Wednesday is the day that voting in the “Nickels for Knowhow” Referendum takes place. NC Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler explains where the money from the assessment is used:
“This is a 60 year old voluntary assessment on feed and fertilizer that’s produced and purchased in North Carolina. and the money raised goes to support agriculture research and teaching and extension projects at NC State University.”
With budgets being what they are, Troxler says that this assessment is doubly important to the state’s ag economy:
“This effort keeps our agriculture industry strong in North Carolina. agriculture research is critical if we’re going to continue to be successful in agriculture and agribusiness in North Carolina, and it’s about $1.2 million raised each year to support research and education, and it’s only about $25 a farm.”
To cast a vote in the referendum go to your county FSA office.
West Virginia latest Location for Hearings on Fracking
CBS News Correspondent Jim Krasula says a Senate committee held a hearing in Charleston, West Virginia on hydraulic fracturing to remove natural gas from shale deep underground.
“The Senate committee field hearing on the growing and controversial drilling for natural gas in several east coast states was chaired by Senator Joe Mansion…”it’s important for us to develop our resources here at home instead of relying on countries that don’t like us very much and wish to do us harm.” The panels of government, industry and educational experts did not include anyone opposed to shale gas drilling.”
TAG: "fracking" is controversial because it involves the injection of chemicals deep into the ground and there's concern it poses a threat to drinking water supplies. North Carolina has outlawed the practice, but it comes up for debate regularly in the General Assembly.
Japan Wants TPP Membership
Japan’s Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has expressed his nation’s intention to begin consultations with Trans-Pacific Partnership countries towards joining the TPP negotiations. Ministers from the nine TPP countries met Friday in Honolulu, Hawaii. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk welcomed the move, saying - we look forward to engaging with the Japanese in these discussions. Kirk believes, - Japan’s interest in the TPP demonstrates the economic and strategic importance of this initiative to the region. NPPC President Doug Wolf says pork producers would gain tremendous market opportunities with Japan as part of the TPP.
FSIS Delays Rules Implementation
The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will delay for two months, until March 1, 2012, the effective date for enforcement of the “Nutrition Labeling of Single-Ingredient Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products” final rule. The announcement was made in response to a request from a coalition of organizations representing food, agriculture and retail associations that will be affected by the final rule to ensure they have time to implement the newly required nutrition labels.
Drug User Fee Program Up For Reauthorization
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has held a public meeting marking the start of the process of reauthorizing for another five years the Animal Drug User Fee Act. First enacted in 2003, ADUFA allows FDA to collect fees from the animal health industry for the review and approval of animal health products. The fees supplement the agency’s annual congressionally-approved appropriations.
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