Ag in the News

01/25/2008

Local

As part of Governor Napolitano’s initiative to consolidate Boards and Commissions to increase efficiency and service to the public, the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) and the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission (SPCC) are developing a plan in which the regulation of the structural pest control industry will be transferred to the ADA. MORE!

National and International

Wal-Mart to push for uniform standards for suppliers
Wal-Mart wants to lead an effort over the next three years with other major global retailers to create common social and environmental standards for suppliers, CEO Lee Scott told employees. MORE!

Irish firm launches new breakfast bacon
New York City-based Tommy Moloney's Inc. USA, which calls itself the largest provider of Irish food products in the United States, on Thursday launched a new line of imported premium Irish breakfast bacon. MORE!

Ontario aids processors in complying with Canadian feed ban
The Ontario government has allotted C$14 million in funding for provincial slaughterhouses (C$9 million) and deadstock collection services (C$5 million) to help them comply with Canada's enhanced ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban introduced in July 2007. MORE!

Greenpeace: Stop eating meat to help stop global warming
A Greenpeace International report released earlier this month places much of the blame for rising greenhouse gas emissions on agriculture — and specifically on livestock. MORE!

Wrap Up

More overnight strength. Thursday's strong close produced followthrough buying in the overnight session. Corn was mostly 8 to 9 cents higher, soybeans were mostly 15 to 17 cents higher and Chicago wheat was 6 to 11 cents higher overnight. Gold and crude oil futures also extended Thursday's gains overnight.

Weekly Export Sales Report today. For the week ended Jan. 17, traders expect: wheat sales from 300,000 to 500,000 MT; corn sales from 1.2 to 1.6 million MT; soybean sales from 600,000 to 800,000 MT; soymeal sales from 75,000 to 125,000 MT; soyoil sales from 5,000 to 15,000 MT; and cotton sales from 150,000 to 275,000 running bales.

Cattle on Feed today. USDA's monthly look at feedlot activity out this afternoon at 2 pm CT is expected to show On Feed numbers 1.1% above year-ago based on the average trade guess. Marketings during December are seen about steady with last year, while Placements are seen up 2.6%. 

China sending hogs to Hong Kong. China said it would supply 3,900 hogs per day to Hong Kong during the Lunar new year in an effort to assure supplies. This came as pork prices took a recent hike, rising some 70% on supply concerns. Chinese officials noted, however, while they will make sure Hong Kong has supplies, mainland China also is facing high pork prices and tight supplies.

Smooth sailing for Schafer. As expected, there were few fireworks in the nomination hearing for former N.D. Gov. Ed Schafer (R) to be the next USDA Secretary. Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) also pledged to do all he can to get the nomination moving forward to put Schafer in place by President Bush's State of the Union speech Jan. 28.