WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2013 - The USDA is giving the public an extra 60 days to comment on its plan for strengthening agricultural coexistence in the U.S.

The department published its proposal in the Federal Register in November. The new deadline for comment is March 4, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said today in a news release.

The plan, put together by the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), called for the USDA to, among other things, foster communication and collaboration among those involved in all sectors of agriculture production. 

Coexistence is defined as the concurrent cultivation of crops produced through diverse agricultural systems including traditionally produced, organic, identity preserved, and genetically engineered crops.  APHIS said the USDA “supports all forms of agriculture and wants each sector to be as successful as possible providing products to markets in the United States and abroad.”

For more information on coexistence, visit http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=AC21Main.xml&contentidonly=true

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