Water

Parched Md. Seeks Federal Drought Aid; Disaster Status Sought For All but 2 Counties

The Washington Post | By Anita Huslin | August 14, 2002 Gov. Parris N. Glendening yesterday asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare all but two Maryland counties agricultural disaster areas, a designation that would make farmers eligible for low-interest loans to cover their losses.

Kansas Cotton Succeeds Despite Severe Drought

The Wichita Eagle | By PHYLLIS JACOBS GRIEKSPOOR | August 14, 2002 HEADLINE: BYLINE: The Wichita Eagle BODY: White blooms are showing up in the tops of cotton fields across the cotton-growing regions of south-central and west-central Kansas. And the crop as a whole is looking good, gin managers say.

Milwaukee Private Lab Wants To Test For Chronic Wasting Disease

The Associated Press | August 14, 2002 A private laboratory near Milwaukee intends to test deer killed by hunters this fall for a fatal brain disease, even though it won't have federal certification. "There is a private company that is going to do it," Natural Resources Board president Trygve Solberg told the rest of the board Wednesday.

Agribusiness Giant Cargill Reports Profits Rose !31 Percent

Star Tribune | By Joy Powell | August 14, 2002 Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. on Tuesday reported 2002 profits rose 131 percent to $827 million as most of its food and ingredient businesses recovered from a disappointing fiscal 2001. Revenue for the year rose 3 percent to $50.8 billion for Minnetonka-based Cargill, the nation's largest agribusiness.

Aid and GE crops

There is clearly some misunderstanding on the real reasons behind Zimbabwean, Mozambican and Zambian reluctance to accept Genetically Engineered (GE) food-aid, sourced from the USA. This was evident by both Grogan's cartoon of Presidents Mugabe and Mwanawasa feasting whilst their people starve, and other misinformed and superficial analyses elsewhere in this newspaper.

Wheat Tumbles on European Export Expansion

Associated Press August 9, 2002 CHICAGO (AP) - Wheat futures fell heavily Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade on the sudden prospect of stiffer export competition from Europe. Soybeans and corn also declined.

Producers Aim for Niche Beef Market

Associated Press | August 9, 2002 HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) - As his cattle grazed nearby on treeless, green pasture, chewing their way slowly toward slaughter weight, Marvin DeBlauw explained what he has against feedlots. ``It stinks at feedlots,'' DeBlauw said. ``It's not good for them. Feeding grass is just healthier.''

Don""t tap farm funds for disaster aid - US growers

WASHINGTON - Farmers and ranchers feeling the sting of extreme weather need a comprehensive disaster aid package and the new farm subsidy law should not be pared back to pay for it, the head of the largest U.S. farm group said on Wednesday. Drought has dried rangeland in the Plains and cut into the wheat crop.

US says Zimbabwe prepared for possible GM maize

HARARE - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government will accept 20,000 tonnes of United States food aid, which might include genetically modified maize, to feed hungry Zimbabweans, a U.S. embassy spokeswoman said yesterday.