Crop estimate drops 6 percent
Estimated U.S. cotton production for 1999 dropped 6 percent
for October in the wake of drought in the center of the cotton belt, untimely
rain in the High Plains and hurricane damage in the Atlantic states. The
crop is now forecast at 16.4 million bales. That number is still up 18
percent from 1998's crop and represents the 10th-largest cotton crop on
record. Yield is expected to average 588 pounds per harvested acre, down
37 pounds from last year.
Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Oklahoma all had lower estimates. Hurricane Floyd resulted in a significant decrease in yield potential for North Carolina, in addition to a large number of flooded acres that could not be harvested. Altogether, North Carolina expects to lose 400,000 bales to damage from the storm. Arkansas' estimate of harvested acreage was increased.
CRP payments to top $1.3 billion
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman last week announced
payments of more than $1.3 billion to eligible producers under the Conservation
Reserve Program. The program will pay an average of $5,000 per farm and
$45.15 per acre on more than 400,000 contracts and 270,000 farms.
"I have directed these payments be issued as soon as possible to our nation's farmers and ranchers, many of whom are suffering from the worst agricultural crisis in a decade," Glickman said.
Under the CRP, producers voluntarily retire environmentally sensitive land for 10 to 15 years. In return, USDA's Commodity Credit Corp. makes annual rental payments to producers and shares the cost of establishing approved conservation practices. Enrolled land must be highly erodible, contribute to a serious water quality problem, or provide substantial environmental benefits if devoted to certain specific conservation uses.
Glickman also announced last week that CRP general sign-up will be held during the four-week period Jan. 18-Feb. 11, 2000, in USDA local service centers.
"This is an opportunity for farmers and landowners to participate in a cost-effective, voluntary program to improve their land, water, and wildlife resources and lock in a multiyear payment based on local rental rates," Glickman said. "It is also an opportunity for participants with contracts expiring next fall to make new contract offers."
USDA will continue to evaluate and rank eligible CRP offers using an Environmental Benefits Index, which is based on the potential environmental benefits gained from enrolling the land in the CRP. Decisions on the EBI cutoff will be made after sign-up ends.
Additional CRP information can be obtained on the world wide web at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crpinfo.htm
New way to freeze out weevils?
Japanese scientists are experimenting with a microbial
pesticide that could freeze boll weevils and other overwintering pests
from the inside out.
It takes a bitterly cold winter to reduce a population
of overwintering boll weevils. That's because
not only are the insects insulated in their earthen dens,
their body fluids act like anti-freeze. They are resistant to cold, so
it takes very low temperatures to make them freeze. The new research, according
to an article in Japan Chemical Week's Sept. 16 edition, introduces ice-nucleation
bacteria that overcome the insects' freeze-resistance.
"Ice-nucleation bacteria sprayed onto leaves on which insects feed become established in the insects' intestines and multiply there. Then, when the winter temperature falls below a certain level, the moisture in the insects' intestines begins to freeze, triggering freezing of the body fluids," the article says.
The group studied larvae of the mulberry pyralid, a pest on mulberries which hibernates in larva form. The bacteria must reside in the intestine at high density for at least three months after ingestion, according to the article.
Oct. 21
Cotton by the numbers
The U.S. cotton crop keeping track with last year in
maturity, but is a little behind in harvesting, according to USDA's Crop
Progress report for Oct. 18. The crop is ahead of the five-year average,
however.
Across the Cotton Belt, 95 percent of the crop had bolls opening as of Oct. 17. That figure is the same as last year on the same date, but five points ahead of the five-year average. Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee all had 100 percent of their crops with bolls opening.
Louisiana is closest to having the crop to the gin, with 92 percent harvested. Missouri has 90 percent harvested, while Mississippi has harvested 86 percent of its crop. The next closest state is Tennessee, with 75 percent harvested. After that, harvesting falls off precipitously. Alabama, with 52 percent harvested, is far behind the drought-stricken Midsouth. North Carolina, with much of its crop flooded, has managed to harvest only 10 percent.
Ginning is running ahead of the three previous years, according to USDA's Oct. 8 Cotton Ginnings report, indicating a large, early crop. As of Oct. 1, more than 2.7 million bales had been ginned, some 650,000 bales ahead of the same date last year and more than twice the number for that date in 1997. A total of 16.4 million bales is expected to be produced this season, according to the latest crop estimate.
Nearly half the cotton ginned so far has come from Texas
-- 1,150,050 bales. Mississippi has ginned 474,050 bales; Louisiana, 277,700;
Arkansas, 335,700; Missouri, 135,700; and Tennessee, 152,800.
Arkansas gets disaster aid
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on Monday declared
all 75 Arkansas counties agricultural disaster areas because of losses
caused by this year’s drought.
The designation makes low-interest USDA loans available to farmers in these counties as well as contiguous counties in adjacent states, to cover losses from excessive heat and drought. This designation makes all family-sized farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability, and other eligibility requirements.
Oct. 29
Ag spending bill provides $8.7 billion in aid
Disaster assistance checks for farmers will be mailed
in two to three weeks, according to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.
Funding for the bail-out is contained in the 2000 ag appropriations law
that President Clinton signed Friday. The new law provides $8.7 billion
in emergency farm aid and allows producers to collect their anticipated
yearly transition payments immediately.
Clinton advisors were said to be unhappy about provisions in the bill that would provide aid to large farms and landowners "who don't need the money," according to an Associated Press report. Glickman said the administration hoped to find an alternative that would target family-size farms.
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