On Tuesday Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy requesting an update on the agency’s review of the anti-farmer “What’s Upstream” campaign in Washington State. The letter requests an update on the agency’s progress assembling facts and enacting reforms to ensure appropriated funds are not being used in contravention of the law. The What's Upstream campaign, funded by the EPA, featured billboards depicting dead fish and polluted water, urging individuals to contact their state legislators and, “hold the agricultural industry to the same level of responsibility as other industries.

Farm groups in Canada are voicing concerns merger and acquisitions within the agribusiness industry. the Calgary Herald reports farm groups in Canada have similar thoughts as U.S. farm groups. And are the process of gathering comments from farmers on mergers, including the Agrium-PotashCorp deal. That merger would create the world’s largest fertilizer company. A spokesperson for the Alberta Wheat Commission said “we aren’t opposed to mergers in general,” but says too much concentration of ownership could lead to less healthy competition. Canola-based associations have already voiced concerns over the Bayer-Monsanto deal, as the two companies currently control more than 90 percent of the herbicide-tolerant canola trait business.

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