Ag in the News

11/20/2007

National and International

FSIS scales back scrutiny of Canadian meat and poultry imports
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has revised an initiative to test and hold Canadian meat and poultry product, a weight off the shoulders of a country facing other challenges in its efforts to trade with the United States. MORE!

Australia's beef exports down in October
Australia's exports of beef and veal during October totaled 86,607 metric tons, a 4.5 percent dip from the same month a year ago, according to recent red meat export data posted by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. MORE!

H5N1 confirmed at second U.K. site
British officials on Monday announced that testing confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in turkeys at a second site in the United Kingdom. MORE!

Del Taco doubles the protein in spicy chicken burrito
Lake Forest, Calif.-based quick-service Mexican chain Del Taco announced that it is relaunching its Spicy Chicken Burrito — now offering the item with twice the meat and at no additional cost. MORE!

Wrap Up

CROP PROGRESS:  THE NATION'S HARVEST OF ITS ROW CROPS ARE JUST ABOUT COMPLETE FOR ANOTHER YEAR.  THE CORN CROP IS CREEPING TO A CLOSE. THE NATIONAL FIGURES SHOW THAT 97-PERCENT IS HARVESTED.  FOUR STATES -- SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN AND PENNSYLVANIA -- ARE BRINGING-UP THE REAR, BUT ALL FOUR OF THOSE STATES ARE ALSO AHEAD OF THEIR FIVE YEAR PACE. SORGHUM IS AT 97-PERCENT...SUNFLOWERS AT 96-PERCENT AND PEANUTS AT 91-PERCENT.  COTTON IS 80-PERCENT COMPLETE, AHEAD OF ITS FIVE YEAR AVERAGE.  LOOKING TO WINTER WHEAT...85-PERCENT OF THE NATION'S CROP HAS EMERGED ACCORDING TO THE USDA.  THE CROP CONDITION IS 45-PERCENT CONSIDERED GOOD TO EXCELLENT.  THAT'S DOWN FOUR POINTS FROM LAST WEEK...AND TWELVE POINTS FROM TWO WEEKS AGO.  AS ALWAYS, THE FULL REPORT IS ON AGDAY-DOT-COM.  JUST CLICK ON TOP STORIES...AND FIND THE LINK UNDER THE U-S-D-S' CALENDAR OF WEEKLY SUMMARIES.

NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT:  LIKE MANY PRODUCERS IN FARM COUNTRY, NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS PLANTED MORE CORN IN 2007, AT THE EXPENSE OF WHEAT.  WILL THEY BE ENTICED BY HIGHER WHEAT PRICES TO RETURN THOSE ACRES IN 2008.  NICK DREYER FROM AGDAY AFFILIATE KMOT-TV IN MINOT TELLS US WHAT NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS ARE THINKING ABOUT.  DURUM HIT AN UNBELIEVABLE 18-DOLLARS A BUSHEL EARLIER THIS YEAR IN NORTH DAKOTA.  LAST YEAR IT WAS FIVE BUCKS.

EPA AG ADVISORY:  IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, THE E-P-A IS CREATING THE FIRST-EVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY FOR FARMS AND RANCHES.  ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES -- SUCH AS FEED LOT RUN-OFF -- ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO FARMERS AND THE E-P-A.  THIS COMMITTEE WILL ADVISE THE EPA ADMINISTRATOR ON POLICY ISSUES THAT IMPACT FARM COUNTRY.  AGDAY'S AL PELL TALKED WITH AN EPA COUNSELOR ABOUT THIS NEW EFFORT.  THE EPA IS NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE.  THE AGENCY IS LOOKING FOR MEMBERS THAT WILL OFFER A CROSS-SECTION OF AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING PRODUCERS, MARKETERS, AND EDUCATORS.

COTTON’S WEEK:  IN OUR COTTON'S WEEK REPORT...PRODUCERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE YIELD WITHOUT INCREASING INPUTS.  IN THIS REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL, TRAN BUI EXPLAINS HOW ROW SPACING COULD BE THE KEY.

ANALYSIS:  FARMERS ARE MAKING THEIR PLANS FOR NEXT YEARS GROWING SEASON...AND THEY'RE USING THIS YEARS YIELDS TO HELP MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.  AGRIBUSINESS DIRECTOR AL PELL HAS MORE IN TODAY'S ANALYSIS WITH AGDAY ANALYST BRAD HARDING.

IN THE COUNTRY:  LIKE MOST AMERICANS, A TURKEY WILL PROBABLY BE THE CENTERPIECE OF YOUR THANKSGIVING FEAST.  THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU SAYS 272-MILLION BIRDS WERE RAISED THIS YEAR. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM WILL BE CONSUMED THURSDAY.  BUT THERE'S GROWING INTEREST IN RESTAURANTS TO SERVE TURKEY ON NON-HOLIDAYS...ESPECIALLY HEIRLOOM TURKEYS.  IN THIS REPORT FROM THE CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU, JIM MORRIS TAKES US TO THE DIESTEL TURKEY RANCH.  WHEN IT COMES TO OVERALL TURKEY PRODUCTION, MINNESOTA LEADS THE WAY.  THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU SAYS IT WILL RAISE 46-MILLION THIS YEAR...FOLLOWED BY NORTH CAROLINA WITH 39 MILLION.  CALIFORNIA COMES IN SIXTH WITH JUST ABOUT 17 MILLION BIRDS.

AG ON THE NET:  WHETHER YOU'RE JUST STARTING TO PLAN THE FAMILY THANKSGIVING MEAL, OR YOU ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED, YOU MAY STILL HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.  THIS WEEK'S AG ON THE NET IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.  IT'S WWW-URBANEXT-DOT-UIUC-DOT-EDU.  AND WHILE THE ADDRESS DOESN'T EXACTLY ROLL OFF THE TONGUE, LOGGING ON WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO PLEASING YOUR TASTE BUDS.