10/16/06 Forecast & Extend Programs

Supply and Demand Forecast & A call to Extend Existing Programs.I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. USDA's latest supply and demand forecast shows record soybean and near-record corn crops - undercutting arguments for a major disaster bill in Congress. USDA says corn will still come in at 10.9-billion bushels. And soybeans - according to USDA's National Ag Statistics Service - at a record nearly 3.2-billion bushels. World Ag Outlook Chair Gerald Bange talks about the soybean numbers. BANGE: This month NASS increased the estimate of yield up to 42.8 that's 1 billion bushels above the previous forecast and also increased the estimate of the area by 600 thousand acres up to 74.5 so we're looking at a very, very strong crop. Major farm groups are calling for an extension of existing farm programs - but a coalition of environmental groups and organizations that advocate for small-scale farms is asking Congress for the exact opposite. In fact - they`re asking for an overhaul - and without delay. According to the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition - no single farm bill or policy change will magically solve all problems. But the coalition does believe Congress can do more than rely on current survival options that - and this is a quote - keep agriculture limping along - providing no real solutions to the environmental, structure of agriculture, competition and rural economic problems faced. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. When you "farm" a wild animal be it an elk, deer, pheasant or fish there is always the risk of contaminating the native species. The recent elk escapade in Idaho is just one of many examples of the havoc that can be wrecked when a game farm animal mixes with indigenous species. The same holds true for sea creatures, currently salmon farms are bearing the responsibility for spreading dreaded sea lice to wild salmon. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that sea lice passed from salmon farms are devastating the wild salmon pollution at an alarming rate with some estimates as high as 95 percent kill for juvenile salmon who are especially venerable to the parasite. A spokesperson for the Pure Salmon Campaign, a part of the National Environmental Trust said the Academy's findings proved that salmon farms needed to be removed from the ocean into contained systems. So far the US has remained free from the sea lice that have infected Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Canada. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.