The 2011 crop loan rate differentials for upland and extra long staple cotton were released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The differentials are calculated based on market valuations of various cotton quality factors for the prior three years. The 2011-crop differential schedules are applied to loan rates of 52.00 cents per pound for the base grade of upland cotton and 79.77 cents per pound for ELS cotton. View loan rate tables.

E-coli is not likely to contaminate the internal structure of leafy greens and increase the incidence of foodborne illnesses, according to a study by the USDA Agricultural Research Center. The study tracked the pathogen’s journey from the field to baby spinach plants. Although E-coli cells were capable of migrating into the roots of the plants, it was not taken up into the plants interior structures. Read more.

The first 60 products to carry the USDA BioPreferred label were unveiled yesterday. The products, which range from hand soaps to engine oils, are composed of agricultural ingredients and are certified to meet the standards for biobased content set by USDA. "When consumers see the BioPreferred label in a store, they'll know that the product or its packaging is made from renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials," said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. According to Merrigan, biobased products add value to commodities, create jobs in rural communities and increases U.S. energy independence. Learn more.

Senate Ag Committee Bans Hidden Videos on Farms
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a bill yesterday, making it difficult for individuals to get hired on a farm for the purpose of secretly recording what they feel is the mistreatment of animals. The bill makes it illegal to record and distribute video and punishes those who accept jobs on farms for the purpose of accessing animal treatment records. Violators could face up to five years in prison or fines of up to $7,500. Read more (Associated Press).

U.S. farmers expect to plant 7.9 million more acres this year than in 2010, according to the USDA Prospective Planting report released today. The overall increase is higher than last year, yet 1.21 million acres below 2008 totals. Corn planting leads the way with an additional 3.99 million acres than 2010 figures, followed by 3.89 million more wheat acres and 1.59 million more cotton acres. South Dakota boasts the largest increase in corn-planted acres, with an additional 850,000 acres. Meanwhile, Texas will see a 150,000 decrease in planted corn acres due to an increase in cotton acres. View the report.

USDA has awarded a $9 million grant to the University of California Riverside to study a disease that causes $7 billion in crop losses annually. Phytophthora infestans, which causes late blight, is a fungus-like microbe that attacks potato and tomato crops. The grant is the third largest received by the university and will be used over a five-year period to help farmers identify the disease more quickly and treat it more effectively. Read more (The Press-Enterprise).

Lawmakers are concerned that a phrase in a government report is giving the wrong impression. The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report predicted that 4.95 billion bushels of corn will be used for ethanol production this crop year. The figure equals 40 percent of last year’s crop, which gives opponents grounds for telling the government to stop sacrificing food for fuel. But several politicians say the report is incomplete because the 40 percent includes animal feed that is a byproduct of ethanol production, therefore overstating the amount of corn used to create the alternative fuel. Read more (Financial Times).