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October 19, 2001

NASS releases new
data on farm women

A new survey of adult women on U.S. farms found that, of those women responding, 81 percent were involved in the farming operation, yet less than half (46 percent) were actually raised on a farm or ranch.

The new study was conducted by the Agriculture Department's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in the spring of 2001 in cooperation with Pennsylvania State University. The study was comprised of a random sample of 7,500 farms across the country.

Of the women interviewed, 10 percent classified themselves as the main farm operator while nearly one-third considered themselves a full partner in the farm business. Another 40 percent reported being involved in the farm operation as a business manager or helper, and the remaining 19 percent were not involved directly in the farm operation. Half of the women interviewed reported having a paid job off the farm. In addition, the median age of women on farms was 53, and nearly one-quarter of the women have completed some college while 15 percent have at least a 4-year college degree.

The study measured the involvement of women in farm tasks, farm decision-making, farm organizations and government-related programs. Data also was collected on the socio-demographic characteristics of the women and their participation in non-farm work.

A more detailed report will be released by Pennsylvania State University.

U.S. House to take up TPA

House Republicans will press forward with a bill that would grant the president trade promotion authority. The bill was recently presented to the House Ways and Means Committee with a vote scheduled as Texas Agriculture went to press.

Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced that he along with pro-trade Democrats Calvin Dooley (Calif.), William Jefferson (La.) and John Tanner (Tenn.) had reached agreement on labor and environmental issues.

Under the compromise, the bill adds a trade "negotiating objective" on labor and environment to ensure that a party to an agreement does not fail to enforce its labor and environmental laws. It also includes a negotiating objective on enforcement and establishes a bipartisan and permanent congressional oversight group to oversee trade negotiations and consult with the administration.

If passed, trade promotion authority gives the president authority to negotiate trade agreements that Congress can approve or reject but cannot amend. Commerce Secretary Don Evans and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick issued a joint statement on the Thomas bill.

"This action could not be more timely. Even the introduction of this bill sends an important signal. Trade can be an engine for international economic recovery and help build confidence in markets," said Evans and Zoellick in the statement. "We will work closely with the Congress...to ensure that the president has the authority to promote U.S. economic leadership, help invigorate the global economy and negotiate the best deals for American farmers, businesses, workers and consumers."

Bayer acquires Adventis

Bayer greatly expanded its stake in the crop protection business recently when it acquired Aventis Crop Science. Bayer management called the move the creation of a market leader in crop protection products.

Bayer acquired the Aventis CropScience division, formerly owned by Aventis and Schering, for about $4.9 billion. The deal also included the assumption of about $1.8 billion in debt. In finalizing the acquisition, the company will also create Bayer Crop Science as a separate legal entity.

Aventis will keep StarLink technology (now off the market) as part of the deal, and all potential liabilities from StarLink will be excluded from the transaction. For most of the products in the Aventis CropScience line, it means little change. Some industry experts, however, say that Bayer CropScience will likely spin off some products because their product line may now be too unwieldy.

The new company now takes the No. 2 spot in the worldwide crop protection arena, between No. 1 Syn-genta and No. 3 Monsanto. The deal is still subject to approval by both U.S. and European authorities.

Net cash income $60.8 billion
According to the Agriculture Department, U.S. net cash farm income for 2001 is estimated at $60.8 billion.

Money from this year's crop is forecast at $49.4 billion, down $1 billion from the previous estimate, but $3 billion higher than last year. Income from dairy operations is expected to show the most improvement in 2001, rising almost $40,000 per farm from last year, said USDA. Net cash farm income for wheat farms is projected to drop by about $9,000 per farm compared to 2000.

The $73 billion "farm bill" would increase crop supports by $43 billion over 10 years along with guaranteeing more money. An estimated $37 billion would flow when crop revenues were below "target" prices chosen by Congress.

Notable Quotables

"While it would be foolhardy not to take the threat of bio-terrorism seriously, some comfort can be taken from the geographic dispersion of food production and processing in the United States. With the exception of some specialty crops, most production occurs over wide geographic areas. The same can be said for livestock production. Moreover, most years we produce more food than we need for our own purposes. This gives us a margin for error if—perish the thought — we need it."

—University of Nebraska Agricultural Economist Roy Frederick, in a column on agricultural bioterrorism featured at Rooster.com.