**Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a significant step in modernizing regulations of agricultural animals modified or produced by genetic engineering.

agwired.com reports, the USDA will move forward with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit public input on a regulatory framework that would update our system into a scientifically-sound, risk-based, and predictable process that facilitates the development and use of these technologies for farmers and ranchers.

http://agwired.com/

**The end-of-year spending package passed by both Chambers of Congress last week included ground-breaking provisions

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse, a Washington state Republican, introduced to maintain and update critical Bureau of Reclamation water supply infrastructure projects across the rural West.

The provisions establish a first-of-its-kind Aging

Infrastructure Account to provide stability and flexibility for local water managers who maintain and operate BOR water infrastructure.

**A near-double digit gain in potato retail sales wasn’t enough to offset a decline in foodservice sales during the 2019-20 marketing year.

Showing a 5% decline in the use of ALL potatoes, the domestic sales and U.S. potato report for July 2019 to June 2020 was released by Potatoes USA in December.

The report, according to thepacker.com, says despite the 9% increase in retail sales, the decline occurred due to the 13% decrease in foodservice sales and 2% decrease in exports.

https://www.thepacker.com/news/produce-crops/potato-utilization-dips-5-2019-20-marketing-year?mkt/

More From News Talk KIT