FFA Washington Leadership Conference and Fungus Smugglers Arrested
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Thousands of FFA members from across the U.S. are in Washington, D.C. for the Washington Leadership Conference.
The premier leadership experience for more than 1,600 high school students exposes them to the rich history of the nation’s capital.
A key aspect of the conference is for the students to learn how to advocate for agriculture and ag education, through congressional visits and meeting in person with their state representatives and senators.
**Two people from China are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., making false statements, and visa fraud.
The FBI arrested them for smuggling a fungus into the U.S. that’s classified as a potential agroterrorism weapon.
This noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of grains that’s responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide every year.
The fungus can cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans or livestock.
**New research from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service sheds light on the causes behind this year’s catastrophic honeybee colony losses reported by commercial beekeepers.
The findings point to an alarmingly high level of viral infections caused by Varroa mites that have resistant genes to a common treatment.
The study analyzed samples from six major commercial beekeeping operations and provided the most detailed evidence of the biological factors behind the widespread die-offs.
