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Texas Agriculture Archive

November 15, 2002





Organics gain foothold in conventional stores
The U.S. organic food industry crossed a threshold in 2000. For the first time, more organic food was purchased in the conventional supermarkets than in any other type of venue.

Packaged Facts, a market research firm, indicates that of the $7.8 billion spent on organic food in 2000, consumers purchased 49 percent in conventional supermarkets, exceeding the 48 percent sold in natural foods stores.

This contrast sharply with the early 1990s, when an estimated 7 percent of all organic products was sold in conventional supermarkets and 68 percent in natural foods stores.

Organic products are now sold in 73 percent of all conventional supermarkets, along with nearly 20,000 natural foods stores.
Source: Economic Research Service/USDA; Agricultural Outlook, October

World increases cotton consumption
World cotton consumption in the Market Year (MY) 2002-2003 is up 14 percent, or 12.03 million 480-lb. bales, from MY 1998-1999. The gains in consumption, however, are not evenly distributed.

Increases in consumption, totaling 16.53 million 480-lb. bales, are seen in 28 countries while decreases are seen in 20 countries, totaling 4.5 million bales.

The decrease in the United States accounts for 59 percent of the decline with smaller losses in Japan, Portugal, Egypt, Taiwan, and Mexico.

China saw the largest gain in cotton consumption, 7.6 million 480-lb. bales or 40 percent more than in the Market Year 1998-99.

Pakistan, Turkey, India, Thailand, and the Russian Federation also saw large increases in consumption.
Source: USDA; Cotton: World Markets and Trade, September 2002

GE building huge Colorado wind farm
GE Wind is negotiating the development of a 162 megawatt wind farm in southeastern Colorado, with American Electric Power, the nation's largest generator of electrical energy.

The site would include about 108 turbines across 9,600 acres of land leased from farmers and ranchers. Projected cost of the project is $160 million plus transmission lines.

This would be the nation's third largest wind farm.
Source: ProFarmer Connection, Oct. 17, 2002; Vol. 1 No. 6

Here's the big meat players!
We hear a lot about concentration in the meat business. Is it really true?

Here's a meat-firm concentration scoreboard:

• Beef packers: 81 percent by four companies, Tyson/IBP, Conagra Beef, Cargill (Excel Corp.) and Farmland National Beef Packing.

• Pork packers: 59 percent control by four companies, Smithfield Foods, Tyson/IBP, ConAgra, (Swift) and Cargill (Excel Corp.).

• Pork production: 46 percent control by four companies, Smithfield Foods, Premium Standard Farms, Seaboard Corp. and Triumph Pork.

• Broilers: 50 percent control by four companies, Pilgrim's Pride, Tyson Foods, Gold Kist and ConAgra.
Source: ProFarm Connection, Oct. 17, 2002; Vol. 1, No. 6