Meanwhile it's getting more expensive for companies like Tyson to feed their livestock, as grain prices rise amid the frenzy for alternative fuels such as ethanol. In an effort turn things around, the company is taking steps such as cutting its costs by $200 million, raising its prices on retail food products, and consolidating beef processing plants. Standard & Poor's equity analyst Joseph Agnese thinks the company's 2007 guidance is conservative, since pricing should benefit from...

Coburn criticized Conrad s bill because he said it would assist people who did not buy federal crop insurance, saying the crop insurance program never will work if people do not take it and receive assistance anyway. You can t tell people they get bailed out and not have to buy crop insurance, Coburn said. Coburn said there are legitimate ways to pay for drought aid, but no one in the Senate has the courage to do the right thing and stay in session to help people who really need it. Many...

We re going to give people money who failed to buy crop insurance? We ll never have a crop insurance program that will work if we keep subsidizing people who won t take out crop insurance. I m very excited about the future for Oklahoma agriculture because I think world events are going to lead us to depend on farmers for energy, he said. He said an aggressive policy for the development of biofuels would be good for Oklahoma s farmers. Coburn said that he thinks it is a shame that Congress...

The proposed definition says development of lots used for such enterprises as crop farms, farmers markets, plant nurseries or landscaping services is exempt from review. It refers to another county code, which says that for land use to qualify as bona fide agriculture, 60 percent of the land must be continuously used for a variety of commercial farming purposes. STUART It might be easy to find a definition of the word "agriculture" in the dictionary, but when it comes to spelling out what...

Everyone of the farmers had harsh words for the company that introduced the genetically modified crops to them: "They lied to us about the crops and now we have lost everything", cried one. Another blurted out: "They have killed our crops and in frustration, more farmers are killing themselves through suicides after suffering huge losses" He said since the biotech industry has been unable to convince the people on the GMO, they have resorted to contamination through food aid and...

Panaji, Dec 7: The scheme of the Goa State Horticulture Development Corporation (GSHDC) to develop infrastructure for vegetable and flower cultivation in Goa has boosted vegetable farming in a total area of 92 hectares in 10 talukas involving 55 groups comprising 1500 farmers in Goa. Panaji, Dec 7: The scheme of the Goa State Horticulture Development Corporation (GSHDC) to develop infrastructure for vegetable and flower cultivation in Goa has boosted vegetable farming in a total area of 92...

The project could total $500,000, including final construction costs, insurance and architecture fees, Hembling said. The facility at Community Park on Hill near Reese High School would host ice skating, summer sports and recreation such as in-line skating, floor hockey and basketball, craft fairs, a farmers market and outdoor concerts. Boosters have had a vision for an open-air pavilion since 2002, when survey respondents indicated the community lacks a central locale for events, Hembling...

Earlier in the year, the sector was weighed by a glut in product as demand fell due in part to concerns about avian flu, but conditions are slowly moderating. The industry is also facing rising feed prices as corn prices escalate. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. Smithfield has been using acquisitions to grow during the sector downturn. Construction is expected to start in January and be completed in mid-2008. Earnings Preview:...

By Laurie Goering Tribune foreign correspondent Published December 8, 2006 STELLENBOSCH, South Africa -- The young chardonnay vines climbing from terra cotta pots in the Institute for Wine Biotechnology's greenhouse look like grapevines anywhere, vigorous and green. By Laurie Goering Tribune foreign correspondent Published December 8, 2006 STELLENBOSCH, South Africa -- The young chardonnay vines climbing from terra cotta pots in the Institute for Wine Biotechnology's greenhouse look like...