By Nicholas K. Geranios /Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Harvesting Washington state’s vast fruit orchards each year requires thousands of farmworkers, and many of them work illegally in the United States. That system eventually could change dramatically as at least two companies are rushing to get robotic fruit-picking machines to market. The robotic pickers
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Category: Agriculture
Rain delays Idaho potato, wheat planting
AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Eastern Idaho farmers are hoping for a hot and dry spell after cold rain delayed much of their spring planting schedules. The Capital Press reported (http://bit.ly/2qaJqiq ) Monday that farmers usually have all of their wheat planted and potatoes underway by this time of the year. But with frequent storms,
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Idaho/Canadian lumber trade in focus
By Journal Staff and AP Reports A mere 850 meters separates Idaho towns from Canadian ones. When it comes to trade, the state and the country are even closer. Canada is Idaho’s no. 1 customer. Total Canada–Idaho goods trade is $1.9 billion in 2016. Before sunrise Tuesday in Washington, President Donald Trump went on Twitter
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Low Interest Emergency Physical Loss Loans Available for 16 Idaho Counties with Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States
Press Release BOISE – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting Administrator Chris Beyerhelm today announced that physical loss loans are available for 16 counties in Idaho. Farm operators who have suffered major physical losses caused by blizzard, excessive snow, excessive rain, freeze, flooding, flash flooding and high winds that occurred on
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Federal efforts to eradicate Idaho potato pest succeeding
By Keith Ridler/Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Progress is being made eradicating a microscopic pest that has been threatening Idaho’s $900 million potato industry the last decade, federal officials say. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said viable potato cyst nematodes can no longer be detected in three additional fields. The agency on Friday released
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Mexican Imports to Idaho
Bird flu found at Tyson Foods chicken supplier
NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of thousands of chickens have been destroyed at a Tennessee chicken farm due to a bird flu outbreak and 30 other farms within a six-mile radius have been quarantined. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 73,500 chickens were destroyed at the facility and will not enter the food system. The
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US approves 3 types of genetically engineered potatoes
By Keith Ridler/Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Three types of potatoes genetically engineered to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine are safe for the environment and safe to eat, federal officials announced. The approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration late last week gives Idaho-based J.R.
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Idaho dairy eyed after residents discover tainted water
SHOSHONE, Idaho (AP) — State officials are investigating claims that a south-central Idaho dairy pumped manure into a canal, and tests are being conducted on water coming from faucets in nearby homes where residents are complaining the water is discolored and has a bad odor. 4 Bros. Dairy intentionally pumped material from the 10,000-cow dairy
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Idaho dairy owners bringing immigrant labor plight to GOP lawmakers
By Zach Kyle/Idaho Statesman Hans Nederend, the third-generation owner of Nederend Dairy near Marsing, mostly employs Latino immigrants for a simple reason: Idaho-born workers don’t want the jobs. Idaho’s worker pool evaporated as the state’s unemployment rate fell to a meager 3.7 percent, causing worker shortages in agriculture as well as hospitality, construction and food
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