The world soda wars: a roundabout strategy in China for Pepsi

From the post-gazette.com - To take China, Pepsi takes up potato farming

DALATE BANNER, Inner Mongolia -- Standing amid rows of yellowish plants running to the horizon, Vicky Huang fretted in September about the fall potato crop at this 1,200-hectare farm operated by PepsiCo Inc., here at the desolate edge of the Kubuqi desert. Thousands of tons had to be harvested for the company's Chinese potato-chip business before temperatures plunged and tubers began splitting apart in the ground.

WTO agreement calls for end to farm subsidies by 2013

From SFGate.com - WTO talks end with draft pact on farm exports All 149 members must still approve the call for an end to all subsidies by 2013

Hong Kong -- Trade ministers cobbled together a last-minute, face-saving agreement that saved the World Trade Organization meeting from collapse, but put off until next year a more sweeping pact, following six days of talks marked by discord inside the meeting and violent street protests outside. he draft agreement, which must be approved by all 149 WTO members, calls for the end of all farm export subsidies by 2013 and the elimination of subsidies to cotton exporters next year. The 2013 deadline is a victory for the European Union, which held out against pressure by developing countries that consider rich-world agricultural subsidies unfair to farmers in poor countries, and by the United States, which had proposed ending export subsidies by 2010.

World soybean production growing

From the Joplin Globe - Soybean ranking tumbles

NEVADA, Mo. - During the last 15 years, world soybean production has doubled, according to University of Missouri Economist Ron Plain. The big boost means the United States has slipped from producing half the world's soybeans to a third of the supply. Brazil and Argentina combine to produce more soybeans than the United States, he said.

Borders still closed to U.S. Beef

From Agriculture online - Ban on U.S. beef remains in many countries

As Japanese inspectors over the weekend accepted the first shipment of U.S. beef since a 2003 confirmed case of BSE, the industry now turns its focus on getting 28 other countries to lift their ban on U.S. beef. Japan is the biggest customer of U.S. beef with purchases in 2003 worth $1.5 billion. Without exception, this renewal of trade is very important to the U.S. beef industry. But, many countries have left their borders closed since 2003.

Follow-up Canadian duties will hurt Canadian hog farmers

From Farmscape - Canadian Corn Duties Raise Risk of US Action Against Canadian Hogs

Manitoba Pork Council is expressing its frustration following news that Canada has imposed provisional antidumping and countervailing duties on unprocessed grain corn imported from the United States. Last week the Canada Border Services Agency announced, effective immediately, imports of unprocessed US grain corn will be subject to provisional antidumping and countervailing duties totaling $1.65 US per bushel. Manitoba Pork Council Chair Karl Kynoch says, while the biggest impact of this duty will be felt by Canada's livestock industry, it will have a minimal impact on American corn growers.

Is the U.S. dumping grain in Canada? Canada thinks so

From The Vancuver Sun - Canada to impose duties on U.S. corn imports

OTTAWA -- Canada said Thursday it is imposing provisional duties on U.S. grain corn after a preliminary finding by the Canada Border Services Agency that imports of unprocessed grain corn from the United States are being dumped and subsidized. The decision came two months after the agency began investigating complaints from Canadian farmers that Washington was dumping and subsidizing grain corn.

Argentine soybean crop could use a rain

From Agriculture Online - Argentine farmer says soybean crop suffering from drought in spots

With the Argentina soybean crop just planted, it may be early to get too nervous about its condition, but any dryness in the South American crop conditions is expected to keep a level of support in the U.S. soybean market, market watchers say. Because the USDA estimated in its December report a U.S. 2005-06 soybean carryover of 405 million bushels, a record if realized, the market is expected to pay close attention to South America's crop weather.

Canadian Swine ID and Traceability program progressing

From Farmscape - ID and Traceability Offers Opportunity to Address Domestic as well as Foreign Animal Disease

A Prince Edward Island Veterinarian says the new national identification and traceability system being proposed for the Canadian swine industry has the potential assist in addressing common domestic disease concerns as well as reducing the risks associated with foreign animal disease.

Discussion: Is the soybean rust threat over?

From Stopsoybeanrust.com - X.B. Yang asks and answers: Soybean rust -- Are we out of the woods?

12/15/20005 -- In the discussion board portion of a Web site, I recently read a message with a similar subject title by a producer. This question is also one producers in the North Central Region are asking because of the light occurrence of soybean rust this past season. Development of the disease was surprisingly slower than most of us had anticipated. In this article, I will address the questions raised by producers by reviewing what we learned this past growing season, which was summarized during the National Soybean Rust Symposium held last month.

Break out the A1, US beef on way to Japan

From Bloomberg.com - U.S. Beef `On Its Way' to Japan, USDA's Johanns Says

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. beef is already being shipped to Japan, just three days after the Asian nation re-opened its market following a two-year ban over fears of mad-cow disease, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said. U.S. meatpackers including Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. once had a $1 billion market in Japan and Johanns said his department would work to rebuild that market, which in 2003 was the biggest importer of U.S. beef.

Ag Moment site of the moment (8)

The Ag Moment site of the moment (8) is the: GMO Pundit blog A blog to give Australian primary producers a direct insight into what technology could offer them, and point them towards authoritative sources of information from all over the world. We help agricultural producers to stay ahead of the global competition. Welcome to the blogging community!

2005 - The second largest corn and soybean harvest

From the Argus Leader - Corn, soybean harvest big

The nation's farmers have harvested the second-largest corn and soybean crops on record this year, but many are concerned that low prices for livestock and grain and other factors will challenge farmer profitability. Some analysts say the added volume from a large crop will help offset depressed prices, but sagging U.S. crop exports and ballooning grain supplies threaten to push prices even lower.

Japan Lifts Ban on US Beef

From the San Francisco Chronicle - Beef sales back in the saddle U.S. to ship again to Japan after mad cow scare

On Wednesday, the Harris Ranch Beef Co. will spend the extra money it will take to send 10,000 pounds of beef to Japan via air rather than ship, in hopes of being the first producer to return to a market that was slammed shut nearly two years ago. In December 2003, a dairy cow at a ranch in Washington state was found to have mad cow disease. Japan, the largest foreign consumer of U.S. beef, quickly stopped buying it, followed by many other importing nations. Suddenly, the Japanese market for U.S. beef, valued at $1.4 billion annually, evaporated.

Canadian wheat tariffs lifted

From the Globe and Mail - NAFTA panel opens door to Canadian wheat

Bismarck, N.D. — A North American Free Trade Agreement panel has rejected a North Dakota Wheat Commission appeal over Canadian spring wheat imports, clearing the way for the U.S. government to lift tariffs on grain from north of the border. The Canadian Wheat Board described the decision this week as the last hurdle to Canadian grain freely crossing the border again.

No really, its OK to destroy GM crops in France

From Yahoo News - Activists' destruction of GM crops was justified: French court

ORLEANS, France (AFP) - In a judgement expected to send a chill through companies growing genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe and embolden their opponents, a French court acquitted 49 activists who destroyed GM plants after ruling their actions were justified. The court in the central city of Orleans dismissed the criminal charges of organised vandalism against the 49, who had uprooted GM maize in the region planted by the US biotechnology group Monsanto in two incidents, one last year and the other in 2005.

Comments at Common Sense for the Biochemist

Japan one step more step closer to opening up US beef exports

From CBC News - Japan moves closer to allowing North American beef

The slow process of reopening the Japanese market to beef from Canada and the United States inched ahead Thursday. The Japanese Food Safety Commission, which prepares risk assessments other government agencies then consider, said beef from North American cattle – less than 21 months old – is safe.

Anti-GMers turn up the heat in Austrailia

From The Austrailian - Jennifer Marohasy: Costly harvest of ignorant GM campaign

THE organic food market is growing and according to some studies this demand is being driven by increasing consumer resistance to genetically modified foods. This resistance in turn is driven by anti-GM campaigning. In Australia, state government bans on GM food crops prevent the planting of GM corn, soybeans and canola, varieties grown overseas, including in the US. During the past two weeks the Australian organics industry has sponsored a lecture tour by anti-GM advocate and US-based consultant Charles Benbrook.

Corn after Corn may not be as profitable next year

From the Illinois Farm Bureau - U of I: Corn-After-Corn May Not Pay Off in '06

Corn-after-corn production may be less profitable than soybean production in 2006, meaning the recent trend of increasing corn production may end, according to a University of Illinois Extension study. "Between 2000 and 2004, corn returns exceeded soybean returns in many areas of Illinois," said Gary Schnitkey, U of I Extension farm management specialist who co-authored the study with fellow Extension specialist Dale Lattz.

Benlate fungicide contamination lawsuits back

From The Ledger - DuPont Lawsuit Given New Life

HONOLULU -- A federal appeals court has ruled that six Hawaii plant growers can bring racketeering and fraud charges against chemical maker DuPont Co. for crops they lost using a contaminated fungicide. In a unanimous decision, three judges on the 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a federal judge's dismissal of the case and reinstated the suit against the chemical manufacturer.

Its legal to smoke it, now the Netherlands may make it legal to grow it

From the Winston-Salem Journal - Dutch may allow pot to be grown like tobacco

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands A broad coalition of political parties unveiled a pilot program yesterday to regulate marijuana farming on the model of tobacco, which opponents say would be tantamount to legalizing growing the drug.

Soybean market has the winter blues

From Agweb.com - The soybean market continues to be a big concern

Soybeans started the week on a good note, however, the funds were unable to hold strength, and over the past two days the market dropped. The market closed lower today but off from its extreme lows. On a positive note, soybeans have not taken out last week’s low, but the risk still exists.

USDA corn report, just what was expected

From Agriculture Online/Dow Jones newswire - DJ SURVEY:Analysts See Few Surprises For US Corn In Report

CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--With the harvest complete and the combines stored after farmers produced what is expected to be the second largest U.S. corn crop in history, analysts contacted by Dow Jones Newswires expect little change to the corn ending stocks figure in Friday's supply and demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Will a new farming reality show be real?

From the Mercury News - Farm leader concerned about reality show

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - We're not hayseeds, says a Nebraska farm leader, worried about how accurately a new TV reality show will portray farmers and their problems. John Hansen, the president of the Nebraska Farmers Union fears that "The Farmer Wants a Wife" intends to turn its rural reality cast into media fodder as naive bumpkins.

Bayer gets OK for new fungicide in UK

From Reuters - Bayer gets fungicide registration in UK

FRANKFURT, Dec 5 (Reuters) - German drugs and chemicals group Bayer has received the first registrations in the United Kingdom and China for its fluopicolide mildew and blight fungicide, it said in a statement on Monday.

A little ethanol for Missouri gas tanks?

From the Missourian - Mo. gas could have 10 percent ethanol

JEFFERSON CITY — All Missouri drivers would have corn in their gas tank if a bill filed for the next legislation session that addresses a key Missouri agriculture issue passes. The bill would require all gasoline sold after Jan. 1, 2007, to be blended with at least 10 percent ethanol. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from fermented agricultural products, such as corn.

Not Where's the Beef, but how old's the Beef?

Yep, I haven't posted in a few days. The neph-critter gave me one heck of a cold or something over Thanksgiving. First up from Reuters - How old is that US beef? Japan wants to know

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Stan Isaacson can look at the cattle in his sprawling Texas feedlot and estimate each animal's age fairly accurately. That skill has served him well in managing his cattle, but it will not be enough if he and other cattle producers intend to ship beef to Japan when that market reopens, perhaps as soon as late this month.

Japan will only be allowing the export of cattle 20 months of age or younger.

New Soybean Aphid Resistance Found

From Checkbiotech.org - Research discovers aphid resistance in Chinese soybean cultivars

The soybean aphid is a major pest of the crop, and is difficult to control and remedy. There are currently no commercial cultivars with resistance to the pest, but headway has been made in the latest issue of Crop Science, where Clarice Mensah of Michigan State University, and colleagues, document the “Resistance to Soybean Aphid in Early Maturing Soybean Germplasm.”

Link to the article is here

Grain exports below expectations

From Agriculture Online - USDA corn, wheat, and soybean export sales below trade estimates

Though a holiday shortened week is blamed for keeping U.S. export sales lower last week, a developing trend of low sales is troubling, according to one analyst. Don Roose, U.S. Commodities, said the export soybean sales are not meeting goals set for the year by USDA. "We're falling drastically behind on soybean sales," Roose said.

Contracted grain coming in early

From Dow-Jones newswire via Agriculture Online - DJ US Cash Grain Review: Contracted Grain Coming In Early

CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (Dow Jones)--Activity increased at many U.S. grain elevators Wednesday, with many facilities accepting early deliveries of December-contracted grain from farmers due to extremely slow cash sales. "We're picking up corn piles and taking Dec contracts," said a merchandiser for one Nebraska grain elevator. "We about had to ... there's no spot stuff coming in."

USDA ups its monitoring for soybean rust

From Southwest Farm Press - USDA expands national soybean rust risk management tool

USDA is again funding projects to track the spread of soybean rust and create the Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education to provide producers with information about additional legume pests and diseases in 2006, officials announced. The nationally coordinated network will help producers in making crop management decisions that reduce pesticide input costs, reduce environmental exposure to pesticides and increase the efficiency and efficacy of pesticide applications.

New thinking on nitrogen rates (2)

From Pantagraph.com - Suggestions for fertilizing corn amended

Corn growers, forget about "1.2 is all you should do." With nitrogen fertilizer prices pushing record prices of $500 per ton, it's time for a new approach to application rates. University of Illinois agronomists have been reviewing the traditional nitrogen fertilizer recommendation for months along with cohorts across the Corn Belt.

Will lowering EU farm tariffs only help U.S. exports

From Reuters AlertNet - WTO farm talks ignore majority concerns -EU lobby

GENEVA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks on farm reform are too focused on commerce and ignore a majority view that food security and other issues be addressed, the European Union's top farm lobby said on Wednesday. "Unfortunately the negotiations have been dominated so far by the voice of the United States and Brazil whose almost sole concern is to increase their exports," the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations (COPA) said.

More on the WTO/EU Farm tariffs can be found in these posts: 1, 2, 3

U.S. wheat exports compete with Austrailia for Iraq market

From the Herald Sun - Iraq buys 1m tonnes US wheat

EXPORTERS reported the sale of 200,000 tonnes of US wheat to Iraq today, boosting US sales to Iraqi to 1 million tonnes of hard red winter wheat this month. Along with the latest sale, Iraq bought 800,000 tonnes of US HRW wheat on November 4. Australia was the dominant wheat supplier to Iraq for years but US sales have climbed sharply in recent months.

US #1 exporter of soybeans

Another story from Wisconsin Ag Connection - American Soybean Farmers Still Number One in Exports

U.S. soybean farmers remain on top when it comes to international markets, as the U.S. hits another year as the top exporter and producer of soybeans.

Wisconsin Corn/Soy EXPO -January 26-27

From Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Corn/Soy EXPO Slated for January 26-27

The latest information on new technologies for corn and soybean production will be featured at the annual Wisconsin Corn/Soy EXPO in Wisconsin Dells early next year. The event, which is being co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, the Wisconsin Soybean Association, Wisconsin Pork Association and Wisconsin Agri-Service Association, will be held at the Kalahari Conference Center on January 26-27.

Gonna talk 'bout corn and soybeans eh?

New ways of reducing dust in CAFOs

From innovations report - Oil Mist Reduces Airborne Hazards in Concentrated Swine Feeding Operation

A specially developed oil mixture reduced airborne levels of particulate matter at a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers evaluated an oil spray developed to reduce the airborne health hazards at industrial feeding facilities.

Low linolenic soybean varieties available for next spring

From Brownfield - Midwest soybean growers have a choice

Soybean producers in the Midwest have the opportunity to plant a new variety of bean in 2006 and get paid a premium for it. An alliance between Bunge, DuPont, and Pioneer called the Biotech Alliance is offering producers the chance to grow low linolenic soybeans. Farmers who contract to grow the low linolenic varieties can receive a premium at harvest of 35 to 40 cents per bushel.

Ag Moment site of the moment (7)

Your Ag Moment site of the moment is: Toytractorshow.com Your #1 source for farm toy news

62 news hybrids available from Pioneer next season

A little late on this one, sorry. From Pioneer.com - Pioneer Releases 62 New Hybrids For 2006 Planting

DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 22, 2005 - Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., announces the recent release of 62 new Pioneer® brand corn hybrids, available to growers across North America for the 2006 planting season. This includes nine new genetic families with 34 hybrids containing technology from the Herculex® family of insect protection traits, including hybrids with Herculex XTRA or Herculex RW Rootworm protection for transgenic corn rootworm control, and new hybrids containing the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait.

On a related note, the Pioneer.com website has yield data from the 2005 growing season available here

New Cereal Herbicide on the way from Syngenta

From Syngenta.com - Syngenta obtains first regulatory approval for Axial™

Syngenta announced today that its new cereal herbicide, Axial, has received its first registration in the UK , one of the most important markets for cereals in Europe . Further registrations in other major cereal markets are anticipated in time for the 2006 season. Axial is expected to achieve peak global sales of at least $150 million.

Syngenta is expecting US and other countries approval in time for the 2006 season.

Korea not yet ready to allow US beef back into the country

From The Korea Times - Korea Delays Decision on Beef Imports

South Korea Tuesday delayed an announcement on its probe into the safety of U.S. beef, a step that is widely believed would lead to a reopening of the Korean market to U.S. beef. The delay came right after a farmers’ group threatened to stage rallies, if the government removes the ban on beef from North America.

Heat from corn stoves is a popular alternative this winter

From the Quad City Times - Alternative fuels looking brighter

While many homeowners feel anxious about what their heating bills will be this winter, Earl Beasley of Taylor Ridge, Ill., feels at ease. Four years ago, he bought a stove that burns corn — not the cobs, but the kernels themselves — to heat his two-story, 3,000-square-foot house. Beasley figures he spends about $2 a day, or about what he pays for a bushel of corn.

Wheat, cotton, sorghum, and other crops roundup (2)

From CattleNetwork.com - Ag Update: Winter Wheat Conditions Improve In Corn Belt

Temperatures were below normal east of the Mississippi River, with moderate rainfall along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Conditions were mostly dry in the Ohio River Valley, while light rain in the central Corn Belt and interior Delta improved winter wheat condition in some areas.

More on possible European ag tariff cuts

From Forbes.com - Blair says 'we must go further' on agriculture tariff cuts to get WTO deal

LONDON (AFX) - Industrialised nations 'must go further' on agricultural tariff cuts to achieve a satisfactory deal at the WTO meeting in Hong Kong next month. Speaking at the CBI annual conference, Blair said the Hong Kong meeting is 'vital' to opening up markets to developing nations.

More on this developing situation can be found in these posts: 1, 2

East Lansing, MI pushing future farmers out of the city

Publisher's note: I am a little biased towards this story because I am an advisor for Farmhouse Fraternity at MSU. The City of East Lansing is in the process of redeveloping a portion of the city near the Michigan State University campus (the nation's premier land grant univeristy). Plans call for the extension of a road that would call for the use of eminent domain to evict a Farmhouse Fraternity chapter from their property. This plan will force MSU students to live further from campus while the economic returns are questionable. More information on this plan can be found at:

SaveFarmhouse.com

Ag Moment site of the moment (6)

The Ag Moment site of the moment is: The National Association of Wheat Growers webpage Information and resources for wheat growers

No GMOs in Switzerland for five years

From Reuters.com - Swiss agree to 5-year GMO farming ban

Switzerland voted in favor of a five-year ban on the use of genetically modified plants and animals in farming on Sunday, putting in place some of the toughest measures in Europe. Results of the referendum, compiled by Swiss television SF DRS, showed that 55 percent of voters had accepted the proposal to place a five-year moratorium on GMO crops and the import of genetically modified animals.

More talks of European farm subsidies cuts

From ippmedia.com - C’wealth heads want farm subsidies scrapped

Heads of state and government of Commonwealth member countries meeting in Valleta City in Malta have called for the removal of farm subsidies by 2010 for the benefit of developing countries. The leaders want the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) meeting due to be held in Hong Kong next month to remove subsidies on agricultural produce and make African products competitive in the global market.

Birdflu = lower corn and soybean prices?

Welcome back from Thanksgiving, I hope your was as enjoyable as mine was. And now for some news: From Bloomberg.com - Corn, Soybeans May Fall on Concern Bird Flu Will Erode Feed Use

Corn and soybean prices may fall in Chicago for a third straight week as a deadly bird virus in Asia and Europe threatens to reduce poultry production and demand for animal feed, a Bloomberg survey shows.

Deere's profit falls

From Bloomberg.com - Deere 4th-Qtr Net Falls 35% as Tax Incentives Expire

Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Deere & Co., the world's largest maker of farm equipment, said fourth-quarter profit declined 35 percent as crop prices fell and farmers slowed purchases after U.S. tax incentives expired.

Wheat, cotton, sorghum, and other crops roundup

From Cattlenetwork.com - Agriculture Update: Winter Wheat At Or Ahead Of Normal

Temperatures averaged above normal along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, while below-normal temperatures prevailed in the Corn Belt and Rocky Mountains. Moderate rainfall in the Delta eased topsoil moisture shortages. Locations across the southern and eastern Corn Belt, Ohio River Valley, and Northeast also experienced moderate precipitation. Warm, mostly dry weather along the southern Atlantic Coast was favorable for cotton and peanut harvest. Dry weather also prevailed across the Great Plains and Southwest, while light to moderate precipitation across the Pacific Northwest improved winter wheat condition slightly.

2005 Field trial results starting to filter in, Univeristy of Illinois results are ready

From Agriculture Online - University of Illinois corn, soybean trial results are in

Corn yields were a pleasant surprise across the state The University of Illinois has released the results from its 2005 corn and soybans testing program. Many producers like to double-check to see how the seed they ordered stacks up against the competition. "If the seed company participates in the university trials, such data represent a valuable source of such information," Emerson Nafziger, U of I Extension agronomist, said in a university release.

Link to the results is here

EU sugar subsidies to be phased out?

From the Washington Post - EU Sugar Plans Meet With Resistance

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European Union plans to phase out subsidies to sugar farmers and cut the price of sugar by 39 percent met with resistance at a meeting of EU farm ministers Tuesday. Failure to reach a deal could cause the EU severe embarrassment at next month's world trade talks, which are aiming to open up global agriculture markets to competition. The EU's head office was forced to propose cuts in its subsidy system after a successful World Trade Organization challenge by Australia, Brazil and Thailand.

Well, Michigan sugarbeet farmers aren't the only ones having a hard time.

Ag Moment site of the moment (5)

The Ag Moment site of the moment is: Applied Weed Science Research Projects at the Univeristy of Minnesota A site full of resources pertaining to, well, weeds and their control. Make sure and check out the herbicides and weed identification sections.

Senator Condemns Farm Union Assault

From the PR newswire - State Senator Condemns Farm Union Assault on Oregon Agriculture and Rural Communities

SALEM, Ore., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strongly worded letter, State Senator David Nelson (R-Pendleton) condemned the tactics of the UFW as threatening the livelihood of the workers and rural communities that depend on Oregon agriculture. "I have become increasingly alarmed as unions have broadened their assault on high quality Oregon agriculture companies, such as Kettle Foods, Tillamook, NORPAC and Threemile Canyon Farms -- threatening national boycotts up the customer supply chain, which would cripple our fragile rural communities, which depend on a strong farm economy -- just at a time when we face increasing competition from national and international growers," said Nelson.

Texas Drought Damage Recap

From Texas A&M Ag News - Drought Losses Significant, But Agriculture Has Some Bright Spots

COLLEGE STATION – Losses from the 2005 drought in Texas are mounting in the eastern half of the state, but agriculture still has some bright spots. Damage to the livestock sector could reach $1 billion by next spring, said Dr. Carl Anderson, professor emeritus with Texas Cooperative Extension. He and Dr. David Anderson, Extension agricultural economist-livestock marketing, estimated the losses from:

Cost for Thanksgiving Dinner Up

From CattleNetwork.com - Farm Bureau: Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Up Slightly This Year

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 17, 2005 – A traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings, increased slightly in price this year, but still remains affordable, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In AFBF's 20th annual informal survey of the price of basic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table, the average cost of this year's feast for 10 is $36.78, a $1.10 price increase from last year's survey average of $35.68. “When the Stallman family gathers to eat our turkey dinner this year, we will certainly be thankful for the bounty produced by America's farm and ranch families,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “I encourage all Americans to take a moment during their Thanksgiving celebrations to recognize the role our farmers and ranchers play in producing an abundant, affordable and safe food supply throughout the year,” he said.

Bush wraps up trip to Japan, ban on U.S. beef not lifted yet

From the People's Daily Online - Roundup: Koizumi, Bush hails alliance, downplaying beef issue

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and visiting US President George W. Bush stressed Wednesday the importance to remain close allies and shrugged off the dispute on US beef imports. Emerging from an one hour and 15 minutes meeting, Koizumi told reporter that the Japan-US alliance in the global context was the "overriding" contents of their talks, describing the relationship with the United States was "indispensable" to Japan.

Ethanol production taking bite out of Nebraska corn supplies

From the Columbus Telegram - Ethanol providing new market for corn

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said that without ethanol's demand for corn, the corn mountains would be higher and corn prices would be even lower. Producers are still frustrated with high production costs and low corn prices: Recent reports say corn is selling at $1.65 a bushel, down from $2.15 for the same time last year. Doug Jose, an ag economist at the University of Nebraska, said ethanol demand has added about 10 cents to the price of a bushel of corn.

Corn Genome to be sequenced

From the Washington Univeristy Record - Corn genome to be sequenced by WUSTL cente

Genome Sequencing Center (GSC) researchers at the School of Medicine will lead the sequencing of the genome of maize, popularly known as corn. "Maize is a very exciting genome, both in terms of the roles it has played in contemporary and historic plant genetics and because of its role in agriculture," said Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of the GSC, professor of genetics and lead investigator on the project. "It's a top food source for humans and animals and a leading U.S. export."

Its unfortunate how little maize genome sequence is available. Lets hope that some progress is made with this grant.

Ag Moment site of the moment (4)

The Ag Moment site of the moment is: Soybeanrust.com This site has numerous resources relating to that pesky fungus, Asian Soybean Rust.

US corn and soybean exports lower

From Agweb.com - The USDA, Corn, Soybeans, and Demand

We expect the export sales news to take center stage. Currently, the corn and soybean export sales are significantly behind last year's pace and this year's needed pace to meet USDA expectations. Today, we will examine the pace of export sales as of the USDA report on November 10, 2005.

Florida's Ag Industry wants $2.1 billion for hurricane damage

From The Ledger - Florida Agriculture Industry Asks Congress for $2.1 Billion in Aid

Florida lawmakers asked Congress on Tuesday for $2.1 billion to aid hurricane-stricken agriculture industries, saying their state's economy has particularly suffered from devastating back-to-back storm seasons.

Canadian beef restrictions lessened

From Sciencedaily.com - U.S. to ease Canadian beef restrictions

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it will lift all mad cow-related restrictions on Canadian cattle by the middle of next year. Agriculture spokesman Ron DeHaven said the ban on cows more than 30 months of age will then be allowed for import, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported.

Taken into consideration the fact that Japan is looking to lift the ban on U.S. beef, it looks like things are starting to return to normal for the U.S. beef industry.

New plant biotech center opens at Cornell

From Newsday.com - Cornell opens research park devoted to farming

GENEVA, N.Y. -- Cornell University on Wednesday opened a new 72-acre research park dedicated to agriculture and food technology. "Cornell University is committed to technology transfer as a potential engine for economic development," said Susan Henry, dean of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Science. The $8 million research park is the result of nearly 10 years of planning, Henry said.

The center will initially open with four companies all with Cornell faculty members being involved.

US blacklisting of Australian wheat exporter lifted

A follow up from this entry. From The Advertiser - U.S. overturns wheat bans

THE U.S. has overturned its blacklisting of Australia's wheat exporter AWB in the wake of the Saddam Hussein regime kickbacks scandal. The U.S. Agriculture Department last week suspended AWB's U.S. arm from a major export credit program in response to findings $300 million in kickbacks were transferred from AWB to Saddam under the corrupted Oil-for-Food program.

Missouri plant biotech initiative takes a blow

From Common Sense for the Biochemist - Ventria's move to Missouri is on the ropes

It looks like Ventria's planned lock, stock, and barrel move to Missouri may not be happening after all. The Missouri Development Finance Board has decided NOT to pledge $10 million needed for the construction of the Missouri Center of Excellence for Plant Biologics on campus at Northwest Missouri State University.

As stated over at CSFTB, competition by state governments for these type of companies is pretty stiff. It will be interesting to see where Ventria lands.

New glyphosate resistance gene in the works

From Checkbiotech.org - New glyphosate-resistant technology on the way from Pioneer

Farmers concerned about the increasing incidence of glyphosate-resistant weeds may have another glyphosate herbicide option in several years. Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., plans to introduce hybrids and varieties stacked with an alternative trait for resistance to both glyphosate and sulfonylurea herbicides around 2009.

When they develop a hoe-resistance gene, then I'll start to worry.

Blair, others urge U.S and France to end subsidies on farm exports

And the international news desk checks in again: From the Independent - Online Edition - Blair calls on rich nations to end deadlock on trade

Tony Blair has tried to break the deadlock over a world trade agreement by calling on rich nations to set a date for ending their export subsidies. The Prime Minister used his annual foreign affairs speech to appeal to France and the United States not to let their desire to protect their own farmers scupper a chance to seal a historic agreement on global trade that would allow millions of people in the poorest countries to escape poverty.

From what I understand, this is one position that Tony Blair isn't taking much heat on (compared to his stand on the Iraq war).

More on the U.S/Austrailian/Iraq wheat flap

From The Courier-Mail - Wheat ban 'panders' to US growers

THE US has been accused by both sides of politics of pandering to its farmers with a decision to take action against Australia's monopoly wheat exporter, AWB. The US has banned AWB, accused of paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, from its Supplier Credit Guarantee Program. The move effectively prevents AWB's US arm, a major trader on the futures market, from gaining credit guarantees for wheat deals.

Looks like there is a small political storm brewing here . . . See this Ag Moment for more background on the story.

New herbicide option available for corn

From Agriculture online - Impact is a new broadleaf herbicide option in corn

Corn growers in the Midwest will have a new herbicide in their weed control arsenal for 2006. Amvac, the company best known for its SmartBox technology for application of corn rootworm insecticides, will be marketing Impact herbicide that targets postemergence broadleaf weeds in corn.

New class of fungicide to be ready by 2007

From Yahoo News - Syngenta Presents New Fungicide at British Crop Protection Congress

Today at the 2005 British Crop Protection Congress (BCPC), Syngenta presented its new fungicide active ingredient to agricultural experts. Mandipropamid, developed under the code 446, controls late blight in potatoes and tomatoes as well as downy mildew in vines and a number of vegetable crops.

This new fungicide will be launched in 2007 with sales expected to max out around $100 million

Crop insurance cheats caught by eye-in-the-sky

From NPR.org - High-Tech Methods Crack Farm Insurance Cheats

The growth in cases of multi-million-dollar agriculture fraud has prompted the federal government to step up its policing of farm country. Once reliant on the honor system, the U.S. Department of Agriculture now looks over the farmer's shoulder to make sure he's not cheating the system. To do this, investigators rely on an array of high-tech techniques.

Looks like big brother really is watching you.

Ag Moment site of the moment (3)

The site of the moment is: Antiquetractors.com This site has forums for discussion of your favorite brand of tractor, pictures, and resources for buying parts and reference manuals.

Chinese agriculture must become more efficient

The international desk checks in with this story for today: From FT.com - China must cut farming population, says OECD

China’s rural population will have to fall by tens and possibly hundreds of millions in coming decades if farmers’ incomes are to rise to match living standards in the mainland’s increasingly prosperous cities, according to a report by the Operation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

South Korea to lift ban on U.S. beef

A follow-up to the previous beef-related entry for today. From Sciencedaily.com - South Korea to lift ban on U.S. beef

South Korea may lift its two-year ban on U.S. beef imports at the end of this month, the Ministry of Agriculture said. A ministry official said the government would convene a group of officials, local veterinarians, health experts and consumers on Nov. 29 to decide whether to resume U.S. beef imports, the Korea Times reported Monday. The government has maintained that it cannot resume imports unless the safety of the beef is confirmed.

Looks like demand for U.S. beef may be on the increase this winter.

Corn options, is it time to start moving?

From Agweb.com - Do significant opportunities still exist in corn?

The attitude around the trade for corn is that of little interest as expected until spring. Overall, I don’t disagree with the attitude that limited price recovery exists, but on the other hand, that does not mean there are not significant opportunities in corn.

NASS crop progress report, week ending Nov 13

The crop progress report from the National Agriculture Statistics Service for the week ending November 13, 2005 is out, here is a link to the report

No end to Japan's U.S. beef ban - yet

From Bloomberg.com - Bush Trip Won't Produce End to Japan's Beef Ban, Hadley Says

Japan probably won't ease its nearly two-year-old ban on U.S. beef imports while President George W. Bush visits the country this week, Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said.

Although Japan, formerly the #1 importer of U.S. beef, has signalled that they are moving towards removing the ban, apparently, they won't be ready to do so by the time of President Bush's visit.

Corn gaining "steam" as source for heating

From the Freemont Tribune - Some are turning to corn for heat

COLUMBUS (AP) — Gary Egger says it didn’t take much to realize using corn to heat his home would save him lots of cash as the nation braces for rising gas prices this winter. “I raise corn,” said Egger, who farms in the Monroe area. “It’s $1.50 a bushel if that, and diesel is going for $3. It’s pretty simple math for me.” The 56 pounds in a bushel yields about 90 pounds of shelled corn, which is enough to heat his home for 24 hours.

Corn stoves have been around for a while now, but it looks like this year's rise in fuel prices will be making them more popular.

New thinking on nitrogen rates

From Agriculture online - New approach to choosing nitrogen rates emphasizes economics

Agronomists from throughout the Corn Belt have developed a new approach for making nitrogen rate recommendations. The new approach puts more emphasis on economic returns. Choosing a nitrogen rate is one of the most difficult cropping decisions many farmers make each year. It's been particularly difficult recently as nitrogen prices soared while corn prices slumped.

Sometimes a better yield does not mean the most money. With rising petroleum prices, I'll bet you'll be seeing more of this.

Ag Moment site of the moment (2)

The Ag Moment site of the moment is: XSAg.com From the site: XSAg.com provides a secure web site to buy and sell agricultural chemicals and other ag inputs.

Congress won't shut down any more FSA offices

From the Brenham Banner - Press - Congress puts halt to closing of farm service offices

The U.S. Agriculture Department has abandoned plans to close more than 700 local Farm Service Agency offices across the country because of widespread opposition in Congress.

Looks like the Congresscritters didn't want to loose their consituency by having their local office closed.

High transportation costs = low midwest wheat prices

Continuing the focus on wheat: From the Farm & Ranch Guide - Rail rates continue to hamper spring wheat prices

High rail shipping costs continue to hamper spring wheat prices. “Increased shipping costs charged to the elevators by the railroads are hampering cash bids to producers - by as much as 15 to 20 cents per bushel,” said Leland “Judge” Barth, marketing specialist for the North Dakota Wheat Commission. “This has caused a decrease in prices from the August prices to the October levels.”

Iraq wheat imports from U.S. highest since 1963, halts Australian imports

A report from the international news desk: From the Wichita Eagle - Wheat sales to Iraq hit highest level since 1963

Iraq hit its highest level of U.S. hard red wheat imports since 1963 with a recent purchase of 800,000 metric tons.

From the Mainichi Daily News - Iraq suspends Australian wheat imports, demands compensation for 'side payments'

SYDNEY -- Iraq has suspended imports of Australia wheat and demanded compensation for millions of dollars an Australian export company paid to a Jordanian trucking company that U.N. investigators say was a front for Saddam Hussein's regime, according to a report Saturday.

Looks like Australia's loss is a gain for the U.S. its too bad that it had to come this way.

Plastic from Corn Works for Wal-Mart

From the Illinois Farm Bureau - Wal-Mart Notes Clear Advantage to Corn-Based Plastic

Customers seeking corn in Wal-Mart’s produce section soon may find a cornucopia of the stuff in a new form. But they won’t know it. Beginning this month, Wal-Mart and its Sam’s Club division are joining with Cargill’s NatureWorks LLC to offer packaging produced from cornstarch-based PLA (polylactide) plastic.

Remember, don't eat the packaging, eat what's in it.

Canadian beef exports up

From CattleNetwork.com - Canada Update On Beef Trade

Beef exports (not including live cattle) out of Canada to the end of August are running up 9% from 2004. At this rate, beef exports could total 500,000 tonnes by the end of the year worth $1.97 billion. Back in 2002 (before BSE) total beef exports were 521,500 tonnes valued at $2.22 billion. Exports of under thirty month (UTM) beef into the US dominate the mix making up 81% of the total volume with UTM beef into Mexico making up 12% of the total.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Ag Moment site of the moment (1)

Now for the first Ag Moment site of the moment - The Corn Growers Guidebook This site is maintained by Purdue University's agronomy department and contains a wealth of information related to corn. By the way, if you have a site that you would like to have posted as the site of the moment, drop me a line.

On the soybean rust front

From Stopsoybeanrust.com - Soybean rust moves up AL/MS state line -- two new AL counties confirmed

Two west-central Alabama counties were confirmed positive for soybean rust today -- on soybeans in Pickens County and on kudzu in Greene County. One is on and the other is near the Mississippi state line. The Alabama rust county total is now 31; U.S. total is 124.

With corn prices low, will it pay to store your crop

Thats what Andrea Johnson, assistant editor of the Farm & Ranch guide thinks.

The corn industry is paying farmers to store their corn until next spring, maybe early summer.

US Ag equipment sales weak in October

From Marketwatch.com - Tractor sales slow, corn prices to fall

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Sales of farm equipment dropped off in a seasonally important October, according to an industry group, on top of Agriculture Department predictions of lower corn prices this year, two negative trends for makers of tractors, combines and harvesters.

Equipment sales were off 4% from last October, combine sales were off 44%. Also, the USDA raised the corn crop estimate by 175 million bushels to 11.03 billion bushels.

Welcome!!!

As if one blog wasn't enough, I have decided to start work on another one. The "ag moment" will be focused on news and commentary for the farmer and those in the agricultural business. Please check back often, like an old tractor these things can take quite a bit of time to get up and running right. By the way, I'm also a grad student (for now) and so I have quite a full plate. Here we go!

Used Tractors Reference

If you are interested in this subject, please check back often, I will be updating this site as much as I can. Listed are a few sites that I have found where you can easily browse for a wide selection of used tractors and farm equipment:

General Sites

• Iron Search
• Machine Finder

Seed Companies Reference

Here is a small list of seed companies that I have compiled. If you are interested in this subject, please check back often, I will be updating this site as much as I can.

Corn Seed Companies

• Bo-Jac
• Cornelius Seed Company
• Dairyland Seed
• Garst Seed Company
• Mycogen
• NK
• Pacific Seeds
• Pioneer - Pioneer's lineup of varieties is customized to your area.
• Stewart Seed
• Stine Seed Company

Soybeans

• Dairyland Seed
• Garst Seed Company
• Mycogen

Sugar Beet

• Hilleshog

Wheat

Ethanol From Corn Reference

If you are interested in this subject, please check back often, I will be updating this site as much as I can.

Ethanol Producers/Refineries:

• Agri-Ethanol Products LLC
• Amaizing Energy Ethanol Plant
• Golden Grain Energy
• Iowa Ethanol Plant
• Pacific Ethanol
• Quad County Corn Processors
• Tall Corn Ethanol
• U.S. Enviro Fuels LLC

Other Ethanol Related Companies

• BBI International

General Information:

• American Coalition for Ethanol
• Domestic Fuel Blog
• Iowa Corn - Ethanol Information Page
• National Corn to Ethanol Research Center

Newspaper/magazine articles/blog postings:

• Ethanol crops option for canker-ravaged land
• Flex-fuel cars drive record Brazil Dec auto sales
• U.S. plays follow the leader on ethanol
• Wisconsin manufacturers report ethanol equipment boom

Corn Stoves Reference

I have been getting a little traffic from Google from people wanting information on corn stoves so I thought I would throw together this post with some links to various corn stove resources. Of course, this entry will be continually updated so check back often for updates if you are interested.

This page is no longer updated, the updated page can be found Here. Thanks for your interest.

Corn Stove Sellers

• Alternative Heating Systems
• Amaizablaze Corn Stoves - Cookeville, TN
• American Energy Systems - Hutchinson, MN
• Bixby Energy Systems - Rogers, Minnesota
• CANECO Manufacturing - London, Ontario
• Corn Stoves & Biomass Heating Systems
• Country Flame Technologies - Mt. Vernon, MO
• Golden Grain Corn Stove - Sterling, CO
• Grain Stoves, Inc - Blyth, Ontario
• Harmon Stove Company - Halifax, PA
• LDJ Manufacturing - Pella, IA
• Ja-Ran Enterprises - Lexington, MI
• Kernel Burner - Alexandria, SD
• LMF Manufacturing - Lockhaven, PA
• Pinnacle Pellet, Inc - Quesnel, B. C.
• Snow-Flame - Arden, NC
• US Stove Company - Bridgeport, AL

General Information

• Penn State - Burning Shelled Corn as Fuel

Newspaper/magazine articles/blog postings

• Beating the High Cost of Energy - With Corn
• Consumers Discovering Corn As Heating Fuel
• Corn Gaining Steam as a Source for Heating
• Heat from corn stoves is a popular alternative this winter
• Corn Stoves: an Interim Technology on a Crumbling Foundation?
• Home-grown heat -- Caledonia man burns corn instead of money for warmth
• I heat my house by burning corn
• Keeping warm with corn
• Save money, planet: Pop for corn stove

P.S. Got a corn-stove related link? Drop it in the comments section and I will add it.