 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat |
|||||||||
U.S. SENATE MINORITY LEADER TOM DASCHLE EXPECTS THE SENATE TO APPROVE CHINA PNTR
PUSH FOR CHINA PNTR PASSAGE IN THE SENATE The letter outlined the tremendous benefit and access to China's vast market that U.S. farmers, workers and businesses will gain once China
joins the WTO. It also highlighted China's compliance to the 1999 Agreement on U.S. China Agricultural Cooperation, which has allowed meat, wheat and citrus products into China. NAWG President Terry Detrick responded
to this effort on China PNTR that was launched in the Senate immediately following passage in the House, "The wheat industry was so pleased with the success in the House on China PNTR, particularly those who stood
by us from the very beginning. We are confident that the Senate will vote in favor of China PNTR, we just hope that this vote comes sooner rather than later."
APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE In the House, debate over unilateral U.S. sanctions against Cuba has stalled any progress.
NAWG, WETEC and other agriculture organizations strongly support lifting the sanctions on food and medicine. However, several key House leaders oppose the measure.
A LOOK AT THE WHEAT MARKET by Jeremy Zwinger SUPPLY AND DEMAND ESTIMATES: being down 3% due to production level and increased exports. World wheat
production is projected down 2% this year although output by the five major producers is predicted up due to a large expected EU crop. Specifically, projected global 2000/01wheat production is 4.6 MMT below
last month's prediction as reductions for China, Eastern Europe, the United States, and Ukraine more than offset a higher Pakistan crop. The US predicted share of world stocks has increased for the fifth straight year
to a record level of 20.7% from a low of 8% in 95-96 marketing year. The US ending stocks levels are a striking contrast to the historic record low World stock-to-use ratio of 17.8%. Economic analysis has shown
that there is a powerful inverse relationship between stocks to use ratio and price levels with the lowest previous stock-to-use in 95-96 at 19.6% with price levels at historic highs. The one major contrast
from 95-96 year is the large level of ending stocks held by the five major exporting countries today with the US and the EU making up the largest share. The US ending stocks have gone from 10.2 MMT to
22.0 MMT and the EU has gone from 11.1 MMT to 17.0 MMT from 95/96 to 00/01. Overall global stocks are forecast to fall to near 20-year lows (except for 95-96) with consumption expected to exceed production for a third
consecutive year. The significant effect on world price by the large US share of world stocks cannot be understated and should be watched very closely as the possibility of market violability increases with lower world
reserves. Other major highlights in the report include: World Production is predicted at 575.8 MMT a reduction of 10.9 MMT from last year, World consumption is predicted to decline by 1.9 MMT to 595.4 MMT
with consumption being 19.6 MMT greater than production, World trade is predicted up 1.6 MMT to 106.3 MMT, World ending stocks are predicted down 19.6 MMT to 106.3 MMT, US ending stocks are predicted down 2.9 MMT to
22.0 MMT, US production is predicted down 2.5 MMT to 60.2 MMT, and US Exports are predicted up 1.0 MMT to 30.6 MMT. MARKET HIGHLIGHTS Attention should also be given to the success or failure of the monsoon season effect on food crops in India during the summer of 2000. U.S. Wheat Associates is the industry's export market development
organization, representing wheat producers in 19 states.
TODAY IN WASHINGTON Good Morning, On the Senate floor today will be the FY2001
Transportation Approps bill (the House passed its version of the bill last month). While not normally a NAWG target, the Senate bill (reported by the Committee yesterday) contains one piece of policy language that
is important to wheat producers a prohibition against the new rules concerning drive and rest times for truckers proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The proposed rules would require
anyone driving a truck to drive less and rest more (even during harvest). The FMCSA has extended the comment period until the end of October, but the Senate language would just kill the rule all together.
The House bill does not contain similar language.
USDA ANNOUNCES MARKET ACCESS
PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FOR FY 2000
EPA OFFICIALS GET FARM PERSPECTIVE IN
June 12, 2000 Contact: David Torgerson, MAWG Executive Director, What role do pesticides have in controlling grain dockage? How do farmers diagnose and treat specific weed problems? Officials
from the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. have a better understanding of these issues and others relating to production agriculture in North Dakota and Minnesota, after participating recently in an
environmental tour of the northern Red River Valley. Four officials with the EPA participated: Kathleen Knox, associate director of the biopesticides and pollution prevention division; Pat Cimino, minor crops team
leader; Mark Howard, special review and registration division; and Kathy Davis, chief of the herbicide and insecticide branch. "We have all visited farms before, but this is the first time in North Dakota, and your
issues are completely different than in other areas of the country," said Davis. "There's a variety of crops grown here. We thought it would be of narrower scope. There's also a diversity of pesticide application
methods. We were impressed with the sophistication of application equipment on this tour, and gratified to see the use of reusable containers." The group toured commercial chemical handling facilities, as well as a
pasta plant. They flew in an airplane ride with a crop duster, and walked through canola fields for a better understanding of the need for crop protectant products on minor use crops. They participated in an
environmental issues roundtable discussion that included producers, industry representatives, crop scientists, and North Dakota's Chemical Harmonization Committee, established by the legislature to address different
pesticide laws and costs in North Dakota compared to Canada. They observed different pesticide application methods, and spent time with host families on their farms. David Torgerson, executive director of the
Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, said that the "E-Tour" helps educate federal regulators about environmental issues from the farmer's perspective. "And when they return to Washington, D.C., they have more of a
personal connection with how our nation's environmental laws affect family farms in the Northern Plains," said Torgerson. The MAWG joined the North Dakota Grain Growers Association in organizing the E-Tour.
MORE U.S. DROUGHTS, FLOODS SEEN FROM GLOBAL WARMING U.S. coastal communities and mountain areas
will see some of the biggest changes, while Kansas and other south-central states may have to stop growing wheat and adopt crops that thrive in hotter temperatures, the report said. North Texas farmers may be able
to switch from growing wheat to other crops relatively cheaply, while water managers in mountain areas will have a more difficult time figuring out how to deal with flooding earlier in the season "The impacts of
climate change will be significant for Americans," the report said. While some specific regions and areas will be hard hit, the overall economic impact for the nation would be modest, it said.
The draft report was posted on the Internet at
RECORD YOUR ROTATION AND CHEMICAL COSTS TO MAXIMIZE
PROFITABILITY Denise McWilliams
WHEAT DISEASE FORECASTING SYSTEM Leonard Francl |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||