04/23/07 Fighting PCN & Cloned Labels

Last April, Idaho potato growers discovered a microscopic worm in their fields. The potato cyst nematode or PCN can decimate a producers yield by up to 80%. Last week the USDA approved $10.7 million in emergency spending to help Idaho eradicate the worm. Idaho Potato Commission President Frank Muir. MUIR: The fact that we caught it so early is a premise for being able to secure this federal funding. To my knowledge, the only other country that's been able to eradicate PCN is Israel and similar to Idaho they were looking for it, caught it early and were able to do it. Muir says they feel strongly that they can beat the threat. MUIR: We're going to follow the advice and direction that's been given to us by worldwide experts who have addressed this issue both in Israel and also down in Australia/New Zealand area in addressing this by the way we're going to attack it, by the way that we're going to use this funding to eliminate the PCN. California is taking steps to make sure you know where that next cut of meat or gallon of milk comes from. Under a bill pending in the California Legislature all products from cloned livestock would have to be clearly labeled. While the FDA is ready to give final approval to products from cloned animals without any special labeling, a bill introduced in Congress would require it. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. Throughout the history of our West wild horses have received more than their share of blame for rangeland destruction. As someone who has crawled on her belly though sagebrush and spied through the juniper to get close ups of wild Kiger mustangs in Owyhee, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that in other parts of the world wild horses are regarded as a valuable tools for habitat renewal . In Canterbury England for example tough little Koniks imported from Poland and bred to be genetically similar to the tarpans that once roamed over the British Isles and were hunted to extinction at the turn of the 20th century, are quite the wetland restorers. In what the Environmental News Network has deemed an "intriguing ecological exercise that could revitalize the countryside," grazing is restoring balance and now wildlife like egrets are beginning top return to nest in the area. Sadly grazing, whether it be cattle or horses, seems to be a dirty word for US environmentalists.. So when it comes to restoring wetlands and prairies the pasture is greener&.. on the other side of the ocean. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.