WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new government report shows Kansas growers planted this spring more of their fields into corn and soybeans, and put in fewer acres of sorghum.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Thursday that Kansas farmers planted 4.8 million acres in corn, an increase of 16 percent compared to a year ago. About 95 percent were biotechnology varieties.

Also up in the state are soybean acres. The agency said Kansas had 4.15 million acres seeded in soybeans, an increase of 6 percent compared to last year.

Plantings this spring of sorghum are down 7 percent to 3.15 million acres.

Sunflower plantings plummeted 35 percent, down to 55,000 acres.

Kansas farmers are now harvesting the 8.5 million acres of winter wheat seeded last fall.

The most common problem identified in heat-related deaths and illness of workers is the lack of a heat prevention and acclimatization programs, according to federal safety investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA says agricultural and construction workers are particularly vulnerable to heat illness because working in full sunlight can increase heat index values by 15 degrees Fahrenheit. OSHA’s Acting Regional Administrator in Kansas City, Missouri, Bonita Winingham, says a review of heat-related deaths found “frequently it was their first day on the job and the workers were not acclimated to the constant exposure to the heat and sun.” To reduce heat-related illnesses, OSHA recommends drinking water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty, rest in the shade to cool down and to wear a hat and light-colored clothing.

Last week, the Agriculture Data Coalition formed a farmer advisory board aimed at helping guide the coalition as it develops a data management repository to house agricultural information. The ten member board features members from seven states who raise crops ranging from corn and soybeans to cotton, sorghum, wheat and potatoes. One of the coalition’s founder members, Keith Coble of Mississippi State, says the members will “provide invaluable insight into the unique needs of these different regions and their various crops.” ADC is entering a pilot phase, and many advisory board members will be among the first to work with ADC to drive short and long-term user needs, according to the Coalition. ADC’s mission is to create a neutral, independent warehouse where farmers can securely store and control the data generated by their tractors, harvesters, aerial imaging and other devices.

Bayer AG says the company does not need the approval of shareholders to acquire Monsanto. In a legal filing, an executive from Bayer wrote “a shareholder vote is not required by German law.” The statement comes after Bayer had spent more than a month trying to warm shareholders to the idea that buying Monsanto is good for business, according to the St Louis Business Journal. The St Louis, Missouri Based Monsanto has rejected an offer by German-owned Bayer. Bayer reportedly has secured $63 billion in financing but has not publicly stated if it’s presented another offer to acquire Monsanto. Monsanto rejected the initial offer and also rejected a request for information to justify Bayer increasing its bid. Monsanto said it would only release more details if Bayer boosted its offer, stalling the efforts.

Vermont’s Governor says a national GMO labeling standard makes sense, but Peter Shumlin says he has deep concerns regarding the Senate’s bill. Vermont Public Radio reported Shumlin is concerned because the Senate compromise would delay labeling “for several years,” and allows the food manufacturer to choose how to disclose the information. Shumlin signed the Vermont mandatory labeling law in 2014. The Senate bill would supersede Vermont’s law and prohibit states from setting their own labeling requirements. It would also give the U.S. Department of Agriculture two years to finalize the national regulations. Many agriculture groups applauded the compromise announced by the Senate Agriculture Committee last week, recognizing the need for a national standard, rather than a patchwork of state laws. The legislation does not come in time to completely block the Vermont law, as the House is on recess until July 5th. It is also still unclear if the Senate has enough votes to pass the legislation. A voluntary GMO labeling bill failed on a procedural vote in the Senate earlier this year.

Britain’s exit from the European Union is projected to take years, but the impact on U.S. agriculture is immediate. Britain voted to leave the EU on Thursday, and many British farmers seemed to prefer the exit because they were upset over EU regulations. However, those same farmers will lose massive amounts of farm subsidies, according to the Hagstrom Report. British farmers have often complained about the European Common Agricultural Policy but also have opposed measures restricting subsidies. For the UK will no longer be included in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations. Britain will have to negotiate trade deals of its own. The United States is currently the single largest investor in Britain. The U.S. sells near $2 billion of agriculture and food products to Britain each year.