US Ag News, Friday August 26, 2016

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Pacific Trade good for the Midwest

The Chicago Tribune editorial board says “global trade is the reality, and should be promoted.” Published this week, an editorial by the Tribune says failure by Congress to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership would leave farmers in the Midwest vulnerable because trade is a competitive game and market share is always in flux. The editorial calls trade a healthy form of competition. The TPP trade agreement represents 40 percent of global gross domestic product and would mean billions of dollars in added exports and farm income for the United States. President Obama will push for passage of TPP during the lame-duck session of Congress, following the November elections. However, as the Tribune points out, trade has gotten a dirty name this election cycle, blamed for gutting American factories when nearly every American manufacturing job that disappears is “a victim of productivity gains,” not foreign competition.

Using Chickens to Repel Mosquitos

Scientists say malaria-transmitting mosquitoes actively avoid feeding on certain animal species such as chickens, using their sense of smell. The new findings show odors emitted by chickens may provide protection for humans at risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases. Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences says the research indicates that, unlike humans, cattle, goats and sheep, chickens are a non-host species and mosquitoes have developed ways of distinguishing them from host species. The research team collected data on the population of human and domestic animals in three Ethiopian villages. Meatingplace reports the researchers found that significantly fewer mosquitoes were caught in traps baited with chicken compounds than in other traps.

Source:  NAFB News