By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Patent protection for genetically modified corn, soybeans and other crop must be limited so farmers can save their seeds and protect themselves against litigation, a public interest group said in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a case involving global seed giant Monsanto Co.

The case that the high court will hear next year involving an Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Bowman is but a “microcosm of a systemic problem,” and the outcome of the case could have far-reaching impacts as Monsanto and other biotech seed developers expand their dominance of agricultural seeds, according to the Center for Food Safety (CFS), which filed the amicus brief Monday in support of Bowman.

, Dec 6 (Reuters) – U.S. winter wheat
farmers could abandon more than a quarter of the new wheat crop
due to devastating weather, though decisions on abandonment will
not be made until spring, experts said this week.

Historic drought, coupled with record warm weather and high
winds sweeping across the Plains, have left the new crop in the
worst condition in decades. With no significant improvement
soon, many farmers could give up on their wheat acres.

, Dec 6 (Reuters) – U.S. winter wheat
farmers could abandon more than a quarter of the new wheat crop
due to devastating weather, though decisions on abandonment will
not be made until spring, experts said this week.

Historic drought, coupled with record warm weather and high
winds sweeping across the Plains, have left the new crop in the
worst conditions in decades. With no significant improvement
soon, many farmers could give up on their wheat acres.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Drought continued to expand through the central United States even as winter weather sets in, wreaking havoc on the nation’s new wheat crop and on movement of key commodities as major shipping waterways grow shallow.

Unseasonably warm conditions have exacerbated the harm caused by the lack of needed rainfall. The average temperature for the contiguous United States last month was 44.1 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.1 degrees above the 20th century average, and tying 2004 as the 20th warmest November on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dec 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. winter wheat crop, already facing
the worst conditions in nearly three decades, is being hit with
an early winter double-whammy.

Still suffering through one of the worst droughts in history,
wheat farmers are also having to deal with the warmest
conditions ever for early winter in the High Plains. In Kansas,
the top U.S. wheat producing state, 2012 ranks as the warmest on
record.

Dec 3 (Reuters) – Creating new rules for food safety is too
complex a task to be completed quickly and a lawsuit seeking to
compel government action should be dismissed, according to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA said that although it was behind schedule in
modernizing food safety regulations as set out in a law signed
in January 2011, the agency’s broad role in regulating a $450
billion domestic and imported food business requires additional
time.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Creating new rules for food safety is too complex a task to be completed quickly and a lawsuit seeking to compel government action should be dismissed, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA said that though it was behind schedule in modernizing food safety regulations as set out in a law signed in January 2011, the agency’s broad role in regulating a $450 billion domestic and imported food business requires additional time.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Drought is tightening its grip on the central United States as winter weather sets in, threatening to ravage the new wheat crop and spelling more hardship for farmers and ranchers already weary of the costly and ongoing dry conditions.

While conditions started to improve earlier in November, they turned harsh to close out the month as above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation proved a dire combination in many regions, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly compilation of data gathered by federal and academic scientists issued Thursday.

/NEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Enough is
enough, say bakery workers at Hostess Brands Inc.

After several years of costly concessions, the Bakery,
Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM)
authorized a walk-out earlier this month after Hostess received
bankruptcy court approval to implement a wage cut that was not
included in its contract.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Organic growers and food safety advocates on Tuesday condemned an advisory report to the Agriculture Department claiming its recommendations would be costly for farmers who want to protect their conventional crops from being contaminated by genetically modified (GMO), also known as genetically engineered (GE), varieties.

The groups were responding to a report submitted Monday afternoon to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by a committee assigned by USDA with studying how best biotech agriculture could “co-exist” with organic and conventional agriculture.