Agriculture Daily News 11/8

In the early 1980s, engineers straightened out stretches of the Kushiro River in Hokkaido but later in November work is to start again, this time returning the original curves of the river. For decades, Japan pursued economic development at all costs, but it is now emphasizing the importance of protecting the environment. Some environmentalists and local residents are skeptical of the new projects. With no rivers left to straighten, they say, the authorities nowadays are simply starting to curve them instead. NY Time 11/7/07

 

A new Bush administration proposal to give the federal government sweeping authority over imports won plaudits yesterday as a step toward restoring public confidence in product safety. The proposal changes the way the imports are inspected. Under the plan, imports deemed to be especially risky would undergo mandatory safety certifications in the country of origin before shipment.  The proposal would also give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to recall dangerous food products from both foreign and domestic suppliers when a company refused to do so or moved too slowly — power the agency does not have now. NY Times 11/7/07

 

The purpose of the new Organic Fertilizer Association of California is to represent the California organic fertilizer industry and promote the knowledge of safe and effective organic farming systems, it says. Central Valley Business Times 11/8/07

 

The White House has made its unhappiness with the new farm bill clear, announcing that the president probably would veto the measure. Administration officials said the bill, which would authorize spending $288 billion over five years, was too expensive. The measure also has generated opposition from a broad coalition of taxpayer advocates, medical organizations, environmentalists and religious groups because it would continue expensive subsidies for crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans and rice. LA Times 11/6/07

 

Planes scheduled to spray a synthetic pheromone over parts of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties to combat an invasive moth were grounded for the fourth consecutive night Wednesday due to heavy fog, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. CBS 5 11/8/07

 

A key scientist in the decades-old fight against the Mediterranean fruit fly says eradicating the light brown apple moth from California is impossible. An Agriculture Department technical advisory panel that convened in May in San Jose disagreed, concluding that the moth was "eradicable." James Carey, the scientist for UC-Davis, said the moth has spread to too many counties for aerial spraying to work and, like cancer cells in the body, can continue to grow undetected. Monterey County Herald 11/7/07

 

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the mysterious disease responsible for huge losses in bee populations starting this year, has not impacted crops noticeably. Though affected operations lost between 50 and 90 percent of their hives, ultimately, pollination went smoothly this year. Imported bees replenished domestic stocks, and good weather aided weak hives. Honeybees pollinate one-third of all US crops – apples, almonds, and blueberries among them – valued at some $14.6 billion. Christian Science Monitor 11/8/07