FCC Agri-Spirit Fund Accepting Applications

Farm Credit Canada is once again providing $500,000 through its Agri-Spirit Fund to support capital projects in rural communities right across the country.

The fund will be accepting applications for 2007 between May 1 and June 15. To be eligible, an organization must be set up for charitable purposes, be an agricultural society or be partnered with a municipal government that agrees to handle the financial management of the project.

The AgriSpirit initiative is one of the ways FCC works to enhance rural Canada and make life better for people in rural communities.

Grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 are available for community improvement projects involving construction, renovation and/or the purchase of necessary equipment. Examples include community centres, recreation centres, sports facilities, playgrounds, care homes, food banks and emergency service units.

To ensure it maintains its rural focus, FCC stipulates that the fund is only available to communities under 100,000 in population.

Clem Samson, the corporation’s Vice-President of Prairie Operations, said, “The commitment rural Canadian residents demonstrate to building their own communities is overwhelming. We received hundreds of applications this year requesting support for a wide range of projects. FCC is proud to help enhance rural Canada.”

Out of 719 applications received during FCC’s last call for applications, 52 projects from across Canada received funding. Twelve of the successful applicants are from right here in Saskatchewan, assisting all manner of community initiatives from fire departments to health centres to pools and rinks.

There is really no community too small to receive support. Saskatchewan communities that got help in the most recent round of funding are Hazlet, Eastend, Swift Current, Paradise Hill, Birch Hills, Osler, Estevan, Radville, Wood Mountain, Rouleau, Stockholm and St. Brieux.

“Since launching AgriSpirit in 2004, FCC has supported 130 projects with $1.3 million in funding,” said the corporation’s Senior Vice-President Kellie Garrett.

All applications are to be submitted online through the program’s website, www.agrispirit.ca, which also includes details about the fund’s eligibility criteria, application process, success stories and answers to some of the more common questions.

Headquartered in Regina, FCC is Canada’s largest provider of business and financial services to farms and agri-businesses.

For more information on the corporation and its operations, visit www.fcc-fac.ca.

Source : http://www.discovermoosejaw.com/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=11&category=3&article=2315&Itemid=237

Agriculture Projects Dominate Award Nominations

3 agriculture-based research projects are among the 4 finalists for the annual Award of Innovation sponsored by Innovation Place and the Industry Liaison Office of the U of S.

The winning project receives a $5,000 cash prize and recognition at both Innovation Place and a gala dinner called “Celebrate Success,” put on by the Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce and the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan.

“The technology developed by this year’s nominees has great potential to improve our lives through improvements in human health, food production and environmentally friendly energy,” said Doug Gill, Managing Director of the Industry Liaison Office. “We will also benefit from the promise of increased investment and more high-quality jobs in our province.”

The Award of Innovation is intended to honour U of S researchers who have brought new and commercially viable technology to the Industry Liaison Office for development into marketable products.

This year’s finalists offer an impressive mix.

Plant sciences professor Lawrence Gusta, along with his colleagues Albert Robertson and Guohai Wu, has discovered the Rob-5 gene in plants. This gene improves environmental stress tolerance, increases plant vigour and seed yield, and shortens the time required for plants to mature. It has particular value in regions with a shorter growing season, like Saskatchewan.

The U of S has filed an international patent application for the Rob-5 gene and signed an exclusive agreement to license BASF to commercialize it.

In the Department of Applied Microbiology and Food Science, researchers Martin Reaney, SAF Chair in Microbiology and Food Science, and Dushmmanthi Jayasinghe developed a chemical process that has the potential to improve profitability in biofuel generation. The process allows for the production of biodiesel, de-salted glycerol and lithium grease from oilseeds that are not suitable for edible oil products, such as frost-damaged canola.

This innovation would enable producers to make biodiesel and two other high-value products from the same feedstock. The patent on the process is pending.

Biology professor Vipen Sawhney is nominated for his work on a line of tomatoes that are particularly suited to hybrid seed production. The so-called “photoperiod-sensitive-male-sterile tomatoes” reduce the cost of hybrid seed production by eliminating the necessity for hand removal of the male part of tomato flowers, which is highly labour intensive.

The tomato line has already been licensed to a commercial seed producer in Italy.

The fourth nominee comes from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Immunologists John Gordon and Fang Li have developed a human anti-inflammatory treatment that uses the protein

G31P to target inflammation associated with neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.

Innovation Place Director of Marketing Jackie Presnell said in a news release, “Many of the enterprises at Innovation Place are built on ideas that began at the university, and many of the highly qualified people that work here are U of S grads.”

The winner of the Innovation Award will be announced at the “Celebrate Success” dinner on May 15 in Saskatoon.

Source : http://www.discovermoosejaw.com/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=11&category=3&article=2315&Itemid=237

Allan Barber: Meat inspection bill goes off

4:55AM Monday May 07, 2007

The commerce select committee's report on its hearing into the State-Owned Enterprises (AgriQuality and Asure) Bill was released on Friday after the fastest turnaround in memory, less than six weeks after it was introduced.

As the Meat Industry Association (MIA) chairman Bill Falconer told the select committee, if one wasn't aware of the background, one would wonder what on earth was going on. The average person could be forgiven for wondering why it is so important.

It's important because Trevor Mallard, Minister for SOEs, tried to prevent competition between two Government agencies by forbidding one of them from entering a particular area of business - meat inspection - while at the same time providing for the agencies to merge, if their boards agreed.

Either way this would preserve the mandated monopoly of meat inspection by Asure, contrary to the provisions of the Commerce Act, which the bill explicitly ensures do not apply in this instance.

The select committee has recommended that the bill proceed with a commitment secured by United Future to an amendment providing for a Commerce Commission review of the market for meat inspection services and for the NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) to continue negotiations with trading partners to recognise alternatives, such as private-sector providers.

Meat inspection was a function performed by MAF until it split into policy and regulatory units, both still part of the ministry, and commercial units in 1998. The commercial business unit, MAF Quality Management, was divided into two SOEs, AgriQuality and Asure, with Asure acquiring responsibility for employing the meat inspectors, all members of the PSA.

AgriQuality has concentrated on building an international business providing integrated quality assurance services from farm to fork, as well as carrying out Tb testing and disease eradication programmes. But the one missing piece of its quality assurance service has been meat inspection, which is why it has been trying to gain approval to provide an alternative service for several years.

It kept coming up against a ministerial brick wall until November last year when the Minister for Food Safety, Annette King, reconfirmed Government commitment to the provision of meat inspection by Government-owned agencies, including SOEs and CRIs, which appeared to open the door.

However, Trevor Mallard slammed it shut again when he told AgriQuality to stick to its core business, strange advice when meat inspection is just that and only last June he was encouraging SOEs to diversify into new areas.

Last year the PSA advised its members and the MIA it had reached agreement with the Government to preserve Asure's meat inspection monopoly. The MIA was disappointed to be informed of Government policy in this way by a trade union and wrote to Jim Anderton, Minister of Agriculture, asking for clarification which does not appear to have been forthcoming. In his recent submission to the select committee, Bill Falconer states: "We were stunned that the Government could take such a profound decision without consultation ... and that the PSA should have been given or assumed the task of briefing the industry".

So the first question which arises is why the Government was so committed to protecting one small SOE that it found all the reasons it could to stop any new entrants into meat inspection, while specifically removing the threat of the Commerce Act.

We can only assume its relationship with the PSA is more important than commercial principles and concern for the meat industry, which processes and markets $5 billion of meat exports each year, equivalent to 30 per cent of primary-sector revenue and 17 per cent of New Zealand's exports. This is hard to fathom when 2007 is designated Export Year, but then this Government hasn't shown much understanding of exporters' woes.

The second question is why meat inspection must be a Government-delivered service in the first place. It always has been historically and US and EU regulatory authorities have insisted on meat inspection and verification being performed by a Government agency. In fact less than a year ago the overseas authorities finally approved the provision of these services by an SOE rather than a Government department. NZFSA has since continued the process of persuading our overseas partners to accept the concept of private providers as permitted under New Zealand law and under the Codex Alimentarius standards of the World Health Organisation.

The Government is clearly sticking to its belief that New Zealand's international reputation for food safety is dependent on maintaining strict control of meat inspection, although it clearly won't always need to be delivered by a Government agency. Overseas authorities, and indeed New Zealand, have been moving away from mandatory inspection to acceptance of food assurance processes, for which NZFSA provides the framework.

The bill to permit the merger of AgriQuality and Asure would in theory change nothing apart from removing an anomaly. It is therefore largely unnecessary, although it will remove the stupidity of having two small SOEs, originally set up with different roles, which are allowed to compete in peripheral areas like Tb testing, but not in the one which is important, meat inspection. The merger will lock in the monopoly to the detriment of the meat industry which will be forced to pay the price regardless of performance, whereas at least until recently Asure's position was tempered by the knowledge AgriQuality was breathing down its neck. The MIA's submissions to the select committee were not designed to prevent the merger, but to avoid a permanently mandated Government monopoly of services its members have to pay for.

The best outcome would have been for the Government to accept that there must be competition and allow AgriQuality to enter meat inspection, and longer term for NZFSA to continue discussions with overseas authorities to allow private service providers. However the select committee appears to have achieved the next best outcome with its recommended amendments.

The worst outcome would have been for this dog's breakfast of a piece of legislation to proceed and to end up with one Government-owned monopoly providing meat inspection services for our second biggest export earner.

Let's now keep our fingers crossed that the amended bill passes its second reading.

* Allan Barber is a business consultant and meat industry commentator.

www.barberstrategic.co.nz

Source : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10438212

UN backs organic agriculture

Associated Press

Sunday, May 6, 2007 (Rome)

Organic food has long been considered a niche market, a luxury for wealthy consumers. But researchers have told a UN conference that a large-scale shift to organic agriculture could help fight world hunger while improving the environment.

Crop yields initially can drop as much as 50 per cent when industrialised, conventional agriculture using chemical fertilisers and pesticides is converted to organic.

While such decreases often even out over time, the figures have kept the organic movement largely on the sidelines of discussions about feeding the hungry.

Researchers in Denmark found, however, that food security for sub-Saharan Africa would not be seriously harmed if 50 per cent of agricultural land in the food exporting regions of Europe and North America were converted to organic by 2020.

While total food production would fall, the amount per crop would be much smaller than previously assumed, and the resulting rise in world food prices could be mitigated by improvements in the land and other benefits, the study found.

A similar conversion to organic farming in sub-Saharan Africa could help the region's hungry because it could reduce their need to import food, Niels Halberg, a senior scientist at the Danish Research Center for Organic Food and Farming, told the UN conference on Saturday on ''Organic Agriculture and Food Security.''

Farmers who go back to traditional agricultural methods would not have to spend money on expensive chemicals and would grow more diverse and sustainable crops, the report said.

In addition, if their food is certified as organic, farmers could export any surpluses at premium prices.

Source : http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070011049

Monsanto GM discusses recent expansion

Ray Foster, General Manager of Monsanto opperations on Molokai
4/16/2007 6:35:53 AM

Monsanto Hawaii's recent announcement about its new long-term lease of ag lands from Molokai Properties has generated a number of very good and very interesting questions. In the interest of open dialogue, we felt it might be of interest to talk about some of the more frequently asked questions:

Why is Monsanto Hawaii making such a large land expansion?

Monsanto Hawaii is expanding our operations. In part, this is a reflection of how Hawaii's seed industry continues to be a significant and positive growth area for our state. Our commitment to this long-term land lease is also a commitment to keeping this land in long-term agriculture and open space, which is a great thing for the rural environment we enjoy on this island.

There's been some confusion about how much more land is going to be farmed. The new land lease covers an area of 1,650 acres. Out of those 1,650 acres, 450 acres are not suitable for farming and will remain as open space. Another 700 acres were already previously being leased by Monsanto Hawaii. So, in effect, this new land lease has added about 500 acres to our existing farming operations.

Also, by the nature of our business, we can only plant on about one-fourth to one-third of our acreage each year, so please do not expect to see 1,600 acres of fields on these newly leased lands. That will not happen.

What impact will this have on water from the Molokai Irrigation System?

I have been in farming for more than 30 years, and truly appreciate how important water is. I firmly believe that all of us -- farmers, businesses, community residents, everyone -- must be responsible stewards of our water, land and other natural resources.

The Molokai Irrigation System was originally built in the 1960s using federal funds, and its water is intended to benefit multiple agricultural users. The 25-mile-long system is managed and funded by the Department of Agriculture through fees paid by those who use the water. Currently, the system serves over 200 users on 3,160 acres of land, and transports some 1.2 billion gallons of water per year.

Monsanto is aware of the rights and responsibilities associated with the Molokai Irrigation System water and we are fully prepared to honor them. The MIS is capable of supporting its current users including our expanding farming operations. We have not received any new state water meters because of this land lease, though we have been given permission to upgrade or repair existing meters, one of which was broken.

We are installing new pipelines for drip-irrigation, which is a highly efficient way of using and conserving water, with minimal wastage.

What if there's a drought?

Over the last few years, there have been occasions when we've all needed to practice water conservation. Most users of the MIS are required to implement water conservation efforts during drought conditions. Monsanto Hawaii has a water conservation program in place for times of drought, and we've implemented it when necessary.

An interesting aspect about Monsanto Hawaii is that we are largely a winter and spring business, meaning that most of our plantings takes place during the wet season. We usually plant very little during the dry months of August, September and October. So if drought conditions are a concern, the nature of our operations is a great fit for the MIS.

There's another reason why the seed industry is a good fit: it adds tremendous value to Hawaii's economy -- some $144 million in economic activity annually, $53 million in annual labor income, and more than 2000 jobs -- and yet, when compared to other large-scale crops, the seed crop industry puts far less pressure on Hawaii's natural resources. By the nature of our business, only a fraction of our lands are under active cultivation at any given time.

Finally, here's a factoid that I think is kind of neat: Monsanto works to develop new varieties of plants that can help overcome some of the problems that farmers face on an ongoing basis. Some of our current research efforts include developing new drought-resistant varieties that will allow farmers to grow their crops using less water.

How does this affect the community land use plan?

This land lease is in line with the Community-Based Land Use Master Plan for Molokai Ranch that the Molokai Enterprise Community affirmed. Monsanto supports this community land use plan and is happy to fit in with it.

This land lease is truly a win-win. It's a good fit for Molokai's community plan, helps our economy, supports agriculture and, as Molokai Properties Chief Executive Peter Nicholas has noted, returns the land to productive agriculture use.

Are you going to be hiring more people because of your expansion?

There will be a very positive impact on Molokai employment opportunities. We currently employ approximately 110 full-time and 80 seasonal employees here on Molokai, as well as approximately 600 full-time and 100 seasonal employees statewide. We have full-time as well as seasonal positions. If anyone is interested in joining our employee ohana, I encourage them to apply.

What are you planning to grow? How much of your crops will be biotech (GMOs)?

Monsanto plants both biotech and conventional crops. Nearly 100% of what we are growing today is corn and a small amount of soybeans. We don't anticipate that will change much in the near future, though it is difficult to predict exactly what types of crops we will be growing, say, five or ten years from now.

By the way, Monsanto is an agricultural company and our focus is on crops that are grown for food, animal feed, fuel and fiber. We are not involved in pharmaceutical crop research.

How will you ensure your GMO crops won't cross-pollinate with other crops?

Corn does not cross-pollinate with other plants. We develop high purity corn seed so we rely on scientifically proven protective methods like distance and time isolation to insure that our corn plants and others are not cross pollinated. Any other crop we might grow must be considered individually regarding its unique seed production requirements.

On a final note, we understand and respect the fact that members of the community may have questions about who we are and what we do. We encourage anyone with questions to please call us. Schedule permitting, we offer free tours of our facilities to people in the community who are genuinely interested in learning more about our work and agriculture in general.

Sincerely,

Ray Foster

Molokai Business Services Manager

Monsanto Hawaii, Molokai

Source : http://www.molokaitimes.com/articles/741663552.asp

Toxin-contaminated sausage recalled

Apr 16, 2007, 12:15 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- A U.S. firm has announced the recall of 330-pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products that might be contaminated with a dangerous toxin.

Earle of Sausage, a Willernie, Minn., business, initiated the voluntary recall because the sausage products might contain Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture`s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The products being recalled are 1-pound and 6-ounce packages of 'EARLE OF SAUSAGE SMOKEYS.' Each package bears the establishment number 'EST. 31844' inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture seal of inspection and a freeze-by-date of between '5/12/07 and 7/27/07.'

The FSIS said the sausages that were produced between Jan. 12 and March 29 were distributed through gas stations primarily in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Common symptoms caused by food products with Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping.

Consumers with questions can contact the company at 651-633-1601.

Source : http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/news/article_1292013.php/Toxin-contaminated_sausage_recalled

New Zealand Keen To Cooperate With Malaysia In Exploring Halal Markets

April 16, 2007 23:30 PM

From Sharifah Nur Shahrizad Syed Sharer

WELLINGTON, April 16 (Bernama) -- New Zealand is keen on smart partnerships with Malaysia in exlporing halal markets on a global scale, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said New Zealand's Agriculture Minister Jim Anderson had conveyed to him his country's keen interest to join Malaysia in exploring the market, which now stood at about US$500 bilion (RM1.75 trillion).

"I informed him that Malaysia was the best choice for the purpose as besides New Zealand exporting its products to us, by using our halal certifications and logos, we (Malaysia and New Zealand) can capture a big chunk of the global halal market. It is definite win-win situation for both countries," he told Bernama after meeting with Anderson at the latter's office here, Monday.

He said that he also took the opportunity to brief Anderson about the halal concept and the potential it held for both countries. The halal concept refers to food and other materials permissible by Islam.

"The minister felt it is a good idea and plans to pursue it further," Muhyiddin said.

He said it was also in line with Malaysia's aim to be a global hub for halal food and an agricultural powerhouse.

Muhyiddin said that in the meeting, Malaysia also sought for greater access for its agricultural produce like tropical fruits, flowers and ornamental fish.

Presently, trade between the two countries was heavily in favour of New Zealand with its exports outweighing imports by 11 times, US$218.4 million (RM763 million) to US$19.4 million (RM70 million), he said.

The matter would be ironed out through meetings at the senior officers level as soon as possible, said Muhyiddin.

He said that Malaysia also asked new Zealand to help train Malaysians in the field of agriculture and agro-based industries as part of Malaysia's human capital development efforts.

He said that New Zealand being an advanced agriculture nation, could help Malaysia develop skilled personnel in ensuring quality agricultural produce and also tapping more into downstream activities, which could be operated on a joint venture basis.

On the New Zealand side, Muhyiddin said Anderson asked for Malaysia's help to review the status of some of its abbatoirs, which had their halal certification suspended for not meeting standards required by Malaysia.

To this, Muhyiddin said Malaysia agreed to send a team of inspectors to check on seven such abbatoirs from April 19 to 28.

"But at the same time, I asked the New Zealand government and its Food Security Agency to play a proactive role in ensuring the companies issued halal certifications truly observed the protocols required under the halal code," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Source : http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=257131

Mysterious bee deaths threaten agriculture

Corinne Purtill
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 16, 2007 12:00 AM

Beekeeper Dennis Arp pulled a sheaf of honeycomb from a hive in a Mesa citrus grove, shook off the bees and peered through his veil at the orange blossom honey oozing out.

This year, Arp's Mountain Top Honey Co. is on track to produce only about half as many bottles to sell at farmers markets around the state.

Arp's bees started dying in mid-November.

A mysterious disorder killing honeybees across the nation has spread to Arizona. And it's delivering another blow to the state's $11.8 million beekeeping industry, which was racked by Africanized bees and other pests in the mid-1980s and 1990s.

Up to 90 percent of the honeybees in commercial colonies from Pennsylvania to California are dying suddenly. No one knows why.

Fewer bees means less honey to sell and fewer colonies to rent to farmers who need them to pollinate their crops. Dead bees already cost local beekeepers thousands of dollars this winter in lost pollination opportunities.

On a grander scale, the bee die-off poses major threats to agriculture. Up to one-third of the nation's food supply depends on bee pollination.

No one in the state is tracking the problem, and beekeepers say they feel helpless against the threat to their livelihoods.

Arp, 55, had planned to rent 1,000 colonies to California almond growers at $135 per colony. Practically overnight, he had fewer than 700 available - a loss of roughly $40,000.

"The only thing I had to do was put them on a truck, get them to California and they would have made it," Arp said, pumping a can of smoke to mollify the buzzing worker bees clinging to the hive. "But they didn't. They died."

The first reports of what is being termed colony collapse disorder surfaced on the East Coast in October. Reports of commercial bee colonies dying off en masse spread westward across the country. It also has been seen in Canada and parts of Europe.

Researchers do not yet know what is killing the bees. Stress, parasites, disease, pesticides and a lack of genetic diversity are all being examined as possible causes.

"If it keeps at the pace that it's going, in terms of how many bees are dying off, it could be huge," said Julie Murphree, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Farm Bureau. "You just could not endure this level of die-off in the colonies and then expect that we could have the same level of pollination."

Impact on agriculture

Dying bees could mean big trouble for agriculture in Arizona and beyond.

There are about 50 commercial beekeepers in Arizona, according to the state Department of Agriculture. A number of crops grown here depend on bees for pollination, including melons, squash, cucumbers and vegetable seed crops. Many beekeepers also raise bees for honey production.

Bee pollination is valued at roughly $15 billion annually in the U.S., according to a report about colony collapse disorder prepared for Congress. There are more than 2 million commercial bee colonies nationwide.

Bees pollinate alfalfa fed to cattle, as well as crops used for biodiesel.

It's not yet clear if colony collapse disorder will affect grocery prices. Although bees were far scarcer this year, Arizona farmers were still able to get the bees they needed to pollinate their crops. But rental prices were about three times higher than they were just a few years ago because of the bees' decreased supply.

Searching for answers

Colony collapse disorder is the latest in a string of problems to strike commercial bee colonies nationwide.

Mite infestations decimated colonies in the mid-1980s and then again in the 1990s. Africanized, or "killer," bees have infiltrated commercial colonies, producing a breed of bee that is too aggressive to work with.

But local beekeepers say that colony collapse disorder is one of the biggest crises they have ever faced. And, they say, there is no one to turn to for help.

"I thought we had a problem with mites," said Delmar McCann of Uncle Mac's Honey Co. in Laveen. "But compared to this, they're nice little fellers."

The Arizona Legislature deregulated the bee industry in the mid-1990s. As a result, the Arizona Department of Agriculture does not have the resources or authority to investigate colony collapse disorder, spokesman Ed Hermes said. No central agency is tracking reports of colony collapse disorder in Arizona.

Most of the research on colony collapse disorder is being done by a group of researchers, bee specialists and government officials based on the East Coast. Officials from that consortium testified before Congress late last month to ask for funding to investigate colony collapse disorder.

Arizona beekeepers say they need help - soon.

"Our researchers don't seem to be on top of (this) at all," said Kenneth Orletsky, beekeeper and former president of the Arizona Beekeepers Association. "I'm a very, very strong conservative. I don't want government in my business. (But) there are times when we the people choose to have help."

Arp bought new bees to replenish his losses. Last week he introduced the new queen bees to his hives in hopes his colonies will regenerate.

"I don't have all the answers," he said. "Really, I don't think anybody does."



Reach the reporter at corinne .purtill@arizonarepublic.com.

Source : http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0416bees0416.html

Uganda: Mubiru Promises to Improve Agriculture

(Kampala)

April 15, 2007
Posted to the web April 16, 2007

Moses Nampala
Kampala

Peasants hope to be the biggest beneficiaries if Stephen Mubiru emerge winner of Kamuli LC5 chairperson seat.

The NRM candidate has promised to transform their lives by supporting them in agriculture.

Addressing several rallies on Friday, Mubiru said a group of farmers in The Netherlands had offered him second-hand tractors, which he will give to the peasants.

He said transport difficulties were hampering the relocation of the equipment to Uganda.

Mubiru insisted that the project was not as a result of the elections. "The vision of transforming the peasant community in Kamuli district is an idea that I have had way back before I joined politics."

He promised to educate farmers on modern farming skills which he attained during a visit to The Netherlands.

"Until the peasant community is helped to acquire modern farming equipment, fighting poverty among them remains a myth because yields they get can only sustain food demands in their households and sometimes it's not even enough," asserted Mubiru.

Source : http://allafrica.com/stories/200704160589.html

Bosan, Matsuoka discuss Pak-Japanese ties in agriculture

Written by pub

Monday, 16 April 2007

LAHORE, April 16 (APP): Japanese Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries, Toshikatsu Matsuouka held a meeting with Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on the sidelines of the 31^st Cairns Group Ministerial Group Meeting here Monday.

“ Both the sides discussed the ways to enhance relations between the two countries in the fields of agriculture especially with regard to export of mangoes and shrimp to Japan,” Federal Secretary for Food and Agriculture, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi told newsmen at a briefing on Monday afternoon.

Dr. Manzoor Ahmad, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO was also present on the occasion.

Ismail Qureshi said that the issues related to Sanitary-Phyto-Sanitary (SPS), Japan’s high tariff on rice imports and possibilities of Japanese cooperation in the conservation agriculture techniques like drip irrigation and capacity building of Pakistani exporters were also discussed at the meeting.

He said that the Japanese Minister assured of all sorts of cooperation.

Qureshi said that Bosan and the Japanese Minister also discussed the pace of Doha Development Agenda round and the ongoing Cairns Ministerial Meeting.

Source: : http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7774&Itemid=2

Tests: W.Va. Turkeys Show Bird Flu Exposure Posted 2007-04-03

By JOAN ASHLEY

Daily News-Record

BRANDYWINE, W.Va. — A local turkey farmer had to destroy about 25,000 birds Sunday after routine tests showed that some of the birds had been exposed to avian influenza, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Local agriculture officials confirmed on Monday that the flock came from a farm in Brandywine. Officials with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, however, are not releasing the name of the poultry business or its owner, citing privacy and biosecurity concerns.

"Even our own personnel are not going there," Buddy Davidson, communications director for the WVDA noted.

The department announced the finding Saturday, based on test results from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories and said poultry litter movement will be halted in five counties in West Virginia.

Had the exposure not been detected, the Virginia Turkey Growers Cooperative in Hinton, in western Rockingham County, would have processed the affected flock, according to co-op President Sonny Meyerhoeffer.

The Virginia Poultry Federation estimated that a similar strain of avian influenza in 2002 cost farmers $130 million on nearly 200 farms, including 136 farms in Rockingham County, and resulted in 4.7 million birds being destroyed.

No Signs Of Illness

West Virginia authorities stressed that the "confirmed case of H5N2 virus … is a low-pathogenic strain of avian influenza," according to Davidson.

"This is not a human disease and cannot be contracted by people," Davidson added.
The H5N2 can spread bird-to-bird through saliva, feces or inhalation of the germ or vapor, Davidson said.

The birds showed no sign of illness, but exposure to the disease was discovered during a "regular routine, preslaughter surveillance" that each flock undergoes before being taken to slaughter and processing, Davidson said.

The blood samples from some of the birds were pulled by service personnel for the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative, Davidson said.

John Clifford, chief veterinary officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said in a statement that the National Veterinary Service Laboratories will continue running "sequencing and pathogenicity tests" to validate the initial identification of the virus.

Additionally, all poultry operations within a six-mile radius of the affected farm will be closely monitored, Clifford said.

He noted that the type of bird flu detected Saturday is not the highly virulent form that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Every indication, Clifford said, is that the virus "is consistent with low pathogenic strains," which are commonly found in birds and usually cause only minor ailments and few, if any, noticeable symptoms.

What’s Next?

West Virginia State Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglas plans to halt the movement of any poultry litter for at least 30 days within five counties, including Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Hampshire and Mineral, Davidson reported.

"Everything will just have to sit there until we get a grip on this," he said.

Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, has been in close contact with West Virginia and U.S. agriculture authorities, as well as the Virginia Poultry Federation.

"[We’re in touch with] all the players that could potentially be involved in any avian disease outbreak," she said.

Involved in the Valley’s 2002 outbreak, Lidholm was pleased with the process that detected the exposure — and the response that followed.

"The really encouraging thing is that these birds were discovered before they ever left the farm as part of the routine preslaughter testing," she said. "When the birds tested positive, they were euthanized before leaving the farm and that really reduces the potential of spreading the disease."

Lidholm acknowledged that officials "can’t be 100 percent sure" it won’t spread.

"But today we have planned for it," she said, "and have procedures in place to contain and deal with it."

Source : http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=9580&CHID=1

Canada Evaluates Effectiveness of Using Biodiesel in Agriculture

4 April 2007

Cleaner engines, cleaner air and more uses for local farm products were the focus of a just-completed study of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source on selected Ontario farms. This province-wide initiative is the only one of its kind in Canada. It involved six farms to evaluate the effectiveness of using biodiesel in agriculture.

"This project was designed to accelerate the adoption of biodiesel use on Ontario farms through a series of on-farm evaluations," said Deanna Deaville, Special Project Coordinator with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), which is administering the project. "Biodiesel has the potential to reduce Canada's dependence on fossil fuels, provide great environmental benefits and increase market opportunities for Canadian oilseed producers."
"Our Government is committed to encouraging the development and use of renewable fuels," said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. "Initiatives such as these play an important role in helping us achieve the government's objective of five percent renewable content in transportation fuels by 2010. This is another example of how we can create new economic opportunities for farmers and the agricultural sector while also taking care of our environment."

Natural Resources Canada contributed $300,000 to the project, with other partners Environment Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, UPI Energy, and the University of Guelph providing in-kind support.
It is hoped that the success of this project will lead to an accelerated adoption of biodiesel use in on-farm applications, not only in Ontario but across Canada. This will bring both environmental and economic benefits to Canadians, since biodiesel can be produced from local, renewable resources. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from locally available sources, including animal fats and plant oils such as soybean, sunflower and canola.

During normal farm field work, a research team from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada tested both pure and blended biodiesel, in which the renewable fuel is mixed with petroleum diesel. Evaluated blends had 5 percent and 20 percent biodiesel content, and were tested for engine horsepower and fuel efficiency. Environment Canada monitored exhaust emissions from tractors at the trial sites, including levels of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Although commercially available, biodiesel has never been tested on agricultural machinery in Canada and has not yet been widely used by farmers. It is hoped the research results - expected in early May - will help increase demand for biodiesel, which in turn will increase market opportunities for recycled materials and oils and give farmers the chance to grow some of their own fuel. Recent government announcements supporting renewable fuels will help advance the demonstration and use of biodiesel on farms.

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca

Source : http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=8161

Chocolate Milk Recalled After Students Get Sick

Mar 29, 2007 12:49 pm US/Central

(CBS) OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. A New Britain dairy has recalled hundreds of cases of chocolate milk, which may have been contaminated by a cleaning agent, after several Connecticut students fell ill.

Five students at Goodwin Elementary School and one student at Old Saybrook Middle School had symptoms that included nausea, stomach aches, headaches, dizziness and a burning feeling in the throat after drinking the milk at lunch Wednesday, state Department of Agriculture officials said. All were examined and treated by medical personnel and sent home.

The milk was half pints of one-half percent low-fat chocolate milk from Guida Dairy. The company immediately recalled the product, which it identified as Product No. 138 with an expiration date of April 13, 2007. Messages were left with the company seeking comment.

"We are gathering all the facts so we can make an accurate assessment on the product being recalled," the company said in recorded phone message on a special recall line.

Agriculture Commissioner F. Philip Prelli said about 1,200 cases were in the batch and of those only around 400 had been distributed. He said the half-pint sizes were mostly distributed to schools, cafeterias and other food service facilities that purchase in bulk. The smaller container is usually not carried by convenience stores and supermarkets, he said.

"We're on top of it," Prelli said. "I'm sure every school is going to be checking their chocolate milk (Thursday)."

Prelli said it appeared the foreign substance was a sanitizer used to clean production lines. The sanitizer may have still been in the lines when a batch of the milk was processed. Prelli said it's possible that not all 1,200 cases were tainted, but the entire batch has been voluntarily recalled by the company because "nobody wants to take the risk."

Parents were asked to monitor their children through the night and call 911 if they have abdominal pains.

The Agriculture Department and local health officials were testing the milk Wednesday night to determine what caused the children to get sick. The incident was reported to the federal Food and Drug Administration.

"We are working diligently to identify the causal agent and promptly recall any remaining product that may be affected," Prelli said. "We want to ensure the public that all parties are working together to swiftly address the issue."

The company's Web site said it services southern New England and parts of New York and New Jersey, although it was unclear late Wednesday where the affected milk was distributed.


Source : http://cbs2chicago.com/recalls/recalls_story_088135303.html