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News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat |
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GLICKMAN DECLARES AGRICULTURAL DISASTER IN 216 COUNTIES IN GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND FLORIDA "The devastating effects of last year's historic drought continue to plague many states again
this year," said Glickman. "USDA is working to help farmers and ranchers hit hardest by these conditions." Glickman's disaster declaration covers all of Georgia's 159 counties, 39 of South Carolina's 46
counties and 18 new counties in Florida, bringing the total disaster counties to 59 of the states's 67 counties. All contiguous counties are also covered by the declaration and are eligible for the same benefits. For
further information, farmers may contact their local Farm Service Agency offices or visit website: Earlier this month, a riot broke out in a village in Shandong province over water and 300 police had to be dispatched to the scene, a human rights group reported on Saturday.
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP TO HELP FARMERS "This partnership with family
farmers in Michigan will help protect the environment and ensure safe drinking water for families," Vice President Gore said. "Farmers who voluntarily take steps to protect their private land deserve our
support. Their efforts will pay dividends for years to come by ensuring a better, cleaner, environment." The $177 million program is the latest announced by the Administration under the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which established similar federal-state partnerships in eleven other states. The agreement is now awaiting signature by the State of Michigan. The program
will provide farmers incentives to voluntarily remove from production and improve environmentally sensitive lands along the Raisin River and other waterways in the Macatawa and Saginaw watersheds. Under the program,
USDA and the State of Michigan will make annual rental payments and provide other financial incentives to farmers who agree to create streamside buffer zones or take other steps to control erosion and reduce polluted
runoff on their private lands. "This is a real win-win for American agriculture, it helps farmers and the environment," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. The Macatawa and Saginaw watersheds, together with
Lake Huron and Lake Erie, supply drinking water to over one-third of Michigan's population. In addition to reducing runoff of soil sediment, nutrients and pesticides, the establishment of waterway buffers also will help
lower water temperatures, increase dissolved oxygen and provide additional habitat for fish and wildlife. USDA estimates that if the full 80,000 acres are enrolled in Michigan before CREP expires on December 31,
2002, the payments to Michigan farmers will be about $177 million. The federal government has committed $142 million to the project. Additional information can be found at web site:
OPEC PUT ON ALERT TO LIFT OUTPUT In an official statement released over the OPEC news agency Rodriguez, the Venezuelan oil minister, said producers should expect to raise output before the end of July if current high prices do not fall.
The announcement comes two weeks after OPEC's leading power Saudi Arabia said it wanted to produce another 500,000 bpd to push crude prices down to OPEC's target of $25 a barrel. Oil industry executives said that there
is pressure from fellow OPEC nations to maintain cartel unity. "We still believe the Saudis are prepared to do more -- even the full 500,000 barrels a day," said an executive at a Western oil company that
buys Saudi crude. "Especially if they get more volume for the same price effect."
CROP DISEASE FORECAST MODELS BY NDSU AG |
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