1. Doug McKalip advanced through a Senate committee
The Senate Finance Committee met and approved Doug McKalip as the Chief Ag Negotiator.
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon says Mr. McKalip met the requirements for the job.
“This is an extremely important position and Mr. McKalip is certainly qualified for this job. There is no doubt that he’ll be ready to step in and succeed as Chief Ag Negotiator on day one,” said Wyden.
The nomination now goes to the full Senate.
To read the full story, click HERE.
2. Ag groups and lawmakers urged the passage of Livestock Regulatory Protection Act
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association urged the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to quickly pass the Livestock Regulatory Protection Act, which aims to prevent the EPA from issuing the Clean Air Act Title V permits for emissions that come from livestock production.
Senator Thune told the Environment Committee about the importance of the legislation. He says producers have been working hard to improve and reduce emissions and should not be subject to regulations that could ultimately lead to higher food costs for everyone.
To read the full story, click HERE.
3. Court granted ag coalition intervention in gray wolf lawsuit
The court has granted an ag coalition intervention in the gray wolf lawsuit. It is an important move for livestock producers as it gives them a voice to defend delisting from the Endangered Species Act and ensure a thriving ecosystem.
Public Lands Council and NCBA Natural Resources Executive Director, Kaitlynn Glover spoke with RFD-TV’s own Janet Adkison about how we got to this point, why having a voice in the delisting is so important for livestock producers, and what the next steps are moving forward.
To read the full story, click HERE.
4. Texas cotton producers brace for severe drought
Tony St. James with All Ag All Day said recent rains helped the sorghum crop, but cotton was a different story.
“Cotton we plant quite a bit earlier than the sorghum. Dryland fields are gone at this point. We’ve lost 30 to 50% of the irrigated acreage. I thought I’d show you something kind of interesting though. Here is after the rainfall, a little cotton plant that popped up, but then turns into a little flower, then puts on one of these bowls here. That gives you an idea on how big the bowl is. After enough heat units that thing will pop open then we will be ready to harvest cotton,” said St. James.
To read the full story, click HERE.
5. Gene-edited tomatoes could fight cancer and heart disease
In a potential new milestone in agricultural biotechnology, a gene-edited tomato is believed to fight cancer and heart disease.
Developed in England, researchers say the deep purple tomato contains high levels of anthocyanins, which are found in berries and other fruit.
To read the full story, click HERE.
