Charles Abbott

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – U.S. agriculture secretary Ann Veneman is on the road frequently this fall, often in states vital to president George Bush’s re-election, talking about rising U.S. demand for corn-based ethanol and the certainty of another year of high farm income. The speeches at farm implement shows and county fairs highlight the resurgent […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – World grain stockpiles are shrinking to their smallest level in 23 years, which could affect prices if next season’s crop falters, says the head of a U.S.-based think-tank. Declines were largest in China, where stocks have fallen by 132 million tonnes since the 1999 harvest, said Lester Brown, an economist and head […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Shocking” planting intentions from a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey released March 31 buoyed wheat and corn futures and weakened soybean futures. “Rarely do we get a USDA report that catches everyone leaning in the wrong direction, but we have that this morning,” said Dan Basse, president of research firm AgResource Co. […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The new session of the U.S. Congress, which convened on Jan. 7, is expected to be confronted by farm groups seeking $5.9 billion US in aid to offset crop and livestock losses in 2001 and 2002 despite losing leverage over lawmakers. Last year, the then-Democratic led Senate approved the aid as an […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The four largest American meat packers feed or hold contracts on one-third of the cattle they slaughter – a far larger portion than thought, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report. The updated figure for captive supply could heighten demands for Congress to ban packer ownership of livestock. Last month, […] Read more

RENO, Nevada – The U.S. Congress will need to provide a multibillion-dollar farm bailout if it fails to enact a new farm subsidy law in time to cover this year’s crops, says the president of the largest United States farm group. Although the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to fatten crop supports by about […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New voices are assuming ascendancy in the debate over United States farm subsidies, with urban lawmakers pushing for increased conservation spending at the expense of crop funding. With U.S. farm policy up for one of its periodic overhauls by Congress, conservation has taken centre stage in the fight for the billions of […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Farmers in the United States need a new farm program that offers higher crop supports, stores 20 percent of the crop and idles cropland to head off surpluses, says the National Farmers Union. American NFU president Leland Swenson laid out the plan at a House of Representatives agriculture committee hearing on potential […] Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) — The United States is monitoring “ongoing weaknesses in the farm economy,” agriculture secretary Ann Veneman says, but it is too early to prepare a farm rescue package. “We will work with Congress to assess further needs for farm assistance and will take other appropriate measures, such as pursuing an aggressive trade […] Read more