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Texas
Agriculture Archive
March 21, 2003
Agricultural surplus reaches $11 billion
The U.S. agricultural trade surplus reached $11 billion in
calendar year 2002, 30 percent less than the $14.4 billion surplus of
calendar year 2001, but still above the 1999 recent low of $10.8 billion.
Cumulative exports were $53 billion, while imports equaled $41.9 billion. Export value dropped $744 million from 2001, as gains in wheat, corn, vegetable oils, and fruits and nuts were offset by large losses in poultry meats, feeds and meals, red meats, live animals, and a number of other products.
Import value is up $2.6 billion. The largest gains in import
value occurred in fruits and nuts, vegetables, and grains, feeds, and
oil meals. The still relatively strong U.S. dollar is encouraging import
growth, while reducing competitiveness of U.S. agricultural exports in
some markets.
Source: U.S. Agricultural Trade Update, Feb.
24, 2003
South Dakota wants to beef up its dairy industry but doesn't have enough farmers in the state.
Davisco Foods International of Minnesota is building a huge mozzarella factory in Lake Norden, S.D., but the local population of 432 can't come up with the 65,000 cows needed to make the cheese.
So three years ago Davisco sent Dutch immigrant Joop Bollen to Europe on a goodwill tour to promote wide open spaces and low-cost loans. So far Joop has managed to get 13 farmers to try out the state, some of them now running big, profitable operations.
In rural England near the Welsh border, 60 farmers came out to hear Joop a couple of weeks ago.
Dutch farmers like the price of South Dakota land: $1,000 to $1,500 per acre—one-tenth the price of land in Holland, less regulations and freedom from production quotas. Source: Pro Farmer Connection, March 6, 2003
AGCO has announced it will close its track tractor factory in DeKalb, IL. The plant, which assembles Challenger track tractors from 235 to 500 horsepower, was acquired from Caterpillar, Inc., in March 2002. Production will be relocated to other facilities.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report, March 7, 2003
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a series of listening and education sessions in various parts of the country to gain more public input and provide interested parties more information about the new country-of-origin labeling law contained in the 2002 farm bill.
Last year, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) put in place the voluntary requirements as part of the new law and announced an extended public comment period to Feb. 21 this year.
The listening and educational sessions will take place in 12 states representing a cross-section of the food and agriculture sector. Those states are California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. AMS soon will announce specific dates and locations for these forums.
At the American Farm Bureau Federation's 2003 annual meeting,
farmer and rancher voting delegates reaffirmed Farm Bureau policy that
supports labeling of agricultural products as "grown in the USA."
The delegates also asked the AFBF board for a study of the impact of country-of-origin
labeling on producers of livestock and livestock products.
Source: AFBF, Executive Newswatch, Feb. 6, 2003
