 |
|||
 |
" I heard it |
||
October 21, 2009
· Bagged salad going under the microscope
· ‘Nothing off the agenda’ in ag antitrust probe
· USDA doles out $49M in specialty crop grants
· DuPont profits top Wall St view, but revenue lags
· Syngenta herbicide features two modes of action
Bagged salad going under the microscope
(CBC News) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a study to follow bagged salads from the farmer's field to the grocery aisle in hopes of learning why the product is the No. 1 food linked to food-borne illness.
In 2006, leafy greens hit the national radar screen as a high-risk food when bagged spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 caused several deaths and hundreds of illnesses.
The study will track the temperature and humidity levels of bagged spinach and lettuce in transit from the processing plant to the grocery store.
"The problem may be that we have some trucks that are
not quite up to refrigerated standards. They're not able to keep up in a hot
environment. We're hoping to identify those weak links," Keith Vorst, a
researcher with the
Producers already tinker with the atmosphere inside bags of cut greens, he said. The air used in the bags has only one twentieth as much oxygen as the air outside. It slows pathogens from multiplying.
The problem isn't limited to bagged salad. Last year, leafy
greens were linked to 363 outbreaks involving 13,568 reported cases of illness
in the
Don't give up on bagged salads
Toronto-area dietitian Kathy Furgala said she will continue using the pre-cut salads because they offer important nutrients in the most convenient way for time-starved families.
"When time is really an issue, they can be a lifesaver in getting to us those important nutrients," said Furgala. "There is always a risk benefit."
The key, Furgala said, is to use the cut greens quickly and to give them a wash.
Dale Coke, a
"Pre-cut has got all those cut surfaces. It's got all the plant cytoplasm that's been opened up and that's basically a perfect breeding ground. And if a pathogen is present, the bag can help along the process of contamination," Coke said.
For her part, Furgala said, people can forego some of the convenience of bagged salad and prepare their own "pre-cut" salad, making enough for two meals instead of one.
"If I'm making a salad, I'll keep some for the next day. I do that all the time. As long as you don't dress it and it's kept in a good sealed container," she said.
‘Nothing off the agenda’ in ag antitrust probe
(Des Moines Register) Nevada, Ia. - U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan said Tuesday that "nothing will be off the agenda" when the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Justice Department investigate possible antitrust violations in agriculture, beginning next year.
The two Cabinet agencies announced in August what Merrigan said was an unprecedented joint investigation. The focus is likely to be on slaughterhouse and meat processors and also on the seed industry.
The seed industry already has been roiled by an antitrust lawsuit filed by DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred subsidiary, alleging that Monsanto has used its genetic traits that make seeds resistant to its Roundup herbicide to control the industry.
Monsanto has denied the accusations.
"The new administration is very serious about antitrust," said Merrigan, who toured the Lincolnway Energy ethanol plant Tuesday and then was to speak at Iowa State University later in the evening.
No dates have been set for public meetings, but Merrigan said they would most likely begin in March. She did not specify any particular legal or legislative goal of the sessions.
Merrigan also said the Agriculture Department would look for more funding assistance to help pork and milk producers, who have suffered losses this year.
"The department has already spent $165 million to purchase pork to help the industry," she said. "Other commodities, particularly fruit and vegetable producers, will be competing for what will be rather limited funds in the budget for the new fiscal year."
She said milk producers would receive $350 million in aid, $90 million in the form of dairy product purchases and the rest to go directly to producers.
Merrigan said she had never visited an ethanol plant before.
As an aide to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Merrigan helped develop the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. She held various congressional staff positions and was administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service from 1999 to 2001.
She was an assistant professor of nutrition at
USDA doles out $49 million in specialty crop grants
WASHINGTON, October 15, 2009 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced the award of 55 grants totaling approximately $49 million for 745 projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, which are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. Upon reviewing states' plans for funding, USDA selected projects that support local and rural agriculture interests, increase the competitiveness of small producers, and promote or create direct marketing opportunities for specialty crop producers.
"Developing local and regional food systems that spur economic opportunity is the purpose of our 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative and these grants today are a significant part of achieving that goal," said Merrigan. "We are pleased to be continuing this partnership in every state across the country to support their diverse efforts to promote healthy eating and grow specialty crop markets by expanding access to fresh, local foods."
Funds will be used by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to their plans submitted to USDA that describe how the state agency will carry out the program. Summaries of all awards can be viewed at www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp.
Through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, USDA is committed to increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems; assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain in developing Good Agricultural, Good Handling and Good Manufacturing practices, including cost share arrangements for funding audits of small farmer, packer and processor systems; investing in specialty crop research; enhancing food safety; developing new and improved specialty crop varieties; eradicating pest and plant health issues; and fostering organic and sustainable production practices.
The 55 grant recipients are:
Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries - $442,987.67
Arizona Department of Agriculture - $1,113,922.37
Arkansas Agriculture Department - $220,060.79
California Department of Food and Agriculture - $16,315,325.65
Colorado Department of Agriculture - $629,443.00
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Lands and Natural Resources - $121,669.23
Connecticut Department of Agriculture - $320,502.74
Delaware Department of Agriculture - $226,495.45
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - $4,100,603.76
Guam Department of Agriculture - $164,711.28
Hawaii Department of Agriculture - $378,728.69
Idaho State Department of Agriculture - $882,094.50
Illinois Department of Agriculture - $437,304.71
Indiana State Department of Agriculture - $382,302.08
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship - $243,405.15
Kansas Department of Agriculture - $214,055.68
Kentucky Department of Agriculture - $237,590.08
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry - $338,982.59
Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources - $382,441.97
Maryland Department of Agriculture - $503,304.47
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources - $390,474.69
Michigan Department of Agriculture - $1,230,431.52
Minnesota Department of Agriculture - $578,008.12
Mississippi Department of Agriculture - $268,376.55
Missouri Department of Agriculture - $269,731.58
Montana Department of Agriculture - $249,379.89
Nebraska Department of Agriculture - $285,452.98
Nevada Department of Agriculture - $182,838.55
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food - $229,319.98
New Jersey Department of Agriculture - $656,610.86
New Mexico Department of Agriculture - $380,581.79
New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets - $1,098,809.97
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - $1,092,487.64
North Dakota Department of Agriculture - $523,515.58
Ohio Department of Agriculture - $809,199.45
Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture - $333,507.33
Oregon Department of Agriculture - $1,673,704.49
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture - $938,784.21
Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture - $363,961.04
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture - $202,792.90
South Carolina Department of Agriculture - $402,462.32
South Dakota Department of Agriculture - $185,811.14
Tennessee Department of Agriculture - $455,621.73
Texas Department of Agriculture - $1,766,147.25
University of the
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food - $236,718.28
Vermont Agency of Agriculture - $204,289.94
Washington State Department of Agriculture - $2,920,854.13
West Virginia Department of Agriculture - $184,663.10
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - $745,360.82
Wyoming Department of Agriculture - $180,691.96
The 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative emphasizes
the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and
consumers. The effort builds on the 2008 Farm Bill, which provides for
increases and flexibility for USDA programs in an effort to promote local
foods. Consumer demand for locally grown food in the
Since May, an inter-agency USDA 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' task force has been working to align existing USDA programs with the needs of local and regional food systems; conducting outreach activities so that the linkages are understood; helping communities build local food systems by providing new initiatives; and engaging the American public in conversation about local and regional agriculture.
DuPont profits top Wall St
(Reuters
via Yahoo! News)
The results from the company, which sells to the automotive, housing, and agricultural sectors, among many others, will probably be seen as an indicator of the chemical industry's health.
While the strong earnings topped analysts' expectations, much of the gain came from about $300 million in cost cuts.
Wall Street typically prefers to see profits generated by sales rather than cost cuts, but that should not be a black eye for capital-intensive companies like DuPont, Sterne Agee analyst Mark Connelly said.
"The operating performance here is pretty credible," he said. "When a basic material company demonstrates substantial cost reductions, it deserves some credit."
DuPont's earnings came the same day the U.S. Commerce Department reported a smaller-than-expected increase in new home construction.
DuPont's Tyvek insulation, as well as products such as Corian, Kevlar and Nomex, are very popular in the construction sector.
The company's stock slumped 2.5 percent to $33.77 in late morning New York Stock Exchange trading, slightly worse than the 1.8 percent drop in the Standard & Poor's chemicals index (.GSPPM).
STEADY IMPROVEMENT
Compared with earlier this year, DuPont said it was seeing demand for products slowly improve.
"With a more streamlined organization, permanent fixed cost reductions, and increased productivity, DuPont is well-positioned to capitalize as markets improve," Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman said in a statement.
Net income rose to $409 million, or 45 cents per share, from $367 million, or 40 cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts on average expected 33 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue fell 18 percent to $5.96 billion, missing the analysts' average forecast of $6.14 billion.
Revenue fell across all five of the Wilmington, Delaware-based company's segments, including its safety and protection unit.
Across the globe, revenue also fell, although demand in the Asia/Pacific region rose from earlier this year, the company said.
While the low price of glyphosate, a popular herbicide, hurt crop protection sales in the third quarter, sales for all of the agricultural unit's products should rise in the fourth quarter, the company said.
DuPont narrowed its outlook for the full year, and now expects earnings of $1.95 to $2.05 per share, compared with a previous estimate of $1.70 to $2.10.
The company said it would discuss its outlook for 2010 at an
investor day set for November 3 in
DuPont peer Dow Chemical (DOW.N) is set to post third-quarter results on Thursday.
Syngenta herbicide features two modes of action
(Wire Services) – Syngenta Crop Protection today announced Callisto(R) Xtra as the brand name for a new, post-emergence corn herbicide that will be an excellent tank mix partner for glyphosate in glyphosate-tolerant corn (Agrisure(R) GT or Roundup Ready(R) hybrids).
Expected to receive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registration during the first quarter of 2010, Callisto Xtra combines the proven performance of two leading herbicides, Callisto(R) and AAtrex(R), which perform synergistically to deliver long-lasting residual broadleaf weed control.
"The weed control delivered from Callisto Xtra is better than expected based on the control from the individual components," said Gordon Vail, herbicide technical brand manager, Syngenta Crop Protection. "In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; one plus one equals three."
The combination of Callisto and AAtrex also make Callisto Xtra an excellent tool for resistant weed management.
"Callisto offers longer-lasting residual broadleaf weed control than other post-emergence corn herbicides such as Status(R), Laudis(R) and Impact(R), but Callisto Xtra will contain two modes of action for enhanced control of broadleaf weeds becoming harder to manage with glyphosate alone, including lambsquarters, waterhemp, pigweed and ragweed," Vail said. "Plus, it will provide faster burndown of weeds compared to glyphosate alone, or other HPPD herbicides plus glyphosate."
Callisto Xtra will be the newest addition to the family of top-performing Syngenta corn herbicide brands powered by Callisto Plant Technology(R). Other brands include Halex GT(R), Lumax(R), Lexar(R) and Callisto.
"We will continue to provide Callisto to the market for use in corn greater than 12 inches in height, atrazine restricted areas, and for the wide range of other crops for which Callisto is registered," said Carroll Moseley, herbicide brand manager, Syngenta Crop Protection. These include cranberry, blueberry, lingonberry, flax, pearl millet, asparagus, bluegrass grown for seed, perennial ryegrass grown for seed, tall fescue grown for seed, oats, rhubarb, grain sorghum and sweet sorghum.
In addition to corn, Callisto Xtra will also be registered for use in sugarcane.
Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 24,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life.
End Transmission