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Agribusiness

Restrictions protect groundwater in applying fertilizer: MDA

ST. PAUL — To protect groundwater, farmers and commercial applicators applying fall nitrogen fertilizer are restricted in some areas of the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Under the Groundwater Protection Rule, fall nitrogen fertilizer application is prohibited in vulnerable areas of Minnesota due to environmental concerns or risks. Areas with coarse-textured soils or areas above fractured bedrock or karst geology are the most vulnerable to nitrate loss and groundwater contamination. The MDA announced updates to its fall nitrogen fertilizer restriction ...

ASA seeking entries for Legacy Awards

ST. LOUIS — Farmers who share a story of how conservation is part of their farm operation could be recognized with a Conservation Legacy Award. The awards recognize farm management practices of U.S. soybean farmers that are both environmentally friendly and profitable. All U.S. soybean farmers are eligible to enter to win a Conservation Legacy Award. Entries are judged on soil management, water management, input management, conservation, environmental management and sustainability. The selection process for these awards is divided into four regions – Midwest, Upper Midwest, ...

Dutch government under fire in debate over emissions cuts

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday that members of his Cabinet have enough confidence in each other to keep working together as lawmakers broke into their summer vacations to debate the government's contentious plans to slash nitrogen emissions that have sparked angry protests by farmers. The debate was called after Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a newspaper interview that the goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 wasn't set in stone. Hoekstra's Christian Democrats party, which traditionally wins votes among farmers and in rural ...

Milk producers group commends IRA

ARLINGTON, Va. — An infusion of $20 billion for USDA conservation programs from the Inflation Reduction Act will boost the dairy industry, according to the National Milk Producers Federation. The funding will help dairy farmers advance their proactive sustainability leadership by enhancing ...

Invasive moth found in Minnesota

ST. PAUL — The purple carrot-seed moth, an invasive insect that feed on plants in the carrot family such as dill, fennel, and coriander, recently has been found for the first time in Minnesota. A resident near Stillwater first noticed the insect on their dill plants and reported it to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. A second report from Montgomery, Minn. came in a few days later. With help from the University of Wisconsin Diagnostic Lab, scientists were able to make the identification from photos. The moth, native to Western Europe, Russia, and China, was first discovered ...

Workforce shortage is top ag industry crisis

The American Soybean Association, in conjunction with the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, this month urged Senate leadership to pass an agriculture workforce reform bill before the end of this Congress. In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the agriculture associations outlined the need for strengthening food security through domestic agricultural production, including farmworker visa reform. The letter cites the current domestic workforce shortage as one of the greatest challenges impacting farmers today and calls on ...