Biotech Crops the Path to Feeding a Hungry World

More Wheat to be Planted in South Carolina
 

Futures prices are expected to drive up wheat acres in many states, and South Carolina is no exception. Pioneer area agronomist George Stabler says producers are getting ready:

“A lot of the acres that will go into wheat will be behind corn or peanuts. A lot of those acres area already worked up, a lot of tillage went on. A lot of the acres behind peanuts they really don’t have to do anything to except drop in and plant.”

To hear more Pioneer “In the Field” reports click here

Biotech Crops Path to Feeding Hungry World
 

Recently, the North Carolina Biotech Center hosted a day-long summit featuring many different aspects of biotech. Dr. Bill Weldon, VP of Global Research & Development with Elanco Animal Health spoke of hunger statistics world wide:

“Hunger is still the number one cause of death in the developing world. Actually, lack of food kills more people than war, AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. On a daily basis, 25,000 deaths per day occur worldwide from hunger.”

And world population is expected to increase exponentially in the near future, making the problem larger:

“As we grow from 7 billion to 9 billion people, that problem will not get any easier. We need to increase our production.”
 

And it’s generally considered that bio-engineered crops will be the path to feeding the world. For more from the biotech summit click here 

NC Railroad Company Bows Out of Port Expansion Project
 

The state-owned North Carolina Railroad company has voted against giving $70 million to help build wood pellet handling facilities at the ports of Wilmington and Morehead City.
 

The StarNews of Wilmington reported that state officials recently asked the railroad for the money over 10 years to help build the $120 million port projects. Officials say the projects would be the most expensive ever at the state's ports. But the railroad company board of directors rejected the request late last week.
 

State Health Officials Pinpoint Source of E.coli Outbreak
 

State health officials say animal contact is a likely source of an E. coli outbreak linked to the Cleveland County Fair. A statement from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday said 64 children and 42 adults have been affected by this outbreak. A 2-year-old died of complications from the bacterial illness.
 

Officials said 12 individuals have been or are currently hospitalized.