The House and Senate Budget Committees approved FY2010 budget resolutions this week with relatively minor implications for agriculture.

Monsanto announced this week a $10 million grant to establish the Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program, which will support Ph.D. students researching wheat and rice.

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and 17 cosponsors introduced legislation this week to improve the ability of U.S. agriculture producers to market their products to Cuba.

USDA and the Department of the Treasury announced Thursday that producers applying for farm program payments will now be required to allow the Internal Revenue Service to verify their income.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack wrote EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson earlier in the month expressing his deep concern about the effects a recent Sixth Circuit Court ruling could have on American agriculture’s ability to respond to crop threats.

Wheat researchers announced progress this week toward the production of new types of high-yielding wheat containing multiple minor genes that have resistance to Ug99, a virulent stem rust to which 90 percent of wheat varieties are susceptible.

NAWG is pleased to announce the 2009 class of participants in the Syngenta Women’s Leadership At It’s Best program.

NAWG and more than 35 other agricultural organizations sent a strongly-worded letter to leaders of the Congressional budget and agriculture committees this week, describing in detail their opposition to recent Obama Administration budget proposals.

A $410 billion omnibus bill to fund most of the federal government for the 2009 fiscal year was finalized this week including controversial language regarding trade with Cuba.