Ag News: Friday, November 18

"House Defeat of Labor, HHS Spending Bill, Makes Budget Reconciliation a Squeaker"
Congressional efforts to squeeze budget savings through a process known as reconciliation were briefly de-railed Thursday. The House Republican leadership suffered an unexpected defeat when the House-Senate conference report on Labor and Health and Human Services spending was defeated by a 15-vote margin. The defeat of that spending bill throws a monkey-wrench into the entire appropriations process - and raises the likelihood that Congress will have to pass a massive omnibus spending bill in December to wrap up government funding for the fiscal year that began in October. It also made it tougher for House leaders to find the votes to pass the budget reconciliation bill - a measure to cut 50-billion dollars in federal spending over the next five years. In a bid to pick up the final few votes needed to pass the budget savings package - House Republican leaders agreed Thursday morning to slightly soften cuts proposed for Medicaid and food stamps. GOP leaders had hoped to take the revised package to the House floor Thursday afternoon. But instead - they did so early Friday morning - and the budget-cutting bill passed by just two votes.

"APEC Nations Call for End of Export Subsidies"
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation - or APEC - nations are joining the U.S. in its call for an end to export subsidies. Top trade ministers from the APEC nations would like to see subsidies eliminated by 2010 - and are looking to countries for increased market access for ag goods. The 21 APEC members met this week - and reportedly decided the current World Trade Organization Talks are important. According to U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman - this week's meeting marked the first time Asian countries had come together in a united front ahead of the December WTO ministerial in Hong Kong. Despite this action - Portman says more must be done on market access if the stalled WTO talks are going to move forward. But the EU hasn't been offering real changes in market access - calling for progress in other areas before giving additional access.

"Peru Willing to Sign On the Dotted Line With or Without Andean Neighbors"
Iowa GOP Senator Chuck Grassley sent a letter to the Chief Trade Negotiator for Colombia Thursday - and urged him to make a new agricultural proposal in the U.S.-Andean Free Trade Agreement negotiations. And while Grassley - according to a statement issued Thursday - fears the restrictive ag proposals offered by Colombia to date could endanger the success of the negotiations - Peru's chief negotiator Pablo de la Flor is willing to move forward without the country's Andean neighbor. Although there is still plenty of work to be done - the country's negotiator said Peru will sign an agreement with the U.S. regardless of the participation of Colombia and Ecuador. De la Flor remains hopeful a group deal can be reached - but if not - he says Peru will tend to its own interests and sign alone. As for Ecuador - that country's negotiators have indicated they're in no rush to sign a deal with the U.S.

"USDA Plan to Open Border to Older Canadian Cattle Disappoints R-CALF"
Administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Ron DeHaven says USDA is planning to revise its BSE restrictions - and allow Canadian cattle over 30-months of age into the U.S. by the middle of next year. R-CALF USA President-Elect Chuck Kiker says the plan only shows USDA's willingness to give market access away before regaining the international export markets lost since December of 2003. But Kiker says the decision also shows USDA is ignoring the science - which he says proves older Canadian cattle pose a greater risk to the U.S. cattle herd and U.S. consumers. R-CALF's case against USDA on the Final Rule allowing Canadian cattle younger than 30-months of age into the U.S. is still unresolved - but Kiker says the arguments used in that case are even stronger against the importation of older Canadian animals. The USDA proposal - according to Kiker - makes implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling even more critical so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. But the American Meat Institute is urging USDA to move forward with the rule expanding Canadian live cattle imports to older animals. And it's worth noting that USDA hasn't actually issued a proposed rule on older cattle from Canada as of yet.

"Harkin Pushes for 2006 Implementation of COOL"
Supporters of mandatory country-of-origin labeling aren't willing to give up - despite implementation delays. The latest delay - included in the fiscal year 2006 ag appropriations legislation - pushes implementation of COOL off until 2008. But Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin is co- sponsoring legislation that would repeal that ag appropriations provision. He says American consumers should have the information they've been demanding since 2002 by 2006. Harkin says COOL never should have been delayed - since it was adopted as part of the 2002 farm bill. He says - and these are his words - re-writing the farm bill in the appropriations process has gotten out of hand - and blocking COOL is a glaring example of that problem.

"Bush Nominates New Chief U.S. Ag Trade Negotiator"
President Bush has nominated Richard Crowder for the position of Chief Ag Negotiator. Crowder currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for the American Seed Trade Association. But for three years - from 1989 to 1992 - Crowder served as Under Secretary for International Affairs and Commodity Programs at USDA. U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman says Crowder will bring unique insight to the needs of U.S. farmers and ranchers and impressive background in ag issues to the negotiating table. Most U.S. farm and commodity groups have expressed approval with Crowder's nomination. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman says Crowder has an understanding of domestic and international agricultural issues - and will represent U.S. agriculture well. Crowder comes to the position at an important time during the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks - where according to Portman - and these are his words - negotitaions on agriculture reform are key to opening markets worldwide. Crowder replaces Allen Johnson - who stepped down as chief U.S. ag trade negotiator in September.

"Higher Energy Prices Likely Impacting This Year's Thanksgiving Feast"
You might end up spending a little extra dough on your Thanksgiving feast this year - that's according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's 20th annual informal survey of the price of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. This year's survey shows an increase of one-dollar and 10-cents from last year's survey of the total cost of basic Turkey Day items. That means your family's Thanksgiving chow-down will cost you - on average - 36-dollars and 78-cents this year.Farm Bureau Senior Economist Terry Francl says the increase this year can mainly be contributed to higher energy prices - which affect processing, packaging, refrigeration and shipping costs. The cost of the main Thanksgiving staple - turkey - is the largest contributor to the overall cost increase. According to Francl - turkey is roughly 88-cents more expensive when compared to 2004. Consumers also saw increases in prices for a gallon of milk, pumpkin pie mix, frozen green peas, stuffing, pie crust, and brown-n-serve rolls. AFBF's shopping list for this Thanksgiving survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, coffee and milk. The average cost is based on purchases of quantities sufficient for a family of 10.

Ag News: Thursday, November 17

"Bush Says U.S.-Japan Beef Issue is Progressing"
It's still not clear when Japan will lift its ban on U.S. beef - but President Bush - speaking during a press briefing with Japan's Prime Minister Wednesday - said the U.S. and Japan are making progress on the issue. Japan imposed its ban on U.S. beef in December of 2003 after U.S. officials discovered BSE in a cow imported from Canada. More than a year ago - U.S. and Japanese officials announced an agreement that was supposed to lead to quick resumption of beef trade between the two countries. And late last month - a subcommittee of Japan's Food Safety Commission declared beef from cattle 20 months of age and younger safe - raising hopes the ban would soon be lifted. But reopening the Japanese market to U.S. beef is a process - and as Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council Mike Green explained - that process is currently in the public comment period. Green did say - however - that the hope is to resume trade as soon as possible.

"Canadian Ruling Disappoints Johanns, Portman, NCGA"
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has decided there's evidence that imports of unprocessed American grain corn are hurting Canadian producers. While several Canadian corn producers have reacted positively to Tuesday's announcement - representatives of Canadian hog and cattle organizations - the National Corn Growers Association - and U.S. ag and trade officials are disappointed. U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns - in a joint statement issued Wednesday - said they will continue to argue that U.S. corn exports do not pose a threat to corn growers in Canada. In fact - they continue to point to the numbers - which show imports of U.S. corn into Canada have actually decreased over the last two years - while Canada's corn production has increased. NCGA says it will continue to fight the ruling as well - and CEO Rick Tolman says the organization hopes the issue can be settled without litigation. He says Canadian corn producers - and these are his words - have no have no justification taking this to court. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has not provided the reasons for its decision at this time - but NCGA says the Tribunal will provide those reasons within 15 days.

"South Dakota Senator Proposes COOL Substitute"
Congress has once again delayed implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat. But South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson is taking a different approach to the issue. According to Johnson - legislation he introduced Wednesday would ensure imported meat can't take advantage of USDA's grading system. Johnson's Truth in Quality Grading Act of 2005 would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to prohibit imported beef or lamb from receiving USDA's seal of choice, select or prime. While Johnson admits his legislation isn't as far-reaching as COOL - he says it would be a step in the right direction. But can the legislation get through Congress? Johnson says there should be less resistance since it only deals with cuts of meat - and not the issue of live animal imports.

"Goodlatte Calls for an End to Timber Fight"
House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte says American concerns about Canadian softwood lumber imports have been confirmed by a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel. The panel rejected a Canadian challenge to a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling that U.S. lumber producers are threatened by Canadian dumping of subsidized lumber.Goodlatte says dumped lumber has hurt timber markets for family forest landowners in the U.S. - and cost thousands of U.S. jobs. But disagreements on this issue have continued for nearly 20 years. And according to Goodlatte - the dispute can only be settled at the negotiating table. Goodlatte is urging U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to get the Canadians to that negotiating table. He says - and this is a quote - everyone will benefit from a negotiated solution that ensures that North American lumber prices are determined by the market - not provincial politicians.

"New Hydropower Rules Announced"
For the first time - the Departments of Interior, Commerce and Agriculture have jointly established dispute resolution procedures for hydropower licensing - as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The rules announced Wednesday give hydropower license applicants the opportunity to request trial-type hearings on certain issues of material fact. The rules also provide for expedited hearings before an administrative law judge - and include details on requesting hearings - the materials required - and time frames. The Interim Final Rules - which will be published in the Federal Register today - will be effective immediately. The public has 60 days to review the rules and submit comments. According to USDA - those comments could result in changes in a revised Final Rule within approximately 18 months.

"Superfund Hearing Causes Concern Among Cattle Producers"
Discussions among House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee members Wednesday have caused concerns for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and American Farm Bureau Federation. The Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on superfund laws and animal agriculture. But a suggestion that manure should be regulated under Superfund laws - according to NCBA and Farm Bureau - is absurd. The group's say manure is a natural, organic fertilizer - and that the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts - as well as several state laws - already regulate manure management. On top of that - NCBA President Jim McAdams says U.S. cattle producers are good stewards of the land - and work hard every day to protect and improve the environment. In fact - McAdams says - the idea of someone attempting to label cattle operations as Superfund sites is offensive - and he calls it - in his words - anti-beef activist hogwash. McAdams says the claim that manure falls under Superfund laws is not supported scientifically or legislatively. NCBA and Farm Bureau are asking Congress to clarify that animal manure is exempt from Superfund.

Missouri Soybean Update

Alex Stemme, Director of Identy Preservation at the Missouri Soybean Association, visited this week about Missouri Food & Fiber's planned expansion into the Kansas City area.

Ag News: Wednesday, November 16

"ASA Calls on Congress to Protect Biodiesel Tax Incentive"
A company called EarthFirst Americas this week announced a shipment of palm oil-based biodiesel arrived in Florida from Ecuador on November 8th. The company says it's the first batch of biodiesel imports of that could total 45-million gallons in 2006 - and 100-million gallons in 2007. In fact - EarthFirst will hold a press conference in Tampa on Friday to tout its ambitious biodiesel import plans. The American Soybean Association is outraged. ASA says EarthFirst Americas is taking advantage of the new biodiesel tax incentive - a tax incentive aimed at spurring domestic production of biodiesel. ASA President Bob Metz says importing biodiesel will use U.S. taxpayer dollars to subsidize foreign farmers and biodiesel producers. Metz says loopholes allowing what he calls - this exploitation of our nation's energy strategy - must immediately be eliminated by Congress. Metz wants Congress and the Bush administration to support a tariff on imported biodiesel equal to the dollar-per-gallon tax incentive. But Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson - the ranking member of the House Ag Committee - said imported biodiesel has more to do with the EPA than with any tax credit. Peterson - appearing on the nationally syndicated Agri-Talk program Tuesday - said EPA rules eliminating sulphur from diesel had driven demand for biodiesel far beyond the domestic industry's current production capacity. Illinois Senator Barak Obama - also appearing on Agri-Talk - agreed with Peterson. Obama said that's why Congress should pass his bill creating a seperate Renewable Fuels Standard for soy biodiesel - a standard that would mandate two-billion gallons of domestic biodiesel use by 2015.

"Cuba Provisions Stripped from Treasury Spending Conference Bill"
Republican Congressional leaders have stripped language to ease ag trade to Cuba from a House-Senate conference report on the fiscal year 2006 treasury spending bill. The move came after President Bush threatened to veto any measure that would weaken the nearly 45-year-old economic embargo of Cuba. The move also is suspect from a procedural standpoint. Conference committees are supposed to reconcile differences between House and Senate bill. But because both the House and Senate versions of the treasury spending bill contained identical language on Cuba - conferees aren't technically supposed to be able to remove it. At issue are Treasury Department rules that essentially require Cuba to pay cash-in-advance for agricultural goods. Under a law passed in the year 2000 - Cuba was allowed to buy U.S. farm and medical goods on a cash-only basis. Cuba quickly became a top-25 customer of U.S. ag products. But since the Bush administration imposed the cash-in-advance rules in 2002 - ag trade with Cuba has flattened-out. While a majority of both chambers of Congress support further liberalizing agricultural trade with Cuba - political analysts say GOP leaders didn't want to risk a Presidential veto of the treasury spending bill. Analysts say the President's opposition is largely a nod to a small but politically powerful group of Cuban exiles who oppose any U.S. action that might help Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

"Harkin Calls on GAO to Evaluate USDA's NAIS Plan"
Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin wants the Government Accountability Office to take a closer look at the National Animal ID plan proposed by USDA. Harkin says the U.S. needs an identification system to contain and quickly eradicate animal diseases. But after two years of talks - USDA hasn't implemented a system - or even informed producers or state governments of the costs associated with such a system. In October - Harkin sent a letter to U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns - asking him to explain the potential costs of a national system - and justify USDA's plan for a private animal ID database. According to Harkin - the GAO report - which he requested Tuesday - will shed light on USDA's development of the National Animal ID System. USDA has issued a draft strategic plan - which outlines the time-frame for implementation of a fully operational system in the U.S. According to that plan - all premises and animals would be identified and registered in the system by January of 2008. Tracking the transportation and movement of animals would become mandatory by January 2009.

"Ag Committees Set to Talk Avian Influenza"
On Wednesday - the House Agriculture Committee holds a hearing on U.S. efforts to combat avian influenza. They'll hear from exactly one witness - Dr. Ron DeHaven - administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Last Friday - DeHaven reviewed USDA's role in dealing with bird flu at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting's Annual Convention in Kansas City. DeHaven - speaking at an NAFB Newsmaker Session - said USDA's efforts were focused on dealing with the most dangerous form of bird flu at its source in Southeast Asia. The Senate Ag Committee will host its own hearing on avian influenza on Thursday. In addition to DeHaven - Committee members will hear from a variety of additional witnesses including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Julie Gerberding - and Director of Health Services for Wayne Farms, LLC Dr. Don Waldrip - among others.

"U.S. Soy Still Number One on the Export Charts"
U.S. soybean producers are once again the world's top exporters and producers of soybeans. During the 2004-2005 marketing year - according to the United Soybean Board - the U.S. exported 1.1-billion bushels of soybeans - and meal and oil from an additional 259-million bushels of soybeans. USB says that's an increase from 888-million and 194-million bushels respectively. China - once again - was the top export market for U.S. soybeans - purchasing 435-million bushels. That represents an increase of more than 130-million bushels from the 2003-2004 marketing year. Mexico was the number one export market for U.S. soybean meal and oil. USB International Marketing Chair Benny Cooper says building U.s. soy's position in international markets is key to the continued success. That's one reason he says USB joined forces with the American Soybean Association to create the U.S. Soybean Export Council - or USSEC. And according to USSEC co-chairman Mark Pietz - to remain number one in the competitive global market - the U.S. soybean industry must build a brand preference for U.S. soybeans and soybean products. According to USB - there are a number of reasons to be excited about the future - including a 78-percent increase in U.S. soy oil exports last year alone - and the 55-percent market share of total soybeans consumed for food the U.S. enjoys. But to control the industry's future - Cooper says farmers must meet the demands of soybean customers. That means selecting varieties that hit 19 percent oil and 35 percent protein content - and funding technical consultants through the Soybean Checkoff.

"USW Applauds AWB Suspension"
U.S. Wheat Associates is applauding USDA's suspension of AWB Ltd - formerly the Australian Wheat Board - from participation in USDA export credit programs. U.S. Wheat Associates President Alan Tracy says the action protects the integrity of the U.S. program. The suspension follows a United Nations investigation that cites excessive payments made by the Australian Wheat Board - or AWB - to Saddam Hussein's regime under the UN Oil for Food Programme. According to the report - AWB accounted for more than 14-percent of illicit payments made to Iraq in connection with humanitarian purchases under Oil for Food. AWB is blaming U.S Wheat Associates for the suspension - according to an organization press release - and accuses U.S. Wheat of conducting unwarranted attacks on Australian farmers and the country's international trade interests. AWB claims they were deceived by Saddam. Tracy says U.S. Wheat finds it inconceivable that AWB executives were ignorant of the scheme. Still - AWB will have 30 days to respond to the suspension.

"Researchers Awarded $32M to Sequence Maize Genome"
A team of university and private lab researchers will get 32-million dollars from the federal government to sequence the corn genome. According to USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Joseph Jen - the knowledge will help researchers increase yields - reduce inputs - and develop more disease-resistant varieties. Beyond that - Jen says knowing the genetic sequence of corn will lead to the improvement of the growth and development of other crops like wheat and barley. USDA says the corn genome contains 50 to 60-thousand genes - and those genes are scattered among the 2.5-billion bases of DNA making up its 10 chromosomes. The human genome contains roughly 2.9-billion bases and around 26-thousand genes. According to lead investigator at Washington University Richard Wilson - that makes this sequencing effort comparable to sequencing the human genome. In fact - in some ways - Wilson says sequencing the corn genome will be harder than sequencing the human genome. Other researchers on the project are from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Iowa State University - University of Arizona - University of California, Berkeley - the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute - University of Georgia - and Stanford University. The 32-million in funding comes from from the National Science Foundation - USDA - and the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Nation's Cattlemen Support Removal of Grizzlies from ESA List"
Interior Secretary Gale Norton has proposed the removal of the greater Yellowstone population of grizzly bears from the federal endangered species List. That - according to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Public Lands Council - represents three decades of successful conservation efforts. Jim Magagna - a member of both NCBA and PLC from Wyoming - says the removal of a species from the list is a victory for conservation and for ranchers and landowners. He says the action could remove some restrictions on Wyoming, Montana and Idaho ranchers. Magagna says ranchers understand their role in species recovery efforts at the local level - and are eager to help - rather than face federal mandates that change the way they manage their herds. "USDA Offers Food Safety Tips for Thanksgiving" Thanksgiving is just around the corner - and USDA wants all consumers to remember food safety when preparing the all-important Turkey feast. Speaking to volunteers from the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. Tuesday - Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond explained USDA's four basic food safety messages - clean, separate, cook and chill. Dr. Raymond says consumers can prevent foodborne illness during the holidays by washing hands and surfaces often - avoiding cross-contamination of raw meats and poultry with cooked foods - cooking to a safe temperature - and refrigerating or freezing promptly.

©2005 NAFB News Service. All rights reserved

Missouri Beef Update

Dawn Thurneau, Director of Communications at the Missouri Beef Industry Council, visited with me this week about a cooking school the beef checkoff is helping sponsor in Maryville, Missouri later this week.

Missouri Farm Bureau Conference Call

Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse held a conference call with farm broadcasters Tom Brand (KFEQ), Tom Steever (Brownfield Network), John Herrath (AgriTalk) and L.J. Duke (KTTS) this morning to discuss the first day of the Missouri Ag Summit held in Jefferson City yesterday. President Kruse covered issues from energy and ethanol to the extension of the 2002 Farm Bill and the World Trade Organization ministerial.

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.

©2005 NAFB News Service. All rights reserved.