July 12, 2010
This week’s issue of the AgNews Update is sponsored by The NC Growers Association (NCGA), a non-profit cooperative that consists of approximately 750 North Carolina grower-members who grow a wide variety of diversified crops from flowers, turfgrass, and Christmas trees to tobacco, cucumbers and sweet potatoes. NCGA provides its members a labor force via the H-2a program, which is a legal guestworker program, authorized by the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. H-2a enables farmers to secure a legal and adequate labor force that is available and capable of assisting with the seasonal/temporary manual labor associated with some agricultural crops. In order to utilize the H-2a program, growers must certify with USDOL they have first engage in independent positive recruitment of US workers through the local employment security commission, word of mouth with other growers and by placing ads in newspapers and on the radio, as well as soliciting the return of any former, qualified workers..
Washington NEWS
Study Shows Devastating Effect if Atrazine Banned: A University of Chicago economist, Dr. Don Coursey, found that banning atrazine would “devastate” the U.S. corn economy, estimating losses between $2.5 and 5 billion a year. Coursey briefed the National Press Club on his findings and indicated that the effects of a ban would be considerable. He predicted a loss to other crops, sorghum and sugarcane, that rely on atrazine and the loss of as many as 48,000 jobs. Coursey also pointed to unintended consequences of such a ban, saying that farmers may not be able to afford conservation tillage and that could lead to greater runoff.
Obama Supports Food Safety Bill: President Obama announced his support for the Senate bill S. 510, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The bill is the result of the Food Safety Working Group chaired by Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Citing progress on reducing E.coli, Camphylobacter, and Salmonella, Obama said there’s still more work to be done.
Immigration NEWS
New Hanover to Vote on Backing Arizona’s Immigration Law: New Hanover County Commissioners will vote Monday on a resolution to support immigration laws similar to Arizona’s. Commissioner Bobby Greer is pushing the resolution after Gaston County endorsed the resolution and asked other counties to do the same and lobby the legislature to pass an identical bill.
Legislative NEWS
Senate Approves Bill That Removes Oil Spill Liability Cap: A bill that would remove the current liability limit on damages NC could receive from an oil spill was approved by the Senate. Clean up costs from the BP oil spill could exceed current estimates, but some lawmakers thought this bill might discourage future energy exploration off the state’s coast.
Drought NEWS
Drought Impacting Crops: For the first time since August, the state is experiencing drought conditions. Moderate drought conditions are affecting 18 counties in western and northeastern NC, while several counties are experiencing abnormally dry conditions. The lack of rainfall and high temperatures are depleting pastures and hayfields of soil moisture, and corn crops are showing signs of drought stress.
Environmental NEWS
Voluntary Agricultural District News: Currently 76 counties have either a voluntary agricultural district ordinance and/or an enhanced voluntary agricultural district ordinance in place. Most recently, Montgomery and Pasquotank passed their VAD Ordinances, leaving only 24 counties left. The NCDA has also recently approved farmland protection plans for Stanly and Harnett counties, bringing the total number from 11 to 13 in the state.
Campaign NEWS
Burr Leads Marshall in Poll: A new poll by Rasmussen Reports on July 6 shows Republican Sen. Richard Burr with a double-digit lead over Democrat Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. Burr is leading with 52% over Marshall’s 37%, moving the Senate seat into the “Solid Republican” category according to Rasmussen. The survey of 500 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
NCDA NEWS
Ag Development and Farmland Preservation Grant Recipients: The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded more than $2.3 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced. “We received 45 applications requesting more than $7 million in funding. Clearly, interest in farmland protection is high,” Troxler said. For a complete list of recipients, by county, go to www.ncadfp.org.
USDA NEWS
Farm Household Income Down: USDA’s Economic Research Service recent report, Farm Household Economics and Well-Being: Farm Household Income, forecast average family farm household income at $76, 258. Though this figure is down 3.2% from 2008, it is expected to rise by 5.9% in 2010. Farm and off-farm income is also expected to rise to a total of $80,766. The report also found that only 10.3% of the average family farm’s income is generated from the farm.
USDA Announces Effort to Improve Access to Private Land for Recreation: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest land to voluntarily provide public access to land for the enjoyment of wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing. The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) is a competitive grants program that is only available for state and tribal governments. Applications for grant funding may be made through the federal government's grants portal at www.grants.gov . VPA-HIP grant funding may be used to expand existing public access programs or create new public access programs, or provide incentives to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled lands. Twenty-six states have public access programs for hunting, fishing and other related activities. These programs provide rental payments and other incentives, such as technical or conservation services to landowners who, in return, allow the public to hunt, fish or otherwise recreate on their land.
Smartphone App Alerts Consumers to Recall Info: The U.S. Government's Products Recall app for the Android smartphone is now available at the revamped USA.gov website, and the apps for Blackberry and iPhone are soon to follow. "Alerting consumers quickly to food and product recall information through this technology can prevent untold illness and save lives," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The app allows consumers to view the most recent recall press releases and any pictures associated with those products. The app's "report incident" feature allows consumers to connect directly with their government to report concerns of unsafe products.
Commodity NEWS
Soybean Rust Not Expected in NC: Hot daytime temperatures and hot, humid nighttime readings are likely to keep Asian soybean rust from developing in NC. The disease has been reported in the Florida Panhandle on kudzu, not soybeans. Spores have been found in two Georgia counties and in southwest Alabama, but specialists in those states say the risk to soybeans is low, which means low risk to the Carolinas and Virginia. However, tropical storms and hurricanes could bring spores to the region. NC has 1.6 million acres planted in soybeans and a decrease of 8-10 % is expected for 2010.
Pepper Recall: Miravalle Foods Inc. is recalling about 37,300 pounds of peppers because they could be contaminated with salmonella. Miravalle brand Chile California peppers and Miravalle brand Chile Nuevo Mexico peppers were distributed in California, Colorado, Utah, North Carolina, Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. No illnesses have been reported.
Air Quality in N.C. Restaurants: Since smoking has been banned in restaurants and bars, the North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch says air quality has improved 89 percent according to a recent assessment. The group uses devices called Personal Aerosol Monitors to assess the air quality in restaurants and bars.Compliance with the new law continues to be strong, with health officials receiving onlysix complaints forsix businesses out of approximately 24,000 by May.
Broiler Production Up; Turkeys Down: Broiler meat poultry production for April 2010 totaled 3.0 billion pounds, an increase of 1.1% over the same time last year. The June 18 issue of Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, a report from USDA's Economic Research Service, also expects production for the second quarter to increase to 9.13 billion pounds, up 2 % from the same period last year. Turkey production is expected to be down in 2010, but it’s expected to pick up slightly in 2011. The slight increase will still see turkey meat production down 10% from its peak in 2008.
Mark Your Calendar
The NC Agribusiness Council AgLeaders Conference will be held at the Sheraton Imperial at RTP on Monday, August 23 – Tuesday August 24, 2010 and will include exhibitors as well as concurrent Congressional Candidates Forums on both Monday and Tuesday as well as a reception and elegant dinner on Monday evening when the Candidates Forum for the US Senate Race will be held. Various sponsorships for the AgLeaders Conference range from $250 to $25,000. Individual tickets start at $150. Space is limited.
The N.C. Division of Water Resources will host a public meeting on Thursday, July 15 at 9:30 a.m. to launch the planning process for the Tar-Pamlico River Basin water resources plan and the development of the Tar River Basin hydrologic model, Room 153 of Pitt County Community College’s Fulford Building, Winterville. Contact: Sarah M. Young, 715-4939.
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission will meet on Thursday, July 15 at 10 a.m. at the NOAA/NCNERR Administration Building, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort. Contact: Michele Walker, 733-2293 ext. 229.
Watermelon Day events at the state-operated farmers markets will be held at the following locations on the following days from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: July 16 -- Western N.C. Farmers Market, Asheville; Aug. 5 -- Raleigh Farmers Market; Aug. 6 -- Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, Colfax.
The 12th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference is scheduled for July 22-24, Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Fla. The meetings are geared towards peanut producers and will provide sessions about legislative issues, peanut research and promotions. For more info and to register, go to www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.
Conservation Easements Management and Defense Workshop will be held in either Fayetteville or Davidson. The Fayetteville clinic will offer a condensed agenda on Tuesday, July 27 from 10am - 3 pm at the Charlie Rose Agro-Expo Building. There is a $25 registration fee and includes lunch. The Davidson clinic will offer an expanded agenda on Wednesday-Thursday, July 28-29 beginning at 2 p.m. on Wednesday through 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Davidson Village Inn, 117 Depot Street. There is a $40 registration fee, which includes a Welcome Reception Wednesday evening with walking tour of the Davidson College campus, informal dinner outing (pay your own) and lunch on Thursday. For overnight stays, you must make your own room reservation at (ask for the Land Trust Alliance rates: Queen $105/night + tax; King $120/night + tax; Family Suite $135/night + tax.) The CLINICS are designed using the Land Trust Standards and Practices curriculum course Managing Conservation Easements in Perpetuity and will focus on: Advanced topics in management and defense of conservation easements;Guiding principles for long-term stewardship; Recordkeeping essentials; Using baseline documentation reports in management; Monitoring policies and systems; Landowner relationships and tracking; Amendments to current easements and alternatives to amendment; Violation resolution and easement defense.
A workshop on plasticulture crop production will be held on Aug. 17. The workshop will help growers interested in plasticulture production learn more about this growing technology. The free workshop is being held at ERW Farms in Bailey. Workshop attendees will learn how to avoid common and expensive pitfalls such as underwatering or applying the wrong balance of nutrients. The workshop will focus on fumigation regulations, weed control, and disease management. Certified Crop Advisor credits and pesticide recertification credits will be available in connection with this training. NCDA&CS’ Agronomic Division is sponsoring the workshop and registration is required-contact Kent Messick at (919) 733-2655.
The University of Tennessee Extension will host the 11th Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Symposium on Aug. 5-6 at the Nashville Airport Marriott. This conference is the premier conference that provides beef cattle producers, Extension educators, veterinarians, and the allied industry the resources to enhance reproductive efficiency in their operations. The cost of the conference is $150 for registration prior to July 22. To register and for room reservations go to http://beefrepro.unl.edu/.