Japan boosts U.N. relief efforts
At a time when many people are focusing their attention on the relief efforts to help the people of war-torn Iraq, U.N. officials Friday hailed a donation for people in need in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The U.N. world food program received a $84.5 million donation from Japan. Money will be used to purchase wheat, wheat flour, maize, maize meal, pulses, corn soya blend and sorghum.
Japan officials also will provide donations of rice and canned tuna that will be included in relief efforts.
"We are particularly encouraged by the timeliness and magnitude of this donation," program Director James T. Morris said. "At a time when the world's attention is focused on Iraq, it is vital that the needy in other parts of the world are not forgotten."
Of the Japanese government donation, $30 million will go toward relief efforts in Africa, where officials say up to 40 million people face chronic hunger.
About $32.7 million will be earmarked for refugees and others in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with another $18 million helping people in Cambodia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
An extra $2.6 million will be used to support Central America relief efforts, with much of the attention being focused on Colombia.
The donation came one week after U.N. officials said they were concerned the Iraq situation, where the war came during the harvest and ruined any chance of the country being able to feed itself, would divert too much attention and funding away from relief efforts elsewhere in the world.
Japan had already donated nearly $20 million this year to relief efforts, along with $92.6 million in donations during 2002.
In a separate move, World Food Program officials said they need $205 million in donations to provide adequate relief this year to people in drought-stricken Ethiopia.
U.N. officials said they need 480,000 metric tons of food aid to cover the needs of 4.6 million people through March 2004.
Officials say they have enough resources now to feed people until about June. Large-scale starvation could take place beginning in the summer months if there is no increase in donations.
"These people's survival will hinge on food aid arriving not only quickly but in sufficient quantities," said Georgia Shaver, an Ethiopia representative for the food program.
House energy bill passes
While environmentalists grumbled about the perceived lack of forward thinking in the energy bill passed Friday by the House, there was elation in farm country over the boost given to ethanol, the corn-based gasoline additive.
The House version of the Energy Policy Act that was approved on a 247-177 vote included a Renewable Fuel Standard requiring that the amount of ethanol used in gasoline production nationwide increase to 5 billion gallons by 2015.
Reaction from environmentalists and consumer groups painted the bill as a virtual energy industry wish list that did nothing to promote energy conservation, however the ethanol lobby was nevertheless ecstatic over its implications.
The agriculture sector has seen ethanol as a huge market for corn and other plants -- such as sorghum and sugar cane -- making it an easy issue for lawmakers from rural districts to enthusiastically back.
Despite concerns about the availability of ethanol and possible additional costs, the move toward ethanol should bring the United States a little closer to a nationwide RFG specification that will make it easier for one part of the country to obtain extra gasoline during regional shortages.
Tests confirm poultry disease in Texas
Movement of birds and other poultry in five counties of west Texas and New Mexico is being restricted after tests confirmed Exotic Newcastle Disease was found in a flock of chickens near El Paso.
The flock already has been killed, but officials are concerned that the disease may have spread to other poultry in the area. State officials and the federal Agriculture Department have imposed quarantines on birds in that region.
The latest outbreak is a spread of the disease, which already has caused millions of birds in Southern California and Nevada to be killed.
Farmers worry labeling program could hurt
The National Farmers Union said federal officials should make sure their new country-of-origin labeling program does not wind up hurting small farmers financially.
The new program consists of special labels for foods that can have been grown or raised entirely in the United States. Agricultural groups are concerned that the process of documenting such status will drive up farmer costs.
Farmer union President Dave Frederickson testified during an Agriculture Department hearing that most livestock ranchers and farmers do not import any products that would subject their operations to foreign origin verification.
Tax changes could help farmers
The American Farm Bureau Federation praised the Senate for approving a measure providing tax relief to farmers and ranchers who donate food and take steps to protect the environment.
The Senate last week approved a measure providing $12.3 billion in tax relief for those who donate food to charitable organizations or farmland to organizations that keep the land in conservation use.
"It just makes sense to encourage these types of activities and at the same time put more money back into farmers' pockets," farm bureau President Bob Stallman said.
Klamath Basin has enough water
The Interior Department's bureau of reclamation said it expects to have enough water in the Klamath Basin this summer to help provide both for local wildlife and area farmers.
The bureau's operations plan said creation of a water bank will help provide for water for all needs in the area along the California-Oregon border.
The region has been a hotbed of activity because of water use. Two years ago, area farmers said their crops suffered because Interior Department officials were more concerned about maintaining water levels to protect endangered species of fish. Since then, environmental activists said extreme levels of fish deaths were caused by allowing farmers to use too much water.
Grains down on CBOT
Grain futures were mostly lower at the close Friday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybeans fell on a lack of any new positive information and rumors China is planning to replace a purchase of U.S.-grown soybeans with beans grown in South America.
Corn rose on weather conditions and a lack of any new bad news.
Wheat fell due to uncertainty over when Congress would approve measures providing for Iraq relief efforts.
Oats were lower.
The prices:
Soybeans: May 6.00 1/4 off 3/4, Jul 5.99 off 1, Aug 5.86 1/2 off 1 1/4, Nov 5.28 3/4 off 2 1/4.
Corn: May 2.39 1/4 up 1/2, Jul 2.40 1/4 unch, Sep 2.39 1/2 unch, Dec 2.39 3/4 up 1/4.
Wheat: May 2.84 1/4 off 1 1/4, Jul 2.88 3/4 off 2 1/4, Sep 2.92 1/2 off 3 1/4, Dec 3.03 1/2 off 2 1/2.
Oats: May 1.78 1/2 off 6 1/2, Jul 1.53 1/4 off 6 1/4, Sep 1.45 1/2 off 1 1/4, Dec 1.45 off 1.
