Nine counties in Montana have been designated as natural disaster areas by the USDA due to heavy freeze and cold weather that occurred Oct. 8-14, 2009. These counties along with several contiguous counties qualify for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Other contiguous counties in Idaho, North Dakota and Wyoming also qualify. View the qualifying counties.
A charter school in Kansas has fully incorporated agriculture into its classroom, and with the change the school has seen an increase in enrollment and a decrease in absences and discipline problems. By using farm animals, a garden, a greenhouse and other agricultural tools, students at Walton Rural Life Center learn everything from math and science to reading and art. (The Wichita Eagle) Read more.
Dairy producers may see some relief in 2010 after a devastating year in 2009. According to USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber, most dairy farmers were losing money, forced into bankruptcy or went out of business last year. “That now looks like it is improving,” said Glauber.”Barring a large run up in food prices, I think dairy farmers should see some recovery this year.” He added that milk prices are forecasted to go up to $16.75 cwt this year, which is close to prices seen in 2008.
USDA has designated five counties in Maine as primary disaster areas due to several weather-related disasters. Farmers and ranchers in Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset Counties as well as several contiguous counties are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Read more.
Another county in Wyoming has been designated a disaster area by USDA. Farm operators in Platte County and several counties contiguous to Platte are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency due to hailstorms that occurred during the 2009 crop year. Big Horn and Park Counties also were named disaster areas due to a freeze that occurred last October. Learn more.
Big Horn and Park Counties in Wyoming have been designated primary natural disaster areas by the USDA due to a freeze that occurred last October. Several contiguous counties as well as nearby counties in Montana also qualify for natural disaster assistance. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months to apply for Farm Service Agency low interest emergency loans. Read more.
USDA and the United States Trade Representative issued a joint statement yesterday expressing disappointment with the decision by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to bar the import of certain U.S. beef and beef products. In the statement, Deputy United States Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis and Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Miller noted concern over Taiwan’s action to place domestic politics over science. “This action will also undermine Taiwan’s credibility as a responsible trading partner and will make it more challenging for us to conclude future agreements to expand and strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties,” the statement said.
Amended rules to the Farm Service Agency payment programs have modified the term “actively engaged” to assist smaller, family-run operations. In a radio interview, FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess said he heard from producers that current regulations don't work and create negative outcomes for small farms. The modifications apply to FSA Direct and Counter-Cyclical and Adjusted Crop Revenue Election programs.
St. Louis will host a tri-state roundtable discussion sponsored by USDA that will give residents and business owners in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois an opportunity to discuss how to accelerate job growth in rural America. The forum will be held Jan. 9 in connection with the Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch hotel. Read more.
The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for January 2010. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.375 percent, unchanged from December 2009, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and marketing assistance loans dispersed in January 2010 is 1.375 percent, also unchanged from December 2009. Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans and discount rates for the Tobacco Transition Payment Program also are available. Learn more.
