U.S. Department of Agriculture: Record High Agriculture Exports

Aug 31, 2012

U.S. Agriculture Exports 2013 Fiscal Year Reaches Historical High

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has forecasted that they will export $143.5 billion worth of agriculture goods in the 2013, setting an all-time record high; and the combination of higher prices for major commodities such as corn and wheat have pushed the forecast above the past three year’s record export highs.

“Even with tough odds due to extreme weather, U.S. agriculture is now poised for three consecutive years of record exports, smashing all previous records and putting America’s agricultural sector on pace to achieve President Obama’s goal under the National Export Initiative of doubling exports by the end of 2014. These exports will support more than 1 million jobs in communities across the country,” said Tom Vilsack, U.S. Agriculture Secretary.

In conjunction with high agricultural exports, the USDA also predicts that there will be a record high of imports of tropical oils, coffee, sugar and rubber as a result of the decline of global prices for these products.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.