Matching a national trend, California farmers plan to sow nearly 20 percent more corn this year than last, an increase of 100,000 acres and a state record. But unlike in the rest of the country, most of the new plantings here are driven by the need to feed cattle, not ethanol refineries. In the past year, demand for corn to feed refineries as well as a robust export outlook have pushed corn prices to their highest levels since the late 1990s. Since the 1980s, most of the state's corn has...

Everyone wants to ensure high-quality, safe food products are available to consumers, and but another aspect of biosecurity for beef producers is maintaining herd health. University of Tennessee Extension makes available a calendar to assist beef cattle producers in formulating an overall management plan for their operations. According to agricultural experts biosecurity is the cheapest and most effective method of disease control, since vaccinations cannot eliminate disease and treatment...

The farmers petitioned the Department of Agricultural Resources to declare an emergency in late January, turned out in force for fact-finding hearings in Amherst and Boston in March , and flooded state officials with touching letters describing how they are on the verge of going out of business. Massachusetts dairy farmers are asking state officials to declare an "economic emergency" and set prices for milk that would allow them to at least cover their costs. The farmers petitioned the...

Lafayette, IN - The most prominent feature of the cattle outlook for 2007 is the painful adjustment to much higher feed prices. After three years of favorable returns, 2007 is expected to be close to breakeven, with concerns that even higher feed prices could drive the industry into losses. Until then, speculation about the magnitude of the shift in acreage will continue. Lafayette, IN - The pork industry's concerns about higher corn prices from the extraordinary growth in corn demand for...

By JANE ZHANG The Wall Street Journal March 18, 2007 6:00 AM Hoping to restore consumer confidence and protect itself from lawsuits after repeated outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, the produce industry is getting down to basics: Keeping better track of where and how its food is grown and handled. By JANE ZHANG The Wall Street Journal March 18, 2007 6:00 AM Hoping to restore consumer confidence and protect itself from lawsuits after repeated outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, the produce...