Agribusiness Update for Friday 8/9/13

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

Washington State University has released the results of a study into that small amount of genetically modified wheat found earlier this year in Oregon. The study checked more than 20-thousand individual plots and none of the plants showed the glyphosate resistance found in the fields of an as-yet-unnamed Oregon farmer. The incident set off a chain-reaction in some of the wheat export market.

Mosquitoes in Gem County, Idaho have tested positive for West Nile. Nine counties so far have found mosquitoes with West Nile. This will cause officials to shift into a different mode from testing to abatement. West Nile can infect humans and horses and to date Idaho has had two human cases of the disease.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack recently traveled to Brazil to discuss two areas of common interest between the U.S. and Brazil - everything from asking Brazil to live up to its commitment on wheat quotas to Brazil’s testing requirements for U.S. pork products and more. Vilsack is hoping some of these issues will be a wake-up call for Congress - particularly the House - to get to work and finish a farm bill so the U.S. doesn’t face retaliatory measures from Brazil.

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