Moving Forward With Advancement For Alfalfa
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Nevada’s number one cash crop is alfalfa hay. The “all hay” breakout of cash receipts from Nevada’s farm marketing shows that it accounts for about one-third of the state’s agricultural sales and alfalfa is the dominate type of sales in this grouping. Based on the most recent data available about 270,000 acres of alfalfa is grown in Nevada with production annually above 1.29 million tons.
Because of the ramifications connected with how important alfalfa production is for the economic well-being of Nevada agriculture, the news regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on biotech alfalfa is extremely significant. Forward progress now will take the form of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) going forward with their responsibility of processing the Environmental Impact Statement for Roundup Ready Alfalfa.
In the agency’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the finding was made that there was no significant impact for this genetically-improved alfalfa, which allows for weed control chemicals to be used without impacting alfalfa plants. Such an innovation and progress would once have been considered a good thing.
Of course, that isn’t the case today, especially those who have an agenda to disassemble the advancements of modern technology and force all to abide by their version of how things ought to be. We’ve been made aware of a letter circulating in the U.S. Senate which advocates Senatorial support for stepping in to tell USDA to not go forward with the findings of the agency’s environmental assessment or the direction of the Supreme Court. Science be darned as they say (at least the more polite “theys”) – we don’t think that alfalfa producers, who wish to take advantage of this advancement, should be allowed to plant their fields to such a crop.
For those who wish to take advantage of the biotech alfalfa opportunities, the science and the U.S. Supreme Court have said that they should be given the ability to go forward and plant. For those who don’t wish to have their fields seeded with such plants – don’t plant with genetically modified seeds.
One of the biggest challenges in embracing the concepts of organic production that some farmers and ranchers wish to pursue is the unwillingness that they demonstrate in tearing down producers who wish to produce with different methods. Live and let live and sell your output on its own merits is more appropriate than activities which seek to discredit or limit those who don’t or won’t join your approach to production. The bent to engage in social engineering and using government authority to over-rule legal and scientific results appears to be alive and well.
We can hope (and have already communicated that message) that Nevada’s U.S. Senators will not go along with the “Dear Colleague” appeal to join in the effort to interfere with the continuation of the authorization process.
Nevada’s number one cash crop is alfalfa hay. The “all hay” breakout of cash receipts from Nevada’s farm marketing shows that it accounts for about one-third of the state’s agricultural sales and alfalfa is the dominate type of sales in this grouping. Based on the most recent data available about 270,000 acres of alfalfa is grown in Nevada with production annually above 1.29 million tons.
Because of the ramifications connected with how important alfalfa production is for the economic well-being of Nevada agriculture, the news regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on biotech alfalfa is extremely significant. Forward progress now will take the form of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) going forward with their responsibility of processing the Environmental Impact Statement for Roundup Ready Alfalfa.
In the agency’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the finding was made that there was no significant impact for this genetically-improved alfalfa, which allows for weed control chemicals to be used without impacting alfalfa plants. Such an innovation and progress would once have been considered a good thing.
Of course, that isn’t the case today, especially those who have an agenda to disassemble the advancements of modern technology and force all to abide by their version of how things ought to be. We’ve been made aware of a letter circulating in the U.S. Senate which advocates Senatorial support for stepping in to tell USDA to not go forward with the findings of the agency’s environmental assessment or the direction of the Supreme Court. Science be darned as they say (at least the more polite “theys”) – we don’t think that alfalfa producers, who wish to take advantage of this advancement, should be allowed to plant their fields to such a crop.
For those who wish to take advantage of the biotech alfalfa opportunities, the science and the U.S. Supreme Court have said that they should be given the ability to go forward and plant. For those who don’t wish to have their fields seeded with such plants – don’t plant with genetically modified seeds.
One of the biggest challenges in embracing the concepts of organic production that some farmers and ranchers wish to pursue is the unwillingness that they demonstrate in tearing down producers who wish to produce with different methods. Live and let live and sell your output on its own merits is more appropriate than activities which seek to discredit or limit those who don’t or won’t join your approach to production. The bent to engage in social engineering and using government authority to over-rule legal and scientific results appears to be alive and well.
We can hope (and have already communicated that message) that Nevada’s U.S. Senators will not go along with the “Dear Colleague” appeal to join in the effort to interfere with the continuation of the authorization process.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 6/21/2010 3:18 PM 
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Biotechnology Nevada Roundup Ready Alfalfa Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
Categories: Agriculture
Tags: Biotechnology Nevada Roundup Ready Alfalfa Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
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