06/02/08 Export Forecast & Fire Season

Export Forecast & Fire Season plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The USDA has released their fiscal 2008 updated export forecast and according to World Ag Outlook Board Chair, Gerald Bange, it's a good one. BANGE: 108.5 billion dollars. That's an increase of 7.5 billion dollars over our previous forecast and obviously the highest number we've ever calculated. The U.S. got off to a fast start reaching nearly 58.5-billion just six months into the year. The weak dollar and export restrictions around the globe are part of the reason for the export explosion. If the forecast is realized - Bange says the ag trade surplus could reach 30-billion dollars. It's official. It's fire season in northwest. Fire officials warn residents to use extreme caution in fire prone areas. Landowners should check whether burn permits are required. Fire tools, water supply and a watchman service are required on commercial forest operations. Campfires on private forestlands are allowed with landowner permission only. Remember to call your local fire department or land management agency and find out what restrictions are in place before striking that match. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. Okay, call me old fashioned, I've been called a lot worse, but I think your boss has every right to monitor you while you are at work. For some reason people have developed a false sense of privileged privacy at the work place. They feel that they should be able to send private e-mails, make personal phone calls, and surf the net for that next pair of Gucci shoes or pro golf clubs; all on company time, with company computers and telephones. Forgive me for saying this but if you are at work, shouldn't you be working! Of course you are allowed so many breaks per day, and this is the time for you to conduct personal business if necessary. But even then you shouldn't be using company equipment to do so. Companies that monitor their employees are not spying, they are doing quality control. Just as you expect to be paid for your work, they expect you to work for your pay. One way around this is to work for yourself, and then if you use company equipment for personal business you at least won't have to explain your actions to the boss. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.