WASHINGTON - The Obama transition team considers former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack a near shoo-in for secretary of agriculture, according to a source close to the transition.
Farmers with good credit in states included in the Federal Reserve Bank's 10th District, which includes Nebraska, generally have still been able to borrow money. But that probably will become harder in the final three months of 2008.
There are still big differences between World Trade Organisation members on important farm trade issues and time is running out for them to reach an outline agreement this year, New Zealand's WTO ambassador has said.
Most rural banks are in very good shape. That's the message emanating from the National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Des Moines this week. Banker Kim Greenland of Mount Ayr, Iowa says rural banks didn't get caught up in the speculative practices that brought down Wall Street.
The United States Department of Agriculture reports that as of Sunday, November 16, 78% of this year's U.S. corn crop had been harvested. That's up 7% from the previous week, but 19% less than a year ago at this time and 16% behind the five year average. Corn continues to reflect a number of issues faced this year in many of the major U.S. growing areas.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today said that farmers and ranchers will receive $77 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds to repair farmland damaged by natural disasters in 2008.
