020700




	News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers for Monday, February 7, 2000

	ADM REVERSES POSITION ON GMO CROPS Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) said this week it would not refuse genetically modified grains, reversing a warning it made to its grain suppliers last September to segregate crops.... CNH plans to reduce its workforce by 20%, or 7,000 jobs, by 2002, as part of the Case-New Holland merger strategy, Reuters reported.... Agrium, Canada's second-largest fertilizer producer and North America's largest nitrogen fertilizer producer, reported a 68% decline in fourth-quarter profits, blaming low product margins, depressed prices and weak demand from farmers.... AGCO reported net sales of $597.7 million and a net loss of $11.9 million for the fourth quarter 1999.... Follow the latest agribusiness updates in @g News: http://email.agriculture.com/cgi-bin/flo?x=dEguYBKAhwBmBuA $4.00 PER ACRE AG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR 2000 Minnesota Senate includes Targeted Agriculture Assistance in Tax Rebate bill. The Minnesota Senate has introduced a tax rebate bill similar to last year. Included in the bill is a $4.00 per acre payment similar to last year, however it is targeted to only the hardest hit counties in Minnesota. Last year the $4.00 per acre payment was made to the entire state. The current bill targets it to only the counties that were declared Presidential Disaster counties or Presidential Contiguous counties. These counties include Kittson, Roseau, Marshall,Lake of the Woods, Koochiching, Beltrami Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Clearwater, Norman, Mahnomen, Clay Becker, Wilkin, Ottertail, Traverse, Todd, Wadena, St. Louis, Mower, Mille Lacs, Lake, Kanabec, Itasca, Hubbard, Freeborn, Crow Wing Cook, Cass, Carlton and Aitkin. Last year these counties received a total of $21.5 million dollars from the state $4.00 per acre assistance program. Currently, the Minnesota House has not offer a similar assistance program to agriculture. PAKISTAN SAYS NO WHEAT IMPORTS THROUGH JUNE Pakistan's ag minister said his government does not plan to import any more wheat during the rest of this fiscal year (ending in June), despite approval to import 700,000 metric tons, Reuters reports. Pakistan has 1.6 million metric tons already imported, or scheduled for import, this year. Most of that (1.2 mmt) is from Australia, and the rest is from the U.S. The news is devastating for both the U.S. and Australian wheat industries, analysts said. The ag minister said the government has authorized importation of an additional 700,000 metric tons, but only in case it was needed. "That approval is there, but we are not going to use it," the minister said. (Agdayta.com) RUSSIA DONATION AGREEMENTS US officials report progress and expect to sign off soon on the final language of agreements which call for the US to donate 500 TMT of food aid and 20 TMT of planting seeds to Russia. They have already agreed to terms on the planting seeds, but remain at task on the food aid portion. Included in the 500 TMT of food aid is 300 TMT of milling wheat and 200 TMT of mixed commodities. Senior USDA officials indicate they expect to sign off on the entire deal within a week. CANADIAN OILSEED PROCESSORS OPT FOR ACCEPTING GM CROPS The Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA), whose industry members process primarily canola and soybeans, announced that they'll "process oilseeds grown from varieties approved by the federal government, including both genetically enhanced and non-genetically enhanced seed." The association said it maintains the "sound science" approach to GM varieties of oilseeds. A unified front for Canadian processors means that users who want soyoil or canola oil from non-GM crops will need to work with smaller processors who keep crops identity-preserved from farm to processor. There'll be procedures for doing that: Cargill is planning a North American system of identity-preserved on-farm storage. (Profarmer.com) AN INTRODUCTION TO DANISH AGRICULTURE Correspondent Jesper Jack Nielsen debuts on @gWorldwide this week with two articles about Danish agriculture. He introduces Danish agriculture with some basic facts that make it unique. "The average Danish farm has acreage of 114.5 acres (45.8 hectares)," says Nielsen. "These may sound like very small operations compared to the average in the US, but actually Danish farms are big compared to rest of the countries in the European Union." Key ag exports include well-known Danish pork, grass seeds and dairy. In his second column, Nielsen reports on Agromek, a large farm machinery show held recently, where he saw a milking robot demonstration. "There is no doubt that such systems will proliferate because of increasing lack of farm labor." Read his articles: http://email.agriculture.com/cgi-bin/flo?x=dEguKEuEowmhEmug