EU Glyphosate Authorization to Appeal and Ag Research Funding

EU Glyphosate Authorization to Appeal and Ag Research Funding

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**The European Union has once again declined to renew its authorization of glyphosate.

As reported in Agri-Pulse, ministers representing the EU member states voted 14-9 last week, with five abstentions, in favor of extending the authorization to use glyphosate for five years.

But under EU rules, a "qualified majority" representing 55 percent of the member states and 65 percent of the EU's population is needed for approval.

The five-year proposal now goes to an appeals committee.

**Ag research is facing a crisis of funding and recognition, and those who rely on it need to do a better job of communicating its importance.

According to Agri-Pulse, that's the point a handful of research supporters made Monday in Washington D.C. with the hopes of ginning up support for research funding in the upcoming farm bill.

The USDA's National Institute of Food and Ag can fund only about 13% of the projects submitted for consideration.

**The USDA has raised its 2017 corn production outlook, while lowering the projection for soybeans.

Corn is currently estimated at 14.58 billion bushels, up 2% from October's guess, but down 4% from the 2016 record of 14.148 billion. The average yield is seen at 175.4 bushels per acre, which would be a new all-time high, if realized.

Soybean production is expected to be 4.425 billion bushels, 1% lower than last month, but still a new record and up 3% on the year.

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