Coosa Valley Classifieds

Agriculture could play a prominent role in U.S. efforts to address climate change if farms and ranches undertake activities that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. These activities may include shifting to conservation tillage, reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops, changing livestock and manure management practices, and planting trees or grass. The Federal Government is considering offering carbon offsets and incentive payments to encourage rural landowners to pursue these climate-friendly activities as part of a broader effort to combat climate change. The extent to which farmers adopt such activities would depend on their costs, potential revenues, and other economic incentives created by climate policy. Existing Federal conservation programs provide preliminary estimates of the costs of agricultural carbon sequestration.

Offers the latest forecast of value and volume of U.S. farm exports, by commodity and region, as well as the agricultural trade balance for the coming year. Keeps readers abreast of how U.S. agricultural trade stacks up in a global market.

The Farm Income and Costs briefing room provides indicators of economic performance for the U.S. farm sector and major crop and livestock farm groups. Farm balance sheet estimates are used by USDA and other public and private sector clients to form a perspective about the financial health of the U.S. agricultural economy. Distributional analyses identify sub-sectors and business types that are performing well relative to past trends and to other groups and types of farms. Identification of these businesses enables analysts to more closely examine factors contributing to financial performance, such as assessment of debt-repayment difficulties of specific farm types, industry sub-sectors, and regions of the country.

Estimates of farm sector income with component accounts: for the United States, 1910-2010; and for States, 1949-2009.

Estimates are presented for the farm business balance sheets for the U.S. for 1960-2009 and individual States for 1960 through 2003. The balance sheet includes component accounts for assets, debt, and equity, where equity equals assets minus debt.

The Farm Household Economics and Well-Being briefing room focuses on indicators of the economic well-being of the households of the principal operators of family farms. It includes USDA's forecast for 2010. Indicators of well-being include household income and wealth (from both farm and off-farm sources), and indicators of health insurance coverage. The briefing room compares the financial well-being of farm households relative to all U.S. households, identifies the contributions of off-farm employment, non-farm self-employment, transfer payments, and financial market investments in household income, and discusses how taxes influence both income and wealth. The briefing room also describes the demographic characteristics of the principal farm operator households and how members of these households allocate their time to farm and off-farm work.

This report provides a broad overview of the beef market in Japan, including consumer’s preferences, domestic production practices, domestic and trade policies, and market outlook.

The Economic Research Service was established on April 3, 1961, by Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman. The ERS 50th Anniversary Committee is planning several events to take place throughout the year with the major event — a two-day celebration — taking place on May 4-5, 2011.

This data product identifies which countries, under phytosanitary rules issued by USDA's Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service, are eligible to export to the United States the fresh fruits and vegetables that are most important in the American diet. Data on the absolute and relative importance of these countries in international fruit and vegetable production and trade, individually and in aggregate, are included. Exporting countries are also classified according to income level.

Provides current intelligence and forecasts the effects of changing conditions in the U.S. vegetables and melons sector (including potatoes, pulses, and mushrooms). Topics include production, consumption, shipments, prices received, trade, and more.

This report provides the results of ERS research on the economic consequences of ending the USDA Karnal bunt certification program for U.S. exports to countries that ban import of wheat from countries known to have the disease. USDA currently issues certificates that U.S. wheat shipments are from areas where KB is not known to occur.

Monthly milk cost of production estimates are available by State from January 2006 to the previous month.

This data product contains statistics on wheat - including the five classes of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum - and rye. Includes data published in the monthly Wheat Outlook and previously annual Wheat Yearbook. Data are monthly, quarterly, and/or annual depending upon the data series.

Interactive database that contains statistics on four feed grains (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, and related items. Tables previously published annually in the Feed Yearbook are available and updated continuously as data are added to the database. Custom queries also allow users to retrieve historical data.

The DatelinERS newsletter offers concise summaries of ERS reports and events with links to areas within our website. You can find it in our newsroom at www.ers.usda.gov/News/.

In 2007, the U.S. food system accounted for almost 16 percent of the Nation’s energy budget, up from 14 percent in 2002. Greater reliance on energy-intensive technologies throughout the food system, along with population growth and higher per capita food expenditures, boosted food-related energy consumption

Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS’s research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture, food and nutrition, the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental topics. Available on the Internet and in print, Amber Waves is issued in print four times a year (March, June, September, and December). The Internet edition, or “eZine,” includes links to web-only resources, such as podcasts and additional articles.

Rapid increases in agricultural commodity prices during 2006-08 raised concerns that agricultural productivity growth may not be keeping up with increasing demand for agricultural commodities. ERS has developed a new index of total factor productivity (TFP) in global agriculture to provide a more comprehensive understanding of longrun sources of agricultural output growth. ERS research shows that the average rate of growth in global agricultural TFP has accelerated in recent decades and accounts for an increasing share of growth in agricultural production. Faster TFP growth has offset declining growth in agricultural land, labor, and other resources, although TFP growth across countries and global regions remains unevenly distributed.

The continuing shift in production away from small commercial farms to larger farms is driven by financial pressures and aging operators. Some small commercial farms are profitable, while others stay in business by accepting low returns for their labor. Small commercial farms produced 22 percent of farm output in2007.

This article examines the current and projected food security situation in Sub-Saharan Africa and the factors driving the trends. While ERS analysis points to deteriorating food security in the region over the next 10 years, increases in capital inflows grain yields can significantly alter the projections.

Increased obesity among the U.S. population has prompted public health advocates to call for a tax on sweetened beverages. Faced with such a tax, consumers are likely to substitute untaxed beverages, such as bottled water, juice, and milk. A tax that increases the price of caloric sweetened beverages by 20 percent could cause an average reduction of 3.8 pounds of body weight over a year for adults and 4.5 pounds for children

This article highlights major factors affecting the fluctuations of global sugar prices over the past few years, particularly the role of production patterns and government policies in the Central Asia and Brazil and how they are projected onto the global sugar market.

Timely livestock, dairy, and poultry information, focusing on current and forecast production, price, and trade statistics for each of the sectors.

Examines world and U.S. production, consumption, trade, stocks, and prices for beet and cane sugar, and high fructose corn syrup.

Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for wheat, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains data and information on U.S. wheat by class.

Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for feed grains, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Focuses on corn; also contains information on sorghum, barley, oats, and hay.

Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for cotton and wool, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Includes data on raw fibers and textiles.

Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for oil crops (primarily soybeans and products), including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Includes information on cottonseed, peanuts, sunflowerseed, tropical oils, corn oil, and animal fats.

Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for rice, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains information on U.S. rough, milled, and long-, medium-, and short-grain rice.

This data set provides monthly average price values, and the differences among those values, at the farm, wholesale, and retail stages of the production and marketing chain for selected cuts of beef, pork, and broilers. In addition, retail prices are provided for beef and pork cuts, turkey, whole chickens, eggs, and dairy products.

In 2007, the U.S. food system accounted for almost 16 percent of the Nation’s energy budget, up from 14 percent in 2002. Greater reliance on energy-intensive technologies throughout the food system, along with population growth and higher per capita food expenditures, boosted food-related energy consumption

Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS’s research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture, food and nutrition, the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental topics. Available on the Internet and in print, Amber Waves is issued in print four times a year (March, June, September, and December). The Internet edition, or “eZine,” includes links to web-only resources, such as podcasts and additional articles.

Rapid increases in agricultural commodity prices during 2006-08 raised concerns that agricultural productivity growth may not be keeping up with increasing demand for agricultural commodities. ERS has developed a new index of total factor productivity (TFP) in global agriculture to provide a more comprehensive understanding of longrun sources of agricultural output growth. ERS research shows that the average rate of growth in global agricultural TFP has accelerated in recent decades and accounts for an increasing share of growth in agricultural production. Faster TFP growth has offset declining growth in agricultural land, labor, and other resources, although TFP growth across countries and global regions remains unevenly distributed.

The continuing shift in production away from small commercial farms to larger farms is driven by financial pressures and aging operators. Some small commercial farms are profitable, while others stay in business by accepting low returns for their labor. Small commercial farms produced 22 percent of farm output in2007.

This article examines the current and projected food security situation in Sub-Saharan Africa and the factors driving the trends. While ERS analysis points to deteriorating food security in the region over the next 10 years, increases in capital inflows grain yields can significantly alter the projections.

This article highlights major factors affecting the fluctuations of global sugar prices over the past few years, particularly the role of production patterns and government policies in the Central Asia and Brazil and how they are projected onto the global sugar market.

Increased obesity among the U.S. population has prompted public health advocates to call for a tax on sweetened beverages. Faced with such a tax, consumers are likely to substitute untaxed beverages, such as bottled water, juice, and milk. A tax that increases the price of caloric sweetened beverages by 20 percent could cause an average reduction of 3.8 pounds of body weight over a year for adults and 4.5 pounds for children

Agricultural policy affects not only the economic well-being of farm households, but also our food supply, the environment, and the future of rural communities. The current farm law (the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002) remains in force only through 2007. The agriculture committees in Congress have begun to debate ideas and, in the upcoming months, will be crafting legislation that will become the next farm law. ERS analysts examine the economic effects of current farm legislation on producers, consumers, taxpayers, and rural communities, and evaluate potential effects of alternative policies and programs. Included in this feature is a selection of recent ERS research and analysis on issues that the farm bill debate will address.

Government payments encompass all payments to the farm sector.

U.S. agriculture faces a world of new technologies, variable consumer preferences, evolving market structures, and shifting trade patterns that present multiple challenges to commodity producers. Adding to the complexity, domestic and international policy developments and emerging trade agreements require continual attention and adjustment.

A recent WTO ruling may result in the elimination of planting restrictions on certain crops, a long-time feature of U.S. commodity programs.

Despite benefits of freer trade, high agricultural tariffs remain a sticking point in suspended Doha Round trade talks.

Implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is drawing to a close.

Federal expenditures for USDA's food assistance programs totaled almost $53 billion in fiscal 2006, a 4-percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

An expanded focus on nutrition may steer food stamp participants to better diets.

No longer tied closely to farm policies, rural economies in the 21st century will be shaped demographic change, industrial restructuring, and national economic trends.

The At A Glance series: Rural America At A Glance, Rural Educations At A Glance, Rural Poverty At A Glance

The expanding U.S. ethanol sector is stimulating demand for corn, but alternatives to corn may dampen that demand.

Revenue insurance may do a better job of stabilizing farm income and may protect more farms than other risk management tools.

NASS releases Crop Progress and Condition Estimates...

Broiler-Type Eggs Set Up 3 Percent. Broiler-Type Chicks Placed Up 3 Percent...

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 882 million pounds, 4.7 percent above July 2009 and 0.2 percent above June 2010....

Cheddar Cheese prices received for US 40 pound blocks averaged $1.62 per pound for the week ending August 28, 2010....

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the National FFA Organization have partnered to develop new educational tools to help promote agricultural and statistical literacy among kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

U.S. farmers are on pace to produce the largest corn and soybean crops in history, according to the Crop Production report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

After setting a record high in 2008, U.S. farm production expenditures decreased by nearly $20 billion in 2009 – the first major decline in nearly a quarter century, according to the Farm Production Expenditures 2009 summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

U.S. farmers planted 78.9 million acres of soybeans, exceeding last year's planted area by 1.4 million acres, or 2 percent, and setting a new record high, according to the Acreage report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

U.S. farmers plan to plant a record-high 78.1 million acres to soybeans in 2010, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The nation's organic farms and ranches have higher average sales and higher average production expenses than U.S. farms overall, according to results of the 2008 Organic Production Survey released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

U.S. farmers produced the largest corn and soybean crops on record in 2009, according to the Crop Production 2009 Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) began gathering data for the 2009 Census of Horticultural Specialties to measure the state of the horticulture industry.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) today released county-level demographic profiles of U.S. farm and ranch operators. These profiles summarize data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

Aided by the warm, dry weather, U.S. corn production is forecast at a near-record level, according to the Crop Production report, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

U.S. farmers successfully battled soggy July weather and remain on target for producing the largest soybean crop in history, according to the Crop Production report, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

U.S. farmers successfully battled soggy July weather and remain on target for producing the largest soybean crop in history, according to the Crop Production report, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

U.S. farm production expenditures totaled $307 billion in 2008, according to the Farm Production Expenditures 2008 Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Total farm expenditures for 2008 rose 8.3 percent from the revised 2007 total of $284 billion – a slower increase than the prior year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) today released new satellite images depicting agricultural land cover for the 2008 crop year. The images, referred to as the Cropland Data Layer (CDL), identify geospatial crop locations in three U.S. regions: the Mid-Atlantic and, for the first time, the Southwest and Southeast.