avian influenza

**President Trump is proposing to slash the Agriculture Department’s field staff and also make deep reductions in research, rural development and international food aid. A 62-page budget summary released by the White House is skimpy on details but it calls for a $4...

**The Senate has confirmed Rick Perry as the nation’s 14th Secretary of Energy, a department he once vowed to abolish. He was sworn in following the 62-37 vote. During his confirmation hearing, the former Texas governor told lawmakers he regrets his statement about doing away with DOE and believes it performs critical functions, including protecting the nation’s nuclear arsenal...

The United States, Canada and Mexico have entered an arrangement to enhance collaboration on avian influenza. Along with their poultry and egg industries, the countries signed the agreement this week to work toward harmonizing procedures for responding to possible future detections of the virus...

USDA is stockpiling up to 500 million doses of a new vaccine against avian influenza, yet many in the $48 billion poultry industry don’t want it. The National Chicken Council’s Ashley Peterson said “as soon as you vaccinate any bird, you are telling the world bird flu is endemic, and countries are going to stop buying from us, some of them for years...

While labeled a long-shot, Senate Republicans are seeking to strike down the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule. Legislation by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst seeks a disapproval resolution that would have to be enacted over a presidential veto. According to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s office, a resolution of disapproval is a legislative procedure used to try to overturn regulations and rules put forth by t

Japan is lifting some of its bans on imports of live poultry and poultry meat from the United States. The bans were put in place earlier this year due to the U.S. outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Imports from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Kansas, Arkansas, Montana and Indiana as well as British Columbia can resume...

Monsanto announced Wednesday that they are no longer pursuing the current proposal for Syngenta. In a news release, Monsanto announced Syngenta said Monsanto’s enhanced proposal did not meet financial expectations. Monsanto will continue its focus on opportunities within its existing core business and resume the implementation of its approved share repurchase program as soon as practical, accordin

USDA has announced a request for proposal to stockpile vaccine doses in preparation for another potential wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza. While the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has not approved use of a vaccine, the agency wants to ensure it is available should it be needed...

A trade deal linking 40 percent of the global economy remains on track for a potential agreement by the end of the month. The 12 nations negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership are slated to meet late this month for the last round of talks...

The U.S. has won its World Trade Organization case against India regarding India’s eight-year-old ban on U.S. poultry, meat, eggs and live pigs. India claimed it needed to restrict these ag products to prevent avian influenza from entering India...