agriculture news

In a region of France known for sunshine, agriculture and natural spring water, IBM (NYSE: IBM) has established a Center of Excellence for Water Management to use high performance computing to monitor and forecast the impact of climate change and severe weather conditions on water resources.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is conducting the USDA Fruit Chemical Use Survey. This survey, last conducted in 2007, provides data about agricultural chemical use on fruit crops in the United States.

Bayer CropScience AG and Performance Plants Inc. (Kingston, Canada) have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of drought-tolerant cotton using Performance Plants’ Yield Protection Technology® (YPT).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently launched an enhanced U.S. foreign agricultural trade searchable database called the Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS).

The detection of an H1N1 virus in turkeys in Chile raises concern that poultry farms elsewhere in the world could also become infected with the pandemic flu virus currently circulating in humans, FAO said today.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is awarding $4.1 million in grants to 22 states to help farmers with disabilities through the AgrAbility program, which helps thousands of disabled people overcome barriers to continuing their chosen professions in agriculture.

The Obama Administration today began naming individuals who will serve as State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency at the USDA.

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Shell agreed to settle a court case in New York related to allegations in connection with the Nigerian military government’s execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and others in 1995, making a humanitarian gesture to set up a trust fund to benefit the Ogoni people.

The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides. The safety measures will reduce fumigant exposures to bystanders—people who live, work, attend school, or spend time near agricultural fields that are fumigated—and increase overall safety of fumigant use by requiring greater planning and compliance.

Shortly afterwards Peugeot and PSA Group introduced an engine representing a technological breakthrough, the Common Rail HDi diesel engine with a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, and a 50% reduction in regulated pollutant emissions at source.

DuPont opened the DuPont Knowledge Center (DKC) today, 17 months after breaking ground last summer.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today joins with its partners in the international community to commemorate World Food Day.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced that $49 million will be provided in fresh fruits and vegetables for elementary school children during the school day.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today issued an interim final rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) program that will become effective on Sept. 30.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today welcomed the Vermeer Corporation, a manufacturer of agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment, as the newest member of its Performance Track program in Region 7.

A lethal mix of drought, expanding conflict, rising food and energy prices, disease, and high poverty is pushing children and their families in the Greater Horn of Africa to the brink of disaster.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today signed an agreement to help Grupo Monge Holding S.A., a family-owned retailer of household goods and electronics in Central America, expand its operations in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, increasing access to consumer credit for low-income customers.

Midwest corn prices shot up from about $2.20 per bushel 20 month ago to $5.58 last month. Coupled with cost increases for other feed ingredients related to higher corn prices, the cost of producing chickens is up by about 45 percent.