News
Updated Friday 30th July 2010. On this page.... ..
Pesticide Stewardship I Food Security I Environmental Security I Pesticide Industry I Climate Change I Pesticide Legislation/ Regulation I Pesticide Exposure/Residues I Agricultural Policy I Soil Management I Water I GM Crops I Organic Crops I Biofuels and Biopesticides I Research, Resources & Knowledge Transfer
Pesticide Stewardship
Information on the risks and benefits of pesticides does not reach consumers (30 July, chemie.de) BfR publishes study on awareness of pesticides in food.
Food Security
Burkina Faso: Biofuels could increase food production, says report (28 July, allafrica.com) Planting biofuel crops in Africa need not damage capacity to grow food and could even enhance food security, according to a controversial review prepared for the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).
Nigeria: Agriculture commissioners, stakeholders meet over threat to food security (27 July, allafrica.com) Commissioners of agriculture across the 36 states in Nigeria are to meet as part of efforts to protect Nigeria from worsening effects of food security and climatic difficulties.
Food security plan essential for the national interest (27 July, abc.net.au) As TV programs from Masterchef to Food Safari show, we Australians love our food.
New cassava varieties save zanzibar's food security (26 July, opednews.com) Millions of cassava farmers in eastern and central Africa are in distress from viral cassava diseases that are sweeping across the region and ravaging their crops.
Environmental Security
Crops in mite of trouble as pest threatens honey bees (28 July, independent.ie) Native Irish bees face a "considerable" threat from a tiny mite that can wipe out a colony in less than two years, and which is developing a resistance to the only pesticide used to control it.
Superweed problem yields call for new tax, rules (28 July, desmoinesregister.com) Critics of agricultural biotechnology used the increasing problem with herbicide-resistant weeds to call for tighter regulation of biotech crops.
Broad lawsuit against EPA to be filed over pesticide use (27 July, uprisingradio.org) The Environmental Protection Agency will soon be sued over alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act through failing to adequately regulate dangerous pesticides.
Pesticide Industry
Dow faces Dursban probe in India (28 July, newsinferno.com) It seems Dow Chemical is in some trouble for the way it has marketed its pesticide, Dursban, in India.
Mexican agrochemical market is dominated by foreign companies (28 July, marketpublishers.com) At a time of rising food prices, population growth and concerns about global food security, there is a growing need for using agrochemicals and every available technology to meet future food needs and tackle the emerging challenges of climate change and resource conservation.
United Phos sees 60 mln rupees income from Manzate (26 July, economictimes.indiatimes.com) Pesticide maker United Phosphorus expects its newly-acquired brand 'Manzate' to add 60 million rupees in revenue annually, but remains concerned over global currency fluctuations that are cutting its revenue.
Climate Change
Russia declares emergency in four more crop regions on drought (30 July, businessweek.com) Russia declared emergencies in 27 crop-producing regions, four more than a week earlier, because of the worst drought in at least a decade.
Breeding tougher crops that can resist climate change (29 July, english.peopledaily.com.cn) Plants are exposed to huge variations in temperature through the seasons as well as big differences between night and day.
Climate extremes fuel hunger in Guatemala (28 July, ipsnews.net) “Three-quarters of the fields are still under water. Maize, plantains, okra and pasture are all lost," José Asencio told IPS at the village of Santa Ana Mixtán in southern Guatemala, the area worst affected by tropical storm Agatha.
Nagalim: Climate change hits hard (28 July, unpo.org) Changes in climate are affecting food security and the quality of life of the Naga peoples, and in particular women.
Pesticide Legislation and Regulation
Restricted Use Pesticide: getting a private pesticide applicator license (29 July, fstribune.com) The term "pesticide" can include herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides for home gardening, common agriculture, or right of ways.
Lawsuit may restrict pesticide use (27 July, jcfloridan.com) A federal lawsuit has been filed to ban one of the chemicals that some cotton, peanut and corn farmers in Jackson County use in battling the pests that threaten their crops.
Farmers may face serious restrictions on pesticides (26 July, thenewstribune.com) Farmers in Washington and across the nation could face severe restrictions on the use of pesticides as environmentalists, spurred by a favorable legal ruling, want the courts to force federal regulators to protect endangered species from the effects of agricultural chemicals.
Pesticide Exposure and Residues
Reports on pesticide residues may be misleading (29 July, guelphmercury.com) We’re in the middle of prime fruit and vegetable season.
Pesticide levels in NZ food unacceptable – lobbyists (28 July, nzherald.co.nz) The levels of pesticide residue present in New Zealand fruit and vegetables, shown in a study released yesterday, are the worst ever, say pro-organic food lobby groups.
Teen accused of putting pesticide in parents' ground coffee, police say (27 July, wbtv.com) A teenager in Gastonia is accused of putting pesticides in his parents' ground coffee.
Illegal pesticides found on German produce (26 July, thelocal.de) Illegal pesticides have been found on German-grown berries sold in the nation’s supermarkets, environmental protection organisation Greenpeace said on Monday.
Agricultural Policy
Effective policy advocacy needed for improved agriculture (29 July, today.gm) The national coordinator of NACOFAG, Mr. Alieu Sowe has pointed out that revamping agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa requires a two pronged approach which combines effective policy advocacy and practical activities including capacity enhancement to cope with dynamics in agricultural production at farm level and changes in the market place.
State launches efforts to boost farm output (29 July, business-standard.com) In an effort to increase the agriculture output in the state, the Karnataka government has launched a series of programmes during 2010-11.
Cost of fertiliser subsidised (29 July, ghana.gov.gh) As part of the National Agricultural policy under the better Ghana Agenda, the government is subsiding 100,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers at the cost of GH¢32.00 million
China to buy 15 million tons of corn in `new era,' council says, citing Li (26 July, bloomberg.com) China may import as much as 15 million tons of corn in 2015 as demand outstrips local supply and the country enters a “new era” of buying from overseas, the U.S. Grains Council said, citing Shanghai JC Intelligence Co.
Blueprint for farm growth (29 July, thehindu.com) The 11th Five Year Plan seeks to achieve 4 per cent growth rate in agriculture by the end of the Plan period.
Soil Management
Options for building soil fertility (29 July, farmersguardian.com) There are a number of options for building fertility in an organic arable system, growers attending the National Organic Cereals event heard.
Project helps Alaskans spice up soil (accessed 29 July, google.com) While Alaska has abundant natural resources, soil that's good for gardening isn't among them.
Mapping soil sequestration hotspots in the UK (29 July, worldchanging.com) Research project to identify the best UK locations for biomass crops.
Preserving soil fertility (27 July, nation.ittefaq.com) Bangladesh has a population of over 150 million.
Water
Concern over declining ground water level (28 July, centralchronicle.com) Groundwater has failed Andhra Pradesh's farmers.
How can NASA help California farmers? (28 July, californiawatch.org) Generally preoccupied by such celestial phenomena as brown dwarves and solar flares, NASA is now turning its sights to a more provincial domain: farms.
Scientists seek agricultural water reduction (28 July, plantcity2.tbo.com) Sinkholes that developed in part because of heavy groundwater pumping by farmers protecting their crops in January have helped spawn a research project by University of Florida scientists.
Deadline for federal irrigation assistance nears (28 July, waldo.villagesoup.com) The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service reminds agricultural producers that the signup deadline for irrigation assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program is fast approaching.
State report's recipe for a restored delta: More water (27 July, sfgate.com) Experience has taught me to live by the old Russian proverb, "Hope for the best but expect the worst."
Pump-off plan will kill our industry, farmers warn (25 July, smh.com.au) Furious farmers warn one of Sydney's prime food-producing communities will die if planned ''cease-to-pump'' laws are imposed along the Hawkesbury River.
GM Crops
Thousands blind for want of GM rice? (29 July, voanews.com) Co-creator of Golden Rice says regulations stall crop that could save sight and lives.
US worried as EU frees member states to impose GM crops ban (28 July, earthtimes.org) The United States on Wednesday said it opposed a European Union decision that would free its member states to make their own decisions on whether to grow genetically modified crops.
Fears over Europe's GM crop plan (28 July, nature.com) A proposal to let nations opt out of growing European-approved GM varieties is under fire from all sides.
Organic Crops
Farmers undergo training on organic vegetable, rootcrop production (30 July, pia.gov.ph) The Municipal Agricultural Office here in coordination with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Provincial Agriculture Office have conducted today a one-day training for small farmers entitled, "Vegetable and Rootcrops Techno Demo," at the Rural Based Organization Building.
Iloilo builds up organic agri (30 July, visayandailystar.com) The provincial government of Iloilo is strengthening its advocacy on organic farming and currently holding a conference on “Technology Updating in Organic Agriculture.”
Oregon farms press forward on organic seeds (28 July, sustainablebusinessoregon.com) A handful of Oregon farmers are teaming up with Oregon State University as part of a nationwide effort to broaden the availability of organic seeds.
Biofuels and Biopesticides
Biofuel popularity waning (29 July, weeklytimesnow.com.au) The foot is coming off the accelerator in support for the biofuels industry in the US.
Biofuels to help clean up Chernobyl land (29 July, thegreencarwebsite.co.uk) Land blighted by the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster could be cleaned up by growing biofuel crops, scientists say.
Researchers work to fill biofuel gap (28 July, mndaily.com) The University’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is working to develop sustainable, domestic biomass solutions.
Innovation of the week: For pest control, following nature's lead (28 July, opednews.com) The best pest control is learning to live in harmony with pests.
The jatropha scandal bursts (27 July, countercurrents.org) The jatropha scandal bursts. But who will punish the ministers, planners and the researchers who misled on the potential of this crop for bio-diesel?
Research, Resources & Knowledge Transfer
Lack of technology hampering farmers (30 July, newera.com.na) The unavailability of agricultural technology in Namibia is a constraint for many farmers, especially those in the northern communal areas.
Africa and Brazil to cross-fertilise agricultural ideas (29 July, truthabouttrade.org) An ambitious development partnership aimed at strengthening agricultural collaboration between Africa and Brazil was launched at the 5th African Agriculture Science Week in Burkina Faso last week (21 July).
Technology finds root in potatoes (28 July, jamaica-gleaner.com) A cross-fertilisation of state-of-the-art technology and the ability of Jamaicans to be inventive - as in 'tun yuh han mek fashion' - is taking root at the Christiana Potato Growers' Cooperative in Manchester.
High yield expected from cash for crop research (28 July, theaustralian.com.au) Redrawing the battlelines of university research so as to remain competitive and to address modern problems has meant thinking exponentially smarter.
Converted Organics announces that TerraSphere Systems has signed research agreement with USDA to study year-round strawberry growth (26 July, marketwatch.com) Research study could help increase global availability of popular fruit variety.