March 9, 2007

Commentary

Skyrocketing health care costs: The tail that's wagging the dog

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, Hembree Brandon

The U.S. government pays more, per person, for health care than any government in the world, including Canada, Great Britain, and other countries that...

Issues

Growers keeping wary eye on markets as planters roll

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, Forrest Laws

And so the Mid-South's grand experiment begins. As this is being written, farmers are loading planters to put in what might be the largest corn crop the...

Articles

Allenberg's Nicosia: Corn should help cotton prices

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Elton Robinson Farm Press Editorial Staff erobinson@farmpress.com

Mid-South farmers are finally seeing the price advantage in producing a crop for a big, strong domestic market. While the crop is corn and the market...

Pucheu challenges farm bill

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Forrest Laws Farm Press Editorial Staff flaws@farmpress.com

The Bush administration's farm bill proposals have attracted a considerable amount of attention from the national media and environmental groups. But...

KSU's Flinchbaugh: Farm bills have done what intended

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Forrest Laws Farm Press Editorial Staff flaws@farmpress.com

Barry Flinchbaugh leaves little doubt where his loyalties lie when the wizened gnome of Manhattan gives one of his two-hour tours de force on the past,...

Weed resistance

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

An article on weed resistance in the March 2 Delta Farm Press said growers can apply glyphosate plus Sequence to control heavy infestations of Palmer...

NCC says Geneva meetings bode ill for U.S. cotton industry

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Forrest Laws Farm Press Editorial Staff flaws@farmpress.com

National Cotton Council leaders have looked at a schedule of upcoming WTO events and decided they do not bode well for U.S. cotton. The NCC says the WTO...

With 2007 cotton crop: Bale committee emphasizes uniformity

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

The Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee (JCIBPC), conducting its 40th annual meeting in Memphis, has agreed that increased emphasis should...

Variable-rate applications could strengthen cotton profits

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Elton Robinson Farm Press Editorial Staff erobinson@farmpress.com

Variable-rate applications of fertilizer nitrogen on cotton may one day help green up grower pocketbooks, provided producers have a good handle on soil...

With state congressmen Farm bill aired at Louisiana forum

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Bruce Schultz LSU AgCenter bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu

Louisiana farmers aired their concerns at a recent Farm Day Forum called by Congressmen Charles Boustany of Lafayette and Charles Melancon of Napoleonville...

Ag contributes much to Arkansas economy

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

Agriculture accounts for 20 cents of every dollar generated in the Arkansas economy, according to a research report from the University of Arkansas Division...

Two Southern senators outline ideas for writing new farm bill

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By David Bennett Farm Press Editorial Staff dbennett@farmpress.com

Speaking before a friendly Southern audience at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., U.S. senators Blanche Lincoln and Saxby...

Kellogg's acceptance could boost Jupiter rice

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Bruce Schultz LSU AgCenter bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu

An acreage increase for the medium-grain rice variety Jupiter is likely this year now that it has obtained acceptance by the cereal company Kellogg's....

NCC policy group briefed on federal farm programs

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

At the National Cotton Council's recent annual meeting in Austin, Texas, 12 participants of the NCC Policy Education Program were briefed by Council staff...

Cost per fish Calculate feed for stocker catfish

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Larry Dorman Arkansas Extension Fisheries Specialist

One common practice utilized by catfish producers to increase production is to include some stocker size fish, 0.1 pound and larger, when stocking fingerlings....

Cottonseed meal comes full circle

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

As a burgeoning biodiesel industry continues its binge on U.S. vegetable oil production, including oil pressed from cottonseed, one processor has demonstrated...

NCC lists market access goals for U.S. Trade Representative

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

The National Cotton Council has responded to requests by the US Trade Representative for a list of market access priorities. As follow up to a meeting...

Clearfield 131 rice not allowed to be planted in Arkansas

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By David Bennett Farm Press Editorial Staff dbennett@farmpress.com

In a continuing effort to purge GM traits from the rice industry, the Arkansas State Plant Board has banned the rice variety Clearfield 131. The measure...

Corn becoming golden crop for many Mississippi farmers

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Bonnie Coblentz MSU Ag Communications agcommnews@ext.msstate.edu

Corn has become a very attractive crop in Mississippi, thanks mostly to the growing demand for corn-derived ethanol, an alternative fuel. Erick Larson,...

Jamie Jenkins named Tennessee FSA director

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

Jamie H. Jenkins has been appointed to serve as FSA state executive director for Tennessee. Jamie Jenkins' strong background in education and agricultural...

Demand not being met Opportunity exists for quality beef

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Miranda Reiman Industry Information Specialist Certified Angus Beef

It's a challenge to grow demand when the supply is limited. According to Randy Blach, Cattle-Fax vice president, the beef industry puts its future in...

Questions about CL 131 rice making choices more difficult

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Ford L. Baldwin Practical Weed Consultants, LLC. ford@weedconsultants.com

At my age I should not be wishing for time to move faster. However, I certainly will be glad when the upcoming rice crop is in the ground, which, I hope,...

Beltwide recordings

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

Participants in the 2007 Beltwide Cotton Conferences can access conference presentations via the Confex Podium Service. Oral presentations recorded with...

In 2006 crop: Cotton producers improve quality

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

U.S. cotton producers grew a longer, stronger fiber in 2006 and produced the highest percentage in five years at base quality or better, according to...

Scholarship honors Robert Williams

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM

A new endowed scholarship at Mississippi State University honors an agricultural economist with more than 40 years of service to the university and the...

Specialty crop producers take part in farm bill discussions

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Harry Cline Farm Press Editorial Staff hcline@farmpress.com

Modesto, Calif., was the last place Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns expected a standing-room-only crowd for the Bush administration's traveling...

Brazil ramps up investment to improve biodiesel industry

Mar 9, 2007 12:00 PM, By Jose Sergio Osse Freelance writer

Brazil, already a world leader in biofuel usage through its 25-year-old ethanol fuel program, has recently invested an additional $7 billion in the development...