Ag News: Tuesday, November 15

"Bush Advisor Rules Out Beef Breakthrough During Japan Visit"
Japan probably won't ease its nearly two-year-old ban on U.S. beef imports while President George W. Bush visits the country this week. That's according to National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley - who made the remarks on Air Force One en route to Japan with the President on Monday. According to Hadley - and these are his words - this is not going to get worked out before we get there - and it's not going to get worked out while we're there. Hadley said - while no breakthrough is expected - Bush will raise the issue with the Japanese Prime Minister the two leaders meet in Kyoto. The U.S. has been pressing Japan to resume purchases of beef and beef products that were valued at 1.7- billion dollars in 2003. Japan - previously the biggest overseas customer for U.S. beef - imposed the U.S. beef ban in December of 2003 after a cow imported from Canada turned up positive for BSE in Washington State. A Japanese government committee on signaled the country is moving closer to lifting the ban on October 31st - ruling beef from cattle under 20-months old present a very low risk of harming human health. Hadley called the commission's action a sign of progress. But he pointed out a public comment period on the commission's decision won't close until November 28th. And Hadley said the beef issue is one that should be handled in an administrative way - rather than not highlighted in a political fashion.

"U.S. Corn Harvest Wrapping Up as Wheat Looks Worse Than Last Year"
USDA's latest crop progress report shows the U.S. corn harvest is almost wrapped up - with 95 percent of the nation's crop now in the bin. That's four percent faster than the five year average - and 10 percent better than last year at this point. Ohio and Wisconsin lag farthest behind - but even those states have 83 and 84 percent of their corn acres harvested. Sorghum harvest is 88 percent complete nationwide - two percent ahead of the five year average. But in New Mexico - only 25 percent of the milo harvest is in. Cotton harvest is four percent ahead of the five-year average on a national basis at 73 percent picked. Over 40 percent of the cotton crop in the High Plains states of Oklahoma - Kansas and Texas is still in the fields - but that's no more than normal for those states this time of year. Winter wheat emergence - at 88 percent nationally - is two percent ahead of average. But wheat conditions aren't as good this year as last - and slipped a point from last week to this week. 11 percent of Winter wheat this week rates poor to very poor - with 33 percent fair - and 56 percent good to excellent.

"U.S., India Sign Ag Info Exchange Deal"
The United States and India signed a declaration to formalize the U.S.-India Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture. President Bush and India's Prime Minister first announced the initiative back in July. A USDA press release says the goal of the agreement is to re-energize the agricultural relationship between India and America. It aims to do so through collaborative efforts in ag research - education and commercial links. The declaration creates a Board made up of eight members from universities - governments - and the private sector in each country to recommend specific projects and funding sources. Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Ellen Terpstra will co-chair with an Indian counterpart. The Board plans to hold its first meeting in December in the United States - followed by a meeting in India early next year. Areas of collaboration are expected to include research on sustainable agriculture and marketing systems - new information and communication technologies - implementation of international food safety and sanitary requirements - and other areas determined by the Board.

"Portman Calls on China to Take Active Role in Doha Talks"
China and other Asian nations should play a stronger role in rescuing the stalled Doha round of World Trade Organization. That's what U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said during a press conference in Beijing Monday. Portman said China and other east Asian nations – most of which are highly successful exporters – had much to gain from a successful conclusion to the round. And he said the U.S. needed Pacific rim nations - including China - to engage aggressively in the WTO talks if they were to be successful. Despite China’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing exporters, trade officials say it has taken a back seat in the Doha round. Chinese officials argue they have already made big cuts in tariffs and other forms of trade protection in order to join the WTO in 2001. Portman made his remarks ahead of a meeting of Asian-Pacific Economic Co-operation nations - or APEC - this week in South Korea. And Portman expressed hope the APEC countries would issue a strong statement of support for the Doha Round. Hopes have dimmed for a breakthrough ahead of a meeting of all WTO trade ministers in Hong Kong next month.

"U.S. Ag Trade Surplus Plummets for FY 2005"
U.S. agriculture will post an ag trade surplus for fiscal year 2005 - but that surplus will be less than half of last year's. USDA says for the fiscal year that ended September 30th - U.S. ag exports totaled 62.38-billion dollars - but the U.S. imported 57.72-billion dollars - leaving an ag trade surplus of 4.67-billion dollars. In fiscal year 2004 - the U.S. ag trade surplus totaled 9.71-billion dollars - more than double this year's figure. Nora Brooks - economist with USDA's Economic Research Service - says while U.S. ag exports were about the same this year - U.S. ag imports were sharply higher - in fact over 5-billion dollars higher. Much of that ag import increase came in high-value products like wine - nuts - and flowers. The U.S. hasn't posted an ag trade deficit since 1959.

"Johanns: USDA Committed to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns told the U.S. Climate Change Science Workshop in Washington D.C. Monday that the Bush administration is committed to reducing greenhouse gasses contributing to global warming. And Johanns says that includes greenhouse gasses that come from ag production. That's why Johanns said USDA is beginning to partner with U.S. farmers and ranchers in building methane digesters - and in an effort to get them to essentially store carbon in their farm lands - a process known as carbon sequestration. Johanns also touted the potential of something called the Global Earth Observation System - or GEOS - a system backed by some 60 nations to share satellite and weather imagery. According to Johanns - GEOS will be able to help researches more accurately target the sources of global climate change - and will be a boon to farmers and ranchers around the globe by allowing them to more accurately predict drought and floods. Meanwhile - Johanns said U.S. agriculture could itself play a key role in reducing carbon dioxide gas emissions - the primary greenhouse gas. In fact - the U.S. government says carbon dioxide emissions make-up more than 80-percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. - totaling some 1.9-billion metric tons each year. U.S. forestlands currently fix about 250-million metric tons of atmospheric carbon each year according to the U.S. Forest Service. USDA says U.S. cropland can sequester about 75 to 200-million metric tons of atmospheric carbon per year by using current best management practices. And USDA says grazing land can sequester 30 to 90-million metric tons of carbon annually by controlled grazing and fire management.

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