Agribusiness Update for Thursday 3/28/13

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

France threatened Monday to delay trade talks between the U.S. and European Union. Negotiations for a transatlantic free trade agreement are expected to start in June - but the negotiating mandate proposed by the European Commission earlier in March must be approved by EU governments before talks can start. France wants to exclude genetically modified products in food and hormones in meat from the deal.

The Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013 - which proposes to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire has been reintroduced with bipartisan support. This bill would streamline analyses performed by the National Environmental Policy Act in fire prone areas - expediting fuels-reduction activities - like livestock grazing and timber thinning.

The deadline for claims by Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers alleging discrimination by USDA in past decades has been extended to May 1st of this year. The process offers a voluntary alternative to litigation for each Hispanic or female farmer or rancher who can prove discrimination by USDA.

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