End Of January Crop Rating Shows Oklahoma Wheat Crop Improvement

Feb 01, 2017

The 2017 Oklahoma Hard Red Winter Wheat Crop improved in January compared to the report released at the begining of the year, according to the January 30th report from the US Department of Agriculture.

According to the January report, "Conditions of small grains were rated mostly fair to good. Winter wheat grazed reached 55 percent, up 6 points from the previous year. Rye grazed reached 60 percent, down 10 points from the previous year. Oats grazed reached 60 percent, up 35 points from the previous year."

The Ag Statistics Service also offered this observation on pasture conditions- " Pasture and range conditions were rated mostly fair to good with 40 percent rated poor to ve ry poor. Livestock were rated at 45 percent in good condition and 44 percent in fair."

Click here to see more...

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.