agriculture sciences

Governor Abbott has declared a state of emergency over the New World Screwworm and its potential impact on the U.S. livestock industry, as state experts are calling on all Texans to help monitor for the flies. Meanwhile, West Texas ranchers are not panicking, taking the news as another part of an already difficult job.

On Monday, state Rep. Don McLaughlin said the parasitic fly that threatens the state's cattle industry was 1 mile away. U.S. officials said that was not yet true.

The detection marks the first U.S. case of New World screwworm since the parasite was eradicated in the 1960s.

The cost of doing business in agriculture was already high before the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which spiked fertilizer and fuel prices. Now, making any money this season may require farmers to cut back on certain resources.

Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a plan to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm this week.

The Trump administration cut off nearly all funding for food and agricultural research at universities across the country as part of the Feed the Future Initiative. While some hope Congress will restore the funding, the global research continues on a much smaller scale, funded by private donors and individual universities.

The FBI and Department of Justice hailed the arrests and charges as crucial in protecting national security and public safety. Researchers say the fungus is found in wheat and barley crops and is commonly studied.

Scientists in Kansas, Missouri and other states were poised to start research to cut U.S. reliance on fertilizer imports, keep biofuel farming cost-competitive and tackle a potent greenhouse gas.

Lawmakers and students also protested the Trump administration’s crackdown on federal funding and layoffs of federal employees, including those at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).