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Texas Agriculture Archive

April 7, 2006

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said the agreement will create significant opportunities for U.S. producers to export industrial and agricultural goods to Ukraine. U.S. service providers are also expected to benefit.
Source: AFBF; Executive Newswatch; March 7, 2006

Argentina president suspends beef exports
The president of Argentina has imposed a six-month suspension on beef exports in an effort to fight inflation.

Thousands of tons of beef will be sold domestically in Argentina, rather than exported, which should keep prices down for consumers there.

Argentina is the world's fifth largest beef producer and previously a major supplier to both the European Union and Russia.
Source: AFBF; Executive Newswatch; March 13, 2006

Biogas facility to convert beef waste
Microgy Inc., a subsidiary of Environmental Power Corporation, and Swift & Company are planning to construct a biogas production facility at the plant's Grand Island, Neb., beef processing plant. Methane gas will be produced from the plant's animal waste, meat processing wastes and wastewater residue. The gas will then be used to power the beef processing facility.

If the project goes as expected, additional biogas facilities will be constructed at other Swift & Company meat processing facilities in North America.
Source: AFBF; Executive Newswatch; March 8, 2006

ERS releases reports on farm size and income
Two new reports from the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service examine links between farm size, farm household income, wealth, and the distribution of commodity program payments. The reports, entitled "Economic Well-Being of Farm Households" and "Growing Farm Size and the Distribution of Farm Payments," use data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey and other sources.

The reports indicate average farm household income is comparable to average U.S. household income, and that off-farm income is the predominant source of income for most farm households. The principal operators of large family farms—those with annual sales of at least $500,000—reported average household income of about $221,000 in 2003. That's well above the average for all family farms, which is about $69,000, and for all U.S. households, which is around $59,000.
Source: AFBF; Executive Newswatch; March 10, 2006

Genetic tool predicts right time to ship fed cattle
An extra $50 per head for cattle is the payoff from new technology by Quantum Genetics Canada, Inc.—a genetics tool for predicting the right time to ship fed cattle. It's based on a functional mutation in the leptin gene (sometimes called the obese gene), that predicts precisely when cattle will reach a targeted back fat thickness, reducing days on feed and grade variations affecting sales price.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report; March 17, 2006; Vol. 69, No. 11-1

U.S. farm equipment export sales booming
U.S. farm equipment export sales were up 15 percent in 2005, totaling $6.6 billion and the fourth straight year of increased sales.

The top four buyers were Canada, Australia, Mexico and France.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report; March 17, 2006; Vol. 69, No. 11-1

Meadow jumping mouse shows need for ESA change
Rob Roy Ramey, a biologist and former curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, has been under attack by environmental activists since publication of his conclusion that the Preble's meadow jumping mouse is not a unique species, is not nearing extinction and is not deserving designation as an endangered species.

In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, Stephen Moore contended that the Preble's mouse is a prime example of why the Endangered Species Act must be altered. He notes that a land area larger than the District of Columbia has been put off limits for development, a water district had to spend $1 million to build mouse tunnels under a pond and land owners are subject to major penalties for spoiling the mouse's habitat or allowing mice to be killed in any manner.

Moore agrees with House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo's (R-CA) contention that the ESA has to be upgraded and updated. Farm Bureau also supports amending and upgrading the ESA.

'Smart' tractor diagnoses maintenance issues
At the University of Illinois, engineers are testing a "smart" tractor capable of diagnosing itself for possible maintenance issues before costly damage is done. As one example, an on-board computer picked up problems in a hydraulic pump that would have cost $14,000 to replace after failure, but only $2,200 to repair when the problem was identified early.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report; February 24, 2006; Vol. 69, No. 8-1