US farmers may stop planting GMs after poor global yields

Photo: Farmers Weekly

Some US farmers are considering returning to conventional seed after increased pest resistance and crop failures meant GM crops saw smaller yields globally than their non-GM counterparts.

Farmers in the USA pay about an extra $100 per acre for GM seed, and many are questioning whether they will continue to see benefits from using GMs.

“It’s all about cost benefit analysis,” said economist Dan Basse, president of American agricultural research company AgResource.

“Farmers are paying extra for the technology but have seen yields which are no better than 10 years ago. They’re starting to wonder why they’re spending extra money on the technology.”

One of the biggest problems the USA has seen with GM seed is resistance. While it was expected to be 40 years before resistance began to develop pests such as corn rootworm have formed a resistance to GM crops in as few as 14 years.

“Some of these bugs will eat the plant and it will make them sick, but not kill them. It starts off in pockets of the country but then becomes more widespread.

“We’re looking at going back to cultivation to control it,” said Mr Basse. “I now use insecticides again.”

One of the issues if farmers do move back towards non-GMs will be the availability of seed, he said, as around 87% of US farmers plant genetically modified seed.

The top performing countries by crop yield last year were in Asia, in particular China, where farmers do not use GM seed.

Robyn Vinter, February 6 2013. Source: Farmers Weekly

Should we buy organic local grow, and at what price ?

Study: Price rules even as organic, local grow

12/27/2012 11:03:01 AM

Mike Hornick, The Packer.

Demand for organic and local farm products ranks high among retail shoppers, but a new study finds most are more willing to pay premiums elsewhere in the store.

The annual PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP study, “Experience Radar 2013: Lessons from the U.S. Grocery Industry,” reflects about 6,000 consumer responses. Six more industries — including pharmaceuticals, airlines and retail banking — were also examined.

The grocery research looked at four shopper types. Combined, they were willing to pay a 4% premium for local and organic product.

That’s compared to 9% for recyclable packaging; 10% for loyalty discount programs; 11% for staff knowledge; and 14% for checkout service.

But in order of demand, local and organic was second only to checkout. For example, 46% overall want organic products.

Nonetheless two of the shopper types were ready to back such preferences with premiums of up to 27% on local and organic and up to 30% on recyclable packaging.

The study represents the types as characters. Experiential Erica is a high-income, health-conscious parent. Mindful Maria is young, urban, ecologically minded and a convenience seeker. They’re driving the local, organic and packaging trends.

But PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP also finds price and convenience remain the top purchase influences on shoppers overall, 37% and 28% respectively. The other shopper types suggest the importance of price. Frugal Fred is middle-aged, low- to mid-income and a bargain hunter. Traditional Terri is in or near retirement with conservative, consistent buying patterns.

The study aims at categorizing shoppers not just by demographics, but by valued features and behavior patterns.

Recommendations and suggestions include informing customers of checkout wait times and best shopping hours; offering checkout via smartphone apps; personalizing loyalty programs; providing ready-to-eat offerings beyond standard deli fare; and creating an emotional connection with shoppers through local, green and organic items.

Though checkout has potential for increasing automation, the study finds three out of four shoppers still want staff help.

To learn more click here.

Source : The Packer, Mike Hornick, 12/27/2012 11:03:01 AM

Overall employment up in November, but not in manufacturing

Number of workers in manufacturing declined by 20,000 in November.

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2012-12-07

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Ottawa -- Following little change in October, employment rose by 59,000 in November 2012, the result of an increase in full-time work, according to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada. The unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 7.2%.

Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.7% or 294,000, mostly in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of hours worked rose 1.3%.

In November, employment increased in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. There was little change in the other provinces.

The number of private sector employees rose by 48,000 in November, while there was little change in public sector employment and self-employment.

Year over year, employment gains totalled 187,000 (+1.7%) among private sector employees, while public sector employment increased by 76,000 (+2.1%). Over the same period, the number of self-employed was virtually unchanged.

Among industries, employment increases in November occurred in accommodation and food services; retail and wholesale trade; professional, scientific and technical services; and agriculture. There were fewer workers, however, in manufacturing and 'other services' such as civic and professional organizations, personal services and repair and maintenance.

In November, employment increased among women aged 25 to 54 and youths aged 15 to 24.

Provincial summary

Employment in Ontario rose by 32,000 in November, and the unemployment rate declined 0.4 percentage points to 7.9%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province was up 1.3%, all in full time, but below the national growth rate of 1.7%.

Employment in Quebec rose by 18,000, continuing an upward trend that began in August. The unemployment rate was 7.6% in November. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment growth in the province was 2.8%.

In November, employment rose by 10,000 in Alberta. At the same time, the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 4.2%, the lowest among all provinces. Year-over-year employment growth in the province was 1.8%.

Employment in Manitoba increased by 5,500 in November, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.3 percentage points to 5.3%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province grew by 1.4%.

While employment in Newfoundland and Labrador was little changed in November, it increased 3.8% on a year-over-year basis, all in full time, and the highest growth rate among the provinces.

Industry perspective

In November, there were more people working in accommodation and food services, up 28,000, bringing employment in this industry back to a level similar to November 2011.

Employment in retail and wholesale trade rose by 25,000 in November. Recent increases were offset by declines earlier in the year, leaving employment in this industry similar to the level observed 12 months earlier.

There were more people working in professional, scientific and technical services in November, up 23,000. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the industry was little changed.

Employment in agriculture rose by 9,000 in November, partly offsetting a decline the month before. Agricultural employment is now at about the same level as 12 months earlier.

Following five months of little change, the number of workers in manufacturing declined by 20,000 in November. Despite this decrease, the number of factory workers rose 4.1% on a year-over-year basis, with most of the gains observed earlier this year.

In November, there were 15,000 fewer people employed in 'other services'. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in this industry was little changed.

More women aged 25 to 54 and youths employed in November

Employment in November rose by 33,000 for core-aged people (25 to 54), particularly women (+23,000). On a year-over-year basis, employment among women aged 25 to 54 rose by 66,000 (+1.2%), similar to the increase for core-aged men (+68,000 or +1.1%).

Employment among youths aged 15 to 24 increased by 16,000 in November, and their unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 14.0%. With this increase, the employment level for this group was similar to that of 12 months earlier.

Although employment among persons aged 55 and over was little changed in November, it increased by 183,000 (+5.9%) on a year-over-year basis, driven in part by population aging.

Source : MRO DAILY NEWS Dec 7, 2012 3:30 PM

Do you have a Food Safety Program ?

PrimusLabs program designed for smaller growers

A three-pronged program to help small growers meet food safety requirements is in the works at PrimusLabs, with a March rollout planned.

Debra Garrison, director of business development for Santa Maria, Calif.-based PrimusLabs, said the company is working with university extension offices and county Farm Bureau Federation staffs to develop and test the program. She said 10 state agriculture departments are also working on the project.

Coral BeachPrimusLabs staff (from left), Anita Gonsalves, Kiley Harper-Larsen, Debra Garrison and Jaime Logan, discussed food safety programs for all sizes of operations with attendees at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit 2012. Garrison said a new program for smaller growers is in the pilot phase, and set to launch in March 2013.“We know a lot of smaller growers don’t have the resources and staff that larger operations have to devote to food safety plans,” Garrison said.

“We also know that there aren’t enough auditors in some regions and those are often where the smaller growers are.”

To address those issues, PrimusLabs is developing the Small Scale Local Farm Food Safety Program. Garrison said it is designed with the locally-grown movement in mind and will target growers with 100 acres or less who sell directly to local chefs, school districts, retailers and foodservice customers.

Teresa Wiemerslage, an outreach educator with the Iowa State University Extension Office, said small growers need the help. She said Nov. 14 that the ISU Extension Office has been in discussions with PrimusLabs about its new program.

About 20 produce growers Wiemerslage has been working with is one group that could benefit from the programs.

“They needed certifications to service an account,” Wiemerslage said. “But a $1,000 audit is not something that is easy for them to swallow.”

The state does not have an auditor on staff, so growers must pay to bring in auditors when they seek certification.

Such scenarios are exactly what the PrimusLabs program is designed to address, Garrison said. The program allows smaller growers to have access to a larger pool of independent third-party contract auditors who should be able to provide audits for a few hundred dollars instead of more than $1,000.

One prong of the program will help university extension programs identify, qualify and train independent third-party contract auditors by targeting graduate students and retired extension agents.

To learn more, click here

Source : The Packer, Coral Beach, 11/15/2012 9:17 AM 

In security with Food and Drug Administration

Food recalls spike in the third quarter

11/19/2012 3:05:21 PM
Tom Karst, The Packer

The number of food recalls spiked in the third quarter this year, according to new data from Indianapolis-based ExpertRECALL Stericyle.

The report revealed 414 food recalls during the quarter, about four recalls per day — 2.5 times that of the second quarter, according to the report.

Food recalls published on the Food and Drug Administration’s website during the third quarter reached the highest level in the last two and a half years, according to the report. For the third quarter 2011, the number of food recalls totaled less than 150.

The ExpertRECALL third-quarter statistics were not segregated by type of food (such as fresh produce or meat). Salmonella, listeria, E. Coli and botulism accounted for 74% of recalls publicized during that time period. Part of the surge in food recalls was likely linked to numerous mango recalls from 15 companies from late August to late September. Those recalls were linked to as many as 1 million Daniella brand mangoes, recalled because of a link to a salmonella outbreak.

More than 55% of all food recalled in the third quarter were part of Class 1 recalls, according to the report. Class 1 recalls put consumer at the highest risk, according to the FDA’s classification.

Of the more than 400 food recalls in the third quarter, the ExpertRECALL report said that 359 of those recalls affected consumers only in certain U.S. states, with 30 affecting consumers nationwide.

The report is based on FDA enforcement reports and news releases, which don’t always categorize the recall information by type of food products, said Mike Rozembajgier, vice president of recalls for ExpertRECALL-Stericyle.

He speculated one reason for the spike in food recalls in the third quarter of 2012 may be linked to “follow-on” recalls, which occur when a product is used as an ingredient.

The ExpertRECALL quarterly recall report has been issued for more than a year. By early to mid next year, Rozembajgier said the company hopes to issue industry-specific trend reports on FDA recalls.

Rozembajgier said the company works with suppliers and retailers in the event of a recall. In 20 years in business, the company has handled more than 3,000 recalls.

“When a recall hits, we can assist (the industry) in the logistics necessary to get the product out of the market place, taking the calls from business partners or consumers, work with getting the message out and notifying the public about the recall,” he said.

The company also collects and counts recalled product in warehouses and makes sure recalled product is destroyed, he said. The firm also has a call center to help deal with questions from consumers on food recalls.

To learn more about this article click here.

Source : The Packer, Tom Karst. http://www.thepacker.com

E. coli lasts longer in Salinas soil, study says

According to Packer Daily, a new research finds the pathogen E. coli lives 10 more days in soils from California's Salinas Valley.

New research finds the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 lives about 30 days in soils from California’s Salinas Valley — 10 days more than in the state’s Imperial Valley or Yuma, Ariz.

Lower salinity in Salinas irrigation water is the main cause of the difference, said Mark Ibekwe, a microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Riverside, Calif.

Ibekwe and three colleagues published their findings, “Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Major Leafy Green Producing Soils,” in the journal Environmental Science & Technology in October.

The results were based on laboratory-tested soil samples. Field studies of E. coli are typically limited to nonpathogenic varieties.

Increasing salinity in Salinas water would not be realistic or beneficial for leafy greens growers there, Ibekwe said. Nevertheless, the research underscores the importance of keeping new pathogens from entering the fields.

“You don’t want to introduce another variable into the farming environment that will ultimately cause adverse effects on the crops and result in lower yield,” Ibekwe said. “Because of how salinity will react with other factors there, we are not suggesting that.

“What we’re saying is that because we know there’s a longer survival in the Salinas area, we should be very, very careful in introducing pathogens from manure, poorly composted materials or any source at all into the farming environment,” he said.

Imperial and Yuma irrigation water has higher salinity because it’s drawn from rivers, Ibekwe said, whereas Salinas depends on groundwater.

To a lesser extent, the research also links longer survival to higher levels of organic carbon in Salinas soils. Total nitrogen is another contributor, the scientists said, but that shed little light in this case because the three regions have similar levels.

These factors add to a list of others previously identified such as temperature, pH level and moisture content.

The research was funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service.

It’s not the only E. coli research tied to the Salinas Valley.

In 2011, Steven Koike, plant pathology farm advisor at University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County, began a two-year study of survival on lettuce residue plowed back into soil. That project was funded for $118,000 by the Center for Produce Safety.

Source : Packer Daily, 11/14/2012 6:13:12 PM, Mike Hornick

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-enewsletter/packer-daily/E-coli-lasts-longer-in-Salinas-soil-study-says-179388281.html

Children sell fruits and vegetables

Children sell fruits (and vegetables) of their labor in new enterprise

A new successful startup farming business in Fremont, Ohio, is turning heads.

Every Friday from about 1 to 6 p.m., the owners and operators of The Vegetable Hut at WSOS Stricker Family Development Center take to their stand and sell homegrown produce to a swarm of eager customers.

Vegetable Hut employees, who range in age from 3 to 5, aggressively push fresh peppers, tomatoes, squash and zucchini to their clientele -- selling produce at prices that would make even the most aggressive farmers blush.

And the customers -- their parents -- are more than willing to come back for more. The News-Messenger

Read more of the story here.

Source : Vegetable Growers News Originally posted Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012

http://vegetablegrowersnews.com