Agribusiness Update for Thursday 3/21/13

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

An ag-related amendment could still be added to the Senate’s continuing resolution. The amendment would transfer approximately 55-million dollars in existing USDA funds to the FSIS to prevent furloughs of meat and poultry inspectors. The furloughs could lead to the closure of nearly 63-hundred food inspection facilities and 500-thousand industry workers would lose nearly 400-million dollars in wages.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says passing a five-year farm bill is the Obama Administration’s highest priority. He said Congress should take it up when members return from the upcoming two-week break. When it does come up - Vilsack said an honest debate on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is needed.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is looking for stories about the technologies and innovation that have changed American agriculture. On National Ag Day the museum launched a web portal where people can share stories about precision farming, food-borne illness tracking, irrigation, biotechnology and more.

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