Possible Flight Delays & Bursting the Bubble

Possible Flight Delays & Bursting the Bubble plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Now the sequestration furloughs are kicking in travelers are being advised that they may see some delays at airports. The FAA website has already noted delays in several major hubs due to staffing problems. At the present there has not been the major breakdown like was thought would happen but people are urged to stay in contact with their airlines in case of problems. The FAA is being sued as a means of stopping the furloughs.

Low interest rates and record income per acre have driven farmland values higher during the last decade. The increase has caused some concern of a repeat of the farm crisis of the 1980s. Ag economist Ron Plain says there are some similarities between the recent run-up and that of the 1970s.

PLAIN: On average farmland values go up about 6% per year. Twice we’ve deviated from that trend. Back in the 1970’s we got way above that trend and it looks like that’s what’s happening again. Last year we were over $500 per acre above trend.

Pasture land hasn’t seen near the run-up in prices that crop land has in recent years - but that may change. With the smallest cattle inventory since 1952 - Plain says increased cattle prices will probably push pasture values up in the next few years.

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

The subject of horse slaughter in the United States is an emotional one to say the least, but one doesn’t generally think of the USDA as running by its emotions. So why would the USDA suddenly decide to abandon a neutral stance on horse slaughter in the U.S by asking Congress to withhold funds for paying inspectors at horse processing plants? For those unclear on the matter, horse slaughter is legal in all but a few of the fifty United States. The issue of whether it should be legal has bounced around for nearly two decades. The HSUS has ridden this subject hard, playing on the fondness Americans have for horses mainly from seeing them on the big screen. There are several groups who are in favor of allowing horse slaughter in the U.S. They would rather see unwanted feral horses die humanely than starve to death. Even the HSUS says that euthanasia is acceptable when it comes to controlling the unwanted horse population, they just don’t want anyone to eat or sell the meat. There is a market for horse meat in other parts of the world. What do you think? Should the U.S. continue to allow horse slaughtering, which creates jobs, humanely reduces feral horse herds, and supplies a food source?

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