North American Farmers Increasing Rye Plantings on Higher Whiskey Sales

Farmers in North America are turning back to what Reuters calls a neglected crop, sowing fields with the largest rye crop in years as consumers satisfy a growing thirst for whiskey. Rye, planted in autumn and harvested in mid-summer, fell in popularity during the past decade as other crops produced bigger profits. However, with whiskey demand high and new varieties of rye on the market, farmers have regained interest. U.S. farmers planted 1.76 million acres for the 2016-17 season, the biggest area since 1989 and a 12 percent increase from last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Canada, a major rye exporter along with the European Union and Russia, farmers sowed 405,900 acres, the biggest rye area in seven years. Meanwhile, U.S. whiskey sales increased nine percent on the year to $4.1 billion in June, topping the six percent demand growth for total spirits.

 

Anti-GMO Labeling Petition Reaches 100,000 Signatures

A White House petition asking President Barack Obama to veto the GMO labeling bill reached 100,000 signatures recently, passing the threshold needed to get a formal response from the President. However, as Politico reports, the petition is almost certainly too little too late, as Obama has already said he intends to sign the bill. In the midst of the bill getting through Congress, the White House earlier this month said the President would sign the bill; however, there is no indication when he may do so. The House and Senate passed the compromise bill earlier this month. The legislations preempts state labeling laws, such as the Vermont law, and mandate’s GMO disclosure through on-package labeling or smart labels.

Source;  NAFB News

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