12/21/06 Illegal cash crop & Panamanian FTA

U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country`s largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday. The report also concluded that five U.S. states produce more than $1 billion worth of marijuana apiece: California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii and Washington. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab says the U.S. and Panama have completed negotiations on a free trade agreement with the understanding it is subject to further discussions regarding labor. In 2005 - more than 95-percent of Panama's goods exported to the United States entered duty-free. This new agreement expands and secures those benefits for the long term. For the United States - the agreement will make free trade a two-way street by eliminating tariffs on U.S. exports to Panama. Nationwide - milk output continues to grow - up two-and-a-half percent from a year ago in November - with more milk cows and greater production per cow. Michael Swanson - Ag Economist at Wells Fargo Bank - says he isn`t surprised by that. SWANSON: The hit that we took during the summer due to the extraordinary heat that we had was temporary and I told the front end of the curve, milk price curve was very much at risk and it was and we've seen that come back down. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. King Crab for Christmas? Rich succulent King crab now sets you back about the price of a large Pizza as Cosco is selling them for only 10.99 a pound. Ah , there must be a catch, and there is! That is what it basically amounts to, " a catch" and whose. US crabbers verses Russian and our crabbers can't complete. The recent king crab price phenomena in our Supermarkets is a result of a Soviet experiment in the 1990's to transplant crab to the remote Barent Sea. The crab took to the cold waters like a "tick on a hound" frustrating the Norwegians who say the invasive species now could harm native fish. Our Puget Sound crabbers are frustrated as well, unlike the Russians they must comply with strict rules for sustainable harvest . So similar to the issues facing US produce, once again it is impossible for our crabbers compete when the Russian harvest yields more than double ours and is coupled with fickle US consumers . I will tell you what we are one family that will be feasting on US beef and Pacific NW Dungeness crab this Christmas. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.