Looking through the number of seed samples farmers have submitted to Ken Ferrie, he notes that 37% fall below what he would call good quality levels, and 11% fall into the poor category.

There's an immense amount of pressure riding on this year’s crop production picture, and with a margin squeeze setting in across farms, economists think it could accelerate consolidation in the row-crop industry.

The agency will provide reimbursement for testing at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network laboratory.

Federal officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in nine states since late March. The public health risk is low, but is higher for those exposed to infected animals.