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Crop Estimates Could Have Mixed Results on Market
Crop production estimates released Friday by USDA
could have mixed results on the markets, according to analysts.
USDA projected total wheat production nationwide
at 2.4 billion bushels, which if realized would be a 16 percent increase
compared to last year.
"The
wheat numbers are bearish, beans are bullish, and corn is stuck in the middle,”
said Dale Durchholz, market analyst with AgriVisor.
“This report looks a little bearish for corn and
wheat. Beans are very, very
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Strong Farm Bill Vote Needed to Battle Veto Threat
U.S. House-Senate conferees have reached a final
farm bill agreement that boosts nutrition spending, trims farm direct payments,
and according to Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson offers "a foot in the door"
toward revenue-based income support.
Nelson Friday called the agreement, possibly up
for a vote Wednesday, "somewhat of a victory for us," despite a purported $60
billion reduction in total funding over the 2002 farm bill budget.
Nelson noted elimination of stringent
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Alfalfa Watch
Alfalfa fields in far southern
Illinois have passed the optimum date for harvest and some harvesting has
occurred between rains. "Some
harvest was completed earlier this week in Region 4 (south of 1-70 and north of
I-64)," says U of I dairy educator Dave Fischer. He says alfalfa weevil is
continuing to damage fields and recommends harvest as soon as conditions allow.Fischer says harvest across
central Illinois should begin May 15-17, with the remainder of the state showing
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Struggling Scott SWCD to close doors May 2
A
freeze on state ag funding has taken its toll on the Scott County Soil and
Water Conservation District (SWCD), which plans to close May 2. Last
week, the county SWCD board
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Premises ID numbers not required for 2008 fair livestock exhibitors
Livestock
exhibitors will not need a premises identification number to show in 2008
Illinois 4-H, FFA, and county fairs and the Illinois State Fair, according to
an Illinois Department of
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House rejects governor's proposal to reorganize agencies, authorities
The
Illinois House last week rejected Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposal to combine
parts of about 20 state agencies and authorities. His plan also is meeting
opposition in the Senate.
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Ag groups speak against state funding cuts
Two
young 4-H members afraid they won’t have opportunities to learn; a farmer
concerned about the future of soil and water conservation; a 30-year Extension
employee not sure if she would
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Study finds flavored milk beneficial to children's diets
The
consumption of milk in any form, whether it’s 2 percent, skim, or flavored, is
more beneficial to children’s diets than drinking no milk at all, according to
a recent study.
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Renewable fuels development faces climate, drought threats
With growing
world pressure to curb corn-based biofuels growth, ag groups are concerned
about a possible administration effort to curb long-term ethanol mandates. The Bush
administration last week
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House action doesn't mean Colombia vote out
Taking the
Colombian free trade agreement (FTA) off the clock doesn’t mean the deal is off
the table, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) trade specialist Danita
Murray emphasized
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State, local officials wary of regulatory consequences
State
and local officials fear expanded federal oversight of ditches and prairie
potholes could create a dangerously slippery slope for farmers and communities
alike. A wide
range
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Soy cancer research continues around globe
While Northwestern University mouse trials suggest a soy-healthy diet might prevent
prostate cancer, soyfoods advocates such as Nancy Chapman are more eager to see
results in
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Schafer: More corn acres could ease pressure
Ag
Secretary Ed Schafer acknowledged last week “the global food situation is a
very real problem” and he believes American farmers will respond. Schafer
last week during a visit to
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Dietician: Don't cut milk from diet
Reducing or
even eliminating milk from the diet is not a good answer to rising dairy
prices, according to a registered dietician. Jennifer
DeHoog of the St. Louis District Dairy Council
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Loss of technology could drive up milk prices
Large food
retailers such as Wal-Mart and Kroger recently began purchasing milk produced
only from cows not treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) because
of reported consumer
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Reopening of Korean market may bolster prices
U.S. cattle producers, who have been hit hard with higher
feed and energy costs, late last week received a potential double-dose of good
news. U.S.
Trade Representative Susan
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State to update natural areas data, landowners' permission needed
Illinois plans to update a 30-year-old
inventory of natural areas across the state; however, landowners’ permission
will be required for assessment to be done on private property, according
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Demand for fertilizer could keep pressure on prices
Illinois farmers this season should be able
to source potash and phosphate despite increased global demand for fertilizer. However,
prices for many fertilizer products likely will
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Renewable fuels help improve profitability
By
Mark DehnerEach day we
are inundated with stories about energy. It’s a front-of-mind issue, which puts
it on the front page of newspapers, at the top of radio and television
broadcasts, and on
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Perspective -- Things with lost of legs
Each year, many residents notice the “curled-up
remains of insect-like critters with lots of legs.” Each year, they ask the
same question about these insects: “Can they hurt plants in the
--More
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