Grant Opportunity: Supporting Animal Health and Food Safety in Ukraine

Aug 16, 2022

Among the many consequences of Russia’s attack on Ukraine is an increased risk to animal health and food safety due to weakened monitoring, testing, and control systems. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service is offering a grant opportunity to provide technical assistance to Ukrainian agricultural producers, focusing on the detection and mitigation of animal diseases and prevention of their introduction into the food supply. The work will be conducted in coordination with FAS staff in Kyiv and Washington.

This work will support the recent Memorandum of Understanding between USDA and Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food to enhance coordination between the U.S. and Ukrainian agri-food sectors, sharing information and expertise and building a strategic partnership to address food security.

Source : usda.gov

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.