The Lure Of Gold & Milk Forecast

The Lure Of Gold & Milk Forecast plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

A faster than expected expansion of the dairy herd has the USDA increasing its milk production forecast for 2011 and some changes for 2012. Gerry Bange is the World Outlook Board Chairman.

BANGE: While we do expect production to be up 1.4%, we think it’s going to be about 300-million pounds less than we thought in last months estimate. We’re now looking at 2012 to be 198.5 million pounds and the reason that we’ve come off in our 2012 forecast a little bit is because we are looking at weaker milk prices for 2012 and we do expect these higher grain prices to work their way through the system.

Ok, I admit that I have often thought it might be a nice diversion to spend some vacation time tucked away in the mountains some place doing a little prospecting for gold. In todays rough economy more and more people are being lured by the gold bug. At about $2000 an ounce it can quickly pay the bills...if you can find it. Many retired people are spending their time in the mountains of the northwest panning or sluicing for gold and as in times past, there will be some who hit it big but mostly those with a lot of hard work and little to show for it.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Rumors have been flying rampant about wolf populations being out of control, creating an environment of both paranoia and fear. The pro-wolf supporters and the ranchers, farmers, and hunters all have legitimate concerns when it comes to either the protection and, or the control of gray wolves. Rising amid these different party’s views there’s been an ever increasing amount of untruths and rumors. Rather like children’s disagreements that escalate when adults get involved, nature is quite capable of managing itself until humans become overly involved. Predators in nature are a necessary albeit unpleasant fact. Ecosystems are complex in nature and the over saturation or removal of any particular species will cause an imbalance that can take years to rectify, if ever. There are no easy answers, but concerns from both sides need to be addressed through whatever measures are taken to restore equilibrium in this volatile issue. Environmentalists need assurances the gray wolf will not be driven to extinction, while farmers and ranchers need to be able to protect their livestock from wolf depredation. Somewhere amid the muckraking lies the solution.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.