USDA makes Roundup Ready sugar beet decision

[The Straight Story]

USDA makes Roundup Ready sugar beet decision
Published on Friday, February 4, 2011 12:41 PM MST

Montana's senior U.S. Sen. Max Baucus announced Friday a decision by the USDA that will clear the way for Montana sugar beet farmers to move forward with planting this year. Baucus has been urging U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack for a resolution to the issues because Montana farmers have been in limbo waiting for an administrative decision regarding Roundup Ready sugar beets for the 2011 crop year.

On Friday, the USDA announced it will partially deregulate Roundup Ready sugar beet root crops, which affects almost 100 percent of the nearly 31,000 sugar beet acres grown in Montana.

“This news means Montana sugar beet farmers have the certainty they need to move forward. It’s important that the USDA complete its study, but our producers were being unfairly asked to wait in limbo as the planting season quickly approaches,” said Baucus, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and Montana jobs depend on our ability to go to bat for our producers and resolve these issues before it’s time for planting.”

Last week, Baucus wrote a letter to Vilsack urging him to quickly deregulate Roundup Ready sugar beets and allow producers to move forward with planting while the USDA completes an Environmental Impact Statement, which is currently underway and expected to be completed by June 2012.

http://www.sidneyherald.com/articles/2011/02/05/news/breaking_news/doc4d4c56734585c578636921.txt

[Buzz Clik]

1. If GM crops scare you, this is huge.

To everyone else, it's just another bureaucratic decision in a sea of daily bureaucratic decisions.

[daggahead]

2. A giveaway to Monsanto ... thanks USDA. n/t

[cali]

3. fuck, fuck, fuck. Last week it was roundup ready alfalfa

By BILL TOMSON And SCOTT KILMAN

January 27, 2011

http://online.wsj.com

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration Thursday abandoned a proposal to restrict planting of genetically engineered alfalfa, the latest rule-making proposal shelved as part of the administration's review of "burdensome" regulation.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's decision not to regulate alfalfa genetically modified to survive applications of the Monsanto Co. herbicide Roundup is a victory for the big seed and agri-chemicals company and the American Farm Bureau Federation, which represents farmers, who had opposed the proposed curbs that were proposed about a month ago.

The Obama administration said earlier this month it is reviewing all proposed government regulation to weed out proposals that are overly burdensome to businesses—part of a broader effort to repair relations with employers and industry. The administration has also shelved two proposed workplace-safety rules opposed by business.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. "to weed out proposals that are overly burdensome to businesses"

got it??

"The administration has also shelved two proposed workplace-safety rules opposed by business."

got that, too?

I do not see how anyone can miss the message of this administration.

[cali]

5. the message is that the admin supports agribusiness

and is willing to run roughshod over anything or anyone that gets in their way. disgusting.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. I never understood why the decision isn't jointly made by the USDA and the EPA.

The high concentrations of Round-Up pesticide coupled with the misconfiguration organically of the plant is environmental and can't be trusted to the Agriculture Department.

[prairierose]

8. Because tradition ally, this has been a USDA area...

and no one has suggested that EPA should be let in on the fun. But the truth is, it probably would not matter since the herbicides used are approved. They just use much more with these frankencrops. Isn't that how you save money for the farmers? Oh wait, I forgot, most of the farmers left are agribusiness corps and they get subsidies from Congress.

[pansypoo53219]

7. ore reasonamerica is dying.

C&H pure CANE sugar!