http://www.reportonfarming.com/ Farming and agriculture news en-us Nucleus CMS v3.23 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.reportonfarming.com//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://www.reportonfarming.com/ http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=466
On September 21, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz finally responded publicly to the request. He said farmers are just going to have to keep waiting while he studies the matter.

"My departmental officials and I are working hard to do the due diligence to review the request, and deliver the best possible decision as quickly as possible."

At the same time, Ritz slammed the wheat board for waiting until August 15 to make the request. He said it was obvious wheat and malting barley prices were rising.

Why is the minister refusing to act when it is still, to quote Ritz, "clear that commodity prices were rising". Please, Minister Ritz, stop making farmers pay for your antagonism toward the wheat board and let them have access to their money!]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=466 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 07:38:08 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=465
Farm operators aged 55 and over were less likely in 2001 to have reported a farm injury than those in younger age categories, contrary to what is usually expected in the industry. In fact, operators younger than 35 were more likely to have a farm injury.
The results suggest that know-how from farming experience may more than offset the effect of the aging process on the probability of having a farm injury.

The study examined the relationship between the likelihood of a farm operator suffering a farm-related injury and the characteristics of the farm and the farm operator. It was based on data from the 2001 Census of Agriculture.



More Injuries on Bigger Farms


Exposure to farm work, such as working on a farm with a sizable beef cattle herd and those with a large area under cultivation, increased the probability of farm injury. Operators of poultry and field crop farms were less likely than other farm types to suffer a farm-related injury.

The study also looked at the relationship between reported farm injury and the amount of hours an operator worked on and off the farm. The results showed that operators working fewer than 20 hours per week on the farm were 2.4 times more likely to report a farm injury than those working more than 40 hours per week on the farm.

Similarly, operators working off the farm for more than 40 hours per week were more likely to get injured while doing farm-related activities than those working fewer hours per week off-farm.

On May 16, 2007, the release of the 2006 Census of Agriculture results will enable new analysis on the topic of farm-related injuries. It will provide different but more detailed information on farm injuries. The census asked respondents to report farm injuries requiring medical attention for operators, other family members and other persons by type of injury.]]> On the Farm http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=465 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:42:42 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=462
The on-line self-assessment tool looks at safe and fair working conditions, integrated pest management, soil and water conservation, and wildlife habitat conservation. In each of these areas, the tool provides background information on issues and risk manag ement strategies, and links to resources and incentives to help farmers improve their management practices.

Farmers who enter information on their operation and practices can also receive an assessment of whether they would qualify for Food Alliance certification, or whether their management practices might support other “values-added” marketing opportunities. All information entered is kept strictly confidential.

“Years of work by university and agency researchers, and by representatives of labor and environmental organizations have gone into developing Food Alliance’s certification standards for sustainable agriculture,” said Food Alliance Executive Director Scott Exo. “This self assessment tool gives us a means to share that work with a broader farmer audience. The market for sustainably-grown agricultural products is growing rapidly. This tool should help farmers get a better sense of the requirements and how diff icult or easy it might be to tap that market.”

Interested farmers should visit http://sat.foodalliance.org for more information.]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=462 Fri, 9 Mar 2007 08:20:55 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=459
Farmers received $23.4 billion in market revenue between January and September, up 0.6% from the same period last year. This total was 3.5% below the 2001 peak of $24.2 billion, and only 0.9% above the previous five-year average between 2001 and 2005.

Crop receipts amounted to $10.1 billion, up 3.9% over the January to September period last year and 1.1% higher than the previous five-year average. Large production in both 2005 and 2006 contributed to increased deliveries of grains and oilseeds.

On the other hand, livestock receipts fell 1.8% to $13.3 billion, as lower hog revenues more than offset higher cattle and calf receipts. However, livestock revenues were 0.7% above the previous five-year average, which included the impact of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis.

Farmers received $3.5 billion in program payments during the first nine months of 2006, down 9.4% from the record high set over the same period in 2005. Despite the decline, the total was 18.4% above the previous five-year average.

Total farm cash receipts, crop and livestock revenues plus program payments, were $26.9 billion through the first nine months of 2006. This was 0.9% lower than the record for the same period in 2005, but 2.9% higher than the five-year average.]]> On the Farm http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=459 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 07:07:12 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=458
Vicki Dutton, who is running as a candidate for the CWB board of directors in District 5, said the government should take the opportunity to redress past wrongs to western Canadian farmers by offering appropriate compensation for the loss of the single desk marketing system.

"If we cannot agree on how we market wheat and barley, let us at least agree that this asset be used as bargaining power going forward," she argues.

"The Conservative Government has an opportunity to right a major wrong caused to western Canadian farmers by the former Liberal Government during the Western Grain Transportation Act (WGTA) payout procedures," Dutton said in a press statement.

"The previous Progressive Conservative party suggested that $7 billion was an appropriate amount to dissolve the obligations under the WGTA; however, the Liberal government allocated a paltry $1.6 billion and farmers have suffered ever since."

Dutton argues, "The writing is on the wall for the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) whether we like it as our marketing
agency or not. It is going to be forced to change -- just as the abolishment of the CROW was forced on
farmers -- and farmers to this day feel that pain.

"If all sides of the CWB continue to argue in the same fashion as the WGTA debate, the end result will look the same -- that farmers argued away a bargaining chip and watched the value disappear over time. We can continue to debate the advantages and disadvantages of the single desk but while we are doing so, the value of the CWB as an entity will diminish -- just as it did in the WGTA debate."]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=458 Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:26:37 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=457
The September feed barley price in Alberta was $100.30 per metric ton, up 10% from one month earlier and up 13% from the September 2005 price of $88.49.]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=457 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:09:29 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=456
The surveyed items increased $1.18 in the third quarter of 2006, compared to the second quarter, when the survey items dropped by 82 cents. Of the 16 items surveyed, nine increased and seven decreased in average price compared to the 2006 second-quarter survey. Red Delicious apples showed the largest increase, up 33 cents to $1.51 per pound.


Other items that increased in price:
- Bacon, up 32 cents per pound to $3.39;
- Flour, up 25 cents to $1.88 per 5-pound bag;
- Mayonnaise, up 24 cents to $3.37 per 32-ounce jar;
- Toasted oat cereal, up 21 cents to $3.10 per 10-ounce box;
- Whole chicken fryers, up 10 cents to $1.38 per pound;
- Vegetable oil, up 4 cents to $2.57 per 32-ounce bottle;
- Eggs, up 3 cents to $1.08 per dozen; and
- Cheddar cheese, up 1 cent to $3.52 per pound.

Items that decreased in price from the first quarter of 2006 were:
- Corn oil, down 10 cents to $2.70 per 32-ounce bottle;
- Bread, down 8 cents to $1.44 per 20-ounce loaf;
- Russett potatoes, down 6 cents to $2.45 for a 5-pound bag;
- Pork chops, down 5 cents to $3.32 per pound;
- Sirloin tip roast, down 4 cents to $3.70 per pound;
- Ground chuck down 1 cent to $2.65 per pound
- Whole milk down 1 cent to $3.03 per gallon

"Weather-related yield reductions in Washington state, home to nearly 60% of U.S. apple production, contributed to the retail price increase for apples," said AFBF economist Jim Sartwelle. "Relatively stable retail beef and pork chop prices in the third quarter were not surprising. The supply of cattle and hogs was more than sufficient to satisfy consumer demand," he said.

The share of the average food dollar that America's farm and ranch families receive has dropped over time, despite gradual increases in retail grocery prices.

"If you look back to the mid-1970s, at that time farmers received an average of one-third of consumer retail food expenditures. That figure has dropped steadily over time and is now just 22%, according to Agriculture Department statistics," Sartwelle said.

Using that percentage across-the-board, the farmer's share of this quarter's $41.09 marketbasket total would be $9.04.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans spend less than 10% of their disposable income on food annually, the lowest average of any country in the world.

AFBF, the nation's largest general farm organization, conducts its informal quarterly marketbasket survey as a tool to reflect retail food price trends. A total of 61 volunteer shoppers in 29 states, including Michigan, participated in this latest survey, conducted during August.
]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=456 Thu, 12 Oct 2006 10:20:22 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=455
The August slaughter steer price in Quebec was $85.61 per hundredweight, down 2% from one month earlier and down 1% from the August 2005 price of $86.91.
]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=455 Tue, 10 Oct 2006 07:35:23 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=454
The largest increase is in British Columbia where values grew by 10.3%. Alberta shows the second largest increase at 3.9%.

Manitoba, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, follow with increases at 2.8 and 2.9% respectively. Ontario and Nova Scotia increased similarly by 2.1 and 2.0% respectively. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Quebec increased slightly by 1.1, 0.8 and 0.6% respectively. Values remain steady in Prince Edward Island.

Looking back, the recent period with the strongest gains was 2004 when farmland values rose 2.3% during the first half of the year and 2.2% during the last half. The poorest recent performance was in 2005 when farmland values rose 1.6% the first half of the year and 1.5% the last half.]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=454 Tue, 3 Oct 2006 09:38:58 -0700 http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=452
The July feeder cattle price in Ontario was $104.27 per hundredweight, down 1% from one month earlier but up 9% from the July 2005 price of $95.39.
]]> News http://www.reportonfarming.com/index.php?itemid=452 Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:51:46 -0700