A resurvey of farmers and their unharvested corn and soybeans resulted in USDA lowering its crop estimates for 2009. Corn was down 20 million bushels but still remains at record levels with a total of 13.1 billion bushels, according to the USDA March crop report. Analysts lowered the marketing year average corn price forecast by 20 cents based on the news. Soybeans also were down 2 million bushels to a little more than 3.3 million bushels; however, prices remained unchanged. Review the report. (USDA Daily Radio News)

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Ziebach County in South Dakota has been designated a natural disaster area by the USDA due to the effects of freezing rain, snow, excessive rain, high winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and grasshopper infestation. Several other counties that are contiguous to Ziebach also were listed as disaster areas and qualify for emergency loans and other programs from the Farm Service Agency to help recover losses. Learn more.

USDA has designated 98 counties in Georgia as natural disaster areas due to excessive rainfall that began last September and has continued through the first quarter of 2010. Counties affected by the rainfall experienced the loss of several field crops including corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans. Forty-five other contiguous counties in Georgia as well as Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee also have been declared disaster areas and qualify for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Learn more.

The latest global crop supply and price forecast to be released Wednesday will show some interesting numbers, according to USDA Board Chairman Gerry Bange. Due to a slow harvest last year, the National Agricultural Statistics Service went back and resurveyed farmers to include some of the crops that had not been harvested. Those numbers will be totaled with world supply and demand, the global economy and come up with a final price forecast.

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Staying true to his mission to revive rural America, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that utilities in seven states will receive funding through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program to create jobs and new business opportunities. “Providing community development assistance, education, training and technical support to the residents of rural communities is critical to the Obama administration’s efforts to build a strong and sustainable economy,” said Vilsack. Learn more.

The appeal for locally grown fruits and vegetables has made it possible for new farmers to get started without the huge costs or 1,000 acres of land. Iowa residents Matt Russell and Patrick Standley own a 110-acre farm they bought five years ago and market produce, eggs and meat in the Des Moines area. Read more or learn more about FSA beginning farmers loans.

Indiana Hoosiers were recently motivated to check out what the Farm Service Agency has to offer during the Midwest Women in Ag Conference in Indianapolis. FSA State Executive Director Julia Wickard outlined programs offered by the agency and discussed the overall goals and visions of FSA. (Farm World). Read more or learn more about FSA programs.

USDA will issue about $121 million in partial 2009-crop counter-cyclical payments to producers with upland cotton and peanut base acres. The announcement, made today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, applies to producers enrolled in USDA’s Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment program. Final 2008-crop counter-cyclical payments for long grain rice and short and medium grain rice will not be issued because their average market prices exceeded levels that would trigger these payments. Learn more.