDMC scientist John Rinn, Ph.D., receives Damon-Runyon Rachleff Innovation Award9. Ape language pioneer Savage-Rumbaugh receives honorary Ph.D. from alma mater10. Starters orders for unique Ph.D.s in sport11. Mustafa alAbsi Ph.D. and national team awarded major NIH grant | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/4823 | Industry Track wildfires with online tool
June 25, 2012 | 2:18 pm EDT
Farmers and ranchers have a new ally as they battle wildfires: InciWeb.org, an inter-agency, all-risk incident web information management system available to the public.
This tool gives anyone the ability to monitor and track incidents as they occur. The information provided can help prepare producers on the front line of an approaching inferno or enable them to monitor incidents that could impact friends, family and neighbors.
The site includes details, announcements, closures, photographs and maps for every incident in the country. For example, the High Park Fire near Fort Collins, Colo., made national headlines this month as it blossomed into a behemoth inferno. But where does it stand now? InciWeb shows that the fire has now impacted more than 80,000 acres and is 45 percent contained, though the growth potential for it is considered extreme in the difficult terrain. Nearly 2.2 million gallons of water have been dropped on the fire as of Saturday, and the fire has caused an estimated $30 million in damage. There are currently 2,037 personnel working to extinguish the flames.
Though the site was originally intended for fire-related incidents, it can also update the public on other emergency events, such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and tornadoes. In addition to the web site, InciWeb also has a Twitter account and RSS feeds.
Click here to visit the site. Topics:
farmersranchersinciweb.org About the Author: | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/5429 | Imlay Milk Plant Signing Up Farmers
By GALLOWAY, Jill The Dairy Trust company says it has the milk flow it needs and is about to start building a milk powder plant on its site in Wanganui. Dairy Trust is a wholly-owned subsidiary of meat company Affco. It is a new nationwide dairy industry player planning to take milk from farmers for processing as export milk powder. Chief executive Mark Fankhauser said there were surveyors at work on the Wanganui site and he expected earthworks to begin in the next few days. He said unlike some other companies, Dairy Trust can fund the development. "We raised capital some months ago, and we have an extremely conservative capital structure. We've made a commitment to the region and we're ready to go."
The Dairy Trust has land for the milk powder plant at the riverside Imlay meat works, owned by Affco. It will put in a concrete tower and warehouse-type building next to it. "It will look like our Awarua plant near Invercargill. And like a very small Hawera (Fonterra) plant," Mr Fankhauser said. Dairy Trust has had a representative out talking to farmers and he says the company has signed up dairy farmers from Horowhenua to New Plymouth. "We've been signing up farms at a fair rate and we're happy with where we're at now. More than that, I can't tell you."
Mr Fankhauser said farmers are signing with Dairy Trust for many reasons. "Ultimately it's a personal choice. Whether they want to free up capital, a lot are just very happy with our business model and the nature of the service we provide. There are hundreds of personal reasons."
To fill the milk powder plant, Mr Fankhauser said Dairy Trust would like to have 30,000 cows. "Really, 22,000 to 23,000 cows. But we do feel very confident, by Christmas, we'll be at about 30,000 cows. I'm guessing that is in the mid 70s in terms of the number of farms."
-------------------- (c) 2008 Evening Standard; Palmerston North, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/5584 | Feds Attack Family Farms. . . Again Mike Opelka Mar 15, 2012 12:03 pm
Last summer The Blaze reported on the Obama administration’s double-pronged attack on family farms. This was seen in the new set of regulations coming from both the DOT and the Department of Labor.
The main focus of the new regulations proposed last year was on the operation of farm equipment. The DOT was trying to mandate that anyone operating a piece of mechanized farm equipment be subject to the same rules that apply to drivers of semi-tractor trailers. These changes would have essentially blocked all young people who work on family farms from operating even the smallest tractor or truck, unless those people would be able to pass the stringent tests and maintain the detailed logs that are required of truckers.
These rules would also open the door for the potential unionization of all farm workers in America. Even family farm workers.
During the comment period for the proposal, the outcry from the farming communities seemed to bring clarity to the situation. However, the DOT and Labor Departments continued churning in the background, writing new and different rules that would soon surface. In August the new rules were posted. They proposed barring anyone under the age of 16 from performing dangerous jobs, like driving tractors, handling pesticides and even branding cattle. A december 1st deadline for public comments was set and the public responded with more than 18,000 comments.
After December 1, 2011, a bi-partisan group of 28 Senators and 70 members of the House sent a letter to the Secretary of Labor, complaining about the new rules and asking that they be withdrawn until such time as the Labor Dept can prove the rules will significantly improve the safety of youth workers while having no significant economic impact on the farms.
The Des Moines Star Register’s coverage featured some significant passages from the letter:
“After having additional time to review the Proposed Rule and compare the proposed changes to existing statutory law, regulations, and the Department’s existing interpretive documents, we believe initial concerns were well-founded. As a result of these concerns, we request the Department withdraw the Proposed Rule in its entirety,” the Senators state in a letter to Secretary Solis. “It is puzzling why the Department would suddenly propose changes to existing regulations, particularly considering the advancements in farm equipment and adoption of technologies that have improved operator safety in the last 35 years.”
The statement from the group said “until recently, farms jointly owned and operated by multiple family members had discretion over the responsibilities they gave their children on the farm. But the proposed rule change would do away with that freedom and extend the parental exemption to farms owned solely by a parent. It is common in rural America for siblings to jointly own and operate farms and for extended family and neighbors to participate in agriculture production. With this rule change, the government is proposing to tell farmers and ranchers: We know what’s best for your children, and what they should and should not be doing.”
The note cited the fact that the Labor Secretary was using statistics from 13 years ago. This outdated information regarding accidents in rural settings was flawed and did not reflect the latest safety innovations that have come to the farming world.
Despite the 18,000 comments and Congressional opposition, the regulations appear to be moving ahead as Solis has planned. Local farm communities are quite concerned that this. Here is one of the dozens of local news stories highlighting the problems this will create:
Yesterday, Secretary Solis testified before a Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, and Pensions. Ms. Solis’ comments on the restrictions on family farms were brief, only stating that her department was open to hearing comments on the new regulations.
It should also be noted that today is the anniversary of the death of State Farming in the former Soviet Union.
On this day back in 1989, the USSR’s Communist party leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced that Central Farming was not working. This was underscored by the fact that his country was forced to import tons of staples like wheat and meat. Mr. Gorbachev sounded like a Free Market Capitalist when he told the Soviets:
“The essence of economic change in the countryside should be in granting farmers broad opportunities for displaying independence, enterprise, and initiative.”
Farmers would be granted the opportunity to be independent, enterprising and succeed or fail based on their own initiative. An interesting concept.
Carousel image courtesy Shutterstock.com | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/5597 | Know Your Market Campaign helps A.J. Trucco increase kiwifruit sales
By Doug Ohlemeier
NEW YORK — A.J. Trucco Inc. is seeing another successful year promoting Italian kiwifruit in cooperation with the European Flavors promotional effort.
The fifth year of the promotion is seeing higher retail participation, said J.C. Barros, Trucco’s marketing director.
The distributor is working with retailers throughout the East Coast promoting the fruit via in-store promotions that include samplings, point-of-sale material and a website.
“The campaign has yielded great results and has translated to increasing sales of Italian kiwifruit this season,” Barros said.
“It has increased the awareness of the commodity amongst consumers. The samplings have helped educate the consumers on how to eat the fruit and what the flavor is like,” he said.
The promotion includes a questionnaire for shippers to provide feedback to growers and distributors and directs consumers to a website, www.europeanflavors.eu, where shoppers can discover more information.
Funded by Italian growers, the government of Italy and the European Union’s European Flavors program, the program is running in the U.S., Russia and Japan.
Trucco is the exclusive U.S. distributor for the promotion, which began in February and runs through April.
Trucco imports and distributes kiwi, garlic, grapes and chestnuts throughout the East Coast.
truccokiwifruit About the Author:
Doug Ohlemeier
Doug Ohlemeier, who has written for The Packer since 2001, serves as eastern editor, a position he has held since August 2006. He started at The Packer as a staff writer after working for nearly a decade in commodity promotion at the Kansas Wheat Commission, where he was a marketing specialist.
Doug worked in radio and television news writing, producing and reporting for seven years in Texas, Missouri and Nebraska.
He graduated from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, in 1984, with a bachelor of science degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in history. He earned a master’s in corporate communications from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, in 1991. In college, he served as a news editor of the daily O’Collegian newspaper and interned in radio and television news departments. View All Posts | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/5819 | to save this paper International agreements relating to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and implications for Dutch policy
Eaton, Derek J.F.
Kalaugher, Electra
Bijman, Jos
Registered author(s): Derek Eaton Abstract Policy issues related to plant genetic resources are socially, technically and scientifically complex. This report summarises the international agreements and relevant bodies con-cerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), FAO Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources (GPA), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT-PGRFA), the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the International Con-vention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The various obligations arising from these conventions and treaties are reviewed. In so doing, this report concen-trates exclusively on implications for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture while most of the agreements concern other resources and/or issues. The relationship between the agreements is analysed with reference to the evolution of policy priorities from promoting use of genetic resources to supporting conservation, in part through the sharing of benefits arising from use. In addition, the implications for genetic resources policy in the Nether-lands are outlined and existing initiatives to fulfill these obligations are highlighted.
Paper provided by Agricultural Economics Research Institute in its series Report Series with number
Handle: RePEc:ags:aerirs:29132
Contact details of provider: Postal: P.O. Box 29703, 2502 LS The HaguePhone: 070-3358330Fax: 070-3615624Web page: http://www.lei.wur.nl/UKEmail: More information through EDIRC Related research
Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; International Relations/Trade; References
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:aerirs:29132. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/5920 | USDA renews funding for work on PRRS, avian influenza
Posted Sept. 1, 2008
The Department of Agriculture has renewed funding for the coordinated agricultural projects focusing on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and on avian influenza.
The USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service will devote $4.8 million over four years to the PRRS CAP and $5 million over three years to the AI CAP.
According to CSREES, PRRS affects about 60 percent of U.S. swine herds and costs the U.S. swine industry about $580 million annually.
"A new strain of highly pathogenic PRRS has been found in China and Vietnam and is implicated as the primary cause of porcine high-fever disease, resulting in the death of large numbers of swine," noted Gale Buchanan, USDA undersecretary for research, education, and economics. "Renewal of the PRRS project responds to the urgent need to make sure the right tools are available to keep this foreign strain from affecting the U.S. swine population."
The University of Minnesota led the first phase of the PRRS CAP, which started in 2004. The project brought together researchers, veterinarians, producers, and industry to study the PRRS virus and develop tools for controlling infection.
Kansas State University will lead the second phase of the CAP. The focus will be on prevention and control tools, knowledge to support scientists, application of existing and new technologies in regional disease-eradication efforts, and development of educational and outreach programs.
The coordinated agricultural project on avian influenza began in 2005, with the University of Maryland leading the first phase. The project created a multidisciplinary team of researchers and extension specialists from 17 states. The University of Maryland also will lead the second phase of the AI CAP.
The project has focused on areas such as epidemiology, basic research, diagnostics, vaccines, and education. Since 2005, AI CAP participants have:
assembled a continent-wide network to study the ecologic and biologic characteristics of avian influenza viruses from wild birds
integrated research and education into a program available to a range of poultry producers
found that quail can change and expand the host range of AI viruses and that quail respiratory and intestinal tracts have humanlike sialic acid receptors that could partially explain the emergence of AI strains with the capacity to infect humans
developed a comprehensive program to train producers and veterinarians on the depopulation and composting of flocks with avian influenza
developed a testing component for rapid diagnosis of AI in birds
developed promising vaccines for mass vaccination of birds
The PRRS and AI coordinated agricultural projects receive funding through the CSREES National Research Initiative. The initiative provides grants for research, education, and extension efforts to help address agricultural issues of national and regional importance. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/6564 | Income support scheme little help to WA farmers: PGA
Thu May 15 11:49:00 EST 2008
The Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) has welcomed a new program designed to help drought affected farmers, but warns the money will have little impact in Western Australia.The $14.5 million transitional income support program, announced in the Budget, will offer a living allowance to farmers coming off Exceptional Circumstances (EC) eligibility.The PGA's policy director Slade Brockman says the funding is targeted at eastern states' farmers who are being phased out of years of dependency on federal assistance."Probably it's not going to have a huge impact in WA because we've only been EC declared for a relatively short period of time, and there aren't a huge number of farmers who are actually accessing EC funds," he said. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/6738 | The Friendly Farmer Stations
By John Schneider, W9FGH
(Click on photos to enlarge)
KFNF's Henry Field
Several postcard views of the KFNFstudio building
Studio building floor plans
Postcard views of the Henry Field Seed Company grounds
KMA's Earl May
The Earl May Seed Company
The KMA Mayflower Trio
The KMA transmitter
Some postcard views of "Mayfair", the KMA studio building.
Interior views of the Mayfair auditorium
KMA QSL letter
KMA program schedule
WNAX founder, D.B.Gurney
Two views of the Gurney Seed Company buildings
WNAX auditorium
WNAX transmitter
Ed Gurney
WNAX Announcers
WNAX George German
WNAX Meridian Trio
WNAX transmitter building, 1936
Shenandoah on the air - WOAW:
In the beginning years of radio broadcasting in the 1920s, the rural Midwest was home to a number of unique and quirky radio stations that enjoyed wide attention and listenership. The story of Doc Brinkley’s KFKB in Kansas is one well-known example. Others include Norman Baker’s KTNT in Muscatine, Iowa, and WOC at the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport. Then there were the Friendly Farmer stations, KMA and KFNF, of Shenandoah, Iowa. In the beginning decades of the last century, the small town of Shenandoah (pop. 5,000) was the mail order seed and nursery capital of America. There were more than ten active nursery companies operating from the fertile valleys of Southwest Iowa. One of those was the Henry Field Seed Company. Henry Field, the company’s owner and namesake, was a plain-spoken, informal area farmer who had developed his burgeoning seed business from scratch, starting in 1899. By 1923, his business had grown to employ 600 people housed in a three story brick building on the north end of Shenandoah. In 1923, Field was part of a group of Shenandoah citizens who travelled to nearby Omaha to promote their hometown over station WOAW (later WOW). The live program consisted of old time fiddle music, hymns, and a talk by Field about the advantages of living in Shenandoah. It proved to be popular with the WOAW audience, and so the station invited the group to come back, and they made several more trips to Omaha in the ensuing weeks. Another one of the participants in the WOAW programs was Field’s biggest local competitor, Earl May of the May Seed Company. May moved to Shenandoah in 1919 and bought out the small Armstrong Seed house operation. He had a friendly, folksy personality that appealed to the area’s farm customers, and he expanded his business by hawking seed, baby chicks, canned and dried fruits and frozen fish. It didn’t take long after broadcasting the weekly programs on WOAW before both Field and May were bitten by the radio bug. They recognized the potential for for promoting their own businesses with the wide reach of the amazing new communications medium. KFNF:
Field was the first to take action by constructing his own radio station in Shenandoah. He raised two 218 ft. towers adjoining the Field seed house to support a horizontal wire antenna, and installed a new 500 Watt transmitter in the building. On February 24, 1924, the first broadcasts were heard from KFNF, the “Friendly Farmer Station”. Field’s programs featured talks on agriculture and poultry, “old time music”, religion and folksy homespun philosophy, and Field himself was KFNF’s main announcer. With the relatively uncrowded radio bands and static-free nights of radio’s early years, KFNF’s signals were heard clearly throughout Iowa and the adjoining states. Midwest farmers liked his homey “Missouri English” colloquialisms and friendly manner, and they felt comfortable ordering merchandise from a radio voice they felt they could trust. The result was that his mail order business grew quickly, stimulated by its newfound radio fame. Three blocks away, Earl May sat in his office contemplating his competitor’s success. He was still making the long and sometimes arduous trip to Omaha for the WOAW broadcasts each week, but he needed a physical radio presence in Shenandoah. So in June of 1924 he installed a remote studio in the May Company building as an origination point for his WOAW weekly broadcasts, connected with Omaha over a 66 mile telephone line. With the expanded schedule of Shenandoah programs on both stations, the musical and speaking talents of as many of Shenandoah’s citizens as possible were paraded in front of the microphones. There were fiddling contests, religious services, talks on agricultural topics, and live music by such groups as the “Cornfield Canaries” and the “Seedhouse Girls”. In reality most of the performers were drawn from the staff of the seed companies themselves. The mail order seed and poultry business of both companies quickly grew as a result of their new radio publicity. With his own station, Field was the biggest benefactor. Tourists from the area started arriving in Shenandoah to see the radio station and meet the people behind the faceless voices they heard nightly through the clear Midwest Air, and so Field began conducting regular tours of KFNF and his seed company. And his business boomed. In 1927, his company sold 55 carloads of tires, 60 carloads of paint, 490,000 pounds of coffee, 20 carloads of dried fruit, 51,000 radio tubes, 204,000 yards of dress goods, 60,000 pairs of ladies stockings and 21,000 suits. He even started selling his own brand of “Henry Fields Shenandoah Super Six” radio receivers.
KMA:
Finally, upstaged by the greater success of his competitor’s fully functioning broadcast station, Earl May decided that his remote broadcasts were no longer good enough. In the spring of 1925, he applied for and received a license to build his own 500 Watt station. The first broadcast over KMA was heard on Sept 1, 1925, and in the week that followed, 175 people performed in front of the KMA microphones for the dedicatory broadcasts. Initially, May broadcast for only a few hours a day, sharing his frequency with another station in Le Mars. (KMA and KFKN later shared time on the same frequency before each received its own full-time channel.) Nonetheless, in its first few months, KMA received reception reports and telegrams from all 48 states, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. KMA called itself "The Corn belt Station in the Heart of the Nation”. And the radio formula that had been so successful for Henry Field quickly worked its magic on Earl May. The distribution of his mail order seed catalogs increased by a million names in KMA’s first year on the air, and his business soon grew to over a million dollars a year. The two little radio stations were turning Field and May into well-to-do businessmen, and the two seed companies were putting Shenandoah on the map. Both stations were being operated as publicity organs for the seed companies, and they carried little or no direct advertising. All programs were live, featuring homespun, country entertainment and information. Both nighttime signals reach out across the Midwest and the stations developed a huge following. In fact, in 1925 Henry Field won Radio Digest magazine’s popularity contest that declared him the “World’s most popular announcer”, beating out big city names like Graham McNamee for the honor. Earl May won the same award the following year.
About 1926, the dirt highways leading to Shenandoah were finally paved, making it possible for more people to drive to the tiny Iowa community to do business in person with the famous seed houses. Both stations were now conducting tours on a regular basis. In 1926, the stations recorded a combined total of 40,000 visitors. Shenandoah's Radio Palaces:
Henry Field’s response to this new throng of visitors was to build his own KFNF studio building - a one story Spanish stucco building at the south side of Henry Field Seed House Number 1. The new KFNF building featured an auditorium where visitors could sit in pew-style benches and view the broadcasts in the large draped studio through a plate glass window. A dining room and kitchen in the rear was used for serving coffee and sandwiches to visitors. Both stations soon installed grand pianos and large pipe organs in their studios for live music broadcasts.
Not to be outdone by his competitor, Earl May constructed an even larger and more elaborate auditorium studio across the street from his seed company headquarters. The massive Mayfair auditorium was decorated in a Moorish motif with two minaret towers. The auditorium seated 1,000 people, and the studio/stage was separated from the audience by a 7 x 22 ft. sheet of glass weighing three tons that could be lowered into place to provide sound isolation. It was thought at the time to be the largest single sheet of glass ever made. The theatre was decorated in the style of a Moorish garden, with miniature electric lights in the blue ceiling canopy giving the impression of a starry night sky. May’s investment in KMA now totaled $90,000 for the station and another $100,000 for the auditorium. His operating costs exceeded $1,000 a month with no advertising revenue. All of this was supported by his booming catalog seed business. Visitors were now flocking to Shenandoah by the thousands every week to see the live broadcasts and tour the radio stations and seed company warehouses, and they left carrying souvenirs, catalogs and lots of merchandise. The few hotels in town soon filled to capacity, and so Field built a row of cabins to provide additional housing for the visitors. Field also constructed an arcade shop, soda fountain, and even a KFNF filling station to accommodate the visitors. Meanwhile, May built a miniature golf course called Mayfairways. Both companies established branch trading post stores in Shenandoah and many other communities around the Midwest. They sold seed, poultry, cream, eggs, and general merchandise of all kinds. Earl May opened thirteen “Trading Post” stores around the Midwest, while Field opened seven stores in other cities. And all of this thriving business was being driven by radio.
Each station also celebrated a Shenandoah fall “Jubilee” weekend, which drew huge crowds to watch the live radio broadcasts and eat free pancakes. The KMA Radio Jubilee started in 1925 and took place every year into the early 40’s. Its first jubilee drew 25,000 visitors, and the following year the Earl May Seed and Nursery Company’s business quadrupled. KFNF frequently held its Jubilee on the same weekend as KMA, which grew into a super festival with carnival rides and exhibits. By 1930, the attendance had grown to 439,200.
Decline:
Radio in the twenties had turned this small Iowa village into a boomtown, but the 1930’s were another story as the Great Depression began to weigh on Midwest farmers’ businesses. The Jubilee attendance fell to 85,000 in 1933, and it remained at that level for the remainder of the decade. Henry Field’s large stocks of merchandise became devalued, and his radio catalog orders fell precipitously. Unlike the early years, the radio dial was now full of stations hawking products of all kinds, and the Shenandoah stations were no longer a novelty. Bonds which Field’s company had issued in 1930 to finance his business were foreclosed on in 1933. He lost control of the seed company, which was reorganized as the Henry Field Seed and Nursery Company, but continued in the role of president of the seed company and radio station even after his retirement in 1938. For his part, also needing new capital, Earl May sold 25% of KMA in 1939 to the Central Broadcasting Company, which owned WHO in Des Moines and WOC in Davenport. A new corporation was formed, May Broadcasting Company, to separate the radio and seed businesses.
Earl May died in 1946, and the operation of KMA was turned over to other May family members. Their descendants continue to successfully operate both the radio station and nursery to this day. Henry Field died in 1949. At the time of his death, his company had regained its prominence and grown to annual sales of over $3 million a year. It was sold and merged several times in succeeding years, but still operates today under the same name as a part of Scarlet Tanager Holdings in Indiana. KFNF is now known as KYFR 920, and the KFNF call letters belong to an FM station in Kansas. In 1963, the May family moved KMA out of the drafty Mayfair auditorium into a smaller, more modern radio facility across the street. The auditorium had become an expensive white elephant and it was finally demolished in 1966. KMA continues to operate as a successful regional broadcaster, with 5 kW station on 970 kHz and with a 100 kW FM sister station, KMA-FM.
WNAX:
It’s said that the best form of flattery is imitation. If that’s true, then Field and May must have been flattered by the new radio activities taking place in neighboring South Dakota in 1927. The Gurney Seed & Nursery Company in Yankton, South Dakota was another important Midwest seed house in the early 1920s. Its owner, Deloss Butler “D. B.” Gurney, took note of the fact that his biggest competitors in Shenandoah were having great success because of their use of radio. His son, John Chandler ”Chan” Gurney, convinced him that he should buy WNAX, a defunct Yankton radio station license. After completing the $2,000 purchase, Gurney put WNAX back on the air from his personal residence on February 28, 1927, while new studios were being built on the third floor of the Gurney building. Two 60 foot towers were raised on the seed house property to support the antenna, and a homemade 1,000 Watt transmitter on the station’s favorable 570 kHz frequency gave WNAX a coverage radius of about 50 miles from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. The voices heard on WNAX included D.B. Gurney, George W. Gurney, “Chan” Gurney, Phil Gurney and Ed Gurney - it was clearly a family operation.
In addition to its seed and nursery business, the Gurney building featured a third floor mall housing a grocery store, barber shop, clothing store, jewelry store, restaurant, photo studio and a paint and hardware department. The new WNAX studio was located in this third floor mall, enclosed in glass and with seating for a large viewing audience. Another important Gurney business was their chain of 578 gasoline filling stations, operating in five states during the Depression. His WNAX “Fair Price” gas stations sold gasoline blended with corn alcohol (“Alky” gas) for as little as 17 cents a gallon - well below market prices and a welcome savings to cash-strapped farmers.
In 1936, WNAX built a modern showplace two-story transmitter building and tower five miles east of Yankton. WNAX continues to operate from this building today. In 1943 it added a new 927 ft. tower, which was the country’s tallest radio tower at the time. The tall tower, combined with its favorable 570 frequency and excellent ground conductivity, gave WNAX one of the best regional signals in the country. In 1938, Chan Gurney ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He used the WNAX air waves to promote his campaign but denied equal time to his opponent. This resulted in a complaint to the F.C.C., who announced they were not inclined to renew the WNAX license under Gurney ownership. As a result, the station was sold in 1938 for $200,000 to the Des Moines Register and Tribune Company, the owner of three stations in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, ending the Gurney family’s decade-long radio adventure. Summary:
Radio as a business was a conundrum for many in the 1920s. On one hand, the public was enthralled with this latest form of home entertainment, and it clamored for more and better quality radio programs and stations. On the other hand, direct advertising was frowned on by both the public, and the government radio spectrum regulators made it clear that it would not be tolerated. So the universal question was, “How do you make money with radio?” The most frequent financial justification for early radio broadcasting was the establishment stations that served as indirect “goodwill” publicity vehicles for businesses. In the larger cities of this country, that meant radio stations became publicity organs for department stores, newspapers, hotels and automobile dealerships. But the small towns in the wide open spaces of rural America were also entitled to enjoy radio broadcasting, and different kinds of businesses were needed to support these rural stations. The mail-order seed and nursery houses of Shenandoah and elsewhere proved to be one successful solution that helped bring radio into millions of farm homes in the Midwest and Plains states during radio’s first decade.
PUBLISHED REFERENCES:
KMA Radio - The First 60 Years, by Robert Birkby, 1985
WNAX 570 Radio, 1922-2007, Arcadia Publishing Co., 2006
Booklet “Mayfair” by Earle E. May Seed & Nursery Co., 1928
Booklet “Behind the Mike with KMA”, 1926
“Iowa Journal of History and Politics”, 1944
Booklet “Studio and Broadcasting Station KFNF, The Friendly Farmer Station”
Souvenir and Picture Booklet of KFNF
Henry Arms Field biography by Sharon R. Becker
Booklet “WNAX the House of Gurney 1866-1929”
WEB REFERENCES:
http://www.saveseeds.org/biography/field/index.html
http://www.victoryradio.com/station_histories/kfnf_shenandoah.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KMA_(AM)
http://www.kmaland.com/
https://www.earlmay.com/index.cfm
http://www.henryfields.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1296918238 http://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=254
http://tenwatts.blogspot.com/2010/11/seedlings-of-radio.html
NOTE: This article appeared in the Monitoring Times Magazine, December, 2012, entitled "The Rise of the Seed-Selling Radio Stations".www.theradiohistorian.orgJohn F. Schneider & Associates, LLCCopyright, 2012 | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/6974 | Asia-Pacific News
Thai Rice Crop Loss May Have Little Impact on Price: Analysts
Rajeshni Naidu-Ghelani Thursday, 3 Nov 2011 | 3:45 AM ETCNBC.com
In spite of the Thai government's warning that the world's largest exporter of rice could lose as much as a quarter of its crop because of the floods, analysts tell CNBC the potential shortfall is unlikely to impact prices.
A cement factory sit in flood waters October 20, 2011 in the neighboring provinces of Bangkok, Thailand. Hundreds of factories closed in the central Thai province of Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi with flood waters coming closer to threatening Bangkok. Around 320 people have died in flood-related incidents since late July according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, with Thailand is experiencing the worst flooding in 50 years with damages running as high as $6 billion.
Abah Ofon, Agricultural Commodities Analyst, Global Research at Standard Chartered bank, says there's adequate supply of rice globally and within Thailand to pick up any disruptions from the floods in the short term.
"It's not all doom and gloom," Ofon says. "Yes, the flooding has potentially affected a large swath of the crop, but in terms of actual stocks that are being held in Thailand and out of Thailand, in the export market, I think there is enough to be able to lift demand."
Other Asian rice exporters India, Vietnam and Burma will likely fill in the gap, Ofon adds.
Thai officials estimate about 6 million tons of unprocessed rice will be destroyed by the country's worst floods in 50 years. Thailand accounts for about 30 percent of the grain's global trade.
However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates Thailand holds over 5 million tons of rice stock. In addition, Ofon says the off-season crop that harvests in December could also help narrow the shortfall. Avtar Sandu, Senior Manager, Asian commodities, at trading firm Phillip Futures, believes the price of rice is more affected by the Thai government's recent rice buying plan than by the floods. As part of an election pledge, Thailand's new government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, started buying rice at a higher price from farmers in October, pushing up the international price for the grain.
"The stocks are there... It's well stocked, but still the price goes up because of government policies," says Sandu. He adds that rice prices had already risen before the floods.
Ofon says Thailand's rice prices have already peaked in the fourth quarter at $630 a ton and will actually average around $615 a ton for the rest of the year before trending further downward next year.
"I think we have peaked in terms of where rice prices are going be in the fourth quarter," he says.
Rajeshni Naidu-GhelaniAssistant Producer, CNBC | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/7658 | Scrapping regulations calls for discretion Feb 10, 2017 Stronger safety net is goal for National Cotton Council Jan 27, 2017 Oklahoma Peanut Expo March 23 in Altus Feb 08, 2017 Cattle industry 'very concerned' about Trump's pledge to renegotiate NAFTA Feb 06, 2017 Deep family roots sustain farming
Molly Mason | Aug 08, 2005
Matthew Mitchell is living proof that young farmers can succeed. He had options but all he ever wanted to do was farm. Just a year ago he decided to spurn college in favor of following his dream. He had planned to attend Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, Texas, and major in agricultural education. That didn’t happen. “I decided not to go to school because I realized I still wanted to farm,” says Mitchell. Today he’s a graduate of Tarrant County College Fire Academy, continuing to farm and loving it. He’s worked on Mitchell Farms in Justin, Texas, (a small town near the Dallas/Forth Worth area) for 12 years, more than half his life. “I can farm and fight fire, the two things I love.” His father Bill is not as enthused about the fire fighting. “I’m a little heartbroken that he wants to be a fireman; it might take time away from farming,” he says, “but I want him to do what he wants. He’ll do well with whatever he decides.” “Dad would rather me be a farmer 365 days a year, and if it comes right down to it I’ll quit fire-fighting to take care of the farm,” says Mitchell. Mitchell Farms has been family-run since 1959. Matthew, his father, an uncle, Pete, and brother Travis now operate the 6,395-acre farm, including 2,700 acres of milo, 2,500 acres of wheat, 435 acres of coastal, 160 acres of corn, and 90 acres of sudan. They also run 140 commercial cows and 27 registered Charolais. Matthew expects to maintain productivity on the family farm. This year wheat yields reached 37 bushels per acre and he expects 2,000 to 2,500 pounds of milo per acre. To maintain yields they stick with traditional production practices. In the fall they apply Roundup on land that will be planted in milo the following year. In December they break land with a chisel plow and apply atrazine for winter weed control. The Mitchells haven’t cut back on fertility, in spite of higher prices. “We can’t cut corners; if you’re going to do it, you got to do it right,” says Matthew. Cotton was a key crop until 1998 and averaged one-half to three-quarters of a bale per acre. “We quit farming cotton when the gin closed in Prosper; the next closest gin was in Farmersville and it was just too far,” says Bill. Matthew’s feelings weren’t hurt by the choice. “I’m glad we don’t grow cotton anymore,” he said. “If you don’t get a lot of rain cotton will drain nutrients and water, which messes up our land for next year. With dryland farming it’s a gamble because you have to take what Mother Nature gives you.” Some years she’s more generous than others. “This year is a 180 from last. In 2004 we prayed for a day of sunshine and this year we can’t get rain at all,” says Matthew. The family still farms the old homestead, which stays much the same except for views of urban sprawl creeping from Dallas and Fort Worth. “This is where it started for me,” says Matthew, “I would come out in these fields to play and Grandma would leave a section in her flowerbed for me to grow my crops.” The skyline around the farm has changed significantly since Matthew was a boy. Now he can see the Texas Motor Speedway from all sides of the farm and the area continues to grow profusely. He misses the small-town he grew up in. “Justin isn’t what it used to be,” he says. “I’d like to raise my family where I was raised, but the city just keeps getting closer. A smaller town would be nice.” He still has time to think about his future but for now he’s just trying to balance farming, paramedic school, serving as fire captain for the Justin Volunteer Fire Department and saving time for a girlfriend. He’s used to being busy. “I never was just a kid,” he says. “I always had responsibilities and sometimes took on too much. Maybe staying busy kept me out of trouble. “It’s been a little hard on my girlfriend and me with all the things I have going, but she’s always supportive.” Because of Matthew’s decision to change career directions a year ago, a three-generation tradition of family farmers, dating back to his great-grandfather, likely will continue. Matthew and Travis will manage Mitchell Farms when their uncle and father retire. And he hopes to continue improving the operation. “Every family farm has to create land worth farming, and the family can only hope their kids will carry on the name and business,” says Mitchell. “I’m thankful for what Dad and Pete worked for and I want to carry it on.” | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/7918 | Bhutan set to become world's first country to turn agriculture completely organicBy ANI | ANI – Tue 12 Feb, 2013 11:32 AM IST
Washington, Feb. 12 (ANI): Bhutan will become the first country to produce exclusively organic food, after banning the sale of pesticides and herbicides, relying only on animal and farm waste to fertilize crops. The country is already largely organic, but with this change the Bhutan expects to be able to grow even more.
But this will mean that farmers of the small Himalayan kingdom of 1.2 million population will be able to grow less food, and the government will expect them to grow more, and to export increasing amounts of high quality niche foods to neighboring India, China and other countries.
According to the New York Daily News, the decision to go organic was both practical and philosophical, Bhutan's minister of agriculture and forests, Pema Gyamtsho, said in Delhi for the annual sustainable development conference last week.
He said that the country was a mountainous terrain and when chemicals are used they don't stay where the yare used, they impact the water and plants. He added that they need to consider the entire environment. Most of their farm practices are traditional farming, so they are largely organic anyway.
Gyamtsho said that Bhutan's future depends largely on how it responds to interlinked development challenges like climate change, and food and energy security. He said that in the west, organic food growing is widely thought to reduce the size of crops because they become more susceptible to pests, but this is being challenged in Bhutan and some regions of Asia, where smallholders are developing new techniques to grow more and are not losing soil quality.
He added that the country was experimenting with different methods of growing crops like 'sustainable root intensification' (SRI), but they were also going to increase the amount of irrigated land and use traditional varieties of crops, which do not require inputs and have pest resistance, the report added. (ANI) | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/8324 | Q&A: Douglas Bereuter Examines Global Food Security & Sustainability
As the world population approaches 9 billion by 2050 and demand for food rises, tackling food security and sustainability is one of the most critical challenges. In Asia editor Alma Freeman spoke with former Asia Foundation president and member of Congress, Douglas Bereuter, well known for his global hunger and agriculture initiatives, ahead of his talk on this topic that he presented today, March 13, at the annual Matsui Lecture at the University of California Berkeley.
What achievements and progress in the area of food sustainability and security have been made in the last decades?
There has been significant progress made in this area since 2009 – both internationally, and from the U.S. government and related foundations. The effort of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs was crucial in what has happened and it has been my privilege to be a volunteer on their task force since early 2008. It established an international effort, called the Global Agricultural Development Initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation. We prepared a proposal of suggested initiatives that could be done by the U.S. and international efforts and presented it to both the McCain and Obama campaigns in time for them to take it to the Republican and Democratic conventions. After the election, Obama’s transition team picked it up and it became the basis for Obama’s initiatives which he began to speak about in 2009, when he suggested a global agricultural initiative at the G20 summit in London. He followed up with more detailed proposal and a pledge at the July 2009 G8 summit in Italy of an additional $3.5 billion over the next three years and that leveraged another $18.5 billion in pledges from other countries and international institutions.
Later that year at the Rome Food Summit, the Rome principles were unanimously endorsed by the 193 countries in attendance and provided the foundation for collective global action on food security. To implement the president’s pledge, then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced in May 2010 the Feed the Future program. USAID decided to concentrate its efforts for Feed the Future on five Sub-Saharan Phase II countries and then on the remaining 15 countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Tajikistan in Asia, that seemed to be ready to effectively implement the Rome principles to feed their population and their families.
But despite this recent focus, there has been a 2-decade long decline in support for agriculture development aid on the part of the wealthy countries. Of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the proportion of aid that they have provided to developing countries for agriculture development was in the area of 11 percent in the late 1980s and fell to 6 percent in 2008-2009, which led to digression in some areas of progress. Now, under USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, this has been largely reversed in the last year and a half, and that’s been good news.
Undernourishment and poverty is still rife: India struggles to alleviate hunger, as poor distribution, among other problems, left 18 percent of the population, some 217 million people, undernourished from 2010 to 2012. What do you see as the major obstacles here?
We will have an expected 2.3 billion additional people added to the world’s population by 2050, moving from 7 to over 9 billion. There are more desperately poor people at poverty and below poverty levels in India, concentrated in the Northeast, than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined.
It’s estimated that 33 percent growth in population means that we need to somehow provide agricultural development that helps people’s income increase, and of course, as that income increases, there will be different dietary and caloric intakes, so you then have more food being eaten by those you are trying to help. Of course there are also the unknown factors of weather volatility and even more demands for water. Seventy percent of the world’s fresh water is used today by agriculture. The UN says that already 25 percent of the world’s farm land is degraded, causing fertility and erosion problems. At most there might be 12 percent of the world’s land surface that could be cultivated that is not.
There are 560 million people who survive on less than a dollar and a half a day. Approximately 70-80 percent of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas. They live on small farms, predominately women and children, and they rely on subsistence farming. They are highly vulnerable to disasters, to dislocations, to disease. An average African family uses nearly half of their income to feed themselves, compared with the U.S. average family that spends about 6 percent of their income on food. We have inadequate infrastructure, inadequate farm to market roads, transportation capability, and communication capabilities. There is also an access problem created by trade barriers. It’s said that Africa could feed itself – it doesn’t now – if it simply eliminated the trade barriers among African countries, not to mention from developed countries to Africa. There is also rising commodity prices and food price volatility. In late 2007 and in 2008, food crises in many parts of the world, especially in Southeast and South Asia, stemmed from rising energy costs, weather changes, and panic reactions on the part of governments. That wiped out any fragile savings those families might have had, and delayed economic recovery.
Climate change is another challenge. We don’t know what this will do, but there are estimates that suggest effects from climate change are currently reducing the productivity worldwide of about 5-6 percent and that there are estimated to be production declines of 7 percent in at least a quarter of the countries in the world.
What innovations in food production are being made to promote sustainability in preparation of a growing population and increase demand in food?
Much of Southeast Asia depends on rice as a primary food staple. There is good work, some supported by Feed the Future, to adapt plants and seeds for changing growing conditions. For example, the International Rice Institute and USAID have developed types of rice that are now saline and drought resistant. That’s particularly important for a country like Bangladesh, which not only suffers from occasional typhoons, but also droughts.
A new type of sweet potato has been produced in Rwanda that is high in beta carotene, nutrition dense, and produces large amounts of Vitamin A, which is very important to health and nutrition. An estimated 50 million children are affected by Vitamin A deficiencies every year, so this new sweet potato will be very important for them and pregnant women.
In Mali, 70-80 percent of the food, like much of West Africa, is produced by women farmers. The feminization of farming – it’s been going on there for ages, but now it’s recognized and we are trying to increase women’s resources and access to credit, land tenure, and new technologies. It’s been found, and pretty well proven, that if you put the money into the hands of these women farmers, it will result in better healthcare, food, and education for their children. Through Feed the Future, and based on feedback from Mali’s government, we concentrated efforts on a group of women shallot farmers who were using traditional methods that were time consuming and low in productivity. By introducing new equipment, storage facilities, improved plants and seeds, and techniques to a 2,000-member cooperative that they had formed, they dramatically increased their shallot production, which is putting money in their hands for food, health care, and the education of their children.
We are finding that in some places in Africa, the use of the cell phone is widespread, even down to the small holder farmer, and through her phone, she is able to access credit, access extension services where they exist, get information about crops and markets, and other things that are completely life-changing.
What role can NGOs play in supporting the global fight against poverty and ensuring food sustainability?
This takes us right back to the beginning – the efforts of the Chicago Council would probably not have been possible without the support of the Gates Foundation. Also, while I have emphasized the kind of changes that our government has supported, public funds alone are not going to get us there. It’s going to take a leveraged private sector and complementary actions by NGOs in order to broaden this public effort. Compared to the resources that the public sector can put into this, even if it’s going to be 18.5 billion or 21.5 billion every three years, which is hopeful thinking I’m afraid, the private sector can put in even more if they are motivated and convinced that the risks are such that they can make a profit. We can help the private sector focus on how they can make money by helping a network of small holders with new seeds, technology, and plants. In many cases, the most effective agents to take the new resources and technologies and get it applied by subsistence farmers and others is an NGO that has the trust and confidence in the people on the ground to accomplish it.
Related locations: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Washington DC
Related programs: Economic Opportunity, Environmental Resilience, Technology & Development
Related topics: International Development
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2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/8679 | Independent farms rake in millions by Steve Hargreaves @hargreavesCNN November 27, 2012: 8:28 AM ET Some 50,000 farms bring in over a million dollars a year, thanks largely to their size. Smaller farms, on the other hand, are struggling. The American farmer might not be as poor as you think. Despite the common notion that family farms have fallen on tough times and been pushed out by big agribusinesses, tens of thousands of families in the United States actually run multi-million dollar farming operations that produce the majority of the nation's food. While million-dollar independent farms aren't the norm -- there are many times more small farms that struggle to make ends meet -- these slightly larger farms have been able to take advantage of their size, more advanced technologies and the recent commodity boom to become very successful small businesses. "Times have been pretty good," said Matt Schuiteman, who has 2,400 hogs and farms 2,500 acres in northwest Iowa with the help of his sons and a few hired hands. "We've been dealing with an environment where the price of all commodities has been going up." Schuiteman's farm is one of over 50,000 nationwide that have gross sales of over a million dollars a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Lumping in farms with sales of over $250,000 a year, and these so called large-scale commercial farms represent just 10% of the country's farms but account for 82% of its overall food production. "People, on average, that are running large commercial farms are making substantial amounts of money," said Jim MacDonald, an economist at USDA, noting their the average household income is over $200,000 a year. Related: Cash-strapped farmers feed candy to cows What makes them so successful? The biggest driver of their income is their ability to take advantage of their larger size. A farm with 300 dairy cows will produce ten times as much milk as a farm with 30 cows. But the barn to house those extra cows isn't ten times as expensive, nor is the equipment or the laborers to do the work. The payoff for more land is well worth the expense. And these large independent farmers often have the means to supply the big food companies like Tyson Foods (TSN) or Dole (DOLE) with their raw product. Plus, farm subsidies from the federal government, which are doled out largely based on the output of the farm, are another advantage. Subsidies, which total about $14 billion a year, represent about about 5% of the gross cash income for all farms, according to USDA. Large farmers also have the capital to put down on new technologies that smaller farmers can't afford, like GPS-guided tractors that drive themselves (and save fuel) and computer programs that monitor the health and productivity of livestock. They're often more savvy at using hedging strategies to protect against future uncertainties. "I call it an information technology gap," said David Miller, an economist at the Iowa Farm Bureau who also has a 350-acre corn and soybean farm outside Des Moines. With sales of about $200,000 a year and profits of about $50,000, Miller considers himself on the borderline between large and small operator. He makes decent money, but his tractor is 20 years old and does not have GPS. It also helps that he farms corn and soybeans in Iowa -- two crops that are in strong demand in China and elsewhere. Related: Feds offer help to drought-stricken farmers Things are very different for Clark Hinsdale, a dairy farmer in northern Vermont. With 300 cows and sales that usually top a million dollars a year, Hinsdale has a large commercial farm. But with the high price of corn to feed the cows and gasoline for the tractors, turning a profit has still been tough. "Grain prices have virtually doubled," he said. "I think I'll lose money this year." It's even harder for many of his neighbors. The Northeast is home to many smaller commercial farms. These are the 30-cow, 200-acre operations that many consider "traditional farms." There are about three times as many of these smaller farms nationwide as there are the large farms. Most of these farmers can no longer support themselves by working the farm alone. The average farm income for this group is about $8,000 a year, according to USDA. As a result, many have at least one family member take a job outside the farm as a primary means of income. Kentucky cows chow down on candy But even though they may not be money machines, the farming lifestyle is still attractive for a lot of people. "We don't need the big pickup and the fancy tractor," said one Vermont dairy farmer. "We do it because we enjoy it." CNNMoney (New York) First published November 27, 2012: 8:28 AM ET Comments Social Surge - What's Trending | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/8796 | USDA'S novel cell line identifies all FMD virus serotypes
WASHINGTON—U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a new cell line that rapidly and accurately detects foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which causes a highly contagious and economically devastating disease in cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals.
The cell line was created by Agricultural Research Service(ARS) scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, N.Y. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency. The research, published online in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.
"This important breakthrough is an example of how ARS scientists are working to improve agricultural productivity in the face of increasing demand for food," said ARS Administrator Edward B. Knipling. "This new cell line will help in the global effort to control a disease that can cause significant economic losses."
"The new cells detect the FMD virus in field samples that come directly from naturally infected animals faster than existing cell lines currently used for diagnostics," said Luis Rodriguez, research leader at Plum Island's Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU). "The new cells are the first permanent cell line capable of identifying all seven serotypes of FMD virus."
The United States has not had an FMD outbreak in more than 80 years. However, the disease is still a serious threat and is considered to be the most economically devastating livestock disease worldwide. Outbreaks in other countries have resulted in the slaughter of millions of animals to prevent the disease from spreading.
Being able to rapidly detect the virus during outbreaks would allow researchers to quickly develop the appropriate vaccine among the seven serotypes and dozens of subtypes, thereby saving valuable time and millions of dollars.
The novel cell line stems from earlier research where FADRU scientist Hernando Duque isolated a primary cell receptor, called alpha v beta 6, which allows FMD virus to attach to and enter the animal's cells and replicate, Rodriguez said. Molecular biologist Michael LaRocco was a member of the team, led by former ARS scientist Barry Baxt, which created the new cell line.
The approach used to make the new cell line consisted of cloning the FMD receptor genes from bovine (cattle) tissue and incorporating them into a cell line previously established at Plum Island, and then comparing them to other cells currently used in diagnosing and studying FMD.
http://www.bovinevetonline.com/newsletter/bovinevet-wir/USDAS-novel-cell-line-identifies-all-FMD-virus-serotypes-207753851.html | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/9055 | Industry Canada cattle prices recover after tainted beef plant reopened
By Rod Nickel, Reuters
December 04, 2012 | 4:15 pm EST
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Western Canadian prices for slaughter-ready cattle have recovered to hit the year's high, after bottoming out this autumn when the discovery of tainted meat forced the temporary shutdown of the XL Foods beef-packing plant.
Canadian government authorities allowed the XL plant at Brooks, Alberta to reopen in late October. It was closed for about a month because it produced beef contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
At least 18 people have been sickened in Canada and the recall of beef products spread across Canada and most U.S. states.
The plant is one of the two biggest in Western Canada - alongside Cargill Ltd's High River, Alberta plant - and slaughters about 40 percent of all Canadian cattle. Its closure forced ranchers and feedlots to feed their animals longer and caused prices for slaughter-ready cattle to plummet.
But last week, prices of fed cattle reached about C$118 per hundredweight, the year's high price and just off the previous year's top, said Brian Perillat, senior analyst at CanFax, a Canadian cattle analysis firm.
"Things have improved quite a lot, especially on the fed cattle side," Perillat said, adding that prices in November are typically among the year's highest. "It's very encouraging to see how rapidly prices have recovered."
Canada is the world's sixth largest exporter of beef and veal.
Western Canada didn't build up a large backlog of cattle during the XL plant's closure as feared, because ranchers and feedlots exported many of the animals to U.S. packers, he said.
Weekly exports of slaughter-ready Canadian cattle to the U.S. more than quadrupled from early September to over 17,000 steers and heifers shortly before the plant reopened in late October, Perillat said.
Overall Canadian cattle exports to the United States totaled nearly 711,000 head year to date as of Nov. 17, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up 15 percent from the year-earlier period.
The XL plant, managed by JBS USA Holdings Inc, is awaiting regulatory approval to resume shipments to the United States and Mexico, Canada's top two beef export markets. A JBS USA spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Through September, Canadian beef and veal exports to the United States are down 12 percent year to date, according to Statistics Canada. Lower demand and shrinking Canadian supplies are two of the reasons for the decline earlier this year, but the drop accelerated in September after the U.S. stopped buying beef from the XL plant, said livestock analyst Diane Kelly of the federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada department.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is reviewing an assessment by Canadian authorities before deciding whether to designate the XL plant eligible to export to the United States, said Lisa Gauthier, spokeswoman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
"It's in their hands and they could come back asking for more info or they could say it's fine," she said.
FSIS did not respond to requests for comment.
canadian beef packerxl foodse. coli About the Author:
Rod Nickel, Reuters | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/9337 | Trump’s Corporate EPA Pick Bird Flu is Big Business Tour on CETA, TTIP and Trump CETA: Selling Off the Farm Home » Issues » Documents » IATP Reports Building Minnesota’s Farm to Institution Markets
A Producer Survey
By Pete Huff Published June 16, 2015
Local FoodAgricultureFoodSustainable Agriculture
As part of our shared work on farm to institution in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) and Renewing the Countryside (RTC) conducted an online survey of Minnesota growers interested in farm to institution markets in fall 2014. The goal of the survey was to determine the resources Minnesota growers—specifically specialty crop growers—need to engage with institutional markets in a consistent and economically viable manner.
Background and Motivation
Farm to institution practices—particularly farm to school —are well established in Minnesota, with the 2012 Farm to School Census demonstrating that 72 percent (1,351 schools) of the state’s K-12 schools engaging in farm to school practices (with eight percent potential growth) and directing over $12 million of their food purchasing dollars toward local purchases. Of these local purchases, a clear majority were specialty crops: vegetables (88 percent) and fruits (87 percent).1 Survey research on farm to institution market potential (e.g., K-12 schools and health care facilities) in northwest and central/northeast Minnesota conservatively estimate a 20 percent market capture of $480,000 and $590,000 for each region (respectively) on an annual basis for local producers. While ground beef constitutes 50 percent of this figure due to its relatively high cost per pound and high demand with institutions, specialty crops (i.e. vegetables and fruits) constitute the majority of the remainder.2 When considering that public institutions include not only K-12 schools and health care facilities but also child care providers (home and center), elderly care providers, government offices, preschools, prison/correctional facilities, universities/colleges, it is clear that institutional sales could be significant market for Minnesota producers, particularly specialty crops growers. This is particularly possible should other institutions follow the exponential growth pattern of the farm to school movement within the state and nationwide.
While it is growing, institutional markets can be a difficult for farmers to access, particularly for small and medium scale producers. This is due to a number of systemic challenges (e.g., limited budgets, logistical needs, food safety requirements, etc.) that are difficult, yet not impossible to overcome. Such challenges are natural within an emerging market, but also must be seriously and actively addressed as they can reduce producer confidence to include institutional markets into their farm business plan. Further such challenges are often compounded by negative perceptions that are not informed by direct experience with such institutional customers.
This survey was designed to uncover farmer interest in institutional markets and the challenges and opportunities they see for accessing those markets.
Survey Design and Structure
The survey was co-designed by IATP, SFA and RTC, with advisory input from over 20 different non-profit organizations, state agencies, growers and experts with experience in both farm to institution practices and grower surveys. This included feedback collected from in-person meetings, as well as via e-mail. The survey was heavily influenced by previous grower surveys conducted by IATP, RTC, the University of Minnesota (UMN) and others. Combining existing best practice with feedback from a broad range of stakeholders throughout the process, a comprehensive online survey of 38 questions was designed using Survey Monkey. The survey was beta tested by a number of growers and other experts to refine language and functionality. The final survey was released on November 6, 2014. The final survey structure is included in the appendix.
Survey Promotion and Response
A promotional webinar entitled “Building Farm to Institution Markets: Webinar and Survey” was hosted by IATP on November 6, 2014 to officially launch the online survey.3 This webinar was aimed at Minnesota growers and was promoted to growers via a postcard mail-out, newsletter listings, social media postings (IATP, SFA, RTC, others) and e-mail list postings. The webinar was attended by 74 individuals. The survey was open for growers to complete between November 6 and December 22, 2014. During that time, 142 responses were received—including partial and complete responses. The majority of respondents live in Minnesota, with a few respondents from Wisconsin and South Dakota.
Survey Limitations
The design of the survey was affected by the length of time required for completion. Reducing the length of the survey was considered a priority because participation was voluntary and uncompensated. Thus, certain clarifying questions were omitted—particularly regarding real versus perceived benefits and barriers—to reduce the overall length. To further reduce the impact of time for completion on respondents, the survey was timed to be released in the late fall/early winter, after the fall harvest was complete in Minnesota.
Further, due to the online platform through which the survey was delivered, there is the potential that one individual could have submitted multiple surveys, however, this is unlikely. Efforts were made to make the survey linguistically accessible, but resources were not available for translation into other languages.
Key Highlights and Challenges
Respondents and Production:
The most common demographic characteristics identified by respondents were: white, male and age 55 to 64 years old. However, while there were limited responses from non-white individuals women represented over one-third of respondents and the age category of 45 to 54 years old was the second most common response.
While a majority of respondents had five years or less of farming experience and are thus considered “beginning” farmers, the second most common respondent had between 21 and 35 years of farming experience and would be considered highly experienced.
The most common farming operation was the family farm. The most common respondent operated a small-scale farm (i.e., one to three acres), but nearly one fifth of respondents operated a farm between 10 and 69 acres.
While the most common respondent reported earning less than $24,000 in gross annual income from agricultural activities, one out of every three respondents reported earning between $25,000 and $100,000 in gross annual incomes from such activities.
The most common product produced by respondents were specialty crops—specifically perishable vegetables—followed by animal products such as beef, bison and grains. Looking to future crop diversification, the most common crop that respondents were interested in adding to their operation were specialty crops—specifically fruits (non-apple) and apples.
Current Business Practices:
Most respondents were currently selling their products via wholesale or direct-to-consumer market channels. Looking to the future, most respondents were interested in exploring expanded direct-to-consumer, co-op and on-farm retail market channels in the coming five years.
A majority of respondents were delivering their product within an average radius of 40 miles with a 10 mile radius being the most frequent response.
Related to the challenge of delivery logistics, one in every four respondents were currently aggregating their product with other producers. Nearly half were interested in aggregation, though they weren’t currently doing so.
Farm to Institution Connections:
Of those currently selling to institutions, K-12 schools were the most common buyers (purchasing directly or through a distributor). Perhaps most importantly, three out of four respondents were interested in selling their product to institutional markets in the future, with universities and hospitals be most appealing markets. Those not interested in institutional markets cited liability, logistical and price concerns.
The primary benefit of institutional markets for respondents were the relationships with the local community, prices that they considered fair and steady, having an additional local market, and the option for advanced/reliable contracts. However, a majority of respondents still saw low purchasing prices (real or perceived) and the large volume needs of institutions as major barriers for engaging institutional markets.
Information Tools and Resources:
Regarding informational tools and resources that respondents were interested in for engaging institutional markets, the top three responses were focused on orienting business practices to meet institutional volume and product demands: food hub, cooperative and/or other aggregation setup information/support; common product specification sheets/checklists for various institutions; and business planning advice for starting or expanding institutional sales.
Respondents were interested in accessing information and resources on institutional markets through a mixture of in-person and online forums, including: regional farmer-buyer networking events, in-person workshops, an online producer-seller directory, informational webinars and farm visits/field days.
Respondents were most interested in working with other producers and existing farmer networks in expanding farm to institution sales, followed by working directly with institution staff and staff from state departments of agriculture (i.e., Minnesota Department of Agriculture). Distributors and Extension educators were the fourth and fifth most common response.
Continue reading by downloading the full report. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/9740 | Scrapping regulations calls for discretion Feb 10, 2017 Stronger safety net is goal for National Cotton Council Jan 27, 2017 Oklahoma Peanut Expo March 23 in Altus Feb 08, 2017 Cattle industry 'very concerned' about Trump's pledge to renegotiate NAFTA Feb 06, 2017 For peanuts: Large carryover could affect 2006 production
Paul Hollis Farm Press Editorial Staff | Apr 20, 2006
The current direction of the U.S. peanut market would suggest lower prices and perhaps a cutback in acreage for 2006, says Nathan Smith, University of Georgia Extension economist. “The final crop estimate for 2005 shows a 15 percent acreage increase across the United States, so we've really been through a jump in our peanut acres, with more than 1.6 million acres,” said Smith, speaking at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show in Albany. “Georgia is a big reason for the increase, with more than 755,000 planted acres and 750,000 harvested acres.” U.S. yields were down by about 4 percent from 2004, with growers averaging just under 3,000 pounds per acre, he says. Georgia peanut producers averaged just under 2,900 pounds per acre this past year. “We've had strong use numbers in the last two years, particularly in the domestic market. Peanut butter and snacks have been positive. But looking at the current marketing year, the numbers are flat compared to the previous year, with no increase in the edible use of peanuts. It means we're holding the pace of the previous year,” says Smith. Shelled peanut prices have dropped, he adds, down to 34 cents per pound for medium runners. “The market is somewhat depressed. Even though we have strong use and demand, supply still has been built up to where contracts were offered on a limited basis this past spring,” he says. U.S. peanut acreage saw shifts in certain regions this past year, says Smith. “We've seen acreage climb from about 10,000 in South Carolina to 60,000 acres in 2005 — they've become a major peanut-producing state. Alabama has seen a shift into the western part of the state around the Mobile area, and there has been an increase in the Panhandle of Florida. “Basically, peanuts have moved down the coastline. The acreage is moving out of the traditional Virginia-North Carolina regions. Peanuts also are moving into the predominately cotton producing counties of southeast and southwest Georgia. In addition, Mississippi planted 15,000 acres last year and had a 3,200-pound per acre yield. They're also putting in a buying point, so we'll probably continue to see expansion there.” Turning to production, consumption and carryover, Smith says the trend over the past two years has been an increase in consumption. “Production not only has kept up with it, but we've had such good weather that we have built up good production numbers. We have a lot of peanuts on hand after the 2005 season,” he says. A trend projection for 2006 would see about 1.6 million acres planted, slightly less than last year, with a total yield of about 2,850 pounds per acre, says the economist. “For the past five years, we've made more than 2,800 pounds per acre, but if we go back 10 years, we've made just under 2,800 pounds per acre. The addition of new ground and technology has boosted our yields. “Those kinds of numbers wouldn't do anything to take off surplus peanuts. Where will those peanuts go? Production in 2005 was 12 percent more than the previous year. One good thing we've seen is that we have captured the peanut market that was imported in other years — we've been able to displace the imports since 2002,” he says. The growth of domestic food use has gone down from about 5 percent to 2 percent, and that reflects what currently is being seen in stocks and processing, he says. “We're not so sure about crushed peanuts. My understanding is that more than 100,000 tons were forfeited last year for the 2004 crop. They were bought out at about 90 percent of the value of the loan, in the range of about $335 per ton. Those peanuts were going to fill 2005 crop orders or displace some of the 2005 crop. We're just pushing that peanut loan later into the year. When we look at the stocks and processing report, the use is up, but that increase is coming from uses other than the ‘domestic use’ category.” There is a good projection for U.S. peanut exports, says Smith. Argentina is having some problems, and expectations are that the United States might capture some of that market. “Food use has been increasing since the time of the 2002 farm bill, but I don't think we can continue that pace of 6 to 8 percent each year. We're probably moving towards a more realistic number of 3 percent.” Projections are for an increase in total use of 11 percent over the 2004 crop, but the increase is coming mainly from crushed and exports, says Smith. The crushed market, he adds, doesn't have the value that can compete with domestic use and exports. “I'm not sure where those peanuts will go as to how they will be crushed. My theory is that they expect forfeitures will end up being crushed. Edible use currently is level or flat, but all grades are up by about 6 percent. It's good that we still can talk about increasing use.” Turning to exports, Smith says China is the world's largest exporter, and Argentina is the main competitor of the United States. They're followed by India, Vietnam and the rest of the world. “It's not what the farm bill intended — where the National Posted Price would be more of a world price, and we would capture most of that export market. That's an issue that probably will be debated before the next farm bill.” The National Posted Price impacts a grower's LDP or marketing loan, and the season-average price impacts the counter-cyclical payment, he explains. “Then, shelled prices are a main driving factor behind the National Posted Price. Compared to a year ago, we're down four to five cents on shelled prices. Given the progress thus far this year, when you look at the monthly prices published through December, we'll have a lower average-season price this year for peanuts. Based on where it is now, the counter-cyclical payment could be at the maximum $104.” Looking ahead to 2006, the bottom line is that there will be a big surplus of peanuts, says Smith. “Most of you have peanuts in the loan program. There will be loan forfeitures. You may receive paperwork stating that your peanuts were forfeited into the loan. Also, we've seen shrink charges going up because peanuts are being stored for a longer period of time.” With 2004 forfeitures displacing some of the 2005 crop, the problem of surplus peanuts is only being delayed, he says. “The domestic market appears to be slowing down. Potentially, a lot more peanuts will go into forfeiture. Argentina may give us a few more exports. The current market direction would support lower prices and a cutback in peanut acres, and but it really will depend on the contracts that we're offered, and the price of cotton and corn.” Peanut production costs will be affected this year by rising fuel costs, says Smith. “Peanuts have a relatively low fertilizer use, so that's an advantage. Drying and curing costs also will see large cost increases this year. To cover all costs this year, you'll need to make 2 tons on irrigated land and 1.5 tons on dryland. This is the year to go through the budgets and work out these numbers.” e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/9930 | Historic appointment at Nidderdale Show
Margaret Liddle will be the first female president of Nidderdale Show next year.
Chris Berry
Something quite historic within the agricultural community is set to occur in Pateley Bridge.
It’s the kind of thing that not so many years ago would have seen old men shaking their heads in disbelief and in some cases seemingly offering them further proof that the world has indeed become a far different place to the one in which they had been born. Indeed I’m mentioning now just in case there are those who may need to acclimatise themselves to the situation in the next 12 months. The news is that Margaret Liddle will be the president of Nidderdale Show in 2015.
Margaret will be the first female president and she’s clearly very pleased to have been asked. At this year’s show that takes place on Monday she will be present as president-elect. I met her on her farm earlier this week.
“Farmers don’t generally do change and I was really surprised when I received the invitation. I’ve always had an involvement from being very little when my mother Janie was part of the Women’s Institute. I also attended as a Young Farmers member as part of Nidderdale YFC, showed in the domestic classes for baking and icing, and have stewarded in the horse classes for many years. It’s such a popular traditional agricultural show and with it being an outstanding stock rearing area the quality of the entries is always tremendous.”Margaret runs the 120-acre Manor House Farm, east of Summerbridge with her son David. She was born here and came back to the family farm and caravan site business in 1989, firstly running the caravan site before turning her attention to rekindling the farming operation in 2002 following the passing of her father Matt Houseman.“I decided that I needed to do what I do best and that is sheep farming. I went back into the sheep world with Mules and continental X breeding ewes using Charollais and Texel tups because the land here is largely in the valley bottom and I felt it was best suited for breeding fat lambs.”The bad winter of 2012-2013 brought an end to Margaret’s decade of producing fat lambs for the meat market and a new approach was adopted that fits in far better with the dual nature of the caravan site and sheep farm.
“That winter was very cold and wet. We used to lamb in early February and just into March because of the caravan site opening on March 1, but that year lambing time went on forever. So long as lambing worked to plan, everything was right but a bad winter really does kick you out. We had found it really difficult trying to get the caravan site up and running while also spending the right time with the flock. That’s when David and I decided to sell the breeding sheep.”That was by no means the end of Margaret’s sheep farming days. She had other plans and today’s enterprise sees her buy Mule gimmers at Skipton livestock market each September – she bought 450 last week – that she then runs for a year and sells back at Skipton as shearlings. It’s a system that she finds fits in far better with the caravans, although she confesses that since the ewes are not put to the tup at all she initially missed lambing time and all the emotion that goes with it.“It was a big wrench not seeing the fields full of ewes and lambs that first time, but you get used to it. We did the right thing. There’s only David and myself here and we couldn’t spread ourselves any further. We sold our first lot of sheep we bought last year on August 19 and the rest will have been sold by the time this story is published. We run them on grass and give them haylage and sugar beet if the weather gets bad.”Years ago the Dalesbred and Masham breeds were more popular particularly around here. Tastes have changed and she tells of why she sticks with Mule X now.
“The Swaledale and Mule are popular because people buying the Mule are breeding terminal lambs for meat and the butchers like the lambs to have a certain type of skin. That’s perhaps why the Masham has fallen out of fashion as it has too much wool on its terminal lamb. It’s all a bit odd really as when they’re hung up you can’t tell them apart and the skin then isn’t as important.“The lambs we buy in September each year are largely born in March. We’re looking for good skin, good head, good length of body and depth. We don’t go for the biggest lambs. They’re bought as tupping lambs. We buy the biggest of the running lambs. We also share out our business as to whom we buy from. I try to buy a pen or two from each of the local farmers to us who produce Mule lambs. When we first moved into this style of sheep farming, selling as shearlings, I knew pretty much what I needed to do in preparing them for sale but I was also greatly indebted to Kevin and James Wilson of Blubberhouses for their assistance.”Margaret’s father Matt started the caravan site with just two or three caravans when she was just eight or nine-years-old. Today the site holds 80 in a tranquil woodland setting. It doesn’t have a shop on site, nor does it have pools or modern day extras such as hot tubs. “We like the people who come here. They enjoy a glass of wine and going for a walk. They enjoy the peace and serenity of being here just as I do.”Nidderdale Show takes place at Bewerley Park, Pateley Bridge on Monday, September 22. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/10278 | When the chips are down: potato, maize and rice crop yields set to fall
Farmers in developing world will have to grow different food to prevent world going hungry in changing climate, says report
Potato farmers install pipes to drain water to their crops in Central Java, Indonesia. Photograph: Clara Prima/AFP/Getty Images
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Mark Tran
@marktran
Tuesday 30 October 2012 20.01 EDT
First published on Tuesday 30 October 2012 20.01 EDT
Farmers will need to grow different crops as rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall lead to a drop in yields of maize, rice and wheat in developing countries, according to agricultural experts.
The three crops are the main source of calories globally, but all regions will have to change their approach to what they grow and eat, researchers said in a report, Recalibrating food production in the developing world (pdf), which analysed the potential effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important commodities.
Agriculture and food production releases up to 17,000 megatonnes of carbon dioxide – 29% of global greenhouse gas emissions – according to analysts at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). But while emissions associated with food production need to be reduced, climate change will also require a "complete recalibration" of where specific crops are grown and livestock raised, said the report.
"The food-related emissions and, conversely, the impacts of climate change on agriculture and the food system, will profoundly alter the way we grow and produce food. This will affect different parts of the world in radically different ways, but all regions will have to change their approach to what they grow and eat," said Sonja Vermeulen, the head of research at CGIAR's climate change programme.
According to CGIAR researchers, climate change could cause irrigated wheat yields in developing countries to fall by 13%. Irrigation might help wheat survive stressful conditions, but the amount of water needed to do so would place unsustainable demands on water sources. Agriculture already accounts for 70% of all fresh water used.
Irrigated rice production in poor countries could tumble by 15%. In Africa, many farmers of maize, which is not well suited to rising temperatures, could lose 10-20% of their yields. Potatoes, the world's fourth largest food crop, are best suited to cooler climates, so steadily rising temperatures are likely to reduce yields in places where people already struggle to meet basic nutritional needs. More than half of the world's potatoes come from developing countries such as India and China.
Climate change will disrupt growing conditions just as farmers need to boost agricultural production as the world's population grows from 7 billion to more than 9 billion by 2050. Farmers, therefore, need to simultaneously increase yields while reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions, otherwise food production will be threatened further.
The report cites several hardy crops that may have to be considered as substitutes for crops more vulnerable to climate change. Barley could be attractive for its ability to withstand salinity in the soil, as well as heat and drought, although more research is needed to determine just how much stress it can withstand. Millet, cowpea and lentils are also nutritious foods that can tolerate harsher conditions, although their tolerance to dry conditions has its limits.
"In short, extensive research needs to formulate targeted, region-by-region approaches that recalibrate agricultural production according to the effects of climate change. In some cases, this could require farmers to embrace entirely new crops," said the report.
The switch to new crops, however, may not be to the taste of people. Kenyans, for example, like the taste of maize – introduced by the British to feed horses. They may take some persuasion to eat ugali – a polenta-like dish – made from millet or cassava instead of maize. "This cultural challenge is another facet of climate change adaptation that should get as much attention as plant breeding," said the report.
"The good news is that if farmers and food producers start to adapt now, they can stave off some of the dour food production and distribution scenarios laid out in this research. But they can't face these complex, interrelated problems, which vary from crop to crop and region to region, alone. They need support from the highest levels," said Philip Thornton, the report's author.
US leans on El Salvador to open up its seed market
Grant by US agency to open markets to 'competition' draws protests from Salvadoran farmers and concern from NGOs
Published: 4 Jul 2014
Unease among Brazil's farmers as Congress votes on GM terminator seeds
Environmentalists warn approval could shatter global agreement not to use technology, with devastating repercussions
India's seed saviour goes against the corporate grain – in pictures
Debal Deb, a scientist who is building a seed bank in India’s Odisha state, has helped to preserve 920 varieties of indigenous rice
Uganda seed entrepreneur calls time on hand-held hoe as a tool for farmers
Josephine Okot, the founder of Uganda's leading seed company, tells Mark Tran that the absence of advice and good seeds mean crop yields are only a third of their potential
Vandana Shiva: 'Seeds must be in the hands of farmers'
Mali seed entrepreneur discovers taste for food security – in pictures
Seed diversity: a global route to food security? – in pictures | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/11138 | No Comments Culture, More, Vegan georgie rajan
The apple belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae) and is a derivative of its wild variety, Malus sieverslli, still grown and consumed in Central Asia. It is a Pome fruit, which means it is a fleshy fruit with a thin skin and the seeds are contained within the fruit. The apple blossoms are pink and gradually turn white as they mature. It comes in various colours and sizes and has a variation even in taste, ranging from sour to sweet. This quality of the fruit makes it a culinary specialty as it can be served in various ways – cooked and uncooked. The apple has ruled the health business for years owing to its immense qualities and benefits. Right from being on the teacher’s table to the platter of the healthy eater, the apple has continued its journey for thousands of years without compromising or losing out on its popularity as being the king of all fruits.
Historically, apples have known to be an integral part of ancient mythologies. Extending to countries and continents all across the globe, the fruit has found favour and acceptance by both old and young, rich and poor, the famous and infamous and has even been associated with gods and goddesses. According to the famous English scholar, H.R. Ellis Davidson, apples have been linked to religious practices in Germanic paganism. Offerings of apples to gods and goddesses have known to be made in exchange for eternal youthfulness and fertility. The Germans have long believed that apples are no less than a life giving fruit that has found favour even with celestial beings.
Among the Greeks, the fruit is a part of many religious traditions and is often looked upon as the ‘mystical’ or ‘forbidden’ fruit. The apple is considered to be sacred to the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. To throw an apple at someone was symbolic to professing one’s love and to catch the apple was an expression of acceptance of that love.
Popular Christian belief has held that it was an apple with which Eve (the first woman) coaxed Adam (the first man) to commit the first sin of disobedience against God. As a result, the apple became symbolic of knowledge and immortality as well as of temptation and sin. Also, following the story, the larynx in the human throat came to be called as the Adam’s apple because of the notion that Adam never really swallowed the forbidden fruit and it remained in his throat.
Apples have been grown and consumed for thousands of years now. Study reveals that there are about 7500 cultivators around the world contributing to different varieties of apple on the basis of colour taste and use. The reason for breeding apples may vary from cooking to eating or for cider production. Domestic apples can be produced either naturally through seeds or through grafting. Apple trees are prone to a lot of fungi, bacteria and pests and so special care is taken by cultivators. In the year 2010 itself, 69 million tones of apples were produced around the world with China and the United States being the major contributors producing about 10% and 6% of the produce respectively. The third position was gained by Turkey followed by Italy and India.
‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. This is not just a statement but also an advice given by the doctors to individuals across all age groups. The statement, however, may not really be as precise as it claims, but with a host of nutritional benefits, apples are a smart choice to munch your way to health. It’s believed that the apple is one unique fruit richly endowed with nutrients and activated enzymes which if consumed, helps in building up the body and improves its immunity, thus, making it possible that we remain healthy and free from diseases. The antioxidants in the fruit help in neutralization of potentially harmful free radicals that are known to cause cellular damage.
Not just that, apples are a popular choice among the health and diet conscious being extremely low on calories. A whole medium unskinned apple has calories equivalent to 100 units which is about 5% of an average daily calorie intake. The smaller varieties have a lower calorific value. This means, one could enjoy an apple based dessert without disturbing one’s calorie budget; one would just need to scale down or scale up the size of the fruit as per need. It’s both a healthy as well as a wise choice. The fruit is a rich source of fiber as well. A medium unskinned apple provides with approximately 4gms of fiber. Fiber, as we all know, helps maintain a healthy weight and is crucial for waste elimination from the body. Daily consumption of an apple may also reduce LDL or bad cholesterol levels, thanks to the apple fiber.
There are, however, a few negative attributes associated with the famous fruit. Apples are a rich source of the naturally occurring sugar, fructose. A medium sized apple would contain sugar equivalent to 16-20 grams. The sugar content may, however, vary depending on the size, type and quality of the fruit consumed. In such cases, individuals suffering from lifestyle diseases like diabetes must ensure that consumption of the fruit is done only after consulting a doctor. Apart from this, individuals who have problems digesting fiber, or have a weak digestive system following gastrointestinal issues, may find it difficult to digest the high fiber content in the apple resulting in loose stools. Another matter of concern is toxification of the fruit by harmful pesticides, which can be eliminated by washing the fruit well before consumption. One could also resort to organic varieties which would further reduce the problem.
All this must not stop you from including an apple in your daily diet. Not only is it a healthy option, but, having an apple daily is also a wise decision. It will not only keep diseases at bay, but would also ensure you healthy nutrients as you go through the day
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2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/13201 | 2016: Reality for producers ‘was pretty grim’ Feb 13, 2017 Cash, other prizes could be yours at Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Feb 15, 2017 Judsons winners in National Outstanding Young Farmer competition Feb 14, 2017 What are Arkansas rice producers considering for 2017 season? Feb 15, 2017 ABBOTT MYERS, left, Mississippi Land Bank chairman and Dundee, Miss. producer, and Craig Shideler, right, the organization’s executive vice president, welcomed 91-year old David Harold Prichard, Booneville, Miss. Prichard served on the organization’s board for many years and was recently honored by the national Future Farmers of America organization as the organization’s oldest living national officer and for his contributions to the FFA Foundation. He served as national FFA president in 1940.
Management Farm land prices: A correction maybe, not a bursting bubble “Some people feel farm land prices are too high right now; others say prices will keep steadily going up, but at a slower rate than the past few years," Abbott Myers, chairman of Mississippi Land Bank, said at the organization's annual meeting. While some analysts are warning of a sharp retreat in land prices, he says, “I don’t foresee another farm land bubble like the one that occurred in the 1980s, when there was a total collapse in values.” Hembree Brandon | Apr 28, 2013
As “bumps in the road” occur in the farm economy, “farm land prices will reflect that,” Abbot Myers, chairman of the board of the Mississippi Land Bank, said at the organization’s annual meeting.
But, he says, while some analysts are warning of a sharp retreat in land prices, “I don’t foresee another farm land bubble like the one that occurred in the 1980s, when there was a total collapse in values.
“Some people feel prices are too high right now; others say prices will keep steadily going up, but at a slower rate than the past few years. Everybody’s got a prediction. My answer: They’ll go up and they’ll go down — land prices will correct themselves.”
Grain prices and livestock production and the profits they produce are key factors that affect farm land demand and prices, Myers says.
“We saw what happened in the Midwest last year when they didn’t make a normal corn and soybean crop. Prices shot up. Now those prices are going down — one analyst has said he can make a very good case for $4 corn this fall — and beef and dairy prices are coming up.
“It’s going to be a wild year, and a lot will depend on the weather, which we of course can’t control.”
Land rents and production both affect farm land prices, Myers says. “When the production of the land and the renting of the land get out of kilter, something’s going to happen, and price can go down.”
Many land purchases in the last year or two have been by non-agricultural buyers, he says, and “by farmers who’ve either paid cash or paid down a significant amount of cash — they’re not borrowing a lot of money for these purchases. I think this is going to help keep prices from falling the way they did in the 1980s. There may be a correction in farm land prices, but I don’t think it will be a bursting bubble.”
Action, or inaction, of the government also is an influence on farm land prices, Myers says.
“We still don’t have a new farm bill; there has been a lot of playing politics and not much accomplished. We in agriculture don’t have the votes and influence in Washington that we once had, and the basic support we’ve had for farm bills in the past may no longer be there.
“All bankers like to have support and stability in agriculture, but I don’t see that happening in the future. I think we will be more and more dependent on crop insurance. As soon as they make the big payout in the Midwest for last year’s corn crop, politicians are going to say, ‘This shows how effective crop insurance is,’ and that’s the way things will go.”
Government monetary policy unsustainable
HERBERT HAWKS, from left, Hernando, Miss. producer, Robert Massey, Jr., and his father, Robert, Massey Farms, Senatobia, Miss., were among those attending the annual meeting of the Mississippi Land Bank.The government “has been printing money like crazy,” Myers says. “The U.S. has $6 trillion debt. Expenditures this year are projected at $3.6 trillion, while income from taxes will be $2.5 trillion. It doesn’t take rocket science to see that kind of math doesn’t work. If we keep this up, it’s going to adversely affect the entire country.
“It looks like we’re also going to be spending a lot of money on the health care system. This is going to be a major drag on the economy if we don’t get it straightened out.”
Despite areas of pessimism, Myers says, there are reasons for optimism. “The Fed has promised to keep interest rates low through 2015. They’re going to keep them low is because they hold $3.5 trillion in debt. If interest rates go up, it will blow the budget completely out of the water, interest rates will be low for the foreseeable future.”
And he notes, the Dow-Jones Index has been setting new records recently.
“All this tells me there is money in this country, and around the world, that’s looking for investment opportunities. With interest rates near zero, they can’t get a return on CDs or other monetary investments, so they turn to stocks and/or land, and that’s another reason land prices are going up.
“A group from Argentina bought farm land in my area within the last year. They’d never seen buckshot soils before, but they’re trying to farm it, and they see it as a better investment than they can get elsewhere.
“But, the pendulum will swing back — it always does. My advice, though: You’d better hang on to your working capital, because you’re going to need it.”
Myers says he remains “very optimistic about our future in agriculture. Eighty percent of the people alive today are in developing countries. These countries are growing at a tremendous rate, their middle class is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and they want better food and clothes. They are buyers and consumers of what we produce. are increasingly the engine for our success.
These people are going to be buyers and consumers of what we produce. U.S. farmers are the most efficient, the most productive, and the most driven to be successful than any industry in the world. Each farmer once fed 20 people — today it’s 165. We feed and clothe the world, and that’s reason to be optimistic about the future of agriculture.”
Bank set records in 2012
GARY GAINESIn his report on operations for the Mississippi Land Bank, President Gary Gaines said the organization has several record-setting accomplishments in 2012.
MATT WALDEN, left, chief financial officer, Mississippi Land Bank, Senatobia, and Chris White, Whitehouse Marketing, Memphis, visit with Steve Hilsabeck, Farm Credit Bank of Texas at Austin.“We had a record year for new loans, closing 612 new loans valued at $127 million, which brought outstanding volume to just over $500 million and a growth rate of 8.8 percent. We’re extremely proud of this. This has been our goal for a long time, and we’re very proud to have returned this amount to our stockholders. We’re confident this will continue to grow.”
Member equity grew also, Gaines says. “At the end of the year, we had $85.2 million equity outstanding for our member owners. We had a 15.25 percent permanent capitalization ratio — a very strong financial condition that should enable us to weather any storms that may come along.
“Credit quality continues to be outstanding, particularly in these difficult times, at 98 percent. Two of our branches, Starkville and Senatobia, had over $100 million in loan value outstanding, and Clarksdale was almost at $100 million. All of our branches are growing.
The organization has continued its scholarship program for college students, Gaines says. “Our board is very supportive of higher education, providing scholarships to students in community colleges and universities in our 32-county area. All these students are outstanding, and we’re pleased to be a part of helping them toward a future of accomplishment and service.” | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/13345 | Cover crops in no-till hedge against drought Written by gothenburgtimes Friday, 14 August 2009 21:03 Not only can cover crops planted in no-till fields fix nitrogen in the short term, they can also reduce soil erosion and mitigate the effects of drought in the long term, said a Natural Resource Conservation Service agronomist at a recent extension to-till conference in Holdrege.
Cover crops have always been valuable for erosion control, said Barry Fisher, NRCS Indiana state agronomist. But if we look at it from a no-till standpoint, especially a never-till standpoint, cover crops have a whole new host of benefits that they never had in conventional tillage. They give us the ability to build vertical soil structure. They build deep macropores in the soil, which allow more water to penetrate during the winter months. They’re at work when there’s nothing else out there working on the soil.
“For years we’ve known that competition from the cover crop alone helps control weeds,” Fisher said. There’s a lot of evidence that some of the oilseed radishes, some of the brassicas, and annual rye grass are very effective at controlling soybean cyst nematode as well as other pests.
Some producers are aerial seeding cover crops directly into standing corn or soybeans sometimes in September. That way it can get established, but not create a problem with harvesting the cash crop. Fisher advised producers to time the cover crop with the cash crop so that it can conserve and trap nitrogen and protect the soil from erosion during the fallow period.
“If I were going to harvest these crops, I would do it through an animal,” he said. “Certainly there’s a good opportunity, especially in this part of Nebraska where grazing cornstalks is very much a part of the culture, for having a cover crop to provide extra nutrition and also a network of roots to support the hoof traffic.”
Fisher doesn’t think of these cover crops as another cash crop, though. Instead, he’s focused on the benefits to the soil, trapping nitrates and nitrogen during the off season. Tests show that a lot of the cover crops can scavenge 60 to 70, maybe as much as 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre, Fisher said. That’s the immediate economic payoff for growing these crops.
Soil quality is a long-term benefit, he said. Cover crops provide risk protection in dry, hot years; they build soil nutrients and better biological activity.
Fisher recommended a book called Managing Cover Crops Profitably that’s available on the Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education organization’s Website at http://www.sare.org/publications/covercrops.htm. Fisher also listed the NRCS electronic Field Office Technical Guide, available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/eFOTG/ as a reliable resource. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/15995 | Why the Red Delicious No Longer Is
Decades of Makeovers Alter Apple to Its Core
By Adrian Higgins
Consider the fate of America's favorite apple. It emerged from an Iowa orchard in 1880 as a round, blushed yellow fruit of surpassing sweetness.
But like a figure in a TV makeover show, it was an apple that its handlers could not leave alone. They altered its shape. They made it firmer and more juicy. They made it so it could be stored in hermetically sealed warehouses for 12 months. Along the way, they changed its color and hence its name -- to Red Delicious.
The only problem was the American consumer, whose verdict on the made-over apple has become increasingly clear: Of the two words in the Red Delicious name, one can no longer be believed.
"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.
In the 1980s heyday of the Red Delicious, it represented three-quarters of the harvest in Washington state, epicenter of the apple industry. By 2000, it made up less than half, and in 2003, the crop had shrunk to just 37 percent of the state's harvest of 103 million boxes. Red Delicious remains the single largest variety produced in the state, but others are ascending in market share as rapidly as Red Delicious is dropping, notably Fuji and Gala.
The reliance on Red Delicious helped push Washington's apple industry to the edge in the late 1990s and into this decade. Depressed prices for Red Delicious, weaker foreign markets and stiffer competition from abroad, including apple concentrate from China, contributed to major losses in the nation's apple industry, which mounted to $700 million in 2001, according to the U.S. Apple Association. The industry has recovered somewhat since then, in part because reduced harvests have buoyed prices.
Who's to blame for the decline of Red Delicious? Everyone, it seems. Consumers were drawn to the eye candy of brilliantly red apples, so supermarket chains paid more for them. Thus, breeders and nurseries patented and propagated the most rubied mutations, or "sports," that they could find, and growers bought them by the millions, knowing that these thick-skinned wonders also would store for ages.
"Did they do it because it has less flavor? Obviously not," said Eugene M. Kupferman, a post-harvest specialist at Washington State University's tree fruit research center in Wenatchee, Wash. "They did it because it has better legs and they are getting more money for it."
The Washington harvest begins in mid-August and runs to late October, and most apples sold through December are simply stored in refrigerated warehouses. Fruit shipped later in this cycle is kept in a more sophisticated environment called controlled-atmosphere storage -- airtight rooms where the temperatures are chilly, the humidity high and the oxygen levels reduced to a bare minimum to arrest aging. Last year's fruit will be sold through September, just as the new harvest is in full swing.
Storage apples must be picked before all their starches turn to sugar. Pick too late, and the apple turns mealy in the supermarket, but pick too soon, and the apple will never taste sweet. Growers test for optimum conditions, but today's popular strains of Red Delicious turn color two to three weeks before harvest, making it difficult for pickers to distinguish an apple that is ready from one that isn't.
Some strains "develop full red color in mid-August," said Stephen S. Miller, a research horticulturist for the USDA's Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, W.Va. "Physiologically, that apple is still as green as grass."
The grower could deliver a better apple by harvesting a tree in two or three waves -- the outside fruit ripens earlier than fruit in the center of the tree. This is done for Galas and other premium varieties, but the prices for Red Delicious are so depressed that farmers can't afford that. "You would put yourself out of business," said Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt Growers Inc., a major grower in Wenatchee. In addition, the redder strains' thicker skins, found to be rich in antioxidants, taste bitter to many palates.
As an industry, "we weren't consistent with the eating quality, and fairly soon, that erodes the base," said Gip Redman, manager of field services for the Holtzinger Fruit Co., a major packer and shipper based in Yakima, Wash.
Washington growers are seeking to spring back with intensively planted orchards of more lucrative varieties, better storage practices and new marketing strategies, including an emphasis on organic fruit. But if the future for growers in the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys looks brighter, the fate of the Red Delicious appears bleaker.
"You are sort of writing an obituary," said Calhoun, whose orchard grew hundreds of heirloom varieties that defined an age in which apples were regional and seasonal, with only a few strains suited to keeping to January. Now, the globalization of agriculture and high-tech storage give the consumer apples 12 months a year.
Dozens of strains of Red Delicious have been developed by breeders since the original appeared in Madison County, Iowa, though only a handful are widely used. Redman says the industry has moved to make Red Delicious more consistently high in quality, "but once you lose that shelf space, I don't think you get that back. The consumer wants a choice."
The decline of one of the most widely grown apples in history is momentous to observers like Calhoun. Unlike, say, the McIntosh, a wildling that made its way into commerce slowly, the Red Delicious was groomed for stardom from birth.
In the 1880s, a mail-order nurseryman named Clarence Stark held a competition to find an apple to replace the Ben Davis, a variety grown extensively in orchards from Pennsylvania to Missouri. At the same time, Jesse Hiatt, a farmer in Peru, Iowa, was trying to interest nurseries in buying and propagating a seedling he had raised and named the Hawkeye. Stark bit, so to speak, paid Hiatt for the rights, and then renamed the seedling the Delicious as a marketing ploy. When Stark's successors, in a similar stunt, found and named the Golden Delicious growing in West Virginia in 1914, the Delicious became Red Delicious.
At the end of the 19th century, a group of young and forward-thinking entrepreneurs settled in Washington state knowing that the high valley slopes would produce optimum conditions to grow apples on a massive scale, which could be shipped by railroad to eastern markets. At first, they relied on a storage apple called Winesap but in the 20th century developed a liking for the Red Delicious.
Its dominance was secured by the breeding of smaller, more productive trees in the 1940s and the advent of controlled-atmosphere storage in the 1960s.
Apart from its keeping qualities, the Red Delicious was a variety Washington growers loved because they could raise it better than orchardists in other states. The abundant sunshine and cool nights of the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys produced a fruit that was far redder and elongated and more distinctively lobed than Jesse Hiatt's Hawkeye, which was rounder and yellow-green with only a modest amount of red blushing and striping.
In spite of the wholesale replanting with other varieties, Redman of Holtzinger Fruit can't imagine a Washington landscape without reds.
"It's still a good eating apple and a very popular one. This is the best place in the world to grow Red Delicious, so we'll never do away with it," he said.
Stemilt Growers' Pepperl agrees, saying that "everything gets better or goes away, and I think it's going to get better. It's one of prettiest apples we have, it's got a long history and it's high in antioxidants."
Calhoun, the apple historian, is not as sure. "You could live a lifetime and never see a Ben Davis these days." The Red Delicious "is an apple that has done its duty and is on its way out."
That view is borne out at the Brookville Super Market in Chevy Chase, where manager Sidney Hersh offers Red Delicious at 20 cents a pound cheaper than Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji and Gala varieties but sees the others outselling it by as much as 2 to 1.
"People want something better," he said. "I would say in the past couple of years, something has changed." | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/18986 | Gabriel receives JIRCAS award
Noted scientist and Food Science and Nutrition professor Dr. Alonzo A. Gabriel received another accolade from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) of the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Gabriel was one of the three recipients of the 2016 International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers during the commendation ceremonies on December 1 at the United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan. He was honored for his outstanding researches in the field of Food Science and Technology.
Now on its 10th year, the award is given to young researchers contributing to research and development in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and related industries in developing countries.
During the ceremonies, Gabriel delivered the lecture “Precision Food Processing: Establishment of Mathematical Models for Microbiological and Physicochemical Food Properties for Food Safety, Food Defense, and Food Quality.”
A professor at the College of Home Economics’ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Gabriel is a recipient of numerous awards, among them the 2013 Outstanding Young Scientist Award (for the field of Microbiology and Hygiene) from the National Academy of Science and Technology; the TOYM 2013 (The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines) for Food Science and Technology; the 2013 IUFoST (International Union of Food Science and Technology) Young Scientist Excellence Award, the 2014 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World from the Junior Chamber International, the 2014 UP Scientific Productivity Award as UP Scientist III and the Department of Science and Technology’s Outstanding Research and Development Award for Applied Research (Julian A. Banzon Medal). — Bino Gamba, with reports from CHE
Posted: December 20, 2016 14:37
Albino Gamba
Alonzo Gabriel Headlines CoE grad is a TOSP 2016 awardee | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/19033 | Water, Water, Everywhere, But Not Enough To Waste By Dan Charles
Sep 28, 2011 TweetShareGoogle+Email Here's a fact worth pondering: Farming accounts for 70 percent of all the water that's used for any purpose, worldwide. And demand for it is growing, along with the planet's population and our increasing appetite for meat. That's according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which recently published this poster and others in a striking series on the vital role of water in growing our food. But what if that water runs out, leaving fields wilted and stomachs empty? In some places — think of California, or China's Yellow River basin — there's genuine scarcity of water for agriculture. Yet according to a collection of studies just published in the journal Water International, that's an exception to the rule. Researchers examined ten of the world's most important river basins, including the Nile, the Mekong, the Volta and the Indus-Ganges, and concluded that in most of them, there's plenty of water for everyone. The catch? It has to be used efficiently and shared fairly. In sub-Saharan Africa, where agricultural productivity is lowest and food shortages are most common, "huge volumes of rainwater are lost or never used," says Alain Vidal, director of the Challenge Program on Water and Food, which commissioned the studies. Small reservoirs could help. They catch rainfall and store it until it's needed. Just as important: All farmers need access to that stored water, not just the wealthy and well-connected. The "Challenge Program" that sponsored these studies is the brainchild of a far-flung network of institutions called the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. It's dedicated to improving crops and farming practices in the world's poorest countries.Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread. © 2017 WRVO Public Media | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/19315 | Wakame, Sea Vegetable
2.2 lb / 1 kg Double click on above image to view full picture
Sun-dried from the environmentally protected national treasure, Ise (ee-say) Bay, Japan. Essential for miso soup and delicious in salads. It turns a happy bright green when soaked. A good source of magnesium. Details
Eden Wakame is cultivated off the shores of Ise (ee-say) Bay, Japan where it thrives in cool and mineral rich arctic currents. The sea there is surrounded by National forests and mountains and is known as the 'Ocean by Mountains' area. Rivers nourish the bay adding to a mineral rich environment. This area leads all of Japan in ecology movements. Development is forbidden to ensure future generations the legacy of this famous edible seaweed resource. This wakame is hand harvested from January to the end of April by farmers in boats using long poles with blades attached to cut the fronds loose from the ocean bottom. Long rakes are used to gather the wakame as it floats to the surface. The wakame is taken ashore, washed, hung on ropes and left to sun dry before trimming, grading and packaging. Unlike most commercial wakame, Eden Wakame is not treated with softening agents such as enzymes or monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Wakame Undaria pinnatifida is a species of brown algae with long, delicate leaves that resemble feathers. Its size and tenderness varies depending on where it grows as temperature and ocean conditions create a variety of plants. Wakame first became known in the United States as the green in Miso soup, and is one of the most popular sea vegetables in Japan and the United States today. Eden Wakame is quickly restored to tenderness when soaked and is a favorite in soups, stews, marinated dishes, and salads.
Eden Wakame is low calorie, fat and cholesterol free, and a good source of magnesium. Like kombu and other brown algae, wakame contains glutamine, a sweet amino acid that acts as a flavor enhancer and softening agent when cooked with other foods. Its alginic acid, a polysaccharide similar to pectin found in land plants, protects the plant from bacteria and fungi. Scientific research conducted by McGill University, in Canada demonstrated that "alginic acid binds with heavy metals in the body, from all sources, renders them insoluble and causes them to be eliminated." Additional Info
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)
Good Source of Fiber
Yes, 2.5 g to 4.9 g per serving (10% to 19% DV) | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/19827 | Farms threatened, basic water principles violated
To his way of thinking, legislation proposed by House Republicans and Senate Democrats violate the basic principles on which our water system is based.
By Al Medvitz - Special to The Bee JOIN THE CONVERSATION: What considerations should the state make in allocating water to farmers in the Delta and other farmers in the San Joaquin Valley? To write a letter, go to sacbee.com/sendletter. Or comment on our Facebook page at facebook.com/sacramentobee.
Drought-stressed farmers on the west side of California’s Central Valley have received a lot of congressional and presidential attention lately. Because we farm and ranch on the west side of the Valley, this attention means a lot to us, but not in the way one might think.
My wife’s and my ranch is large, about 3,700 acres, and we raise wine grapes, alfalfa, sheep and lambs, and small grains – wheat and barley. Our farm, however, is not in the southern part of the Valley where farms are served by the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Rather, we are on the western bank of the Sacramento River farther north but just south of Rio Vista. We farm in the region from where water is taken to transport south.
For those who are concerned about providing relief and assistance to California farmers, there must be a realization that the west side farmers in the southern Central Valley are not the only farmers in the state threatened by drought. Those of us who farm in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are suffering, just as are our colleagues to the south. In our case, salinity in the Sacramento River has increased so dramatically over the past six months that windows of opportunity to irrigate our vineyard have disappeared or have been limited to perhaps four hours per day. In past years we had good water quality 24 hours per day. The recent rainstorms have provided some short term-relief, but we will need medium- and long-term relief.
The two federal remedies presented so far for providing drought relief have been legislation proposed in the U.S. House by several southern Valley representatives – Reps. David Valadao, Kevin McCarthy and Devin Nunes, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner – and Senate legislation presented by Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer with the backing of President Barack Obama.
The proposals differ greatly but also have commonalities. The House bill would modify water transfer contracts and water rights legislation and overturn years of environmental protection to facilitate water transfers from water sources in the north to the two great water projects for the use of southern farmers and municipalities. It also supports constructing more storage to relieve future drought. The Senate bill would protect the environmental provisions of past legislation and court action, as well as provide funding for water storage, conservation and other means of collecting and storing water. It, however, in more subtle ways, also provides for facilitating the transfer of water from our region to the two water projects for the use of southern farmers and municipalities.
To our way of thinking, both pieces of legislation violate the basic principles on which our water system is based. Access to our water is based on “entitlements” derived from agreements developed to distribute water from the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Put simply, access to water by southern farmers and cities from the Delta is based on the notion that they are entitled to any excess water not necessary for local needs in the north. They do not have inherent or primary rights in any way equivalent to our pre-1914 riparian rights. This means that in a crisis our senior or primary rights must be taken into account first to ensure our needs are met and to balance these against their junior or secondary rights.
We emphasize that this principle pertains in general to nearly all the ranches and farms in our highly productive agricultural region in and around the Delta. It is the principle upon which the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project were constructed.
For us, if either of the legislative proposals for drought relief of the southern Valley is implemented as written, over the course of the year salinity levels in the Delta will rise to levels where we will not be able to sustain our wine grape or alfalfa production. The House bill is blatant in its intent to simply facilitate water transfers by removing legal impediments put in place to protect the northern environment and water rights. The Senate proposal mandates that State Water Project and Central Valley Project water supplies be given precedence over local supplies by instructing water managers to maintain the flow of water to the projects’ pumping station even to the extent of constructing temporary barriers and operable gates to prevent flows traveling away from the pumps. That is, water will be prevented from flowing to our ranch and ranches nearby, and diverted to ranches and farms hundreds of miles away.
Both pieces of legislation are anathema. Neither ensures that our rights are preserved or that efforts to help the southern farmers be based on the premise of protecting rights of northern farmers. Both bills turn on their heads the agreements and understandings and the principles of rights and responsibilities upon which the California water system has been based for at least 60 years.
It is unfortunate that over the 50 or 60 so years that the water projects have been functioning, some west side and southern growers have mistakenly overinvested in unsustainable expansion, both in terms of the environment and in terms of the long-term availability of water. Much land has been degraded by their irrigation practices. Water aquifers have been depleted and destroyed by bad management, and farms and cropping systems expanded beyond the capacity to function in times of severe drought.
In part, this has been due to past political decisions and rulings that have encouraged some in the farm community to believe that they can persuade our governments to protect them from the consequences of unsustainable practices. If our governments now do so again, they will greatly damage those of us in the north from whom water rights would be usurped. The consequences would be calamitous to our farming region and the large regional economy.
As active members in the California agricultural community, Jeannie and I, and many of our neighbors, share the stresses caused by the drought and are more than willing to work with responsible farmers and our governments to work out ways to appropriately manage water in this time of scarcity. But we cannot do this if our well-established rights are not protected in legislation and our interests not respected.
The 19th and early 20th century idea of unfettered expansion is no longer appropriate to the 21st century. It has generated innumerable battles over water rights and land use and has led to our current fight over a valuable and limited resource. Unless there are dramatic revisions to the proposed legislation so that our regional agriculture is protected and supported, Jeannie and I, and we know many of our neighbors, will actively oppose and object to policies and principles that threaten to destroy our future. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/19833 | Farm-to-table is fine, but what comes next?
KELLY DiNARDO, For The Associated Press
Much has been made of the farm-to-table restaurant movement. But what happens to all the food that ends up uneaten at the table?
In what you might call a burgeoning table-to-farm movement, a small but growing number of companies are being launched around the country to answer that question, to help restaurants deal with the ecologically and economically expensive problem of food waste by composting it.
"The restaurant business is an incredibly wasteful business," says Peter Egelston, owner of Portsmouth Brewery restaurant in Portsmouth, N.H. "We generally put more food in front of people than they can eat in one sitting. If it's not going home in a doggie bag, it seems like we should send it where it will have new life."
And so two years ago Egelston's brewery began composting with the help of EcoMovement, a company that hauls food waste from about 40 restaurants in the region and takes it to be composted.
Composting - a natural process in which food and other organic scraps are decomposed into fertile soil - has long been a mainstay of farms and backyards. But few restaurants have the space or time to compost their own waste. And so they typically pay to have it disposed of in landfills along with the rest of their trash.
But as communities have struggled to reduce their waste, pressure has mounted on the restaurant industry to do its part.
"A few things changed," says Michael Oshman, CEO of the Green Restaurant Association. "Cities in California passed laws requiring some level of waste reduction. To attack waste reduction without looking at food is like having a heart patient come in to the doctor and not talk to them about exercise and diet. So cities like San Francisco begin composting. They demonstrate it's doable and others follow their lead."
San Francisco began a pilot composting program in 1996, which quickly expanded. In 2001, officials made composting available city-wide on a voluntary basis; it became mandatory in 2009, including for the city's more than 5,000 restaurants. Since 1996, the city has composted more than 835,000 tons of food scraps.
Since then, other cities - including Seattle - have passed similar laws that mandate composting. But desire isn't enough. To compost, you either need to have a place to put food waste - and the time to tend to it - or arrange for it to be taken to a farm or composting facility.
And that's where companies like EcoMovement come in. Rian Bedard was inspired to start the company when he moved from San Francisco to New Hampshire and realized no one was offering compost pickup. They began hauling food waste in November 2009.
Food-waste hauling remains a small industry, in part because the companies struggle with where to bring the waste. Few actually handle the composting themselves, instead serving as an intermediary.
Some, like Compost Cab in Washington, D.C., work with area farms. But that also can limit the volume and content of what can be picked up.
"There are two main constraints on a farm that you don't have on an industrial facility," says Jeremy Brosowsky, who started the company almost a year ago.
"When you're managing a small-scale operation on a farm in an urban environment you want to be respectful to your neighbors. People worry about smell and rodents. We ameliorate that by not being too big. The second constraint is just volume. Urban farms tend to be less than two acres. Composting takes about a half acre. You can't overwhelm them with volume because that takes attention away from the farming," he said.
Which is why most compost hauling companies work with commercial composting facilities, of which there are about 300 around the country.
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group has encouraged all of their 53 restaurants - including those outside the Bay Area - to compost. It isn't always possible. Only 35 of their properties have programs at this time.
"The biggest challenge is finding someone who can haul it away," says Frank Kawecki, senior director of operations for Kimpton. "It's usually some guy in a truck. It's very grassroots and local."
The company's 10 restaurants in Washington use EnviRelation, a 12-person company that hauls food waste from nearly 200 offices, hotels and restaurants. Last year, the city's Kimpton properties alone composted more than 408,000 pounds of food scrap.
Despite trepidations about smell, staff training and pest nuisance, when composting is available most restaurants find that it is simple.
"It's the same waste we were putting in a dumpster," says Egelston. "It just goes in a different color bin. We've reduced our waste stream so dramatically we renegotiated our trash pickup and that offset all of the costs of the compost program. And our customers really appreciate it and that's good for business. It's not just this woolly-headed, tree-hugging idea. There's a practical use to this."
Brosowsky believes this move to compost is similar to the start of the recycling movement. In twenty years, he suspects everyone will be composting.
"Municipal composting is coming," says Brosowsky. "Farm to table is good. Farm to table back to farm is even better." | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/20077 | Poor agricultural technologies
Although Sierra Leone has great natural resources, the decade-long civil war severely devastated the country’s economy, destroyed infrastructure and caused large-scale human suffering. In 2008, Sierra Leone ranked 84 out of 88 countries in the Global Hunger Index and last out of 179 countries in the Human Development Index.
Read more on the Sierra Leone Annual Report 2008.
WFP together with other UN agencies supports the efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone to consolidate peace and prosperity in the country. Key priorities are integration of rural areas, economic and social integration of the youth, equitable access to health services, and accessible and credible public services.
The overall situation in Sierra Leone has significantly improved since 2001 due to increased security. The subsequent return of displaced rural populations to their homes has helped agricultural recovery, which is taking place across most of the country.
The agricultural sector contributes to over 40 percent of Sierra Leone’s GDP. In the President’s Agenda for Change (2008) the Government of Sierra Leone has declared agricultural development and food security to be the foundations for the country’s economic growth and poverty reduction.
Some 40 percent of all children below five are chronically undernourished which puts them at high risk to never develop their full physical and mental potential. Acute child malnutrition is at 10 percent, alarmingly high. Every fourth child dies before reaching the age of five. About one fourth of the rural population is estimated to have poor or borderline food consumption based on the vulnerability analysis of 2007.
Poverty remains pervasive with more than two thirds of the population of about six million living below the poverty line, particularly in the Eastern and Norhtern regions. Unemployment, especially among the youth, low labour productivity, lack of irrigation, over-harvesting and inadequate access to food markets as a result of poor road infrastructure continue to be risks to food security.
WFP has been operational in Sierra Leone since 1968. In collaboration with the Government and other partners it pursues the goal of feeding the hungry poor by supporting reconstruction and rehabilitation following a devastating civil war in the 1990s. In 2008, WFP provided food to 473,800 vulnerable people.
Child after WFP's distribution of cooking oil in village of Seidu, Kono District, Sierra Leone, 2008.
Copyright: WFP/Francis Boima
WFP’s food assistance focuses on the reconstruction of basic social infrastructure. It supports basic primary education through the provision of daily school meals. In addition, a monthly take-home ration is provided to 4,600 girls in grades four to six in the northern districts of Koinadugu and Kambia which have extremely low primary school completion rates for girls (20%). In 2008, 273,000 pupils benefited from the programme.
WFP seeks to improve the health and nutritional status of women and children through integrated Mother-and-Child Health and Nutrition programmes. It also provides food assistance for people living with HIV.
WFP also provides food assistance to vulnerable populations in the Eastern and Southern Provinces of the country which suffered the highest levels of destruction during the civil war. WFP focuses on the restoration of agricultural production (food and tree crops), education and health. These activities include Nutrition Support, School Feeding, Food for Training and Food for Work.
Sierra Leone is one of the 21 countries where WFP’s Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative will be piloted. WFP with its partners will engage small farmers by supporting their agricultural production and linking them to the market and will then use its purchasing power to procure food from them. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/21120 | Israel Is On It
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Drip Irrigation Systems / Irrigation in the Desert / Latest News Drip Irrigation: Growing Crops in the Desert
From Tiny Dynamo: How One of the World's Smallest Countries Produces Some of the Most Important Inventions, by Marcella Rosen
Drip Irrigation, an Israeli invention, allows dry land to produce crops to feed a hungry world.
In the words of my generation, let’s get real.
There are now more than 7 billion people coating the surface of Planet Earth, and that number’s going to go up a lot more before it goes down. The rankings of what people consider to be life’s necessities will vary depending on whether they live in Greenwich or Ghana, but the one thing that’s at the top of everyone’s list is water.
Earth is 2/3 water, but only 10% of that is the fresh water we need for drinking, running machinery, growing rice and beans, and shaving and brewing beer and making blue jeans.
Analysts from the UN to the Council On Foreign Relations are painting a fairly grim picture of our ability to keep up with the demand for water in the years to come. The situation is dire – already more than a billion people in Africa and Asia don’t have access to clean drinking water – and the challenge is huge…but it’s not insurmountable.
I suppose that any steps individuals can take to cut down on our use of water would help – shorter showers, less car washing, fewer ice cubes in our mojitos. But when it comes to making a real dent in humans’ use of fresh water, if you’re not talking farming, you might as well not be talking.
Here’s how we humans divvy up the planet’s fresh water: Think of ten glasses of water lined up on a kitchen counter. They represent the world’s supply of fresh water. You drink one glass: that’s the portion people put to domestic use.
Then a factory owner comes in to the kitchen and grabs two glasses: that’s the slice industry uses to do its thing, to cool engines and make paper and fabric and so on. Then a farmer comes in, grabs the remaining seven glasses, takes them back to his farm and pours them on his crops.
That’s right. Seventy percent of the available fresh water on our planet goes to agriculture. And the vast majority of that water is used not only unproductively, but in ways that do more harm than good.
This is the challenge that the legendary Israeli firm Netafim has been confronting since the 1960s – that challenge of bringing agricultural irrigation in line with a drying planet.
“Let’s be clear,” says Naty Barak, a director at Netafim, “most agriculture in the world is not irrigated at all. That’s really poor resource management. The bulk of the irrigation that is done is incredibly inefficient.”
Irrigation breaks down into three main categories: flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and the method that Netafim pioneered, drip irrigation.
Flood irrigation (essentially pouring water on crops) accounts for almost 80% of the irrigation that’s done on farms, and according to Mr. Barak, it’s harmful to soil (the water pushes the soil all over the place) and water sources, produces diminished yields, and is wildly wasteful.
The sprinkler family of irrigation devices – used for about 15% of farm irrigation – is a bit better than flood irrigation in terms of efficiency, but that’s not saying much.
Bringing up the rear in terms of usage is drip irrigation, which is the method of choice for about 5% of farms. But it is the unquestionable state of the art in terms of efficiency and its ability to squeeze the most productivity out of every drop of water.
Estimates of the water savings drip irrigation provides vary, largely because watering conditions vary, but they come down between twenty and fifty percent over sprinklers, the next most efficient method. In other words, when it’s really working right, drip irrigation can effectively double your water supply.
Drip irrigation might not sound like your idea of scintillating cocktail party chitchat, but the story of its discovery is a piece of Israeli lore.
Israel isn’t the #1 driest country on earth, but neither is it Seattle. So Israel has more than a bit of history with irrigation. And from the beginning, it was always a matter of moving water around and then turning on the spigot.
In the 1930s, a water engineer by the name of Simcha Blass was visiting a friend in the desert when he noticed a line of trees with one member that was noticeable taller and more robust looking than the others. He did a little digging, literally, and noticed that a household water line running along the tree line had spring a small leak in the area of that one tree and as feeding it with a steady drip drip drip of water. The wet spot on the surface didn’t seem like much, but down below was a large onion-shaped area of juicy soil.
The idea of drip irrigation was born.
Mr. Blass partnered with Kibbutz Hatzerim in the Negev desert to develop entire drip irrigation systems. He tinkered with variations on the idea, but when plastics became widely available in the 1960s, he finally had the ability to put drops of water precisely where he wanted, when he wanted; Mr. Blass and the kibbutz founded Netafim.
Since then, Netafim has sold its systems in more than 100 countries worldwide. And, according to Mr. Barak, the more we ask of our planet’s limited water supply, the more Netafim’s systems will benefit the world.
“Water has been declared to be a basic human right,” he says, “but we squander it with wasteful irrigation. Drip irrigation provides the ability to make water work harder and more productively than its ever done in the past.”
Mr. Barak makes the point that if 15% of farms using conventional irrigation switched to drip irrigation, the supply of water available for domestic use would double.
That statistic alone should make the world take notice. But Netafim’s drip irrigation systems do a lot more than just move water around the farm.
“We’re not just talking about a hose with a hole,” says Mr. Barak. “The system is very sophisticated, because you need to make sure that the plants that are far from the valve get the same amount as the plants that are close to the valve. You have to be able to maintain consistency in a system that runs uphill, that runs downhill…Inconsistency equals waste, and the goal is to eliminate waste.”
Mr. Barak adds that the very idea of water has changed since the company started. “In the 1960s, we were using plain drinking water. Today we use recycled water, waste water, brackish water…and we’re adding nutrients mixed in with the water, so that, in a way, what we’re really doing isn’t irrigation, it’s ‘fertigation.’”
Dirt, nutrients, waste – all of this business going on in the water is what makes controlling it so tricky. And this is where the ingenuity of Netafim comes in – in the valves that control the actual drops of water. The valves are spaced precisely along the irrigation lines, and they must work in concert with one another.
“These valves are what make the system work,” says Mr. Barak. “They are anti-clogging, self-cleaning, very sophisticated little mechanisms. They make it possible to get greater crop yields, greater crop control, while using significantly less water than we did just a few decades ago.
How much less? In 1965 a typical drip irrigation system could use anywhere from two to four liters of water per hour, which was a vast improvement from the prevailing flood irrigation system.
But now, a typical Netafim system will use half a liter per hour…and Netafim is still trying to get that number down.
The main reason, Mr. Barak explains, is simple. “In the next 100 years we are going to have to produce more crops than we ever have, with far less environmental damage than we’re doing now.”
Some are well on the way to achieving that goal. About 75 percent of Israeli farming is done with drip irrigation, with practically no flood irrigation at all. Drip irrigation accounts for about half of irrigation in California; South Africa is also a big user.
But other areas of the world have yet to make the shift – and food is only one of the reasons why it’s important for them to do so. Because when you really dig in to the nuances of drip irrigation, you start to see how widespread its ramifications are.
For example, by using water more efficiently, drip irrigation means you use less fertilizer. Fertilizer production is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Likewise, the growing market for biofuels will benefit from drip irrigation through the reduced cost of raising fuel crops. which will in turn aid in the spread of biofuels, which will reduce the production of greenhouse gasses, which will, in the long run, reduce the pressure on the world’s water supplies.
There’s also a quality of life issue at stake here – and I’m not talking about watering lawns. There are places where the challenge is not managing water, but simply getting it. Netafim is in some of these places, and the changes they have made are remarkable.
Mr. Barak tells of one Kenyan village where the women spent the bulk of their day carrying water from a small lake to the fields. With a drip irrigation system in place, not only are they realizing far higher crop yields, but the women are now freed up to spend their time far more productively than they were before…getting an education, for instance.
It’s an open question whether we can push our existing water supplies to provide us with the food – let alone the ice cubes – to which we’ve become accustomed. But Netafim has already demonstrated an ability to take a productive technology and keep pushing it well beyond its initial boundaries. There’s no reason to think they can’t do the same for the world’s existing water supply.
© 2017 Untold News | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/21192 | ARA welcomes new board members
By AgProfessional
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) welcomes four new industry leaders to serve on ARA’s board of directors in 2013. The new board members were also recognized at the ARA conference near the end of last year and a few have already started to participate in board activities.
“ARA appreciates the time and effort provided by the directors who rotated off of the board at the end of 2012. With their support and guidance, our organization had a strong year marked by achievements in the policy arena, membership growth and increased participation from current ARA members,” said Daren Coppock, ARA president and chief executive officer. “We welcome our new board members and the wisdom and experience they bring to the association’s decision-making process.”
Mark Frerichs
Mark Frerichs joined FMC Agriculture Products in 2004. He has been the director of U.S. Sales and Tech Service for the past four years, responsible for continued growth of the crop business. Frerichs has more than 32 years of agriculture experience that includes holding leadership positions with companies like American Cyanamid, BASF, Sandoz, Velsicol and Mobil Chemical.
Frerichs was raised on a grain and livestock farm in north-central Kansas and received his degree in 1979 from the University of Nebraska. He will serve on ARA’s Member Services Committee and Security Working Group.
A.K. “Dooie” Leach
FCI, Inc.
A.K. “Dooie” Leach is the President of FCI, Inc., an agricultural service company in Raeford, N.C. His professional career in agriculture began as an operations manager for FCI’s fertilizer division in 1981, and he was elected President and CEO of FCI in 1988 after his father’s passing. Leach also serves on the Board of Directors of Hoke Cotton Warehouse and Storage, Inc., Cotton Transport Services, Inc., 3-L Investments, Inc. and ChemNut, Inc.
Leach received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from North Carolina State University in 1981 and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Elon College, Love School of Business in 1997. He is also a graduate of the Philip Morris Agricultural Leadership and the National Cotton Council Leadership Development Programs.
John Oster
Morral Companies
In 2010, John Oster joined Morral Companies, in Ohio, specializing in wholesale and national account sales for the United States and Canada. Morral produces, distributes and markets a wide array of upgraded agricultural products to various segments of the agriculture industry, with a strong focus on production agriculture and related products and services. Previously, Oster also held various positions in sales and operations for Yara North America, Growmark, Agway, D. W. Dickey and W. R. Grace & Company. During his 23 years with W. R. Grace, he was regional consumer sales manager in charge of 60 consumer sales facilities and 80 commissioned agents in a seven-state region encompassing the upper Midwest.
Oster attended Indiana University and majored in education before joining W. R. Grace. He plans to serve on ARA’s Communications Committee.
Bill Rowland
Bill Rowland is the BASF regional manager for the Midwest and a member of BASF's U.S. Crop Leadership Team. As regional manager, Rowland’s role is to lead the six district teams covering Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, with responsibilities for sales of BASF crop protection products.
Rowland is a native of Bevier, Mo., and a graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in agriculture. He has more than 30 years of agricultural work experience including previous roles in sales and marketing with Monsanto, Sandoz and Novus International.
Rowland currently serves on the ARA Member Services Committee.
For a complete listing ARA’s board of directors, visit the ARA website at www.aradc.org.
agricultural retailers associationara board of directorsdaren coppockmark frerichsa.k. “dooie” leachjohn osterbill rowland About the Author:
AgProfessional | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/21306 | California cattlemen to battle regulations in 2014
The California Cattlemen's Association has a full slate of projects set for 2014, including fights against endangered-species listings for the Yosemite toad and gray wolf and a push to make 53-foot semitrailers legal on the state's highways.
Tim HeardenCapital Press
Published on January 6, 2014 11:29AM
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
California Cattlemen’s Association president Tim Koopmann (left) talks with Steve Zane, president of the Tehama County Cattlemen’s Association, during the local group’s annual winter dinner and auction Jan. 4 in Red Bluff, Calif.
Buy this photo Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Attendees of the Tehama County Cattlemen’s Association’s annual winter scholarship dinner and auction check out a fishing rod and other items being auctioned off. The event Jan. 4 in Red Bluff, Calif., was attended by top California Cattlemen’s Association officials.
Buy this photo RED BLUFF, Calif. — The Golden State’s largest ranchers’ organization will have its hands full in 2014, waging a full-court press against state and federal regulations that could complicate the work of producers.The California Cattlemen’s Association will continue to fight proposed federal protections for the Yosemite toad while advocating against a statewide listing for the gray wolf, said Tim Koopmann, a Sunol, Calif., rancher and the organization’s president.“It’s debatable whether California even had a wolf population to begin with,” Koopmann told the Capital Press during a cattlemen’s dinner here Jan. 4.“Our top goals are to continue to try to bring common sense to Sacramento and Washington, D.C., including by working with folks on water issues in the state and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on listing of endangered species,” he said.Koopmann was appearing with CCA first vice president Rich Ross and executive vice president Billy Gatlin at the annual dinner, which raises nearly $20,000 a year in scholarships for high school and college students pursuing careers in agriculture, organizers say.The CCA’s push comes after a relatively successful 2013 legislative session in which several of its proposals won approval, including a bill by Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, that will enable district attorneys to seek jail time and fines of as much as $5,000 for livestock thefts and give the money to the state Bureau of Livestock Identifications to investigate cases.The Fish and Wildlife Service took comments this summer on protections for the yellow-legged frog and Yosemite toad. The CCA voiced concerns about the listings, which would affect more than 2 million acres of private and public land and could lead to restrictions on grazing, according to Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.Wildlife officials in California appear to be preparing to deny state protections for the gray wolf, which was requested by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups.Among other issues the CCA will be working on this year, according to Koopmann:• The state Water Resources Control Board may impose a requirement that water runoff from rangelands be monitored for pollutants. Public meetings on the statewide Grazing Regulatory Action Project are expected to be held early this year.• The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has offered a draft plan for managing the greater sage grouse, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Some groups have complained that ranchers would be disproportionately harmed by grazing restrictions.• The CCA is still working with researchers at the University of California-Davis to develop a vaccine for foothill abortion, a tick-borne malady that kills calf fetuses. Koopmann said a vaccine is still 18 months to two years away.• The CCA will try again this year to enact legislation making it legal for 53-foot livestock semitrailers most commonly used in the livestock industry to travel on California’s interstates and major highways. The industry has been confined to using 48-foot semitrailers.OnlineCalifornia Cattlemen’s Association: http://www.calcattlemen.org | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/21689 | The Best Mowers
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The Best Lawns Need the Best Mowers
That’s what this site is – my attempt to create a comprehensive shopping tool for anybody out there looking for a new lawnmower. I’ve included several reviews of some of the more popular mowers in each lawnmower category and I’ve tried to be as honest as I can be – if I wasn’t impressed with the mower you’ll read that in the reviews. I’ve also included quite a few information articles that are designed to help you understand how mowers work and what you should be looking for when you’re making that final purchase decision.
A Brief Exploration of The Site
I realize that you may not to want to read every article on the site and that’s okay because each article on the site is self-contained. If you notice a lawnmower that you’re considering for purchase that we’ve reviewed on the site and that’s all you want to look over, by all means simply read the review, but if you really want to make an informed decision I highly recommend taking a real look around. This site includes lawnmower reviews of products in pretty much all categories you can think of, but it is just a snapshot as there are many other choices out there.
The information articles on this site are also all independent articles so read one of them or all them – the choice is yours. My only hope is that you get something out of them that’s useful to you in your attempt to find the right lawnmower.
Our Best Picks for You
As you read the reviews on the site you’ll probably get a pretty good idea of which mowers I think are your best options, but with the intention of being even more transparent I’ve also included below a breakdown of my top picks when it comes to lawnmowers. Most of these are traditional stand up push mowers, but I’ve also included a robot mower and a riding mower as well. You may agree or disagree with my choices, but I’m happy to share them with you just the same.
Honda HRR216K9VKA
Self-Propelled Gas Mower with Auto Choke
Personally, I’ve always liked the idea of owning a self-propelled lawn mower. Pushing a lawnmower over a large lawn can be a lot of work, especially under the hot sun, and that’s why I chose the Honda HRR216K9VKA for this list. It’s a self-propelled lawnmower that also has an auto choke feature that will relieve you of the stress you might normally experience trying to get your mower to start.
One problem that troubles me with a self-propelled lawnmower is how you control the speed. As individuals we all have our own pace that we like to set, and the speed at which I like to walk may not be the same as the speed you like to walk. Think about someone that’s about 5’2 compared to someone that’s 6’2 – that’s a huge difference in height and it should be obvious that the person that’s 6’2 is likely to have a much wider gait. Fortunately, this self-propelled Honda lawnmower also comes with the option of adjusting the speed to suit your pace.
Sun Joe MJ401E
Mow Joe Electric Lawnmower Review
The Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe isn’t a large lawnmower – it’s only got a 14-inch cutting deck, but it’s ideal for people with small yards and limited space for storage. This mower is extremely compact and it can be folded up and stored up against the wall when it’s not being used. If you don’t have a garage and you have to store your lawnmower in a shed, this mower offers a great compromise between space-saving and the ability to get the job done.
It does work with 12 amps as its power source as well, so it’s got more than enough power for most situations. As an electric mower you also have the added benefit of not having to pull on a cord to start it – you simply plug it in, pull the handle back, and push the button to go. You do have to deal with a cord dragging behind you, but that’s a small price to pay for a mower that starts every time and is easily stored away when not in use.
56V Cordless Lithium-Ion Lawn Mower
If you’re eco-conscious but reluctant to cord hassle or loss of power, the EGO Power+ is for you. With a 4.0 Amp 56V Lithium Battery you get the power that matches most gas mowers, plus it gives you more than enough capacity to mow an average American lawn. The battery is surprisingly good at holding power, but if it so happens that you’re out of oomph after 45 minutes, the battery will fully charge again in less than 30 minutes. That’s fast!
Besides the electric benefits of quiet and exhaust-free mowing, the EGO Power+ is light, easily maneuverable, and comes with many features that you also see in advanced gas lawnmowers. To pack all these features and power in one machine however, does mean that it’s priced in the same region as you would expect to pay for a gas powered lawnmower.
Raven MPV7100
Hybrid Riding Lawn Mower Review
I couldn’t resist including a riding lawnmower in our top picks for this site and in my research none caught my imagination quite like the Raven MPV7100 Hybrid. The reason I felt this particular riding lawnmower was the best choice for this list is because of the amazing features it has that you simply won’t find anywhere else. It does a great job of cutting the lawn and it’s got a cutting deck that’s easily adjustable – which is pretty impressive in itself, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
What really separates this lawnmower from its closest competitors is the range of things you can do with it that simply aren’t possible with those other riding mowers. The Raven is a hybrid riding lawnmower that doubles as a basic off-road vehicle as well. The cutting deck is removable and once you’ve removed it you can use the mower as a serviceable off-road vehicle. The top speed is only about 14 to 15 mph, but it will help you get around the back areas of a large property with these. As an added bonus it can also be used as a generator for powering other tools when you’re far from home, and it has a towing capacity of up to 550 pounds.
WORX Landroid
Best Robotic Lawnmower
The next mower that I think deserves to make this list is the Worx Landroid robotic lawn mower which, as you’ve probably already guessed, will do all of the work for you. With this mower you don’t have to worry about pushing it up and down the lawn and you don’t have to worry about riding it either – you simply set up the programming, make sure it’s fully charged, and set it on its way.
The great thing about this little innovative machine is that it’s extremely quiet, so if you want to you can program it to run at night and you won’t have to worry about trying to dodge it as it cuts your lawn on a nice summer day. It also has built-in safety features that will automatically shut it off if a child tries to pick it up. It’s designed with sensors that tell it when there are obstacles in its way; it will automatically turn away from them.
Poulan Pro 961420127
PR625Y22RHP Mower with 22-Inch Deck
There may be nothing more frustrating than when you have a lawnmower with a very narrow deck that requires you to make numerous extra passes up and down the lawn. That’s why the Poulan Pro 961420127 PR625Y22RHP was chosen for this list, because it has an extra wide cutting deck of about 22 inches. The average cutting deck for lawnmowers is no more than about 20 inches and that extra 2 inches can make the world of difference in the amount of time you spend cutting your lawn.
As an added bonus this is also a self-propelled lawnmower, so not only can you cut the lawn in much fewer passes you can do it without putting a whole lot of effort into it. The mower also features an auto choke function which makes starting your gas-powered mower much easier than other mowers in this class.
Remington Trimmer Lawnmower
for Hard to Reach Areas
The Remington Trimmer Lawnmower makes the list of reviews because of its innovative nature. It’s not a lawnmower in the true sense of the word as it’s more a combination lawnmower and trimmer. That makes it ideal for getting into tight spaces that most normal lawnmowers simply couldn’t handle, and it’s also great if you have steep ditches to clear out as well.
You may not want to use it as your primary lawnmower as it’s design may result in an uneven cut, but in a pinch it can be used for that purpose. Perhaps, if your normal lawnmower is at the shop for repairs this will do an adequate job in its place.
GreenWorks 25022
Corded Electric Mower with Mulch
In a society that’s becoming increasingly environmentally conscious it’s probably not surprising that the GreenWorks 25022 corded lawnmower makes the cut for this list. This is an electric mower that strikes a great balance between quality and affordability. It features a 12 amp power source, which is usually considered the standard for electric mowers and, of course, like any other electric mower it’s easy to start.
You’ll also be happy to know that this mower is easily folded for storage into a very compact package – no more worrying about where you’ll find space for the mower. It also has seven different levels of height adjustment and it comes with three different options for dealing with your grass clippings, including a handy mulch feature. To top it all off it has a four year comprehensive warranty which is much better than most other mowers that it competes against.
Yard Machines 140cc
Gas Lawn Mower with Adjustable Height
Not everybody wants to spend a fortune on a lawnmower and, as it turns out, you really don’t have to, even if you’ve got your heart set on a gas powered lawnmower. The Yard Machines 140cc mower is an affordable option that will fit into most people’s budgets. Generally, this model retails for well under $250 and that’s pretty inexpensive for a gas-powered lawnmower. At 140 cc it’s not the most powerful lawnmower on the market today, but it’s more than adequate for most people’s needs. Perhaps you wouldn’t want to try it on wet grass, but under most other circumstances it will work just fine.
The mower also features a 20-inch cutting deck that is wider than a lot of other mowers in this budget category, and the wheels are fully adjustable so that you can set them to the height you desire. It’s the type of machine that’s ideal as an entry-level lawnmower, so if you’ve just purchased your first house and the budget’s a little tight, you could certainly do a lot worse.
Beyond the Reviews
This homepage simply offers a glimpse of what you’ll find on the rest of the site. Yes, these are some of my favorite choices in the various lawnmower categories, but there are also a lot of other great options reviewed inside as well. It doesn’t matter whether you’re still holding on strong to your love of the gas-powered mower or you’ve jumped on the environmental bandwagon and want to switch over to an electric powered mower – you’ll find some great options on the site along with some helpful information articles. Hopefully, you’ll find the best mower to keep your lawn nicely manicured all summer long.
Top Walk Behind MowerTop Robotic MowerTop Riding MowerTop Hand Reel Top Picks Black & Decker CM193619-Inch Lawnmower with Removable Battery
Sun Joe MJ401EMow Joe 14-Inch Electric 12 Amp Lawn Mower
Earthwise 5022020-Inch 12 Amp Electric Lawnmower
Poulan Pro 961420127 PR625Y22RHPMower with 22-Inch Deck
Reviews by Mower Type Hand Reels
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2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/21891 | Fresh push for using EBT cards at Maine’s farmers’ markets
The electronic payments can help low-income Mainers buy fresh, locally grown produce, advocates say. By Mary PolsStaff Writer Follow on FacebookFollow on TwitterEmail Writer207-791-6456
Comment Read Article The statewide organization for Maine’s farmers’ markets hopes that this year it will be able to double the number of markets that accept Electronic Benefit Transfer cards from low-income Mainers who use them to put food on their tables.
The push to make it easier for Mainers who get federal aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to get healthier, locally grown food has had considerable success in recent years.
Phooto courtesy of Cultivating Community: Mohamed Abukar, a Somali immigrant who lives in Lewiston, was one of the first growers sponsored by Cultivating Community to accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards for the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly food stamps. Search photos available for purchase: Photo Store →
From 2009 to 2013, the number of farmers’ markets in Maine that accepted Electronic Benefit Transfer cards went from two to 27, almost 20 percent of the markets in the state.
Members of the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets could conceivably expand EBT acceptance this year to about 50 of the state’s 139 markets, said Colleen Hanlon Smith, the organization’s director.
She said a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs — a program announced this month, called marketlink.org — could help the federation reach that goal by helping vendors get the technology they need to swipe EBT cards at their stands.
Each farmers’ market in Maine that accepts the cards now has a designated staffer handle them through a wireless terminal that costs $500 to $1,000 for the market to buy. The staffer swipes the cards, gives out tokens in exchange and processes payments to vendors at the end of the market.
It’s a layer of bureaucracy that complicates the process, but vendors can sell to food stamp recipients without bearing the whole cost of the technology.
The marketlink.org program has $4 million in smart-technology grants to give out between now and September, and the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets will encourage its members, who will hold their annual convention Sunday in Hallowell, to apply for them. The grants could pay for devices, like iPads or smartphones, equipped to handle sales.
The EBT issue is one of a half-dozen the group will focus on at its meeting, the sixth annual convention but the first officially run by the federation. In the past, the Down East Business Alliance organized the convention.
Also on the agenda will be advice on what to drive to market — from trucks to minivans — a look at Brunswick’s ongoing effort to create a year-round, permanent home for its farmers’ market in two scenic railway barns, and a seminar on navigating the Affordable Care Act.
“I don’t have statistics to refer to,” said Hanlon Smith, “but there is an overwhelming number of people in the farm community who don’t have (health) insurance for themselves or their employees, and this an opportunity for them to learn more.”
The seminar on EBT cards will be led by Mike Gold of the Maine Farmland Trust’s Farm Viability Program. He cited the EBT program as a win-win for the state so far but said he worries about how federal cuts to food stamps will affect farmers’ markets.
The win-win includes incentive programs, such as 2-for-1 deals and bonus dollars, that have encouraged Mainers to use their food stamp benefits at farmers’ markets, widening the customer base for markets. Maine has 251,000 food stamp recipients, about 19 percent of the population.
And instead of shopping in chain stores, the needy have better access to fresh fruits and vegetables from Maine, which provides a public health benefit.
In November, the first in a series of what could be enormous cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program began nationwide with a $5 billion reduction in benefits to be paid out in fiscal year 2014.
Gold said, “Folks surely have less purchasing power because of the SNAP cuts.”
The maximum that a four-person family can receive each month fell by $36, from $668 to $632. In Maine, the average monthly benefit for a family of four is $351.
Part of the challenge for farmers’ markets will be preparing for more cuts, which are inevitable. The cuts in November were caused by the expiration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which had increased the benefits.
Congress is expected to make about $9 billion in cuts to food stamps over 10 years when it passes a new farm bill. That represents a compromise of sorts: The Democratic-led Senate had approved $4 billion in cuts while the Republican-led House had passed $40 billion in cuts.
Another issue for farmers’ markets is raising awareness. Some SNAP recipients still don’t know about the option to use their cards at farmers’ markets.
Gold hopes that what comes out of the convention will help give shape to a more strategic approach to expanding the EBT program, although “in some markets it may not make sense to go through the work of making that happen.”
That $4 million in grants through marketlink.org will be distributed nationwide, and can’t possibly cover every farmers’ market vendor who needs a wireless terminal.
“If you are only doing $500 in SNAP sales at your farmers’ market, is it worth all that work? It may not be,” Gold said. “In your first year, that may be OK, but it has to be able to pay off.”
The convention will be held from 7:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Maple Hill Inn and Conference Center in Hallowell. More information is online at www.mainefarmersmarkets.org. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/22992 | Multi-grain
It's hard to find anyone who's not fairly bullish about world grain prices. Population growth and the predicted economic expansion in China, India and other parts of Asia all point to strong demand and good prices. At the same, markets have rarely been more volatile rising and falling on everything from bad weather to sovereign debt worries.
ANNE KRUGER, PRESENTER: It's hard to find anyone who's not fairly bullish about world grain prices. Population growth and the predicted economic expansion in China, India and other parts of Asia all point to strong demand and good prices. At the same time, markets have rarely been more volatile, rising and falling on everything from bad weather to sovereign debt worries.CHRIS CLARK, REPORTER: Australian grain is an export industry, so prosperity at home depends on demand around the world. And demand looks likely to remain strong as much of the developing world grows richer.MIKE DWYER, USDA/FAS: I'm talking China, I'm talking India, I'm talking South East Asia, Latin America - this middle class story that you're seeing played out in China is not just China, it's all over the world.CHRIS CLARK: Australian grain growers have one of these developing markets on their doorstep.KEN QUAIL,GRAIN GROWERS LIMITED: Indonesia also represents an incredible opportunity for growth. We're going to see enormous growth in the consumption of wheat in Indonesia in the next 10 or 15 years, and Australia really needs to be part of that.CHRIS CLARK: Long term, demand for Australian grain seems assured. What's harder to manage is a market where prices go up and down for no good reason.MIKE KRUEGER, THE MONEY FARM: It's exceptionally risky. I mean, it can be profitable, but what makes it difficult is that the market moves in a big way in a very short time and often for causes or reasons that are not easily identifiable at the time the market's moving.CHRIS CLARK: Thirty-five years in the grain trade has given Mike Krueger some perspective. And his message to this year's Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne is markets will remain volatile.MIKE KRUEGER: There's a lot of volatility for several reasons. I think the biggest reason for volatility is that we do have some scarcity. World-ending supplies of virtually feed grains and oil seeds and wheat are small, and likely to get smaller again in this current marketing year.You've got all kinds of outside money, fresh cash, new investment money, totally unrelated to agriculture commodities that are now have decided that commodities of any type probably should be part of their investment portfolio.So they're moving in out the market. And we've also gone through I think a period of time where we've had more political, governmental actions that have affected markets in a very broad way. The Eurozone problems with Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the talk about what's going to happen with the US debt ceiling.So there's just a lot of things happening out there that are affecting currencies, that are affecting energy markets, that in turn spill back over to affect agricultural commodities and all of that increases the volatility.CHRIS CLARK: Grain growers have to deal with this market. Many store grain and try to choose the best time to sell. Others will have contracts to supply in the future. Reading the ups and downs is a tricky business.MIKE KRUEGER: It's been difficult, I think, for producers. Actually it's been difficult for the whole agricultural chain when you have markets this volatile with big, big price swings. But one of the things we've tried to stress to our clients is first of all, when you have these big, unanticipated price moves higher, you got to take advantage of it in some way, shape or form, which means you need to sell something.You know, whether you sell - take on a cash contract or a put option or hedge to arrive or something in the futures markets, but you can't let those big, unexpected price spikes go without doing something. Conversely, just because we have a two-day collapse in prices in this market environment doesn't necessarily mean game's over. So don't panic and sell into those types of rapidly falling markets that don't have a real solid reason for dropping off that far.CHRIS CLARK: Instead, say analysts, follow China's booming economy and there's one profound conclusion for agriculture.MIKE DWYER: I don't think there's any way I could overstate how important China is to the future of the global agricultural markets. Here you have a population of about 1.3 billion people out of six billion on the planet whose incomes are rising at roughly 10 per cent a year. The middle class is already 100 million households out of the 500 million. By the year 2020, that's going to triple in size. And one of the beauties of the magic moment of going from a subsistence household to a middle class is what happens to food demand.They eat more food, they eat different types of food. One of the major leaps that happens is for livestock - meat comes into the diet. Meat consumption is going to boom in China over the next 10 years. The only question is: will they import the feed ingredients and produce their own, or will they import pork and chicken? There may be a little of both, but I think the larger - the number one way they'll go is by feed ingredient imports.CHRIS CLARK: Of course Australian farmers are mostly wheat exporters. How do they take advantage of this boom in China?MIKE DWYER: I don't think there's a lot of exports of wheat going to go to China. They're a large producer themselves. But what's happening is it's lifting the prices of all agricultiural commodities.CHRIS CLARK: Mick Dwyer is with the US Agricultural Department's Foreign Agricultural Service.MIKE DWYER: It's a classic case of a rising tide lifts all boats. I'm not saying you will benefit to the same degree as the US, because that weaker currency we have benefits any export-sensitive sector. You're an export-sensitive sector, but with a strong currency. We're an export sensitive sector with a weak currency. It's like a tailwind for us. You probably won't see the exact same benefits that we do, but you should see higher incomes in Australia, farm incomes, than you've seen historically, if God participates and gives you a crop to bring to market.CHRIS CLARK: According to Ken Quail from grain growers, Australia's big opportunity is Indonesia.KEN QUAIL: Indonesia's highest consumption is in noodles and we can very effectively supply that and that's why we're one of our preferred suppliers. But their strongest growth in terms of new wheat consumption and also the value end of the market is actually in bakery products, and at the moment there's a preference to use North America wheats for those applications and we want to make sure that Australia gets a share of that growing bakery market to make sure that we're getting that value growth that we're seeking.CHRIS CLARK: There is one blip on the radar. According to a report commissioned by Grain Growers Limited, some customers say blending of wheat for export is causing them problems.KEN QUAIL: Yeah, there was some concern expressed quite consistently by customers across South East Asia and North Asia that they weren't necessarily getting exactly what they were buying. Often the wheat was meeting contract specifications, but it may not meet their expectations in terms of grade, functionality and performance. And so they consider that there was a little bit more risk in buying Australian wheat than there used to be.CHRIS CLARK: Why do you think it's happened and how do you fix it?KEN QUAIL: Well, I think it's happened as part of the transition period of an open market competition where there isn't necessarily the maturity in the industry to address it and we're all after competition between the companies and quick sales.I think that over time it will self-correct as customers start to become more discerning about who they purchase their grain from. But I think in addition to that, we do need to set some clearer export standards and to provide some measure of how they're being applied so that there is a bit of pressure to get that improvement.CHRIS CLARK: But for the final word from a very optimistic grains conference, here's Mike Dwyer again.You told the conference about a new golden era for agriculture. Is that what it's going to be?MIKE DWYER: I hate to be the person who puts that tag on it because each person will have a different definition of what that entails. I'm saying if profits are going to be elevated for the next 10 years, commodity prices are elevated, land prices are going up - I'm talking agricultural land prices going up. If that's not the definition of a golden era after 30 years of low returns to agriculture around the world, that's not the case today; if that doesn't qualify for golden era, I don't know what does. | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/23364 | Growers push initiative to benefit pulse crops
A letter sent to the 41 members of the House and Senate farm bill conference committee asks them to include two pulse crop initiatives in the final farm bill. A pulse industry official says the initiatives could be a game-changer for the industry.
Sean EllisCapital Press
Published on November 5, 2013 10:16AM
Last changed on November 5, 2013 4:32PM
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
A dry bean field is harvested near Wilder, Idaho, this summer. Members of the farm bill conference committee are being asked to support two initiatives that could benefit pulse crops (chickpeas, lentils, dry peas and dry beans).
Buy this photo Members of the farm bill conference committee are being urged to support two initiatives that could significantly benefit the nation’s pulse crop industry.The Pulse Health Initiative would provide up to $125 million over five years for research into the health and nutritional benefits of pulse crops, as well as ways to grow them more efficiently.Another five-year pilot project would promote the use of pulse crops — chickpeas, lentils, dry peas and dry beans — in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition programs.Compared with their health and nutritional value, pulse crops are “terribly under-researched,” said U.S. Dry Pea & Lentil Council CEO Tim McGreevy. “The industry has put as much money as it possibly can into research but we need some public assistance as well.”The Senate version of the farm bill authorizes $125 million for the PHI, while the House version authorizes it but has no dollar amount included.If the Senate version of the PHI makes it into the final farm bill, “it would be a true game-changer for the pulse industry,” McGreevy said. “It would allow for some serious health and nutrition research, which has been lacking in these crops.”The Pacific Northwest leads the nation in pulse crop production and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., have taken the lead on a letter that asks members of the conference committee to support the two proposals.The bi-partisan letter is signed by other senators from pulse growing states, including Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota.It was sent to the 41 members of the farm bill conference committee, which is trying to merge the farm bills passed by the House and Senate into one final piece of legislation.The PHI would support expanded research into the health benefits of pulse crops, including their ability to reduce obesity, diabetes and hearth disease.The letter states that, “More research is needed into how to incorporate pulse crops into a healthy diet, how to grow them more efficiently and how they benefit human health.”The Palouse region that encompasses parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho is one of the primary growing locations for pulse crops in the United States.Washington is the nation’s top chickpea producer and ranks third for pea and lentil production. Idaho is the nation’s fourth largest pulse crop producer by acreage and accounts for about 11 percent of total U.S. output.Pulse crops are important to the Pacific Northwest because of their economic impact, McGreevy said, but because of their health benefits — they are high in dietary fiber and potassium and low in fat — “they are important crops to the country as well.” | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/23482 | 2016: Reality for producers ‘was pretty grim’ Feb 13, 2017 Cash, other prizes could be yours at Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Feb 15, 2017 Judsons winners in National Outstanding Young Farmer competition Feb 14, 2017 What are Arkansas rice producers considering for 2017 season? Feb 15, 2017 EU tactic on WTO called divisive
Forrest Laws Farm Press Editorial Staff | May 06, 2005
For years, U.S. cotton farmers have been hearing about the need for an “early harvest” to help them produce maximum yields and high-quality fiber from their crops. But a new use of the term by a European Union official could have U.S. producers' blood boiling when word of the EU trade commissioner's comments begins to circulate through the Cotton Belt. “Time is not on our side,” Peter Mandelson was quoted as saying in a speech to West African cotton producers in Mali. “Collapsing prices today threaten the future of your industry tomorrow.” Mandelson called for an “early harvest” of the U.S. cotton program in the current Doha Round of the World Trade Organization negotiations. This would be despite an agreement by WTO members last year to not single out cotton for special treatment in the Round, which is expected to be concluded in 2006. National Cotton Council officials and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry expressed disappointment at Mandelson's comments, which were released by his office in Brussels. “The EU trade commissioner's call for cotton's early harvest is divisive and holds the potential to send the Doha Round into a chaotic free-for-all,” said Woods Eastland, the NCC's chairman. “The widely accepted single undertaking approach avoids country-by-country sensitivities and limits the potential for brinksmanship in negotiations. Any move away from this approach will seriously damage whatever confidence the U.S. cotton industry currently has in the WTO system.” Mandelson said Africa's cotton farmers “cannot afford to wait while talks in Geneva move slowly towards a conclusion. You should not be held hostage to the resolution of other issues and problems in the world trade round.” Claims by African farmers that they were being harmed by the U.S. cotton program were first publicized in a series of articles in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times in August 2002. Cotton Council leaders said the claims, which it says are untrue, were orchestrated by OxFam, a charity organization based in the United Kingdom that contends that the industrial and agricultural policies of the developed countries are detrimental to the economies of Third World countries. Attempts by a group of countries led by Brazil to force the WTO to order the United States and the European Union to dismantle their cotton subsidy programs are generally credited with causing the collapse of the Doha Round talks in Cancun, Mexico, in September 2003. Last year, the African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali gave up demands that cotton be treated separately from the general negotiations in exchange for a promise that a special panel would be set up within the WTO to monitor the impact of crop subsidies. “The special sub-committee on cotton that has been set up in Geneva must now deliver results,” said Mandelson, noting that cotton accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the export earnings of the four countries and that 15 million people depend on it for their living. “The United States, and to a lesser extent the EU and China, provide direct government assistance to their cotton producers,” he said. “The World Bank estimates that these cotton support policies reduce world prices by some 10 to 15 percent, and that, at present. We are probably witnessing the sharpest drop in these prices since 1985.” That last statement drew a sharp retort from the Cotton Council's president and CEO, Mark Lange. “The EU subsidizes virtually every agricultural sector and annually outspends the United States by a factor of three, yet it does an excellent job of trying to talk like a reformer,” Lange said. “The EU is attempting to leverage the developing world as it did in Cancun. Before the EU announcement, the latest reports from Geneva indicated that progress was being made in agriculture and that it was possible for there to be significant achievements prior to the Hong Kong meeting. Abandoning the single undertaking approach at this stage could upset further negotiations.” Lange said the idea of dramatically changing the terms and conditions affecting one agricultural sector while leaving all other crops unchanged is naïve at best and crippling to other commodities at worst. “Farmers do not operate in a vacuum,” Lange said. “Isolating specific crops can upset the balance in commodity markets and is a short-sighted trade remedy.” The U.S. cotton program is not the source of economic hardship for farmers in African countries, he said. The fault lies instead with their continued reliance on a monopolistic, para-statal ginning and marketing system. “This system fails to provide competitive markets for growers, charges inflated prices for inputs and fails to use internationally accepted grading standards and marketing practices. The result is incomes for African cotton farmers that are below reasonable expectations. Further, the EU's failure to join with U.S. farmers in promoting increased consumption of cotton products worldwide has resulted in per capita cotton consumption in Europe well below U.S. levels.” Instead, EU consumers disproportionately purchase man-made chemical fiber textiles and apparel, Lange noted. African farmers, he said, need assistance in improving agronomic practices, establishing a reliable classing system, improving infrastructure and ginning, privatization of marketing and distribution, and assistance in expanding markets to improve farm income. e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/23584 | « May 2012 |
More RHS Honours for British gardening women
Hip, Hip, Hooray
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced the recipients of its prestigious awards for outstanding contribution to horticulture. This year there are four recipients for the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH). This is the highest accolade the Society awards. Only 63 horticulturists hold the VMH at one time, marking the length of Queen Victoria's reign. This year, the awards were given to three men and Viscountess of Merton, Alice Boyd from Cornwall who receives the award for the following citation: 'As an Honorary Fellow of the RHS Lady Boyd has given exemplary service to the charity for many years. She has served on a number of committees and was on the RHS Council for 10 years. She was also President of the Cornwall Gardens Society between 2007 and 2009.'
"I am delighted to announce the recipients of the Victoria Medal of Honour which was established in 1897 in remembrance of Queen Victoria," says Elizabeth Banks, RHS President. "These are very special people and their contribution to horticulture has been outstanding. Their work has been wide-ranging and impacts on most aspects of gardening and is an inspiration to everyone."
The charity has also announced the Veitch Memorial Awardees This Award is given to those who it is felt have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the art, science and practice of horticulture. There are five recipients this year. They include Susyn Andrews from Richmond, Surrey. Andrews, recently of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a world-leading horticultural taxonomist and was the co-founder and Chairman of the Horticultural Taxonomy Group. She has published over 150 scientific papers and articles, was the senior editor of Taxonomy of Cultivated Plants (1999), has sat on the ISHS Commission for Nomenclature and Registration, is an Honorary Research Associate at Kew, and currently serves on several scientific and horticultural committees. An enthusiastic gardener, her main interests are temperate and subtropical woody plants and her passion for lavenders stretches back 15 years.
Many congratulations to them both. Posted at 03:59 PM in Alice Boyd, Elizabeth Banks, RHS, RHS Veitch medals, RHS Victoria medals, Susyn Andrews | Permalink | 农业 |
2017-09/0616/en_head.json.gz/24069 | Scrapping regulations calls for discretion Feb 10, 2017 Stronger safety net is goal for National Cotton Council Jan 27, 2017 Oklahoma Peanut Expo March 23 in Altus Feb 08, 2017 Cattle industry 'very concerned' about Trump's pledge to renegotiate NAFTA Feb 06, 2017 AgriLife Research studies greenhouse gas emissions
Kay Ledbetter | Apr 01, 2010
Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Amarillo are embarking on a new study amid recent concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from crop fertilization, tillage and feed yard operations. Dr. Ken Casey, AgriLife Research air quality engineer, and Al Caramanica, a research chemist, have added new laboratory tools to help measure three greenhouse gases: nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane. Casey recently purchased a Varian gas chromatograph with three detectors set up for automatic injection of gas samples from gas-tight vials that will allow simultaneous detection of all three gases from samples taken at feed yards. “We use a non-flow-through non-steady-state chamber that collects emissions off a surface, in this case manure in the pen, and we use a syringe to draw the gas sample from the air space in the chamber and then that is injected into vials for testing,” Casey said. Before the vials are filled with samples from the field, each is flushed with helium twice then evacuated, Caramanica said. When returned to the lab, those vials are placed on the gas chromatograph in an auto-sampler and samples are run through three different detectors to determine the amount of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane. He said each sample takes approximately five minutes to test. With the auto-sampler, they can collect 128 samples and load them in trays for processing and then come back the next day and collate the data. The researchers explained that samples are taken in 15-minute intervals from various locations throughout a pen: at time of chamber placement, at 15 minutes and 30 minutes to determine the buildup of emissions. “This work area will focus primarily on nitrous oxide,” Casey said. Nitrous oxide has approximately 310 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, he said. It is produced as a part of the nitrogen cycle through the microbial processes of nitrification and denitrification, which are responsible for converting organic nitrogen in livestock manure and urine to inorganic forms that are absorbed and used by plants. Casey said there are many other sources of nitrous oxide, but his study is only concerned with the feed yard. The three primary objectives of their study are: -- Detect and quantify greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle feedlot manure management systems, especially nitrous oxide, for its greater capacity to absorb the Earth’s radiative energy. -- Establish baseline flux rates of greenhouse gases produced by local feedlots. -- Help establish manure-management techniques that contribute to fewer emissions. “We want to try to understand how much is being emitted,” Casey said. “But we also expect to see a substantial variation across the feed yard and over time, so we want to understand the mechanisms that control the emissions.” In addition to testing under wet and dry conditions, the study will be long-term to enable testing through different seasons, and then also a section of a feed yard pen pad will be lifted and taken to a greenhouse where conditions can be manipulated to determine mechanistically what is happening, Casey said. “It may take us several years to get a reasonable handle on the mechanisms,” he said. “In three to six months we will have spatial variability within the pens measured, but then we need to have the seasonal variability figured also.” Casey said their small-scale chamber work will be supplemented by collaborative work with Dr. Brock Faulkner, a Texas A&M University research assistant professor in College Station, who has an open-path Fourier transform infrared spectrometer unit. In Faulkner’s work, the spectrometer is placed at one end of the downwind edge of the feed yard and an infrared light source is placed at the other end and it measures the target gas concentrations along the path between the two, Casey said. By running both tests in the same feed yard, they can get a feel for how the results compare. “We are part of a larger effort to quantify what emissions of greenhouse gas are from feed yards,” he said. “We want to understand the variability and circumstances that create the greatest emissions and determine methodologies that identify the right numbers. Then we want to help identify management practices that can keep them at the lowest possible levels.” | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/20350 | A fan of farmers: New MOFGA executive director brings diverse experiences to Maine
Courtesy Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners AssociationTed Quaday, the new executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, posed recently with Logan Perkins, who coordinated the group's campaign to label genetically engineered foods. By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 03, 2013, at 4:41 p.m. UNITY, Maine — The new executive director of the country’s oldest and largest state organic organization has some big gardening shoes to fill, but brings with him decades of experience helping small farmers all over the country.
Ted Quaday took the helm at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association at the beginning of October. He succeeds longtime organic advocate Russell Libby, who led the organization from 1995 until his death last year and who was called a “ powerful voice for and leader of small family farmers” at his passing by the deputy secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Quaday, who originally is from North Dakota, has spent the last 15 years advocating for family farms and sustainable agriculture, first with Farm Aid and then as a communications director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation of Santa Cruz, Calif.
“The work that MOFGA’s doing is so critically important,” he said Friday. “The opportunity to come to Maine and head an organization with the track record that MOFGA has — well, I was totally glad to accept it.”
The Maine organization, which was formed in 1971, now has 11,000 members, and its annual Common Ground Country Fair brings tens of thousands of people to Unity every September to learn, teach, sample food, look at animals and otherwise enjoy rural living.
The new director described his first days on the job as “exciting and active,” and have allowed him the chance to sample heirloom apples and meet some of the organization’s many involved board members.
“It’s great. I’m getting a chance to get out and meet people all the time. It’s fun,” he said.
Quaday said that he grew up as a hockey-playing kid who has been involved with gardening and soil building his entire life. His family always had a garden, and even though he didn’t come from a farming family, in North Dakota, agriculture is hard to avoid. After college, he worked as a reporter and anchor for a local TV station in Fargo.
“If you’re covering politics in North Dakota, you’re always bumping up against farming. It’s part of the framework,” he said.
He grew so interested in that framework, he went on to study public administration in Boston, and was hired by Farm Aid, the organization that Willie Nelson found in 1985. There, he focused on farm and food issues between 1998 and 2008, during a decade when the food movement was “growing by leaps and bounds.” In that period, the USDA finally implemented organic standards and interest in organic agriculture took off. In Santa Cruz, he was involved in advocating organic farming at the national level.
“Organic is really about paying attention to nature and to what nature is telling you about the health of your soil,” he said. “It’s the difference between people who are building soil and nurturing soil, and those who are mining soil.”
In Maine, MOFGA’s work is important both locally and beyond, he said, especially as the changing climate poses new challenges for crops and farmers. Increased interest in organic farming has led many people without agriculture backgrounds to the vegetable fields, and in Maine MOFGA has helped provide them training and support.
“In 60 years of industrialization, people have lost their memory of how to think about a diversified farm structure,” Quaday said. “The folks that have come back to farming now have to relearn the system.”
He said that Libby was a visionary of the food movement, who helped shape it both in Maine and regionally.
“My objective is to follow that vision,” Quaday said. “It’s a democratic approach. We need to ensure that those voices will always have an opportunity to be heard and heralded.”
Similar Articles1.12.2011Study shows organic farming strong in Maine7.23.2014MOFGA receives $1 million gift to help train more new farmers6.23.2016Why some Maine farmers say organic certification is worth the effort9.19.2013Common Ground Fair to celebrate rural living with apple orchard project, ‘fermentation revivalist’9.13.2015Some Maine farmers farm organically but pass on certification | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/20680 | Why Mahindra?
Click to download Mahindra
World's No. 1 Selling Tractor
Every day around the world, Mahindra tractors pull their weight in performance and reliability. Grounds for success? Absolutely. In fact, in 2010 Mahindra became the #1 selling tractor in the world. Across continents, fields and farmland, Mahindra helps people get the job done right and connects them to their passion - the land they work and love! Today, Mahindra is one of the largest tractor companies in the world with sales of over 150,000 units annually in 10 countries... and growing.
Industry's Best Warranty
At Mahindra, we stand behind our products with the industry's best warranty. Offered across our entire portfolio of tractors, Mahindra USA provides a "Best-in-class" 5-year warranty plan that surpasses all competitors. Together with our range of Mahindra USA financing programs, customers benefit from greater support, confidence and peace-of-mind.
Industry Top Quality Awards
Without exception, every Mahindra tractor is quality manufactured using the best processes and procedures. This dedication to quality has earned us The Deming Application Prize - the annual award presented to a company that has achieved distinctive performance improvements to the benefit of its customers. What's more Mahindra is the only tractor brand to have been awarded the coveted Japan Quality Medal for excellence in TQM from the Deming Prize Committee.
Superior Performance & Value
More performance. More strength. More value. Mahindra tractors deliver on every point. Built with heavy-duty components, Mahindra tractors have the power to lift heavier loads and use larger implements so you can get your work done faster. The rugged cast-iron chassis on a Mahindra tractor makes it heavier and sturdier for greater traction, stability and control. What's more, they are certified "Mahindra Work Ready" so they are up for the job right from the start.
Highest Owner Satisfaction
Superior performance. Greater value. These are the drivers behind why Mahindra owners are so happy with their tractors and why they are so loyal to the brand. Not only is their pride showing, it's growing stronger. Case in point: An impressive 98% of our owners would recommend a Mahindra to their family and friends and have done so an average of 9 times.
Mahindra Through the Years
From army vehicles to farm tractors to major automobile manufacturing - In 1945 Mahindra & Mahindra was born and in 1947, Mahindra began building the heavy-duty World WarII Willys Jeep under License in India.
Mahindra & Mahindra forms a joint-venture with International Harvester™ to manufacture tractors in India with the Mahindra badge.
Mahindra & Mahindra forms its own tractor division responsible for design, manufacturing and marketing.
100,000th tractor rolled off the assembly line.
Mahindra becomes the best-selling tractor in India (the world's largest agricultural market) and has maintained this position ever since.
Mahindra USA, Inc. (MUSA) was established in Tomball, TX in 1994 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra's Automotive & Farm Sector (AFS).
Mahindra worldwide tractor sales hits 1,000,000 units.
Popularity in America continues to grow resulting in a third US assembly and distribution center in Red Bluff, California.
Mahindra is awarded the coveted Japan Quality Medal for excellence in customer focus, overall quality and business processes - the first tractor company to receive the honor.
New distribution center opens in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Mahindra becomes the #1 selling tractor in the world.
New North American headquarters was formed as a result of a Parts and Distribution expansion and merger.
Today, Mahindra is one of the largest tractor companies in the world with sales of over 200,000 units annually and over 2.1 million tractors sold.
The Mahindra Group Background
To understand Mahindra USA you must first understand the global strength of the Mahindra brand and the origins of Mahindra & Mahindra LTD and The Mahindra Group.
The Mahindra Group was founded in 1945 as a steel trading company in Mumbai, India. In 1947, the Group entered automotive manufacturing to bring the iconic Willys Jeep onto Indian roads.
The Groups founding brothers, J.C Mahindra and K.C. Mahindra believed that new modes of transportation held the key to India's prosperity; one of their first goals was to build durable, rugged vehicles that could handle the rough Indian terrain.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Group diversified into businesses like steel, tractors and more. Over time, the Group consolidated its position in automobiles, tractors and steel and entered promising sectors like IT, hospitality, financial services, components aerospace and logistics, led by the goal of providing products and services that support prosperity.
For more information about the Group, please visit mahindra.com.
The Mahindra Group Today
Navistar Mojo Aerospace MRAP - Mine Resistant Patrol Bolero Mahindra Leisure Tourister Earth Master Today, The Mahindra Group comprises ten business sectors:
Automotive & Farm Equipment
Real Estate Infrastructure
Mahindra Partners
These business sectors span 18 key industries:
Japan Quality Medal - 2007
Mahindra was awarded the medal for excellence in customer focus overall quality and business processes - the first tractor company to receive the honor.
Deming Application Prize - 2003
Considered the Nobel Prize for manufacturing, the farming equipment sector of Mahindra & Mahindra received the honor for establishing Total Quality Management in all business operations. | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/21060 | Farm groups may leave wolf panel after listing
The California Farm Bureau Federation and California Cattlemen's Association may walk away from a wolf management working group after a state commission voted to list the animal as endangered.
Published on June 6, 2014 1:39PM
Last changed on June 6, 2014 4:25PM
SACRAMENTO — Two statewide farm organizations may walk away from a working group that’s planning for the gray wolf’s arrival in California after a state commission voted to list the animal as endangered.The California Farm Bureau Federation is polling its members to see if it should stay involved in the 22-member task force, which includes representatives from agriculture as well as environmental and sportsman’s groups, said Noelle Cremers, the CFBF’s natural resources and commodities director.California Cattlemen’s Association members were expected to discuss their participation in the wolf management group during their summer meeting here June 11-13.“My knee-jerk reaction when I heard about this was no, we should back out of the whole process,” said Jack Hansen, a cow-calf operator near Susanville, Calif., who’s involved with the CCA on wolf issues. “That (listing) removes many of the logical mitigations many in our industry would like to see put on the table.”The groups are considering their next steps after the state Fish and Game Commission voted 3-1 on June 4 to list the gray wolf, disregarding the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s advice to wait because there is as yet no established wolf population in the state.The listing was requested by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups, which were concerned that a proposal to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for the wolf would make it difficult for the animal to become established here.Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin of McKinleyville voted against the listing, citing concerns that it would alienate some members of the working group that’s been meeting since late 2011 and was set to come out with wolf management proposals this summer.“The wolf management plan will continue to drive on,” insisted Andrew Hughan, a DFW spokesman. “We’ll just have to see how many of the stakeholders continue participating in the process.”Hughan said no groups have yet told the DFW they were walking away, but “realistically … there probably will be a couple,” he said. “That’s too bad. We hope they don’t.”The wolf management plan will aim to “strike a balance” between maintaining a successful wolf population and protecting livestock, Hughan said. The plan would “manage distribution” of wolves to where there is adequate habitat and “manage wolf-livestock conflicts to minimize livestock losses,” wildlife program manager Karen Kovacs said during the June 4 meeting.Some elements of the plan may change because of the listing, Kovacs said in an interview. But the panel was still discussing what measures ranchers could take to ward off wolves before the listing decision was made, she said.“We really looked to get a broad, diverse group of stakeholders to work collaboratively in this process,” she said. “I’d hate to see one or more stakeholders walk away when we’re so close … It doesn’t mean that we should stop, particularly with all that we’ve invested so far.”The farm groups say there’s little left to discuss. The commission’s vote put the listing into law, although the panel must ratify it at its next meeting in August and go through a several-month process to have the decision written into the state’s code, according to Hughan.The California Endangered Species Act prohibits “take” of a listed species, which means that no person may “hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill” a gray wolf in California, the CCA explained in a memo to its members. Under this definition of “take,” even a rancher scaring a wolf away from cattle on an ATV may constitute an illegal “pursuit”, the CCA asserts.“I’m hoping there are still opportunities to figure out how livestock producers can protect their cattle, sheep, goats and horses from wolves,” Cremers said, “because under CESA there’s a prohibition of take, and there’s not an allowance for protection of livestock.”The state’s endangered-species law allows for incidental take, Cremers said, but that would expose a rancher to lawsuits by environmental groups.Cremers said she has proposed that members of the working group ask the Legislature to change the law to allow for the take of a predator attacking livestock. “I think this adds more need to that discussion,” she said.Kovacs said the task force might be open to new legislation, noting that Oregon’s endangered-species law includes certain allowances for take that California’s doesn’t.The groups may also consider legal challenges, Cremers and Hansen said. Farm Bureau and CCA officials have argued the commission can’t legally list a species that isn’t present in the state — an opinion that commission Chairman Michael Sutton soundly rejected at the meeting in Fortuna, Calif.“It’s just really unfortunate that the commission ignored the department’s recommendation and based the decision much more on emotion,” Cremers said.OnlineCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf page: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/wolf/California Fish and Game Commission: http://www.fgc.ca.govCalifornia Farm Bureau Federation: http://cfbf.comCalifornia Cattlemen’s Association: http://www.calcattlemen.org | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/21375 | Season of Eating Raises Questions
By Cat Neushul
We’ve just entered what I will call the season of eating. Starting sometime around Thanksgiving and continuing until New Year’s Eve, most of us will eat and drink enormous portions of meat or vegetables or alcohol or pastries, or all of the above.
Maybe it’s a sign of the times, what with economic and environmental issues on many peoples’ minds, but it’s hard to just eat and be merry. When I bought my Thanksgiving meal from the Isla Vista Food Co-op , I purchased an organic, free-range turkey, and locally grown green beans. I found out that my turkey lived outside with the freedom to go inside, and not the other way around. I bought a local wine to round out my meal. This year I definitely put some thought into what I was going to eat.
Cat Neushul
The words sustainable, local, and organic have become a part of the everyday vocabulary. While local and organic are fairly easy to define, the word sustainable is not so simple.
Some places, like the Isla Vista Food Co-op, have been thinking about sustainability issues for a long time, and have come up with their own definition. Melissa Cohen, the marketing director for the co-op, said a lot of their produce comes from local farmers, in the Tri-County area, and is seasonal. “If it is in seasonal and locally grown, it is more sustainable,” Cohen said.
Due to this practice, customers won’t find grapes in winter, which she said could be a challenge for some. Instead, the co-op tries to offer customers an alternative, like guava. She said it gives people a chance to try something new.
But does everyone agree on one definition for sustainability? David Cleveland, a UCSB environmental studies professor who has received a UCSB Sustainability Champion Award and a $25,000 grant to conduct research, seemed like the right person to ask.
Cleveland said that sustainability involves a series of decisions. The first is defining sustainability within a community. “It is a value-based desire about how someone wants the world to be. It’s not something that exists naturally, like a rock or a filing cabinet. So defining sustainable agriculture requires community discussion.”
The next, he said, is to access where we are as a community. “We can estimate the methane emitted by livestock and the carbon dioxide emitted by farm machinery, manufacturing of inputs, and transporting food. Then we can try to reduce these, for example, by reducing consumption of animal products, or increasing consumption of locally grown food,” he explained. The next step is to see whether these efforts were successful.
But Cleveland said that this doesn’t mean the discussion is over. “Just because something is local doesn’t necessarily mean that it produces less greenhouse gas. We always have to keep asking those questions, so it’s a balance between the scientific values and data-where we want to be going, and are we getting there? That’s what sustainability is.”
Megan Carney, a UCSB graduate student in anthropology, is a member of the newly-organized Santa Barbara Food Policy Council, which will meet for the first time on Monday, December 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Casa de la Raza. The goal of the council is to aid “people coming together to coordinate food systems.” Carney said members will be made up of consumers, producers, farmers, distributors, processors, waste management/composting representatives, and other interested parties.
Carney said this council will address both sustainability and food security issues. This might be the first time you’ve heard the term “food security.” If you’re thinking terrorists with some form of e-coli, you are way off. It’s a more insidious enemy. According to the Santa Barbara County Food Bank’s website, food insecurity is “when the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire acceptable food in socially acceptable ways, is limited and uncertain.” Are you thinking this is a problem found somewhere else, like Los Angeles County? Think again.
“Our county has one of the highest (rates) of food insecurity in the state,” according to Carney, citing a UCLA Health Policy Research Brief from 2007 showing county-by-county statistics. She said this fact might not agree with people’s image of the Santa Barbara area. “Santa Barbara is kind of known, by insiders and outsiders, as an affluent town,” she said.
According to USDA report for 2008, 49.1 million people in the United States lived in food-insecure households. Of these, 32.4 million were adults and 16.7 million were children.
With food security in mind, Carney had some ideas about what the Food Policy Council could do. “The main topic that I would like to see addressed by the Council would be linking efforts toward increased sustainability in the local food system with efforts toward increased food security and food sovereignty in the county,” she explained. One of the ways she said this might be done is through subsidized CSA’s (community supported agriculture). If local producers were offered subsidies, they could then offer healthy foods to low-income residents. Another idea might be community kitchens, she said.
This Thanksgiving, the Isla Vista Co-op advertised that they would donate a turkey to the Santa Barbara County Food Bank for each one bought. In the end, the co-op donated 60 turkeys, and 150 cases of dry goods, such as pinto beans and cranberry sauce, to the food bank. While this doesn’t solve the problem of sustainability and food security in our area, it’s a small step toward recognizing that everyone has to get involved in the discussion, and the solution.
Changing How We Chow
The Red Cups of Isla Vista
Recession in Santa Barbara
What’s on Your Plate?
I.V. Co-op Raises Enough Dough to Buy Building
It's too bad the food co-op in I.V. is the only one in SB county. It's also too bad that the people in charge there have allowed it to become just like every other for-profit business. Selling local, organic, fair trade, etc does not make a co-op. Sure, members pay a fee, and receive a few benefits. But non-members are increasingly given the same, or similar benefits. A true co-op should be guided by its members, not it's top managers. Recipe for success: Mix equal parts "local", "organic", "fair trade", and "co-op". Watch the profit rise like dough.
moretrailsplease (anonymous profile)November 28, 2009 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
our co-op has the unique opportunity to exist in an incredibly transitional town, with many of our customers only being present for 3-4 years. our long-term owners, on the whole, seem to be very pleased with the current state of the cooperative. i have to disagree wholeheartedly with you that the co-op is just like every other "for-profit" business out there. if you want to take the time to learn more about why our co-op rocks, rather than merely lambasting something that you don't seem to know very much about, i challenge you to stop by the store sometime and meet with me. our little food co-op has earned national recognition for what we are accomplishing with very little profit, few hands, and a lot of imagination. and just for clarification, there is no member fee at our co-op: it's an investment that has lots of benefits if the owner chooses to participate. so, moretrailsplease, unmask yourself. perhaps you'll be surprised to know that the little co-op by the sea is doing more in the community, more for its owners, and more for the local economy than you think. and not only am i a co-op manager i'm also a fully invested member-owner who has been sitting on our board of directors for four years. we're all in this together. marketing@islavistafood.coop
melissananda (anonymous profile)November 28, 2009 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal) | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/22079 | admin - June 23, 2011
Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame announces 2011 inductees Leave a Comment
Buckeye Farm News
Four Ohioans who committed their lives to working in, promoting and advocating for Ohio’s farm community will be honored Aug. 5 by the Ohio Agricultural Council (OAC) when they are inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.
OAC will induct the late Edwin J. Carey of Marion, Lester Lynd of Pataskala, Dr. Thomas B. Turner of Somerset and Fred Yoder of Plain City into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame during a special breakfast ceremony held during the Ohio State Fair in the Rhodes Youth Center at the Ohio Expo Center.
Carey devoted more than 65 years to improving the genetic capabilities of laying hens and was considered by many as one of the leading poultry breeders and innovators in poultry housing and development.
In 1936, he had the highest production pen and individual hen in the United States. In the early 1950s he started offering a franchise program of his breeding stock to other poultry producers. At the time of his death, he had just developed a strain of white Leghorn chicks that could be sexed by color as opposed to the time consuming wing length method. His pioneering efforts contributed greatly to the overall development of the high producing, feed efficient layers in production today.
Lynd
Lynd has been an integral part of the Lynd Fruit Farm evolution – from working at the roadside stand that provided “all you can drink” cider for 10 cents to becoming the largest apple wholesaler and pick-your-own apple operation in Ohio—he has worked alongside generations at Lynd Fruit Farm.
He brought the controlled atmosphere storage process to the farm, which lengthens the lifespan of the apple by decreasing the oxygen in the storage area. Lynd Fruit Farm was the first to bring this technology to central Ohio. Today the farm produces nearly 12 million apples yearly and also grows pumpkins, cherries, plums, peaches and daylilies. He was also instrumental in the success of the Agricultural Clearance Program through the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.
The impact Turner has had on the Ohio beef industry, students in animal sciences at Ohio State University and youth is far reaching. During his tenure at Ohio State, he coached 32 Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Teams that included 266 students and is the longest serving coach in the 105-year history of the program at Ohio State and the second longest in the United States.
Turner was instrumental in developing an endowment program to secure the longevity of the livestock judging program at Ohio State and raised more than $1.5 million – by far the most successful judging team endowment in the nation. He has touched the lives of more than 3,000 students in the classroom through teaching and student advising. He’s also had the opportunity to judge livestock across the country and around the world including at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney, Australia—the largest livestock exposition in the southern hemisphere.
Yoder has distinguished himself as a state and national leader in the corn industry. He has farmed for 38 years and grows corn, soybeans and wheat, where he has switched to strictly conservation tillage. He also operates a retail farm seed business, selling a variety of seeds. Yoder has served as a great example to others and is a pioneer of innovation on his own family farm. The farm has become multi-generational with the family starting Yoder Ag Services LLC.
Yoder was a member of the Ohio Corn Growers Association Board for 18 years, two of those years as the president. He rose to serve as president of the National Corn Growers Association and continues as an adviser to them in their efforts to develop solutions to current agricultural issues. Yoder has testified on behalf of farmers before Congress and serves as an advocate for agriculture locally, nationally and internationally while working to advance grain farming and opening world markets. | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/22626 | Is Foster Farms A Food Safety Pioneer Or A Persistent Offender? By Daniel Charles
Jul 9, 2014 TweetShareGoogle+Email Foster Farms set up new procedures to deal with salmonella contamination after the USDA threatened to shut down its plants last fall.
Originally published on July 9, 2014 4:19 pm Foster Farms, a chicken producer in California, just can't seem to stop bleeding bad news. On July 3, it recalled several batches of chicken products because a chicken breast from one of those batches is blamed for poisoning someone with salmonella bacteria. The recall came on top of an outbreak of salmonella that's been going on since October 2013. Some of the 621 cases reported in 29 states and Puerto Rico have been linked to Foster Farms chicken products. And let's not forget last fall, when U.S. Department of Agriculture food safety officials threatened to shut down a Foster Farms processing plant in Fresno, Calif., because of salmonella contamination. But here's the paradox: Foster Farms may now be one of the country's cleanest, safest sources of chicken products. That's according to the USDA, which has been testing chicken parts that are processed at Foster Farms plants. After the USDA threatened to shut down the plants in October, the company called in food safety experts and set up new procedures to eliminate salmonella contamination. It's made a difference, the government says. At Foster Farms plants, fewer than 5 percent of chicken parts test positive for salmonella. At other companies, it's typically about 20 percent. In mid-June, in fact, Foster Farms celebrated this success at a meeting to mark the company's 75th anniversary. Company officials were joined by government officials who sang the company's praises. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California called on other chicken companies to follow Foster Farms' example. David Acheson, former chief medical officer of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and a former associate commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration, praised the company for being "willing to devote the time and resources to becoming a world leader in food safety." This latest recall, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's reports that Foster Farms chicken is linked to a wider salmonella outbreak, now are raising questions about how effective the company's safety push effort really has been. There's a possible explanation for the conflicting reports from Foster Farms. It's possible that the recent spate of bad news reflects Foster Farms' earlier operations, before the recent improvements. The July recall, for instance, covers chicken products that emerged from a Foster Farms plant back in March. Similarly, even though the CDC continues releasing updates on a large salmonella outbreak, with 621 people sickened, most of those people actually got sick many months ago. In addition, even though the CDC has linked this salmonella outbreak to chicken from Foster Farms, a USDA spokesman says it's possible that the outbreak may come from multiple sources. Some of the cases of salmonella poisoning, for instance, have been reported in places where Foster Farms doesn't even distribute its chicken. According to a statement from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, "because our intensified sampling [at Foster Farms facilities] is showing low levels of Salmonella ... FSIS has been investigating whether illnesses are being caused by other sources." Finally, even though Foster Farms has reduced salmonella contamination at its plants, it hasn't managed to eliminate it completely. So there's still a risk that the bacteria make somebody sick. Maybe Foster Farms was just really unlucky.Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread. © 2017 KNAU Arizona Public Radio | 农业 |
2017-09/1455/en_head.json.gz/22728 | NDSU research leads to better bean-breeding strategies
Posted on 6/13/2014Two NDSU scientists are members of a national research team that successfully completed the sequence of the common bean genome. North Dakota is the leading producer of dry beans in the US.The NDSU team members are Phil McClean, plant genomicist, and Juan Osorno, dry edible bean breeder. Both scientists are faculty members of the NDSU plant sciences department.McClean guided the data analysis that determined that the domestication of the common bean in Mexico and the Andean region of South America involved almost completely different sets of genes.Osorno organized a national field trial that identified regions of the genome associated with seed size and other traits of economic importance."The genome sequence has important implications for North Dakota agriculture because the state produces 30 percent of this billion-dollar crop," Osorno says. "The sequence will help breeders release varieties that are competitive with other crops a producer can grow. This includes breeding a more climate-resilient bean."The sequence revealed that disease resistance genes are highly clustered in the genome. This knowledge will lead to better breeding strategies to combat the many diseases that challenge the bean crop.McClean and Osorno are cooperating locally, nationally and internationally with other bean breeders and geneticists to develop the next generation of molecular markers that will be another important tool to aid bean breeding worldwide.For the study, the team sequenced and assembled a 473-million basepair genome of the common bean. Though it is thought to have originated in Mexico more than100,000 years ago, the common bean was domesticated separately at two different geographic locations in Mesoamerica and the Andes. The team then compared sequences from populations representing these regions and discovered only 59 out of 27,000 shared domestication genes. This indicated that different events were involved in the domestication process at each location."These results will allow us to focus our attention on a specific subset of genes as we look for genomic regions important for the improvement of the many bean market classes," McClean says.From a global perspective, this information could be beneficial to farmers in developing countries that practice the intercropping system known as "milpa," in which beans, corn and, occasionally squash, are planted together. The practice ensures that their land will continue to produce high-yield crops without resorting to adding fertilizers or other chemical methods of providing nutrients to the soil."In addition, as breeders and genomic scientists in other countries work with NDSU to utilize this important new genetic resource, other production constraints unique to the milpa system can be addressed," McClean says.McClean and Osorno worked in collaboration with project leader Scott Jackson from the University of Georgia, Dan Rokhsar of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Jeremy Schmutz of the DOE's Joint Genome Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.Other NDSU personnel on the project are postdoctoral scientist Sujan Mamidi and graduate student Samira Mafi Moghaddam. Both are members of McClean's research group.The project was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture.The common bean research was published in "Nature Genetics" journal. McClean was a co-lead author of the article.NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/22731 | Weird Winter Has Gardeners Itching To Plant, Despite The Risks By Nancy Shute
Feb 28, 2012 TweetShareGoogle+Email Plant now, and in a month your spinach might look like this. It's a hardy plant that can survive late frost.
Right about now, gardeners are aching to get out and plant. Usually, in the February dregs of winter, that desire is dashed by cold, wet, maybe even frozen soil. But this year is different. Here in Washington, D.C., snowdrops came up almost a month ago, and the daffodils have been blooming for two weeks. It's tempting to think that if these harbingers of spring showed up three weeks ahead of schedule, it's safe to plant early, too. I called up Scott Aker, head of horticulture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Arboretum, for some wise advice. "Nobody ever thought we'd have this kind of weather," he said. "It's kind of crazy." But he's ready to throw caution to the wind. "You could sow right now," he said. "[That would] be rolling the dice a bit. But you could sow arugula, winter cress, and even give lettuce and carrots a shot." Aker says that soil temperature is one big reason that gardeners can push the envelope this spring. The astonishingly warm winter across much of the country means that the soil temperature may be up in the 50s during the day - warm enough to germinate seeds. Aker says he's already seen grass seed sprouting at the arboretum. Cold isn't the only issue. Late winter soils are often too wet to till and sow, because the cold slows evaporation. But this year's warm temperatures mean drier soils, too. Still, February gardening isn't for the faint of heart. The last frost dates — after which it is safe to start planting tender crops like beans — are not until April for the D.C. area. For now, Aker says, hardy crops like arugula, kale, and spinach are the best bets, because they can handle a bit of late frost. "Even some of the cole crops," he adds. "Broccoli, cabbage, things like that." This year's warm spike is separate from the gradual increase in temperatures that have been charted over the past few decades. That trend prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue a new version of its "Plant Hardiness Zone Map" last month. Those zones are widely used by gardeners to figure out what plants will survive in the yard, and when to plant. For guidelines on when to plant specific crops, seek out charts from the Cooperative Extension office for your state. The guidelines for my home state of Maryland warn against planting kale before April 1. But I'm ready to roll the dice. "You're fingers are getting itchy," Aker says, laughing. He knows that feeling all too well. And he also knows that gardening is a gamble, no matter what the winter. I know, I know. The warm spring may mean an early, scorching summer, or more bugs and fungus. "You're really having to contend with everything nature can throw at you. Sometimes that's things on four legs. Sometimes it's weather. The gardener has to adapt."Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread. © 2017 88.9 KETR | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/22813 | Old fellas and young fellas plan for farm's future
Greg, Ian and David Heffernan, on the family dairy farm in Candelo, NSW Stephanie Watson
A family of dairy farmers in south-east NSW say the key to succession planning is open communication and lots of it.Cousins, Ian and Greg Heffernan, of Candelo, recently bought their Uncle out of the family business and are now equal partners with Dad's, David and Roger.David Heffernan says it's hard, working with family and planning for the future at the same time."You've got to talk. We don't do enough of it. I can tell you that right now."We don't sit down enough and plan things."These young fellas get different ideas to me, about different practises they have today."It drives me nuts but I've got to accept that."Sometimes you get the pig up but it doesn't do you any good."You're better off talking about it, getting it out of your system and just moving on."David says succession planning isn't just about shoring up the future of the family business though; it's about holding onto their 'home' as well."Being a family, I'd like to see it keep going from what Mum and Dad started with, from bloody nothing, to what we've got today; it's a big enterprise."Also the brothers and sisters and their kids still call this home and that's what makes it important."It's a business but it's also home, and that's what we like about it."David's son Ian, agrees, that the process of succession planning can be hard at times but he hopes it will all be worth it in the end."It's hard for us to get around these old fellas heads sometimes."Yeah they've done the hard yards but there are easier ways and means of doing things these days."We don't get around on a horse and sulky, we've got tools now that can get us around pretty quickly."I'd also like to think that these old fellas appreciate having us here, making their job easier and then one day, they might say that they're proud of us, for getting on and doing it."By that time the next generation might be coming up to succession planning and we might be looking at buying caravans and getting out of here, that’d be alright."
The Heffernan's discuss the ups and downs of succession planning | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/23108 | Cover crop cocktails are more than a salad bar Feb 15, 2017 5 ways to celebrate National FFA Week Feb 17, 2017 Seedstock Directory Dec 28, 2015 Directing nature? Gene editing offers big potential Feb 16, 2017 Livestock>Cow-Calf Packing Industry Struggles Continue
Troy Marshall | Jun 27, 2008
Tyson announced the sale this week of its Canadian beef operations to XL Foods Inc. for $107 million in Canadian dollars. Tyson has already closed three other plants and slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 in terms of beef-slaughter capacity in the U.S. The stocks of meatpacking plants have been taking a severe hit, but Tyson stock rose on news of the sale. Another packer in trouble appears to be Creekstone Farms. USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) announced two weeks ago its agreement with Creekstone that prohibits the firm from buying any livestock without paying for them immediately at the time of purchase. Creekstone also had to nearly double the size of its bond nearly $4.5 million. GIPSA made the move after determining that, since January 2007 through the present, Creekstone had operated in a financial situation where total liabilities exceeded total assets. It’s important to note, however, that Creekstone hadn’t failed to pay for any cattle and was not charged with paying for cattle later than required. Creekstone's location, its inability to run at full capacity given the overcapacity issues in the packing industry, along with the extremely difficult operating conditions for the packing industry, are all believed to be contributing to its financial woes. And speculation about Creekstone’s future has swirled for weeks. But given its location, difficult economic environment for packers, and overall excess packing capacity, it’s difficult to envision who might step up to take over the Arkansas City plant if it were offered for sale. JBS appears to be pretty well extended with its purchase (approval still pending) of Swift and National. Tyson is in full-scale retreat and is in a consolidation mode. Smithfield has abandoned its aspirations of getting into beef packing. And Excel showed very little interest the first time the plant was on the auction block. Still, the Creekstone plant is one of the newest and most technologically advanced in the country. Thus, it has the potential to be one of the industry’s most efficient. Time will tell. | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/23268 | 2016: Reality for producers ‘was pretty grim’ Feb 13, 2017 Cash, other prizes could be yours at Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Feb 15, 2017 Judsons winners in National Outstanding Young Farmer competition Feb 14, 2017 What are Arkansas rice producers considering for 2017 season? Feb 15, 2017 New water savings technology to launch on Delta farm
Andrew Bell, Farm Press Editorial Staff | Aug 02, 2006
Representatives from the conservation arm of the federal government made a recent stop in the Mississippi Delta to announce a new piece of technology aimed at saving water on the farm. Touting the publicity campaign, “Smart Irrigation Month,” USDA Deputy Undersecretary Merlyn Carlson was a guest on a cotton field outside Yazoo City, Miss. On 220 acres farmed by Byron Seward and his son, Darrington, a sophisticated device will be installed in the control panel of an irrigation pivot sometime this fall. It’s soil-mapping technology that increases irrigation efficiency with a computer chip that enables boom nozzles to detect areas that need more water. The device can be installed in existing center pivot systems. James Johnson, conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service for the Greenwood, Miss., region, said the smart irrigation controller will be the first of its kind in the state. “This is cutting edge, innovative technology. We’ve used similar technology in other agricultural aspects, such as insecticides, but it’s just that water has been so cheap (in the Delta) and there hasn’t been the incentive. But that’s changing,” Johnson said. Through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program, a farmer can conditionally purchase a smart controller at a 50 percent cost-share. Byron said while the water savings will be an important advantage — minimizing both gratuitous irrigating and ditch runoff — the cost savings will be spent on other management expenses, such as fuel and fertilizer costs. “Plus, it will help produce more-consistent yields across the field,” he said. Johnson said the Sewards were familiar with the technology and acted quickly to take advantage of the cost-share program. He said other farmers should consider investing in the technology while the cost-share opportunity is available. “Once this technology becomes popular, there won’t be the financial (assistance) incentive,” he said. Carlson said applying the smart technology to irrigation is USDA’s third target area. Earlier this year, the USDA unveiled smart technology aimed at increased efficiency in tillage and fertilizing. “Our researchers say that the three phases together can save $2 billion annually in energy costs from nutrients, chemicals and water,” Carlson said. “This is the threshold of where we are going — the chapter is just opening — and these are the prototypes. We have to go this way to use less water, less nutrients, and less energy and to save money.” He noted that farmers and their ag groups are approaching federal agencies for help with exorbitant energy costs. But, he said, limited financial resources remain a big obstacle to the agency’s promotional efforts and assistance. “We are in a competitive global war for food production. We are able to compete because of technology. But we can’t rest on our laurels; we must move forward. “But we have not only the technology, we have the entrepreneurialism, the infrastructure and the will to put it all together. That’s our edge, but we must continue to be on the move with it. e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/23936 | an occasional magazine about land rights
Conservative Farming Policy
A Conservative Lib-Dem government is ideally placed to represent the views of rural Britain. So what can the countryside expect from this unlikely coupling? Ed Hamer investigates
Driving through the countryside in the run-up to the recent election you would have noticed a fine crop of Conservative billboards springing-up in fields, hedgerows and farmyards, indicating in no uncertain terms the party of choice among Britain's farming community. That none of the other main parties saw fit to produce a billboard the size of a 5-bar-gate should tell us something about the certainty with which this core Tory vote is taken for granted.
Make no mistake about it, the farming industry's affiliation with the Conservatives is nearly as old as the hills, and certainly as old as the Tory landowning dinosaurs which first stalked them. There is, of course, an obvious symbiosis between a Conservative party which stands for traditional capitalist enterprise and good old wealth, and the 35,000 or so landed gentry who today own half of Britain1 .
For many years this symbiosis has worked well. Landowners have dutifully supported the Conservatives with whom they associate themselves, both morally and socially. In return consecutive Tory governments have facilitated the best possible deal for the largest UK producers within the emerging European market, turned a blind-eye to "permitted development" in the countryside and campaigned for fox-hunting to be enshrined as a basic human right.
On a more pragmatic note it was the Tory government's investment in our agricultural colleges under Margaret Thatcher that made us, for a time, world leaders in agriculture research and development. It was also John Gummer's deft bargaining as farming minister under John Major that secured UK producers the protection they demanded within a newly globalizing EEC. Unfortunately however, such determined support during the hey-day of production-linked-subsidies came at an inevitable cost.By 1997, eighteen years of Conservative sponsored subsidies coupled with an unparalleled drive in domestic and export production had left the countryside reeling. Farmland bird numbers declined by 30 per cent between 1980 – 20002, Groundwater nitrate levels increased by 65 percent3 and the reckless intensification of livestock production left us with the BSE crisis as a parting shot.
Enter the new Green Deal
Fast-forward to today and we find we are living in a very different world: "The environment and food production is not an either-or, we need both. It is clean water, healthy soils and thriving biodiversity upon which our food security ultimately depends, and it is the job of Government to ensure that farmers are provided with the right kind of incentives to do what they do best: produce high quality food in harmony with the environment."A quote from Jonathan Porritt perhaps? Maybe Patrick Holden or even Prince Charles? Well, no, the impassioned speech above was actually delivered at the National Farmers' Union annual conference in Birmingham earlier this year by James Paice, our recently appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The conference which was attended by more than 12,000 people was also, not surprisingly, used as a platform to launch the Conservatives rural election manifesto 'A new age of Agriculture'. It may be cynical to suggest that the Lib Dem's own offering: 'A Manifesto for Farming and the Uplands', which appeared a few weeks later was based entirely upon Conservative legwork, but the similarities between the two documents will have certainly come as a welcome relief to a recently hung parliament struggling to find its feet.In true Tory style the Conservative manifesto sets out by espousing the values of trade liberalisation and the free market before remembering the fact that the NFU constitutes a large part of its core membership and admitting; "it is difficult for our farmers to compete with imports from countries where production standards – and therefore costs - are lower".
The Conservatives new Green Deal certainly takes a central role throughout the document with four out of 17 pages dedicated to 'Increasing production whilst protecting the environment'. Along with a bold recognition that "our farmland is a national resource for future generations and the very foundation of our food security", there is a clear commitment that "in our search for increased production we must not repeat the mistakes of the past by adopting damaging farming practices".
Writing on his blog a few months prior to the manifesto's launch Jim Paice went even further to suggest that: "As pressures on our natural resources grow we do not believe in production at any cost. There can be no return to the days of the past, when Government encouraged intensive farming practices and the clearance of hedgerows and woodland."
For its part the Lib Dem manifesto closely echoes the Tories on the need for further decoupling of subsidies from production, tackling red tape and inefficient bureaucracy within Defra and rigorous and transparent food labelling. The one inspiration they do offer however is the introduction of a farming apprenticeship scheme to "help pass on the vital skills and knowledge of the industry and to encourage the next generation of farmers to conserve and maintain our cherished landscapes".
A very rural coalition
In many ways a Lib Dem-Con coalition is ideally poised to represent the views of rural Britain. A glance at a map of the recent election results will tell you that the parties, between them, now hold roughly 85 per cent of the country's rural constituencies. In terms of driving policy however the Lib Dem's are likely to be playing a less than marginal role after it was announced that Defra's entire ministerial team will be drawn solely from Tory benches.
So how are we to judge an all-new Conservative department who, in taking control of Britain's farming for the first time in more than 12 years, have made a firm commitment to place the environment at the heart of farming? To many it may seem impossible that the Tories can juggle the seemingly contradictory goals of maintaining agricultural exports and prioritizing national food security while at the same time conserving our natural resources.
According to Zac Goldsmith, himself a farmer and recently elected Conservative MP for Richmond Park, they don't necessarily need to: "I don't see any conflict at all with Conservative thinking and the green imperative, particularly in relation to food security. We need to recognise that cheap food isn't as cheap as we think. If a company is producing food but exhausting and polluting the environment the taxpayer pays for that. That's less likely to be the case with more localised, organic agriculture so there is a kind of indirect subsidy there."
He does however accept that our current model of food imports is damaging not only farm livelihoods but also animal welfare: "In Britain, we have relatively high animal welfare standards and effectively what we're saying to our farmers is - you have to adhere to these standards but we're still going to buy junk from the world's markets - .We're pushing them out of business, and doing nothing to curb cruelty. We should maintain our high standards, but we should impose the same standards on products we buy from abroad."
Encouragingly he is also keen to highlight the role small-farmers will have to play in achieving this goal: "Broadly, the debate is shifting. Not long ago UNEP, UNESCO and the World Bank issued a report in which they accepted for the first time that the small-scale diverse farms are more productive in terms of land use than big industrial monocultures. They are less productive in terms of labour because they require more people but that's not a bad thing given there are so many people without jobs. This suggests a real U-turn."
Zac Goldsmith's comments are echoed by the surprising admission within the Tories manifesto that current levels of food imports into the UK coupled with decreasing domestic production are inherently unsustainable: "Allowing this trend to continue is neither morally nor strategically desirable when climate change is reducing the world's productive capacity and global demand for food is projected to double by 2050". The manifesto goes on to highlight; "the importance of local food groups and farmers' markets to reconnect people and food".
A New Age of Agriculture?
To the casual observer such comments certainly suggest a U-turn in Tory policy away from the accepted wisdom of agricultural industrialisation we have witnessed over the past half-century. It appears there has been a recognition, in principle at least, of the shortcomings of a globalised food system and an active interest in localised alternatives, There is little doubt that the Conservatives must also now be accountable for their commitment to prioritise both environmental sustainability and national food security.
With this optimistic outlook in mind I managed to catch-up with Jim Paice following his appointment as Minister to get an idea of how UK farming could change for the better under a Conservative government. I began by asking him if his stated opposition to "production at any cost" signalled a move away from further intensification towards more environmentally sensitive farming?
"No it doesn't," was his direct response: "What it means is that we've got to learn to farm more in harmony with the environment as many successful commercial farms do. Too many farmers think that they still have to make a choice between commercial farming and looking after the birds and the bees. I don't believe that is the case and don't believe that it's an acceptable choice. There are many examples of both privately and publicly owned farms which have successfully managed to improve biodiversity, reduce pollution and emissions while at the same time increasing their output."
Picking up on a recent visit made by Mr Paice to New Zealand to meet farmers supplying UK supermarkets I asked the Minister if he thought that this model of food imports was inherently sustainable? "What we have to do is look at overall impact- while food miles are a good indicator you need to look at overall energy used in production. For certain products the overall carbon footprint is lower if they are produced abroad due to climatic advantages- it all depends- most lamb comes to us in refrigerated containers which is about the lowest carbon footprint form of transport.". Really?
Regarding the manifesto's obvious commitment to opening our domestic market while at the same time highlighting the need for UK food security I was interested to know if Mr Paice saw a contradiction between these two objectives- particularly in the face of rising oil costs. "Well no I don't see any conflict between the two at all, food security is right at the top of our agenda, but food security is the capacity to produce the majority of our needs. We've always been a trading nation and – given today's consumer preferences- the need for continued import and export is going to be hugely important. As far as oil dependency is concerned I think it is certainly something that the cost factor will eventually determine."
A New Age for the Market
The Minister was well aware of growing calls from communities across the country to re-localise the food economy, however he was again keen to highlight consumer spending patterns as the most effective method of driving this trend: "The main way we can help this is by decentralising government procurement from heads of department in Whitehall down to schools and hospitals who will then buy local food. We can use public procurement as a driver to increase not only availability of local food but its distribution and the opportunity for people to buy local food."
This was a view repeated by Zac Goldsmith who believes that in addition to more honest food labelling procurement can play a vital role in shaping consumer trends: "We spend about £12 billion a year on food for schools and hospitals and instead of buying the cheapest junk on the world's markets we could invest the money in sustainable local produce. We would be pouring money into the rural economy, reducing our use of oil, and we would be giving children and patients much better quality food."
Interestingly Mr Paice was also keen to leave the contentious issue of GM-crops down to cost efficiency: "We support the need for exhaustive trials- any new product must be properly evaluated for food safety and environmental safety. Once the technology can prove it is safe it is then a matter for the market to decide- whether the consumer is going to buy the overall product. There has been huge opposition in the past- my gut-instinct is that it is beginning to soften, particularly as some of the traits that are coming through are more consumer orientated such as vitamin and mineral enrichments."
And here, it appears, there is a contradiction which cannot be ignored. Despite their best intentions to draft an agriculture policy reflective of a 'modern and progressive Conservative Party' there is a certain uneasiness about the confidence with which the Tories will be relying on their trusted old friend - the market - to control the "efficiencies" of food production. Although Mr Paice's comments honour one of the most elementary rules of Conservatism - letting the market decide - it is an ideal undeniably at odds with their stated aim of increasing production whilst protecting the environment and neglects their commitment to have learnt from the mistakes of the past.
The result is likely to be a new round of decoupled subsidies targeting payments for specific biodiversity services on one part of the farm while offsetting the costs of intensifying production and rising oil prices on another. In pursuing such a goal the Tories will no doubt cite research conducted by Cambridge University and outlined in Science journal4 that suggests "high-yield farming may allow more species to persist" than an alternative holistic management approach.
While on-farm biodiversity may well benefit, an emphasis on open-market competition between European farmers will inevitably lead to further specialisation and a marked decline in overall agricultural diversity. Similarly, public procurement may well be devolved down to the level of schools and hospitals but despite the best intentions to buy-local, experience tells us that contracts will still favour the largest intensive producers over those with smaller economies of scale.
If, as Mr Paice suggests, consumer confidence in GM foods is also left to the whims of the market then there is no question who will ultimately come out on top. Within Europe; Monsanto, Syngenta and Bayer have a combined annual turnover in excess of €44bn. In a Conservative market-driven industry it is hard to believe that the UK's anti-GM pressure groups could begin to compete with the pro-GM marketing blitz that awaits us.
Listening to Mr Paice it is clear to see that the Conservatives have indeed listened attentively to farmers' concerns over recent years. Calls to curb government intervention in their industry have been recognised and will no doubt be acted upon as a priority. The proposed introduction of a Supermarket Ombudsman will come as a welcome relief to farmers' repeated frustrations at the power of large retailers, as will the widely-anticipated national badger-cull in response to the spread of Bovine TB.
Walking a Fine Line
Without wishing to appear cynical, the Party's traditional farming supporters will have also taken heart from the appointment of former industry lobbyist and biotech proponent Caroline Spelman as Secretary of State for Defra. Between 1989 and 2009 Mrs Spelman was co-owner of Spelman, Cormack & Associates, a firm specialising in lobbying the government on behalf of pharmaceutical and agri-business interests. She has also been Director of the International Federation of Sugar Beet growers and sat on the board of the NFU.
David Cameron's new team at Defra are undeniably walking a fine line. Last time the Tories were in charge, British farmers had their very own department in the Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Today their budget, and indeed their loyalties, come with a shared responsibility to a new-age of Conservative environmentalism. In the run up to the general election the Conservatives famously promised to put the 'f' for farming – back into Defra. While they have certainly made a promising start at doing just that, we can only hope that the 'e' for environment isn't replaced with an 'e' for economics quite so enthusiastically.
1. Cahill, K. (2001) Who Owns Britain; The hidden facets behind land ownership in the UK and Ireland
2. Spencer, J. & Kirby, K. (1992) An inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales, Biological Conservation 62, 77-93.
3. J A Skinner et al, "An Overview of the environmental impact of agriculture in the UK", Journal of Environmental Management, 50, II, June 1997, pp111-128
4. Green. R. E. et al (2004) Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature, Science, 307, pp 550-555 True Blue in the Countryside
This article originally appeared as 'True Blue in the Countryside' in The Land Issue 9 Autumn 2010
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2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/24713 | Why The Farm Bill's Provisions Will Matter To You By Scott Neuman
Jun 13, 2012 TweetShareGoogle+Email Dairy cows feed on a farm in Chilton, Wis., in May. The farm bill being considered by Congress, part of a massive package that could cost nearly $1 trillion over a decade, contains a number of provisions affecting dairies.
Carrie Antlfinger
Originally published on June 13, 2012 11:49 am If you think only farmers care about the farm bill currently being considered by Congress, you're very, very mistaken. The measure will not only set policy and spending for the nation's farms for years to come, but it will also affect dozens of other seemingly unrelated programs — all at a cost of nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. Following are a few questions and answers about the massive legislation: Why is it called the farm bill, and where did it come from? First, the term "farm bill" is a bit misleading. It's simply shorthand for legislation that invariably gets saddled with a different name. In 2002, it was the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, and in 2008, it was known as the Food, Conservation and Energy Act. The latest bill is the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012. Second, perhaps 80 percent of the bill has nothing to do with farms or farming. But more on that later. Modern farm bills date to the Great Depression and the New Deal. By the 1930s, U.S. farmers were victims of their own success. Mechanization and stepped-up production during World War I, as America fed a war-weary Europe, eventually led to huge surpluses and falling prices for basic crops. The Agricultural Adjustment Act sought to do something that to this day remains controversial: pay farmers not to grow crops in an effort to boost prices. But the Supreme Court didn't like a tax provision in the 1933 law and struck down the entire act. By 1938, Congress passed a new Agricultural Adjustment Act, sans the offending tax. Farm bills have been passed about every five years ever since. "I would say the New Deal is the great-great-grandfather of all the farm bills as we currently know them," says Dale Moore, director for public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation. Why should you care? It's not just about farmers. The farm bill is an all-encompassing piece of legislation comprising everything from farm subsidies and crop insurance — which have an indirect impact on food prices — to energy, forestry, food stamps and school lunches. "It covers what is, in a lot of ways, the rural economy in this country," Moore says. Why is it controversial? In an age of rising deficits, the bill has come in for a lot of scrutiny. Chris Edwards, an economist with the libertarian Cato Institute, calls the farm bill "a bipartisan pork barrel spending spree." "Farm subsidies redistribute wealth from taxpayers to often well-off farm businesses and landowners," he says. "In 2010, the average income of farm households was 25 percent above the average of all U.S. households." But the largest chunk of the farm bill in dollar terms is directed to the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as the food stamp program. Edwards says the growth in the program in recent years has been remarkable, "not just because of the recession but because of the increase in eligibility during the Bush administration." However, Dottie Rosenbaum, a senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, thinks much of the criticism of food stamps has been over the top. "In my view, one of the biggest myths is the claim that some people make that SNAP is growing out of control and is contributing in a substantive way to the deficit," she says. "To the extent it is growing, it's for reasons that we very much understand — it's about addressing the needs of people in a bad economy." How much does it cost? The details of this year's bill are still being hammered out, but the Congressional Budget Office says the cost over 10 years will be about $969 billion. The vast majority — $768.2 billion, according to the CBO — will go to food stamps. Since the farm bill represents anticipated spending over 10 years, it's difficult to assign it an exact percentage of an evolving federal budget. But it's typically more than education and less than defense spending or Social Security. What's in the farm bill? The short answer is: a lot. Here's a partial list: price supports and/or crop insurance for commodity crops conservation programs that affect land, water and soil use agricultural exports and food aid, including humanitarian assistance to other nations food assistance programs for poor Americans direct and guaranteed loans to farmers and ranchers forestry programs managed by the U.S. Forest Service programs promoting renewable fuels such as ethanol crop insurance and disaster assistance How is the latest legislation different than past bills? Sponsors of the 2012 farm bill claim it will save taxpayers $23.6 billion over 10 years. But that figure represents less than 2.5 percent of the total cost of the bill, according to the CBO. The biggest change, supporters of the bill say, will involve a planned transition away from the direct payments to farmers that were instituted in the 1990s. Those payments were meant to streamline the process, but were granted to farmers regardless of what kind of year they had. "If they had a very difficult year, they got the very same payment as if they had a bumper crop with fabulous prices," says Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union. With the improvements, the balance of the equation for farmers shifts away from price supports and toward risk management. It's designed to protect against things like floods and droughts in a way that minimizes the need for Congress "to do ad hoc disaster legislation" for farmers each time there's a catastrophic event, Johnson says. But farmers in the South disagree with an end to direct payments. They argue that the yields that insurance would pay out on are set so low for "Southern" crops, such as cotton, rice and peanuts, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to qualify even in very bad years.Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread. © 2017 KASU | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/24865 | Email Livestock industry backs the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act
Share Tweet Plus Pin Link Link Digg Print Email The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) today voiced strong support for the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2012 (H.R. 5477), which was considered by the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. David Cook, an Arizona rancher and vice chairman of NCBA’s Federal Lands Committee, who testified on behalf of NCBA, PLC and the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, spoke to the urgency of passing the legislation in light of the millions of acres of western lands being impacted by catastrophic wildfire.
H.R. 5477 was introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) with 31 bipartisan cosponsors, to address the forest health, public safety, and wildlife habitat threats presented by the risk of catastrophic wildfire on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The legislation would require the agencies to expedite forest management projects, including livestock grazing and timber harvesting, for the purpose of hazardous fuels reduction, forest health and economic development.
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2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/24906 | Family farms expand offerings to remain viable in southeastern Mass.
Ice cream, artisan cheese, sunset concerts, wellness fairs and weddings aren’t the usual “products” that come to mind when one thinks of farms. But for today’s family farms, diversity is the key to survival.
Linda Murphy
When James and Agnes Simcock founded Simcock Farms in Swansea 128 years ago, they likely never imagined that one day, belly dancers would be a farm attraction. But for its current owners, a recent wellness faire, complete with belly dancers, psychics and reiki practitioners, was one more way to keep the family farm afloat.
“It’s diversity or die. You have to do these types of thing to survive,” said Beverlyann Simcock, owner of the farm at 361 Marvel St.
A concert violinist and former teacher, Simcock said she called her creative side into action and went into agritourism when she and her husband, Jim, purchased the family farm from his parents 12 years ago.
The farm already had an ice cream stand and it continues to be a big draw for local families and ice cream lovers, but now there’s also rescued farm animals for the kids to enjoy and plenty of events to bring visitors out to the farm. On Tuesdays, motorcyclists are invited to stop in for Two Wheel Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are Cool Car Nights. They also host archery events and a variety of fundraisers.
The agritourism at Simcock Farm also includes pick-your-own plum tomatoes, school tours and the usual fall farm activities: hayrides, a corn maze, and pick-your-own pumpkins.
Another draw is the farm stand store where the produce grown on the farm is sold along with canned and pickled items from northeastern producers. Simcock said she also pickles produce grown on the farm and she makes baked goods that are for sale at the store later in the season.
The produce grown on the farm’s 37 acres is also sold wholesale to restaurants and markets, but the dairy cows that were once a fixture on the farm were all sold in 2003 because they couldn’t afford to keep them, she said.
“Farming is a huge gamble,” she said in reference to this year’s rainy spring, the summer’s fluctuating hot and cool weather, and the other unforeseen conditions that impact the farm. “One year the deer came in and ate all the green stuff and then they came back and ate all the red stuff.”
There’s also the impact of fewer people cooking their own food these days along with backyard gardeners who grow their own produce, as well as enough to supply their neighborhoods, said Simcock.
And for those who do want fresh-picked produce from the farm without the trip out to the pastoral property, she also instituted the Simcock Express, a home delivery service that serves Somerset, Swansea and Fall River customers.
“All this other stuff is what keeps the farm going. You have to think of other ways to keep the farm viable,” she said.
BRIDES AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Butternut squash and cranberries are the two main products at Chamberlain Farms in Berkley, but weddings, events, fundraisers and agritourism also go a long way to keeping this second-generation family farm in business.
Jackie Chamberlain, wife of second-generation farmer Bob Chamberlain, said they’ve done it all at the farm over the years: ice cream, a farm stand, selling squash out of the back of a flatbed truck, and more recently, Friday night buffet dinners.
The buffet dinners were a big hit. In fact, they became so popular that the last one a couple weeks ago had a two-hour wait. Rather than dealing with the “unknown” every weekend, Chamberlain said she stopped doing the buffets in favor of weddings and other functions with a pre-determined amount of people.
In 2006, she had a wooden pavilion built on the property overlooking the pond to enhance the farm that dates back to the Quaker era as a venue. The rustic pavilion and an adjoining tent, complete with chandeliers, can accommodate up to 200 people.
They no longer sell ice cream or produce at the farm stand, but in the fall, the farm is bustling with a corn maze, pumpkin picking, school and Scouts tours and even tourists from Europe stopping in to visit the cranberry bog during the harvest.
“I feel that the scenery is as much of a commodity as what we pull out of the ground, I’ve been able to create a business plan that’s going to help sustain the farm,” she said of the farm that her husband’s parents, Almer and Harriet Chamberlain, bought in 1969. “Everyone who comes here leaves with a better sense of the farm.”
Butternut squash is grown on 26 acres of the property along with 15 acres of hay, an acre of pumpkins, and three-quarters of an acre used to grow produce for the events at the farm. There’s also 15 acres of cranberry bogs that are harvested and sold to two cranberry companies: Ocean Spray and Decas.
The farm’s butternut squash is now sold wholesale to some local supermarkets, but most of it is wholesaled to the Kettle Cuisine soup company for its butternut squash soup.
The farm has also become more viable as a “producer,” she said, by peeling and bagging the thousands of pounds of squash picked every week. “That’s considered to be a value-added product; when you take a raw product and turn it into something else. The idea is to get the long dollar, not the short dollar, by cutting out the middleman,” she said.
The farm’s butternut squash and cranberry business was already viable, but Chamberlain said she didn’t want to spend her time picking butternut squash so she developed her own business plan capitalizing on the farm’s scenic open spaces as a commodity.
“This is a full-fledged functioning farm. It’s year-round, 24/7. This is it — sink or swim — and agritourism has helped to shore it up,” she said.
WINE, BEER AND TUNES
As a vineyard on the Coastal Wine Trail, the Russell family’s Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery at 417 Hixbridge Road, Westport, has long been a destination for wine lovers. And its wines have garnered enough awards and critical accolades over the years to make a French winery say “Oh là là.”
The vineyard’s sister company, Buzzards Bay Brewing also has its own strong fan base and years of success behind it. Buzzards Bay owner and brewer, Bill Russell, son of Westport Vineyards founders Bob and Carol Russell, is celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the release of its first beer, Olde Buzzard Pale Ale, this year.
To add to the success of the farm’s wines and beers, the vineyard also promotes itself as a venue through its membership in the Coastal Wine Trail and events such as its Friday Sunset Music Series in the summer, and family friendly activities in the fall.
“These types of things have always been on our radar,” said Bill Russell. “Some farms have drive-by traffic, but we’re out in the middle of Westport and we don’t have that. It’s a way for people to come out and find us.”
One of the most effective promotions of the farm, he said, has been the Coastal Wine Trail. Comprising a group of vineyards and wineries stretching from Newport, R.I., to New Bedford, the Coastal Wine Trail markets the vineyards as agritourism destinations.
The Coastal Wine Trail’s yearly kickoff, a day to enjoy local wines, cheese, breads and chocolates, has become so popular, he said, that its event this year in June was split into two sessions to accommodate the demand for tickets.
The state Department of Agriculture also promotes the vineyard through its Wine and Cheese Trail initiative. In the fall, the farm has an array of family friendly activities such as hayrides, a petting zoo, and its big open house held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Now in its sixth year, the Sunset Music Series, featuring local favorite bands, also brings a varied group of people out to the farm.
“We started the Friday night series as a way to get people out here. Families come out; kids run around; and the scenery at sunset is beautiful. People just enjoy coming out here and it helps people get to know who we are,” he said. “We’re a family business. And it reminds people that we’re a farm.”
DAIRY GONE GOURMET
Barbara Hanley was a on a mission to save Westport’s dairy farms when she approached the Santos brothers, twins Kevin and Karl, and twins Arthur and Norman, with a plan to help them save their third-generation, family-run dairy farm in Westport by using the milk to make artisanal cheese.
Federal regulations that set the rates at which the farms can sell milk work for larger farms in other parts of the country, she said, but the rates have resulted in the loss of local dairy farms. “They might get paid $12 to $20 per 100 pounds of milk, but it might cost them $24 to produce,” she said.
The goal, she said, is to use as much milk as possible to make cheese, which can be sold for a higher profit. Last year, 60 percent of the milk was used for cheese, and this year, she expects that to increase to 70 percent.
What she thought would happen when she set about on what she called her “holy mission” to save the Santos’ farm with the cheese hasn’t been fully realized several years into the partnership. “None of us have taken a paycheck yet. We’re making money, but we’re putting it back into the business,” she said. “Back then, I thought everyone knew we were on this holy mission and they’d be knocking down the doors to buy the cheese.”
Made under the Shy Brothers label, so named for the shy Santos brothers, they first began making thimble-shaped Hannahbells, an artisanal cheese in the classic French flavor and three other flavors: rosemary, lavender and shallot. The cloumage, a curd cheese similar in texture to a sour cream or marscarpone, is the brand’s second cheese.
Sold through the company’s website, markets, and farmer’s markets, the cheeses have garnered numerous awards and praise from chefs. The cloumage, a cheese that holds up to savory and sweet flavors, has become the darling of chefs in this area, as well as in some of the better known restaurants in New York, she said.
Hannahbells, a cheese that she said people seem to either love or hate, was their original choice because it was something different in a market dominated with cheddars. “It was a double-edged sword. Either we do a cheddar where there’s lots of competition, or we pick something that nobody was doing,” she said. “In 2007 we sold our first cheese and I thought we’d be instantly successful. I was unbelievably naïve.”
Though it hasn’t caught on to the extent she originally expected, the business has been profitable and continues to grow, she said. “The business is growing in a healthy way. If it had grown the way I expected it to back then, we wouldn’t have been able to handle it. It would have been a nightmare.” Nowadays, the lessons Hanley and the Santos brothers have learned over the years in their path to maintaining the family farm and growing the artisan cheese business are helping other dairy farmers become cheesemakers through the Massachusetts Cheese Guild. Hanley is the president of the guild, an organization aimed at promoting the cheese industry within the state.
“There’s an unbelievable learning curve to get into this business and we pledged when we got into it, that we’d share the information with others,” she said.
Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com. | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/25235 | Regular farmers market returning to Tewkesbury
A REGULAR farmers' and craft market is returning to Tewkesbury for the first time in six years.
The markets, which will run from Saturday, March 8 through to December will take place on the second Saturday of each month at the Abbey Lawns Car Park, off Gander Lane.
It follows the success of three trial markets held in October, November and December last year – all of which were so popular that many traders sold out of produce.
Fresh local meats, homemade cakes, breads, chocolates, preserves, seasonal fruit and vegetables will be on offer along with a wide range of traditional and contemporary crafts made by local artists and craftspeople.
The markets, which will be the first regular farmers’ market for six years, are being organised by the Tewkesbury Town Team in partnership with Grenchurch Markets and supported by Tewkesbury Borough Council.
Cllr Dave Waters, Tewkesbury Borough Council's Lead Member for Economic Development and Promotion, said: "We’re delighted to be supporting these new farmers’ and craft markets for 2014.
"The trials held last year proved to be a sell-out success, and it was very clear to see that a regular market would go down well in Tewkesbury.”
Made up of local retailers, representatives of local business groups and members of Tewkesbury Town Centre Community Engagement Advisory Group (CEAG), Tewkesbury Town Team was set up as part of the national Mary Portas High Street Review and received £10,000 of government funding aimed at revitalising town centres.
Dave Joynes, Director of Grenchurch Markets, said: "We are really pleased to be involved in Tewkesbury Farmers and Craft Market and happy that it is back as a regular event for 2014.
"We would also like to thank the local producers and craft people who have supported the market and the local community who have come along to visit."
For details and dates of each market, visit visittewkesbury.info. | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/25351 | Harvesting Seeds of Success at DuPont ADVERTISEMENT
Harvesting Seeds of Success at DuPont By
Victoria Craig
DuPont EVP: Seizing Opportunities is Key to Success
DuPont Executive V.P. Jim Borel says being open to various types of opportunities has been critical in his climb to the top at the blue-chip chemical giant.
Growing up on a farm in North Central Iowa, Jim Borel, thought he’d graduate from Iowa State University with a degree in agriculture business and return to his parents' farm to work. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. Now, decades later, Borel is executive vice president at DuPont (DD), one of the world’s largest chemical makers. Continue Reading Below
Click here to read more from Success Stories. “Growing up and working on a farm, raising cattle, working in the fields, being part of the process of growing things just captivated me. I was always interested in agriculture,” he said. “There’s a feeling of, if you’re involved in producing food, there was something noble about that.” After a couple of years in school, Borel decided the best path was to go into the industry and work for awhile, because, as he said, if he went back to the farm, he’d likely never have left. “I had a tough phone call one day when (my dad) was ready to retire and he said, ‘I’m thinking about renting out the farm, but before I do, I just want to give you another chance,’” Borel said. “My goal was if I wasn’t able to be on the farm, I wanted to be within one step of farming, and I’ve been able to do that with DuPont.” The Root of Success In his more than 30 years with the blue-chip chemical company, Borel has been able to check many items off his life’s to-do list. “When I started, I remember at the time thinking two things were really intriguing: If I ever have the chance to live overseas sometime, that would be really interesting. And if I had a goal, it was if I could be regional manager in our Chicago office, that would be the ultimate,” he said. Not only was he serious about those goals, he’s also been able to exceed them. Borel has been a world traveler for his company, working overseas in many nations, including: Japan, the UK, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and a host of others. Working abroad, Borel was tasked with developing the business in developing markets and making a difference in the way those nations think about farming, and bringing more food security to the regions. Through his work, Borel said farmers are always interested in new ideas and new technology;farmers are constantly looking to improve their situation, no matter if they’re in the U.S. or halfway across the globe. Borel said it’s not just about science, though, it’s about creating local wisdom to give farmers the tools they need to be successful. “I led a study team in India in the mid-90s and we eventually started a business there selling directly to the country,” he said. “So developing our business in developing markets was a really important part of the learning experience, and I’m drawing a lot on that for the work we’re doing now in Sub-Saharan Africa. We can make a real difference in farmers' lives and food security for everybody, but we have to improve productivity everywhere.” Harvesting Advice for a Younger Generation While he’s thankful for the opportunities he’s had at DuPont, Borel said living and working in various parts of the world taught him some important lessons. For example, when he and his wife were first ready to move overseas, though it was a big decision, the intrigue ignited the desire to do it. He found himself moving his entire family all over the world, and his daughter was even born in England. His best advice to young people looking for a similar adventure in their careers is to be flexible. For him and his family, moving from place to place taught them to appreciate life from different perspectives. “If we hadn’t done that, if we hadn’t said ‘You know what? Let’s do it and figure it out,’ Then the whole trajectory might have been different,” Borel said. “So, take advantage of opportunities, be clear about who you are, but take advantage when you can.” While he seized every opportunity he could, Borel still met challenges along the way. Living and working in nations unlike the U.S. comes with its own sets of obstacles. “One of the big challenges in Ethiopia is there are so many farmers and so just reaching them, physically being able to get there and interact with them, and logistically getting the product to them is difficult because the countries oftentimes don’t have great infrastructure,” he said. Amid the roadblocks that cropped up, Borel said he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Crops vary, languages vary. But as I work with farmers around the world, I find they have a real common set of values. They’ve got a love of the land, they want to improve the lives for themselves, and their families and a real commitment to stewardship. And you see those things play out in different ways, it’s fun to be a part of that,” he said. | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/25365 | Time to vote on RHS Council's 'storm in ladies' teacups'
The excitement of Chelsea has finished for another year but the post mortems will carry on for a while. The gardening twitterati are still talking about the fact that all the garden judges were men. If you're a member of the RHS, it's time to vote for the Council members. If you're like me, you've probably not bothered to vote in the past, flicking quickly passed the AGM notice in The Garden.
But this year, please don't throw it in the bin. It's been a long, hard fight to get women on to the RHS Council as the following story about Frances Perry's election from Gardening Women illustrates.
"By the late 1960s, despite the fact that women were now being awarded many of the prestigious RHS medals, there was still no female representation on the society’s council. At the Annual General Meeting of the RHS in 1967 a question was raised as to why this was so. Because, came the answer, there had never been ladies on the council and there were none ‘at present’ who had ‘as useful experience as the men available’. Within days. Enid Bagnold, the writer famous for National Velvet and The Chalk Garden had a letter published in The Times quoting this and suggesting that Gertrude Jekyll must be rolling in her grave..."Lord Aberconway, then president of the RHS and scion of Bodnant, retorted that this was a ‘little storm in ladies’ teacups’ and that he had been misquoted. ‘We have nothing against the ladies,’ he blustered. ‘As soon as a lady comes to our minds or is suggested informally . . . who can contribute in our view as much as to our multifarious activities as any man available, we shall support her appointment.’ A year later a suitable candidate was elected unopposed: Mrs Frances Perry. When asked to join the council, Perry famously replied: ‘If you want me because I’m a woman, the answer is no, but if you want me because of anything I have done in horticulture, the answer is yes.’
"... the president was at pains to point out, Perry arrived as no token woman. ‘I must emphasize that she was nominated by Council not because she was a women, but because she was, in the unanimous viewof us all . . . more likely than any others to contribute to the works of Council . . . Indeed, it was only because our invitation was couched in those terms that she accepted the nomination.’ With the ‘little storm in ladies’ teacups’ dealt with, Perry went on to make an enormous contribution to the Society, being awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1971 and eventually becoming a vice-president."
Forty-five years later, there are now three women on the Council and a fourth, The Hon Sarah Joiner, is standing again and needs your vote.
Sarah is a member of the Bursaries, Libraries, Daffodil & Tulip and Fundraising Committees. With a background in the NHS and Department of Health, she is now also Chairman of Trustees for the Gardening for the Disabled Trust and active Patron of the MS Trust. With seven candidates standing for five places on the RHS Council, every vote counts. Please give one of yours to Sarah.
Posted at 10:15 AM in Frances Perry, RHS, RHS Victoria medals, Sarah Joiner | Permalink | 农业 |
2017-09/1434/en_head.json.gz/26138 | by Pauza de prânz Global food prices hit record high
Amplify’d from www.ft.com
Global food prices hit record high
Food prices hit a record high last month, surpassing the levels seen during the 2007-08 crisis, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Wednesday.
The Rome-based organisation said the increase did not constitute a crisis. But Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the FAO, acknowledged that the situation was “alarming”. He added: “It will be foolish to assume this is the peak.”
The jump will increase fears about the repetition of the crisis of 2007-2008. However, poor countries have not so far seen the wave of food riots that rocked countries such as Haiti and Bangladesh two years ago, when prices of agricultural commodities jumped.
The increase in food costs will also hit developed economies, with companies from McDonald’s to Kraft raising retail prices. Higher food prices are also boosting overall inflation, which is above the preferred targets of central banks in Europe.
The FAO said its food price index, a basket tracking the wholesale cost of commodities such as wheat, corn, rice, oilseeds, dairy products, sugar and meats, jumped last month of 214.7 points – up almost 4.2 per cent from November. The FAO is drawing comfort from relatively stable prices for rice, one of the two most important cereals for global food security, which remains far below its record high. Rice is the staple of 3bn people in Asia and Africa. However, the cost of the other critical staple, wheat, is now rising fast on the back of poor harvests.
The increasing costs of sugar, whose price recently hit a 30-year high, oilseeds and meat are the main reason behind the rise in the FAO food index. The rise of commodity prices makes it likely that the global food import bill will hit a record high in 2011, after topping $1,000bn last year for only the second time. In November, the FAO raised its 2010 forecast to $1,026bn, up almost 15 per cent from 2009 and within a whisker of a record high of $1,031bn set in 2008 during the food crisis. Agricultural commodities prices have surged following a series of crop failures caused by bad weather. The situation was aggravated when top producers such as Russia and Ukraine imposed export restrictions, prompting importers in the Middle East and North Africa to hoard supplies. The weakness of the US dollar, in which most food commodities are denominated, has also contributed to higher prices.
Read more at www.ft.com
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← US apportions blame for BP spill Global food prices hit record high → | 农业 |
2017-09/1435/en_head.json.gz/1992 | Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an herb which has been valued for centuries for its fresh scent, the peppery depth of flavor it adds to foods and for its special constituents which help to keep skin healthy and beautiful. Sage grows as a small perennial shrub, usually no more than 24 inches tall;the oblong leaves have a slightly rough texture and hair-like growths. It is a member of the mint family and is related to rosemary. The plant is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region, but spread to northern Europe during Medieval times. It is now, of course, a treasured garden herb grown throughout the world. Salvia officinalis, usually called common sage or kitchen sage, should not be confused with Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, which has a similar scent), sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate, native to the plains region of North America) or Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa).Sage has been used as both an herb for food flavoring and as a source of healing ingredients for more than 2,000 years. The earliest records of its use show that the Egyptians prepared a tea-like beverage from its dried leaves to increase fertility. The Romans apparently introduced the plant into Europe, where it quickly found favor as both as a culinary ingredient and as a medicinal plant. The scientific name for the genus, Salvia, is taken from the Latin word meaning "healthy" and is the root of the modern English word "salve," reflecting the curative value associated with the plant. Throughout the Medieval period in Europe, sage was credited with the power to heal almost every ailment. It was even an ingredient, along with thyme, rosemary and lavender, in "vinegar of the four thieves," a concoction believed to provide protection against infection by bubonic plague. It was considered such a valuable herb that it was perhaps the only spice" that was traded to the Far East;during the 16th century | 农业 |
2017-09/1435/en_head.json.gz/12973 | 0 Nigerian firms to produce soil specific fertilisers Wednesday, 29 June 2016 06:53 The collaboration will see the manufacture of four brands of soil- specific fertilisers for the various soil topographies in Nigeria. (Image Source: pixel1/Pixabay)Four indigenous manufacturing companies have partnered to produce fertilisers suitable for Nigerian soils as part of efforts to boost agriculture and ensure food security in the country
The four companies that are part of the collaboration are Superphosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, Indorama and TAK. The fertiliser brands were created after elaborate research about fertilisers suitable for Nigerian soils, the companies said.
According to Superphosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited chairman Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Birma, the four companies arrived at the collaboration in reaction to the use of wide-spread use of imported fertilisers in the country, most of which are not suitable for Nigeria’s soils.
He said that they were aiming to meet the country’s annual fertiliser demand and will have a production capacity of 4mn metric tonnes per annum.
Speaking about the collaboration, Superphosphate Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited managing director Danjuma Abdul-Kadir said that unlike the imported fertilizers available in the market, their products were produced in line with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s specifications.
“The collaboration came as a result of research and development and a lot of scientific work done by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. They came up with the type of fertilisers to be used in Nigeria and we took up the challenge to produce them.”
He explained that based on the recommendations from the soil test, the country was divided into different fertiliser zones and created different brands of fertilisers to suit the demands of each zone. | 农业 |
2017-09/1435/en_head.json.gz/21000 | Environmental Impact of Dairy - Truth in Numbers Categories: Dairy Cows
Tweet Dr. Judith L. Capper - Dairy Solutions SymposiumDr. Judith L. Capper - Dairy Solutions Symposium
“Sustainability isn’t something that’s going to go away,” announced Prof. Judith L. Capper at the Dairy Solutions Symposium in Dublin, Ireland. Capper, an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, USA, has spent the last five years researching the environmental impact of dairy and beef systems. Agriculture must minimize environmental impact as we strive to grow more food with less land for the estimated 9.3 billion people in 2050.
Capper discussed the controversial United Nations report, ‘Livestock’s Long Shadow’, that contended that animal agriculture produces 18% of worldwide greenhouse emissions, more than the world’s transport system. This figure was widely publicized by anti animal agriculture groups and used to spread the message that meat and milk are bad for the environment.
Capper described how numbers like this can be used in a misleading way to sway consumers and policy makers. Deeper investigation into the report shows that emissions from dairy production vary widely from developed to developing countries. Dairy systems in the developing world are far less efficient than those in the developed world and therefore produce far more greenhouse gas per milk yield. This demonstrates the improvements that have been made by leading dairy producers and the potential benefit of sharing those advancements with producers in the developing world. In spite of the controversy surrounding the report, Capper stated that it had a positive effect as it forced us to make changes in the industry to reduce carbon emissions. “The dairy industry must be dedicated to improving sustainability to remain viable and environmental impact must be assessed using sound science rather than ideological principles,” said Capper. We asked Dr. Capper to describe how agriculture can counteract persuasive negative messages that are based on inaccurate or misleading numbers. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/65 | Secretary’s Column: Partnerships Power Conservation Efforts
Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on August 6, 2014 at 12:00 PM When USDA launched the Regional Conservation Partnership Program several months ago, we talked about our hope that this new way of doing business would build coalitions of unlikely partners and bring new money and resources for conservation projects to the table.
The overwhelmingly positive response to this new approach has far exceeded our initial expectations. Over the past several months, nearly 5,000 partners have come together to submit nearly 600 pre-proposals to USDA. All told, these coalitions of partners requested more than six times the $394 million in funding available from USDA for the first round of conservation projects, in addition to bringing their own, matching resources to the table.
The pre-proposal process has the added benefit of already completing the work of matching up potential partners and developing the mechanics of new conservation projects. While USDA itself won’t be able to fund every one of the proposals received this year, these fully-developed projects could attract funding from other sources or be eligible for USDA funding in the future—further expanding the total impact of the program.
Certainly, the progress we’ve made to date could never have happened without our traditional partners—local conservation districts, land trusts, wildlife and habitat preservation groups, and farmers, ranchers and foresters, among others—but the resource challenges of today require an expanded stable of resources and allies. USDA itself has invested more than $12.5 billion in conservation efforts since 2009, but we know that we will need everyone on board in order to make true headway against the water, soil and air quality issues that threaten the productivity and security of our nation’s farms and forests.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is part of the answer. The program takes the concept of “strange bedfellows” and turns it on its head. Rather than strong coalitions of conservation partners across communities, government, private landowners, for-profit companies and conservation organizations be the exception, this program will help to make them the norm. The program gives non-traditional partners a vehicle and a structure to work together towards common conservation goals. It provides a certain amount of government resources to get them started, but requires partners to think creatively about how to leverage additional funding and resources.
It’s an approach that makes good sense. Rather than serving solely as an investor in conservation projects, USDA can also serve as a catalyst for private investment to help meet the specific needs of local communities. The Regional Conservation Partnership Program allows us to both elevate fresh, new approaches to conservation, while at the same time offering continued support for proven, successful conservation methods.
We expect to provide $1.2 billion in funding for projects through the program over the next five years. With partners investing alongside USDA, we hope to double that investment, leveraging a total of $2.4 billion for conservation. Given the response thus far, we should have little trouble meeting that goal.
We can’t meet the challenges of the new century without partners of all kinds—farmers, ranchers, family forest private companies, universities, local and tribal governments, non-profit organizations and businesses—at the table. Together, we will forge a new era of conservation partnership that more effectively confronts the growing threats to our natural resources and keeps our land resilient and our water clean for generations to come.
Tags: #AgInnovates, #ruralpartners, Conservation, Farm Bill, Food Farm and Jobs Bill, NRCS, Partnerships, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Secretary's Column, Tom Vilsack
Conservation 2 Responses to “Secretary’s Column: Partnerships Power Conservation Efforts”
Brian Feuerhelm says: 08/06/2014 at 12:23 PM Hello,
Yet another daily program announcement that I fail to see how it applies to me, a small beginning farmer interested in conservation, renewables, and self sufficiency but have not seen one program that directly affects/benefits me. All funding goes to edu’s, large farming operations, and big business it seems. Please tell me that I am wrong or where to find valid resources.
Ben [USDA Moderator] says: 08/06/2014 at 4:17 PM Hello Brian – thank you for your comment. USDA offers a number of assistance programs to help get conservation on the ground. While the Regional Conservation Partnership Program is best suited for partners, those applying for funding are asked to include plans to work with farmers and ranchers – like you – in their proposals. USDA has a suite of financial assistance programs for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. For example, our Environmental Quality Incentives Program helps landowners get a variety of conservation practices on the ground, including many practices that are a good fit for farmers who have smaller operations and are new to the field. Learn more about conservation programs at nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or by visiting your local USDA service center. We also have some resources tailored to new farmers available at usda.gov/NewFarmers. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/873 | Regulators to decide if Maine shrimp season is on
Federal regulators to decide if Maine's shrimp season will take place in 2014-15
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal regulators are set to begin the process of determining whether there will be a commercial fishing season for northern shrimp in 2014-15. The commission's Northern Shrimp Section's meeting on the subject is scheduled for Wednesday at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The commission will likely make a decision this fall about whether to hold the coming season. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission closed the shrimp season in the Gulf of Maine for 2013-14 for the first time in more than 30 years because shrimp populations dipped to their lowest recorded levels. The shutdown impacted fishing businesses in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The commission's decision to shut the 2013-14 season came after a harvest that was the smallest since the last shrimp shutdown in 1978. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/923 | Social Justice in Agriculture Forum
By Robynn Shrader 116 January - February - 2005 I recently had an opportunity to represent food co-ops at a forum for Social Justice in Agriculture, along with representatives from organizations representing farm workers, fair-trade initiatives, farmers, manufacturers, nongovernment organizations, consumers, and activists. At the heart of the discussion was the development of an alternative food system that creates an economic incentive for social equity and just working conditions through the establishment of a “social justice” food label. As could be expected, there were varied opinions around the room of whether or not this label should “value enhance” certifiable organic standards, stand alone, or work in tandem with other transitional agricultural programs.
We reviewed a set of draft standards for a social justice label developed by Elizabeth Henderson of Peacework Organic Farm, Michael Sligh of Rural Advancement Foundation International–USA, Richard Mandelbaum of the Farm Worker Support Committee, and Oscar Mendieta of the Association of Organizations of Ecological Producers of Bolivia. These standards were drafted to be consistent with and to build on International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) principles on social justice and the work of the International Labor Organization. They further address farmers’and buyers’ rights and responsibilities; indigenous people’s rights; farm worker rights, and the role of interns and apprentices in organic and sustainable agriculture. We brainstormed to identify missing voices that should be brought to the table for ongoing discussion, how to maintain transparency, and how to determine a process by which all can agree to the “bar” set by any finalized standards.
These are complicated issues, and reminiscent of the many discussions that took place all around the country and in many different forums during the formation of organic standards. We have talked at length within the NCGA membership about our need for differentiation and the unique value proposition that food co-ops play in the grocery marketplace. Organic products formerly helped to define that point of differentiation. The value-added components of fair trade—promoting local and sustainable food systems, and valuing the dignity of work that is required to produce our food—often are present and assumed within our stores’ operations, but they do not have a defined and promoted presence that is consistent and recognized by a wide range of consumers.
Today, we have the commoditization of organics and the spread of many organic products into mainstream channels. We need to refine our attempts to differentiate by effectively promoting the components of the broad reach of a sustainable food system beyond organic agricultural practices. We must build consumer awareness of the next phase of influencing the way food is produced and valued in our society. Sound familiar? At one time it was organics, and food co-ops helped to lead the way. Now, our opportunity is to build upon those agricultural practices and further build the model of sustainability where it counts—with consumer food choices.
We have been talking about this “value-added label” in strategic and formative ways going back to our investigations into controlled brands and through securing the use of the Co-op label from the Blooming Prairie Foundation. This is a complicated undertaking, but I am inspired by the enormous amount of work and collaborative spirit of the group who put these draft standards together. I will be working with a small task force that grew out of the larger forum to create a bench test of the standards. We will identify an organic certifier, a grower, and a group of retailers in an attempt to launch a pilot project with these standards and identify the marketing message and process that resonates with consumers. I will continue to report on our progress.
National Organic Coalition (NOC)
NCGA is working to maintain the integrity and safeguard the future of organic food in our marketplace through our Leadership Circle support of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and our partnership in the NOC in Washington, D.C. The OTA and NOC are working together and in independently targeted ways to secure funding for the USDA research and marketing programs of importance to organic farmers and consumers.
Whether it be seeking funding for the USDA’s organic standards work, pushing for increased funding for research programs to help farmers transition to organic, or insisting that the USDA respect the role of organic producers and consumers in the organic standards-setting process, the annual Congressional appropriations process is critical to our members’ interests.
Even though the federal government’s new fiscal year started on October 1, Congress has not yet completed is work to finalize this year’s funding details for agriculture programs. Congress is scheduled to make the final decisions about funding levels for the USDA and other agencies in December 2004.
From time to time, NCGA may need to call on our membership to help deliver grassroots messages to Congress about important funding matters. Your support and readiness to rally your own member voices in these matters can make, and historically has made, all the difference!
*** Robynn Shrader is CEO of the National Cooperative Grocers Association ([email protected]).
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2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/1549 | The Vanuatu Cocoa Growers’ Association: Inclusive Trade in Rural Smallholder Agriculture 1 Nov 2013Working paper series The Cocoa Grower’s Association (CGA) in the Republic of Vanuatu is a fundamental example of how the organization of local cooperatives can make a significant impact and create an environment for inclusive trade. This paper will review a case study of implementing a governing association that coordinates cocoa cooperatives in Vanuatu, and which is focused on organizing the production and trade in the region, as a method to highlight key lessons learned and potential for scalability in furthering inclusive trade goals. What complementary policies may contribute to the inclusiveness of international openness?1 Nov 2013Working paper series This paper studies the linkages between international openness and inclusive growth, understood as better access to productive employment and entrepreneurship, the reduction of poverty and a more equal income distribution. It introduces the notion of inclusive trade as the linkages through which international integration can contribute to inclusive growth. Four dimensions of potential linkages are analyzed, namely: (i) aggregate employment and its distribution, (ii) aggregate productivity, (iii) poverty and income inequality, and (iv) equal opportunities. 2013 ESCAP Population Data Sheet2 Oct 2013Flagship publications and book series The 2013 ESCAP Population Data Sheet for Asia and the Pacific focuses on maternal health. In light of the current challenges in achieving MDG 5 on maternal health, indicators such as births attended by skilled health personnel, maternal mortality ratio, unmet need for family planning and adolescent fertility rates are provided. Report (Launch of the Asia-Pacific regional MDGs report 2012/13)20 Sep 2013Books The Millennium Development Goals have helped rally political support for global efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable human development. The Asia-Pacific region has achieved remarkable progress on the MDGs, particularly on reducing income poverty; however, it still has a significant ‘unfinished agenda’. People in the region continue to face major deprivation, along with many new and unaddressed development challenges. As the finishing line for the MDGs approaches, this report articulates Asia-Pacific aspirations for a post-2015 development framework. Asia-Pacific Regional MDG Report 2012/13 Asia-Pacific Aspirations: Perspectives for a Post-2015 Development Agenda20 Sep 2013Books This report highlights that Asia and the Pacific has made good progress towards the MDGs, through the region will still need to make greater efforts if it is to meet some important targets. Now it has the opportunity to set its sights higher when considering priorities for a post-2015 framework.
Designing and Implementing Trade Facilitation in Asia and the Pacific, 2013 Update6 Sep 2013Flagship publications and book series This book, co-published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), provides guidance for the implementation of trade facilitation measures and reforms in Asia and the Pacific. It attempts to bridge the gaps among policy makers, practitioners, and economists by outlining operational guidance on how to assess the status of trade facilitation, what measures and reforms are necessary, and how to implement them at the national and regional levels. Asia-Pacific Development Journal Vol. 20, No. 1, June 201330 Aug 2013Journals The Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) is published twice a year by the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The primary objective of the APDJ is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, information and data on all aspects of economic and social development issues and concerns facing the region and to stimulate policy debate and assist in the formulation of policy. An In-Depth Study of Broadband Infrastructure in the ASEAN Region20 Aug 2013Working paper series Between late 2012 and mid‐2013, Terabit Consulting performed a detailed analysis of the broadband infrastructure in the nine largest member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Terabit Consulting’s analysis also included trans‐border broadband projects extending into contiguous regions such as Yunnan Province, China. UNNExT Brief No. 9, Pan Asian e-commerce Alliance (PAA): Service providers join forces to enable cross-border paperless trade1 Aug 2013Working paper series UNNExT Brief No. 9, Towards an Enabling Environment for Paperless Trade - Pan Asian e-commerce Alliance (PAA): Service providers join forces to enable cross-border paperless trade, August 2013. Development Financing for Tangible Results: A Paradigm Shift to Impact Investing and Outcome Models, The Case of Sanitation in Asia1 Aug 2013Working paper series Household water security is a basic requirement of life. More than being simple basic needs, water and sanitation services are recognized as crucial elements that otherwise would put other development investments and public health at risk. Asia and the Pacific as a whole is an early achiever for halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, but not however, sanitation. Most of the Asia-Pacific countries will not come close to achieve the MDG target on access to improved sanitation. Pages« first | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/2579 | Three Lessons for Texas Winemakers to Live By
Manifesto: Three Lessons for Texas Winemakers to Live By
I stopped by for a visit with Kim McPherson, known as “K Mac” to some in Texas; he’s proprietor and winemaker at his McPherson Cellars winery in Lubbock, Texas. His family line, namely his father Clinton “Doc” McPherson, goes back to the genesis of the modern Texas wine experience that took root in the 1970s. Even Kim himself is old enough to have had his fingers in some of the first commercially produced vinifera wines made in Texas.
I’m up in these parts for long time Texas winegrower, Neal Newsom’s Field Day and a following tour of the Texas high plains wineries and vineyards on Saturday. I find Kim McPherson one of the more pleasurable people to visit in the whole dang state when it comes to talking wine…Texas wine. Why? Because he doesn’t sugar coat the conversation about Texas wine: where it’s come from and how it’s doing now. Consequently, I trust his insights regarding where it’s likely to go in the future.
Kim readily admits that its hard work making Texas appellation wines, and in some years even he can pull it off. I last talked to him in 2009, which was a horrible year due to the severe late spring freeze that decimated that year’s harvest of Texas grapes. By some estimates, it was only 30-50 percent of what it could have been in the absence of the freeze. That was about as ‘dark” as I had seen him, except for maybe a period before he started his winery.
But, on this visit in 2011, Kim leaned more toward optimism, not outright cheer and bliss mind you. However, coming off a great statewide 2010 harvest, he sees some progress toward making the industry more sustainable going forward. However, now he frets that people have to get with the program.
We sat in the small laboratory in his avant-garde-meets-desert-landscape-meets-early-coca-cola styled destination winery in downtown Lubbock and we talked about what he feels are “lessons to live by” for those that want to make the Texas wine industry succeed and help it join the ranks of the major wine-producing states and wine producing regions of the world. It really isn’t hard in concept; perhaps a bit more complicated in practice. To me, his manifesto seemed to boil down to three rules:
1. Grow “warm weather” grapes. For the most part, these are grapes from the Mediterranean region of Europe that includes parts of Spain, Italy and southern France. Not all are suited for Texas, but he feels that there are good ones that actually “like” being here in Texas. Actually, on my last visit, he suggested that Texas should select its best six varieties of Vitis vinifera (European wine grapes), saddle up and be prepared to ride with them. Three red and three white (well almost). Today, his selections for reds grapes were Tempranillo, Mourvedre, and Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet relegated to the second-string of Texas grapes to be used as a blender with other grapes like Tempranillo or Sangiovese. Other reds such as Syrah, Grenache and maybe even Sangiovese, he would move into a category of red grapes that seem to make better Texas Rosés than red wines. As for his list of three white wine grapes, Kim started with Viognier and Roussanne, but then he stopped and thought a while. Then, he decided that rather than a third white wine grape, Texas should focus (as they do in many Mediterranean regions) on Rosés: pink wines made dry and crisp.
2. Place more emphasis on blended wines. If you look at most major wine growing regions around the world, they’ve made their reputation on blended wines rather than single varietal wines. This allows the winemaker the flexibility to craft the best wine he/she can with the particular grapes the vintage provided. Think about Bordeaux and Rhone Valley wines, they are all blends of grapes that have developed and grow in these regions. Single varietal wines were an invention of California. It made selling wines easier and the relatively consistent growing growing conditions made it possible to make Cabernet and Chardonnay in a consistent manner year after year. In Texas, we have a much more variable situation with weather (again similar to that in Europe). Blending will allow both growers and winemakers more flexibility to go with the best that the particular year’s harvest gives them. Blends with proprietary names allow for consistency in the marketplace, rather than have one year where a particular grape variety, say Sangiovese, is dark and rich followed by a year where the Sangiovese is weak, or another year when there wasn’t enough produced to be commercial. If used as part a blended wine, say with Cabernet, Nero d’Avola or other Italian red varieties, a Sangiovese-based blend would likely be both a better made and better received. The differences in the blend from year-to-year make for good discussion points in the tasting room and around the dinner table, too.
3. Since by and large, the Texas wines that Kim was pontificating about are not in the standard “California Set” of Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay, Texas winemakers will have to do what Kim calls “hand selling”. This means winemakers will have to develop relationships with restauranteurs, sommeliers, retailers, media and even consumers one-on-one or through social media to get the new gospel of Texas wines across to the wine consuming public. This Texas gospel of Mediterranean varietals, blends and year-to-year differences is a message much more in keeping with the old world wine experiences than with that of California. Is this a bad thing? In my book, not at all.
Posted by admin at 11:15 pm
Last reply was April 29, 2011 Ross Burtwell View
No doubt, rules to live by for Texas wine! Big fan of McPherson wines…glad to hear thoughts of the man behind one of my favorite Viogniers.
Jim Johnson View
It’s too early to give up on a third Texas white. Marsanne, Verdelho, Vermentino, Vernaccia (if anyone had the guts to try it) and perhaps, now that nursery stock is available in this country, Verdejo, are all possible candidates.
Kim is dead on with his observations about warm weather varietals, blending for complexity (field blending is even better), and having to hand sell the product. When Alamosa started in 1998 with what we called climate adapted varietals we were very much alone in trying to market Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier. In the intervening 13 years we have seen a huge change in the willingness of Texas vineyards and wineries to try varietals that have no or limited name recognition in the market. We’ve seen things that work and some that don’t, that’s how the process works. The point is that what starts as a novelty or niche wine catches on and becomes the basis of a whole new genre of Texas wine if it works. We’ve seen that with Viognier, we’ve seen it with Tempranillo, and we will see it with other varietals to come.
Kim is the dean of Texas winemakers and is making some great wines that aren’t Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot and I salute him for that.
Alamosa Wine Cellars
admin View
How can larger Texas wineries, many of which have to survive on non-Texas grapes start to implement such a business model? To me, that is the big question for Texas wine future.
TODAY ONLY: Hill Country Wineries Wine Tasting (Houston/Richmond, TX): Free Admission for Lucky Fans of VintageTexas
“If they (Texas) want to take those steps backwards, that’s all for the better of Virginia.” | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/2635 | Agweb HomeMILK HomeNewsPower Hour: Drought Loosens Grip on Farm Country
Power Hour: Drought Loosens Grip on Farm Country
By AgWeb.com Editors
This week saw a few notable improvements and some serious degradation in the drought outlook, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Temperatures have generally been below normal this week from the east side of the Rockies to the East Coast, with the exception of Texas, the Southeast Coast and northern New England. This has helped ease drought impacts, particularly in those areas where beneficial precipitation fell. One such area is in the Ohio Valley, where parts of Indiana saw more than 5" of rain. This is the second straight week of beneficial precipitation for some of these areas, and this precipitation has largely alleviated Exceptional Drought (D4) from the state, despite lingering impacts still being felt. Last week, drought loosened its grip slightly on farm country, with 85% of the U.S. corn crop, 83% of soybeans, 63% of hay, and 71% of cattle areas experiencing drought. Nearly half of the corn (49%) and soybean (46%) areas are experiencing Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought. This has led to both reduced yields and earlier harvests. Additional impacts this week include the closing of an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River near Greenville, Miss., to barge traffic because of low water levels and wildfires expanding from northern California to Idaho.
The Southeast: Continued beneficial precipitation in the Southeast this week helped to improve drought conditions, particularly in northern Alabama and the upstate of South Carolina. Drought continues to strongly grip Georgia, eastern Alabama and western Tennessee and to a lesser extent areas of North Carolina and northern Mississippi where conditions remain relatively unchanged.
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Most of this area received enough precipitation that drought conditions held status quo with minor reductions in Abnormal Dryness (D0) in Maine and Rhode Island and a reduction in Severe Drought (D1) in Massachusetts.
The South and Southern Plains: In Oklahoma, drought intensified to Exceptional Drought (D4) status in the northeast part of the state. Drought conditions in parts of eastern and extreme western Texas improved with recent rains, while a lack of rain in the central and panhandle parts of the state led to expansion of drought conditions. In Louisiana, Extreme (D3) and Severe (D2) Drought expanded in the north.
The Central and Northern Plains and Midwest: More widespread rains in the Midwest alleviated some D1-D4 Drought as well as Abnormal Dryness (D0) through the northern Corn Belt again this week. Lingering drought impacts remain in many areas, leaving devastated agriculture in its wake. Despite a much cooler week, Exceptional (D4) and Extreme (D3) Drought continue to expand from northern Missouri to Kansas and Nebraska, where beneficial precipitation has been hard to come by. The West: The drought in southeast California, Arizona and New Mexico has begun to respond to the recent monsoon rains. Areas of Extreme (D3) and Moderate (D2) Drought were alleviated, largely across the southern part of the states. A slight expansion of Exceptional Drought (D4) took place in eastern Colorado while in Idaho, Moderate Drought (D1) and Abnormal Dryness (D0) continue to expand and contribute to wildfires.
From Aug. 23 - 27, there is an enhanced probability of precipitation in the Northern Plains and in the extreme South, as well as in the Southwest and the south Atlantic Coast and around the Great Lakes. Below-normal precipitation is expected in the Northwest, New England and into the Ohio Valley. The northern tier of the country is expected to see above-normal temperatures.
For the ensuing 5 days (Aug. 28 – Sept. 1), the odds favor normal to above-normal temperatures everywhere in the U.S. with the exception of the Pacific Coast. Normal to below-normal precipitation is expected from the West Coast, through the Southern and Central Plains and into the Ohio Valley and South. Above-normal precipitation is expected from the Northern Plains, through the Great Lakes, and all along the East Coast. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/6678 | Global Farmer Network
By: Global Farmer Network
The Global Farmer Network are farmers committed to inserting their voice and perspective in the global dialogue regarding food and nutritional security.
A Call For Common Sense Biotech Crop Regulation
By Ted Sheely – Lemoore, California
Once a year, I file an application with the federal government for my water supply. If I miss the deadline by just a day, my farm in California’s Central Valley won’t receive even a trickle of water for crop irrigation. Nothing will grow and my livelihood will be ruined.
So I always make sure this paperwork is done properly and submitted ahead of schedule. Perhaps you experience something similar on April 15, as you scramble to pay taxes.
It would be nice if the government returned the favor by performing important work in a timely manner.
Unfortunately, its refusal to do so now threatens our country’s economy and food security.
Federal regulators are supposed to take about six months to approve new biotech crop traits that benefit both farmers and consumers. This is according to the government’s own guidelines. In reality, the process now takes an average of almost three years.
Instead of trying to speed up this dawdling performance, however, Washington may allow the Environmental Protection Agency to build new hurdles that will turn a bad situation worse, threatening our country’s economy and food security.
It shouldn’t be this way. President Obama said so earlier this year, in his State of the Union address. He announced a review of government regulations “to reduce barriers to growth and investment.” Then he made a promise: “When we find rules that put an unnecessary burden on business, we will fix them.”
Obama should fix the delays in biotech crop approvals immediately.
Biotechnology has revolutionized farming, allowing us to grow more food on less land and at lower costs. It has strengthened our nation’s food supply and energized rural economies. For years, the United States has led the world in the research, development, and commercialization of these outstanding products. We’re on the verge of even greater progress, as scientists develop crops with traits such as drought tolerance and the benefits of biotechnology spread to minor crops.
Yet instead of capitalizing on this success, we’re letting our competitive advantage slip away. Last year, Brazil approved eight new biotech traits for corn, soybeans, and cotton, according to Agri-Pulse. The United States managed to approve only two new traits. At this rate, a dozen years will pass before the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) gets through the 24 applications it already has pending. A petition submitted this year would receive an answer in 2023.
The delays will grow even longer if the EPA gets involved, adding redundancy to inefficiency. America’s leading scientists agree.
“The increased regulatory burdens that would result from this expansion would impose steep barriers to scientific innovation and product development across all sectors of our economy and would not only fail to enhance safety, but would likely prolong reliance on less safe and obsolete practices,” wrote a group of 60 scientists, including two Nobel laureates, to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson last month.
We must restore common sense to biotech regulations.
If you’re late for your job, the boss docks your pay. If you’re late for school, the teacher marks you tardy. If you’re late with your mortgage, the bank charges extra.
Yet the federal government can ignore its own self-imposed regulatory deadlines. Fortunately, a first-term member of Congress has proposed a bill that offers a solution that merits discussion.
Rep. Stephen Fincher is from a town with an improbable name: Frog Jump. It’s a real place--and Fincher has suggested a way for biotech crops to leapfrog a sluggish regulatory process. His legislation would require APHIS to make a decision on crop applications within 180 days (or a little longer if reasonable extensions are required).
“As a farmer myself, I understand that a more efficient approval process will result in increased investment and jobs,” says Fincher.
Best of all, this legislation would boost our lousy economy at no cost to taxpayers or the government. At a time of 9 percent unemployment and shattered debt ceilings, it may not be the perfect solution but it’s a creative and potentially effective response to a nagging problem.
Fincher proposes a deadline but what he’s really offering is a lifeline.
Ted Sheely raises lettuce, cotton, tomatoes, wheat, pistachios, wine grapes and garlic on a family farm in the California San Joaquin Valley. He is a board member of Truth About Trade and Technology www.truthabouttrade.org | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/7541 | Open sourcing agriculture one seed at a time
While farmers may mistrust agricultural behemoths exercising outsized control on crop data and seeds, an open source balance between the two is the right answer.
Matt Asay
April 29, 2014, 7:12 AM PST
While enterprises everywhere rush to gain control over their data, a far more momentous data battle is brewing on the farm. Agriculture giant Monsanto declares it can increase world-wide crop production by about $20 billion a year by using data to optimize seed planting. Meanwhile, farmers worry that they may be ceding control of their crops. In a very real sense, agriculture is reliving the early days of open-source software.And, right on cue, there's an open-source seed initiative designed to give farmer "developers" perpetual control of their seeds ("code"). Will it work?Who owns the data?Farmers have long owned their crop and equipment data. While estimates vary as to how much value they individually collect from such data, no one has questioned that it is, in fact, their data. Until now.Monsanto and other agriculture giants have been steadily improving crop yields for decades with genetically modified seeds, among other innovations like data services derived from farm equipment machinery. Such seeds and services are proprietary, and Monsanto has launched lawsuits against nearly 150 US farmers since 1997 for replanting seeds that contain the company's proprietary characteristics, as the Wall Street Journal reports. The other problem for farmers is that as much as they may want the data to help their own yields, they worry about aiding their competitors. As John McGuire, an agriculture technology consultant who runs Simplified Technology Services and developed geospatial tools for Monsanto in the late-1990s, tells Salon.com, "If you inadvertently teach Monsanto what it is that makes you a better farmer than your neighbor, it can sell that information to your neighbor."It's a new spin on an old problem: corporate control and proprietization of otherwise open data. Many decades ago, John Steinbeck captured the essence of the problem in The Grapes of Wrath, suggesting that revolution might be the answer:"And the great owners, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of the people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need."Or perhaps they will turn to open source. Rather than fight the possibility of corporate interests stifling the farmer's ability to control his or her own land, some are turning to open source.Free the seed!
The problem with farmers' efforts to combat the proprietization of agricultural data is that there's simply too much to be gained from big data. But, as happened in software, there is a way to both embrace big data while still hedging against the hegemony of large commercial interests: open source.Recently, the Open Source Seed Initiative was born, promising to "open source" the "code" behind 29 varieties of broccoli, kale, and other seeds. The purpose, as the free seed pledge makes clear, is to "ensure your freedom to use the seed contained herein in any way you choose, and to make sure those freedoms are enjoyed by all subsequent users." What does this mean? The pledge goes on: "By attaching a free seed pledge to packets of open source seed, these genetic resources cannot be patented or otherwise legally protected, making them essentially available in perpetuity in a protected commons." Such seeds, in other words, won't become proprietary. Farmers will be able to use these seeds forever free of any corporate interest.While this doesn't ensure that crop data will be kept open, organizations like the Farm Bureau are considering establishing a trade group to collect and disseminate crop data. Under such a scenario, farmers could determine how to share their individual farming equipment and crop data. Presumably, the more they share, the more information they'd get from others, similar to how open source works. Feeding the planet with open sourceAs in open source, I suspect we'll come to welcome both corporate and community interest. Whatever the farmers' worries about behemoth agriculture companies using data against them, the reality is that a balance between individual farmers and corporations likely helps all. The trick is to get that balance right.In software, this has meant a balance between different licensing strategies, with the more restrictive GNU General Public License (GPL) balancing out the more permissive Apache Software License. Both are needed. As the agricultural community figures out this balance, we'll see farming get the same benefit that enterprise software has seen. The Open Source Seed Initiative is a great step in the right direction, as Glyn Moody captures:"The creation of free software 30 years ago has had a profound effect on computing, and helped fuel the rise of the Internet, with which it has a symbiotic relationship. Food and who controls it are arguably even more important issues for the world, and it would be nice to think that, despite its modest beginnings, the Open Source Seed Initiative might one day have as great an impact as its digital forebear."He's right. It's not the complete answer, but it's a great start to an answer that has dramatically reshaped software, giving us big data, the Internet of Things, and a host of companies that depend upon open source, like Google. What are your thoughts about open sourcing agriculture? Let us know in the discussion thread below.
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About Matt Asay
Matt Asay is a veteran technology columnist who has written for CNET, ReadWrite, and other tech media. Asay has also held a variety of executive roles with leading mobile and big data software companies.
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mjasay | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/8278 | Extensive changes have been made to the aid arrangements for cotton, with part of the Community support paid to ginners (65%) being converted into a single farm payment. In order to safeguard production in certain areas, area aid will continue to make up 35% of total aid. The new arrangements will apply from 1 January 2006. Cotton is not covered by any of the common market organisations (CMOs).
Council Regulation (EC) No 864/2004 of 29 April 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers, and adapting it by reason of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union.
Decoupling
Extensive changes have been made to the aid arrangements for cotton, with a partial move to a system of single farm payments. The move is only partial in that 35% of aid will continue to be provided in the form of an area payment (direct aid), with the remaining 65% being provided as a single farm payment.
There has been only a partial move to the new aid arrangements so as to protect certain areas in which production would cease if the new arrangements were fully applied.
Under the previous arrangements, growers did not benefit from direct aid for cotton but rather from indirect aid paid to ginners. The total aid available per hectare in each Member State is fixed at 35% of the national allocation that producers received indirectly.
Direct aid
As in the case of other direct aid to producers, farmers must fulfil certain obligations: cross-compliance, modulation and financial discipline.
National base area
Maximum area (total)440 000 ha
70 000 ha
Aid in euros per eligible hectare
300 000 ha > 594/ha70 000 ha > 342.85/ha
1 039/ha
556/ha
Additional support: restructuring
Reforming this sector requires financial assistance of EUR 22 million for adjustments. This expenditure will be entered in the 2007 budget.
This assistance, for restructuring programmes in production regions, will be financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guarantee Section as part of rural development policy.
The reform of agricultural aid for cotton, tobacco, hops and olive oil and table olives was negotiated together and included in the same Regulation in what was know as the "Mediterranean package".
All these products were subsequently included (April 2004) in the comprehensive reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) of June 2003, with the approval of the move from direct aid (aid paid by hectare, unit of output or livestock unit) to a system of single farm payments.
Cotton, tobacco, yeast, olive oil and table oils are grown in certain regions whose development is lagging behind. The reform aims to safeguard production in those regions by according priority to farmers' incomes rather than to providing aid for production. Coupled aid is to be provided for tobacco and cotton to permit adjustment to the new arrangements. Coupled aid may be paid for hops to take account of particular market situations or structural situations within a region.
The current reform affecting "Mediterranean products" is based on the Commission communication to the Council and to the European Parliament "Accomplishing a sustainable agricultural model for Europe through the reformed CAP - the tobacco, olive oil, cotton and sugar sectors ".
The current forms of aid for cotton will be abolished from 1 January 2006.
Entry into force - Date of expiry
Regulation (EC) No 864/2004
1.1.2006 (regarding cotton)
OJ L 161 of 30.4.2004
For further details, please consult the legislation on aid for cotton. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/9619 | PGI Formulates Diversion Program
Potato Growers of Idaho have announced the proposed diversion program they hope will be accepted by the industry.
In a news release issued Monday, Dec. 11, John Thompson, PGI communications director, said a company called Potato Management Company has been formed that can manage the oversupply in order to hopefully generate a market with positive fundamentals
The program will be presented to growers and industry representatives at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the University Place Auditorium on Science Center Drive in Idaho Falls, ID. (Note: the meeting was changed from it's originally announced 2 p.m. starting time.)
Fresh and process growers and shippers from all states will be invited to join with this true self-help program, Thompson stated. "We can choose to be victims of the inevitable changes occurring, or be proactive and initiate change."
Thompson said all growers with open potatoes would be asked to pay a fee and sell a portion of their crop in order to create a market for the remainder of the crop. All growers will benefit because the unmanageable surplus will be removed. The program is designed to improve both fresh market prices and insure the oversupply doesn't hang over next year's market, he explained.
"Even growers who do not have noncontracted potatoes are encouraged to help fund this effort. Timing is critical. The program must be in place by Jan. 15, 2001. There is no time for hand wringing," he continued.
The seven-point program spells out the need for a legal entity to target 10 percent of open potatoes, which they will buy from each grower for $1.
Growers will sign a one-year renewable membership with the PMC and pay $500 to fund the program plus two cents per committed cwt.
PMC will take control of the potatoes, inspecting and marking the storages. The sales contract will not be triggered until a sufficient overall volume of potatoes is committed.
PMC will dispose of the 10 percent purchased with any net cost of disposal charged to that member. If a sufficient volume is not committed, any unexpended funds will be returned to the members pro-rata. When a sufficient volume is committed a committee will be formed to make policy decisions for PMC. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/9767 | ABC invests $4.7 million for next gen almond farming, sustainability Feb 16, 2017 California wine grape industry seeks no-touch vineyard Feb 10, 2017 Jimi Valov: a proud ambassador of farming, community and pistachios Feb 13, 2017 Former Ariz. ginner Charlie Owen posthumously awarded Lifetime Achievement Award Feb 14, 2017 American Farmland Trust weighs in on farm bill debate
David Bennett 2 | Jun 03, 2006
Another group has thrown a set of proposals into the 2007 farm bill debating ring. On the 73rd anniversary of Franklin Roosevelt's signing of the first farm bill, the American Farmland Trust announced a desire to replace “outdated policies” with programs that will reach a greater number of farmers. At a May 8 news conference to introduce the framework, AFT president Ralph Grossi — flanked by Dan Glickman and Clayton Yeutter, two former agriculture secretaries supporting the plan — said, “Farmers, ranchers, conservationists and the public are ready to join hands to support a new farm bill that is truly pro-farmer and pro-stewardship and that creates new opportunities for American agriculture to serve local markets and compete around the world.” Titled “Agenda 2007: A New Framework and Direction for U.S. Farm Policy,” AFT's policy guidelines focus on paying farmers for environmental protection at the expense of direct commodity payments. Among the report recommendations: “Green payments” to create greater incentives for farmers to deliver environmental benefits. This would shift some $5 billion a year of crop subsidies to conservation. A financial safety net and tools to manage the risk of natural disasters and dramatic swings in prices and yield. Revenue-based risk management programs to replace counter-cyclical programs. A $1 billion grants program to foster innovative enterprises, markets and regional food systems. “The clock is ticking for U.S. agriculture,” said Yeutter. “Our farmers and ranchers can and should control their own destiny by taking the lead on farm policy reform. The alternative is to risk World Trade Organization (WTO) challenges that may impose reforms on us that we would prefer to avoid — like the reforms that have already occurred in cotton. Either way the stage is set for major policy changes. If we handle them skillfully and creatively we can eliminate our WTO vulnerability while still serving U.S. farmers well.” AFT's proposal is the “right formula for converting a potential policy train wreck into an unprecedented opportunity for a new generation of farmers and ranchers,” added Glickman. “These recommendations will recognize and reward farmers for stewardship of our nation's resources and improve the nutrition of our citizens through expanding access to specialty crops and fresh, locally grown food. This vision will rebuild public confidence in federal agriculture spending.” However, the speakers all said implementing the plan would take a toll. “There would be farmers who got less direct support from government,” said Grossi. “But (in AFT meetings) farmers told us that they'd rather have their income from the marketplace. So some of that money will be used to reinvest in new market opportunities, some will go to green payments. You have to think about these programs in a comprehensive fashion… “There would be reallocations of funding. There…are winners and losers anytime you make a major change in public policy. We need to talk about that upfront. What is the proper transition?…For those who won't come out with as much money as they've gotten in the past, (how do we make the) transition smooth?” The men said the push to simply renew the current farm bill is a bad idea. “We don't believe that's feasible,” said Grossi. We don't believe that 10 years from now farm programs will look like they do today. If you accept that — that change is on the horizon, is inevitable — then the earlier you start…the easier it is to make changes, the less traumatic the change and transition will be. And the more likely agriculture will play a role in designing that change. So the strategy is to put good ideas on the table and not accept the status quo.” Having served in Congress for 18 years as a representative from Kansas, Glickman is well aware of how politics work. “I know this won't be the easiest thing…because most members of Congress will naturally want to protect their local, home-grown constituencies. That's as much a part of the American political process as anything else. “But the politics of doing nothing or just (going with) an extension bring fewer and fewer players into the political mix. One of these days someone will take this from the forces of agriculture and will run a program through that isn't in agriculture's best interest.” Referencing his work as a former U.S. trade representative, Yeutter believes extending the current farm bill would be a major mistake. “We want to get all the market access we can from the Doha rounds to couple with the environmental energy benefits emphasized (in the AFT report). The only way to do that is at the negotiating table. We'd do (current negotiators) no favors by, in essence, pulling the rug out from under them through a short-term extension…That would be a major, tactical error.” Queried on support for the current farm bill based on region, Grossi admitted that is a factor. However, “there's a large (agricultural) segment — about two-thirds — that doesn't get direct support from the current farm programs. (That segment) has very pressing needs they want addressed. They have legitimate demands as they come to the table. This is in the livestock, specialty crop and niche farming areas. “I think it's going to be a lot harder to write a farm bill with, at best, a stable baseline but, possibly, a shrinking baseline with many more needs at the table. It might be easier if you start with a different framework than trying to piecemeal the old framework. That's our approach…” Proponents say the AFT proposal won't require any taxpayer funds over what's already being spent on agriculture. “We actually believe that it's well under the current baseline,” said Grossi. “That really depends on which revenue-insurance options we decide to implement…We also believe it fits within the October proposal the (Bush) administration made in the Doha round in terms of ‘amber box.’” Currently, the United States has a trade proposal that would reduce amber box subsidies substantially. If that proposal holds “then we'll need to make appropriate changes in (2007) farm legislation,” said Yeutter. “This plan provides the opportunity to do that with a lot less trauma than might otherwise be the case. What (AFT) has put together in new carrots in the environmental area…is really imaginative in responding to what…might emerge from the Uruguay round. That's something that hasn't been sufficiently (covered) thus far.” If the Doha round fails, “every one of our existing commodity programs is likely to be challenged in the WTO,” said Yeutter. “We may win some and lose some. But to operate in that kind of environment is very risky, indeed. If I was an American farmer, I wouldn't want to run that risk…Irrespective of what happens in the Doha round, we need this debate.” Despite the sluggish movement of the WTO negotiations, Yeutter said it's not time to throw in the towel. “It's much too early for that. Having been involved in about as many negotiations as anyone in the country, I can tell you there's a lot of ebb and flow. We shouldn't write off the Doha rounds by any means…” If the worst comes to pass and WTO countries begin retaliating against the United States, “it would begin to bring non-agricultural industries into the making of farm policy,” said Glickman. “That hasn't happened yet, but it could…That's something we'd probably like to avoid.” Will the AFT framework add to the sense that the 2007 farm bill debate will be commodities versus conservation? “It's not about conservation versus commodity,” insisted Grossi. “It's about old programs versus programs for the 21st Century. It's about old programs versus investing in the strengthening of agriculture…where we can help maintain our competitive position in the global economy.” (According to its literature, AFT is committed to protecting U.S. farmland. To see the entire AFT proposal, visit http://www.farmland.org/programs/campaign/default.asp) e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/9768 | ABC invests $4.7 million for next gen almond farming, sustainability Feb 16, 2017 California wine grape industry seeks no-touch vineyard Feb 10, 2017 Jimi Valov: a proud ambassador of farming, community and pistachios Feb 13, 2017 Former Ariz. ginner Charlie Owen posthumously awarded Lifetime Achievement Award Feb 14, 2017 Equipment>Irrigation Systems California relies on mixed bag for handling groundwater resources
In a typical year, California pumps about 30 percent of its water from wells. Much of the state's groundwater is used for agricultural irrigation. Donna Hesterman, Stanford University | Jul 15, 2011
In a typical year, California gets about 30 percent of its water from groundwater wells. Yet when it comes to managing this precious resource, the state of California relies on a mixed bag of more than 2,000 local water agencies with varying degrees of authority.
Critics say that this decentralized system leaves the state vulnerable to overdraft, which occurs when water is pumped out faster than replacement water is absorbed. But according to a new report published by Stanford University's Program on Water in the West, a surprising number of local water districts are taking on the challenge of groundwater protection, even without state leadership.
"Contrary to popular expectations, our report uncovers a treasure trove of innovative strategies for groundwater management in California," said the paper's author, Rebecca Nelson, a former Australian water lawyer who is now a graduate student in the Stanford Law School.
"The California legal framework for groundwater management is weak," Nelson said. "It doesn't compel local districts to do anything, so many of them don't. But there are these gems in the rough. This report highlights the work of some of these outstanding managers."
Statewide survey
To evaluate how well groundwater is managed in California, Nelson first had to overcome the lack of basic information about groundwater management in the state. Because California lacks a centralized data clearinghouse, she had to contact more than 50 local districts and request copies of their groundwater management plans – if they had any. "Maybe on two hands you could count the districts that acknowledge the environmental effects of over-pumping," Nelson said.
This lack of statewide data is a problem not only for researchers but also for local water agencies wishing to learn from each other and develop a comprehensive regional strategy, she said.
Despite California's inherent decentralization, the survey revealed that some local districts are making advances on a number of fronts, including conservation and transparency. Nelson found that several water agencies are developing effective conservation strategies without state mandate. The Mendocino City and Soquel Creek water districts, for example, have opted to limit pumping by issuing permits and charging fees, much like those used to manage rivers, reservoirs and other surface waters. To balance their water budgets, some districts are shifting their focus from water-supply augmentation to water-demand reduction. It's a politically risky approach, Nelson said, because most districts are governed by elected boards, and telling constituents that they no longer have unlimited access to groundwater could jeopardize a board member's re-election campaign.
Transparency has been another historic problem, she said: "Groundwater agencies are protective about their local information, because they fear that the state will intervene if it learns too much about local problems."
But in the survey, Nelson discovered that some agencies have begun to overcome this lack of transparency by forming new, unexpected partnerships. For example, the Northeastern San Joaquin County Groundwater Banking Authority in California's farm-rich Central Valley has decided to include environmental organizations in its groundwater management planning process. "It doesn't happen often that an agricultural district will bring in a group like the Sierra Club, but it's great when it does," Nelson said. Critical overdraft
A trained engineer, Nelson worked as in-house counsel for an interstate river basin commission in her native Australia before coming to Stanford to pursue a doctorate in law. She soon discovered that over-pumping had already caused serious problems in parts of California, where 11 groundwater basins suffer from critical overdraft.
"Years of groundwater siphoning can pose a variety of critical challenges," said Buzz Thompson, professor of law and co-director of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford. "As groundwater tables fall, for example, the cost of pumping water to the ground increases. Ultimately groundwater use can become uneconomic."
Subsidence is also a serious issue, said Thompson, noting that parts of the Central Valley have sunk 30 feet or more as a result of groundwater overdraft. "Overdrafting of groundwater can also reduce flows in hydrologically connected rivers and, in the case of coastal aquifers, lead to saltwater intrusion," he added.
State vs. local
The current system for managing groundwater in California evolved through a series of court battles between landowners over well rights dating back to the 1800s. Today, California is almost unique in having no statewide legislation providing for management of groundwater use.
Some experts recommend that a comprehensive strategy should be developed at the state level. But that's unlikely to happen, said Nelson, noting that many groundwater users will oppose new state regulations that could chip away at their water rights.
Ultimately, Nelson hopes that her report will inspire water management districts to collaborate and create a comprehensive plan that makes sense for the entire state. "The homegrown innovations uncovered by this report point the way forward for local agencies to better manage groundwater in California, and the way towards an updated and improved state policy structure to encourage them to do so," she said.
The Program on Water in the West is jointly run by the Woods Institute and The Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford. Nelson is also lead researcher with the Comparative Groundwater Law and Policy Program, a collaboration between the Program on Water in the West and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/10200 | Multinationals seek to milk Africa’s appetite for dairy
Multinationals seek to milk Africa’s appetite for dairy European groups aim to tap into growth potential through expansion across the continent
At Anno Walivaka’s two-acre family farm in a valley below Mount Elgon in western Kenya, daily milk production from its handful of cows has increased from less than five litres per animal to more than 15 within a decade. And Mr Walivaka is confident that soon “it could get to 20 or even 25 litres”.
Milk consumption in Africa is among the lowest in the world but, like the yield from Mr Walivaka’s cows, it is on the rise.
Those betting on the expansion of the African dairy sector include Arla Foods, the Danish dairy co-operative and French group Danone, as they look to the continent to spur growth.
On a visit to Kenya this month, Pierre-André Térisse, Danone’s executive vice-president for Africa, said he remained optimistic on the long-term outlook even though the recent slump in commodity prices and tight foreign exchange availability in some countries has made the business climate in Africa “more difficult”.
He forecast that the company’s revenues across the continent would rise by up to 10 per cent a year until 2020, and double that in west Africa.
That is more than twice its global growth outlook. It made €1.4bn in revenues in Africa last year.
Arla Foods also has big hopes for the continent. It has set a target of increasing its annual revenues from sub-Saharan Africa fivefold within five years – from €90m last year to €460m by 2020.
Last year, Arla created joint venture companies in Senegal and Nigeria aimed at improving its distribution network for expansion into west Africa.
Analysts say that despite the challenges of climate and low income, the potential demand for dairy in Africa is considerable.
Annual per capita milk consumption there is 37 litres, compared with the global average of 104 litres, according to World Bank data. Meanwhile, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is set to double by 2050 and become much more prosperous.
Kevin Bellamy, global dairy strategist at Rabobank, said, “Africa is definitely on the dairy map”, in a report in July, in which he highlighted that 14 dairy deals were done in the sector last year, compared with just three in 2014.
That interest is spurred in part, he says, by the slowdown in China that has led dairy companies to look to other developing countries for growth. Milk production in Europe is also set to rise after the lifting of EU quota restrictions last year.
However, deal activity in the sector has slowed this year. “The low oil price and the strength of the dollar make dairy less affordable in the region, so I think Africa is going to be a longer-term play,” says Mr Bellamy.
Danone, which first struck a deal in Morocco in 1953, has invested €1bn in Africa over the past two years, which has stretched its network across the continent.
This year it became the majority shareholder in west Africa-based Fan Milk and bought Halayeb, one of Egypt’s oldest cheese producers.
It is also deepening its relationship with Brookside Dairy, a Kenyan company in which it acquired a 40 per cent stake for €130m in 2014 and which is one of the largest dairy processors and sellers in east Africa.
Analysts believe Danone will focus Fan Milk on yoghurt, with the intention of developing sales in Nigeria, where yoghurt accounted for 20 per cent of dairy sales of $2.6bn in 2014, according to Rabobank. Danone is the world’s biggest yoghurt maker by sales.
“In Nigeria, Fan Milk was mainly an ice cream company,” says Miguel Azevedo, analyst at Citi. “I imagine now that Danone is in control they will steer it towards a more yoghurt-focused business and redirect the country’s strategy using their strength in that sector and their vast experience in the continent.
“Yoghurt is a high-margin business and in line with current trends in favour of healthy products; consumption in Nigeria, under normal economic conditions, will massively increase.”
Buying the stake in Brookside, which is majority owned by the family of Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, offers a springboard to further expansion. In 2015 Brookside bought the Ugandan dairy company Sameer Agriculture and Livestock; this year, it bought a majority stake in Inyange, a dairy, water and juice company in Rwanda.
“We’ve got a very good relationship and it’s a two-way street,” says Muhoho Kenyatta, Brookside’s executive chairman, of the links with Danone.
“We take from their global experience, and with milk collection, they’re learning from us.”
Mr Térisse, previously finance director, attributes Danone’s success to a “revolution” that began 18 months ago when all African operations were taken out of their respective product divisions and placed into a geographical-based unit, the only one in the company.
This contrasts with rivals such as Nestlé, which groups sub-Saharan Africa with Asia and Oceania, and north Africa with Europe and the Middle East.
A key part of Danone’s African strategy, he says, is to “make products that are built by Africans, for Africans”.
“So instead of fresh yoghurt, let’s look at long shelf-life,” Mr Térisse adds. “Instead of having nice cups, let’s look at having pouches if they’re more convenient. Instead of being only dairy, let’s look at cereals – there are many traditions which are mixing cereals and dairy in Africa.”
This will help the company achieve another goal, namely to expand its customer base. “One of the key objectives we have is to play in the mass market,” he says.
“We want to be able to provide to very poor people very specific offers.”
But Danone also wants to use the continent as a type of laboratory; to “invent in Africa things that we are going to use elsewhere”, Mr Térisse says.
“The problem of Europe, of many parts of the world, is when you change you have many things to lose,” he says. “In Africa, if we change we don’t have that much to lose, but we have much to win.”
A place out of time: Groups warned to wait before investing
Despite Danone’s success on the continent, Pierre-André Térisse, Danone’s executive vice-president for Africa, is advising multinational groups to delay big investments in Africa until the challenging economic conditions in many of the biggest nations improve.
“I don’t think it’s the right timing for people to make big bets and meaningful investments in Africa,” he said. “I think, yes, our bet is the right one. I think others will follow, but [not] immediately.”
His view was echoed by Sir Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline, who said on Tuesday that some African routes might be cut or have their frequencies reduced if current conditions persist.
Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital, said Mr Térisse’s stance was “understandable”, given that the biggest three African economies, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt, are either not growing or experiencing acute foreign exchange shortages – or both. John Aglionby in Kitale.
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2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/11049 | The Mosaic Company Announces Settlement of South Fort Meade Phosphate Mine Litigation
PLYMOUTH, Minn., Feb. 21, 2012
PLYMOUTH, Minn., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) announced today a settlement agreement with the Sierra Club, Manasota-88, and People for Protecting the Peace River in litigation challenging the company's federal wetlands permit at the South Fort Meade mine. This permit allows mining of the Hardee County Extension near Bowling Green, Florida. The settlement, which is subject to approval by the courts, will resolve the pending appellate and trial court proceedings regarding the permit in their entirety and allow mining at the South Fort Meade mine to proceed.
"Mosaic is pleased to have reached a reasonable agreement to end litigation that has loomed over the employees at our South Fort Meade mine for more than a year and a half. This settlement provides certainty around our South Fort Meade mine and we look forward to bringing it back to full production. We're hopeful this agreement provides the foundation to continue our constructive dialog with these interested stakeholders as we look to the future," said Richard Mack, Mosaic's Executive Vice President and General Counsel. "It's especially encouraging that this settlement includes a significant public benefit by conserving the Peaceful Horse Ranch property." Upon approval of the courts, Mosaic will soon begin mining the Hardee County Extension of its South Fort Meade mine in accordance with federal, state and local permits and approvals. The Hardee County extension will allow 10 additional years of mining at the South Fort Meade Mine, which employs more than 220 Central Floridians. The facility is one of the most efficient and cost effective phosphate mining operations in the world, historically accounting for nearly 20 percent of U.S. phosphate rock production. Since 2010, the mine has operated at a reduced capacity due to the permit challenge. Today's settlement agreement will conclude that litigation and allow the mine to return to its full operating capacity. Any financial charges incurred as a result of the settlement are not expected to be material.
The agreement requires the plaintiffs to dismiss their challenge to the South Fort Meade permit in exchange for certain commitments by Mosaic, including:
Preservation of approximately 130 acres of land otherwise eligible to be mined by Mosaic Donation of the Peaceful Horse Ranch in DeSoto County to the State of Florida or, alternatively, a not-for-profit organization for permanent conservation Certain mitigation, monitoring and site enhancements Additional efforts to obtain permanent conservation easements along the Peace River In December, Mosaic acquired at auction Peaceful Horse Ranch, which comprises 4,171 acres located in DeSoto County at the convergence of Horse Creek and the Peace River. The property is located immediately adjacent to existing conservation lands as well as the water intake for the Peace River Manasota Water Supply Authority. The Company purchased the property for approximately $10 million.
Peaceful Horse Ranch is on the State of Florida's list of priority projects for its Florida Forever land conservation program. Upon conveyance, Mosaic will also provide up to $2 million for startup and recurring expenses to operate Peaceful Horse Ranch as a state park in accordance with the State's Florida Forever program plans. Its conservation will expand wildlife corridors and preserve vital habitats and floodplain, while protecting a vital water resource from approaching development. Mosaic's South Fort Meade Hardee County Extension is 10,856 acres, of which approximately 3,200 acres are to be preserved under the permits authorizing Mosaic's mining activities. The existing permits preserve more than 73% of the site's wetlands and 60% of all streams on-site. Under the terms of the settlement, Mosaic will now have access to mine more than 7,000 acres of land containing viable reserves. About The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Mosaic is a single-source provider of phosphate and potash fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture industry. More information on the company is available at www.mosaicco.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of The Mosaic Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the predictability and volatility of, and customer expectations about, agriculture, fertilizer, raw material, energy and transportation markets that are subject to competitive and other pressures and economic and credit market conditions; the level of inventories in the distribution channels for crop nutrients; changes in foreign currency and exchange rates; international trade risks; changes in government policy; changes in environmental and other governmental regulation, including greenhouse gas regulation, implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's numeric water quality standards for the discharge of nutrients into Florida lakes and streams or possible efforts to reduce the flow of excess nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico; further developments in the lawsuit involving the federal wetlands permit for the extension of the Company's South Fort Meade, Florida, mine into Hardee County, including orders, rulings, injunctions or other actions by the court or actions by the plaintiffs, the Army Corps of Engineers or others in relation to the lawsuit, or any actions the Company may identify and implement in an effort to mitigate the effects of the lawsuit; other difficulties or delays in receiving, or increased costs of, necessary governmental permits or approvals; the effectiveness of the Company's processes for managing its strategic priorities; adverse weather conditions affecting operations in Central Florida or the Gulf Coast of the United States, including potential hurricanes or excess rainfall; actual costs of various items differing from management's current estimates, including, among others, asset retirement, environmental remediation, reclamation or other environmental regulation, or Canadian resources taxes and royalties; accidents and other disruptions involving Mosaic's operations, including brine inflows at its Esterhazy, Saskatchewan potash mine and other potential mine fires, floods, explosions, seismic events or releases of hazardous or volatile chemicals, as well as other risks and uncertainties reported from time to time in The Mosaic Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
SOURCE The Mosaic Company | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/11317 | MALPAI BORDERLANDS GROUP
ABOUT MALPAI
CONSERVATION ACTION
MALPAI BORDERLANDS GROUP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OUR COOPERATORS
THE FORMATION AND HISTORY OF THE MALPAI BORDERLANDS GROUP
Science Advisory Panel
Our goal is to restore and maintain the natural processes that create and protect a healthy, unfragmented landscape to support a diverse, flourishing community of human, plant and animal life in our borderlands region.
Together, we will accomplish this by working to encourage profitable ranching and other traditional livelihoods, which will sustain the open space nature of our land for generations to come.
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SCHOLARSHIPS In July of 2010 the Board of Directors of the Malpai Borderlands Group voted to establish a scholarship fund, in the memory of former Malpai Board Member Rob Krentz, to assist worthy high school graduates in the Malpai Borderlands region with furthering their education.
NEWS, MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS
High Country News; Why being a good neighbor is a good idea
The Nature Conservancy Magazine; New Life in the Badlands
MALPAI NEWSLETTERS
Following are links to past issues of the Malpai Borderlands Group Newsletters from 1994 to the present year. Please click here to read the newsletters.
Edward Elbrock
Edward Elbrock, Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the Malpai Borderlands Group, passed away on October 27, 2016. Edward was a beloved member of the ranching community and owned four area businesses that served local ranchers and farmers.
Edward's early involvement in the Malpai Borderlands Group helped lend credibility to the effort at a time when it was really needed. He was one of the first "Grassbankers", exchanging a conservation easement on his ranch for the opportunity to completely rest his pastures from grazing by moving his cattle on to a "Grassbank". At the time it was a bold and controversial move. Edward never expressed any regrets about his decision and was proud of having permanently protected his ranch from development.
The Malpai Borderlands Group was served by Edward Elbrock in many ways. For six years, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors, retiring in March of this year. In 2002, Edward took the first step in an exchange program between Maasai herdsmen in East Africa and ranchers in the Malpai Borderlands by going to Tanzania to help with conservation planning and to repair earthen dams. He also served as Malpai's representative on the Environmental Good Neighbor Board which addressed conservation issues along the U.S./Mexico border.
Besides his involvement with Malpai, Edward served on the Animas School Board, the Farm Services Agency Committee, and he chaired the Columbus Electric Cooperative. To sum up, he was a man of action and his actions on behalf of the efforts of the Malpai Borderlands Group will be long remembered and appreciated.
We are a grassroots, landowner-driven nonprofit organization attempting to implement ecosystem management on nearly one million acres of virtually unfragmented open-space landscape in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
The Malpai Borderlands area includes the San Bernardino Valley, the Peloncillo Mountains, the Animas Valley and the Animas Mountains. It is roughly pyramid shaped, with the base of the pyramid beginning just east of Douglas, Arizona along the Mexican Border to just west of Antelope Wells, New Mexico. The apex is just south of Animas, New Mexico.
With elevations ranging from 3500 to 8500 feet, the Malpai is a diverse area of mountains, canyons, valleys and riparian corridors. Several rare, threatened, and endangered plant and animal species are found here. It is the only place in the U.S. where Gould's turkey and white-sided jackrabbits occur naturally. It is also home to popular big-game species such as Coues deer, mule deer, pronghorn and Desert Bighorn sheep.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this huge landscape is that fewer than 100 human families reside on it. Many of the families who live here have been here for generations. Except for two small wildlife preserves, this is cattle ranching country. As ranchers, we have been concerned about a key resource we depend on for our livelihoods and way of life - the diminishing quality of grasslands for grazing. Fragmentation of the landscape, beginning with the subdivision of some ranches in our area, has also been a looming threat.
We formed a nonprofit organization to bring ranchers, scientists, and key agencies together, and today the Malpai Borderlands Group now carries out a series of conservation programs and activities, including land restoration; endangered species habitat protection; cost-sharing range and ranch improvements; and land conservation projects.We invite you to explore our website and learn more about our efforts.
View our Historical Photo Archive
MALPAI BORDERLANDS GROUPLast Updates: 2/21/17
© MALPAI BORDERLANDS GROUPAll Rights Reserved
Fax: 520-364-3310Email:malpaigroup@gmail.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3536, Douglas AZ 85608
Powered by http://www.hotdoodle.com, HotDoodle™ Custom Web Design and Quality Affordable Website Designers for Small Businesses and ProfessionalsMultilingual I18n website design | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/11662 | ’07 Crop Survey Results
filed under: Birds
The National Sunflower Association (NSA) has been conducting intensive field surveys since 2002. The 2007 survey was carried out by volunteers from universities, USDA, county extension agents and private seed companies. This year, volunteers in Manitoba, Canada, also participated in the survey. A total of 159 fields were surveyed, representing approximately one field per 10,000 acres. All surveyors used the same format. Data were submitted to and complied by Duane Berglund, recently retired North Dakota State University extension agronomist. “The survey results provide the basis for university and public research programs,” notes Steve Kent, NSA Research Committee chairman. “The research committee establishes priorities based on the survey findings. We want to direct limited grower and industry checkoff funds to problems and opportunities that are identified out in the field.” “Surveyors do extensive analysis of plant health, insect infestation, bird damage, populations, plant distribution within the field, tillage systems and weed identification,” Berglund adds. “This is the fifth year of the survey, so we are beginning to see trends. For instance, levels of weed infestations were greatly reduced this year compared to past years. Bird damage in North Dakota and Minnesota appears to be declining as well, compared to prior years.” — Yield-Limiting Factors —Drought was not a yield-limiting factor in 2007 as it was in 2006. The most common impacts on yield in North Dakota were diseases and inconsistent plant populations. It should be noted that surveyors can indicate “no problem” when fields are well managed. Thirty percent of the fields in North Dakota and Minnesota had “no problem,” which is very encouraging. The most important yield-limiting factors in South Dakota were plant population and lodging, while in Kansas they consisted of drought, weeds and plant spacing. Plant spacing and drought were cited in Colorado, while weeds, birds and diseases were the major production problems in Manitoba. Based on the survey results, bird damage appears to be on a decline in the Dakotas and Minnesota, having peaked in 2002. However, bird damage was higher in South Dakota this year compared to the previous two years. It is, however, important to point out that the surveys are generally taken in mid- to late September, prior to the movement of the large migrating roosts. So not all of the damage is going to be captured in the survey. Dr. George Linz of USDA’s Wildlife Services observes that more birds use corn fields for feeding in late August and early September. “It’s [during] this four-week period from the last half of August to middle September that at least half of the damage is taking place. Seeing these numbers is positive — and hopefully reflects the work done in cattail control and earlier harvest with desiccation in those bird hot spots,” Linz says. Regardless of the numbers, blackbirds continue to of major concern. — Insects & Diseases —2007 was a “buggy” year. The head moth population was large throughout the usual High Plains region and reached well into the Dakotas with significant populations. The banded sunflower moth was also well represented in sunflower fields in the northern half of North Dakota and Minnesota this year, with many fields being sprayed. One crop advisor predicted that growers in northern North Dakota would lose at least 300 pounds per acre without a timely insecticide treatment for banded moth. Seed samples were collected from each surveyed field and analyzed by USDA-ARS research entomologist Dr. Larry Charlet. The lab analysis will determine the extent of seed damage by any of the seed-boring insects. Of concern is the increasing number of long-horned beetle (Dectes) larvae being found. There are no insecticidal controls for this stem-boring insect at present, and the insect seems to be moving from Kansas into South Dakota and south central North Dakota. Delayed harvest can result in lodging. This insect certainly has grabbed the attention of sunflower researchers and the NSA. Red rust was the most prolific disease found throughout all of the growing regions. Severity of the disease, however, was not of economic consequences in most situations. Most of the infection appeared late in the season and thus had minimal or so impact on yield, according to USDA-ARS plant pathologist Tom Gulya. Gulya collected 160 rust samples from both cultivated and wild sunflower from all of the producing states. His lab is now in the process of identifying rust races. Once that’s completed, he will be testing a cross section of commercial hybrids to determine which hybrids are resistant to the prevalent races found in 2007. Sclerotinia was not a serious disease, due to the drier fall conditions. However, head rot did occur in October in several areas due to an extended rainy and foggy period. The lack of a killing frost contributed as well. That damage was not captured in this survey since the field survey had already been taken. — Weeds —The 2007 incidence of kochia and all other broadleaf weeds was much lower in the Dakotas and Minnesota, according to the survey results. Berglund relates this to good activation of pre-emergent herbicides this year because of more rainfall at planting. “Farmers had much better incorporation with timely rains before emergence. Farmers also have more herbicide choices now with post-applied products for broadleaf and grassy weeds,” he remarks. The sunflower survey coordinator added that Kansas and Colorado broadleaf weed incidence was much higher in 2007 compared to previous years. “Farmers have been complaining about Palmer Amaranth, and the survey indeed indicates the seriousness of this weed in those two states,” according to Berglund. A complete report on the 2007 sunflower production survey will be available in early January on the NSA website. Maps will also be available showing the distribution of insects, for example. Previous years’ surveys are posted at this site for comparisons. The 2007 results also will be presented at the 2008 NSA Research Forum, January 10 and 11 in Fargo N.D. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/12074 | Dr. Frank King, Jr.
The Watusi isn't just a 1960s dance; it's the name of a cattle breed with horns among the largest in the world. At his farm in Leicester, Dr. Frank King raises about 200 Watusi, along with a menagerie of camels, bison, yak, elk and more--all in the name of curiosity and nutritional research.
"We're all about education," King says. "We want to help people make good food choices that make a difference in their health." King's Carolina Bison specializes in lean, flavorful bison meat, selling it as steaks, roasts and sausages.
A chiropractic and naturopathic doctor, King prizes the meat for its health benefits and links it to longevity. "Bison is the real American red meat," he says, explaining that it was a crucial part of the Native American diet.
So what about the Watusi? King keeps the herd for research. He's interested in the nutritional benefits of different milks and meats. He promotes genetic diversity among species, so he gathers animals from all over the world for breeding. As a result, he's created an impressive display of rarities, such as white bison. The farm is open for tours, and King is working on expanding the attractions to include a train ride.
In addition to Carolina Bison, King operates King Bio, which creates and sells natural remedies nationwide. Major drug stores and grocery chains stock his products under labels such as Dr. King's Natural Medicine, Safecare, and Natural Pet.
When asked why Pennsylvania-born King settled in Asheville, he replied, "It was a gut feeling. We just had this inner peace and love for the place."
Dr. Frank King, Jr. | Carolina Bison | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/12253 | Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Prays for Rain
By MARY BRUCE
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via WORLD NEWS
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is praying for rain to bring relief from the drought, which is devastating crops and likely to push up food prices.
"I get on my knees every day," Vilsack told reporters at the White House today. "And I'm saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it."
Sixty-one percent of the U.S. is experiencing a drought, the worst in 25 years. Blistering heat and a lack of rain are threatening close to 80 percent of the corn and soy bean crops, leading to declining yields. The country's livestock is also in harm's way, as a result.
"Our hearts go out to the producers, the farm families who are struggling through something that they obviously have no control over and trying to deal with a very difficult circumstance," Vilsack said, following his Oval Office meeting with President Obama.
As of today, nearly 1,300 counties have been designated as disaster areas.
Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com The secretary admitted that the drought, which is already driving up corn and bean prices, will likely impact the greater economic recovery.
"One out of every 12 jobs in the economy is connected in some way, shape or form to what happens on the farm," he said. "So, obviously, this drought will provide some degree of uncertainty."
Vilsack urged Congress to provide help and assistance to the nation's farmers.
"The most important thing is for Congress to take action to provide some direction and assistance so that folks know what's going to happen, what kind of protection they're going to have," he said. "That certainty is really important, and that's whether they want to get to work on the food, farm and jobs bill, they want to develop a separate disaster program or an extension of existing programs, whatever it might be. Having that done as soon as possible will be quite helpful."
In the meantime, the USDA is opening areas in the Conservation Reserve Program for emergency grazing and giving farmers access to low-interest federal loans. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/12676 | Positive Environment News Stubborn Drought Expected To Tax Mexico For Years
Date: 22-Mar-12 Country: MEXICO Author: Mica Rosenberg and Noe Torres
Cattle graze on dry land in Chihuahua February 17, 2012. A severe drought in Mexico that has cost farmers more than a billion dollars in crop losses alone and set back the national cattle herd for yearsPhoto: Tomas Bravo
A severe drought in Mexico that has cost farmers more than a billion dollars in crop losses alone and set back the national cattle herd for years, is just a foretaste of the drier future facing Latin America's second largest economy.As water tankers race across northern Mexico to reach far-flung towns, and crops wither in the fields, the government has allotted 34 billion pesos ($2.65 billion) in emergency aid to confront the worst drought ever recorded in the country.The water shortage wiped out millions of acres of farmland this winter, caused 15 billion pesos ($1.18 billion) in lost harvests, killed 60,000 head of cattle and weakened 2 million more livestock, pushing food prices higher in Mexico.The overall cost to the economy is still being gauged but Mexico's drought-stung winter has been evolving for years and is expected to worsen as the effect of global climate change takes hold, according to the government."Droughts are cyclical - we know that - but they are growing more frequent and severe due to climate change," said Elvira Quesada, the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources.According to Mexico's AMSDA agricultural association, poor weather destroyed some 7.5 million acres (3 million hectares) of cultivable land in 2011 - an area about the size of Belgium. The federal agriculture ministry puts the figure at about half that.That helped push Mexico's food imports up 35 percent last year, a trend likely to persist through the 2012-13 crop cycle."There was talk of drought when I got here sixteen years ago," said Ignacio Becerra, a priest working in the rugged town of Carichi in Chihuahua state, which has suffered massive water shortages. "This year, not even corn or beans came up.""Watering holes that never ran dry are empty. Without rain this situation is going to get even more serious," he said.Zacatecas state, the country's main bean producer, harvested only a quarter of the usual crop after months without rain.Agriculture Minister Fransisco Mayorga said this week that Mexico will produce 21.8 million tonnes of corn in 2012 after a sharp drop in production in 2011 to 19.2 million tonnes due to the drought. The country may have to import white corn - used to make staple corn tortillas - on top of yellow corn imports from the United States for animal feed.The water shortage has forced Mexican farmers to cut back cattle herds as pasture lands dry out and increased the risk of wildfires, which ravaged northern Mexico and the southern United States last spring.ACCEPTING A DRY FUTUREMexican President Felipe Calderon, an outspoken advocate for mitigating and adapting to climate change, has ordered his government to start getting ready for tougher times.Experts believe Mexico will have to spend billions of dollars in the next two decades to maintain the water supply for irrigation and drinking water.Water authority Conagua says it must invest over 300 billion pesos ($23.68 billion) by 2030 to safeguard and modernize infrastructure by sealing leaky pipes, expanding reservoirs and even recycling household waste water.As policymakers plot their response to climate change, Mexicans must simply come to grip with years of little rain - and higher food bills for staples like beef.Darrell Hargrove, owner of farming and trucking firm Southwest Livestock in Del Rio, Texas, said the price of Mexican cattle for export to the United States had jumped by about a third over the last month and a half.Rising U.S. demand and shrinking herds in Mexico and north of the border raised the basic price for a 300 lb head of cattle to about $2 per lb from $1.50 since February, he said."We have the lowest cattle herd count here that we've had since about 1950," Hargrove said.Total livestock prices in Mexico were up by some 12.5 percent on the year in February, official data shows.Cattle ranchers in Chihuahua are watching their herds wither from malnutrition and say sick cows will have trouble reproducing, causing losses that could take a decade to recover.FOOD SHORTAGESThe human cost has also been harsh.The government said it provided food rations to more than two million people, though agricultural group AMSDA said 8 million people had been affected by the lack of water.More than 400,000 residents in the six driest states were without water at the end of December, Conagua said, with reservoirs in two states half-empty and another two less than a quarter full.The indigenous Tarahumara people of northern Mexico suffered particularly hard, with tens of thousands of poor families hit. The government says it delivered millions of liters of milk and tonnes of food, but the situation is acute."This year the Tarahumaras have not been able to harvest corn or beans, which is the basis of their livelihood," said local priest Becerra. "And the worst is yet to come - April, May, June, July are the driest, hottest months ... which will make the situation much more serious and complex."Deforestation worsened conditions for indigenous people around the copper canyon in Chihuahua and many have left for cities to escape poverty and hunger."We're at the point of no return. The northern part of the country is drying out. If the rains don't come, the situation is going to be worse than serious. It will be a disaster," he said.While rain-starved communities pray for a downpour that would replenish wells and reservoirs, experts say the northern half of Mexico is in a persistent dry cycle."The current drought was probably unfolding 20 years ago," said Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, a hydrologist with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)."These dynamics are going to continue for the next few decades."The IADB, which works in Latin America and the Caribbean, promises $1 out of every $4 it lends over the next three years will go to conservation as well as adapting and mitigating climate change. The bank lent nearly $11 billion last year.A fleet of several thousands trailers is making round-the-clock trips in a race to get clean water to remote communities, but it may not be enough if the drought wears on.Summer rains typically break the winter dry spell but Conagua expects March rainfall to be half of normal years and it does not see a break to the crisis before July.(Additional reporting by Lorena Segura and Dave Graham in Mexico City and Julian Cardona in Ciudad Juarez; Written by Patrick Rucker; Editing by Marguerita Choy) | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/13204 | No Frost Fix Thanks to Feds
Crop Damage Due to Freezing Could Be Mitigated If Not for Overzealous Regulators
Henry I. Miller, M.D.
In much of the world, consumers’ morning glass of orange juice is going to become more expensive. Think of the price increase as a tax that benefits no one, but emanates from government stupidity.
As a result of the January freeze that badly damaged Florida’s oranges (as well as other fruits and vegetables) in March, Florida-based Tropicana was forced to raise its prices on some containers of orange juice and shrink the package size of others to pass along higher costs. By July, the price of orange juice on the commodity markets had more than doubled from the price in early 2009.
Frost damage to crops is not unusual; losses to American farmers average in the billions of dollars annually. Peaches, plums, citrus, and other crops are regularly threatened by frost in the Southeast. California is also susceptible: A January 2007 freeze there cost farmers more than $1 billion in losses of citrus, avocados, and strawberries, and a 1990 freeze that caused about $800 million in damage to agriculture resulted in the layoff of 12,000 citrus industry workers, including pickers, packers, harvesters, and salespeople. In 2002, lettuce prices around the country went through the roof after an unseasonable frost struck the Arizona and California deserts.
Technology can mitigate much of the damage—or, more accurately—it could have, had not government regulation placed obstacles in the way of innovative solutions. Those obstacles illustrate what innovators are up against and how flawed, unscientific public policy prevents science and technology from spurring a robust recovery from the recession.
Currently, farmers attempt to prevent frost damage with pathetically low-tech methods. These include burning smudge pots to produce warm smoke; running wind machines to move the frigid air; and spraying water on the plants to form an insulating coat of ice. The only high-tech solution, a clever application of biotechnology, has been frozen out by federal regulators.
In the early 1980s, scientists in industry and at the University of California devised an ingenious new approach to limiting frost damage. They knew that a harmless bacterium, which normally lives on many plants, contains an “ice nucleation” protein that promotes frost damage. Therefore, they sought to produce a variant of the bacterium that lacked the ice-nucleation protein, reasoning that spraying this variant bacterium (dubbed “ice-minus”) on plants might prevent frost damage by displacing the common, ice-promoting kind. Using gene splicing, the researchers removed the gene for the ice nucleation protein and planned field tests with ice-minus bacteria.
Then the government stepped in, and that was the beginning of the end.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified as a pesticide the obviously innocuous ice-minus bacterium that was to be tested in northern California on small, fenced-off plots of potatoes and strawberries. The regulators considered the naturally occurring, ubiquitous, “ice-plus” bacterium a “pest” because its ice-nucleation protein promotes ice-crystal formation that damages plants. Therefore, according to their reasoning, other bacteria intended to displace it would be a “pesticide.” This is the kind of absurd, sophistic reasoning that could lead EPA to regulate outdoor trash can lids as a pesticide because they deter or mitigate a “pest”—namely, raccoons.
At the time, scientists inside and outside the EPA were unanimous that the test posed negligible risk. (I wrote the analysis submitted by the Food and Drug Administration.) No new genetic material had been added, only a single gene whose function was well known had been removed, and the organism was obviously harmless. Nonetheless, the field trial was subjected to an extraordinary long and burdensome review—by both the National Institutes of Health and EPA—only because the organism was genetically engineered.
Henry I. Miller, M.D. ([email protected]), a physician and fellow at the Hoover Institution, headed the FDA’s Office of Biotechnology from 1989–1993.
Precautionary Regulation Is What's Rotten in Denmark
Emission of Greenhouse Gases Is the Latest Target of this Often Misused Principle
Orphan Drug Changes Brewing at the FDA
Initiatives to De-Risk Drug Development Could Include Redesigning Clinical Trial Requirement
Innovation Can Prosper in a Regulated Environment
Contrary to Popular Belief, Government Intervention May Be a Good Thing | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/14037 | Risk Analysis of Tilapia Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: A Monte Carlo Simulation Approach
Final_Draft.pdf (1.043Mb)
Kodra, Bledar
Risk Analysis of Tilapia Recirculating Aquaculture Systems:
A Monte Carlo Simulation Approach
Bledar Kodra
(ABSTRACT)
The purpose of this study is to modify an existing static analytical model developed for a Re-circulating Aquaculture Systems through incorporation of risk considerations to evaluate the economic viability of the system. In addition the objective of this analysis is to provide a well documented risk based analytical system so that individuals (investors/lenders) can use it to tailor the analysis to their own investment decisionsâ that is to collect the input data, run the model, and interpret the results. The Aquaculture Economic Cost Model (AECM) was developed by Dr. Charles Coale, Jr. and others from the department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech. The AECM is a spreadsheet model that was developed to help re-circulating aquaculture producers make strategic business decisions. The model can be used by potential producers interested in investing in re-circulating aquaculture through development of a financial analysis that in turn will help them obtain funding for the enterprise. The model is also useful for current producers who want to isolate inefficient aspects of their operation. AECM model consists of three major sections which include the Data Entry, Calculations and Analysis. The first section requires that the producer conducts background research about their operation to ensure accurate calculation and analysis. The calculation section provides a great deal of information about the operationâ s finances, while the analysis section provides information about the operationâ s financial stability. While the AECM is a powerful model, it is based on single, usually mean, values for prices, costs, and input and output quantities. However, market, financial and production uncertainties result in fluctuating prices, costs and yields. An individual who is making management decisions for a re-circulating aquaculture system will be faced with some or all of these uncertainties. By adding simulation to the AECM model to account for these uncertainties individuals will be able to make better management decisions. Information of the varying likelihoods or probabilities of achieving profits will be of crucial interest to individuals who plan on entering into or modifying an existing aquaculture system. Risks associated with six variables were examined in this paper: feed cost, feed conversion, mortality rate, capital interest rate, final weight, and output price. Data for the Interest Rate and output price were obtained from the Federal Reserve System and NMFS website respectively. Expert opinion was the source of data for the other variables. After probability distributions were applied to the random variables to account for the uncertainty the model was simulated for ten thousand iterations to obtain expected returns for three years in advance that the model calculates an income statement. In addition to that, sensitivity analyses were carried out in order to inform the producer which factors are contributing the most to the profitability of the operation. In this way the producer will have a better idea as to which aspects of the operation to monitor closely and consider modifying. The analysis shows that the mean income for the three years will be negative and thus the business would be losing money. The simulated mean net incomes were: -$216,905, -$53,689, -$53,111 for year1 through year3 respectively. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that output price is by far the most significant input that makes the overall bottom line to fluctuate most. Output price was on top of the list for all the three years analyzed in this study. Feed cost and Feed conversion were the next most significant inputs. The other inputs were also significant in explaining the fluctuation of the bottom line; however both their regression and correlation coefficients were small. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/14949 | Agweb HomeMyMachinery.com HomeNewsOne Big Conversation
One Big Conversation
By Charlene Finck
National talk show joins Farm Journal Media family
As the only nationally syndicated long-format radio program fully dedicated to agriculture, "AgriTalk" gives voice to important issues impacting farmers and rural America. Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, is a frequent guest on the live
daily talk show hosted by Mike Adams, right.
Every weekday "AgriTalk" shares live, on-air conversations— and sparks many more across farm country. Host Mike Adams makes it his mission to cover the most important issues facing agriculture and rural America on the nationally syndicated talk show. Working with producer John Herath, Adams interviews guests and moderates lively conversation with the audience.
The popular show, which has been on air since 1994, recently became a part of the Farm Journal Media family through an acquisition completed in December. With the ownership transition, the show continues to air on the 70 affiliate stations in the Midwest and starts its expansion into other markets.
"We’re the only talk show devoted entirely to agriculture, and many of our shows are done on location across the country," says Adams, who has been hosting the show since 2001. "Listeners can call, text or e-mail questions in for our guests."
Adams is no stranger to agriculture or to radio. He grew up working on a grain and livestock farm in central Illinois. He served west-central Illinois on WLDS radio in Jacksonville as farm director and has served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.
His strong farm background and understanding of the issues important to the agriculture industry make it easy for Adams to ask tough, insightful questions that probe for perspective and understanding. The show also strives to connect farmers and ranchers with consumers.
"We cover a variety of topics on each show and offer something for almost everyone," says Adams, who travels more than 100 days a year to host the remote broadcasts.
Throughout the years, Adams has covered state and national agricultural events in 11 countries, met Pope John Paul II, Fidel Castro, five U.S. presidents and every U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for three decades.
Affiliate stations airing "AgriTalk" are in 13 states, primarily in the Midwest. The show airs live from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central. The shows are also archived for on-demand listening at www.AgriTalk.com.
If you have suggestions for guests or topics for Adams to include on future "AgriTalk" shows, shoot him an e-mail at madams@farmjournal.com.
If "AgriTalk" isn’t available on your local radio station, you can listen to the show as it is streamed live at www.AgriTalk.com. The shows are also archived, so you can listen to them on-demand.
"AgriTalk" airs on 70 affiliate stations in the Midwest, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central or on demand at www.AgriTalk.com
For a list of affiliate stations by state, visit www.FarmJournal.com/stations
You can e-mail Charlene Finck at cfinck@farmjournal.com. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/15266 | PlantsPerennial Plants & FlowersPerennial Flowers List of Italian Flowers List of Italian Flowers
List of Italian Flowers
Italy's flowers reflect the country's diverse climactic conditions. The northerly Italian Alps are home to coniferous forests and seasonal flowers that can withstand the cold winters and wet summers. The northern lowlands (Po Valley) has seen the greatest degree of cultivation and human settlement, reducing its once deciduous profile. The Mediterranean region, which is identified most closely with Italy, defines primarily central and southern Italy.
Buttercups And Primroses
The cold and wet alpine climate in northern Italy sustains meadows of wildflowers at elevations of over 6,000 feet, including glacier buttercups and primroses. Glacier buttercup or glacier cowfoot (Ranunculus glacialis) is an herbaceous perennial, producing five-petal white and yellow flowers. Its herbal properties provide for homeopathic remedies. There are around 500 species of primroses (Primula), the majority of which grow in alpine and other cold climates. They are perennial, herbaceous plants and members of the Primulaceae family.
Tuscan Crocuses, Sunflowers, Poppies
The Etruscan crocus (Crocus etruscus) grows in the woodlands and fields of Tuscany in central Italy. Its springtime blooms are lilac with cream-colored edges, usually appearing before the leaves unfold. It is a member of the Iridaceae family. The genus name derives from the Greek "krokos." It is a source of saffron, a popular cooking seasoning. The sunflower (Helianthus) is synonymous with Tuscany, although it also grows in other parts of Italy. It is a tall, fast growing annual that thrives in full sun and well drained soil, though it does best with generous, regular watering. It cannot tolerate frost, but it survives dry conditions. In Italy, the sunflower is called "girasole" which means "sun turner" for its ability to grow in the sun's direction (known as heliotropism). Sunflower seeds are a very popular snack. The Tuscan papavero or poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is an annual that probably arrived in Italy from north Africa. The bright red flowers thrive in the sunshine and the clay soil of Tuscany. Besides their natural beauty, Tuscan poppies have various culinary and medicinal benefits. The content of the petals aid insomnia, the seeds flavor bread and desserts and the leaves make delicious additions to salads.
Tulips, Mimosas And More
Italy has a tradition of botanical gardens that dates back to the 13th century at the Vatican in Rome where a garden held plants for medical study. Today there are about 30 botanical gardens throughout Italy displaying plants and flowers of significance to the area. At scenic Lake Maggiore, the botanical gardens established in 1931 at the Villa Taranto, exhibit mimosas, tulips, magnolias, hortensias, and dahlias, set amidst fountains and water plants. The mild, Mediterranean-like climate favors tropical and warm weather plants and flowers. The 40-acre gardens were the brainchild of Capt. Neil McEacharn (1884 to 1964), a garden designer who donated them and the villa to the Italian state. The gardens are open to the public.
Flora And Fauna of Italy: Habitats
Clark University: Glacier Buttercup
The Alpine House: Etruscan Crocus
glacier buttercups, Italian sunflowers, Tuscan poppies About this Author
Based in Northern California, Maureen Katemopoulos has been a freelance writer for more than 25 years. Her articles on travel, the arts, cuisine and history have appeared in publications such as "Stanislaus Magazine," "Orientations," "The Asia Magazine" and "The Peninsula Group Magazine." She holds a Baccalaureate degree in journalism from Stanford University.
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Garden Flowers That Like Sun | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/15292 | Panel to focus on future of ag leaders Written by Gothenburg Times Thursday, 09 January 2014 14:38 LINCOLN—For more than 100 years the United States has been the world leader in agricultural production and innovation.
Today there are concerns that’s changing. What would changes mean for Nebraska and U.S. agriculture? For food production for the world?
These and other questions are part of “Regaining the U.S. Lead in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education,” the free Heuermann Lecture panel topic at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the Nebraska East Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.
Catherine Woteki, USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics, and Dan Glickman, former U.S. secretary of agriculture, will begin the discussion, outlining where the U.S. currently stands in world leadership in agricultural production and natural resources research and education. This is at a time there’s concern markets signal the beginning of the end of more than 50 years of global agricultural abundance.
They’ll look at the global landscape as well as challenges facing U.S. and world agriculture.
Then both will join Philip Pardey as a panel to discuss what needs to happen next. Pardey is a University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics professor and co-author of “Agricultural Innovation: The United States in a Changing Global Reality,” a report sponsored by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Clayton Yeutter, former U.S. secretary of agriculture and native Nebraskan, and Ronnie Green, Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will serve as panel moderators.
“In the last decades we’ve seen U.S. investments in agricultural and natural resources research and education decline at the same time an increasing world population means more mouths to feed,” Green said. “Decline in investment has brought a corresponding slowdown in U.S. production growth. Yet countries that compete with the U.S. in agricultural production haven’t decreased their research and development dollars, and their agricultural production hasn’t slowed.”
Noting the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in December 2012 called for increasing investments in U.S. agricultural research to meet growing challenges, Green said panelists will discuss what happens in the U.S. and in the world if the U.S. no longer leads agricultural and natural resources research and education. Is this decline in investment a conscious decision that’s OK, or is action needed? If so, what action?
“These and other questions are of vital importance to an agricultural state like Nebraska,” Green said, “and, for that matter, to everyone who eats.”
Woteki also is USDA’s chief scientist. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Agricultural Research Service, National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service, as well as the National Agriculture Library and National Arboretum. She has served as first undersecretary for food safety at USDA, as global director of scientific affairs for Mars Inc., and as dean of agriculture and professor of human nutrition at Iowa State University, where she also headed the Agriculture Experiment Station.
Glickman was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1995-2001 and currently is executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program. For 18 years he represented Kansas’s 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and chairman of the Motion Pictures Association of America Inc. He is co-chair of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Global Agricultural Development Initiative.
Pardey also is director of the University of Minnesota’s International Science and Technology Practice and Policy Center. Before joining UMN he was a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., and a senior research officer at the International Service for National Agricultural Research in The Hague, Netherlands. He’s the author of more than 220 books, articles and papers, including “Persistence Pays: U.S. Agricultural Productivity Growth and the Benefits from Public R&D Spending.”
Heuermann Lectures in IANR focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the world’s people, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs. They’re made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.
Heuermann Lectures stream live at heuermannlectures.unl.edu, and are archived at that site shortly after the lecture. They’re also broadcast on NET2 World at a date following the lecture. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/15355 | Peanut plants grow on a Halifax, N.C., farm that received federal subsidies in 2011.It's amazing how many different kinds of people have been trying to abolish or at least change the government's payments to farmers. They include economists, environmentalists, taxpayer advocates, global anti-hunger advocates and even a lot of farmers. Some have been fighting farm subsidies for the past 20 years.This past year, those critics laid siege to offices on Capitol Hill because the law that authorizes these programs — the farm bill — was about to expire. (It has to be renewed every five years.)But instead of passing a new five-year renewal, Congress extended only parts of the previous bill by nine months.And so the reformers lost, again.On the other hand, the big farm organizations that wanted to lock in generous subsidies for another five years also failed. All in all, the result was more like a stalemate, and the battle over farm subsidies now will resume in the new Congress. Some of the anti-subsidy campaigners are calling it a victory.What's this argument all about? The economic case against subsidies is pretty straightforward: Taking money from taxpayers to make life more secure for farmers is wasteful and inefficient. "There's seemingly an intent to remove as much risk from agricultural production as possible with subsidies and subsidized insurance. We typically don't see anything like that for other sectors of the economy, at least not to that degree," says Barry Goodwin, a professor of economics at North Carolina State University.Environmentalists like Scott Faber from the Environmental Working Group blame crop subsidies for destroying wildlife habitat. "Subsidies encourage farmers to plow up wetlands and grasslands that they wouldn't plant if they were simply responding to the market," he says.The anti-hunger advocates, like Oxfam, argue that aid to American farmers makes it harder for farmers in poor countries to compete in the global marketplace. And the local/organic/alternative farming crowd says those subsidies go to the wrong kind of agriculture — big farms growing corn, soybeans, cotton and rice, which aren't really the cornerstones of a healthy diet. If there are subsidies, these groups say, they should go to small farms, organic farms, and farmers growing fruit and vegetables.Over the years, these critics have had some successes. Farm payments went way up in the late 1990s, but they have been falling ever since.Last year, the anti-subsidy alliance saw a big opportunity. The law was up for renewal at a time when farmers hardly needed help. Apart from dairy and meat producers who were hit hard by last summer's drought, farmers have been doing very well in recent years, better than most Americans.So the negotiating and dealing started.The reformers got Congress to kill one big subsidy program, called direct payments. This program passed out more than $4 billion a year to farmers based simply on records of past agricultural production from land that they own.Farmers, for their part, argued that farming is still a really risky business and that farm programs help ensure a stable supply of food. They persuaded Congress to increase subsidies for another kind of safety net, crop insurance.And then, in the frantic end-of-the-year rush to resolve the government's fiscal crisis, all of that went out the window.House and Senate leaders simply extended the farm subsidies that have been in place for that past five years. Those programs will continue until September.When Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, heard what had happened, she went to the Senate floor on New Year's Eve to vent her outrage. "Here's what happens under this extension: The subsidies that we agreed to end, continue! It's amazing how it happens. The folks that want the government subsidies find a way to try to keep them at all costs."Some of those advocating for reform of farm subsidies agreed that the extension was a disaster. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, which represents small organic farmers, was angry. The coalition thought that Congress was on the brink of funding a collection of small programs that funnel money to organic farming and local food production.But Faber, from the Environmental Working Group, which has led the anti-subsidy fight for many years, saw it as a partial victory. Congress, he noted, had refused to approve generous new five-year deal for farmers. Instead, the battle will continue in the new Congress. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. © 2017 ideastream. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/15846 | News FDA: Federal food safety law carries price tag
See also: "FDA rolls out first rules on federal food safety law."
The costs to fruit and vegetable growers for complying with the newly proposed produce safety regulation have been estimated at more than $30,000 annually for large farms and about $13,000 per year for smaller farms.
Those figures come from the Food and Drug Administration’s cost-and-benefit analysis of the produce safety rule regulation, one of two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act components released Jan. 4.
The FDA estimates the new food safety regulations on growing and packing will prevent 1.75 million foodborne illnesses annually.
The proposed rule imposes new standards on growers for worker training and hygiene, agricultural water purity, biological soil amendments, equipment, tools and buildings. Exemptions to the proposed rule were carved out for produce commodities rarely consumed raw, produce used for personal or on-farm consumption, produce that receives a “kill step” to reduce the presence of microorganisms and farms with average annual sales of $25,000 or less.
Other growers with sales less than $500,000 (and who sell mostly to consumers or nearby retailers and restaurants) can qualify for exemption or fewer mandates — as outlined in the Tester Amendment.
The FDA calculates the benefit from reduced foodborne illnesses to be $1.04 billion. The FDA estimates the cost of the legislation to domestic farms at $460 million annually and $171 million a year for foreign farms. Net benefit was calculated to be $406 million annually.
Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, said it is hard to predict foodborne illness outbreaks. He said one of the benefits of the regulation is greater consumer confidence in produce safety and less damage to the industry from recalls.
Taylor said FDA plans to collaborate with the produce industry, state agriculture departments and University Extension agents to educate growers on the new requirements and to provide technical assistance and training.
Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the FDA, said in a Jan. 4 news conference that the produce safety rule will allow small and large farms to organize themselves around one set of standards, rather than multiple standards from multiple buyers.
“Now there is going to be a uniform, agreed-upon approach that I think will both be driven by the best possible science and be agreed up and enforced at various levels, both local, state, industry and by FDA,” she said.
The produce safety rule was one of two rules released on the two-year anniversary of President Obama’s signing of the federal food safety law.
A second rule released Jan. 4 is the regulation designed to prevent foodborne illnesses originating from food facilities.
The proposed rules are available for public comment for the next 120 days, according to a news release from FDA. After the comment period, the FDA could take up to a year to publish final rules, Taylor said.
Industry leaders said they immediately began reviewing the lengthy proposals.
Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said Jan. 4 he was glad the produce safety rule was finally out.
“The industry has been in limbo for the past year waiting for the rules to come out, so at least now we have begun the process of looking at them and over the next 120 days we will talk to membership and groups and around the country to provide some input on what we see,” he said.
The 547-page produce safety rule is so long that average growers may have difficulty reviewing the proposal, said Chris Schlect, president of the Yakima, Wash.-based Northwest Horticultural Council. He predicted the 4-month comment period may be extended because of the length of the proposed rules.
“The fear I have is not so much for the big operations because they have people on staff trained to deal with these kinds of things,” he said.
While the smallest farms are exempt from regulation by the food safety law, Schlect said mid-sized family operations might be driven out of business by the regulation.
Schlect said he hopes the FDA provides flexibility for low-risk commodities, including apples and pears.
Officials for PMA and United Fresh declined comment until they could review the proposals in-depth.
Produce safety rule
The produce safety rule proposes enforceable safety standards for the production and harvesting of produce. This rule proposes science- and risk-based standards for fruits and vegetables, according to the release.
The produce safety rule proposes that larger farms comply within 26 months after the final rule is published in the Federal Register, according to the FDA release. “Small” and “very small” farms would have more time to comply, according to the release. All farms will have more time to comply with water quality requirements.
Food facilities rule
The 680-page proposed rule on food facilities requires makers of food to be sold in the U.S., (whether domestic or imported), to develop a formal plan for preventing foodborne illness, according to the FDA release.
The proposed rule would establish requirements for a written food safety plan, hazard analysis, food safety measures to prevent contamination, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and associated records.
The agency said it is proposing that many food manufacturers be compliant by a year after the final rules are published; small and very small businesses would be given additional time.
FDA’s implementation of the proposed regulations will require additional funding, Taylor said.
Hamburg said additional rules on imported food and accreditation standards for third-party food safety audits overseas.
costs and benefits of food safety rulefda rulemakingproduce safety rulepreventive control rulefood and drug administration About the Author: | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/16189 | www.FarmCollector.com | Subscribe Questions? Call 1-866-624-9388 or Contact Us
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A CENTURY OF FORD AND NEW HOLLAND FARM EQUIPMENT
From Fordson tractors to New Holland North America. Author Norm Swinford concentrates on North American operations model-by-model through the entire tractor line. Includes the story of Abram Zimmerman and his New Holland Machine Works in 1895 and Edwin Nolt's self-tie baler in 1940, and how New Holland acquired the business. Specifications, Nebraska tractor tests and serial numbers. HC, 288 pages, more than 775 photos.
Author: Norm Swinford
Format: HRD
A GUIDE TO HART-PARR OLIVER & WHITE FARM TRACTORS 1901-96
From the first gas traction engine by Hart-Parr through the 1929 merger that created Oliver Farm Equipment Co. through White Motor Co.'s purchase in 1960. Model research, information and photos. Nebraska tractor test and serial numbers. SC, 104 pages, more than 200 black-and-white photos.
Author: Larry Gay
Format: PBK
BIG BUD 747: THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRACTOR
When it was first introduced, Big Bud caught the attention of farmers and tractor enthusiasts worldwide. The monstrosity of Montana holds the unofficial title of the most famous tractor in the world. John Harvey's new book takes a unique glimpse into this fascinating agricultural icon, complete with stunning photography pairing Big Bud with some of man and nature's other big beasts. 128 pages.
Author: John Harvey
CATERPILLAR: MODERN EARTHMOVING MARVELS
For Caterpillar: Modern Earthmoving Marvels, author Frank Raczon dug up the dirt and constructed the only modern history of the world's heaviest machinery. So many things differentiate the Caterpillar brand from its competitors that it can be difficult to know where to begin. From its trademark Caterpillar Yellow to its tradition of making the most rock-solid products on earth, everything about the Caterpillar name is synonymous with the world's toughest machines. In fact, the company's success has led to it being used by economists as a bellwether for the state of the economy as a whole. In this book, Raczon details the largest and most modern earth-moving machines today, with down-to-earth explanations of how and why they work the way they do, as well as interviews and quotes from Caterpillar's engineers and operators themselves. Featuring rare historical photography and insight from noted industrial historian Keith Haddock, this book offers a glimpse of how Caterpillar's meteoric rise from an under-the-radar producer of agrarian and industrial equipment led to its modern status as an international corporate superstar. Filled with excavators, backhoe loaders, motor-graders, off-highway trucks and more, this book is sure to capture the imagination of anyone who has ever passed a construction site and wondered just how the machines work the way they do and what they're truly capable of.
Author: Frank Raczon, Keith Haddock
CLASSIC FARM TRACTORS
From iconic stalwarts to more eccentric entries in the ag industry, scores of farm tractor classics from the 20th century are profiled in this colorful, fun and fact-filled book. Veteran tractor author Robert Pripps tackles each model with aplomb, offering concise descriptions and histories along with informative specification charts that give the lowdown on all-important considerations like horsepower ratings, engine sizes, weights, fuel types, and more. Illustrated with color photography by Ralph Sanders and Andrew Morland, Classic Farm Tractors is arranged chronologically to give a better sense of farm tractor evolution and includes all of the usual suspects (from the likes of John Deere, Farmall, Fordson and Ford, Case, Allis-Chalmers, Minneapolis-Moline, Best, Caterpillar, Massey-Harris, Massey Ferguson, Oliver, Rumely, and Hart-Parr) as well as lesser-known and forgotten marques manufactured throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, Pripps includes a generous selection of farm tractors from Europe, including models from Fiat, Lanz, Le Percheron, Renault, Deutz, and more. Classic Farm Tractors is an entertaining look at the tractors we all know and love as well as the oddball tractors that fans find fascinating. With well over 200 photographs of more than 100 years of tractors from all over North America and Europe, it's the perfect gift for tractor lovers.
Author: Robert N. Pripps
CLASSIC FARMALL TRACTORS
From the first tractor built in 1924 to the last Farmall model to roll off the line, this richly illustrated history tells the full story of Farmall tractors and fills in a key chapter of American agricultural history. The engaging text by Kenneth Updike, a historian on International Harvester, is accompanied by modern and vintage color photography, as well as black-and-white images from Farmall's early days. Farmer, mechanic, tractor enthusiast: whatever your interest in this American icon, you will find a captivating account of its manufacture under the beloved Farmall brand.
Author: Kenneth Updike
CLASSIC VINTAGE CRAWLERS AND DOZERS, VOLUME 1
From Benjamin Holt's early-1900 crawlers to C.L. Best's gasoline-powered models, this volume highlights Allis-Chalmers and Case through the 1970s and Caterpillar of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Learn about development of the mighty crawlers and dozers that helped shape our nation. Hundreds of color photos. HC, 188 pages.
Author: Amato & Heimburger
COMPACT TRACTORS
Compact Utility Tractors, or CUTs, are cute little cutters! As farming became more refined so did the needs of tractors. The answer was a smaller, more maneuverable and fuel-efficient tractor with a variety of implements and attachments. With this focus on special needs, attachments became available such as plows, disc harrows, mower decks, cultivators, spreaders, snowblowers, and more. They have become a necessary utility for farmers, orchards, small construction jobs, and landscaping/maintenance for estates, parks and golf courses. At the forefront of this evolution was the Farmall Cub and John Deere Model L. Then came the Japanese invasion; a new kind of tractor by companies such as Yanmar and Kubota. These four-wheel drive machines were rugged and tough and used a variety of hydraulically powered attachments. American companies like John Deere, International Harvester, and Massey Ferguson built their own their own four-wheel versions. Today's compact tractors, such as the Kubota BX series, Massey Ferguson's GC series, and the John Deere 3000, offer an even larger selection of implements for special purposes.
Author: Dennis David
EARLY FARM TRACTORS: A HISTORY IN ADVERTISING LINE ART
Providing an interesting glimpse into the steam traction engines and internal combustion tractors that revolutionized the world of farming, this collection focuses on American tractors from the late 1850s to the beginning of the Great Depression. With farm journal advertisements -- dating from 1909 through 1929 -- this account considers how something as ordinary and utilitarian as a tractor seems to have inherent standards of good design, correct proportion, and beauty. Intended for tractor enthusiasts, historians, artists, illustrators, students of industrial design, and graphic art lovers, this fascinating book recounts an important piece of history.
Author: Jim Harter
FARMALL: THE RED TRACTOR THAT REVOLUTIONIZED FARMING
In Farmall: The Red Tractor That Revolutionized Farming, the history of the Farmall is traced from the first Farmall, developed in the early 1920s, through its evolution to the new Farmall models. The book combines a broad cultural history of Farmall with photos of restored machines, as well as color and black-and-white archival photography.
Author: Randy Leffingwell and Robert Pripps
FIAT TRACTORS FROM 1919 TO THE PRESENT
Fiat's first agricultural tractor was presented to the civil and military authorities of Turin in 1918 and marketed the following year by the Federation of Agricultural Consortia. This book uses original photographic documentation to illustrate the origins and development of the company's agricultural products, tackling the technical and human aspects of a story that has seen the introduction of more than 500 models since 1918. This is the first comprehensive study of the Turin-based firm's history in the agricultural sector. This updated edition includes all the New Holland new series presented from 2008 up to 2011.
Author: William Dozza, Massimo Misley
FORDSON NEW MAJOR E1A
The Fordson Major tractor was produced in large numbers at Ford's Dagenham factory in the United Kingdom from 1951 until 1964, and was exported across the world, including to the United States (where it was called the Ford 5000 diesel). Produced with gas, diesel and kerosene-burning engines, the E1A was the subject of continuous development during its life and was a huge success. Many examples of the E1A can still be found at work on farms today, 50 years after the first models entered production. This extensively illustrated book provides a unique insight into this classic tractor.
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2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/16492 | Missouri 2012 Growing Season Climate Summary
An extremely challenging year was faced by farmers in 2012 when a historic drought emerged early in the growing season and persisted into summer. More than 2/3 of the country was immersed in drought as summer progressed, a situation not experienced in nearly 60 years. For much of the growing season, Missouri and Kansas were the epicenter of the drought, with severe to exceptional drought conditions stretching from Utah to Indiana in July and August, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center's Drought Monitor map. Missouri's first form of widespread relief occurred on the last day of August when remnants of a tropical system brought significant rainfall to much of the state. Unfortunately, by then, significant drought damage had occurred.
The growing season got off to a good start for producers when record warm March temperatures were followed by mild and dry weather in April. These conditions provided numerous opportunities for early spring planting, some at record pace. According to the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, 75% of the corn was planted toward the end of the April, which was 3 weeks ahead of normal. Unusually dry conditions had evolved over the Bootheel region and parts of west central Missouri in April, but there was optimism for a wetter pattern setting-up in May, typically Missouri's wettest month.
Unfortunately, a wet regime did not emerge in May and an unusually dry, warm and sunny period impacted the state for much of the month. Some locations in northeast, central and east central Missouri went 24 consecutive days (May 8-31) with less than 0.10 inches of rain. Some of the lowest monthly totals were in southeastern Missouri where Perryville and Poplar Bluff reported 0.40" and 0.30", respectively. Only a handful of counties reported more than 5 inches for the month, which is near average for May.
Numerous sunny days in May and June, coupled with above normal temperatures and below normal relative humidity, led to unusually high moisture loss from soils, water surfaces and vegetation. The high evaporative losses, in combination with lack of rainfall, resulted in a "flash drought" across the state as agricultural and horticultural impacts rapidly emerged. Reports of deteriorating pastures, declining soil moisture reserves, limited stock water supplies, and crop stress increased significantly as May progressed. Homeowners' lawns began turning brown and irrigation was going at a summer like pace in many locations.
May 2012 ranked as the 7th driest May on record for Missouri (tied with 2005), with a statewide average total of 2.25 inches, or nearly 3-inches below normal. It was also Missouri's 4th warmest May on record, and warmest May since 1987. A seasonal temperature record for spring was also established with a March through May average temperature of 62°F, smashing the previous record spring warmth, set in 1977, by an incredible 3 degrees F.
By the end of June, one of the worst droughts in nearly 25 years was impacting Missouri and agricultural crops were feeling the stress from lack of rain and sweltering temperatures. Precipitation data indicate June 2012 was the 6th driest June on record for Missouri and the driest since 1988. Statewide average June rainfall was less than two inches, or nearly 3 inches below normal. The combined May-June average rainfall for the state was 4.20 inches, ranking it the 6th driest May-June period on record and the driest since 1988. Extreme heat during the last week of June exacerbated the stressful conditions with many locations reporting triple digit heat and record temperatures. The last time Missouri experienced 100-plus degree heat in June was 1988. On June 28th, several communities reached all-time high temperature records for the month of June including St. Louis, Columbia, Rolla, and West Plains with 108, 107, 106 and 106°F, respectively.
Grass fires increased during June and burn bans were imposed across the state. Toward the end of the month, a forest fire in the Mark Twain National Forest burned 600 acres in Iron County. According to the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, by the end of June, 97% and 93% of the topsoil and subsoil moisture supplies, respectively, were in short to very short condition. Nearly half of the corn and soybean crop was reported to be in poor to very poor condition, and is the highest percentage for the time of year since 1988. Pasture condition had declined to 76% poor to very poor, and hay and stock water supplies were also declining with more than half in short to very short condition.
Unrelenting dryness and extreme heat persisted through July. The average statewide temperature for the month was 83.7°F, or 6.4°F above normal. It was the hottest July for Missouri since 1980. July rainfall was paltry for the state, with a statewide average total of 1.67 inches, or 2.57 inches below normal for the month. It was the 9th driest July on record, and the driest July since 1970. Generally, west central and southwestern Missouri received the least amount of rain, with less than 0.50 inches reported in many locations. Several counties in far southwestern Missouri reported less than 0.25 inches for the month. Some localized and scattered thunderstorm events brought heavier rainfall to other areas of the state, including parts of south central, southeast and north central Missouri where 2-4 inches were reported.
Drought impacts continued to mount in July including widespread crop and pasture losses, livestock stress, and declining stock water and hay supplies. Hydrological issues such as dry wells and stream beds, low river levels, and rural and urban water restrictions were increasingly common. Even with burn bans in place, grassfires and forest fires were reported. The extreme conditions were adversely affecting gardens, lawns, trees and shrubs with numerous instances of vulnerable species succumbing to water and heat stress. Wildlife was impacted by the lack of healthy vegetation and dwindling water resources.
By the end of July, and according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Missouri had the distinction of having the worst corn, soybean and pasture conditions in the United States. Corn, soybean and pastures were reported to be in 83%, 72%, and 98% poor to very poor condition, respectively. Soil moisture reserves were abysmal with 99% of the topsoil and subsoil reported in short to very short condition. Hay and stock water supplies were well below normal and reported to be in 86% and 91% short to very short condition, respectively.
It was also the 3rd warmest and 3rd driest May through July period on record for Missouri. Only May-July 1934 and 1936 were warmer and May-July 1901 and 1936 were drier.
The historic drought impacting Missouri intensified over portions of the Show Me state in August where, according to the 8/28/2012 Drought Monitor map, 97.44% of the state was in extreme or exceptional drought. Significant and widespread moisture relief was not realized until the remnants of Hurricane Isaac moved northward from Louisiana and Arkansas into southern Missouri on the last day of August. Much of the state reported substantial precipitation from Isaac over Labor Day weekend.
The statewide precipitation average for August was 2.35 inches, or 1.3 inches below normal. Lowest August totals were concentrated across central Missouri where many locations reported less than 1-inch for the month. Prior to Isaac, portions of Missouri were recipients of significant rain events and brought temporary drought relief. Most notably, rain impacted southwestern, south central, east central and northwestern sections. Precipitation enveloped a large part of Missouri on 8/31 as Isaac remnants spiraled northward into the Show Me state. The tropical depression lingered in Missouri for much of Labor Day weekend and brought widespread drought relief in the form of a steady rain falling over multiple hours.
Average statewide precipitation for the summer period, Jun-Jul-Aug, was 5.97 inches and ranked as the third driest summer on record, and driest summer since 1953.
Cooler September temperatures in Missouri, in combination with rain events, mitigated the drought conditions impacting the state, but by no means eliminated it. Preliminary temperature data indicate a statewide average temperature of 66.7°F, or slightly less than 1 degree F below normal. The cooler than normal month broke a string of 11 consecutive months with above normal temperatures for Missouri. Preliminary rainfall data for September indicated an average statewide total of 5.23 inches, nearly 1-inch above normal, and only the second time this year, following March, when a month recorded above average rainfall. Heaviest September totals fell across southern Missouri where 5-7 inches were typical. Some of the lowest September amounts were in far northern and northwestern sections, where 1-2 inches were common.
Varying periods of warm and cool weather, and the lack of any widespread killing freeze for most of October, allowed additional vegetative growth and green-up of lawns and pastures across the state. Topsoil moisture conditions improved across southwestern, south central and northeastern sections where above normal rainfall totals of 4-6 inches were common. Below normal October rainfall occurred over northwestern, west central and a few southeastern counties, where less than 2-inches were reported for the month. Long-term severe and extreme drought conditions were still impacting northwestern, central and far southeastern Missouri toward the end of October, where year-to-date deficits were 8-12 inches. Significant surface water recovery was especially notable over southwestern sections where more than 10 inches of rain fell between September-October.
Even though overall drought conditions have improved across Missouri this fall, a complete recharge of water resources above and below the ground was not realized by the end of October. According to the October 28th, 2012 Missouri Agricultural Statistics report, 46% of topsoil moisture in the state was in short to very short supply, and 79% of the subsoil moisture supply was reported short to very short. Additionally, 78% of the stock water supplies were reported to be in short to very short supply and 60% of the pastures were in poor to very poor condition.
The highest likelihood for hydrological drought to carryover into next year exists across northwestern Missouri, where a significant precipitation deficit remains and precipitation is climatologically the lightest between November and February. Normal Missouri precipitation from November to February ranges from 4-6 inches in the northwest corner to 16-18 inches in the Bootheel. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/16940 | Barrow Holds Small Business Hearing to Discuss the Impact of Genetically Modified Crops
By: John Barrow
Date: June 29, 2005 Location: Washington, DC Barrow Holds Small Business Hearing to Discuss the Impact of Genetically Modified Crops
At the invitation of 12th District Congressman John Barrow, Bainbridge farmer and small businessman Thomas Dollar came to Capitol Hill today to testify before Congress on the agricultural and economic benefits of genetically modified crops. The hearing, entitled "Different Applications for Genetically Engineered Crops" was held by the Small Business Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture, and Technology, which Barrow serves on as the Ranking Member. "As we make our way through the early years of the 21st century, biotechnology and genetic engineering are some of the advances leading the way in agricultural innovations," Barrow said. "New technology and improved crop yields are extremely important to the U.S. agricultural economy, and to rural America. Managed responsibly, they can help small farmers meet today's challenges and reduce the risk to crops and the land itself." Studies show that genetically modified crops have been responsible for helping cut output costs for farmers, while reducing pesticide use and increasing annual yield. In 2002, the National Center for Food and Agriculture Policy found that the 8 major biotech crops in use by U.S. farmers were developing substantial annual benefits, including $1.2 billion in reduced crop cost while at the same time producing an increased yield of 4 billion pounds and a 46-million pound reduction in pesticide use. Thomas Dollar, who is the President of both the Decatur Gin Company and the Miller County Gin Company, offered a first person perspective on how advances in genetically modified cotton seed have helped him stay economically competitive. During his testimony, Dollar detailed how his pesticide applications have been cut by two-thirds since he began using modified cotton seed in 1998. Now, on the 2,500 acres of cotton he farms, the reduction of pesticide use has cut his costs by as much as $167.25 an acre. "This reduced cost is helping my bottom line in an ever-competitive cotton market," Dollar declared. "Globalization, a new Farm Bill, Brazil's WTO case against the US cotton programs, and broader WTO negotiations continue to bring enormous uncertainties to my future business planning. But given all of these uncertainties, at least I know that my ability to adopt the latest agricultural technologies such as new biotech traits will help me compete in these changing times." "Reduced pesticide applications are also providing a positive environmental impact," Dollar continued. "As I mentioned, I have switched from a variety of herbicides to using primarily just Roundup on my crops. Unlike many other herbicides that I have used in the past, Roundup is non-residual." http://barrow.house.gov/latestnews.asp?ARTICLE3205=5195 | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/17690 | Sign in or Subscribe. See Offers Posted August 26, 2013
Proposed farm rules resisted
They’ll slow the growth of the local food movement, critics say, but others note that small farms are exempt. By HOLLY RAMER The Associated Press Share
Comment Read Article CONCORD, N.H. — As the local food movement gains steam, northern New England farmers are steaming mad about proposed regulations they fear will leave them unable to meet growing consumer demand for their produce.
Andre Cantelmo of Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton helps run Eastman’s Corner, a foundation dedicated to making local farms an economically and environmentally sustainable, integral part of the community. The group is preparing to break ground on a large food distribution and preservation center, but uncertainty over looming food safety rules could halt that progress, Cantelmo said.
Andre Cantelmo of Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, N.H., joined hundreds of fellow New England farmers at public hearings last week on expanded food-safety rules. The Associated Press Search photos available for purchase: Photo Store →
“We have this really amazing local food movement, it’s got this head of steam, it’s moving along, and then you get something like this law, which really puts the kibosh on it,” he said. “This is what holds up economic development – weird regulations that no one knows they’re going to be implemented. Why would you expand your business?”
Cantelmo and hundreds of his fellow farmers from Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire attended public hearings last week on proposed rules for implementing the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, which aims to create a system for preventing foodborne illness instead of reacting to it. Among other measures, the rules would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination, including ensuring that workers’ hands are washed, irrigation water is clean and animals stay out of fields.
New England farmers have argued that many aspects of the rules were derived from large-scale farming practices that don’t apply to the region’s smaller farms. And they suspect the rules are part of a larger effort by corporate farms to get rid of smaller operations they view as threats.
“I’m all for food safety. But when food safety becomes the excuse to write rules and regulations that drive small farms out of business, the people need to make it clear that enough is enough,” said Maine state Rep. Craig Hickman, who operates an organic farm in Winthrop.
The proposed rules exempt farms with less than $500,000 in annual sales as long as half those sales are direct-to-consumer. Farms with less than $25,000 in sales also are exempt regardless of where they sell their produce.
Michael Taylor, a deputy commissioner with the Food and Drug Administration, was among the panel of federal officials who led last week’s hearings. He estimated that about 110,000 farms nationwide, or more than half, would be exempt from the rules based on the scale of their operations.
“I think there are a lot of folks who will be exempt who aren’t clear about that yet,” he said. “When you look at the concentration of small farms here (in New England), it’s a very large percentage.”
Taylor said there are legitimate concerns about whether farms approaching various threshold levels would be discouraged from expanding, but he emphasized that federal officials are trying to make the standards as targeted as possible.
While Taylor was familiar with most of the issues that came up at the two sessions, he said hearing directly from farmers was a “tremendous learning experience.” Some of the farmers, however, came away far from satisfied.
Hickman said federal regulators “disrespected all farmers” by holding the sessions during their busiest time of year. And Michael Smith of Gypsy Meadow Farm in Plainfield said major issues, including enforcement, were left unaddressed. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/17838 | Follow @thecattlesite News & Analysis Features Markets & Reports Sustainability Knowledge Centre Directory Events Our Shop News Feed Grain Markets Grow in a Shrinking World22 October 2015 ANALYSIS - Stable and, in some cases, even higher stocks and favourable harvests of maize, wheat and other cereals offer livestock producers the prospect of stable feed prices in the coming year, reports Jackie Linden from a recent grain market conference.With a background of growth in the global markets for grains, more and more of these commodities are being traded internationally.
This trade is not a simple case of supply and demand but rather, politics and exchange rate fluctuations are playing ever greater roles in global markets, attendees at the recent Grain Market Outlook Conference 2015 in London recently heard. The event was organised by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB).
Good News for Livestock Farmers: Arable Farmers Urged to Prepare for Period of Low Prices
Commodity prices tend to go in cycles and we are now established in the “ugly” side of the cycle from the cereal producers’ point of view. How much longer it will last is uncertain so arable businesses need to be sure of their strategy for a continued spell of low prices and poor profitability, according to Jack Watts, Lead Analyst in Market Intelligence with the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds Group.
Jack Watts said that there are no concerns over supplies of wheat or maize
Weather is an ever-present risk, as are political intervention and currency fluctuations, he said, urging growers in the UK to take their most commercial and competitive approach to achieve long-term resilience for their businesses. Price risk management is critical throughout the supply chain, he warned.
Wheat is abundant around the world as big crops in most of the major producing countries are forecast to increase overall stocks. As a result, prices have fallen and consolidated towards that of maize, which Mr Watts expects to stimulate future demand for feed wheat.
Relatively slack export demand exacerbates stock build-up, which will be weighted by changes in the US dollar and policy over wheat export taxes in Russia. Where there is an active futures market, there are incentives to put wheat into store rather than be overly competitive for exports.
According to Mr Watts, this is the third consecutive year when there are no short-term concerns over supplies of the world’s leading feed grain, maize (corn). With fewer global suppliers of maize than wheat, the possible impacts of weather-related events in those countries increase the likelihood in the longer term of bigger peaks and troughs in prices.
Analysis of the global maize market in recent years reveals Russia is growing as an exporter, and the country could take an increasing role in future if Ukrainian production continues to fall and currency shifts encourage Russian growers to shift from wheat to maize. China’s role in the global maize market is opaque but it appears to be increasing stocks.
Supply and demand for barley are more finely balanced. While global production is up slightly this year, there have been lower harvests for the main exporting countries such as the EU, Russia and Ukraine. Access to the Chinese market is critical yet the volumes imported vary widely from one year to another, depending on stocks and policy. Saudi Arabia is also a leading importer of barley.
Sorghum is emerging as an alternative to barley on the global feed grains market, Mr Watts noted. It has the advantage of being a more drought-tolerant crop than barley. The US is the leading exporting country and production has increased sharply over recent years.
Macroeconomics and What They Mean for Commodity Prices
With plentiful global supplies of grains and oilseeds, prices are likely to remain under pressure for arable producers, according to Hamish Smith, Commodities Economist at Capital Economics in his presentation on what the global macroeconomic outlook means for agricultural commodities.
Hamish Smith discussed the impact of economic conditions around the world on agricultural commodities
That is good news for poultry and livestock farmers, who need not fear an imminent return to very high feed prices, which account for much of their total production costs.
With its large population, China has grown to hold a dominant share in the consumption of many of the main agricultural commodities. Its share of global imports is more mixed, however, and is low for rice, maize and wheat. Domestic policy to increase the country’s level of self-sufficiency in maize and wheat are not expected to have a big impact on the global commodity markets.
Developments that have affected investor confidence this year include a sharp fall in Chinese equity prices, a run of weak economic data in the manufacturing sector and exchange rate reform. However, Mr Smith said he sees no signs in the economic fundamentals of the “real” economy heading for a crash.
Meanwhile, in the US, the economy is recovering robustly and the Federal Bank is likely to begin raising interest rates soon. According to Mr Smith, the stronger US dollar will keep commodity prices down while farmers in key producing countries with depreciating currencies - such as Brazil, Ukraine and Russia - may have an incentive to raise production further to maximise their revenue. High output and low prices of Black Sea wheat have presented strong competition to US exports in recent times, he said.
While the Euro-zone is recovering, the situation is uncertain. Mr Smith contended that, with the Greek crisis not resolved, no further bail-out is going to solve its problems and, sooner or later, Greece will leave the Euro, adding to the pressure on other peripheral countries. He added that the possibility of the UK leaving the European Union will not help in the recovery of the region.
ABC of TTIP
Detailed negotiations have been going on for more than two years but it is the lack of public knowledge about the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and the EU that seems to be fuelling fears on both sides, according to Dominic Watkins, a partner and Head of the Food Group with national legal business, DWF LLP.
Dominic Watkins discussed the potential problems emerging in EU-US trade negotiations
Like the recently concluded Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) between 12 nations of the Pacific Rim (including the US), Mr Watkins explained, TTIP offers huge opportunities for increased trade between the signatories along with other advantages that include lower administrative costs associated with future trade. Both the partnerships build on the work of the World Trade Organisation, which has been opening up trade across the globe for two decades.
TTIP will cover the free movement of goods and services as well as public procurement between the US and the EU. It has three aims at its core: to facilitate trade by removing unnecessary barriers to trade; to make the systems of the two parties more compatible without lowering existing standards of regulatory protection and to equalise technical barriers to trade.
In order to get a deal, EU governments gave the mandate to negotiate the Partnership with the US, and the resulting negotiations started in July 2013. TTIP covers 24 ‘chapters’ in three sections – market access, regulatory cooperation and the rules.
Ten rounds of negotiations have taken place in the meantime, and regulatory co-operation has emerged among the contentious issues. On technical barriers to trade, Mr Watkins cited food labelling and health claims for food item as among the most challenging areas.
Included in the category of ‘food safety and animal and plant health’ are genetically modified organisms (GMOs), hormone-treated beef and the use of pathogen reduction treatments in the slaughterhouse.
These topics illicit strong emotions on both sides of the negotiations as well as among the general public but they arise from differences in interpretation rather than serious disagreement over their aims, he asserted.
There is still much detail to be agreed and the target date for completion of the end of 2015 is likely to be missed, Mr Watkins said. When agreement is reached, the final decision has to be agreed by all 28 EU governments, the European Parliament and the US government.
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2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/17935 | Silicon Valley & Technology New Corn Varieties Could Combat Famine During Drought August 24, 2010 8:00 PM
Increasingly frequent droughts across Africa threaten to destroy the livelihoods of millions across the continent, but a new study has found the adoption of drought resistant corn could save African farmers and earn them nearly $1 billion in the coming years.Hundreds of millions of Africans rely on corn production for income, as well as basic sustenance in their daily lives. But in recent decades, drought has wreaked havoc on populations across the continent, killing many and forcing others to rely on handouts to survive. From 2007 through 2009 unusually low rainfall across East Africa devastated rural communities and forced the Kenya government to adopt measures to combat food shortages and rising prices. But a new study conducted by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center has found new breeds of corn could help farmers fight the effects of drought and provide food throughout periods of low rainfall. The study, conducted in cooperation with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found widespread adoption of so-called "drought-tolerant" corn could result in collective economic benefits of around $900 million for African farmers by 2016. According to the study, the new breeds could also save consumers more than $500 million in drought related price increases during the same period. According to one of the report's authors, Wilfred Mwangi, the introduction of drought-tolerant corn will be critical for African farmers trying to weather the effects of global climate change."The issue of climate change is a reality," said Mwangi. "Drought occurs very, very often in sub-Saharan Africa. It is even predicted that by 2050 we might even need entirely different varieties of maize if we are going to mitigate against drought. This whole question of climate change and drought out of that climate change is the major constraint to maize production in Africa. This is an important strategy that famers can use to adapt against climate change."According to Mwangi, who is also the associate director of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center's Global Maize Program, many of Africa's farmers are small-scale subsistence producers with little or no access to irrigation systems, which leaves them especially vulnerable to drought conditions. He told VOA the introduction of new corn varieties could boost yields by as much as 30 percent and protect against future shortages.East Africa has managed to recover from two consecutive years of drought with help from unusually high rains in late 2009 and early 2010. The rains were caused by an "El Nino event" and produced extremely high crop yields across the region. But early signs of a "La Nina" event have many expert predicting reduced rainfall in the coming months. According to a brief released in August by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, the developing "La Nina" could inhibit the rainy season, which typically lasts from October through December. If the rains fail, another devastating, region-wide drought can be expected as early as February.
UN: Food Insecurity in Kyrgyzstan to Grow Worse
Despite Rise in Wheat and Corn Prices, US Producers Make Their Push in Asia
White Zimbabwe Farmers say Politics Trumps Justice at SADC Summit
Blueberries a Big Hit in South Korea
Insurance Initiative Could Protect Farmers Against Drought in Kenya | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/18021 | Action, not words!
Nzamujo, Godfrey
Nzamujo, Godfrey. 1995. Action, not words!. Spore 55. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
There have been too many false-starts and failures in Africa and, as a result, many of our people suffer from a poor self image. This is no basis for development. But there is another Africa, not yet known to the mass-media and the world at large,...
There have been too many false-starts and failures in Africa and, as a result, many of our people suffer from a poor self image. This is no basis for development. But there is another Africa, not yet known to the mass-media and the world at large, which recognizes that Africa can survive if Africans draw on their own traditions, energy and creativity to become self-sufficient. Looking at Africa today, the continent's major problems are lack of food, poor transport and unemployment. In major cities like Lagos, Abidjan, Nairobi and Harare, food prices are going up largely because of the cost of transporting food from rural areas. At the same time there are more mouths to feed, more hands without work and more people without income. The Songhai Environmental Rehabilitation Centre has been developed as model farm and training ground to help young Africans to meet these challenges. Our main objectives are to develop low input and therefore low cost, food production systems at the places where the food is most needed - in the cities and in those rural areas where food production is failing. Simultaneously this will provide employment for the many who need a source of food, if not income as well. The Songhai Project is both a centre of what we might call 'barefoot' research and is a centre of production. The farms and gardens have to be self-supporting economically in order to survive and we believe that it is essential that we train young people within this atmosphere of economic viability for their own future benefit. Our production system integrates crop, livestock and fish production: waste water from the fish ponds irrigates our cassava, corn, vegetables and fruit, while small fish provide protein supplements for our animals; animal manure, crop wastes and water plants generate biogas that serves as the project's primary energy source; and the fish, fruit vegetables and other crops, together with our poultry, rabbits, sheep and goats, help feed the staff and the trainees. We have also responded to the needs of those without any land who wish to produce some of their food by incorporating techniques of growing plants in containers such as old tyres and boxes filled with soil and even on hollow blocks set in walls. In many towns and cities too there is vacant waste land, which urban authorities could make available to local residents, even on a temporary basis, to grow food. To-date, about one hundred young people from several countries have graduated from a rigorous two-year training programme in which they have learned about complementary farming techniques, making their own tools and managing their farm business financially. Many more people have attended shorter training courses and most have returned to their homes in town and countryside to put their learning into practice and, hopefully, to pass on their learning and enthusiasm to others. They form a network of Songhai graduates with whom we keep in touch, give advice and respond to their feedback. The overall aim of our work is to lower the cost of production, enhance sustainability and discover or develop new and more appropriate low-cost inputs. Some of the activities include composting, biosolar drying, pharmacopoaeia, earthworm production, local chicken production and insect larvae for fish production. Technologies that we have developed at Songhai, such as organic bacteria, have begun to be tested at nearby farms. Our overall productivity, which now incorporates three separate centres, has increased by 10% in the past three years. In addition to this, Benin's Agriculture Departments have created 15 centres modelled after Songhai, and nascent projects have been launched in Nigeria, Ghana and Togo. Part of our success at Songhai has been achieved because we have been willing to learn from our mistakes; we are not afraid of admitting our mistakes and pulling back. Songhai is not so much a 'how to do it' institution as a 'how to be' organization. We don't write a lot of books or articles, because so many of the masses we hope to reach are illiterate and anyway they often live out of reach of publications. Instead, we try to ensure that the things we do speak for themselves: everyone can 'read', whether they see a demonstration at Songhai's three main sites or on a neighbours land, they see concrete results and they can say 'Yes, this is possible. Let's do it!' The benefit of the Songhai Centre's philosophy and practice is that it goes beyond even providing food self-sufficiency and employment: it encourages community action. This kind of production can be a lot of fun; people learn from it, they can collaborate and work with their neighbours to share ideas, exchange seeds, plants and produce and safeguard each others garden plants. Finally, it helps to feed people and make money because even if production is not sold, the money saved on not buying food is money earned. Our philosophy at Songhai is to create solidarity and self-respect in our communities, as well as self-sufficiency. We can share so many things in life but something that cannot be shared is poverty.
RURAL DYNAMICS; Regions
WEST AFRICA; AFRICA | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/18973 | 0 Cassava virus on verge of epidemic in East Africa Thursday, 15 December 2011 14:31 Experts urge funding, swift action to protect staple food crop A new variant of a cassava disease is affecting large parts of East Africa, especially in the area's Great Lakes Region, putting a crucial source of food and income at risk, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.FAO experts say Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) is on the verge of becoming an epidemic, and have called for an urgent increase in funding, research, training, surveillance and other measures to help farmers and breeders.The appearance of the disease in previously unaffected areas, and the lack of continued funding for research and development work to address CBSD in the region, have added to the threat already presented by Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD).
In Rwanda, a surveillance analysis conducted by the National Agricultural Research Institute in 2010 showed a 15.7 per cent rate of infection on local varieties and 36.9 per cent in improved varieties."None of the cassava varieties currently being distributed to farmers seem to be tolerant to the effects of CBSD. We urgently need to get information on the extent and severity of the outbreak, and to support investments to identify disease-tolerant varieties and coping strategies for farmers," said Jan Helsen, leader of FAO's European Union-funded Regional Cassava Initiative in Eastern and Central Africa.
Hidden signs
One of the challenges facing those who are trying to stem the spread of CBSD is timely detection of the disease."The disease manifests itself in different ways depending on local conditions. In some cases it shows symptoms only on the roots. An apparently healthy plant may be found to have spoiled roots only when harvested, with obvious consequences for food security," Helsen explained.
Cassava can account for as much as a third of the total calorie intake for people in countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda or DRC.
"Thanks to the foresight of, and the scientific support from, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), efforts are underway to understand the epidemiology of the disease, but more support will be needed for this work, and to select and bring on CBSD-tolerant varieties," Helsen added.
Key staple
Short-term measures needed to tackle CBSD include stepping up disease surveillance and conducting regular inspections; increasing the sensitization of communities to the threat of CBSD; and using hands-on training for farmers, like FAO's farmer field schools, to introduce community-based practices to prevent the introduction or spread of the disease, such as the removal of infected plants.
Recommended measures also include banning the distribution of infected plants between districts and zones, and, in the event of infection, using coping strategies such as the early harvest of cassava, before symptoms appear and significant damage can be done.
Building resilience
Since around 2006, FAO and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have implemented two regional cassava projects, funded respectively by the European Union and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to support vulnerable farmers affected first by CMD and now by CBSD. The projects have provided access to clean, or virus-free, planting material. The projects aim to develop capacity in disease preparedness and strengthen the resilience of farmers to outbreaks of both diseases.
"Fortunately, there are now eight varieties under development by IITA and its national partners in the region which are resistant to Cassava Mosaic Disease and which show some level of tolerance to CBSD. Under existing programme arrangements, these varieties could be made widely available in the next 18-24 months, assuming that resources can be identified to support multiplication and distribution activities," said Helsen.Helsen says National Cassava Steering Committees have been set up to manage the response to the disease, but they need more time and funds to ensure that some of the CBSD-tolerant varieties in the pipeline can be multiplied and made available across the region.
More extensive surveillance will be carried out in Rwanda again this year, along with Burundi and the DRC, which will give a more complete picture of the occurrence and spread of the disease. To help raise awareness of the impact of the disease, FAO and CRS are currently undertaking a rapid survey on the impact of CBSD on household food security across the region. | 农业 |
2017-09/1436/en_head.json.gz/19793 | Exemplary farmer carries out impressive date farming activities in She’ib sub-zone: Report
She’ib, 2 January 2013 – An exemplary farmer is carrying out impressive dates farming activities in She’ib sub-zone. Mr. Abdalla Sweileh, native of Rashaida ethnic group who owned a small date farm in 1994 following his return to the Homeland from Saudi Arabia, has currently extended his farmland to 3 hectares, on which 17 varieties of the tree have already ripened.
He further indicated that the farm in the arid area was made possible through the construction of a 2 Km-long diversion canal at an expenditure of 9 million Nakfa, and that under the venture preparations are being made to cultivate 3,000 date seedlings vis-à-vis construction of water reservoirs. Moreover, Mr. Abdalla disclosed that he has started engaging in the production of vegetables and other fruits, in addition to animal fattening. He also commended the collaboration of administrations in his business venture. © 2017 All Rights Reserved. | 农业 |