Farmers decry Trump plans to cut agriculture subsidies

Farm groups and some members of Congress from farm states are decrying proposed cuts to crop insurance and other safety net programs for farmers included in President Donald Trump's budget. The proposed cuts come even as farmers are facing their fourth straight year of falling income, and could particularly affect farm states such as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska that helped Trump win the November election.

$9 million available for biomass development

Up to $9 million in funding will be made available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to increase the nation's energy independence by supporting the development of bioenergy feedstocks, biofuels, and biobased products. The projects funded through BRDI - a joint USDA and Department of Energy program - will help develop economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass, increase the availability of renewable fuels and biobased products, and diversify the nation's energy portfolio.

Peanut farmers asked to comment on rule revising Seg. 1 standards

Peanut farmers are asked to submit comments on a proposed rule based on recommendations by the Peanut Standards Board to revise the minimum quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts marketed in the United States. The Peanut Standards Board voted in the fall of 2016 to raise the grading score used to classify farmer stock peanuts as SEG 1's from 2.49 percent to 3.49 percent.

RPT-U.S., China accelerate beef talks; deal possible by early June

CHICAGO, May 19 Talks on restarting U.S. beef exports to China are moving fast and final details should be in place by early June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday, allowing American farmers to vie for business that has been lost by rival Brazil. As part of a trade deal, U.S. ranchers are set to face tests over the use of growth-promoting drugs to raise cattle destined for export to China and to log the animals' movements, according to the USDA.

USDA: Poorest Households Spent 33% Of Their Incomes On Food

USDA: POOREST HOUSEHOLDS SPENT 33% OF THEIR INCOMES ON FOOD May 22, 2017 Source: USDA news release While households spend more money on food as their incomes rise, food expenditures represent a smaller portion of income as households allocate additional funds to other goods. In 2015, U.S. households in the highest income quintile spent an average of $12,350 on food -both from grocery stores and eating out.

Age-related macular degeneration could be arrested by switching to low-glycemic diet, study finds

A study in mice finds that development of age-related macular degeneration could be arrested by switching from a high-glycemic diet to a low-glycemic . For the same amount of total carbohydrate, high-glycemic diets release sugar into the blood stream more rapidly than low-glycemic diets.

Trump might pick a non-scientist to be USDA’s ‘chief scientist’

President Donald Trump has reportedly picked Sam Clovis - a conservative talk show radio host and climate change denier - to be the "chief scientist" of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's research division. If appointed, he'll oversee key scientific work on everything from nutrition to the effects of rising temperatures on food supplies.

Perdue creates Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs

May 12 - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the creation of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recognition of the ever-increasing importance of international trade to American agriculture. As part of a reorganization of USDA, Perdue also announced the standing up of a newly-named Farm Production and Conservation mission area to have a customer focus and meet USDA constituents in the field.

USDA Unsure if Bird Flu Guidelines are Helping, GAO Finds

U.S. agriculture officials do not actually know if they are doing enough to protect people and poultry from avian influenza, a government watchdog reported Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is still relying on poultry producers to voluntarily follow security guidelines, and many still are not doing everything they are supposed to do to protect their flocks, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office says in the report .

China pressures South Korea about missile system

The D-11 meet was held in Chappell and the Morrill girls and the Crawford boys earn... -- The host of the next World Cup will be decided sooner than expected.FIFA approved a plan to fast-track the bidding process that determines which country w... -- Sen. Mike Lee raised eyebrows in Washington, D.C., Thursday for his suggestion that former Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland could lead the FBI, a pitch th... -- Wednesday's episode of Empire, "Absent Child," begins with a meeting between the Lyon and Dubois families.

Vertical Farming Market to Show 26% CAGR to Reach Revenue of about USD 6 Billion by 2022

Key Players in market are Yamaha Motor Company , Da-Jiang Innovations Science & Technology Corporation Ltd , Aero Vironment Inc. , Avular Bv ,3D Robotics " Factors such as less usage of fertilizers and pesticides, water conservation, less usage of energy and growing demand for food production are driving the growth of the vertical farming market. Also, rising demand for high quality food, independent farming techniques and less impact of climatic conditions are expected to boost the market over the forecast period.