More Peanut Butter Recall & 100 Largest Coops

More Peanut Butter Recall & 100 Largest Coops plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives posted record sales and income in 2011, surpassing the previous record sales year of 2008. Dallas Tonsager, under secretary for Rural Development made the announcement and included the top 100 ag cooperatives which include 5 in the northwest.

TONSAGER: October is National Cooperative Month so it’s a perfect opportunity to applaud the strength and productivity of the nations farmer and rancher owned cooperatives and the vital role they play in the nations economy. Cooperatives represent a strong business model and greatly contribute to both the national and local economies.They generate jobs in their communities, keep profits local and pay local taxes to help support community services.

Fans of peanut butter...listen up. The recall notice for peanut and almond butters has been expanded to include cashew butters, tahini and blanched and roasted peanut products. The recall that had been for Trader Joe’s products now includes nut products from Whole Foods Market, Target, Fresh & Easy, Giant Food, Harry and David, Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and several others all produced by Sunland Inc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are now 30 illnesses in 19 states that can be traced to the product.

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

Consumers are concerned about what the price of groceries are going to be come this winter, and rightly so. With one of the worst droughts on record happening this year across the nation’s heartland, it’s inevitable that food prices are going to continue on an upward climb. Right now though there are still some fairly attractive prices in the grocery stores, especially when it comes to certain meat cuts. Every time my hubby and I run to the store we check out the meat case, and generally pick up one, if not two or three, affordably priced middle meat cuts, like loin and rib, to stick in the freezer. Unfortunately for pork producers, the disappointing corn harvest and resulting soaring feed prices has forced many of them to liquidate sows at record rates. This has swelled pork supplies and sent pork prices at the grocery store spiraling downward. This means through this fall consumers will more than likely be able to buy cheap pork. Consumers need to stock up as much as they can then, because retail and agricultural analysts are cautioning that by next year, due to the economic strain on farmers of record high feed costs, supplies of pork, beef, and chicken will all be tight.

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