On Tuesday, NC State Extension hosted their bi-annual Precision Ag Field Day at the Tidewater Research & Extension Center near Plymouth. Carl Crozier, Professor of Soil Science & Extension Specialist at NC State, and was a member of the planning committee:
“The topics are timely, and they change a little bit, I think there’s always something new to learn.”
As far as what’s available in the high-tech arena for agricultural production, and what’s actually used, Crozier had this thought:
“There’s amazing amount of difference, I think in the last 10 years of what’s being used on a farm.”
Crozier says it’s been his observation that size of the farm, not necessarily the age of the farmer is what dictates how much new technology is employed on any given farm. For more from Tuesday’s Precision Ag Field Day, visit our website, SFNToday.com.
Farm Bill Negotiations Get Contentious
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threatened for the first time Monday to pull the plug on the farm bill if Republicans continued to insist on what Reid considered unrelated amendments. Reid announced from the Senate floor his intention to either move ahead or scuttle the farm bill…
Reid blamed Republicans for holding the bill up - charging the issues on the bill were overwhelmingly on the other side. And he let loose with the 'C' word - cloture - a procedure that takes 60-votes to shut down a filibuster and force action on a bill…
“We spent so much precious time on this bill, precious time we don’t have. We need to move forward on it, forward or off this bill.”
By late Monday evening - Stabenow said the Senate had reached agreement to more forward. The Senate will consider more than 70 amendments in addition to a Manager's amendment.
Beef Production Down, but Offset by Increased Pork Numbers
World Outlook Board Chair Gerry Bange says increased pork production offsets a lowered beef forecast for the remainder of 2012, going into 2013:
“Beef prices we did not change, we did make a slight reduction in our beef production forecast for 2012, 2013 we made very small changes in case of beef, in case of pork, same thing, and I hasten to add we’re looking at 2.1% increase on pork, we’re looking at a 2% reduction on beef production for 2013, so, pretty much a offset on those two.”
North Carolina State awarded biodefense contract
Three biodefense contracts have been awarded across the country to help the country quickly develop vaccines in the event of a pandemic and strategies for responding to bioterrorism.
One center will be based in North Carolina, and will be led by Novartis, and will work with North Carolina State University and Duke University.
A second center, led by Emergent Manufacturing Operations Baltimore LLC, will be based in Maryland and partner with Michigan State University, Kettering University in Michigan and the University of Maryland-Baltimore, and the Texas A&M University system was awarded the third.
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