New Cotton Varieties and EU Approves Tariff Suspension
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Cotton varieties with built-in color, greater heat resilience, and reduced reliance on water, fertilizers and pesticides will hopefully appeal to consumers looking for sustainable clothing materials.
www.morningagclips.com reports Clemson researcher, Chris Saski leads the effort to engineer cotton plants that naturally produce pigment, while UGA cotton breeder, Peng Chee is identifying genetic traits that help withstand disease and drought.
Once the best varieties are identified, they’ll be tested in real-world conditions.
www.morningagclips.com/researchers-aim-to-grow-cotton-in-living-color-no-dye-required/
**A provision in the House-passed farm bill is drawing criticism from farmers and renewable energy advocates who say it could limit opportunities for solar development on productive agricultural land.
Critics argue the provision could reduce an important source of income for farmers facing low commodity prices and rising production costs.
Farm groups note that lease payments from solar developers have become a valuable source of revenue for some producers.
**The European Union has approved a one-year suspension of tariffs on certain nitrogen fertilizer imports, a move aimed at lowering costs for farmers while reducing the dependence on supplies from Russia and Belarus.
For U.S. agriculture, the policy could create new export opportunities for domestic fertilizer manufacturers.
European buyers are expected to seek additional supplies from the U.S. and other nations as tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers increase.
