After several intense weeks of negotiations and with just 10 days remaining in the year, there is no apparent plan to pass a new farm bill or an extension of current farm policy.

There will be no changes to existing regulation of farm dust, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed late last week.

Representatives from 16 countries and international organizations recently agreed to launch an initiative to increase wheat’s genetic yield potential by 50 percent in the next 20 years.

Washington transitions continue, with more departures, appointments and leadership positions announced recently.

Lawmakers in Washington are betting on their ability to achieve last minute deals while farmers around the country face deeper uncertainty about federal policy than in recent memory.

A high-level report on agriculture research funding was issued Friday by the White House Office of Science and Technology, underscoring the importance of farming to the domestic economy and the global population.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reiterated this week that farms do not have to register with the agency under a 2011 food safety law.

Congressional agriculture leaders are negotiating a long-term farm bill package to be inserted into a fiscal cliff deal expected by the end of the month.

The Senate voted 92 to 4 on Thursday to establish permanent normal trading relations (PNTR) with Russia. A similar bill was approved by the House of Representatives in November, and President Barack Obama is expected to sign the measure shortly.

Wheat scientists gathered in Orlando this week for the annual meetings of the National Wheat Improvement Committee (NWIC) and the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI).

It’s that time of year in Washington: the retirements, appointments and other personnel changes continue among high-level agriculture policymakers.