07/24/06 Disaster in Midwest & Johanns back to WTO

Natural disaster for Midwest & Ag Secretary Back to Geneva. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Mother Nature has turned up the heat. As the temps soar around the Northwest to 100 plus, the USDA has declared several Midwest states as primary natural disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low-interest emergency or EM loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency. USDA's Chief Economist, Keith Collins says the heat is affecting the numbers of the July forecast. COLLINS: We did indicate that spring wheat is down 8% from last year. Durham wheat in particular down 40% from last year. A lot of that having to do with lower acreage however. So we've already seen some impacts on spring wheat from this intensification of the drought and that can continue to have a problem for many producers particularly those that irrigate because it would put pressure on surface water supplies and of course it would affect the dry land crops in those areas. All affected counties were designated natural disaster areas on July 13, 2006, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for EM loans, provided eligibility requirements are met. Wheat farmers in the northwest have gotten their combines to roll. Average yields are expected. Ag secretary Mike Johanns is back in Geneva for another go around in the WTO talks and then on to central Asia for a trade mission. WTO member nations still haven't come to an agreement for market access. JOHANNS: In our case we continue to believe in an ambitious round. We continue to believe that we should not settle for a round that is not ambitious. For us that just means that we just have to see a demonstrated effort to improve market access. The House Ag Committee met with U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab last Wednesday. The meeting to discuss the status of the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks was the Committee`s first with Schwab since her confirmation early last month. According to House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte - it`s clear the negotiations are at a critical stage. Without movement soon - Goodlatte says the chances of reaching an agreement before the expiration of the President`s Trade Promotion Authority decrease. But he says the U.S. came to the table with an ambitious and forthcoming proposal last year - and until other WTO members move - Goodlatte says the U.S. will not make further concessions. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.