Stand Off Heats Up & FDA Approval

Simplot's Innate genetically engineered potato has received approval from the FDA saying the potato isn't substantially different in composition or safety from other products already on the market. Doug Cole, the company's director of marketing and communications says they are pleased.

COLE: We're very excited about it and we're one step closer to providing the potatoes to the consumers and the growers and there's some significant advantages. We have to wait to get EPA approval which we expect by the end of the calendar year so with any luck about this time next year we'll be able to offer very limited acres to growers of our Gen2 Innate potatoes. You can reduce sprays by 25 to 45% for late blight which is a significant benefit, not only to growers but consumers have told us they want less chemicals and pesticides on their potatoes.

The actions of the armed militant group in Oregon are now spilling over to local residents and ranchers. Ammon Bundy's group have been removing a publicly owned fence that bordered on land owned by local ranchers and the ranchers are not happy about it. Rancher Tim Puckett has land adjacent to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He's not happy about the fence removal and said he has not given Bundy permission to be on his property and if it happens again, he will take action. Bundy says he was asked by Puckett to remove the fence so his cattle could graze on more land. Puckett claims he has never spoken to Bundy.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.