The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives defied a White House veto threat and passed a Farm Bill Thursday that expands the taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance system but omitted food stamps for […] Read more
U.S. House passes Farm Bill sans food stamps
U.S. House deals shock defeat to Farm Bill
Republican budget-cutters joined with Democratic defenders of food stamps on Thursday to deal a shocking defeat to the proposed US$500 billion, five-year farm bill backed by Republican leaders, undermining hopes […] Read more
USDA probe finds GM wheat was ‘isolated incident’
The unapproved genetically modified wheat that was discovered sprouting in Oregon appears to have been “a single isolated incident,” U.S. agricultural officials said on Friday in their most detailed description […] Read more
U.S. seeks source of errant GM wheat as importers flee
The United States is still racing to determine how unapproved genetically modified (GM) wheat was found growing in an Oregon field, a discovery that continued to roil global wheat markets […] Read more
U.S. avoids meat inspector furloughs, Congress approves funds
Congress approved US$55 million on Thursday to prevent the furlough of all U.S. meat inspectors this summer, a step that could have driven up meat prices and created spot shortages […] Read more
USDA details some furlough plans
All U.S. meat inspectors will be furloughed on the same days as the federal meat safety agency, a top U.S. ag department official said, leading to spotty meat shortages in […] Read more
Budget cuts won’t hit U.S. meat inspectors immediately: USDA
Although U.S. federal budget cuts are scheduled for March 1, it could be months before a threatened shutdown of meat plants would occur in that country because of a furlough […] Read more
U.S. deserves lightest BSE rating, health officials say
The United States is expected to get the top safety rating for BSE in spring, under a recommendation from international livestock health experts that was greeted on Wednesday as a […] Read more
U.S. fiscal plan averts ‘dairy cliff’
A deal approved by the U.S. Congress late on Tuesday to avoid the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff" also includes measures to avert the […] Read more
USDA sees U.S. soy crop easing tight world supply
The U.S. soybean crop is much bigger than expected, helping to ease a worldwide supply squeeze, thanks to late-season rains that offset the impact of the worst drought in half […] Read more
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