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  <channel>
        <title>Farming UK World News RSS</title>
        <link>http://www.farminguk.com</link>
        <description>www.farminguk.com World News RSS</description>
        <language>en-us</language>  
        
                   

        


               

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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Customers reassured NZ milk is safe ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Customers-reassured-NZ-milk-is-safe_7083.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The Ministry of Primary Industries has moved to reassure overseas consumers that New Zealand milk is safe after a Sri Lankan government minister warned it could be contaminated with radioactive chemicals.

Sri Lanka's Agriculture Minister, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, urged people in the country to refrain from drinking imported powdered milk from New Zealand as it could also contain the toxic agricultural substance dicyandiamide (DCD).

Sri Lanka's Atomic Energy Authority claimed in Colombo's Sunday Times it had faced pressure from New Zealand officials to suspend testing of New Zealand milk powder samples.

Yesterday, Ministry for Primary Industries deputy director-general Carol Barnao said the ministry considered sampling of every consignment of New Zealand milk powder for radioactivity to be unnecessary.

"In light of the scientific evidence and the history of compliance by New Zealand, MPI sought the suspension of routine testing for radiation in New Zealand milk powders, or a significant reduction in the frequency," she said.


Ms Barnao said the ministry already provided an official assurance that the level of radioactivity in New Zealand animal products is negligible, with levels consistently below 1 unit per kg.
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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:57:45</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Croatia partner country at Serbian agriculture fair ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Croatia-partner-country-at-Serbian-agriculture-fair_7082.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Croatia will be the partner country at the 80th international agriculture fair in Novi Sad, Serbia which will feature more than 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries, reporters were told in Novi Sad on Thursday.

Croatian Ambassador Zeljko Kupresak said the partnership would contribute to an increase in Croatian investments in Serbia.
He refuted claims about a big unbalance in Croatia's favour between the amount of Croatian goods on the Serbian market and that of Serbian goods on the Croatian market.

He said last year Serbian exports to Croatia amounted to US$ 109 million, while Croatian exports to Serbia were $121 million. He hoped that agricultural exports on both sides would rise considerably.

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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:56:04</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ TNAU hopes to ride the boom in agriculture jobs ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/TNAU-hopes-to-ride-the-boom-in-agriculture-jobs_7081.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Farming may be a losing proposition for many in the country, but an agriculture degree could fetch you a well-paying job in no time.

According to K Ramasamy, vice chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), at least 10,000 jobs that call for post graduates and PhDs in agriculture-related studies come up every year. He says only about 6,400 of the vacancies get filled up. So, a degree in agriculture studies offers assures a job and, hence, there is a major demand for agriculture related courses, adds Ramasamy.

Not surprisingly, there is a massive rush to get admission to one of the 1,330 seats TNAU offers in nine undergraduate disciplines. TNAU has so far sold nearly 20,000 applications. With three more weeks left for the application process to close, officials expect that at least 30,000 applications will be sold.

The maximum demand is for BSc agriculture as this is a broad-based course which offers several options for specialised higher studies. Ramasamy says an agriculture graduate can easily find a job that offers a starting salary of around Rs 20,000. "For those willing to relocate to Maharashtra and other states, there are even better options," he said. There are several export-oriented firms there that provide better paying jobs.
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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:54:51</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Senate Agriculture Committee Plows Forward on Farm Bill ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Senate-Agriculture-Committee-Plows-Forward-on-Farm-Bill_7080.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday approved a five-year farm bill that reveals a new consensus on crop and nutrition policy, but it emerged over the objections of three Republican senators from the Plains—Pat Roberts of Kansas, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, and John Thune of South Dakota—who offered amendments on food stamps and commodities that a majority of the panel rejected.

The bill will be on the Senate floor next week, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said late Tuesday. The House Agriculture Committee has a farm-bill markup scheduled for Wednesday. Farm leaders in the House and Senate are trying to send a farm bill to President Obama before Sept. 30, when the current extension of the 2008 farm bill expires.

Stabenow has advertised the legislation as first and foremost a reform bill. The new Senate bill would cost $955 billion over 10 years but $23 billion less than if the programs in the 2008 farm bill were extended, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Senate bill eliminates the $4.9 billion in direct payments that crop farmers have been getting whether prices are high or low; consolidates conservation programs; and makes a $4 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP or food stamps, which is projected to cost more than $700 billion over 10 years.

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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:53:50</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Scottish dairy herd free of Schmallenberg virus ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Scottish-dairy-herd-free-of-Schmallenberg-virus_7079.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    So FAR so good but watch out in the future was the message from the NFUS yesterday after it reported no positive samples in a survey as to whether the Schmallenberg virus had entered Scottish dairy farms.

The survey, covering dairy farms across the whole of Scotland, saw the Union working with SRUC and Biobest. Of the bulk milk tanks tested, 91 returned negative with five test results still outstanding.

Spread by midges, SBV was first identified on German and Dutch farms in 2011 and has since spread throughout Europe and other parts of GB. Five cases have so far been confirmed in Scotland and there is a widely held expectation that it will start to circulate here in 2013.
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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:52:26</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ A New Kind Of Agriculture Replaces Intuition With Precision ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/A-New-Kind-Of-Agriculture-Replaces-Intuition-With-Precision_7078.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Record-setting drought across the U.S. in recent years has pushed everyone to look for new ways to save water. So while nature and beer don’t always go together, it was natural for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to join forces with America’s beer brewers to change how farmer irrigate their crops. For the non-profit, conserving America’s rivers meant growing America’s barley, one of the primary ingredients in one of our favorite cold beverages, with less water.

The key is precision farming: the convergence of digital technology that allows farmers to apply just the right amount of fertilizer and water on their fields. Humans have practiced a rather crude form of agriculture for millennia: we douse fields to give them as much water and fertilizer as we think they need. Yet field conditions may differ drastically within a few feet.

Now measuring and application technologies from automatic sprayers to satellites are so cheap and effective, farmers can use precisely the right amount of resources on every square foot of a field. Experimental projects are even testing how to dispatch farm drones (crop-spying quadcopters for example) that measure everything from reflectivity to water loss to optimize the efficiency of a farm’s operations.
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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:51:02</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Private Equity Pins Hopes on China Agriculture ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Private-Equity-Pins-Hopes-on-China-Agriculture_7077.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Private equity investment into China’s agriculture sector sagged in 2012, but with the government vowing to modernize farming methods and general growing demand for food, going back to the land increasingly is looking like a good bet.

CMIA Capital Partners and Infinity Group are among a handful of fund managers placing bigger bets on China’s agricultural industry. CMIA raised a new $150 million fund focused on food and agriculture investments and has already secured around $100 million in commitments, said Managing Partner Lee Chong Min.

Meanwhile Infinity, a cross-border China-Israel fund, will back agriculture-related companies operating in Beijing Eco-Valley, a newly established agriculture park in the capital city.

The Chinese government set up pilot schemes to encourage large-scale farming, which in turn has helped boost industries such as farming equipment.

However, a scarcity of good management teams and corporate governance issues have hindered returns, industry insiders said. Although private equity investment across all sectors slowed in China last year, agriculture was hit particularly hard.

Incentives to boost the agriculture sector, including tax rebates or capital expenditure subsidies, had made it more appealing for companies to operate in the industry and have led to an increase in potential investment opportunities. However, corporate governance remains a challenge. Many deals between agriculture companies are completed using cash, making it easier for companies to “fake” accounting numbers, said a Beijing-based investor.
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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:49:44</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Govt Asks Investors to Focus On Agriculture ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Govt-Asks-Investors-to-Focus-On-Agriculture_7076.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Government has asked investors to stop branding the agricultural sector as a risky area to invest if the country is to address the key destabilizing challenge of agricultural risks.

The call was made by the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Bright Rwamirama while officiating at a workshop on agricultural risk management at the Imperial Royale hotel in Kampala.

He said that many investors have been dodging to invest in the sector which employs the largest population of Ugandans claiming that the agricultural sector is risky thus cannot easily give back returns.

He admitted that sometimes there may be production risks which may be taken for granted until calamity strikes but planning beforehand can improve the situation.

"We need to do business differently, take a proactive approach, plan beforehand by identifying the kind of risks we face and integrate adequate tools to manage agricultural risks and uncertainties," added Rwamirama.

Rwamirama said that due to risks associated with agriculture, the last few years have seen significant increase in prices of imported foods such as rice and wheat and these are projected to continue rising over time.

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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:48:30</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Tanzania: Future of Agriculture Promising ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Tanzania-Future-of-Agriculture-Promising_7075.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    A LONG time struggle to transform agriculture is bearing fruit, giving hope for a brighter future. That was the implication in President Jakaya Kikwete's move when launching an agricultural research facility built by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

"Overcoming the many challenges facing African agriculture is a gigantic task that requires addressing many issues including developing adequate capacities for research in order to develop high yielding and disease-resistant seeds," said president Kikwete.

The president added: "In 2006, the government of Tanzania developed a comprehensive 14-year Agricultural Sector Development Programme to overcome the challenges. The purpose is to increase agricultural productivity through more application of modern science and technology."

He added that the government has given more attention to research and instituted measures to increase the involvement of the private sector and other stakeholders in agriculture development. "We are including other players as well besides government and development partners as sole agents for agriculture development.

I believe when this mix is properly attained other agriculture related sectors such as agro-processing, manufacturing and service industry will come into play and benefit accordingly," he said. President Kikwete believes that such efforts will boost income of farmers and many other Tanzanians engaged in the agricultural sector will improve and so will their living standards.

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                   <Createddate> 17/05/2013 09:47:26</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ The Gillard Government's plan for Australian agriculture ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/The-Gillard-Government-s-plan-for-Australian-agriculture_7074.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The 2013-14 Budget strengthens the foundation of Australian agriculture, prepares our farmers for future challenges, and lays the groundwork for the opportunities for rural Australia in the Asian Century.

“This Budget is a serious commitment to agriculture, with funding to implement our plan to make farmers stronger, better prepared for the future and with access to more opportunities,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig said.

The Budget provides for Farm Finance, a package of measures that alleviates the pressures of debt and provides targeted financial assistance for our farmers.

“Viable farmers can’t grow if they are held back by unmanageable debt. Farm Finance lightens that load,” Minister Ludwig said.

The 2013-14 Budget also funds the next stage of the Government’s plan for Australian agriculture – preparing for the future.

“Farmers are on the frontline of the fight against climate variability and the threat of drought. For too long our response to drought was to only provide reactive support,” Minister Ludwig said.

“The Gillard Government’s National Drought Program Reform gives farmers the tools they need to prepare for drought, not just react to it.”

“Today I have announced $99.4 million for the Farm Household Allowance to support farmers in hardship. Rather than provide support based on lines on maps, it will be provided to those who are in need.”

After five years of discussions, the Government calls on the States to finalise their contribution to national drought reform, including farm business training and social support.

Minister Ludwig said the agriculture sector’s role in managing climate change would also be enhanced by the $429 million Carbon Farming Futures program, taking the best abatement and greenhouse gas reduction research and converting it for use on farms.

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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:22:03</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Agriculture sector to clock 3.4% growth ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Agriculture-sector-to-clock-3-4-growth_7073.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Farm sector is likely to record 3.4% growth in 2013-14 if monsoon is normal as has been forecast, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan said on Wednesday.

“We had projected average growth rate of 3.4 per cent for agriculture sector in the 11th Plan. All indications are that monsoon will be normal, we expect agriculture sector to do well this year...If monsoon is normal, 3.4%  growth rate is achievable in the agriculture sector this fiscal,” Rangarajan said.

Agricuture and allied sectors have grown by a mere 1.8 per cent in the last fiscal. Drought in several states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat caused due to bad monsoon had had a negative impact on crop production. The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast normal rainfall to be 98 per cent of the long period average (LPA).
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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:20:24</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Statistics Agency to Conduct Agriculture Census ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Statistics-Agency-to-Conduct-Agriculture-Census_7072.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) is preparing to carry out a new national census of the agricultural sector.

The last agricultural census was done more than 10 years ago, rendering meaningless the data currently in use. Director of Economics Statistics, Ndamona Kali, says the pilot survey was carried out in February/March this year and the census is expected to start in the months between February and March 2014. The census would be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has provided the money required to conduct the census.

The UN agency also provided the technical expertise for the 1994/1995 agricultural census. The technical expertise included valuable advice on data collection, methods and designing of questionnaires, and manual and other survey instruments.

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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:18:39</Createddate>
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               <item>
                    <title> <![CDATA[ Global agriculture greenhouse gas emissions 37.5% those of electricity and heat ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Global-agriculture-greenhouse-gas-emissions-37-5-those-of-electricity-and-heat_7071.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Global greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector totalled 4.69 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent in 2010 (the most recent year for which data are available), an increase of 13% over 1990 emissions. By comparison, global carbon dioxide emissions from transport totalled 6.76 billion tons that year, and emissions from electricity and heat production reached 12.48 billion tons, according to Worldwatch Institute's Vital Signs Online service.

Growth in agricultural production between 1990 and 2010 outpaced growth in emissions by a factor of 1.6, demonstrating increased energy efficiency in the agriculture sector.
 
The three most common gases emitted in agriculture are nitrous oxide, CO2, and methane. Methane is generally produced when organic materials such as crops, livestock feed, or manure decompose anaerobically (without oxygen). Methane accounts for around 50% of total agricultural emissions. Enteric fermentation − the digestion of organic materials by livestock − is the largest source of methane emissions and of agricultural emissions overall.

Nitrous oxide is a by-product generated by the microbial breakdown of nitrogen in soils and manures. Nitrous oxide production is particularly high in cases where the nitrogen available in soils exceeds that required by plants to grow, which often occurs when nitrogen-rich synthetic fertilisers are applied. Nitrous oxide is responsible for around 36% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. 
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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:15:22</Createddate>
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               <item>
                    <title> <![CDATA[ Agriculture sector remains worst hit in last 5 years ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Agriculture-sector-remains-worst-hit-in-last-5-years_7070.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Despite having an agricultural economy, Pakistan’s agriculture sector remained the worst hit and most neglected area of the economy in the last five years. 

Fertilizer Manufacturers Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) while congratulating Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its leadership Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif for securing majority in general election hoped their government would revive the agriculture sector of the country to ensure farmers’ well being and food security of 190 million countrymen.

FMPAC Executive Director Shahab Khawaja said, “PML-N leadership fully understands the importance of agriculture sector for the quick revival of the economy and fertilizer sector being an integral part of agriculture sector would be given due importance while allocating the precious gas resources.”

He hoped PML-N government would ensure early revival of the agriculture sector through better and long-term policies. 

Due to worst-ever gas curtailment to fertilizer sector in last three years, the country spent foreign exchange of $1.5 billion and also paid a subsidy of around Rs 80 billion on the imports of 3.4 million tonnes during 2010-12. 

He said fertilizer sector was the only sector bringing in direct investment and now this investment was at the verge of risk as severe gas curtailment of the industry has resulted in closure of these plants risking billions of dollars of investment in the sector. 
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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:14:10</Createddate>
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               <item>
                    <title> <![CDATA[ Taxes counterproductive to agriculture sector ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Taxes-counterproductive-to-agriculture-sector_7069.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    Opposition Spokesperson on Agriculture, JC Hutchinson says several of the tax measures introduced by the Government are affecting the growth potential of the sector. 

Speaking in the Sectoral Debate yesterday, Hutchinson described some of the revenue measures as counterproductive. 

He singled out the General Consumption Tax and fees levied at the ports on agriculture items, as among those that have curtailed the purchasing power of farmers. 

The Jamaica Labour Party Spokesperson says if the increase in property tax cannot be delayed, it should be implemented over a five-year period. 

He says the export earnings of farmers are being affected. 

New property tax rates took effect on April 1. 

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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:12:54</Createddate>
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               <item>
                    <title> <![CDATA[ Kikwete Urges Agricultural Transformation ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Kikwete-Urges-Agricultural-Transformation_7068.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    THE government is taking necessary steps to make sure that agricultural sector is transformed through appliance of modern technology, irrigation, research and financing.

President Jakaya Kikwete said this in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday evening while addressing the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) Regional Conference.

"The government will continue with efforts to develop the agriculture sector in the country as a way to achieve sustainable development," he said. President Kikwete said farmers in Tanzania should be assured of the positive measures that the government is taking to improve the sector in a bid to ensure sustainable food security.

The conference under the theme "Financing Agriculture Transformation beyond Food Security" was organised by Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) in collaboration with SACAU. The conference attracted about 200 participants from 14 Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) countries and some representatives from regional agriculture organisations from other parts of Africa.

He mentioned initiatives such as the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), as the best example of the government commitment toward agriculture transformation. "I consider the theme of the meeting to be relevant and opportune indeed.
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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:11:32</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Agriculture Canada closing offices in 4 Saskatchewan communities ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Agriculture-Canada-closing-offices-in-4-Saskatchewan-communities_7067.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The federal government is closing Agriculture Canada offices in Melville, Watrous , North Battleford and Weyburn.

According to the department, research centres in Saskatoon and Swift Current will be maintained.

As well, research on cattle, previously done in Lethbridge, Alberta, will be consolidated with the existing research office in Swift Current.

The cuts were made to reduce overhead expenses in Saskatchewan and focus on scientific research.

The office in North Battleford is in the riding of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who recently posted a news release on his website talking about the importance of the industry in Saskatchewan.

"Saskatchewan is home to nearly half of Canada's arable farm land, 30 per cent of Canada's agriculture biotech industry, and the second largest beef cattle herd in the country," a press release in April noted. "In 2012 Saskatchewan remained Canada's top agri-food exporting province, with more than $11 billion worth of agri-food exports, which accounts for more than one-third of all provincial exports."
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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:10:27</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ House Agriculture Committee Approves Farm Bill ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/House-Agriculture-Committee-Approves-Farm-Bill_7066.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    After a late-night session Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee voted to approve a $940 billion farm bill, a day after the Senate passed its version, setting the stage for Congress to finally begin work on a new five-year bill.

The vote was 36 to 10, with mostly Democrats voting against the bill after nine hours of debate.

Efforts to pass a farm bill last year failed when House leaders refused to bring their version of the bill to the floor for a vote. The Senate did pass its version. The most recent farm bill, which passed in 2008, was extended until Sept. 30.

The committee’s chairman, Representative Frank D. Lucas, Republican of Oklahoma, praised the efforts of the committee in passing the bill, but warned that there was still a lot of work ahead as the measure  headed to the full House. “I’m pleased the committee was able to work together, find some common ground, and advance a five-year farm bill today,” Mr. Lucas said.

The House bill cuts projected spending in farm and nutrition programs by nearly $40 billion over the next 10 years. Just over half, $20.5 million, would come from cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. The Senate voted to cut spending by $23 billion, with $4.1 billion of the cuts coming from the food stamp program.

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                   <Createddate> 16/05/2013 09:09:18</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Farming initiative to ensure health security at Attapadi ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Farming-initiative-to-ensure-health-security-at-Attapadi_7065.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    The agriculture department and state horticulture mission are set to launch a massive farming drive at Attapadi during the planting season in June, in a bid to revive the area where 22 malnutrition deaths have been reported.

Seed crops such as pulses and cereals will be grown in the available area, following which vegetable and fruit saplings will be planted.

As part of a long-term perspective in ensuring nutritional and health security at Attapadi, the agriculture department has given the mandate to Kerala State Horticulture Mission (KSHM) to chalk out a plan of action for massive farming initiatives, agriculture production commissioner Subrata Biswas told TOI. The action plan will be implemented with the help of panchayat members in the tribal hamlet, he said.
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                   <Createddate> 15/05/2013 10:19:10</Createddate>
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                    <title> <![CDATA[ Call to end milk quota system ]]></title>
                    <link>http://www.farminguk.com/WorldNews/Call-to-end-milk-quota-system_7064.html</link>
                    <description>                
                    <![CDATA[
                    MOVES in Brussels that would fund short-term supply problems in the milk sector in Europe were yesterday attacked by both Scottish and English NFUs as only adding to bureaucracy and helping competitors.

George Jamieson, milk policy manager for NFUS, described an amendment in the current common agricultural policy (CAP) proposals as “bureaucratic and ineffective”, with the only beneficiaries being dairy companies in New Zealand or the United States.

The proposal, supported by the European Parliament, would maintain supply management in the dairy sector and would require the retention of the milk quota administrative framework.

That, according to English NFU dairy board chairman Mansel Raymond, raised doubts about the EU commitment to the abolition of quotas.

“There are some in Europe who would like the supply of milk within the EU to remain shackled through the back door,” he said.
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                   <Createddate> 15/05/2013 10:17:21</Createddate>
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