The cervid livestock business is one of the fastest-growing industries in rural America. In Missouri alone, more than 250 farms are dedicated to raising deer. To improve overall herd health and support the state’s economy, researchers at the University of Missouri are working to determine how best to manage white-tailed deer on these farms.

That is where the Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) comes into play.

As a leader in academic health and biomedical research training, TTUHSC covers the West Texas region that comprises half of the state’s land mass and is home to 10% of its population. Research at TTUHSC drives innovation and discovery, changing the lives of those it serves. In an effort to grow research excellence at TTUHSC, a project team led by Lance McMahon, Ph.D., recently received a three-year, $1.16 million grant to conduct a capacity-building study.

Agricultural economists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a survey with Mexican consumers to get an idea of what premiums the consumers would be willing to pay for non-genetically modified corn in light of a 2020 presidential decree calling for the nation to phase out genetically modified maize, or corn. Mexico is the second-largest importer of U.S. corn after China. In terms of cash farm receipts, corn is one of Arkansas’ top commodities and worth about $652 million and Arkansas is ranked at No. 15 in corn for grain production. Brandon McFadden, a professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness and the Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics, showed that more than half of those surveyed didn’t know about the Mexican government decree and many dropped support once they saw how much prices would go up. He also pointed out a fully implemented ban could impact lower-income Mexican consumers more since they spend a higher proportion of their money on food.