USDA announces $100M to promote U.S. ag overseas

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Jan. 10 announced fiscal year 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture allocations of $100 million to 67 U.S. trade organizations to promote U.S. agricultural products overseas.

Among the recipients are the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and the U.S. Apple Export Council.

The wine and grape group received $111,120; the apple group, which includes New York received $441,265.

Under the MAP, USDA uses Commodity Credit Corporation funds to enter into agreements with U.S. agricultural trade organizations, state regional groups, and cooperatives to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities.

For more information on the MAP, contact the FAS’ Office of Trade Programs staff at (202) 720- 4327, or visit the FAS Web site at http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/map.asp.

Call FEMA to register for flood assistance

ALBANY — The state of New York and federal recovery officials want to remind those affected by the November flooding to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency even if they have already registered with the American Red Cross, another voluntary agency, or have reported damage to county or local officials.

Registering with other agencies does not register you with FEMA. The only way to get into the FEMA disaster assistance system and get the help you need is to call or register online.

Homeowners, renters, and business owners who had flood losses should call the FEMA registration line at 1-800-621- FEMA ( 3362 ) to apply for disaster aid.

75 percent of Calif. citrus crop ruined

Three nights of below-freezing temperatures have destroyed approximately threequarters of California’s $1 billion citrus crop, according to an estimate issued in January. The damage is expected to intensify as forecasters predict the severe weather conditions to continue.

Other crops, including avocados and strawberries, also have suffered damage in the cold snap, agricultural officials said.

The latest freeze will likely surpass the damage done by a three-day cold snap in December 1998 that destroyed 85 percent of California’s citrus crop, a loss valued at $700 million, according to California’s Agriculture Department. — CNN

Lewis County will be home to ‘biorefinery’

ALBANY — Former Gov. George E. Pataki in December announced that two companies have been selected to develop and construct pilot commercial cellulosic ethanol facilities in New York State.

The state has awarded a total of up to $25.2 million to the companies to increase the production of clean and renewable fuels and reduce our dependence on imported energy.

One of the companies, Catalyst Renewables Corporation, will build a 130,000-gallon/yr. biorefinery adjacent to the company’s existing wood-to-energy plant in Lyonsdale, Lewis County.

The two projects will build upon ongoing research at several New York universities and accelerate efforts to make cellulosic ethanol a viable energy option for commercial use.

These projects are an important step to attract investments in full-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities located in New York, create new jobs and economic opportunities, and develop new and expanded markets for local agricultural and forestry products.

This is an important first step in making New York a major supplier of homegrown, environmentally-friendly fuels that will reduce our nation’s reliance on imported petroleum.

More goats, sheep being raised for milk

ALBANY — The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has released the results of the Dairy Goat and Sheep Survey, which was conducted to obtain a current and comprehensive view of the industry. The results show a significant increase in interest in dairy goat and sheep operations in New York State over the past decade.

The survey was initiated in response to the dramatic increase in dairy goats last reported in the 2002 Census of Agriculture. In 2002, USDA reported 1,146 farms in New York having 12,822 dairy goats.

This represents a 68 percent increase over the 5,000 dairy goats counted in 1997. Dairy sheep are not counted in the National Census, however anecdotal observations indicate increases in these operations as well.

USDA announces plans to purchase grape juice

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Jan. 12 announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to purchase up to 19.3 million pounds of grape juice to be donated to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs.

USDA provides $42.5M in additional disaster funds

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Jan. 16 announced that an additional $42.5 million will be provided to help with natural disaster recovery efforts in 13 states.

This funding provides recovery assistance for natural disasters that occurred between December 2005 and June 2006.

The funding is being made available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

It includes more than $7 million in technical assistance and more than $35 million in financial assistance.

New York received the most of the 13 states designated: $16.8 million, or about 40 percent of the total.

Clarkson studying biogas potential

POTSDAM — Cow manure, waste silage, cheese whey are waste products to some, but viable energy sources to enterprising Clarkson University researchers who are helping area farmers meet their own energy needs.

Last year’s New York State budget included a $1-million appropriation for Clarkson to investigate ways that dairy waste from cheese manufacturing and dairy farms can be used as feedstock to produce biogas to generate heat and electric power on New York farms.

In-depth interviews with New York state farmers that have installed anaerobic digesters are being performed in order to discern the motivations for adopting the technology as well as how anaerobic digestion technology is integrated into their farming systems. — Waterandwastewater.com

Japan may lessen restrictions on U.S. beef

The Japanese government indicated Monday it may end the current practice of inspecting all boxes of beef imports from the United States over fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Based on the inspections of U.S. beef imports thus far and those of U.S. meat-processing plants, the government has found no structural or systematic problems on the part of the U.S., officials from the agriculture and health ministries said at a public hearing with consumers and importers.

Japan banned imports of U.S. beef after the first U.S. case of mad-cow disease was discovered in December 2003. The ban was lifted in December 2005 but reinstated in January the following year after a U.S. veal shipment that arrived at Narita airport was found to contain part of a backbone, a risk material banned under a bilateral agreement on beef trade. — Dow Jones News Service

Rogowski speaks at Pennsylvania Farm Show

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pine Island, N.Y.’s, Cheryl Rogowski was the keynote speaker at the third annual Women in Agriculture Day at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg last month.

The forum offered success stories, advice and networking opportunities.

Rogowski was the 2004 recipient of a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” award.

Rogowski is the first woman farmer to win the award, which she earned by proving that small farms can survive by selling exotic produce to urban consumers.

Milk down

New York dairy herds produced 984 million pounds of milk during December according to the USDA.

Milk cows declined while milk per cow increased from the previous year resulting in a 2 percent decline in milk production.