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September 27, 2007
· Senate leaders back doubling specialty crop funds
·
Seed giant wants to
triple biotech acreage
· Aussie veg industry predicts massive shortages
·
Growers need to feed
consumers information
· USDA to fund honeybee research
Senate leaders back doubling specialty crop funds
(Wire Services)
In correspondence sent to chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) who are putting the final touches on their farm bill, the diverse group of Senators indicated that the "treatment of specialty crops will be an important factor" in weighing their support for the farm bill. In fact, several Senators from the powerful Senate Finance Committee, which will have a major role in allocating the resources for the farm bill, have also signed this letter.
Specialty crops include the nation's fruits, vegetables,
potatoes and nuts. They account for nearly half of all cash crop receipts in
The Specialty Crop Farm bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations representing 350 specialty crops, has issued the following statement:
"This letter answers the call for a more balanced and
equitable farm bill that includes a focus on more competition in the
marketplace, improving nutrition for all Americans, especially children, and a
greater investment in research to improve federal farm policy for years to
come. Specialty crop producers account for nearly half of all cash crop
receipts in
Priorities of specialty crop producers:
1. Expansion of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Snack Program to all 50 states. The program and others involving healthy foods and community projects help develop life-long health through consumption of fruits and vegetables.
2. Greater investment in research to improve the taste and quality of foods.
3. Expansion of the "State Specialty Crop Competitiveness" projects to all 50 states based on a proven track record of delivering results for specific local needs.
4. Enhanced critical trade assistance and market promotion tools that will grow international markets for specialty crops.
5. Investment in prevention and mitigation protocols to combat invasive pest and diseases, which cost the economy millions of dollars per year.
6. Expansion and improvement of conservation programs to allow producers of specialty crops increased access to conservation assistance.
Seed giant wants to triple biotech acreage
The world's biggest seed maker has seen its
overseas sales hindered over the last decade as countries resist biotech crops,
derided as "franken foods" by critics who have blocked their export
from the
But Monsanto is paving the way to increase
acres planted with its biotech seeds from 95 million today to 270 million, said
Brett Begemann, Monsanto's executive vice president of global commercial
business.
"Strong global adoption of our (seeds)
coupled with recent approvals paves the way for expanded growth and sets the
stage for new growth as we look to stack and upgrade these products in the
coming years," Begemann told a group of stock analysts and investors at
the Credit Suisse Chemicals Conference held in New York.
Monsanto's stock jumped $2.91, or 3.6
percent, to close at a new 52-week high of $83.75 Wednesday.
The overall number of acres planted in
biotech seeds has increased in recent years, according to the Biotechnology
Industry Organization trade group. Global biotech crop acreage increased 13
percent between 2005 and 2006, growing from 222 million acres to 252 million
acres, according to the group.
That doesn't mean grass-roots resistance to
the crops will stop, said Laurel Hopwood, chairwoman of the Sierra Club's
biotechnology committee. Hopwood said she gets e-mails from activists around
the globe who want to slow the spread of biotech seeds.
"It's very clear that people don't want
it," Hopwood said. "I would call Monsanto's press release industry
spin."
Hopwood said the Sierra Club will continue to
lobby in
In outlining Monsanto's growth opportunities,
Begemann highlighted Monsanto's corn seed business, which has gained market
share in 2007 in Europe,
Begemann said
Monsanto has increasingly invested in
"advanced breeding" techniques to develop new crops without genetic
engineering. Instead, the company uses gene markers and advanced computers to
rapidly breed plants with desirable traits.
The new breeding program could make it easier
to introduce crops in countries where resistance to genetic engineering remains
strong.
Aussie veg industry predicts massive shortages
(abc.net.au) – The vegetable industry's peak body says
consumers will face massive shortages and soaring prices for leafy vegetables,
if it does not rain or growers do not get more access to water.
Ausveg says growers have to find an ongoing income while they are not producing
or they will no longer be viable.
Chairman Michael Badcock says it is getting to the state where growers in some
areas will not risk putting in any crops because there's no water.
"What we'll find, we'll have fluctuating prices at times, when products
get very scarce and those times the prices will go quite high, probably three
to four fold over what we normally pay," he said.
"We've seen quite serious shortages in the leafy vegetables such as
broccoli, cauliflowers, lettuces and things along those lines, but we're
finding there's quite a world shortage of food at the moment, probably as
serious as it's been since World War II."
Growers need to feed consumers information
(Wire Services) – Growers need more
information and more tools to tell their customers and consumers about the role
of crop protection products in food production.
That was the message of a panel of agricultural producers at the CropLife
America annual meeting this week. One of the panelists was National Corn Growers
Association (NCGA) Public Policy Action Team Chairman Steve Pigg.
“As producers grow fewer in number, it’s more important than ever that we share
with whoever has our interests at heart,” said Pigg. “That was one of the main
themes of the meeting – how can we spoke with one voice?”
Both food and feed producers are coming under increasing consumer and
regulatory scrutiny, Pigg notes. “We agreed that we have a lot of the same
issues, and we need to work together,” he says. “The biggest thing the crop
protection industry can do is help to educate consumers.
Pigg praises a new program by CropLife
Kansas Corn Growers Association Executive Director Jere White also participated
in the conference, discussing governmental policies with members.
Link to audio clip: http://ncga.com/news/notd/2007/september/092607a.asp
USDA to fund honeybee research
(USDA-ARS)
“Bee populations throughout the
The overall goal of the Protection of Managed Bees CAP is to improve the health
of managed bee populations in agricultural systems. The research USDA is
seeking to fund is expected to address genomics, breeding, pathology,
immunology and applied ecology that explain the cause behind dwindling bee
populations. Unique to this CAP program is that the researchers will work
closely with the Extension community and stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies
for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other significant problems that threaten
the bee industry and
Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value each year.
CCD became a matter of concern in the winter of 2006-2007 when an estimated 25
percent of the beekeepers in the
CAP projects focus around the coordinated activities of individuals,
institutions, states and regions to promote open communication and the exchange
of information in response to emerging areas of national priority and need. The
project should complement and/or link with existing programs and projects at
the national level.
In fiscal year 2007, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES) committed another $1.7 million to honeybees and pollinator
research, while USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will spend about
$7.7 million on honeybee research focused on mites, pathogen and nutrition.
National program leaders at ARS and CSREES developed an Action Plan for CCD
which is a long-term plan for research, Extension and educational activities
that are recommended to address this important problem. The plan is available
on the ARS Web site.
In October 2007, ARS will begin research on the Honeybee Health Areawide
Project, which will provide robust bee colonies for early season crops such as
almonds in
The USDA CSREES is funding the CAP project under the National Research
Initiative's 2008 Request for Applications. Mary Purcell-Miramontes, national
program leader for arthropod and nematode biology, developed this new CAP
project and will be coordinating this new funding opportunity.
More information about the CAP funding opportunity can be found online at www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/nri.html.
End Transmission