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Texas Agriculture Archive

September 3, 2004

TDA schedules town hall meetings

Biotech needed, Stallman says
During a recent grassroots meeting of local Farm Bureau members and others involved in an effort to defeat the anti-biotech Measure D in Butte County, Calif., American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said that farmers must have continued access to agricultural biotechnology to improve profitability and productivity.

"America's farmers are the world's most productive," Stallman said. "Each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 144 people, both here and abroad. Access to biotechnology is essential to this high level of productivity, which is the basis of our nation's strength and food security."

Debunking a misconception about biotechnology, Stallman said many top foreign markets for U.S. agriculture products have readily embraced biotechnology, including Japan, China, Canada and Mexico.

Stallman also told the group that "research conducted by scientific bodies around the world strongly supports biotechnology." He cited recent studies by the National Academies and the National Research Council, which conclude that there is no reason to believe that biotech foods pose a greater threat to human health than conventional foods.

"You are activists for agriculture," Stallman, a Texas rice farmer, told the group.

The United States is the world leader in planting biotech crops.

Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs will visit with agricultural producers and rural communities in September at town hall meetings throughout the state to discuss issues impacting rural Texas and the agricultural industry.

The town hall meetings, hosted by the Texas Department of Agriculture in cooperation with Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Cooperative Extension and various commodity groups, are open forums where producers and community members can discuss issues as well as present their ideas and solutions to the commissioner.

Town hall meetings scheduled include:

Friday, Sept. 10

• Comal County, 8 a.m., New Braunfels Municipal Airport, Terminal Lobby, New Braunfels.

• Crockett County, 11 a.m., Crockett County Civic Center, Ozona.

• Brown County, 2 p.m., Depot Civic and Cultural Center, Brownwood.

• Lampasas County, 4:30 p.m., Lampasas County Office Bldg., first floor conference room, Lampasas.

Monday, Sept. 13

• Hemphill County, 8 a.m., Canadian Courts Conference Center, Canadian.

• Swisher County, 10:45 a.m., Swisher County Memorial Bldg., Tulia.

• Dawson County, 1:30 p.m., Dal Paso Museum, Lamesa.

• Nolan County, 4 p.m., Texas State Technical College-West Texas, The Center Meeting Room, Sweetwater.

Thursday, Sept. 16

• Atascosa County, 8 a.m., Wells Fargo Bank, community room, Pleasanton.

• Brooks County, 1:15 p.m., Ed Rachal Memorial Library, Falfurrias.

• Victoria County, 4 p.m., First Victoria National Bank, mezzanine floor meeting room, Victoria.

Monday, Sept. 27

• Camp County, 8 a.m., Pilgrim Bank, community room, Pittsburg.

• Panola County, 10:45 a.m., Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, Carthage.

• Angelina County, 1:30 p.m., Angelina Farmers Market, Lufkin.

• Brazos County, 4 p.m., Brazos Center, Bryan.

The town hall meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Ryan O'Neal, producer relations specialist at TDA at (512) 463-4879.

CRP sign-up dates announced
USDA announced it would fully implement President Bush's directive to sustain the environmental benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program by offering early re-enrollments and contract extensions for acres that begin expiring in 2007.

Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman announced a new initiative that will create 250,000 acres of habitat for the northern bobwhite quail, a native quail species that has historically ranged in 35 states. Another new initiative will create 250,000 acres of wetlands and playa lakes in non-floodplain areas, which is vital habitat for species such as upland ducks, pheasants and sandhill cranes.

CRP general sign-up began Aug. 30 and will run through Sept. 24, 2004.

Cotton tech agreement reached

Notable Quotables

"It's one thing to say you want to live in a rural area. But, what happens the first time you get downwind from a farm? That's when you want new roads and zoning, all of those things that aren't rural."

—John Hasse, a professor at Rowan College in Gloucester, N.J., discussing the tremendous increase of city dwellers relocating to rural areas for a country way-of-life, but then trying to urbanize their new rural setting to accommodate what they left behind in the city.

Syngenta and Delta and Pine Land (D&PL) of the USA has announced a long-term agreement to develop and commercialize novel biotechnology products for cotton.

Syngenta will grant licenses to D&PL for its insect resistance biotechnology traits in cotton. In return, Syngenta will receive payments for the licenses and a share of grower technology fees.

The first product to be commercialized under the agreement is expected to be a novel insect control trait, VipCot(tm).

This will be followed by stacked insect traits.

David Jones, head of Business Development at Syngenta, commented: "This agreement with the market leader in cotton seeds will enable Syngenta to commercialize its portfolio of cotton traits. We are delighted that D&PL have, through this important commitment, recognized the quality of Syngenta's science."