FYI on Poultry

While Hurricane Isaac may have dumped rain on many parts of the midwest, the long term drought has affected the Mississippi River such that some segments are lower than normal, impacting the flow of river traffic. Shipments of corn and soybeans are being delayed as brokers, farmers, and barge captains work to find routes that can move cargo.

Mashable, a mainstream technology media and social media website, highlights how farmers and ranchers are using social media and digital technology to share how farming is accomplished. The article highlights the AgChat Foundation and its efforts through Twitter chats and Facebook to provide broad understanding of agriculture.

Mashable, a mainstream technology media and social media website, highlights how farmers and ranchers are using social media and digital technology to share how farming is accomplished. The article highlights the AgChat Foundation and its efforts through Twitter chats and Facebook to provide broad understanding of agriculture.

The word from the countryside seems to be that there is some mold out there, but it's not a big problem—yet. Both agronomists and grain elevator managers think it could still be a major problem before the season is over. Dry years like this one favor the development of molds on ears, particularly Aspergillus mold. It produces aflatoxin, which can make livestock go off feed or become sick. There are also low levels allowed in grain going for human consumption, or into products that humans will use, such as corn starch.

The word from the countryside seems to be that there is some mold out there, but it's not a big problem—yet. Both agronomists and grain elevator managers think it could still be a major problem before the season is over. Dry years like this one favor the development of molds on ears, particularly Aspergillus mold. It produces aflatoxin, which can make livestock go off feed or become sick. There are also low levels allowed in grain going for human consumption, or into products that humans will use, such as corn starch.

The good news is the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2012 farm bill. The bad news is the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2012 farm bill. These divergent headlines frame the range of reactions of House Republicans to the five-year omnibus food and agriculture legislation that is sure to give Speaker Boehner, if not the mother, than certainly the daughter of the mother of all headaches.

A free speech lawsuit against the Kansas State Fair has been threatened by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. At issue is a 13-minute video PETA wants to show at its booth at the Kansas State Fair containing undercover images from slaughterhouses and factory farms. The video, narrated by ex-Beatle and vegetarian Paul McCartney, is described as “gruesome” by PETA.

This is an example of why people in agriculture need to consider themselves not as farmers and ranchers, but as part of a food ecosystem, above and beyond reproach. If there is any distrust, then the food ecosystem as a whole suffers.

This is an example of why people in agriculture need to consider themselves not as farmers and ranchers, but as part of a food ecosystem, above and beyond reproach. If there is any distrust, then the food ecosystem as a whole suffers.

Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world’s biggest meat and poultry producers, took a stab at drought forecasting Monday. Included in its fiscal third-quarter report was a lot of talk about the devastating impact the dry weather is having on the corn crop, soaring feed prices, rising production costs and — moving right up the protein chain — consumer demand.

Farmers would get another round of the $5 billion a year "direct payment" subsidy, targeted by reformers as wasteful spending, in a Republican-drawn offer of disaster aid for farmers hurt by the worst drought in half a century. The package, unveiled on Friday, combines drought relief with a one-year extension of the farm program. If passed by the House next week and accepted by Senate, it would end a farm-bill stalemate by deferring work until 2013, when cost-cutting pressure may be intense. An estimated $1.2 billion in drought relief would be provided under the bill, half to livestock producers and half to crop growers. While crop insurance will provide a safety net for many growers, livestock producers face parched pastures and rising feed costs.

The message seemed innocuous enough, coming as it did from the federal agency tasked with promoting sustainable agriculture and dietary health: “One simple way to reduce your environmental impact while dining at our cafeterias,” read a United States Department of Agriculture interoffice newsletter published on its Web site this week, “is to participate in the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative.”

“Is water the gold of the 21st century?” asks Fortune. Answer: Yes, water is the New Gold for investors this century. In 2010 global water generated over a half trillion dollars of revenue. Global world population will explode from 7 billion today to 10 billion by 2050, predicts the United Nations. And over one billion “lack access to clean drinking water.”

Corn is due for more damage from a drought that has produced the worst U.S. growing conditions in almost a quarter century, according to David Driscoll, a Citigroup Inc. analyst. The CHART OF THE DAY displays the percentage of the corn crop in good to excellent condition, according to data compiled by the Agriculture Department. Average readings for the previous 25 years and data for 1988, another drought year, are included for comparison.