Farmers want more disaster aid now
The National Farmers Union Wednesday urged Congress to act quickly to approve a measure providing more emergency disaster aid to farmers across the United States.
Union President Dave Frederickson said Congress needs to take action before adjournment later this month for the year if they are to provide meaningful help to farmers who suffered because of hot, dry weather conditions that hit their crops during 2001 and 2002.
"Drought, flooding, freeze, pests and diseases have wiped out many agriculture producers' livelihoods and are causing tremendous economic damage to rural communities," said Frederickson.
"If Congress does not pass an emergency disaster package before recess, it will be too late for much of rural America," he said. "But it's not too late for Congress to act."
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, already has approved an aid package totaling nearly $600 million. But the Republican-controlled House believes that package is too expensive and leaders are trying to devise something less costly.
The farmers union is supporting a resolution by Reps. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., and Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., identical to the Senate measure, saying it would provide adequate aid to crop and livestock producers who suffered weather-related losses during the past two years.
How severe has the weather been?
As of last week, 51 percent of counties across the United States have been declared disaster areas and 30 percent of counties were declared disaster areas both during 2001 and 2002.
The Agriculture Department has provided bits of aid for farmers in select counties but congressional and presidential approval would be needed for more extensive aid.
Most recently, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said this week Livestock Compensation Program payments will begin for cattle, sheep, goat and buffalo producers in counties that have received primary disaster designation due to drought.
"The Bush administration continues to use every available tool to provide disaster assistance to America's farmers and ranchers who have been struck by severe drought conditions," Veneman said.
Grain Regulations:
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says the federal government's new rules concerning grain facilities are wrong.
The association approved two resolutions opposing the Agriculture Department's new rules and also says the federal government should work with state agriculture departments to develop regulatory policies.
One resolution says the U.S. Warehouse Act should not pre-empt state authority to provide protection to producers doing business with federally licensed elevators, while the other resolution urges Congress and President Bush to pressure the Agriculture Department to work with state agencies.
The association also approved a letter to be sent to Congress and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, urging a delay in implementing new federal rules.
Soybean Exports:
This year was another record year for U.S. soybean exports, the American Soybean Association reported.
The group said 29.9 million metric tons (about 1.1 billion bushels) were exported during the 2001-02 marketing year, which ended Aug. 31.
That figure is an 8.5 percent increase from last year, and is the third straight year that soybean exports have gone up. About 40 percent of the total U.S. soybean crop was exported as whole soybeans, the association says.
Coffee Workers:
Virginia-based Project HOPE will use a grant from the Proctor & Gamble Fund to support programs benefiting coffee workers and their families in Central American countries.
Money is designated for health programs in the coffee-growing Boca Costa region of western Guatemala and the Jinotega region of northern Nicaragua.
Project HOPE has been working in central America continuously since 1976, with a focus on private coffee estates and neighboring communities in the region.
Apples:
The apple has been a subject of scientific investigation ever since Eve "experimented" with it in the Garden of Eden.
Luther Burbank worked at developing new varieties of apples as well as other fruits and as a result of the work of many scientists the apple probably was the first farm commodity to experience cloning -- long before Dolly the sheep came into the world.
Scientists preferred to say they were "grafting" to replicate a desired variety of fruit, and many of the Red Delicious and MacIntosh apple trees now available for planting are "clones" of sorts from two different original trees.
(by E.W. Kieckhefer)
Grains:
Grain futures were lower at the close Wednesday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybeans fell on pressure from the harvest and weak cash market flow.
Corn dropped because many traders were reluctant to act prior to Friday's supply-demand report from the Agriculture Department.
Wheat fell due to the backlog created by the port shutdown on the West Coast, which President Bush brought an end to earlier this week.
Oats also were lower.
The prices:
Soybeans: Nov 5.23 1/2 off 11 3/4, Jan 5.29 off 11, Mar 5.31 3/4 off 11, May 5.33 off 10.
Corn: Dec 2.56 off 1 1/2, Mar 2.62 1/2 off 3/4, May 2.66 3/4 off 1/2, Jul 2.68 unch.
Wheat: Dec 3.72 1/4 off 9 1/2, Mar 3.77 off 9 1/4, May 3.61 1/2 off 7 1/2, Jul 3.37 1/2 off 6.
Oats: Dec 2.13 off 1/2, Mar 2.06 1/4 off 1/2, May 1.99 3/4 off 1/4, Jul 1.88 off 5.
