Need a quick catch up on the news? Here are seven agricultural stories you might have missed this week.

1. Randy Dowdy's 521 bushel yield is a winner in the National Corn Growers Association Corn Yield Contest. – Farm Futures

2. Urban poverty and urban food insecurity are increasing as urbanization increases. The Resource Center on Urban Agriculture and Food Security Foundation expects that 85% of the poor in Latin America will be concentrated in towns and cities by 2020. To improve the economy, environment and health of cities, 12 organizations are promoting urban agriculture. – Christian Science Monitor

3. University of Vermont researchers say saffron, the world's most expensive spice, could boost the state's agricultural economy. Saffron is an ancient crop; it's used in food and dyes and linked to medicinal powers. - The Boston Globe

4. The Georgia Dock index has been suspended indefinitely, following questions about its methodology. Its measure has ranged from 30% to 60% higher than rival indexes this year. – The Wall Street Journal 

5. BASF's Engenia herbicide now has a federal EPA label for use on dicamba-tolerant soybeans. – Indiana Prairie Farmer

6. The World Trade Organization ruled in favor of the United States regarding its challenge to Indonesian trade barriers. New Zealand was co-complainant. – Farm Futures

7. On the political front, President-elect Trump hasn't selected an agriculture secretary as of this writing and the list of contenders continues to change. This week, several sources reported that Elsa Murano, ex-Texas A&M president, was in the running. – The Dallas Morning News

Former Texas agriculture commissioner Susan Combs and current agriculture commissioner Sid Miller are also in the running. - McClatchyDC

As a bonus, here's an update on the bird flu situation from various reports from around the globe.

The first case of H5N8 bird flu has been confirmed in the United Kingdom. - BBC News

China has found three cases of human bird flu infection. Nearby South Korea and Japan are also coping with outbreaks of bird flu. – Reuters

At least 45 cats at a Manhattan animal shelter have been diagnosed with H7N2 bird flu. It's the first time the strain has jumped from birds to cats. – NPR

Hong Kong reported its first human bird flu infection for the season this week. Hong Kong has battled sporadic cases of avian influenza in humans since the first outbreak in 1997 killed six people. - Reuters