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By Category: Agriculture

FDA to Extend Comment Deadline for Produce Safety Rule

Responding to multiple stakeholder requests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning to extend the comment period on the produce safety rule beyond May 16, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said on Thursday. “We appreciate that these are complex rules to go through and we do intend to extend the comment period so we can  Read More »

The tricky task of protecting plants in a globalized age

(FAO) Odds are, today you ate something that came from another hemisphere. A mind-boggling $1.1 trillion worth of agricultural products are traded internationally each year, with food items accounting for 82 percent of the total. And where fruit or plants can travel, so too can less-savory characters. Fruit fly eggs hidden in the skins of  Read More »

Biosecurity must improve to combat bird flu

(FarmersWeekly) An outbreak of a new strain of avian influenza in China has prompted calls for people to change how poultry is sold, kept and slaughtered in the country. A H7N9 strain of avian influenza has been identified for the first time in humans in China, causing six deaths and prompting the Food and Agricultural  Read More »

National Sheep On-Farm Biosecurity Standard Released

(Marketwire) A new voluntary biosecurity standard was introduced today that will help sheep producers improve the health of their flocks and strengthen their on-farm biosecurity activities. “Producers can use the Standard to create a biosecurity plan that meets the specific needs of their operation,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Strengthening on-farm biosecurity protects animal health  Read More »

Field Trial of GM Plants in the Country

(PressInformationBureau) The Government has allowed field trial of Genetically Modified (GM) plants in Agriculture sector in India. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), apex body notified under Rules 1989 has approved experimental field trials for the purpose of biosafety research and event selection in respect of GM crops such as cotton, rice, tomato, groundnut, potato,  Read More »