Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

USDA Sets CRP Sign-Up

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced recently that U.S. producers will be able to submit bids to place land under the Conservation Reserve Program from May 5 to May 30....

Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

Asian Rust Cutting Brazil Soy Crop

A top government plant pathologist recently told Reuters News Service that Brazil would lose more than 2.2 million metric tons of its 2002-2003 (October-September) soy crop to Asian rust and the fungus could hit the U.S. crop this year with help from the wind....

Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

USDA Likely To Raise Soy Exports Again

USDA raised its projection of U.S. 2002-2003 soybean exports another 35 million bushels Thursday, but continued strong U.S. export sales suggested that it was still underestimating demand.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

House Takes Up Fuel Mandate

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is considering a proposal that would nearly double ethanol use in motor fuel by 2015 as part of a broad U.S. energy bill.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

Rain Boosts HRW Wheat Conditions

State crop updates confirm that last week's timely rains boosted Plains HRW wheat conditions and soil moisture.

The good/excellent rating for the Kansas crop improved to 39% as of March 23, versus 29% a week earlier, while the poor/very poor rating fell from 28% to 23%.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

China's Ag Minister: GMO Rules Won't Hurt Trade

China's rules on genetically modified food imports will not affect the grains trade, including soybean imports worth more than $1 billion annually, said Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

USDA Backtracks On Farm Bill Deadline

In an apparent reversal of the position they took just last week, USDA officials said this week that farmers who are unable to get appointments for updating their base acres and yields by the April 1 deadline will be given extensions and allowed to sign up after that date.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

Safras Raises Brazil Soybean Crop

The private Brazilian crop consultant Safras & Mercado has raised its estimate of Brazil's 2002-2003 soybean crop to 50.27 million metric tons, up 3.2% from the 48.7 million tons it forecast in December.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

China Cancels Wait On Soybean Imports

China has abolished a mandatory waiting period for the use of soy import permits, a quarantine bureau official told Reuters News Service. The move is seen as benefitting Brazilian soybean shipments most.

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Brock Online Notes 

Richard Brock

Drought Aid To Come From Ag Funds

Congressional negotiators on Thursday finalized an agreement to include $3.1 billion in disaster aid for U.S. producers in the final federal budget bill for fiscal 2003, but conservation spending will suffer as a result.

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