Agribusiness Update for Wednesday 3/20/13

This is the Agribusiness Update...I’m Greg Martin...

Even with Congress poised to pass a continuing resolution that would give agencies flexibility to address spending priorities - many say furloughs are still likely. USDA spokesperson Courtney Rowe says more than 92-hundred meat inspectors will still be forced to take 11 unpaid days starting in July and spread out through the end of the fiscal year.

The Senate adopted an amendment to the continuing resolution last week that would prohibit the EPA from enforcing its Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule against farmers. Tthe adoption of the amendment is the first step in the fight to exempt farmers and ranchers from being forced to comply with a regulation that was originally designed for refineries - not farms.

USDA and cooperating scientists are now evaluating new ways to control the pale cyst nematode can cause tuber yield losses of up to 80-percent with naturally occurring chemicals called egg-hatching factor. The approach is to use the chemicals to trick the eggs into hatching when potato plants are not present.

That’s today’s Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network.