California drought persists – includes related article – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Despite tremendous rains in March, irrigation water supply shortages continue for California growers. Facing a fifth year of drought, producers recognized early in the year that water supplies would be a limiting factor (see the March 1991 AO). Current […]
Category: Agricultural Outlook
U.S.-Mexico linkages: labor & investment – lack of employment and higher pay bring migrant workers from Mexico, providing important source of U.S. farm labor; fruit and vegetable producers rely heavily on U.S. Hispanic population and migrants from Mexico for labor-intensive crops; Department of Labor survey for fiscal year 1990 reports 92% of foreign farmworkers from […]
Anomalies in the U.S. vegetable oil market – history of vegetable oil export assistance – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Roger Hoskin The U.S. produces nearly 40 percent and consumers on average 35 percent of the world’s soybean oil. Yet despite the ability to produce sufficient oil for domestic consumption, the U.S. […]
Fresh fruit leads Chile’s export mix – Chile emerges as major supplier of fresh fruit to world market due to ample natural resources, consumer demand for fresh fruit during winter season in U.S. and Europe, and incentives in agricultural policies of Chilean government, encouraging trend toward diversification of exports and development of nontraditional crops – […]
The U.S. & Mexico: interdependence growing – history and culture influence development; emerging ties broken; strengthening relations; migration and environment will affect future relations; includes related articles on maquiladoras and Mexican dependence on oil revenues – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Ann Hillberg Seitzinger In many respects the U.S. and Mexico have […]
U.S. & world floriculture continues up – 1991 – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report World production and trade in greenhouse and nursery products continue to grow. World imports of cut flowers, cut decorative greens, live plants, and bulbs reached $6.5 billion in 1990, up from $2.5 billion in 1982. And imports likely […]
Farmer Mac’s troubled start – Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation; weak loan demand; market looks small; most farm operators do not qualify; includes related article about language of secondary markets – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Steve Koenig The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, known as Farmer Mac, was chartered by Congress in 1987 […]
Specialty crops overview – 1992 retail prices on fresh fruits and vegetables generally lower than previous year with greatest decrease seen in oranges; provision for 1992 flue-cured and burley tobacco program completed with burley marketing quota and price support level announcement in February 1992; U.S. sugar consumption continues to rise in 1992 – U.S. Dept. […]
Farmland values rising more slowly – U.S. farmland values in 1990/91, according to a July survey of rural real estate appraisers – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Roger Hexem A national panel of 450 rural real estate appraisers surveyed in July expects U.S. farmland values to rise 0.9 percent during the next […]
Why the drop in winter wheat seedings? – prices driving supply coupled with the 1992 wheat acreage reduction program – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report Ed Allen Data reported in the Winter Wheat and Rye Seedings reports on January 10 caught many observers by surprise. This report, which provides the first USDA […]