Idaho ranked No. 2 among the 11 Western states for total net farm income in 2013, despite trailing No. 3 Washington in total farm cash receipts by $1.6 billion. California remained an unchallenged No. 1 in both categories. Click here for the full story
Opportunities for U.S. dairy exports to South Korea center mainly on cheese and butter, followed by value-added ingredients such as whey proteins and lactose for food. Click here for the full story
Rabobank expects further decline in global prices for dairy products in the first half of 2015, a gradual tighting of supply in the second half and price recovery momentum in the fourth quarter. The downturn in U.S. prices has lagged that of other exporting regions, and U.S. recover could lag as well. Click here for the full story
Food safety rules leave some farm sectors with questions about on-farm processing. Click here for the full story
Container terminal operators are asking for federal mediators to intervene in labor contract negotiations with the longshoremen's union. Click here for the full story
A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been found in guinea fowl and chickens in a small backyard flock in Southern Oregon, the state Department of Agriculture said today. Click here for the full story
More than 8,000 agricultural landowners throughout the West are receiving surveys this month from the National Agricultural Statistics Service gauging the economic health of their industries. Click here for the full story
Commodity group leaders say the outlook for improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba bodes well for Northwestern food producers, especially those who raise hard red winter wheat. Click here for the full story
Farm groups on Wednesday welcomed congressional extension of tax breaks for 2014 equipment purchases and biodiesel production incentives, but said the last-minute action doesn’t solve long-term problems. Click here for the full story
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agricultural advocates say the recently approved $1.1 trillion federal spending bill contains several provisions that are good for farmers. Click here for the full story
Snowpacks are inadequate in Oregon and Washington but Idaho has fared better so far. Click here for the full story
J.R. Simplot Co. and University of Idaho have renewed an agreement that has helped the university's Parma research and extension station in Southwestern Idaho remain open. Under the agreement, Simplot provides the Parma station $330,000 a year. Click here for the full story
The Food and Drug Administration typically has shied away from the subject, leaving the issue of labeling the genetically modified organisms — foods grown from seeds engineered in labs — to the states. But Congress has weighed in as the food industry has faced a potential patchwork of state laws requiring the labeling. Click here for the full story
Potatoes have been included in the WIC nutrition program in a new congressional spending bill. Click here for the full story
Various proposals to increase transportation funding will likely be introduced during Idaho's 2015 legislative session, which begins next month, and lawmakers could also be asked to appropriate money for the proposed Bear River Basin water adjudication. Click here for the full story
University of Idaho has a new agronomist with expertise in water-use efficiency at its Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. Click here for the full story
Washington State University wolf researcher Robert Wielgus has released a report that killing wolves leads to increased depredations. Click here for the full story
Public pressure has been mounting, especially because the movement of cargo — several billion dollars’ worth on an average day, mostly to and from Asia — has been slowed. Click here for the full story
The U.S. has filed an appeal of the World Trade Organization's second ruling against its country-of-origin meat-labeling regulation, which will give Congress time to amend or repeal the rule in the coming months. Click here for the full story
Idaho's wine industry is excited about the possibility the state could have two new American Viticulture Areas this time next year. Idaho currently has one AVA, which is a federally designated wine growing region. Click here for the full story
A beef analyst predicts beef supply will be tighter next year, but increased pork and poultry production will lead to an overall increase in animal protein production. Click here for the full story
SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Idaho ranchers have seen a decrease in livestock killed by wolves for a second consecutive year, according to Todd Grimm, state director of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Service. Click here for the full story
The world’s biggest farm equipment supplier says its annual net income will drop about 40 percent and revenue from agricultural and turf equipment will fall further than it did in fiscal 2014. Click here for the full story
U.S. dairy exports slowed significantly during the third quarter of 2014 compared to the first half of the year and they are expected to slow even more during the fourth quarter. However, global dairy demand remains strong and U.S. cheese exports are still a bright spot for the industry. Click here for the full story
Curtailed negotiations between the longshoremen's union and container terminal operators may prolong congestion at West Coast ports, impeding exports of farm products. Click here for the full story
Ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner for a family of 10 are 37 cents more expensive this year, according to the American Farm Bureau. Click here for the full story
A National Weather Service climatologist says conditions are in line for Eastern Idaho to get a start on its mountain snow pack, but the winter outlook is for a weak El Nino pattern, which could bring slightly warmer and drier than normal weather to the state in the coming months. Click here for the full story
The Idaho Cattle Association has taken a stance in favor of genetically modified crops. Click here for the full story
An Iowa State University sociology professor who examined differences in opinion between climate scientists and farmers about climate change advises the scientists to focus more on on-farm solutions in their conversations with growers. Click here for the full story
Growth in Pacific Northwest wheat export markets will come with patience, an analyst tells producers at annual convention. Click here for the full story
A dairy economist told Idaho milk producers to brace for lower prices next year and she said that prices for class III milk, which is used to produce cheese, could fall to about $15.50 per hundredweight in May before starting to rebound. Click here for the full story
For a second consecutive year, Idaho research to develop chemical program recommendations for zebra chip has yielded inconclusive results. Click here for the full story
Monsanto will pay nearly $2.4 million to soft white wheat growers and wheat organizations to settle litigation over an unauthorized release of biotech wheat in Oregon. Click here for the full story
USDA shows potato yields are up in throughout the Northwest and nationwide, yet prices of fresh potato cartons continue strengthening. Click here for the full story
If the escalating dispute between longshoremen and container terminal operators leads to a shutdown of West Coast ports, the federal government has the power to temporarily re-open them. Click here for the full story
The Trans-Pacific Partnership now being negotiated would meld the trade policies of the U.S. and 11 Asian and Central and South Americans nations for agricultural products and other goods. In addition to the U.S., Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are involved. Visit www.capitalpress.com for more information
Shipments of perishable crops are getting bogged down by major congestion at Northwest ports due to a labor contract dispute between the longshoremen’s union and container terminal operators. Click here for the full story
An appellate court's denial last week of plaintiffs' request to rehear their lawsuit against the country-of-origin meat-labeling rule highlights a clash of sorts between law and politics, as international pressure to amend or rescind the rule may coax Congress to act. Click here for the full story
With Idaho's wine grape harvest winding down, vintners say total production this year will be well above normal. Growers in both North and South Idaho are reporting huge crop loads. Click here for the full story
Monsoon-like rains that hammered wheat and barley fields in Eastern and Southern Idaho in August have improved the water supply situation in the upper Snake River reservoir system. Click here for the full story
A court fight between a group of farmers and a county commission over a planned 44-home subdivision in the middle of 12 square miles of farm ground has been resolved. One of the farmers will buy the 55-acre property for $550,000 and turn it back into farmland. Click here for the full story
A new economic study on Idaho's dairy industry shows its large contributions to employment and economic activity in the state. In 2012, the industry generated 23,000 jobs and contributed more than $2.2 billion to the state's gross domestic product. Click here for the full story
The arrival of a large manufacturer of organic convenience food in Pocatello, Idaho, could lead to considerable growth in the state's organic agriculture industry. Click here for the full story
Yields for lentils, chickpeas and green peas in Washington and Idaho were down significantly this year but because of production challenges in other areas as well, prices are on the rise. Click here for the full story
No agreement has been reached in the lawsuits filed by non-soft white wheat plaintiffs against St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. Click here for the full story
Idaho Milk Products of Jerome, Idaho, has added a technical center to its growing milk protein business and held a grand opening Oct. 24 to celebrate its five year mark. Click here for the full story
A state eradication program reduced the Japanese beetle population in Boise by 58 percent this year and officials are confident the invasive pest can be eliminated from Idaho before it reaches any cropland. Visit www.capitalpress.com for more information.
U.S. milk production was up 4.1 percent in September over year-ago levels, boosted by 78,000 additional cows and increased per cow production of almost 2 pounds. Click here for the full story
Idaho's dry bean industry sees Costa Rica as one of its best potential new markets and the Idaho Bean Commission will use a $18,000 specialty crop grant to try to make inroads into that Central American nation. Click here for the full story
A WTO compliance panel on Monday ruled an amended U.S. country of origin labeling measure has a detrimental impact on imported Canadian and Mexican livestock. Click here for the full story
A crisis response group convened by Idaho's Speaker of the House is trying to find ways to help growers in Southern Idaho deal with the huge losses in wheat and barley production they suffered this year due to unusually heavy August and September rains. Click here for the full story
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks members for its panel to advise the agency on wolf recovery. Click here for the full story
Cattlemen are banding together to fight Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack's intention to resolve a stalemate in the beef industry over amending the national beef checkoff by establishing a supplemental, secondary beef checkoff under a 1996 generic promotion act. Click here for the full story
A three-year pilot program of allowing Mexican trucks to deliver goods in the United States has expired and the Department of Transportation has not said what's next. Click here for the full story
An Idaho corn maze is receiving national attention again but its owner said while the recognition is fun, he's more interested in educating urban folks about agriculture while entertaining them. Click here for the full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s concerns are outlined in a letter sent to ranching groups in the region. Click here for the full story
Last month, five consumer and environmental groups sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration expressing their concern about the flavor industry, which determines the safety of its own ingredients. Click here for the full story
The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the comment period on a controversial proposal that would change the definition of "waters of the U.S.," a rule change some say will increase the agency's power over agriculture. Click here for the full story
A two-year research project funded by a $57,000 specialty crop grant will look at ways to help Idaho dry bean farmers combat the nightshade weed. The weed costs the Idaho bean industry about $8 million a year. Click here for the full story
The average value of all cropland in Idaho rose 6.7 percent to $3,040 per acre this year, and the value of irrigated cropland in the state rose 8.5 percent to $4,600 an acre. Click here for the full story
Tight global supplies of beef will tighten further for the remainder of 2014 and into 2015, but record prices in the beef and cattle complex are firm on unwavering consumer demand. Click here for the full story
A $103,000 specialty crop grant will allow researchers at University of Idaho's Parma experiment station to continue trials aimed at helping growers produce alternative fruit and nut crops. Click here for the full story
Media members were taken on an extensive tour of a fourth-generation Idaho dairy Sept. 30. The Kuna dairy's owner said he viewed it as his responsibility to provide media and thus consumers a close-up look at how a dairy operates. Click here for the full story
A USDA investigation found a Washington farmer had experienced problems with glyphosate-resistant wheat in 2007 but destroyed the crop before it could be tested for a transgenic trait. Click Here for the full story
The investigation into the unauthorized release in Oregon has ended without any determinations about the source of the biotech wheat, though USDA continues to believe it was an isolated incident and none of the crop entered commerce. Click Here for the full story
USDA said more biotech wheat was found at a former field trial site in Montana but it's unrelated to a 2013 unauthorized release in Oregon. The agency has ended its investigation into the Oregon incident without firm conclusions as to its source. Click Here for the full story
An economic outlook by University of Missouri's FAPRI projects high prices for the livestock and dairy sectors and lower prices for the grains and oilseed sectors, resulting in livestock receipts eclipsing crop receipts in 2014 -- which last occurred in 2005. Click Here for the full story
Swore Farms in southeast Idaho has an annual tradition of inviting all of fourth-graders in the Pocatello-Chubbuck school district to come and learn about agriculture. Click here for the full story
Idaho farmers weren't surprised to hear that the average cost to rent irrigated cropland increased $20 an acre this year. The average rent expense for all cropland in Idaho is estimated at $151 an acre, an increase of $12 over 2013. Click here for the full story
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture will use a $18,000 federal grant to conduct four events around the state designed to increase the amount of local food being included in school menus. Click here for the full story
FDA officials say the agency's revised produce rule would provide more flexibility for farmers to meet proposed water quality standards. The revisions were announced today on the Federal Register website. Click here for the full story
Irrigation districts in southwestern Idaho won't cease delivering water to farmers until the first part of October, a month later than last year. They also expect to have a decent amount of carryover water left for the 2015 season. Click here for the full story
A pending lawsuit targeting Idaho Wildlife Services could impact Idaho agriculture since 88 percent of the agency's funding is used to protect agriculture, especially livestocck producers, from predators. Click here for the full story
Last year was one of the deadliest in recent memory in Idaho for fatal crashes involving automobiles and farm equipment and two farm bureau groups have teamed up with the Idaho State Police on a public service announcement that urges people to be cautious and patient around farm vehicles. Click here for the full story
The Idaho Water Resources Board considers a proposed 750,000 acre-foot dam and reservoir on the Weiser River to be one of its top priorities. The board recently took a significant step forward in its efforts to study whether the project is feasible. Click here for the full story
Record corn yields will be set in 18 states, the USDA said, and 10 states including Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, the top three producers, have the highest number of ears per corn stalk ever. Click here for the full story
The Idaho Potato Commission is encouraged by survey results showing strong national recognition for its brand and loyalty by female Hispanic consumers. Click here for the full story
Compensation payments for grazing losses will be reduced, so the Farm Service Agency is urging livestock producers to file claims by the end of September. Click here for the full story
USDA will invest $328 million in conservation easements to protect and restore farmland, grasslands and wetlands under a new program that consolidates three former easement programs administered by Natural Resources Conservation Service. Click here for the full story
A tentative settlement deal has been reached in a lawsuit between soft white wheat growers and the Monsanto Co. over an unauthorized release of biotech wheat last year. Details are not yet available. Click here for the full story
A major multi-state grant to research zebra chip disease was recently denied funding for an additional five years. Click here for the full story
A federal judge Thursday refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Idaho’s so-called ‘ag gag’ law, which prohibits secret recordings of agricultural operations. Click here for the full story
Idaho Wildlife Services will receive $225,000 from the new Idaho wolf depredation board this year to help fund its wolf control efforts. The USDA agency has lost about $700,000 in funding since 2009, which has reduced its efforts to control depredating wolves. Click here for the full story
The Idaho Potato Commission has ended its business relationship with fitness and nutrition expert Denise Austin. Click here for the full story
Drones may be a problem for firefighters if the drones fly into restricted airspace over and near a wildfire, where air tankers and helicopters could be in the air, said Mike Ferris, a spokesman in Portland for the U.S. Forest Service. Click here for the full story
Potato farmers are being sought to help a year-old organization formed to educate the public about genetically engineered crops answer questions from consumers. Click here for the full story
A court ruling on genetically modified organism regulations in Hawaii's Kauai County may have implications for other litigation over biotech crops. Click here for the full story
The U.S. government has made a preliminary decision to impose duties on imported Mexican sugar, in response to complaints by U.S. sugar producers. Click here for the full story
With harvest under way, Idaho farmers say this year's bean crop looks good but there are concerns about possible mold issues in the Magic Valley area because of heavy August rains. Click here for the full story
The first vineyard in Idaho to be Low Input Viticulture and Enology certified could lead to more vineyards and wineries in the state seeking the industry standard that verifies they are using good stewardship practices. Click here for the full story
High milk prices and lower feed costs grew U.S. milk production 4 percent in July over year-ago levels. Continued favorable margins are expected to boost production the rest of the year. Click here for the full story
Wheat has sustained heavy damage throughout Idaho due to continuous rain storms in August. Click here for the full story
USDA Risk Management Agency announces a new wheat crop insurance option under the 2014 Farm Bill that will help farmers add on to their multi-peril crop insurance policy. The Supplemental Coverage Option is a tool available to farmers after the loss of direct payments and programs like ACRE and SURE, Spokane Valley, Wash., crop insurance agent Steve Wedel says. Click here for the full story
Rail capacity issues in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains mean less railcar availability for farmers expecting large harvests. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is working to address the problem, a spokeswoman says. Click here for the full story
The Idaho Barley Commission is seeking to help growers cope with "catastrophic" damage due to a wet August. Click here for the full story
Federal regulators and environmentalists have finalized a settlement requiring no-spray buffers for several pesticides along West Coast waterways, but opponents remain skeptical of the deal. For more information visit www.capitalpress.com
Rail capacity issues in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains mean less railcar availability for farmers expecting large harvests. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is working to address the problem, a spokeswoman says. Click here for the full story
University of Idaho's newest research center, located near Salmon, is opening a new facility to test supplement intake of groups of livestock in a pasture setting. Click here for the full story
The joint School of Food Science at Washington State University and University of Idaho is teaming up with Seoul National University in Korea to create a Center for Applied Food Safety and Processing. Interim director Barbara Rasco says the center will provide technical support for trade in food science. Click here for the full story
Russia's ban on U.S. agricultural products will have a minimal impact on Idaho because live cattle, which aren't on the ban list, make up 90 percent of the state's total exports to that country. Click here for the full story
Hay has sustained damage throughout Magic Valley and Eastern Idaho following a week of continuous moisture. Click here for the full story
Loss of Russia as an export market puts the squeeze on the Washington apple industry to find other buyers for about $12 million worth of apples. Click here for the full story
The ban, announced by a somber Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at a televised Cabinet meeting, covers all imports of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products from the U.S., the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway. It will last for one year. Click here for the full story
The Melba School District will use an $8,000 grant from Monsanto Corp. to build a greenhouse that will allow instructors to provide ag program students a hands-on learning experience about agriculture. Click here for the full story
Onion growers in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon haven't had near the pressure from iris yellow spot virus this year as they did in 2013. Industry experts say that could have something to do with farmers spraying earlier and more often in 2014. Click here for the full story
The Agriculture Department says the change could cut down on 5,000 foodborne illnesses annually. The changes would be voluntary, but many of the country’s largest poultry companies are expected to opt in. The chicken and turkey industries swiftly praised the new rules, saying they would modernize their businesses. Click here for the full story
The USDA says its new greenhouse gas report will help provide the science to support and develop tools to help landowners manage carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Click here for the full story
The full appellate panel heard the case after a three-judge appeals panel ruled against the industry but suggested that the full court may want to review its decision. The first panel had ruled that the industry’s claims were unlikely to succeed in court and said a consumer’s interest in choosing domestic meat is worthy of what the court called a “minimal” intrusion on the meat industry’s First Amendment rights. Click here for the full story
A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't have to begin the process of withdrawing antibiotics from subtherapeutic use in animal agriculture. Click here for the full story
The decrease in overall number of cattle and calves in the U.S. on July 1 is no surprise to the industry. But the decrease in beef replacement heifers is, considering other USDA numbers showing signs of herd rebuilding. Click here for the full story
Record-breaking cattle prices, bringing strong profits up and down the beef supply chain, have many concerned about a market downturn. Feedlots are the most at risk but have a pretty good cushion through October. Click here for the full story
Farmers in southwestern Idaho have been asked to voluntarily conserve water in an effort to avoid a possible shortage at Lake Lowell near Nampa. Click here for the full story
Cow/calf producers are enjoying sweet prices on their beef calves, with average profits running $480 per cow. Click here for the full story
An oilseed crushing plant scheduled to open this fall in Plymouth, Utah, should make soybeans and canola more common in regional farm rotations. Click here for the full story
Hop growers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho ,the nation's top hop producing states, have been slow to warm to the idea of freezing instead of drying hops. A South Dakota man who is pushing the idea may shift the focus of his project away from this area to his home state as a result. Click here for the full story
Potato industry leaders have taken a stance in favor of biotechnology as a safe option for developing improved crop varieties. Click here for the full story
Submitting a proposed clarification to Idaho's fugitive dust rule to the EPA for federal approval could offer farmers and ranchers more protection, ag leaders were told July 16. But it would also include a public comment period and could draw the attention of national environmental groups. Click here for the full story
The House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee has blocked USDA's request to reprogram funding for the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, and close the facility. The action, however, does not address the long-term threat to the research facility. Click here for the full story
Regional agricultural college leaders say job opportunities abound for their graduates, but they're having trouble keeping up with demand by the industry. Click here for the full story
Northwest Farm Credit Services sees continued favorable times ahead for cattle producers, due to tight supplies, low feed costs and strong demand. Click here for the full story
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may devise new restrictions to impede herbicide resistance in weeds due to genetically engineered crops. Click here for the full story
Farmers will be at the center of solutions to problems created by the growing world population, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture director Sonny Ramaswamy said during a lecture at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Click here for the full story
Planted barley acres are down both in Idaho and nationally, according to a USDA report. Click here for the full story
Access has been restored to fresh, U.S. potato exports to Mexico within 26 kilometers of the Mexico-U.S. border. Click here for the full story
The USDA Agricultural Research Service is proposing the closure of the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, and a reduction in the number of researchers in Prosser, Wash. USDA ARS Director of Information Sandy Miller Hays says the adjustments will address declining and flat budgets, but industry and researchers are criticizing the moves. Click here for the full story
When the temporary, global beef supply boost works its way through the system, limited supplies and strong demand are expected to result in strong prices in the third quarter of the year. Click here for the full story
Rabobank's newest dairy report shows the anticipated drops in global dairy commodity prices in the second quarter of 2014 were more sever than anticipated. Click here for the full story
Beef and pork prices are at record highs due to limited supplies. Economists see no indication of demand slowing. Producers and feedlots are reaping the benefits, while profits are more volatile at the packer level. Click here for the full story
Capital City Public Market, Idaho's largest farmers market, and the new Boise Farmers Market, which was created by former CCPM vendors who wanted a more ag-centric market, are co-exisiting well and even feeding off each other. Click here for the full story
Potato industry leaders are optimistic about the restoration of South Korean access for fresh potatoes from the Pacific Northwest after Korean delegates visited Idaho. Click here for the full story
Idaho wine sales increased 32 percent during Idaho Wine Month last June and industry leaders expect to see another big gain this year. Click here for the full story
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter takes USDA to task for ignoring an advisory vote by lawmakers supporting potatoes in the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Click here for the full story
The University of Idaho is adding a wheat molecular geneticist with financial support from the Idaho Wheat Commission. The university and commission have also renewed their three-year agreement to support wheat research. Click here for the full story
Total farming jobs in Idaho have barely budged in two decades while the number of total state jobs has increased significantly. But economists say that's a good thing and shows the industry has become more efficient. Click here for the full story
Gowan Co. officials have told Idaho Bean Commission members the company will resume producing Eptam 20G if industry can prove there is sufficient demand for the product, which controls the nightshade weed. Gowan needs an answer by early July. Click here for the full story
The U.S. wants European authorities to allow genetically modified crops and food processing techniques, including the use of chlorinated rinses to process poultry carcasses. Click here for the full story
Many Western hay growers are off to a good start this season and getting top prices as California’s lingering drought eats into that state’s hay crop and exporters seek supplies for overseas customers.
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Hong Kong’s decision to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef shows the industry’s safeguards against disease are working to build international demand, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says. See more at CapitalPress.com.
The nation's highest court has let stand a ruling that requires farmers who hire guest workers under the H-2A program to repay travel expenses within a week, rather than halfway through the employment contract. Click here for the full story
Symptoms of iris yellow spot virus in onions have appeared earlier than normal in the Treasure Valley area this year and growers are being encouraged to be extra-vigilant in their thrips management programs. Click here for the full story
Winter wheat production will be down in the Pacific Northwest and across the country, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Click here for the full story
Idaho and Oregon farmers have been alerted about a possible case of glyphosate-resistant kochia weeds in at least two Roundup Ready sugar beet fields in the Treasure Valley area. Click here for the full story
Sixteen agricultural organizations in the U.S., Canada and Australia have pledged their support of biotechnology to improve wheat varieties. Click here for the full story
A semi-annual survey of ag lenders shows less optimism than last fall due to an expected increase in ag loan interests rates. But the survey also showed an expected increase in loan volume and available money. Click here for the full story
The state of Idaho is again fighting a proposal to list a native Idaho desert plant as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The state has developed a conservation plan for the plant and doesn't believe a listing is warranted. Click here for the full story
Potato psyllids, which can spread zebra chip disease in potato fields, have arrived in the Pacific Northwest early this season, experts say. Click here for the full story
U.S. Dairy Export Council and National Milk Producers Federation are urging negotiators to hold Japan and Canada to their pledges of comprehensive market access in the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Click here for the full story
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is accepting more applications for its 2014 specialty crop block grant program. The department received twice as much money from the USDA this year for the program and will accept additional applications through June 20. Click here for the full story
The second and final public comment period has commenced for J.R. Simplot's Innate line of genetically modified potatoes. Click here for the full story
Stripe rust was detected May 29 in a soft white winter wheat field near Hazelton in southcentral Idaho. University of Idaho officials said the plant disease showed up much earlier than expected this year in southern Idaho. Click here for the full story
Canada and the U.S. have relaxed potato cyst nematode testing requirements for seed potatoes traded between the two countries. Click here for the full story
Authorized by the new farm bill enacted earlier this year, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program is intended to involve the private sector more directly in planning and funding environmental protection initiatives tied to agriculture. Click here for the full story
Congress and the U.S. dairy industry are pushing trade negotiators to resolve the EU's use of geographic indicators for common cheese names to block U.S. exports to the EU and its trading partners. Click here for the full story
The federal government has struck a deal with several agribusiness giants that it accused of antitrust violations. Click here for the full story
Cherry growers in the Pacific Northwest are hopeful of a great season of a large crop at good prices, fueled by pent up retail demand caused by a California debacle. Click here for the full story
U.S. milk receipts hit a record $40.3 billion in 2013, with California leading the way. That gross income was up 8.7 percent from 2012 with an 8.4 percent increase in the average all-milk price. Click here for the full story
Once a niche product, branded beef now accounts for more than half the product sold. Click here for the full story
Lawmakers supportive of the potato industry are going forward with a new plan to force the inclusion of fresh, white potatoes in the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Click here for the full story
A Cornell University study of 11 elementary schools in Oregon that removed chocolate milk from school lunches showed a decrease in milk consumption, both in decreased sales and increased waste. Click here for the full story
