Farm Bill Proposal Would Save $40 Billion

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Lugar-Stutzman bill would eliminate several farm programs. Senator Dick Lugar, R-Ind., and Representative Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., have introduced the Rural Economic Farm and Ranch Sustainability and Hunger Act or REFRESH. The bill targets $40 billion in USDA cuts to help meet federal deficit reduction goals. Roughly two-thirds of the savings would come from farm and [...]

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Taiwanese reps sign deals to buy US corn, soybeans

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INDIANAPOLIS Two Taiwanese trade groups have agreed to buy as much as $5 billion worth of corn and soybeans from Indiana and states in 2012 and 2013. Representatives of Taiwan’s Feed Industry Association and its Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association signed letters of intent for the purchases Monday in Indianapolis with Indiana Agriculture Director Joe Kelsay. [...]

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Kansas Gov. Brownback and ranchers travel to Russia, Kazakhstan

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Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman and beef producers from across the state are traveling to Russia and Kazakhstan Oct. 6 to17 to promote agriculture trade with those countries. “Agriculture is our state’s largest industry and a cornerstone of the Kansas economy,” Brownback said. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity to further [...]

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State agriculture director touts Michigan farm products on Snyder trade trip to Asia

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SAGINAW — Michigan cherries, blueberries, cranberries and other “high-value” agriculture products could be headed to Asia by the crate or in concentrate if Gov. Rick Snyder’s trade trip overseas has the desired effect, a top state agricultural official said. The Michigan fruits were the homegrown products most in demand in conversations about expanding farm trade [...]

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France , Germany agriculture ministers lock horns over food aid

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France and Germany went head-to-head at a meeting of European Union agriculture ministers Tuesday over food aid for the poor, hampering a decision over an extension of the programme, reported dpa. The food aid, which has been funded through the EU’s agriculture budget since 1987, was started to funnel overproduced goods to the poor with [...]

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Brownback pushing animal ag expansion

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Gov. Sam Brownback stepped into the livestock arena Wednesday to explore options for expanding by hundreds of millions of dollars investment in beef, dairy and pork industries in Kansas. The subject struck at the heart of the administration’s seventh economic development summit in Garden City. The objective was to define strategy for broadening Kansas’ share [...]

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Losing mangrove forests in El Salvador

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With disastrous volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and extreme storms, El Salvador is widely regarded as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to natural disasters. With the effects of climate change complicating social and economic crises, the El Salvadorian government has recognised that national security considerations must include discussion of environmental factors, leading to the Minister [...]

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China, Pacific islanders stress agriculture co-op

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SUVA - China and Pacific island countries stressed importance of agriculture cooperation between them to boost the islanders’ food security, Fiji’s Ministry of Information said here Friday. The two sides made the remarks at the Third China-Pacific Island Countries Forum on Agriculture Cooperation currently underway in Fiji’s western tourist city of Nadi, the ministry said in [...]

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Let agriculture “do no harm”

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DAKAR, 26 September 2011 (IRIN) – Agriculture is about food production, but often projects ultimately hurt communities’ health and nutrition. When the focus is tons and dollars, experts say, getting people the nutrients they need can be lost. Aid agencies and governments are increasingly looking at ways to ensure that agricultural investments support proper nutrition, [...]

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Philippines, China strengthen bilateral ties

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Jilin province in China have committed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and trade, particularly in agriculture and fisheries. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala bared this meeting of minds after talking with former Chinese minister of agriculture Sun Zhengcai, also the secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Jilin, [...]

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Agricultural credit and constraints

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Being an agricultural country, 63 percent of Pakistan’s total population is directly or indirectly engaged in the agricultural sector. According to a rough estimate, 45 percent of the total labour force of the country is employed by this sector. Hence, economic analysts commonly assume that whether it is a positive variation in agricultural productivity or [...]

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Can Organic Feed the World?

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Can organic farming produce enough food to feed the world? Yes, according to a new book by a German agricultural expert. But many skeptics, including Germany’s development minister, aren’t convinced. The question of whether organic food can help tackle world hunger is a subject of heated debate. It’s also the topic of a new provocatively-named [...]

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Clinton Urges Sharper Focus On Women in Global Agriculture

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Washington — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says that while it is important to respond to urgent food crises, it is imperative that the international community stay focused on the long-term goal of strengthening global agriculture to reduce hunger and malnutrition. “The United Nations estimates that we need to increase global food production by [...]

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Wildfires cost Texas agriculture nearly $200 million

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Agricultural losses from wildfires in Texas this year are approaching $200 million, increasing the toll for the state’s worst year of drought and fires, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at Texas A&M University said Monday. The service reported that losses topped $150 million but updated that figure later in the day after new data on [...]

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