Category: Farming

MIL-OSI United Nations: Coffee, tea and cocoa costs see global food import bill soaring past $2 trillion

Source: United Nations 4

14 November 2024 Economic Development

The global food import bill is projected to exceed $2 trillion in 2024 – fuelled by the rising cost of everyone’s favourite hot drinks – according to the latest Food Outlook released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday.

The biannual report, which focuses on developments affecting global food and animal feed markets, highlights that higher costs for cocoa, coffee, and tea are driving the increase, while disparities in import bills persist across income levels.

Cocoa prices have soared nearly four times their ten-year average earlier this year, coffee prices have almost doubled, and tea prices are 15 per cent above long-term levels.

Together, these commodities are responsible for over half of the projected increase in global food import expenditures, which FAO economists anticipate will rise by nearly 23 per cent in 2024.

National disparities

While high-income countries, which make up two-thirds of the global food import bill, will see a 4.4 per cent increase, import expenditures for middle and low-income countries are expected to decline.

Lower-income countries may find some relief in reduced cereal and oilseed costs, although their per capita food intake for wheat and coarse grains is projected to decline, contrasting with an anticipated 1.5 per cent increase in rice consumption.

FAO emphasises the crucial role food exports play in supporting many economies.

For instance, coffee export earnings cover nearly 40 per cent of food import costs in Burundi and Ethiopia, while Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa exports entirely offset its food import bill. Similarly, tea exports account for more than half of Sri Lanka’s import costs.

Mixed forecast

FAO’s forecasts reveal a mixed picture for global food production and trade.

Wheat and coarse grain output is expected to decrease but remain above consumption levels, while rice production is set for a record-breaking harvest in 2024/25 which could enable an increase in global rice consumption, reserves and international trade.

Production of meat and dairy is forecast to grow modestly while global fisheries output is expected to expand by 2.2 per cent, fuelled by aquaculture.

Meanwhile, vegetable oils’ consumption may outpace production for the second consecutive season, leading to stock drawdowns.

The report cautions that extreme weather, geopolitical tensions, and policy changes could destabilise production systems, further straining global food security.

Olive oil prices spike alongside climate stress

A special focus on olive oil details price spikes due to climate-related production declines.

IFAD

Compost made from a mixture of pine trees empty cones and cow dung helps olive trees grow in a sustainable way.

In Spain, wholesale prices for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil reached nearly $10,000 per tonne in January 2024, almost triple their 2022 levels.

High temperatures, which force olive trees to conserve water for core functions instead of producing fruit, led to a nearly 50 per cent production cut for two years in a row.

Although Spain’s next harvest is expected to surpass the 10-year average, high prices may constrain global consumption.

Producers ought to consider more sustainable water and soil management practices, the report notes.

Given the great potential for expansion in olive oil exports, governments might offer support to olive growers, such as insurance schemes and measures to control the spread of diseases, said FAO Economist Di Yang.

Cheaper fertiliser…mostly

The report also highlights a 50 per cent drop in fertiliser prices since their 2022 peak, thanks to falling natural gas prices and reduced trade barriers.

FAO Economist Maria Antip noted however that phosphate fertilisers have resisted this trend, with ongoing trade barriers and geopolitical tensions posing risks to future supplies, particularly in Latin America and Asia.

Additionally, the report underscores the potential of low-carbon ammonia, a key component of nitrogen-based fertilisers, as a sustainable alternative.

However, while using renewable energy instead of natural gas is viable and investments to do so are underway, scaling up production will require targeted incentives to offset higher manufacturing costs and encourage adoption among farmers.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: California Woodland and Forest Change

Source: US Geological Survey

References

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^{Brown, J. F., Tollerud, H. J., Barber, C. P., Zhou, Q., Dwyer, J. L., Vogelmann, J. E., and others (2020). Lessons learned implementing an operational continuous United States national land change monitoring capability: The Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) approach. Remote Sens. Environ. 238:111356. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2019.111356}

^{Cartwright, J. (2019). Ecological islands: conserving biodiversity hotspots in a changing climate. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 17(6), 331-339. doi:10.1002/fee.2058}

^{Dwomoh, F. K., Auch, R. F., Brown, J. F., & Tollerud, H. J. (2023). Trends in tree cover change over three decades related to interannual climate variability and wildfire in California. Environmental Research Letters, 18(2), 024007. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/acad15}

^{Dwomoh, F. K., Brown, J. F., Tollerud, H. J., & Auch, R. F. (2021). Hotter drought escalates tree cover declines in Blue oak woodlands of California. Frontiers in Climate, 3(67). doi:10.3389/fclim.2021.689945}

^{Eidenshink, J., Schwind, B., Brewer, K., Zhu, Z.-L., Quayle, B., & Howard, S. (2007). A project for monitoring trends in burn severity. Fire Ecology, 3(1), 3-21. doi:10.4996/fireecology.0301003}

^{Higuera P.E. and Abatzoglou J.T. (2021). Record-setting climate enabled the extraordinary 2020 fire season in the western United States Glob. Change Biol. 27 1–2}

^{Juang, C. S., Williams, A. P., Abatzoglou, J. T., Balch, J. K., Hurteau, M. D., & Moritz, M. A. (2022). Rapid growth of large forest fires drives the exponential response of annual forest-fire area to aridity in the western United States. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(5), e2021GL097131. doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097131}

^{Lund, J., Medellin-Azuara, J., Durand, J., & Stone, K. (2018). Lessons from California’s 2012–2016 drought. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 144(10), 04018067. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000984}

^{Madakumbura, G. D., Goulden, M. L., Hall, A., Fu, R., Moritz, M. A., Koven, C. D., . . . Randerson, J. T. (2020). Recent California tree mortality portends future increase in drought-driven forest die-off. Environmental Research Letters, 15(12), 124040. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abc719}

^{McDonald, P. M. (1990). “Quercus douglasii Hook & Arn. Blue oak,” in Silvics of North America, eds R. M. Burns, and B. H. Honkala (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service), 631–639.}

^{Morueta-Holme, N., Fløjgaard, C., & Svenning, J.-C. (2010). Climate change risks and conservation implications for a threatened small-range mammal species. PLoS ONE, 5(4), e10360. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010360}

^{Reiner, R., and Craig, A. (2011). Conservation easements in California blue oak woodlands: testing the assumption of livestock grazing as a compatible use. Nat. Areas J. 31, 408–413. doi: 10.3375/043.031.0411}

^{Restaino, C., Young, D. J. N., Estes, B., Gross, S., Wuenschel, A., Meyer, M., & Safford, H. (2019). Forest structure and climate mediate drought-induced tree mortality in forests of the Sierra Nevada, USA. Ecological Applications, 29(4), e01902. doi:10.1002/eap.1902}

^{Stahle, D. W., Therrell, M. D., Cleaveland, M. K., Cayan, D. R., Dettinger, M. D., and Knowles, N. (2001). Ancient blue oak reveal human impact on San Francisco Bay salinity. Eos. Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 82, 141–145. doi: 10.1029/EO082i012p00141}

^{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2013). Level III ecoregions of the continental United States: Corvallis, Oregon, US EPA–National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, map scale 1: 7,500,000.}

^{Waddell, K. L., and Barrett, T. M. (2005). Oak Woodlands and Other Hardwood Forests of California, 1990s. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 245. doi: 10.2737/PNW-RB-245}

^{Westerling, A. L. (2016). Increasing western US forest wildfire activity: sensitivity to changes in the timing of spring. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., B, Biol. Sci. 371:20150178. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0178}

^{Zhu, Z., & Woodcock, C. E. (2014). Continuous change detection and classification of land cover using all available Landsat data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 144(0), 152-171. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2014.01.011}

MIL OSI USA News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: EastEnders at 40: how a ‘public service soap’ became a national institution

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jamie Medhurst, Professor of Film and Media, Aberystwyth University

Thirteen million people across the UK sat down to watch a brand new soap opera that burst onto their screens on February 19 1985. The first character to speak on EastEnders was Dirty Den, as he came to be known, played by Leslie Grantham. Breaking into a dingy flat with fellow characters Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher) and Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih), Den uttered the words “Stinks in ‘ere, dunnit?”, before discovering the elderly Reg Cox (Johnnie Clayton) close to death.

Up until this point, the BBC had not had much luck with the continuing serial drama, or soap opera, format. Its first serial, The Grove Family, ran for only three years between 1954 and 1957, for instance. Although The Archers had been running since 1951 on Radio 4, and the Welsh-language soap opera, Pobol y Cwm, began in 1974 (and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary), the BBC lacked anything comparable to ITV’s Coronation Street.

Launched in 1960, Coronation Street demonstrated that there was a public appetite for drama which focused on the everyday lives of ordinary people. ITV’s second soap success, Crossroads which ran between 1964 and 1988, and later between 2001 and 2003, underlined that point, as did Emmerdale Farm, which was launched in 1972, becoming just Emmerdale in 1989.

When Channel 4 launched with a gritty, realist soap opera, Brookside, in November 1982, the BBC had to respond. With that channel’s extra competition, and cable and satellite television being discussed as the next big thing, the BBC’s audience share was in danger of decreasing to the point where people may have questioned the justification for the licence fee.

And so EastEnders was born and became an immediate success. Over the years it’s had its ups and downs in terms of viewing figures, but has still endured. So, in a broadcasting landscape where there is now so much competition from streaming services and a variety of platforms from which we can now engage with “content” (“programme” can feel like an old-fashioned word now), how has the serial retained it popularity?

Realism meets melodrama

Part of the answer lies in the ways in which soap operas are constructed. They focus on people and peoples’ relationships with each other. This gives us the audience an immediate connection. We can all relate to one or more characters. We are given an insight into their family lives, their work, their feelings and emotions.

Drama can entertain and provide escapism. At the same time, it can prick the conscience and stir the soul. It can deal with complex ideas and flights of fancy, gritty social issues and controversial topics. It has the ability to both engage and alienate audiences and provoke wider public debate. EastEnders has done all of these things.

Soap operas can also run multiple storylines that overlap. This means that if one story ends – such as a character leaving, or a conflict being resolved – there are other stories to carry the audience along, while new storylines are developed.

Another characteristic of soap operas is that they aim to balance realism with just the right amount of melodrama. Those of us who remember the early years of EastEnders will recall Christmas day 1986 when more than 30 million viewers tuned in to see Dirty Den hand divorce papers to wife Angie (Anita Dobson) after discovering she had been faking a terminal illness.

Dirty Den hands Angie divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986.

And, of course, any successful soap opera like EastEnders requires a team of skilled writers and believable characters. Such was the popularity of characters like Dirty Den that the BBC brought him back from the dead in 2003 after an absence of 14 years in a bid to halt declining viewing figures. Den did eventually die “properly” to mark the 20th anniversary on February 18 2005. And 13 million people watched as his wife, Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman), dealt the fatal blow.

Grit, grime and real life

EastEnders has not shied away from gritty or social-realist storylines.
Communications scholar Anthony McNicholas has described EastEnders as a “public service soap opera”, by which he means that the stories featured often reflect values and issues in contemporary society.

Some of the early storylines revolved around teenage pregnancy, rape and drug-taking. There were characters who had HIV/Aids at the time the subject was being widely discussed in the UK.

Baddie Janine pushes husband Barry off a cliff in a famous scene from New Year’s Day 2004.

The soap has also dealt with domestic abuse. It worked closely with the charity Women’s Aid on a domestic abuse story in 2020. This prompted the domestic abuse charity, Refuge, to praise the soap for drawing the issue to peoples’ attention. It noted that EastEnders had done a great job reflecting on screen what is a horrific reality for so many families.

Dealing with controversial yet realistic storylines has sometimes led to the programme coming into conflict with the regulator, Ofcom, for broadcasting certain harrowing scenes before the 9.00pm watershed.

As EastEnders reaches middle age, there’s no sign of it slowing down. The anniversary promises to be eventful and engaging, featuring a live episode. And there will always be a place for relatable storylines, drama, passion and characters that we can love and hate. Happy Birthday EastEnders and here’s to the next 40 years.

Jamie Medhurst has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), British Academy, and The Leverhulme Trust.

– ref. EastEnders at 40: how a ‘public service soap’ became a national institution – https://theconversation.com/eastenders-at-40-how-a-public-service-soap-became-a-national-institution-247060

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Deporting millions of immigrants would shock the US economy, increasing housing, food and other prices

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Francisco I. Pedraza, Professor of political scinece, Arizona State University

Immigrant farmworkers pick strawberries in California in April 2024. Visions of America/Joe Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

One of President Donald Trump’s major promises during the 2024 presidential campaign was to launch mass deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has said that, since January 2025, it is detaining and planning to deport 600 to 1,100 immigrants a day. That marks an increase from the average 282 immigration arrests that happened each day in September 2024 under the Biden administration.

The current trend would place the Trump administration on track to apprehend 25,000 immigrants in Trump’s first month in office. On an annual basis, this is about 300,000 – far from the “millions and millions” of immigrants Trump promised to deport.

A lack of funding, immigration officers, immigration detention centers and other resources has reportedly impeded the administration’s deportation work.

The Trump administration is seeking US$175 billion from Congress to use for the next four years on immigration enforcement, Axios reported on Feb. 11, 2025.

If Trump does make good on his promise of mass deportations, our research shows that removing millions of immigrants would be costly for everyone in the U.S., including American citizens and businesses.

Immigrant farmworkers protest in New York City in May 2022.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Food costs will increase

One important factor is that mass deportations would weaken key industries in the U.S. that rely on immigrant workers, including those living in the U.S. illegally.

Overall, immigrants without legal authorization make up about 5% of the total U.S. workforce.

But that overall percentage doesn’t reflect these immigrants’ concentrated presence within various industries. Approximately half of U.S. farmworkers are living in the country without legal authorization, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Some of these immigrant farmworkers are skilled supervisors who make decisions about planting and harvesting. Others know how to use and maintain tractors, loaders, diggers, rakers, fertilizer sprayers, irrigation systems, and other machines crucial to farm operations.

If those workers were to be suddenly removed from the country, Americans would see an increase in food costs, including what they spend on groceries and at restaurants.

With fewer available workers to pick fruits and vegetables and prepare the food for shipment and distribution, the domestic production of food could decrease, leading to higher costs and more imports.

National estimates of the restaurant and food preparation workforce, meanwhile, indicate that between 10% and 15% of those workers are immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

Past state-level immigration enforcement policies offer an idea of what could happen at the national level if Trump were to carry out widespread deportations.

For example, a 2011 Alabama law called HB-56 directed local police officers to investigate the immigration status of drivers stopped for speeding. It also prohibited landlords from renting properties to immigrants who do not have legal authorization to work or live in the country. That law and its resulting effects prompted some Alabama-based immigrant workers to leave the state following workplace raids.

Their departure wound up costing the state an estimated $2.3 billion to $10.8 billion loss in Alabama’s annual gross domestic product due to the loss of workers and economic output.

Other industries that rely on immigrants

Part of the challenge of mass deportations for industries like construction, nearly a quarter of whose workers are living without legal authorization, is that their workforce is highly skilled and not easily replaced. Immigrant workers are particularly involved in home construction and specialize in such tasks as ceiling and flooring installation as well as roofing and drywall work.

Fewer available workers would mean slower home construction, which in turn would make housing more expensive, further compounding existing problems of housing supply and affordability.

Shocks from deportations would also slow commercial and public infrastructure construction. Six construction workers, for example, died in April 2024 in the sudden collapse of the Baltimore Key Bridge in Maryland. All of them were Latino immigrants living in the U.S. without legal documentation.

Examining the arguments

Trump administration officials and other politicians have argued that deporting large numbers of immigrants would help the country save money, since fewer people will use federal and state funds by attending public schools or receiving temporary shelter.

Trump said in November 2024 that there is “no price tag” for large-scale deportations.

“It’s not a question of price tag,” Trump said. “We have no choice. When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here,” Trump told NBC News.

Trump and his supporters also argue that deporting immigrants would mean more jobs for American workers.

But there is compelling evidence to the contrary.

First, immigrants are filling labor shortages and doing jobs that many Americans don’t want to do, ones that might be unsafe or poorly paid.

Even if Americans were willing to do those jobs, there simply aren’t enough Americans in the workforce to fill existing labor vacuums, let alone an enlarged one following deportations.

Second, for employers, having fewer workers in the country translates into higher wages, which in turn means less capital to adapt and grow. For businesses based on consumer debt – think mortgages, car loans and credit cards – deportations would disrupt the financial sector by removing responsible borrowers who make consistent payments.

Third, immigrants living without legal documentation in the U.S. pay more than $96 billion in federal, state and local taxes per year and consume fewer public benefits than citizens.

Immigrants without legal authorization are not eligible for Social Security benefits and can’t enroll in Medicare or many other safety net programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

A Guatemalan immigrant worker buys pipes for a plumbing job on a house remodel in New Philadelphia, Ohio, on Jan. 27, 2025.
Rebecca Kiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images

The bottom line

In other words, people who are living and working in the U.S. without legal authorization are helping to pay, through taxes, the costs of caring for Americans as they age and begin to draw on the nation’s retirement and health care programs.

The burden from recent inflation notwithstanding, an economy supported by immigrants living illegally in the U.S. protects Americans.

The U.S. would be unable to dodge the economic shocks and high costs that mass deportations would bring about.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Deporting millions of immigrants would shock the US economy, increasing housing, food and other prices – https://theconversation.com/deporting-millions-of-immigrants-would-shock-the-us-economy-increasing-housing-food-and-other-prices-245342

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Many gluten-free foods are high in calories and sugar, low on fiber and protein, and they cost more − new research

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sachin Rustgi, Associate Professor of Molecular Breeding, Clemson University

The vast majority of Americans are not sensitive to foods containing gluten. Westend61 via Getty Images

U.S. consumers often pay more for gluten-free products, yet these items typically provide less protein and more sugar and calories compared with gluten-containing alternatives. That is the key finding of my new study, published in the journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.

This study compared gluten-free products with their gluten-containing counterparts, and the findings suggested that many perceived benefits of gluten-free products – such as weight control and diabetes management – are exaggerated.

Currently, many gluten-free products lack dietary fiber, protein and essential nutrients. Manufacturers often add supplements to compensate, but the incorporation of dietary fibers during processing can hinder protein digestion.

In addition, gluten-free products generally contain higher sugar levels compared with other products containing gluten. Long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet has been associated with increased body mass index, or BMI, and nutritional deficiencies.

Gluten-free products – defined in the U.S. as those that contain less than or equal to 20 parts per million of gluten – largely lack wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats, all rich sources of arabinoxylan, a crucial nonstarch polysaccharide. Arabinoxylan provides several health benefits, including promoting beneficial gut bacteria, enhancing digestion, regulating blood sugar levels and supporting a balanced gut microbiota.

Our study also pointed out that it is difficult to find a gluten-free product that excels in all nutritional areas, such as high protein and fiber content with low carbohydrates and sugar.

On the other hand, gluten-free seeded bread contains significantly more fiber – 38.24 grams per 100 grams – than its gluten-containing counterparts. This is likely due to efforts by manufacturers to address fiber deficiencies by using ingredients such as pseudo-cereals, such as amaranth and quinoa hydrocolloids – meaning water-soluble macromolecules used in gluten-free baked goods made with quinoa flour.

These improvements, however, vary by manufacturer and region. For example, gluten-free products in Spain tend to have lower fiber content than their gluten-containing counterparts.

Why it matters

The term “gluten-free diet” has become a buzzword, much like “organic,” and is now a part of everyday life for many people, often without a full understanding of its actual benefits. While a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity for people who are sensitive to gluten, a condition called celiac disease, or for those with wheat allergies, others adopt a gluten-free diet due to perceived health benefits or because it’s a trend.

In 2024, the global gluten-free product market was valued at US$7.28 billion and projected to reach $13.81 billion by 2032. The U.S. market share is estimated to be $5.9 billion – a little less than half of the global figure.

Approximately 25% of the U.S. population consumes gluten-free products. This figure is far higher than the the roughly 6% of people with non-celiac wheat sensitivity, 1% of people with celiac disease and even lower percentages of people with wheat allergies.

This suggests that many people adopt gluten-free diets for reasons other than medical necessity, which may not offer health or financial benefits.

Symptoms of celiac disease and gluten intolerance include stomach pain and bloating.

What’s next

Investment in research and development is essential to create more nutritionally balanced gluten-free products using locally available ingredients. This will require human feeding trials with different formulations of gluten-free products to ensure that these products meet nutritional needs without adverse effects.

Collaborations between governments could help secure subsidies, which would reduce production costs and make these products more affordable. Although the initial costs of research and maintaining a gluten-free production line are high, using local ingredients and financial incentives can make these products more cost-competitive compared with their gluten-containing counterparts.

Public education is also important to keep people informed about the pros and cons associated with a gluten-free diet.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Sachin Rustgi receives funding from the US Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research.

– ref. Many gluten-free foods are high in calories and sugar, low on fiber and protein, and they cost more − new research – https://theconversation.com/many-gluten-free-foods-are-high-in-calories-and-sugar-low-on-fiber-and-protein-and-they-cost-more-new-research-247165

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Treatment Improves Bovine IVF

Source: US State of Connecticut

Up until the 1950s, scientists were scratching their heads trying to figure out why their experiments using perfectly healthy eggs and sperm to develop in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were unsuccessful.

Then, they made a critical discovery — sperm capacitation.

Maria Gracia Gervasi, assistant professor of animal science in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, is an expert on sperm capacitation and the application of assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF in rodent and bovine species. She is part of a team that recently developed a new method for sperm capacitation that makes bovine IVF more effective.

Sperm capacitation is a set of processes mammalian sperm need to undergo while they are inside the female reproductive system before they can fertilize an egg.

During capacitation, a series of molecular pathways are activated that cause the sperm to move differently, known as “hyperactive motility.” The sperm needs to be moving this way to successfully penetrate an egg to fertilize it. There are also changes to the sperm head that expose the part of the sperm that fuses with the egg during fertilization.

The discovery of capacitation enabled the development of IVF technology, revolutionizing human and animal reproduction.

Gervasi is part of a group of collaborators that published their findings in Theriogenology. Claudia E. Osycka-Salut, a researcher from the Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnologicas (IIBio-UNSAM-CONICET), Buenos Aires is the first author on the paper.

In Gervasi’s previous lab, they worked on a study showing that using a calcium ionophore – a kind of chemical that binds to and help transport ions – improved sperm capacitation in mice. This led her to wonder if it would work in bovine species as well.

When bovine sperm are capacitated in the laboratory, scientists put them in a medium containing calcium, bicarbonate, a protein called bovine serum albumin, and heparin.

“All of these components are required for sperm capacitation in bovine species and IVF,” Gervasi says.

When Gervasi and her team introduced the calcium ionophore, it increased calcium levels in the medium. This caused the sperm to stop moving. Then, when the researchers washed the calcium out of the medium, the sperm started moving again with hyperactive motility – indicating they had induced capacitation.

In this study, they found that the ionophore achieved similar results as traditional IVF procedures without heparin.

However, when they then tested the ionophore with heparin, there were significant improvements in fertilization rates and embryo development.

The fertilization rate for sperm treated with the ionophore was 83%, compared to 70% in the untreated group. The rate of fertilized eggs that developed into embryos increased from 11% to 27%.

“The difference is just adding this little sperm treatment before using it for IVF,” Gervasi says.

This approach could have a significant impact on the bovine industry in the U.S. and globally as IVF is an increasingly popular method for breeding cattle. This is because it is much easier to take semen from a bull with characteristics a farmer wants to introduce into a herd and ship that semen or embryos rather than having to move the bull around.

“The application of our treatment for in-vitro production to improve the capacitation and fertilization could have a huge impact on the industry because we could double the number of embryos,” Gervasi says. “It’s a big improvement.”

This treatment could also improve fertilization and embryo development rates for cryogenically preserved semen that has already been sexed. The process of sexing the semen damages the sperm, leading to reduced fertilization rates.

“Being able to test our treatment with those sperm would also be very applicable to what industry is using nowadays,” Gervasi says.

Gervasi will follow up this work by seeing if embryos produced from sperm treated with the ionophore remain more successful than those produced without the ionophore once implanted in an animal.

Gervasi is currently working on a separate sperm treatment that could be combined with the ionophore treatment to bolster the improvements demonstrated in this study. She is also interested in analyzing the genetic quality of the embryos produced using these treatments.

“My lab here at UConn is focused on understanding how sperm and sperm treatments during capacitation can influence not only fertilization, but post-fertilization events like embryo development,” Gervasi says. “So, I will definitely be focusing a lot on embryo quality and what is the sperm bringing to it.”

This work was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive #2022-67016-36302 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

MIL OSI USA News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Puppetry Exhibition Showcases Photographic Work of UConn Alum, 60 Years of Puppet Arts

Source: US State of Connecticut

The lens of Richard Termine’s camera frames the performers before him like the decorative proscenium around a stage, in a view the award-winning photographer says is both wonderful and challenging to capture.

Termine says he considers himself a partner to the performers, moving in a dance around them, anticipating their next move, as he clicks his way to capturing the moments of life and emotion they convey.

A Middletown native and double UConn alum, he started studying the dramatic arts as an elementary student who went to the library to learn more after seeing a marionette performance of “Rigoletto,” he says.

“It just blew me away. It was transformative,” Termine ’75 (SFA), ’78 MFA says of that school assembly. “When I go to the theater … I want to go to worlds and places I haven’t been, and puppetry is No. 1 on the list that does that for me.”

Jim Henson, left, and Brian Henson taught a three-week International Workshop in Puppetry for Film and Television during the summer of 1987 at the Institut International de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezières, France. Termine went along as Jim Henson’s teaching assistant and also photo documented the event. (Photo courtesy of Richard Termine)

A one-time puppet designer, puppet builder, and puppet director, Termine lists name-brand shows on his resume including “Sesame Street” and readily talks about knowing the famed duo Jim Henson and Frank Oz. He discovered photography in the late 1970s at the suggestion of a friend.

Today, he lists the New York Times and Village Voice, along with Time, Newsweek, and People among his credits. Yet, even after decades in the business, Termine says he still marvels at the power of puppets and their performers.

“I’m standing on their shoulders in terms of my art form, and I’m the interpreter of what’s in front of me,” he says. “What I love about this is I’m transformed when I’m working. … When I’m in the moment, it’s exhilarating.”

Visitors to the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will have a chance to see just what Termine sees when he puts his eye to the camera. Its latest exhibition, “American Puppet Theater Today: The Photography of Richard Termine,” includes 151 of his images.

The show, courtesy of The Jim Henson Foundation, was created in 2019 for display in France and since has seen five iterations including at exhibitions in Chicago, New York City, Montreal, and College Park, Maryland. Its Connecticut show in Storrs is on display until May 11.

From Marionette and Shadow to Rod and Hand

Foundation President Cheryl Henson, curator of the exhibition and daughter of renowned puppeteer Jim Henson, uses words like “play, magic, imagination, and creativity” when talking about the importance of puppetry and its value in the world today.

“Puppetry brings out all of these really essential parts of being human,” she says.

While the Muppet style her father made famous on shows like “Sesame Street” might have the broadest reach of any style – the show featuring Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo has aired in 124 countries – she says the accessibility of the myriad puppet styles is what gives puppetry “infinite potential.”

Much of that variety can be seen in “American Puppet Theater,” with Henson describing the show as “a celebration of what puppetry can do.”

During a recent tour of the exhibition, Termine points out a 2011 photograph of Jim Rose, a marionette fabrication teaching artist, and says it’s among his favorites. The image is simple: a puppeteer fiddling with the cross brace of a marionette, tugging at a string that lifts the puppet’s head in a loving gaze toward its handler.

Henson notes that thanks to UConn’s John Bell, director of the Ballard, and Emily Wicks, the museum’s operations and collections manager, the exhibition has 15 puppets on display alongside Termine’s photographs.

She walks toward the first, which greets those entering the exhibition, a direct-manipulation puppet named Disfarmer – a small bald man with glasses – adjusting the back of a Depression-era camera draped in a dark cloth. It’s one of six versions made for a 2009 production about photographer Mike Disfarmer.

Another puppet, this one with a political message, is poised in the back corner of the Ballard. It’s a toy theater with a black proscenium adorned with four ornate butterflies from the performing company Great Small Works. Next to it, Termine notes, is a 2010 photograph depicting a performing John Bell; his wife, Trudi Cohen; and Jenny Romaine.

The Blue Fairy from the opera “La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco” swoops through the air in the opposite corner, while a couple of Punch and Judy-style hand puppets get some laughs long after their 2009 adult-only performance of “The Punch and Jimmy Show.”

While the exhibition features mostly puppets outside the Muppet style, Termine says the show reflects the impact Jim Henson, who died in 1990, and his Foundation have had on the puppetry world.

Puppet Arts Program: A Diamond Year

The Jim Henson Foundation, founded by its namesake in 1982, is devoted to cultivating the work of American puppeteers and has provided support for more than 1,300 projects from more than 350 artists in that time.

“When we look at [this exhibition], these are artists that have been supported by the Foundation, creating their own work, finding their own voices in this rich art form,” Termine, Foundation vice president, says. “It’s right here, and that’s what makes this special.”

Puppeteer Basil Twist performs with Stickman at a reception in June 2021 at Upper Penthouse, Central Park South, New York City. (Photo courtesy of Richard Termine)

“One of the things my dad really loved about puppetry is how much the different puppeteers loved watching each other’s work and how they’d get so excited about somebody else’s brilliance,” Henson adds.

Say a name related to the puppet community and Termine and Henson can explain the loop of how that person is connected to this person and the next. It’s a community, they say, and many in it have UConn ties.

Termine’s mother once met Carol Thompson ’68 (SFA), ’78 MA, a student of renowned UConn professor Frank Ballard, who introduced Termine to the famed puppeteer in 1970 when he was doing a production of “The Love for Three Oranges” at UConn.

The friend who nudged Termine in the late 1970s to take up photography was the late Manchester-native-turned-Emmy-nominated puppet designer Jan (Rosenthal) Stefura ’77 (SFA), who built Mokey Fraggle on “Fraggle Rock,” among others.

Termine’s MFA class included Bart Roccoberton Jr. ’90 MFA, who heads UConn’s Puppet Arts Program, and his teachers included the late Jerry Rojo, the former dramatic arts professor who designed the black box Mobius Theater in the Drama/Music building.

With deep connections in the puppet world, UConn’s Puppet Arts Program celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with a special section of the exhibition dedicated to that achievement.

It’s “a leader” in the industry, Termine says, so much so that several years ago, when a couple of UConn women’s basketball players visited the set of “Sesame Street,” most of crew sported their UConn garb to share their school pride.

The same sense of delight swelled in Termine when he visited the Ballard Museum in Downtown Storrs recently for the exhibition’s opening: “To come back here and to share what I started,” he said, trailing off in thought. “Thanks to the Henson family and to my training here at UConn.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Britain’s unearned wealth has ballooned – a modest capital tax could help avoid austerity and boost the economy

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stewart Lansley, Visiting Fellow, School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol

Canary Wharf in London. I Wei Huang/Shutterstock

Inheriting the worst set of public finances for decades, Labour was always going to face an uphill struggle trying to fund improvements to the UK’s public services.

Inflated debt and recent hikes in the cost of borrowing mean the government is faced with stark choices. For it will be difficult to meet the chancellor’s own tight fiscal rules without further tax rises or cuts in public spending.

But as the former chief economist at the Bank of England, Andy Haldane, has warned, further spending cuts would be “deeply counterproductive”.

One solution for avoiding ongoing austerity lies in raising a higher proportion of taxes from assets. For despite the UK enjoying a long personal wealth boom, little of this boom is the result of new wealth creation or higher productivity.

Much of it is unearned. Some is the product of corporate wealth extraction, where dividend payments and personal fortunes have have been prioritised over the long-term health of a company. Some privatised water firms, for example, have been turned into cash cows for their owners.

Another large part of British unearned wealth is the product of state-induced asset inflation. Since 1999, house prices in England have risen almost three times faster than incomes.

This kind of asset inflation is a classic example of “passive accumulation”. Or, as the 19th-century philosopher John Stuart Mill described it, getting rich in your sleep.

As a result, household wealth currently stands at over six times the UK’s GDP. It was three times in the 1970s.

Yet while Britain is asset rich, its tax system is heavily based on earnings from work. Taxes on income from dividends, capital gains and inheritance make a tiny contribution to the public purse.

This is a fundamental flaw of the tax system which does little to dent the growing concentration of wealth owned by the few. Through political inertia, the tax system has failed to catch up with the growing importance of wealth over income.

Inherit the earth?

The fallout from the low taxation on wealth is well illustrated by the role of inheritance.

Levels of wealth passed on after death in the UK have been rising sharply. Over the next three decades, some millennials are expected to inherit a staggering £5.5 trillion, dwarfing all previous transfers of wealth between generations.

The lion’s share of this transfer will go to the most affluent. The lifetime wealth of those with parents in the richest fifth will see their wealth grow by 29% – compared with 5% for those born to the poorest fifth.

This will only intensify the reproduction of the wealth divide of the past.

Extending the tax base is not just about fairness or revenue raising. Asset holdings are often little more than unused resources, while big inter-generational wealth transfers can play a counterproductive role in the economy.

Over a third of the UK’s wealth is stored in property (with the rest in pensions, savings and possessions). This is mostly only realised when passed on through inheritance , where its benefits accrue to the already privileged. Little of this process contributes to more productive activity, with one of its most malign effects being to fuel higher house prices, because the money is largely reinvested in property.

The unfairness of inherited wealth has long been recognised. The patron saint of economics, Adam Smith called it “manifestly absurd”.

Farmers have protested against Labour’s plans for inheritance tax.
Mark Anthony Ray/Shutterstock

A modest and phased rise in capital taxation would help to reduce the passive role played by wealth holdings. Even small changes would release funds which could be used to improve social infrastructure from schools to hospitals.

One approach would be to build on the existing tax system through higher rates and fewer reliefs and loopholes. The second would be to introduce new taxes.

In her first budget, Rachel Reeves took steps to raise revenue through the first option, from both inheritance and capital gains tax. But these were too modest to alter the overwhelming dominance of tax on earnings.

A more fundamental shift would be to reform the existing system of council tax with a larger number of tax bands at the top. Still based on 1991 property values, this is perhaps the least defensible tax in Britain. The most effective alternative would be to replace council tax and stamp duty with a single proportionate “property tax”.

Another option would be for a modest annual 1% tax on wealth over £2 million, which has the potential to raise around £16 billion a year, or double that on wealth over £1 million.

Such a measure could be sold politically as a “solidarity tax” to help pay for the things the UK needs. And while governments have been wary of the political reaction to higher taxes on wealth, the tide is turning.

Those supporting higher taxes on wealth include the Conservative-aligned think tank Bright Blue and an influential campaign group called the Patriotic Millionaires. There is also growing public support.

Continued public spending austerity would drive more years of stagnation. It would also be politically suicidal for this government, as it was for Labour in 1931 and in the 1970s. But harnessing a little more of the country’s immense private wealth would make the tax system more equitable and by providing the resources to boost social investment, ease the path to economic recovery.

Stewart Lansley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Britain’s unearned wealth has ballooned – a modest capital tax could help avoid austerity and boost the economy – https://theconversation.com/britains-unearned-wealth-has-ballooned-a-modest-capital-tax-could-help-avoid-austerity-and-boost-the-economy-247970

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: Zayo Achieves Record-breaking 1 Tb/s Transmission on Live North American Network with Infinera’s ICE7 Coherent Optical Solution

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DENVER and SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zayo and Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) announced today the successful completion of a live network trial using Infinera’s ICE7, a seventh-generation embedded optical engine, to deliver 1 Tb/s single 150GHz wavelength transmission over 1,391 kilometers (km) on a major North American route between Sacramento, CA and Salt Lake City. This achievement will enable Zayo to deliver a record-setting 32 terabits of C-Band capacity across this link, with the ability to double bandwidth to 64 terabits with L-Band. Powered by Infinera’s innovative ICE7 optical engine, this trial signals a major industry milestone, demonstrating the power and ability of Infinera’s ICE7 and Zayo’s state-of-the-art network to rapidly and cost-effectively address the increasing capacity demands of AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise needs.

Zayo operates the largest independent network, spanning 132,000 route miles in North America alone, and one of the largest and most modern 400G networks in North America. The success of the trial demonstrates Zayo’s ability to seamlessly integrate innovative new solutions like Infinera’s ICE7 optical engine into its industry-leading network to deliver the highest capacity, speed, and efficiency to meet the growing demands of its customers.

Infinera’s ICE7 optical engine features a 5-nm CMOS DSP and leverages the latest generation of advanced high-speed optics to deliver high-baud-rate (140+ Gbaud) and single-wavelength transmission of up to 1.2 Tb/s, highlighting the improved capacity-reach and significantly reduced cost per bit, power consumption, and footprint of coherent optical transport.

“With the rapid growth in capacity needs due to high-bandwidth applications like AI, Zayo actively seeks innovative solutions to deliver superior performance of our network by increasing capacity, capability, and reach. This successful test highlights how Zayo’s network is, and will continue to be, well positioned to easily meet increasing customer demands,” said Aaron Werley, SVP of Engineering at Zayo. “We are pleased with the performance of Infinera’s ICE7 optical engine. Technology like this that can easily integrate into our existing infrastructure is critical to Zayo’s mission to expand and create capacity across North America in support of our customers’ critical connectivity needs.”

“The success of this trial marks a major accomplishment for Infinera as it underscores the power of ICE7’s ability to transmit 1 Tb/s high-baud-rate signals across a significant distance, which will be instrumental in driving down network operator costs while meeting the rapidly growing bandwidth demands of their customers,” said Paul Crann, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Optical Systems, at Infinera.

Infinera Media Contact:
Anna Vue
Tel. +1 (916) 595-8157
avue@infinera.com

Infinera Investors Contact:
Amitabh Passi, Head of Investor Relations
Tel. +1 (669) 295-1489
apassi@infinera.com

Zayo Media Contact:
Bree Wood
press@zayo.com

About Zayo
For more than 17 years, Zayo has empowered some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. The Zayo group of companies connects 400 global markets with future-ready networks that span over 18.7 million fiber miles and 146,000 route miles. Zayo’s tailored connectivity solutions and managed services enable carriers, cloud providers, data centers, schools, and enterprises to deliver exceptional experiences, from core to cloud to edge. Discover how Zayo connects what’s next at www.zayo.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Infinera
Infinera is a global supplier of innovative open optical networking solutions and advanced optical semiconductors that enable carriers, cloud operators, governments, and enterprises to scale network bandwidth, accelerate service innovation, and automate network operations. Infinera solutions deliver industry-leading economics and performance in long-haul, submarine, data center interconnect, and metro transport applications. To learn more about Infinera, visit www.infinera.com, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and subscribe for updates.

Infinera and the Infinera logo are registered trademarks of Infinera Corporation.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the operational, performance and financial benefits of Infinera’s ICE7 optical engine. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not be considered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Actual results may vary materially from these expectations as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Information about these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that affect Infinera’s business, is contained in the risk factors section and other sections of Infinera’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Fiscal Quarter ended September 28, 2024 as filed with the SEC on November 5, 2024, as well as any subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. These reports are available on Infinera’s website at www.infinera.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Infinera assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements.

The MIL Network –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP and Republic of Korea boost resilience and food security for vulnerable families in Kenya

Source: World Food Programme

NAIROBI – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$5 million from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to build resilience and improve food security for vulnerable communities in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions.

With below-normal rainfall forecasted for the upcoming March-May rainy season, strengthening early warning systems is critical to help communities and government anticipate and prepare ahead of possible drought or floods.

“The Republic of Korea’s commitment to supporting vulnerable families in Kenya is commendable,” said Lauren Landis, WFP’s Country Director in Kenya. “This contribution comes at a time when people in the arid and semi-arid areas face the risk of both droughts and floods, exacerbating food insecurity and increasing humanitarian needs. This project will equip communities with the tools and resources they need to prepare and build sustainable livelihoods.”

The contribution will enable WFP to support more than 158,000 people like smallholder farmers, pastoralists, women, and youth, to restore degraded ecosystems, create economic opportunities, and strengthen early warning systems to provide accurate and timely forecasts in in Samburu, Mandera, Tana River, Turkana, and Baringo Counties.

“The Republic of Korea recognizes the urgent need to build resilience and food security in Kenya,” said Nam Sangkyoo, the Republic of Korea’s Deputy Ambassador to Kenya. “By partnering with WFP, we are empowering communities to break the cycle of crises and build a future where they can thrive.”

The Republic of Korea is a longstanding supporter of WFP’s work in Kenya and this contribution comes in addition to past investments like resilience projects supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and rice assistance for refugees from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA).

# # #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on X @wfp_kenya, @wfp_africa, @wfp_media

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI: BlackRock® Canada Announces February Cash Distributions for the iShares® ETFs

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), today announced the February 2025 cash distributions for the iShares ETFs listed on the TSX or Cboe Canada which pay on a monthly basis as well as XIU. Unitholders of record of a fund on February 25, 2025 will receive cash distributions payable in respect of that fund on February 28, 2025.

Details regarding the “per unit” distribution amounts are as follows:

Fund Name	Fund Ticker	Cash Distribution Per Unit
iShares 1-10 Year Laddered Corporate Bond Index ETF	CBH	$0.049
iShares 1-5 Year Laddered Corporate Bond Index ETF	CBO	$0.051
iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF	CDZ	$0.112
iShares Equal Weight Banc & Lifeco ETF	CEW	$0.059
iShares 1-5 Year Laddered Government Bond Index ETF	CLF	$0.032
iShares 1-10 Year Laddered Government Bond Index ETF	CLG	$0.037
iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Preferred Share Index ETF	CPD	$0.058
iShares US Dividend Growers Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	CUD	$0.079
iShares Convertible Bond Index ETF	CVD	$0.072
iShares Global Monthly Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	CYH	$0.080
iShares Canadian Financial Monthly Income ETF	FIE	$0.040
iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF	XAGG	$0.105
iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XAGG.U	$0.061
iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XAGH	$0.091
iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF	XBB	$0.079
iShares Core Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF	XCB	$0.069
iShares ESG Advanced Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF	XCBG	$0.119
iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF	XCBU	$0.121
iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XCBU.U	$0.076
iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF	XDG	$0.061
iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XDG.U	$0.042
iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XDGH	$0.060
iShares Core MSCI Canadian Quality Dividend Index ETF	XDIV	$0.115
iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF	XDU	$0.064
iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XDU.U	$0.044
iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XDUH	$0.059
iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF	XDV	$0.114
iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XEB	$0.057
iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend Index ETF	XEI	$0.111
iShares Core Canadian 15+ Year Federal Bond Index ETF	XFLB	$0.111
iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF	XFLI	$0.193
iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF⁽¹⁾	XFLI.U	$0.145
iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XFLX	$0.179
iShares S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index ETF	XFN	$0.140
iShares Floating Rate Index ETF	XFR	$0.066
iShares Core Canadian Government Bond Index ETF	XGB	$0.050
iShares Global Government Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XGGB	$0.040
iShares Canadian HYBrid Corporate Bond Index ETF	XHB	$0.074
iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XHD	$0.083
iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF	XHU	$0.080
iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XHY	$0.084
iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XIG	$0.070
iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XIGS	$0.122
iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF	XIU	$0.275
iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF	XLB	$0.062
iShares S&P/TSX North American Preferred Stock Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XPF	$0.071
iShares High Quality Canadian Bond Index ETF	XQB	$0.053
iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index ETF	XRE	$0.065
iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF	XSAB	$0.047
iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF	XSB	$0.072
iShares Conservative Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF	XSC	$0.057
iShares Conservative Strategic Fixed Income ETF	XSE	$0.053
iShares Core Canadian Short Term Corporate Bond Index ETF	XSH	$0.060
iShares ESG Advanced 1-5 Year Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF	XSHG	$0.118
iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF	XSHU	$0.127
iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XSHU.U	$0.080
iShares Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF	XSI	$0.060
iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF	XSTB	$0.047
iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XSTH	$0.009
iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF	XSTP	$0.010
iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XSTP.U	$0.007
iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	XTLH	$0.117
iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF	XTLT	$0.125
iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF⁽¹⁾	XTLT.U	$0.087
iShares Diversified Monthly Income ETF	XTR	$0.040
iShares S&P/TSX Capped Utilities Index ETF	XUT	$0.090

⁽¹⁾ Distribution per unit amounts are in U.S. dollars for XAGG.U, XCBU.U, XDG.U, XDU.U, XFLI.U, XSHU.U, XSTP.U, XTLT.U

Estimated February Cash Distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF

The February cash distributions per unit for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF are estimated to be as follows:

Fund Name	Fund Ticker	Estimated Cash Distribution Per Unit
iShares Premium Money Market ETF	CMR	$0.124

BlackRock Canada expects to issue a press release on or about February 24, 2025, which will provide the final amounts for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF.

Further information on the iShares Funds can be found at http://www.blackrock.com/ca.

About BlackRock

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @BlackRockCA

About iShares ETFs

iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of 1500+ exchange traded funds (ETFs) and US$4.2 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.

iShares^® ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). TSX is a registered trademark of TSX Inc. (“TSX”). All of the foregoing trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes to BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), which in turn has sub-licensed these marks to its affiliate, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), on behalf of the applicable fund(s). The index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by BFA and by extension, BlackRock Canada and the applicable fund(s). The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively known as “S&P Dow Jones Indices”) or TSX, or any of their respective affiliates. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices nor TSX make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in such funds.

MSCI is a trademark of MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). The ETF is permitted to use the MSCI mark pursuant to a license agreement between MSCI and BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., relating to, among other things, the license granted to BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. to use the Index. BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. has sublicensed the use of this trademark to BlackRock. The ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI and MSCI makes no representation, condition or warranty regarding the advisability of investing in the ETF.

Contact for Media:
Sydney Punchard
Email: Sydney.Punchard@blackrock.com

The MIL Network –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Delivering for rural Scotland

Source: Scottish Government

Communities surveyed on key priorities.

People living and working in rural communities are being asked their views on what government priorities should be to improve their lives.

A Scottish Government survey will help develop the forthcoming Rural Delivery Plan and is an opportunity to take a fresh look at to bring about change and address the issues in mainland rural Scotland. A separate National Islands Plan looks at how the Scottish Government is delivering for island communities.

Rural Scotland accounts for 98% of the land mass of Scotland and 17% of the population.

The Rural Delivery Plan will cover a range of areas, such as agriculture, transport, housing, health and social care, marine, land reform, population, skills, digital connectivity and economic development.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon said:

“The Rural Delivery Plan will introduce, for the first time, a vision for rural Scotland with specific objectives and achievements we want to reach, how we intend to get there and how we will measure success along the way. This builds on our record of support for rural communities, such as preserving direct support for farmers and crofters, to improving online connectivity, and comes on the back of a lot of work with partners and communities to better understand the opportunities in our rural communities, as well as the particular challenges rural Scotland faces.

“Our vision is for a vibrant and sustainable rural Scotland with a thriving economy where families are able to access the services they need. I would encourage all those with an interest to take part in the survey and tell their friends and family so that the Plan we produce reflects their experiences and what is most important to them.”

Background

Rural Delivery Plan: vision, strategic objectives and key performance indicators – Scottish Government consultations – Citizen Space

The Survey is open until 17th March.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Food Writers set to Discover Derry’s Thriving Food Scene During LegenDerry Food Month

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Food Writers set to Discover Derry’s Thriving Food Scene During LegenDerry Food Month

18 February 2025

Food writers, journalists, and specialist media from across Ireland, the UK and Europe, are set to descend on Derry this week as part of a special media showcase celebrating the city’s renowned food and drink scene during LegenDerry Food Month.

The event will offer media professionals an exclusive opportunity to sample some of the finest locally sourced produce, meet passionate chefs and artisans, and experience firsthand why Derry is gaining a reputation as a must-visit sustainable food destination.

Some of the top food writers and high-profile influencers will visit the city to take part in the showcase event that will see them embark on a culinary journey of the city’s unique and diverse food and drink scene that celebrates its rich culture and heritage.

During their visit to the city they will enjoy bespoke tastings, and take part in an immersive dining experience and a behind-the-scenes insight into how local food producers, chefs and crafters have been working in close collaboration to create an exciting food scene that has something for every palate. The showcase event will highlight the city’s commitment to sustainability, farm-to-table dining, and its innovative approach to modern gastronomy that defines Derry’s unique vibrant food culture.

The media showcase forms a key part of Love LegenDerry Food Month, a month-long celebration dedicated to showcasing the best of Derry’s food and drink industry. From fresh seafood sourced along the Wild Atlantic Way to handcrafted artisan cheeses, locally distilled spirits, and innovative plant-based cuisine, Derry’s diverse offerings will take centre stage.

Jennifer O’Donnell Tourism Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council said: “Derry is fast becoming one of the most exciting food destinations in Ireland, and we’re delighted to welcome leading food writers and journalists to experience it for themselves. Legenderry Food Month is about celebrating our rich culinary heritage, our passionate producers, and our commitment to sustainability. This showcase will be a fantastic opportunity to share our city’s unique food story with a wider audience.

“We are delighted to have some of the top food writers and media coming to the city this week to see for themselves how Derry is gaining recognition as a must visit food destination and to get to meet with our local chefs and food and drink producers to hear their stories of how our rich heritage and commitment to sustainability and locally sourced ingredients with a focus on land and sea and our natural resources, is allowing us to make our mark in the food tourism market,” she added.

Robert Hull from DAERA’s NI Regional Food Programme said: “The lush landscapes of Northern Ireland provide an abundance of fresh, high-quality ingredients for its innovative chefs to create a unique food story. From grass-fed beef and free-range poultry to freshly caught seafood from the nearby Atlantic, local farmers, fishers, and artisan producers play a central role in shaping Derry’s culinary identity. This media showcase is an excellent way of not only shining a spotlight on the city and the key role it is playing in Northern Ireland’s evolving culinary landscape, but a fantastic opportunity to showcase and celebrate the quality of local producers within this region and give them the profile and recognition they deserve.”

The media showcase event will see attendees enjoying a specialist tasting menu using home grown and produced quality produce that will be curated by some of the city’s finest chefs and complemented with locally produced drinks to amplify and enhance the overall experience. During the event, the Walled City Brewery will officially launch their much-anticipated new Brandy ball flavoured poitin ‘Snifter’.

In addition to the media showcase, Love Legenderry Food Month will feature a series of exciting dining experiences, chef collaborations, food trails, masterclasses, and more, inviting visitors and locals to immerse themselves in the best of Derry’s food and drink offering.

The Love LegenDerry Food Month creates a platform for the city’s chefs and producers to showcase just why Derry features on the bucket lists of those planning food themed breaks in 2025 and to promote the city as an international foodie destination to celebrate the North West region’s outstanding food and drink and the people who produce it.

For more info visit – www.legenderryfood.com

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA provisionally clears poultry feed merger
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

An independent inquiry group has provisionally cleared Boparan’s deal to buy ForFarmers’ Burston and Radstock feed mills in an interim report published today.
iStock

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) independent inquiry group has provisionally cleared Boparan’s proposed purchase of ForFarmers’ Burston and Radstock feed mill sites, following an in-depth Phase 2 investigation.

ForFarmers and Boparan (through 2Agriculture) both manufacture and supply chicken feed and other types of poultry feed in the UK. 

The inquiry group’s investigation has provisionally found that Boparan’s purchase of ForFarmers’ Burston feed mill site could reduce the capacity available to manufacture chicken feed for chicken suppliers in the area around the mill in East Anglia. However, these suppliers will still have choice and the option to switch providers due to competition from other chicken feed providers in the market. Therefore, the inquiry group does not believe the merger would lead to a substantial lessening of competition as a result.

Kirstin Baker, chair of the independent inquiry group, said:

Having assessed the evidence, we have provisionally found that Boparan’s purchase of ForFarmers’ Burston feed mill does not raise competition concerns. We’re reassured by the evidence which shows that farmers and chicken suppliers in the UK will continue to have options when it comes to choosing chicken feed providers, should the deal go ahead.

We’re now seeking feedback and views on our interim report before reaching a final decision.

The independent inquiry group will now consult on its interim report and is inviting any feedback from interested parties by Tuesday 11 March 2025. A final decision will be made by the statutory deadline of 13 May 2025.

For more information, visit the Boparan / ForFarmers (Burston and Radstock mills) case page.

Notes to Editors:

ForFarmers is a European manufacturer and supplier of animal feed, based in the Netherlands. 2Agriculture, a subsidiary of Boparan, is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of poultry feed and supplies feed to Hook 2 Sisters, a company affiliated with Boparan, as well as farmers on the open market.

At the Phase 1 investigation stage, the CMA concluded that Boparan’s purchase of the Radstock feed mill site does not raise competition concerns and the sale of this mill has completed.

The CMA has a statutory duty to promote competition for the benefit of consumers and assesses each case on its individual merits. This includes a duty to investigate mergers that could raise competition concerns in the UK where it has jurisdiction to do so. In this case, the CMA has concluded that the CMA has jurisdiction to review this merger because a relevant merger situation has been created: each of Boparan and ForFarmers’ Burston and Radstock feed mills is an enterprise that will cease to be distinct as a result of the merger and the turnover test is met. More information on the CMA’s mergers jurisdiction and procedure can be read on its guidance page.

All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk, or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

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Published 18 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: New Warroo Bridge construction work set to start

Source: New South Wales Government 2

Headline: New Warroo Bridge construction work set to start

Published: 18 February 2025

Released by: Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

The Minns Labor Government is investing more than $15 million to deliver a safer, stronger new Warroo Bridge in the NSW Central West with construction work set to start in March.

A new concrete bridge will be built just a few metres upstream from the existing 116-year-old bridge timber truss bridge which is located over the Lachlan River 46 kilometres west of Forbes and 55 kilometres south-east of Condobolin.

Warroo Bridge is a critical connector in the region as it is the only major crossing of the Lachlan River linking the Lachlan Valley Way to the Henry Parkes Way between these two towns.

The existing narrow bridge was built in 1909 and is not suitable for use by modern agricultural equipment or heavy vehicles with higher mass limit loads.

If the existing bridge is closed for maintenance, motorists face a 93-kilometre detour to travel from one side of the bridge to the other.

The Minns Labor Government is investing in construction of a new bridge that will be safer, more reliable and allow for more efficient transport, particularly for freight operators in regional NSW.

Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd will deliver the work on behalf of Transport for NSW, with work due to start on March 3. The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic in late 2026, weather permitting.

The existing Warroo Bridge will remain open to traffic throughout the construction of the replacement bridge and will be removed completely once the new bridge is operational.

Transport for NSW will continue to update the community as construction progresses. For more information on the project visit the website of Transport for NSW.

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“This new Warroo Bridge over the Lachlan River is an important piece of infrastructure that will make life easier for farmers, businesses and families in the Central West.

“The new bridge will be safer and more reliable than the existing bridge that is now well over 100 years old.

“This sort of investment is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to regional NSW and to driving jobs and investment across the state.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The Minns Labor Government is investing in the future of regional NSW by building better bridges that keep communities connected, improve safety and increase efficiency for freight operators.

“I’m excited to see construction start on the new Warroo Bridge which will have wider travel lanes and better road approaches, increased load capacity for heavy vehicles, and improved access for wide vehicles.”

Independent Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

“It’s great to see the contract for this project has been awarded and construction is on track to commence.

“Communities in our region rely on Warroo Bridge and when the new bridge is built it will make life so much easier for local residents and freight operators.”

NSW Labor’s Orange spokesperson Stephen Lawrence MLC said:

“The awarding of the contract to Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd to build the replacement Warroo Bridge is an important milestone in this project to improve transport efficiency and reliability in the Central West.

“When construction is complete the community will have a fantastic new asset the Minns Labor Government is proud to be delivering.”

MIL OSI News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Action Plan funding helps children grow vegetables

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

The aim is for tamariki (children) to be able to grow vegetables and plants all year round and make food in classes, demonstrating ‘garden to plate’ learning. The native plants grown will be used for the school’s riparian planting projects.

The school would like to eventually provide produce to food banks, and to families within the school community who need support.

This is one of several projects supported by the latest round of Selwyn Waihora ZCAP funding.

Just under $1,300 will go towards equipment such as an irrigation pipe and attachments, the hiring of a trenching machine (to bury the pipes) and a garden shed to act as a pump house.

Principal Elizabeth Coyle says the school was set up with a vision to develop an environmental awareness amongst ākonga (students).

“We’ve achieved great things already and wish to keep the momentum going to help tamariki reach their full potential in this space.

“This project will certainly help with that, and we’re grateful to the Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee for backing this important mahi.”

Vegetables and plants growing inside the tunnel house

Water zone committee Action Plan funding

Each water zone committee was allocated $50,000 this financial year. The committees make funding recommendations on projects in their zone that benefit the environment or engage the community on environmental issues.

This support in turn helps the committees meet the goals in their Action Plans – which outline their tactics for delivering on the targets of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee’s Action Plan priorities are:

enhancing mahinga kai, biodiversity and recreation opportunities

raising awareness about the risks to private drinking water supplies

supporting actions to restore Te Waihora to a healthy state

facilitating actions to achieve catchment nutrient targets and water quality outcomes

facilitating a community-wide approach to restore the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River back to a healthy state.

Action Plan projects in Selwyn Waihora

Rolleston Christian School’s project is one of six funded this year by the Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee’s Action Plan.

The other projects are:

Scamander Swamp Wetland Restoration

This project aims to ‘crack the whip’ on crack willow, which is increasingly encroaching on the wetland. Reducing the prevalence of this weed will help protect the function of the wetland ecosystem, habitat for native biodiversity and aesthetic values.

$16,500 in ZCAP funding will go toward covering the initial control works, along with some of the ongoing costs.

Halswell/Huritini Wetland Restoration

Raupō largely dominates this wetland, but crack and grey willow, as well as some other woody pest species, are increasingly invading the site.

Scamander wetland, on the edge of Lake Coleridge, is known for its scenery, recreation and cultural importance.

$10,000 in ZCAP funding will go towards controlling the willow and the other pest species before they become overly problematic.

Old Tai Tapu bush deer fence

Old Tai Tapu bush is a 6.5 hectare indigenous lowland forest, which is being devastated by fallow deer.

QEII National Trust is looking to fence 11,015 metres of bush to keep deer out, eliminate deer that are already in the bush, and undertake monitoring. The project will benefit from $12,762 in ZCAP funding.

Lincoln students discovery plant-out and monitoring days

This project is part of a greater effort to restore vegetation along the Huritini/Halswell Awa (river) in Ahuriri Reserve and other awa in Selwyn Waihora.

A plant-out day for Te Kura o Tauhinu/Lincoln Primary students will be held, centred on a variety of activities to help the students learn about the positive effects of native species on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They’ll also look at the cultural uses of plants and certain species.

A hands-on monitoring event for a school to check plant survival and measure biosecurity at a restoration site will also be organised. This will include a native bird count, a terrestrial invertebrate hunt, and aquatic and fish invertebrate investigations.

$6,941 in funding will go towards the cost of running the two events.

The Fantail Trust native bird and plant sanctuary

This project will see the creation of a native bird and plant sanctuary in the Rakaia Gorge along the walkway.

$2,500 in ZCAP funding will go towards the deployment of five AT220 traps in remote sites to help eliminate possums and rats. This is in addition to other traps already installed in the forest. The aim is to significantly improve the survival of native birds and invertebrates and enable the forest to regenerate and rejuvenate.

Committee delighted by high quality proposals

Selwyn Waihora Zone Committee deputy chair Allanah Kidd says the projects will help improve freshwater and/or biodiversity outcomes.

“This was a highly competitive round which made allocations recommendations difficult” she said.

“As a committee we were delighted to see so many high-quality and worthy proposals put forward, and to be able to support a range of inspiring projects.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 44-2025: Scheduled Service Disruption: Friday 21 February to Sunday 23 February 2025 – BICON, DAFF messaging, SeaPest
Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

18 February 2025

Who does this notice affect?

All clients required to use the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.

All clients submitting the below declarations:
- Full Import Declaration (FID)
- Long Form Self Assessed Clearance (LFSAC)
- Short Form Self Assessed Clearance (SFSAC)
- Cargo Report Self Assessed Clearance (CRSAC)
- Cargo Report Personal Effects (PE)
All…

MIL OSI News –
February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Chicken nuggets recalled due to possible presence of blue rubber

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Foodstuffs Own Brands in its recall of Pams brand Tempura Coated Chicken Nuggets as they may contain small pieces of blue rubber.

“If you have a 1kg bag of Pams Tempura Coated Chicken Nuggets with a best-before date of 16 October 2025, don’t eat them,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“Return the nuggets to the place of purchase for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw them out.”

The affected products are sold at Four Square, Gilmours, New World, Pak’nSave and Social Supermarket stores nationwide.

The products have been removed from stores and have not been exported.

Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s food recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.

Pams brand Tempura Coated Chicken Nuggets

The problem came to light as a result of a customer complaint, and New Zealand Food Safety has had no notification of associated issues.

“As is our usual practice, we will work with Foodstuffs Own Brands to understand how this issue arose and to prevent it happening again,” says Mr Arbuckle.

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts.

Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.

Recalled food products list

For further information and general enquiries, email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Gaza – Less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available to Rafah and North Gaza, worsening a health catastrophe – Oxfam

Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

– Nearly 1,700 kilometres of water and sanitation networks have been destroyed

– Big-ticket repairs of networks urgently needed but Israeli government balks in approving supplies

The resumption of aid into Gaza, including fuel to operate undamaged water and sanitation facilities along with water trucking, has improved the amount of water available to people in some parts of Gaza. But the picture remains extremely bleak and dangerously critical, especially in the North Gaza and Rafah governorates, warned Oxfam today.

Fifteen months of Israel’s military assault has destroyed 1,675 kilometres of water and sanitation networks. In North Gaza and Rafah governorates, which have suffered the most destruction, less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels is available to people, heightening the spread of waterborne diseases.

As fragile ceasefire negotiations hang in the balance, any renewed violence or disruption to fuel and the already inadequate aid would trigger a full-scale public health disaster.

Carlos Calderon, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Head of Partnerships and Humanitarian said:

“No human can survive more than a few days without water. In Gaza, over two million people are being forced to drink from unsafe sources, while overflowing sewage networks create a breeding ground for deadly diseases we once conquered. This is a second humanitarian catastrophe in the making. What we do next will define who we are as a society.”

Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza said:

“Now that the bombs have stopped, we have only just begun to grasp the sheer scale of destruction to Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Most vital water and sanitation networks have been entirely lost or paralyzed, which is creating catastrophic hygiene and health conditions.

“Our staff and partners have told how people are stopping them in the streets asking for water, and that parents are not drinking to save water for their children. It is heartbreaking to hear about children having to walk for miles for a single jerrycan of water.”

In the North Gaza governorate, almost all water wells have been destroyed by the Israeli military. Over 700,000 people have returned to find entire neighbourhoods wiped out. For the few whose homes remain standing, water is non-existent due to the destruction of rooftop storage tanks.

In Rafah, over 90 percent of water wells and reservoirs have been partially or completely damaged, and water production is less than five percent of its capacity before the conflict. Only two out of 35 wells are currently operational.

Despite efforts to resume water production since the ceasefire, the destruction of Gaza’s water pipelines means that 60 percent of water is leaking into the ground rather than reaching people.

Oxfam and partners’ initial assessment after the ceasefire found:

– More than 80 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure across the Gaza Strip has been partially or entirely destroyed, including all six major wastewater treatment plants.

– 85 percent of the sewage pumping stations (73 out of 84) and networks have been destroyed. Some have been repaired but urgently require fuel to operate.

– 85 percent of small desalination plants (85 out of 103) have been partially damaged or completely destroyed.

– 67 percent of the 368 municipal wells have been destroyed. Most of the private small wells cannot function due to lack of fuel or generators.

The lack of safe water, combined with untreated sewage overflowing in the streets has triggered an explosion of waterborne and infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, 88 percent of environmental samples surveyed across Gaza were found contaminated with polio, signalling an imminent risk of outbreak. Infectious diseases including acute watery diarrhoea and respiratory infections – now the leading causes of death – are also surging, with 46,000 cases, mostly children, being reported each week.

Chickenpox and skin diseases such as scabies and impetigo are also spreading rapidly, particularly among displaced populations in the Northern Gaza Governorate, where water shortages are most severe.

Meanwhile, with no waste collection and transport for over 15 months, more than 2,000 tonnes of garbage has been piling up in the streets every day. This toxic combination of open sewage, uncollected waste and contaminated water is creating a perfect storm for a deadly disease outbreak.

Lagouardat said: “Despite the increase in aid since the ceasefire, Israel continues to severely impair critical items needed to begin repairing the massive structural damage from its airstrikes. This includes desperately needed pipes for repairing water and sanitation networks, equipment like generators to operate wells.”

Oxfam’s own 85 tonne-shipment of water pipes, fittings and water tanks – worth over $480,000 – had been held up for over six months because it was deemed as dual-use and “oversized” to enter. Israeli authorities only finally approved the shipment this week, although it has yet to enter.

Lagouardat said: “Hundreds of thousands of displaced people across the Gaza Strip have had to resort to digging makeshift cesspits next to their tents. This daily discharge of approximately 130,000 cubic meters – the equivalent of 52 Olympic pools – of untreated sewage is contaminating the Mediterranean Sea and Gaza’s only aquifer.

“Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. Lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis can only come through a permanent ceasefire and a just solution.”

– Oxfam has recent photos and footage of water and sanitation destruction in Gaza and can be downloaded HERE(valid until 14 May 25)

– According to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) as of February 2025, a total of 1675 km out of 4,800 km of Gaza’s water and sanitation networks have been partially or entirely destroyed since October 2023. This includes 350km in North Gaza, 495km in Gaza City, 240 Km in the Middle area, 350km in Khan Younis, and 240km in Rafah respectively.

– Data on water and sanitation destruction is based on the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) Rapid Damage Assessment Report, January 2025.

– Data on cost of infrastructure repair is based on Gaza Municipality Planning and Investment Unit report of December 31, 2024.

– According to Oxfam’s Water War Crime s report, the Gaza population had access to 82.7 litres per person per day before 7 October 2023. Currently Rafah has less than five percent of that amount; and North Gaza governorates have less than seven percent of that amount, or 5.7 litres per person per day.

– According to the 10 Feb 2025 WASH Cluster report: only two (out of 35) wells in Rafah are currently operational.

– Acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in children under five years old was reported to be 13,179 cases. This accounts for approximately 54% of the total registered cases of AWD. Also, 21 out of 24 Polio environmental surveyed samples across Gaza (88%) were positive. Source: Polio Global Eradication Initiative (WHO & UN) on 1 Feb 2025

– UNOSAT latest data collected on 1 December 2024 identified 60,368 destroyed structures, 20,050 severely damaged structures, 56,292 moderately damaged structures, and 34,102 possibly damaged structures for a total of 170,812 structures. The governorates of North Gaza and Rafah have experienced the highest rise in damage compared to the 6 September 2024 analysis, with around 3,138 new structures damaged in North Gaza and around 3,054 in Rafah. Within North Gaza, Jabalya municipality had the highest number of newly damaged structures, totalling 1,339.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fonterra announces new incentives for farmers to reduce emissions

Source: Fonterra

Fonterra has today announced new funding designed to build a stronger Co-operative and continue to grow value for its shareholders through helping farmers reduce on-farm emissions.

For the 2025/26 season beginning on 1 June, Fonterra will introduce a payment for farms that achieve certain emissions-related criteria as part of updates to its Co-operative Difference framework.

Meanwhile, new incentives that benefit farmers will be funded through separate agreements with Mars and Nestlé, who have been working with Fonterra to make progress towards their individual sustainability goals by supporting farmers to reduce emissions.

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says the new incentives demonstrate Fonterra’s strategy in action.

“We’re growing relationships with customers who value the hard work farmers put into producing sustainable, high-quality milk, along with the Co-op’s quality of on-farm data and ongoing commitment to improvement. This helps us make progress towards achieving our on-farm emissions target and deliver the highest returns for our farmer shareholders’ milk.

“Last year we confirmed six strategic choices that we believe will help grow further value in the years ahead and this is an example of how we’re delivering on two of those choices, deliver the strongest farmer offering and build on our sustainability position,” says Mr Hurrell.

The new funding, includes:

New Co-operative Difference payment

1-5 cent per kgMS payment: To date, a total of up to 10 cents per kilogram of milk solids (kgMS) has been possible across all achievements within Fonterra’s Co-operative Difference framework. A new Emissions Excellence achievement will offer a further payment of between 1-5 cents per kgMS for farms that meet certain criteria*. Based on last season’s data, it’s estimated that approximately 5,000 farms will be eligible for this payment next season.

New customer incentives

Funding from separate agreements with Mars and Nestlé, will be split between:

On-farm solutions: Farmers who achieve the Co-operative Difference will be eligible for access to on-farm tools or services designed to further improve emissions efficiency, for example herd efficiency services from LIC and CRV. Based on last season’s achievements, 87% of farmers would’ve been eligible.
Extra 10-25 cents per kgMS Emissions Incentive payment: Farmers who achieve the Co-operative Difference and have one of the lowest emissions footprints in the Co-op** will receive an Emissions Incentive payment of between 10-25 cents per kgMS. Based on last season’s data it’s estimated that between 300-350 farms will be eligible for this payment next season.

Mars Snacking Chief R&D, Procurement and Sustainability Officer, Amanda Davies says between new equipment and technology, embracing more sustainable practices comes with a price tag for farmers.

“That’s why we’re working with partners like Fonterra to help remove this barrier – providing cash, tools, and technology to support farmers in making meaningful, long-term changes.”

Nestlé New Zealand CEO, Jennifer Chappell, says Nestlé globally is a significant purchaser of New Zealand dairy ingredients, and dairy remains its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

“As we strive towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050, we are committed to reducing our Scope 3 emissions. We will continue to support farmers, in partnership with Fonterra, fostering new economic opportunities and helping them lower their greenhouse gas emissions.”

Mars and Nestlé have independently supported Fonterra farmers with their sustainability actions through initiatives introduced over the past couple of seasons.

In 2024, Fonterra farmers were invited to take part in the Mars Tools and Services pilot, which provided access to tools and services, including animal efficiency services and digital tools. Additionally, Mars previously supported the Greener Choices programme, which made it easier for Fonterra farmers to identify and buy products at Farm Source stores that could help them make sustainability improvements on-farm.

In 2022, Fonterra and Nestlé announced a partnership that included the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm in Taranaki, designed to help reduce on-farm emissions. In 2023, Fonterra announced that Nestlé would make an additional payment of between 1-2 cents per kgMS for farms that achieved any level of the Co-operative Difference. This payment has been replaced with the new Emissions Incentive payment from next season.

Notes:

*New Co-operative Difference payment

To meet the new Emissions Excellence achievement, farmers need to achieve the Co-operative Difference and their emissions from farming activities (like feed, fertiliser and herd) minus any carbon removals (i.e. emissions reductions resulting from the carbon dioxide that is removed from trees and vegetation that is grown on-farm) need to be lower than the Co-op’s 2017/18 baseline year.

**Extra 10-25 cents per kgMS Emissions Incentive payment

To receive the customer-funded Emissions Incentive payment, farmers need to achieve the Co-operative Difference and have one of the lowest emissions footprints in the Co-op (around 30% lower than the average farm). This will take into account not only emissions from farming activities, but also those associated with land use change (e.g. the historical conversion of forests to pasture) and those released from peat soils, before subtracting any carbon removals.

Fonterra’s Climate Roadmap

Fonterra has a target of reducing on-farm emissions intensity by 30% by 2030 from a 2018 baseline. The target was announced in 2023 as part of its Climate Roadmap, which outlines the Co-op’s 2030 targets and ambition to be net zero by 2050. This target is critical for a number of reasons. It helps the Co-op to remain competitive and build stronger partnerships with customers as well as be able to secure future funding, meet market access demands and comply with increased legal and reporting obligations, as the Co-op plays its part intaking action on climate change.

Sustainability at Mars

As part of Mars’ Net Zero Roadmap, the company has built a plan to halve full value chain emissions by 2030*, enroute to Net Zero by 2050. Mars is already delivering on its promises with 16% absolute reductions in GHG emissions in 2023 against a 2015 baseline, across its full value chain. 

In 2024, Mars launched its Moo’ving Dairy Forward plan, a $47M 3-year investment in new technologies and partnerships to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its global dairy supply chain.

*As measured against a 2015 baseline. 

Sustainability at Nestlé

Nestlé is striving towards net zero emissions by 2050. In 2020, they published the global Nestlé Net Zero Roadmap and have since transformed their business to start delivering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all three Scopes of their activities. By the end of 2025, Nestlé aims to reduce emissions by 20% and by the end of 2030, by 50%.

Progress toward net zero will be measured against Nestlé’s 2018 GHG emissions. Targets were set by following the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) criteria, providing a clear pathway for future-proof growth with reductions in GHG emissions. Nestlé’s Scope 3 emissions make up 95% of their footprint, and they are addressing more than 80% of these. The SBTi approved Nestlé’s targets in November 2020. Read more here: https://www.nestle.com/sustainability

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: February 17th, 2025 Heinrich to N.M. Legislature: “New Mexicans Are Counting on Us to Deliver”

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

SANTA FE, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) addressed a Joint Session of the New Mexico Legislature at the Roundhouse, New Mexico’s State Capitol in Santa Fe.

“Serving you and representing this great state in the halls of our nation’s Capitol is a privilege that I will never take for granted,” said Heinrich. “The same goes for the mandate New Mexicans entrusted me with this last election: To deliver for the people and places of our great state. To fight for the freedoms, safety, opportunities, and dreams of our families, our communities, and our country. I will never shrink from that work.”

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers remarks to the New Mexico Legislature, February 17, 2025.

Heinrich started his remarks by calling for elected leaders to unify around delivering for New Mexicans: “I have always been struck by New Mexicans’ acute understanding of what it means to put individual differences aside in service to the greater good. In our most challenging times, New Mexicans show up for each other. From the darkest days of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire to last year’s flooding in Roswell, from North to South, and East to West, New Mexicans understand our shared commitment to one another.”

Heinrich promised: “Let me be clear: My commitment, my only commitment, is to you, New Mexico. I will work — day and night — to defend the programs, funding, resources, and public lands our communities, local economies, and families rely on. Because, as elected leaders, we serve all of our constituents, from our neighbors and closest family friends to those in our community we’ve never met, or who disagree with us on nearly every issue. All of these New Mexicans are counting on us – all of us here in this room – to lead, to care, to keep our communities safe. Simply put, they are counting on us to deliver.”

Heinrich commended the Legislature for its successful efforts to stand up permanent funds that generate revenues now and into the future — from the Early Childhood Trust Fund to the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund — and praised legislators’ efforts in the current session to pass bills to reduce crime, expand behavioral health services, scale investments in work-based learning opportunities, career and technical education, and the Outdoor Equity Fund, establish a statewide water quality permitting program, and reform New Mexico’s Game and Fish Department and Game Commission.

Heinrich concluded: “Working together, we can deliver the future our kids deserve. We can fight for their freedoms: the freedom to grow up to make their own health care decisions, the freedom to marry who they love, the freedom to be who they are, the freedom to be safe in their classrooms, and the freedom to pursue a fair shot at success. Let’s also keep working to protect our kids’ clean air, clean water, and public lands that will sustain their communities, economies, and sense of identity as New Mexicans. We can uphold this Democracy, commit to the Republic set out in our Constitution, and comply with our oaths of service to put ‘We the People’ first.”

Below are Heinrich’s full remarks as prepared for delivery:

Speaker Martinez, Senate President Pro Tempore Stewart, Lieutenant Governor Morales, members of the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives.

It is an absolute honor to be here with you this afternoon.

I am very pleased to be joined by my wife, Julie, several honored guests, and two of my colleagues and friends in the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández.

I stand before you, today, at the start of my third term in the United States Senate.

Serving you and representing this amazing state in the halls of our nation’s Capitol is a privilege that I will never take for granted.

The same goes for the mandate New Mexicans entrusted me with this last election:

To deliver for the people and the places of our incredible state.

To fight for the freedoms, safety, opportunities, and dreams of our families, our communities, and our country.

I will never shrink from that work.

And make no mistake:

Republican leadership in the White House and in the United States House and Senate will have very real impacts on our state and on individual New Mexicans.

Some of you will agree with those, and others won’t agree with any of them.

The same will probably be true of many of our constituents.

Still, I have always been struck by New Mexicans’ acute understanding of what it means to put individual differences aside in service to the greater good.

In our most challenging times, New Mexicans look out for each other.

From the darkest days of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire to last year’s flooding in Roswell.

From North to South, and East to West, New Mexicans understand our shared commitment to one another.

So let me be clear: My commitment, my only commitment, is to you, New Mexico.

And I will lift up your voices in the most powerful halls of our Republic.

Whether you are Mark from Albuquerque, a polio survivor who wrote to me about the life and death consequences of vaccines,

Gary, a retired Air Force intelligence officer in Tularosa who wrote to me about the importance of defending our national security,

Or Ashleigh from Truth or Consequences, a school social worker who called my office with deep concerns about how cuts at the Department of Education would impact her students.

I will elevate New Mexicans’ voices and demand action, accountability, and the future our kids deserve.

And I will work–day and night–to defend the programs, funding, resources, and public lands our communities, local economies, and families rely on.

Because, as elected leaders, we serve all of our constituents.

From our neighbors and closest family members to those in our community we’ve never met, or even who disagree with us on nearly every issue.

All of these New Mexicans are counting on us here in this room – to lead, to give a damn, to keep our communities safe.

Simply put, they are counting on us to deliver.

And that requires grappling with difficult decisions.

It requires solving real problems that impact real people.

And it requires us to bridge the gap between what is, and what is possible.

Always with New Mexicans front and center.

You know, we live in an era of loyalty pledges.

From the right and the left, frankly.

From Presidents and from rank-and-file activists.

From one elected leader to another, I want to implore you NOT to sign pledges, but to solve problems.

Our only loyalty pledge should be to this incredible state and to this country, and the incredible people who call it home.

Whether it’s to protect our nation from foreign terrorist threats or to just provide the support our kids need to learn to read —

Whether it’s fixing roads that countless New Mexicans drive on every day or cutting crime in our communities –New Mexicans expect us to put them first, and we must.

They should be able to count on us – at the federal, state, and local level – to ensure their roads, kids, food, water, and air are safe.

And that includes ensuring that the agencies charged with doing this work are staffed, funded, and functional.

Whether that’s at New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department or the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Here, in the Land of Enchantment, we want our kids to be happy and healthy, with a fair shot at success, no matter what bathroom they use, how they dress, what color their hair is, or whether they have an IEP.

We want New Mexico women to know that we trust them to make their own health care decisions, AND we will work to get them the quality health care they deserve in their own communities.

We want New Mexico’s immigrant families to know we see them, we value them, and we will not turn our backs on them.

And we want hardworking folks to know that “lowering costs,” “creating jobs,” and “growing the middle class” aren’t just campaign slogans.

They require action.

These are the pledges that we must work to deliver on.

So let’s talk a little bit about what it means to put New Mexicans first:

Your work to stand up permanent funds that generate revenues now and into the future—from the Early Childhood Trust Fund to the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund—these put New Mexicans first.

Your work to make our communities safer, increase access to mental health care, and tackle substance abuse puts New Mexicans first.

When it comes to public safety, my own strategy has been straightforward: Solve crimes, support survivors, hold criminals accountable.

But too many of our law enforcement agencies don’t have the basic tools they need to solve crimes.

And when crimes go unsolved, those who commit them keep committing them.

Since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have worked to deliver federal resources to our partners in law enforcement.

I’ve been able to appropriate funds for new ballistics testing machines in Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell, so we can solve the first gun crime before a second one is committed.

I’ve helped our local law enforcement purchase technology that detects gunshots and runs rapid DNA checks.

This technology can mean solving a crime before it’s too late.

In some cases, this may even be the difference between life and death for the victims of gun crimes.

And I’ve helped local law enforcement purchase equipment to detect fentanyl and other illegal drugs, so they can hold drug traffickers accountable and get this poison out of our communities.

But more is needed.

If your car is stolen, the person who stole it should be found and held accountable.

If your home is broken into, the person who did it should be found and held accountable.

If your daughter is assaulted, the person who did it should be found and held accountable.

It’s simple, but right now that’s not happening in far too many cases.

We can all do better on this front.

And I urge all of you to use your leadership to deliver strong public safety legislation that will make this happen.

As many of you recognize, it does not have to be a choice between improving public safety and supporting our communities’ mental health care.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

I am speaking with a little bit of experience here.

After the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, I sat down with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, and we crafted what became the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

That legislation tackled firearm safety, increased criminal penalties on firearm offenses like gun trafficking, AND it provided federal investments in community and school-based mental health services.

Silver Consolidated Schools was the first school district in New Mexico to receive a $6 million School-Based Mental Health Services Grant under that law.

These federal resources have helped the district hire psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals at all of their schools.

These types of school-based mental health services are an essential piece of our overall behavioral health puzzle.

If we could find this bipartisan pathway to improve public safety and mental health care at the federal level, I have every faith that you can do it here, too.

And, after last week’s votes on behavioral health in the Senate and the crime package in the House, you have created some much-needed momentum.

Thank you.

I applaud the Senate for your work to resource and restructure our state’s behavioral health system.

We all know it’s a lot easier to tear down a system over a couple of years than it is to rebuild that system.

And I applaud the House for negotiating and passing a crime package that takes on pressing issues in our communities from fentanyl to auto-theft, to gun crimes.

Let’s keep this momentum going.

There’s so much more that can and must be done at the state and federal levels to support the victims of crimes, and to support law enforcement as they work to hold accountable the perpetrators of crimes.

Because, when it comes to making our communities safer, supporting victims and solving crime is a common ground we should all be able to support.

And, in fact, it’s one our communities are depending on us to get right.

We all want New Mexico to be the best possible place for our kids to grow up, to raise their families, and to build careers and families in their home communities.

That means not only taking our crime epidemic seriously, but it also means investing in our kids, from cradle to career.

The investments that this Legislature and New Mexico voters unlocked two years ago are helping our state lead the nation in making high-quality early childhood education and childcare accessible to all of our families.

In the last few years, you have given our public school educators the pay raises they have long deserved.

And we are scaling up a statewide network of full-service community schools.

All of these investments are already beginning to deliver results.

When you account for state and federal investments in our kids, from Medicaid to the state child tax credit, we don’t rank 50th in child poverty.

We rank 17th.

Better than the national average, not good enough, but we are far from finished.

And I applaud you for looking to increase the child tax credit.

This money will put resources right back into the pockets of New Mexico families who will invest it in their children.

We should also be expanding apprenticeships and paid internships as early as high school.

That’s how we will prepare the next generation of New Mexicans for career success.

Here with me are Arnaldo Miramontes and Sandy Juarez, two young people who have found their career paths thanks to highly successful programs in our state.

While in high school, Sandy had a paid internship at Christus Saint Vincent Hospital through Future Focused Education.

She got hands-on experience in phlebotomy and now she’s preparing at Santa Fe Community College for a career in health care.

Arnaldo is in his fifth and final year as an apprentice with the UA Local 412, and on his way to an incredible career with licenses in both plumbing and pipefitting.

Both will be meeting demands in high needs industries right here in New Mexico.

I encourage all of us to continue investing in career and technical education, paid internships and apprenticeships, and work-based learning opportunities for our young people.

As I work to pass my Apprenticeship Pathways Act in the Senate, I hope that you will continue to identify targeted, sustained funding at the state level.

We should look at everything from offering credit, to restructuring our school days to help students get more hands-on experiences in the workplace.

This is critical to successfully building the workforce of the future.

Finally, I hope you will continue to grow our state’s Outdoor Equity Fund and the opportunities it has unlocked for so many young New Mexicans.

I am so proud that New Mexico is grounding more of our kids in the incredible lands that are their American birthright.

Before I was ever an elected official, I was a guide and an educator.

And I saw time and again the remarkable difference it makes when children and teens spent time in the outdoors.

I’ve invited as my guest today Ruben Apodaca a twelfth grader with the Honey Badger Conservation Crew at the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy.

I visited their beekeeping and honey harvesting operation last year, which is receiving critical support from the Outdoor Equity Fund.

Students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and with disabilities are managing their own beehives and bringing the honey products from those hives to market.

This kind of hands-on experience is deeply valuable.

I strongly encourage you to continue making transformational opportunities like this possible by scaling up the Outdoor Equity Fund.

Finally, as we invest in the people of this great state, we must also invest in the lands, waters, and wildlife that are the fabric that we build our identities upon.

Most of you have heard of the Supreme Court case that stripped federal protections from 90% of New Mexico’s surface waters.

New Mexicans want our water and our watersheds protected.

My guest Mark Allison from New Mexico Wild is one of the folks here advocating for two bills that would establish essential state-level protection of these waters that are now void of federal stewardship.

I am also encouraged by the proposals that are moving forward to reform our state’s outdated and underfunded Department of Game and Fish and Game Commission.

Brittany Fallon from Western Resource Advocates and Jesse Deubel from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation are here with me today.

They are advocating for reforms that will ensure wildlife management decisions are based on biology rather than politics.

These reforms account for the voices of farmers, ranchers, hunters, anglers, biologists, and wildlife conservationists.

And they also include the sustainable funding needed to help our Game and Fish Department effectively do their work.

There is nothing I enjoy more than packing into a spike camp during elk season.

Our wild game has literally been the primary protein on my family’s dinner table for the last 20 years.

So, I know full well the importance of the work needed to manage New Mexico’s wildlife.

We need a 21st century wildlife conservation approach that leverages resources to manage all of our wild creatures—not just our game animals.

We also need to make our Game Commission more representative and more accountable.

And we need to make sure that we are leveraging the biology and resources to protect fish and wildlife so that they never become listed as threatened or endangered.

While we address all of these needs for our communities, we must stay focused on our true North Star.

That’s our kids.

Working together, we can deliver the future our kids deserve.

We can fight for their freedoms:

The freedom to grow up to make their own health care decisions,

The freedom to marry who they love,

The freedom to be who they are,

The freedom to feel safe in their classrooms,

And the freedom to pursue a fair shot at success.

Let’s also keep working to protect our kids’ clean air, clean water, and public lands that will sustain their communities, economies, and sense of identity as New Mexicans.

We can uphold this Democracy, recommit to the Republic set out in our Constitution, and comply with our oaths of service to put “We the People” first.

That doesn’t mean we will always agree on how to get that done.

In fact, I’m pretty confident we will always find something to disagree on.

Even if it’s just “red or green.”

But if we always put “We the People” first,

If we always pledge our loyalty to the people we serve, above all else:

We will deliver the future our kids deserve.

Thank you.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI: FloQast Enhances Financial Efficiency Across APAC with Xero Integration
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SYDNEY, Feb. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, today announced a direct integration with Xero, the global small business platform, for customers in the Australia-Pacific (APAC) region. The integration offers a vital solution for high-growth businesses, multi-entity organizations, and geographically dispersed teams using Xero, helping them streamline their financial processes and enhance operational efficiency with minimal disruption. The integration is also ideal for accounting firms in the Client Accounting Services (CAS) segment that manage multiple clients on the Xero platform.

“We’re excited to bring this integration to the APAC market, where Xero plays a vital role in supporting a large segment of the accounting industry,” said Jason Toshack, Managing Director of FloQast Australia. “As the region continues to grow, we’re committed to delivering a solution that not only improves financial efficiency but also aligns with our mission to provide a smooth, disruption-free transformation process for accountants.”

The FloQast and Xero integration empowers organisations to transform their accounting operations, enhancing visibility and efficiency in the monthly close process by automating reconciliation and streamlining workflows. Through the integration, teams close faster and with greater confidence. Additional features include:
- Out-of-the-Box Convenience: FloQast’s integration with Xero offers a seamless, ready-to-use solution, allowing general ledger trial balances to flow directly into FloQast for efficient account reconciliation and discrepancy analysis as part of the recurring close process.
- Automated Data Flow: Once the initial setup is complete, the integration runs effortlessly in the background, leveraging advanced technology to eliminate the need for manual intervention. This allows accounting teams to focus on higher-value tasks while ensuring financial accuracy.
- Real-Time Balance Refresh: Within the FloQast application, users can easily initiate real-time pulls of account balances from Xero with just a few clicks, ensuring up-to-date financial data whenever necessary.
For more information about the FloQast and Xero integration:

About FloQast

FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, enables organizations to automate a variety of accounting operations. Trusted by more than 3,000 global accounting teams – including Bunnings, 2XU, Harris Farms, DoorDash, and Snowflake – FloQast enhances the way accounting teams work, enabling customers to automate close management, account reconciliations, accounting operations, and compliance activities. With FloQast, teams can utilize the latest advancements in AI technology to manage aspects of the close, reduce their compliance burden, stay audit-ready, and improve accuracy, visibility, and collaboration overall. FloQast is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

Contact:

Kyle Cabodi
FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

The MIL Network –
February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 43-2025: Scheduled Outage: Tuesday 18 February 2025 – AAMP, Biosecurity Portal, BCST, EVE

Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

18 February 2025

Who does this notice affect?

Approved arrangements operators who will be required to view and/or update details of their Approved Arrangement via the Approve Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

Approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, manned depots, and freight forwarders who will be required to book and manage requests for import inspections using the Biosecurity Portal during this scheduled maintenance window.

Approved…

MIL OSI News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Syria: Mine casualties persist as UN partners scale up clearance operations

Source: United Nations 2

17 February 2025 Humanitarian Aid

Explosive ordnance continues to claim lives across Syria, with more than 430 deaths and injuries reported since December, nearly a third of them children, according to Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

“Mine action partners continue to report casualties due to explosive ordnance, and that is happening sadly on an almost daily basis,” Mr. Dujarric explained in a press briefing on Monday in New York.

Farmers and shepherds are particularly vulnerable. Since January, more than 60 people have been killed and over 90 injured, many while tending to their land or grazing animals.

Clearance efforts underway

With hostilities subsiding in some areas, humanitarian partners have been expanding mine action work in newly accessible regions.

Since December, over 1,400 unexploded ordnance items have been safely disposed of, and 138 minefields and contaminated areas identified in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Lattakia.

On Monday, UN partners visited a farm in Darayya, Rural Damascus, that had been cleared with support from the Syria Humanitarian Fund. This work is critical to enabling farmers to safely return to their land.

Aid and diplomacy continue

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid operations remain uninterrupted.

Over the weekend, 40 trucks carrying nearly 1,000 metric tonnes of food from the World Food Programme (WFP) crossed from Türkiye into northwest Syria through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing – assistance sufficient for more than 270,000 people.

UN partners have also increased the import of food and other aid from Jordan since the start of the year.

On the diplomatic front, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen is set to visit Damascus this week following meetings at the Munich Security Conference.

There, he stressed the need for an inclusive, Syrian-led political process and urged all parties to uphold their commitments on women’s rights.

“[The UN] calls on all parties in Syria to uphold their international commitments, respect the rights and dignity of women, and to ensure their full participation in shaping the country’s future,” Mr. Dujarric said.

This includes ensuring access to education, freedom of movement, political representation and protection from violence and exploitation.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana turns Nine
Source: Government of India (2)

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana turns Nine

Empowering Annadata & Protecting Livelihoods

Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 6:55PM by PIB Delhi

Introduction

On February 18, 2025, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana marks its nine-year anniversary, celebrating close to a decade of empowering the farmers of India. Launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the scheme offers a comprehensive shield against crop losses caused by unpredictable natural hazards. This protection not only stabilizes farmers’ income but also encourages them to adopt innovative practices.

Crop insurance is an important risk mitigation tool to protect farmers from natural calamities. It aims at providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of natural calamities like hailstorm, drought, floods, cyclones, heavy and unseasonal rains, attack of disease and pests etc.

Witnessing the success and potential of the scheme, the Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme till 2025-26 with a total budget of ₹69,515.71 crore.

Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) is a weather index-based scheme, which was introduced along with PMFBY. The basic difference between the PMFBY and RWBCIS is in its methodology for calculation of admissible claims to the farmers.

Technological Advancements
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) envisages use of improved technology including satellite imagery, drones, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and remote sensing.
- This is for various applications such as crop area estimation and yield disputes and also promote the use of remote sensing and other related technology for Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) planning, yield estimation, loss assessment, assessment of prevented sowing areas and clustering of districts.
- This enables more transparency, accountability and accuracy in loss assessment and timely payment of claims.
- Capturing crop yield data/Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) via the CCE-Agri App for direct upload to the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP), allowing insurance companies to witness the conduct of CCEs, and integrating state land records with the NCIP.
- Further, for timely and transparent loss assessment as well as timely settlement of admissible claims YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) has been introduced from Kharif 2023 after discussions with stakeholders and technical consultations. YES-TECH enables large scale adoption of technology-based yield estimates for yield loss and insurance claim assessments under PMFBY. The purpose is to blend the technology-based yield estimates with manual yield estimates and reduce the dependence on manual system gradually.
Key Benefits
- Affordable Premiums: The maximum premium payable by the farmer will be 2% for the Kharif food and oilseed crops. For rabi food and oilseeds crop, it is 1.5% and for yearly commercial or horticultural crops it will be 5%. The remaining premium is subsidized by the government.
- Comprehensive Coverage: The scheme covers natural disasters (droughts, floods), pests, and diseases, along with post-harvest losses due to local risks like hailstorms and landslides.
- Timely Compensation: PMFBY aims to process claims within two months of the harvest to ensure that farmers get the compensation quickly, preventing them from falling into debt traps.
- Technology-Driven Implementation: PMFBY integrates advanced technologies like satellite imaging, drones, and mobile apps for precise estimation of crop loss, ensuring accurate claim settlements.
Risks Covered
- Yield Losses (Standing Crops): The Government provides this insurance coverage for yield losses that fall under the non-preventable risks such as Natural Fire and Lightning, Storm, Hailstorm, Tornado, Flood, Inundation and Landslide, Pests/ Diseases, Drought etc.
- Prevented Sowing: Cases may arise where most of the farmers (insured) of notified areas may want to plant or sow. In such cases, they have to bear the expenditure for that cause and are restricted from planting or sowing insured crops because of unfavourable weather conditions. These farmers will then become eligible for the indemnity claims of up to a maximum of 25% of the sum insured.
- Post-harvest Losses: The Government provides for post-harvest losses on an individual farm basis. The Government offers coverage of up to 14 days (maximum) from harvesting for crops that are stored in “cut and spread” condition.
- Localised Calamities: The Government provides for localised calamities on an individual farm basis. Risks such as loss or damage arising from identified localised hazards, such as hailstorms, landslides, and inundation impacting separated farmlands in the notified area comes under this coverage.
Strengthening the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

The Government has made several interventions for ensuring better transparency, accountability, timely payment of claims to the farmers since its launch in 2016. As a result of which, the area and farmers covered under the scheme in 2023-24 are at all-time high. The scheme is now the largest in the world in terms of farmer applications. Some States have further waived off farmer’s share of premium due to which there is very less burden on the farmers.

Eligibility

Though the scheme is voluntary for farmers, non-loanee farmers’ coverage has increased to 55% of the total coverage under the scheme during 2023-24, which shows the voluntary acceptability/popularity of the scheme.

Application Process

https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/184/AU269_UCTI1z.pdf?source=pqals

Conclusion

Over the past nine years, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has transformed Indian agriculture by providing farmers with a comprehensive safety net against crop losses due to natural calamities. By leveraging advanced technology, the scheme has improved transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in crop loss assessment and claim settlement. With affordable premiums and extensive risk coverage—including yield losses, post-harvest losses, and localised calamities—the scheme has become a crucial support system for farmers, ensuring timely compensation and stabilizing their income. The increased voluntary participation, particularly among non-loanee farmers, highlights the growing trust and acceptance of the scheme. As the PMFBY moves into its next phase, it continues to empower farmers and strengthen India’s agricultural resilience.

References:

Kindlly find the pdf file

***

Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Ritu Kataria/ Kritika Rane

(Release ID: 2104175) Visitor Counter : 75

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of Vice-President’s Address at Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali (Excerpts)

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 6:48PM by PIB Delhi

Good afternoon all of you. If there has been some disruption in your normal activity, because as Vice-President of the country, I take it as my prime obligation to connect with young minds and important institutions. It is from that perspective I solicited this invitation.

I am grateful that it was accepted. Professor Anil Kumar Tripathi, Director IISER, a man who brings on the table huge experience, commitment, and in his brief address he has revealed the object, the performance and the potential. Professor Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab University, has two distinctions.

One, she is the first ever woman Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab University, a very prestigious university. I am sure we can applaud her, and, she is the 14th Vice-Chancellor, appointed by a Chancellor, who happens to be the 14th Vice-President of the country, that’s myself. Both of us missed number 13 very narrowly. Professor R.P. Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab. Have you noticed something unique here? There are three Vices. So, Professor Anil Kumar Tripathi can be happy and delighted. Unless he says that prefix of Vice does not mean vice as it is defined in the dictionary, I would not reflect upon myself. But I can assure you, Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig and Vice-Chancellor R.P. Tiwari have no Vices.

This is a unique Institution and 7 being in number. Having been Governor in the State of West Bengal for three years, I am aware of these Institutions and the seminal role they play in the evolution of the heart. Every institution is defined by the faculty, and I greet members of the faculty who are very distinguished and are futuristic in their outlook, whatever little I have gathered. We as a nation can take pride that we have an unparalleled legacy unknown to other nations. That long, and if we traverse our civilisational journey of 5000 years, we will find Bharat had been glory of the world,epicenter of knowledge and culture. People from all over the world flocked in pursuit of knowledge. That is your motto. What a motto you have picked up. Nalanda, Taxila, people came from all over the world in search of knowledge, shared knowledge and wisdom.

We at the moment are at a very critical juncture, and I say so with some amount of nostalgia. I got into the seat of governance 35 years ago when I was elected to Parliament (Lok Sabha) and had the good fortune to be a Minister. I know the situation there. The mood of the nation. Our worrisome foreign exchange disturbed Jammu and Kashmir. I saw it all around, and our government didn’t last long, not because of me. And what I see now, 180 degree difference. The nation has an environment of hope and possibility. Our global image is very high.

Leadership of the Prime Minister is globally acknowledged. And we have traversed against heavy winds. Difficult terrain. From fragile five economies to the world’s largest five economies at the moment. Ahead of those who ruled us for centuries, the Great Britain. It is a matter of time. That we will be marching ahead of Japan and Germany also to be the third largest in about a year or so. Such a jump. When I was elected first in parliament I had no courage to dream. Then that was the time, young boys and girls, where a Member of Parliament felt really an authority because he or she could give 50 gas connections or 50 telephone connections in a year. Imagine where we have come. In the shortest possible time, 550 million people of the country benefited from banking inclusions. They never had that account.

Over 100 million households have toilets. Cooking gas in every house, electricity in every house, internet in every remote corner, health centres and education centres around, road connectivity, everything is happening. World class infrastructure we are seeing of global benchmark, and therefore, as I said this morning also, no nation in the world has grown as fast in the last 10 years as Bharat. This has created a challenge. A challenge of aspirational youth. They want more. They are entitled to more because they have tasted development. They see it on the ground. They know that per capita internet consumption of India is more than that of US and China taken together, that speaks of our access to technology and adaptability of technology.

When it comes to direct transfers, a service delivery driven by technology, our direct digital transactions are four times the combined transactions of USA, UK, France and Germany. We are a nation where global entities, International Monetary Fund, World Bank are appreciating us. I recall my days in 1990 as a minister.

Our gold had to be shipped in an aeroplane to be placed to two banks in Switzerland because our foreign exchange was around 1 billion US dollars. Now it is 700 times. And not a cause of concern, and therefore, the challenge is how do we meet aspirations of our young minds and my message to young minds. Seriously, look around, the opportunity basket which for you is getting larger and larger by the day. Come out of these silos and groove that are defined jobs only with the government or working in a corporate.

Startups, unicorns are doing wonders. Let me tell you, IITs and IIMs have given these unicorns. But about 50% are from other institutes. I know the potential this country has because I have been to ISRO. Seen for myself. I have seen emerging space economy, there I came to learn for the first time when our rocket had to be put in space. It was not from Indian soil, and now we put rockets of other countries, USA also, developed countries also, Singapore also, from our and make money. Good value for money. Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan – They are defining us.

I had the good occasion to have discussion with S. Somnathan, ISRO chairman, he was till recently, now V. Narayanan. Their fire, their zeal, their commitment, very different. In Bangalore, Govindan Rangarajan, Indian Institute of Science, and Dr. Clyde Shelby. I had the occasion to see personally what kind of innovations are being done for larger public welfare by scientific and industrial research. I say so because a country’s reputation, image, power is to be defined by research.

Research is the bedrock of economic supremacy and global distinction. There was a time when we did not bestow attention on research and we thought somebody will give it to us with a price. And that someone will decide how much to give, on what terms to give but now, we have changed that. Nations that lead in research have global respect in economy, in strategy. And countries depend on them. Just imagine how far we have gone when it comes to meteorological predictions. We are one of the best in the world. As Governor-General of West Bengal, and the state is prone to cyclones, super cyclones, there was no mortality on high seas. The prediction was very accurate. Scientific prowess defines strategic prowess. Conventional wars are gone.

And we have an ancient legacy of having been researchers, discoverers, giving to the world right from zero in arithmetic or mathematics. Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta laid foundations of global mathematics. Our scientific pantheon, Raman known by Raman effect, Bose, Sarabhai, Chandrasekhar, Shah, Bhatnagar, and our former president, they define India’s research mind, orientation. They exemplify commitment to research. And look at those days, we were in colonial shackles. Raman effect discovered against colonial scepticism.

It stands as a testament to our Indian scientific beliefs. Cutting edge research is demand of the times. And the research has to correlate to fulfil the needs of the society. A research that is to be put on the shelf, a research that is for the self, a research that embellishes the profile, a research that contributes only to credentials is not the research. A research that only scratches the surface is not the research. The research has to be authentic.

The research must create a wave. It must have positive, cascading impact on the lives of the people. Industries, business, trade and commerce are driven by research. At the moment, boys and girls, we are living in times we never imagined. You are facing those times as much as I am doing. We call them Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Machine Learning and the kind. Blockchain for some may be Blockchain. Machine Learning may be Machine Learning only. But look at the power these technologies have.

And these technologies are known as disruptive technologies. But these technologies come with enormous challenges that can uproot us. But they come also with a basket of opportunities. And we must focus on unleashing opportunity out of these disruptive technologies. Our research has to come up to that mark. It is our good fortune that the government is alive to the situation.

And we as a nation, home to one sixth of humanity, are at the moment focussing on these technologies. Our quantum computing. There is a reflection by the director. About 6 lakh or 8 lakh jobs will be created out of investment of 6 lakh crores. Quantum computing, there is allocation of 6,000 crores and 18,000 crores for green hydrogen mission. These are the opportunities for you people. Space economy, blue economy. These are the opportunities for you.

And therefore research has to facilitate life of the ordinary person. To improve our industry, our administration. A nation of 1.4 billion and a rich human resource unrivalled in the world. If it is catalysed and activated by temperament of research, the results will be exponential, geometric and revolutionary. Because now Bharat is no longer a nation with a potential. Our rise is unstoppable for last few years.

It is incremental. And therefore, there has to be a greater commitment that research in the country is in the big league, in the Platinum category. And for that, the faculty has to brainstorm. We cannot have satisfying moments. As reflected by a Greek philosopher much before Socrates’ era, Heraclitus, Boys and Girls, now we are having change every moment. Paradigm shift.

We are virtually at an industrial revolution. Unknown to the humanity before. And if nations have to go ahead of others, we have to focus on research. There was a time in Silicon Valley otherwise we could hardly see an Indian. And there is now hardly a global corporate that doesn’t have an Indian man or woman at the peak. Our demographic dividend now requires universalist engineering, mathematics. And that is why, after more than three decades, a game-changing education policy was introduced. And that was to give you enough room so that you can go after your aptitude and distance from the package of just degrees.

I will take the occasion to appeal to corporates that they must come forward to drive the engines of research. Liberally contribute because ultimately they are the beneficiaries. Alongside the government they should be making liberal contributions beyond their CSR funds. If you look at the global corporates, how much they invest you will be surprised. We take pride in the last five years. We have increased our research fiscal commitment in the corporates to 50% above.

From 0.89% of their revenue to 1.32% of their revenue. I find it deficient. Investment has to be many times more. We take pride also because earlier things were not moving. Now things are moving. When things are moving, we notice a change. Patents have nearly more than doubled in the last ten years. But our patents must be in consonance with our demographic participation in the world. One-sixth we must have. Because we are one-sixth of humanity. And this one-sixth of humanity qualitatively is very different than one-sixth. And therefore, taking note of technology access and adaptability, we need to be in optimal performance mindset.

Imagine a country where 100 million farmers, three times a year, get direct banking transfers. Young boys and girls were not aware, there was a time when corruption was the password for opportunity, recruitment or business licence. Power corridors were leveraged by lies and agents. All this neutralised. And neutralised also through technological applications. Because middlemen have been shown the door. So when I look at your institute, Director, science, education and research, the triangle, this defines your role. Pursuit of knowledge. It starts with education. Because education as a transformative vehicle is very powerful. It brings about equality. Any one of you can have unicorn and be in the big league of industry. You don’t have to look to the situation. That yes, my father was in the industry, that’s true. We need to fight by technology. That’s the sin we are facing. So education. In education, science is important.

Because science unfolds your mind to generate creativity, innovation. And then the next step is research. A combination of these will unlock the enormous potential of Indian mind. Will make available avenues and vistas to our population. Every nation hopes to be self-reliant. But we as a nation are very large. Complex on occasions. When the nation is growing so fast, some of us, the number is very small. The traction is large. Put personal interest, commercial interest, political interest, above national interest. This can’t be allowed. This is unfair to boys and girls.

This is unfair to everyone, because if in our democracy there is someone as a class more serious, significant stakeholder in democracy and growth, than any one of us sitting here, is the youth of the country. Because as we march for Viksit Bharat after 2047, you are the driving force behind engines of growth. And therefore we have to give new dimension now. Make in India, start up India. And look at technology. It has to get into healthcare.

Technology has to get into education. Technology can catalyse that quality health and quality education is available to one and all. And if that happens, Bharat will be what it has been for centuries.Our lean period started in 12th century. Then marauders came, invaders came, recklessly destroyed our culture. They sacrileged our religious places to an extent that they put their own at the same place. Then came the Britishers who did not give us the education to rule ourselves. They gave us education and taught us history as suited to them. Now things have changed. We are much ahead of UK in economy. We have a bunch of institutions now all over the country. IITs, IIMs, Institutions like yours, and therefore we must have this ecosystem with ears and eyes on the ground. The litmus test is changing the life of the ordinary man. We all stand committed to that because that is our preamble.

We the people of India want these things. I conclude for time constraint. What Vivekananda said, “Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is achieved”. A motto which you must have. From my side I can give it to you. Have no tension, Have no stress, Never fear failure. Failure is natural. Sometimes you will be surprised, Oh he has succeeded, he should not have succeeded, take it in stride. System is transparent, there will be aberrations. Sometimes you will find, Oh! my own success is unjustified. These are situations natural to us, and then Dr. Kalam whose heart was always in education. I recollect when he met his maker. He was with the students in the North East, and what he said I quote,

“Dreams transform into thoughts, and thoughts result in action” and therefore my ultimate plea with you, If an idea occurs to you don’t allow your mind to be a parking ground for that idea because you fear you may fail. Get rid of it. Failure is a myth because there is no one who has not failed but they never took failure as failure. Chandrayaan 2 was failure for some who are critics, who are recipe for negativity. Chandrayaan II did not fail, It went that far, and Chandrayaan III did the rest. Let your innovations catalyse India’s scientific renaissance, and advance human progress because we are a country that believes in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – One Earth, One Family, One Future, that was our motto to the entire world.

Once again, I am grateful to the Director for making available this opportunity to me at a very short notice. I understand that there has been some inconvenience, I would urge that you overlook it.
Thank you so much.

*****

JK/RC/SM

(Release ID: 2104169) Visitor Counter : 15

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister launches Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs in Mumbai today

Source: Government of India

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister launches Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs in Mumbai today

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman also inaugurates first ‘Sachal Aaykar Seva Kendra’ virtually

FM Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman addresses and interacts with stakeholders in a post-budget meeting in Mumbai

Increased capex, focus on reducing fiscal deficit and boosting consumption, saving and investment by the citizens: Union Finance Minister

Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 5:56PM by PIB Mumbai

: Mumbai, February 17, 2025

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS – MSME) for facilitating loans upto Rs. 100 crore to MSMEs for purchase of machinery or equipment without collateral, in pursuance of the Union Budget 2024-25 announcement, at the post-budget stakeholders’ interaction in Mumbai, today.

The Union Minister also virtually inaugurated the first ‘Sachal Aaykar Seva Kendra’ at Mumbai, to be operational in Navy Nagar Colaba from 18^th and 19^th February, 2025, and is designed to facilitate access to digital services, provide assistance for grievance redressal and to promote tax awareness.

At the same function, Smt. Sitharaman also handed over ceremonial keys to the home owners benefitted by the SWAMIH Investment Fund of SBI Ventures Ltd. Union MoS (Finance) Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, Secretary (Finance) Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary (DEA) Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary (Dept. of Expenditure) Dr. Manoj Govil, Secretary (Dept. of Financial Services) Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary (DIPAM) Shri Arunish Chawla, CBDT Chairman Shri Ravi Agrawal and CBIC Chairman Shri Sanjay Kr. Agarwal were also present on the occasion.

In her keynote address, Smt. Sitharaman stated that Government continues its post-COVID capital and asset-building strategy, with increased allocations for capital expenditure to drive infrastructure development. The Finance Minister outlined the major takeaways from the Budget 2025-26, emphasizing economic growth, responsible fiscal management, and key structural reforms aimed at realising the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Increased Capital Expenditure

Government’s emphasis post Covid for public expenditure in asset building continues and hence, capex is 10.2 percent more in Budget 2025-26 than last budget (Vote-on-account 2024-25). The capex budget has been significantly increased and stands at around Rs. 16 lakh crore, stated the Finance Minister.

Boost to R& D and STEM

Highlighting the importance of research and development, the Finance Minister noted that significant steps have been taken to support R&D, especially in STEM fields, with private sector participation being encouraged. She also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ongoing reforms in manufacturing, Ease of Doing Business (EODB), and social infrastructure to strengthen economic foundations.

Focus on Fiscal Consolidation, Reduction of Fiscal Deficit

The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to fiscal consolidation, with a clear roadmap to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5%. Borrowings are focused on capital asset creation, ensuring sustainable economic growth. She assured, “We are on track to bring the Debt-to-GDP ratio down to 50% by FY 2030-31. This reflects our disciplined approach towards financial stability without compromising on education, healthcare, or infrastructure investments.”

Boosting Consumption, Saving and Investment by the citizens

“This Budget focuses on boosting consumption while ensuring economic momentum. By providing tax concessions, we are enabling taxpayers to spend, save and invest, giving them the freedom to make financial decisions that best suit their needs.”

New I-T Act

The Income Tax Act, 1961, is set to be replaced by the new law which is currently under review by the Select Committee. With 60,000 inputs received, it is one of the most comprehensive tax reform exercises undertaken and reflects the spirit of Jan-bhagidaari. The new law will reduce complexity by consolidating provisions, reducing the number of sections from 800 to 500, and simplifying language for better interpretation. “FAQs The Finance Minister praised the CBDT for completing this monumental task within six months, stating, “This is a landmark effort towards simplification and transparency in taxation. Our aim is to make compliance easier and more efficient for every taxpayer.”

Opening up newer sectors for investments – Space, Energy, Nuclear Energy, Critical Minerals

Newer sectors such as space and nuclear energy have been opened up for investments, ensuring global competitiveness and technological advancement. Stressing the importance of energy security, she remarked, “With the rise in data centers and industrial expansion, our energy sector must scale accordingly”, stated the Finance Minister. The MSME Loan Guarantee scheme now extends to critical minerals, with the Government signing MoUs with multiple countries for import of important critical minerals. Additionally, full exemption of Customs Duties on 25 Critical Minerals have been announced in the union budget. This will benefit sectors like space, defence, telecommunications, high-tech electronics, nuclear energy and renewable energy, where these rare earth minerals are critical.

Education and Health

Education and health remain key priorities, with more universities being considered for student loan support to enhance accessibility to higher education. The insurance sector has been opened up with necessary safeguards, ensuring broader participation while maintaining financial security. Union Budget 2025 increased the sectoral cap of insurance sector to 100% from 74%.

PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana for better agricultural productivity

Addressing food security, the Finance Minister highlighted the introduction of PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, which aims to improve agricultural productivity across 100 districts known for low agricultural output. This programme will help 1.7 crore farmers to enhance agricultural productivity, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate long-term and short-term credit “Strengthening food security in rural India is paramount, and this initiative will uplift our farmers and boost productivity where it is needed most,” she said.

The interaction with stakeholders was followed by a press conference, the proceedings of which may be accessed here.

Rabee/ Sriyanka /Dhanalaxmi/PM

Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai /PIBMumbai /pibmumbai pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com

(Release ID: 2104140) Visitor Counter : 81

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-January 2024-25 is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion, as compared to USD 636.69 Billion in April-January2023-24, an estimated growth of 7.21%.

Source: Government of India (2)

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-January 2024-25 is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion, as compared to USD 636.69 Billion in April-January2023-24, an estimated growth of 7.21%.

The cumulative value of merchandise exports during April-January2024-25 was USD 358.91 Billion, as compared to USD 353.97 Billion during April-January2023-24, registering a positive growth of 1.39%.

Non-Petroleum exports in January2025 valued at USD 32.86Billion registered an increase of14.47% as compared to USD 28.71Billion in January2024.

The cumulative Non-Petroleum exports in April-January2024-25 valued at USD 305.84Billion registered an increased of7.90% as compared to USD 283.45Billion in April-January2023-24.

Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery exports registered an increase of 14.33% from USD 26.12 Billion in January2024 to USD 29.87 Billion in January2025.

Major drivers of merchandise exports growth in January2025 include Electronic Goods, Engineering Goods, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, Rice and Gems & Jewellery.

Electronic Goods exports increased by 78.97 % from USD 2.29 Billion in January2024 to USD 4.11 Billion in January2025.

Engineering Goods exports increased by 7.44 % from USD 8.77 Billion in January2024 to USD 9.42 Billion in January2025.

Drugs & Pharmaceuticals exports increased by 21.46 % from USD 2.13 Billion in January2024 to USD 2.59 Billion in January2025.

Rice exports increased by 44.61 % from USD 0.95 Billion in January2024 to USD 1.37 Billion in January2025.

Gems & Jewelleryexports increased by 15.95 % from USD 2.59 Billion in January2024 to USD 3 Billion in January2025.

Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 6:15PM by PIB Delhi

India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) for January2025* is estimated at USD 74.97 Billion, registering a positivegrowth of 9.72 percent vis-à-vis January2024.Total imports (Merchandise and Services combined) for January2025* is estimated at USD 77.64 Billion, registering a positive growth of 12.98 percent vis-à-vis January2024.

Table 1: Trade during January2025*

		January2025 (USD Billion)	January2024 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	36.43	37.32
Merchandise	Imports	59.42	53.88
Services*	Exports	38.55	31.01
Services*	Imports	18.22	14.84
Total Trade (Merchandise +Services) *	Exports	74.97	68.33
	Imports	77.64	68.72
	Trade Balance	-2.67	-0.39

* Note: The latest data for services sector released by RBI is for December2024. The data for January2025 is an estimation, which will be revised based on RBI’s subsequent release. (ii) Data for April-January2023-24 and April-September2024 has been revised on pro-rata basis using quarterly balance of payments data.

Fig 1: Total Trade during January2025*

India’s total exports during April-January2024-25* is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion registering a positive growth of 7.21 percent. Total imports during April-January2024-25* is estimated at USD 770.06 Billion registering a growth of 8.96 percent.

Table 2: Trade during April-January2024-25*

		April-January2024-25 (USD Billion)	April-January2023-24 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	358.91	353.97
Merchandise	Imports	601.90	560.27
Services*	Exports	323.68	282.71
Services*	Imports	168.17	146.48
Total Trade (Merchandise +Services) *	Exports	682.59	636.69
	Imports	770.06	706.75
	Trade Balance	-87.47	-70.06

Fig 2: Total Trade during April-January2024-25*

MERCHANDISE TRADE

Merchandise exports during January2025 were USD 36.43 Billion as compared to USD 37.32 Billion in January2024.
Merchandise imports during January2025 were USD 59.42 Billion as compared to USD 53.88 Billion in January2024.

Fig 3: Merchandise Trade during January2025

Merchandise exports during April-January2024-25 were USD 358.91 Billion as compared to USD 353.97Billion during April-January2023-24.
Merchandise imports during April-January2024-25 were USD 601.90 Billion as compared to USD 560.27 Billion during April-January2023-24.
Merchandise trade deficit during April-January2024-25 was USD 242.99 Billion as compared to USD 206.29 Billion during April-January2023-24.

Fig4: Merchandise Trade during April-January2024-25

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in January2025 were USD 29.87Billion compared to USD 26.12Billion in January2024.
Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in January2025 were USD 41.20Billion compared to USD 34.23Billion in January2024.

Table 3: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during January2025

	January2025 (USD Billion)	January2024 (USD Billion)
Non- petroleum exports	32.86	28.71
Non- petroleum imports	45.99	38.35
Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery exports	29.87	26.12
Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery imports	41.20	34.23

Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

Fig 5: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during January2025

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in April-January2024-25 were USD 281.46 Billion, compared to USD 256.56 Billion in April-January2023-24.
Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in April-January2024-25 were USD 378.34 Billion, compared to USD 354.86 Billion in April-January2023-24.

Table 4: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-January2024-25

	April-January2024-25 (USD Billion)	April-January2023-24 (USD Billion)
Non- petroleum exports	305.84	283.45
Non- petroleum imports	447.06	414.77
Non-petroleum &Non Gems& Jewellery exports	281.46	256.56
Non-petroleum & Non Gems & Jewellery imports	378.34	354.86

Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

Fig 6: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-January2024-25

SERVICES TRADE

The estimated value of services export for January2025* is USD 38.55 Billion as compared to USD 31.01Billion in January2024.
The estimated value of services imports for January2025* is USD 18.22 Billion as compared to USD 14.84Billion in January2024.

Fig 7: Services Trade during January2025*

The estimated value of service exports during April-January2024-25* is USD 323.68 Billion as compared to USD 282.71 Billion in April-January2023-24.
The estimated value of service imports during April-January2024-25* is USD 168.17 Billion as compared to USD 146.48 Billion in April-January2023-24.
The services trade surplus for April-January2024-25* is USD 155.52 Billion as compared to USD 136.23 Billion in April-January2023-24.

Fig 8: Services Trade during April-January2024-25*

Exports ofOther Cereals (103.2%), Electronic Goods (78.97%), Tobacco (59.18%), Coffee (57.07%), Rice (44.61%), Jute Mfg. Including Floor Covering (40.67%), Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products (35.66%), Mica, Coal & Other Ores, Minerals Including Processed Minerals (27.71%), Tea (21.97%), Drugs & Pharmaceuticals (21.46%), Handicrafts Excl. Hand Made Carpet (19.49%), Carpet (18.04%), Cotton Yarn/Fabs./Made-Ups, Handloom Products Etc. (16.41%), Gems & Jewellery (15.95%), Plastic & Linoleum (13.31%), Man-Made Yarn/Fabs./Made-Ups Etc. (12.14%), Rmg Of All Textiles (11.45%), Cereal Preparations & Miscellaneous Processed Items (11.13%), Ceramic Products & Glassware (10.44%), Marine Products (7.98%), Engineering Goods (7.44%), Cashew (6.85%), Leather & Leather Products (6.37%), Spices (2.32%) and Fruits & Vegetables (0.81%) record positive growth during January2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
Imports of Project Goods (-48.14%), Pearls, Precious & Semi-Precious Stones (-29.11%), Coal, Coke & Briquettes, Etc. (-15.22%) and Petroleum, Crude & Products (-13.49%) record negative growth during January2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
Services exports is estimated to grow by 14.49percent during April-January2024-25* over April-January2023-24.
Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in January2025 vis a vis January2024 are U S A (39.02%), Japan (53.53%), Bangladesh Pr (17.27%), U K (14.84%) and Nepal (20.84%).
Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in April-January2024-25 vis a vis April-January2023-24 are U S A (8.95%), U Arab Emts (6.82%), Netherland (9.17%), U K (14.17%) and Japan (21.12%).
Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in January2025 vis a vis January2024 are China P Rp (17.06%), Thailand (136.63%), U S A (33.46%), Germany (72.15%) and U K (101.62%).
Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in April-January2024-25 vis a vis April-January2023-24 are U Arab Emts (35.58%), China P Rp (10.6%), Russia (7.17%), Switzerland (16.61%) and Thailand (32.59%).

*Link for Quick Estimates

***

Abhishek Dayal / Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2104150)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government approves Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme till 2025-26 during the 15th Finance Commission cycle

Source: Government of India

Government approves Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme till 2025-26 during the 15th Finance Commission cycle

Government allows 100% State Production of Tur, Urad and Masur under PSS for 2024-25

Government to procure 100% of State’s Tur, Urad, and Masur Production for Next Four Years

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan approves Tur Procurement in 9 States under Price Support Scheme for the kharif 2024-25 season

12,006 Farmers benefited as 0.15 LMT Tur procured in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana

Centre Assures 100% Purchase of Tur from Farmers Through NAFED and NCCF

Centre assures to purchase 100% of Tur produced by farmers through central nodal agencies namely NAFED and NCCF

Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 5:30PM by PIB Delhi

The Government of India approved the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle up to 2025-26. The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme is administered to bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation of procurement operations that would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers. Under the Price Support Scheme of the integrated PM-AASHA Scheme, the procurement of the notified Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra conforming to the prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) is undertaken by the Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) at the MSP directly from the pre-registered farmers through the State level agencies.

In order to incentivize the farmers contributing to enhancement of domestic production of pulses and to reduce the dependence on imports, the Government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under PSS equivalent to 100% of the production of the State for the procurement year 2024-25.

The Government has also made an announcement in Budget 2025 that procurement of Tur (Arhar), Urad and Masur up to 100% of the production of the State will be continued for another four years through Central Nodal Agencies to achieve self- sufficiency in pulses in the country.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the procurement of Tur (Arhar) in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh under Price Support Scheme for the Kharif 2024-25 Season for a total quantity consolidating to 13.22 LMT.

The procurement has already started in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana and a total quantity of 0.15 LMT of Tur (Arhar) has been procured in these States till 15.02.2025 benefitting 12,006 farmers of these States. The procurement of Tur (Arhar) in other States also will commence very soon. Govt. of India is committed to purchase 100% of Tur produced by farmers through central nodal agencies namely NAFED and NCCF.

*****

MG/RN

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Read this release in: Hindi

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Amish voters for Trump? The Amish and the religion factor in Republican electoral politics

Source: The Conversation – France – By Daniele Curci, PhD Candidate in International and American History, University of Florence

On November 5, 2024, as millions of Americans headed to the polls, billionaire Elon Musk posted a video on his social media platform X depicting a caravan of Amish individuals travelling via horse and buggy to vote for Donald Trump. The following day, in response to a post expressing gratitude to the Amish for their contribution to Trump’s victory, Musk wrote: “The Amish may very well save America! Thank goodness for them. And let’s keep the government out of their lives.” Musk’s tweets underscore the growing prominence of religion in US politics and the Republican party’s efforts to integrate the Amish into its electorate.

The Amish and their vote in US history

The Amish are a Protestant religious community rooted in early European Anabaptist movements. They accept technological advancements selectively, adhering to a distinct way of life marked by simple living, plain dress and a focus on community, distinguishing between what strengthens their social bonds and what might compromise their spiritual path. The Amish are a tiny minority in the US: in 2022, there were approximately 373,620 individuals in a population of around 330 million–slightly more than one in 1,000 Americans. They are predominantly concentrated in the election swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, which partly explains Republicans’ interest in courting their support.

Traditionally, the Amish mainly abstain from voting unless they feel compelled to protect their religious freedoms, preserve their way of life or address critical moral issues. Historically, such instances of electoral participation have occurred only three times.

The first instance dates back to the 1896 presidential election, when the Republican nominee, William McKinley, campaigned on a platform centred on industrial corporate interests. These interests diverged significantly from those of the Amish, who aligned instead with Democrat William Bryan’s policies advocating for small farmers and the defense of rural America.

Amish political engagement resurfaced during the 1960 presidential election, which featured Republican Richard Nixon vs Democrat John F. Kennedy. The Amish viewed Kennedy as an ally of the Catholic church, an institution they viewed as intolerant. Consequently, they supported Nixon, a Quaker, whom they saw as a defender of a Protestant America.

The most recent instances of notable Amish participation occurred amid the presidential election campaigns of Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. This phenomenon, dubbed “Bush Fever,” saw unprecedented Amish voter turnout. In 2000, 1,342 out of 2,134 registered Amish voters in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania–which has one of the largest Amish communities in the US–cast ballots, achieving a turnout rate of 63%. By 2004, Amish voter registration had increased by 169%, with 21% of eligible adults being registered. This mobilization was spearheaded by Chet Beiler, the son of Amish parents who left the community when he was three. Leveraging his heritage and fluency in Pennsylvania German, a traditional language spoken in many Amish communities, Beiler developed a voter registration strategy targeting the Amish to support Bush’s re-election campaign.

The religious factor in US politics

To understand the Republican party’s interest in the Amish, one must examine the increasing centrality of religion in US politics. This phenomenon persists despite a growing number of Americans identifying as non-religious or less religious.

In the US political context, religion extends beyond faith to encompass cultural identity and social cohesion. Scholars often describe this phenomenon as “Christianism,” a form of nationalism that is bound together by a belonging to Christianity and that emerges, as a form of reaction, within the culture wars. Consequently, a political platform emphasizing Christian principles and rural values has the potential to galvanize segments of the electorate. This dynamic is exemplified by Musk’s tweets about the Amish. Within some parts of the Republican electorate, the Amish are perceived as “guardians of lost values,” embodying a vision of an untainted rural America defined by traditional family structures and an agrarian work ethic. This narrative has been further amplified by Amish PAC, a political action committee established in Virginia in 2016 to rally support for Trump through religiously framed identity politics that advocate for traditional values and oppose abortion rights.

The influence of religion within the Republican party is further underscored by the ascendancy of the Christian right, a political movement that emerged in the late 1970s. Though not a monolithic entity, it is composed of individuals–primarily evangelical Christians–seeking to shape US politics based on a conservative interpretation of biblical principles and societal values.

Legislation and the Amish

Some Republicans have advocated for legislation favourable to the Amish, such as former US representative Bob Gibbs, who won election in the Amish-dominated congressional district of Holmes County, Ohio. In December 2021, Gibbs introduced legislation to allow people with specific religious beliefs such as the Amish, who view photography as a form of idolatry, to be exempt from a requirement of possessing identification documents featuring their photographs “to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer.” In the same month, Gibbs also proposed another bill to benefit the Amish, which would have allowed them to opt out of social security and Medicare wage deductions if they were employed by non-Amish-owned companies.

Earlier in 2021, the conservative-majority Supreme Court resolved a longstanding dispute between the Amish of Lenawee County, Michigan and local authorities, ruling in favour of the Amish. The issue at the heart of the case concerned wastewater management. Following their religious principles, the Amish typically avoid using modern inventions such as septic systems, and the Amish in Lenawee County used a management method considered noncompliant by health officials. This case followed similar ones involving other Amish communities in Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Legal disputes such as these could be leading the Amish to form a more positive view of the Republican party and Trump, both for their advocacy of “less government” and for positioning themselves as defenders of religious freedom.

The Amish and the 2024 presidential election

According to the online news source Anabaptist World, media reports suggested that the 2024 presidential election saw a surge in voter registrations among the Amish in Pennsylvania, allegedly contributing to Trump’s victory in the state. The alleged surge was reportedly driven by a reaction to federal legal actions against an Amish farmer accused of selling raw dairy products across state lines, which resulted in cases of Escherichia (E.) coli.

However, official data from Lancaster County–where the principal Amish settlement in Pennsylvania is located–challenge claims of a massive Amish turnout. The increase in Trump’s vote share in the state, from 48.84% in 2020 to 50.37% in 2024, primarily occurred in urban and suburban areas. For example, by the time the Associated Press declared that Trump had won Pennsylvania, his vote share in Philadelphia had improved by three percentage points. Key suburban counties such as Bucks, Monroe and Northampton, which former president Joe Biden won in 2020, had swung in his favour. And the Republican had also performed better in the Philadelphia-area suburbs of Delaware and Chester counties. These regions, with few Amish residents, experienced substantial shifts, while districts with larger Amish populations saw only modest gains for Trump.

While the Amish did not become a significant component of Trump’s electoral coalition, voters in some Amish communities may have grown more sympathetic to his candidacy. More importantly, members of the religious group serve as a potent symbol of mobilization and propaganda for the Republican party amid the intensifying polarization of US politics.

Daniele Curci ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. Amish voters for Trump? The Amish and the religion factor in Republican electoral politics – https://theconversation.com/amish-voters-for-trump-the-amish-and-the-religion-factor-in-republican-electoral-politics-247869

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