Agribusiness Update for Wednesday 2/6/13

This is the Agribusiness Update...I’m Greg Martin...

The Super Bowl commercial from HumaneWatch.org highlighted the deceptive fundraising practices of the Humane Society of the United States. It criticized HSUS for primarily using dogs and cats in its commercials while giving less than one-percent of the funds it raises to local, hands-on pet shelters.

The U.S. pork industry has lost its battle for now with Taiwan over efforts to get U.S. pork treated with leanness-additive ractopamine into the country. The National Pork Producers Council insisted last year that U.S. trade officials pressure Taiwan to relax its ban on ractopamine-treated pork - and not just beef treated with the additive.

A recent research article concludes that the Renewable Fuel Standard is producing significant positive economic effects in the U.S. The study finds that the RFS is reducing crude oil prices, decreasing crude oil imports, increasing gross domestic product and having only minimal impacts on global food markets and land use.

That’s today’s Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network.