In a ruling that was not totally unexpected but eagerly awaited by some, the World Trade Organization has said that Europe’s resisting genetically engineered crops was a de facto moratorium that violated trade rules.

Europe’s anti-biotechnology stance was challenged in the WTO by the U.S., Canada and Argentina.

Source: Washington Post/ Justin Gillis and Paul Blustein, Feb. 7, 2006
Source URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020701184.html

Colorado lawmakers have given initial approval to a bill that would allow farmers to lease their water, but keep their land. Colorado law stipulates that water is permanently tied to the land, meaning a sale of water requires the land be sold.

The bill, dubbed the Rotational Crop Management Bill, would allow farmers to permanently rotate land areas out of production. The lower water use could then be purchased by municipalities and domestic water companies.

Source: Montrose Press/ James Shea, Feb. 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2006/02/06/local_news/1.txt

Having a bad day at work and wish you could indulge in some Ben & Jerry’s at your desk to ease the pain? This summer you’ll be able to do just that—drink a Ben & Jerry’s milk shake from an 8-ounce glass container.

Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s has signed a deal with PepsiCo Inc. to launch a new line of dairy drinks.

Source: Boston.com/ Associated Press/ Lisa Rathke, Feb. 6, 2006
Source URL: http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/02/06/
pepsi_to_sell_ben__jerrys_drink/

The power of corn to end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil has only one weakness: it takes energy to turn corn into fuel.

Corn is the primary ingredient distilled into ethanol, a clean-burning, high-octane fuel. But to take raw corn and turn it into refined ethanol takes almost two-fifths of a gallon of fuel—usually natural gas. And that doesn’t take into account the energy needed to make fertilizer for the corn, operate farm machinery or ship the ethanol to market.

When you add it all up, corn suddenly doesn’t look so powerful.

Source: New York Times/ Matthew L. Wald, Feb. 7, 2006
Source URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/science/07fuel.html?th&emc=th

A group of Vermont farmers is taking the offensive when it comes to protecting Lake Champlain—and their livelihoods from bad publicity.

The Farmer’s Watershed Alliance says it’s looking for money, technical information, and the public to understand that everyone contributes to water pollution, and it’s not just farmers who pollute.

Source: Boston.com/ Burlington Free Press, Feb. 4, 2006
Source URL: http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/02/04/farmers_joining_together_to_protect_lake/?
rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Local

Land O’Lakes, Inc. today reported 2005 net earnings of $128.9 million, compared to $21.4 million for 2004. Company officials indicated that 2005 earnings were bolstered by a $69.7 million after-tax gain, net of related expenses, on the third-quarter sale of the company’s 38-percent interest in CF Industries (domestic fertilizer manufacturing). Full-year 2005 results included unrealized hedging gains of $5.3 million, versus unrealized hedging losses of $23.1 million in 2004.

Dairy Foods reported $6.3 million in pretax earnings for the fourth quarter and $0.4 million for the year, as compared to 2004’s pretax earnings of $28.1 million for the fourth quarter and $16.5 million for the year. Dairy Foods reported sales of $1.06 billion for the quarter and $3.9 billion for the year, as compared to $1.06 billion and $4.0 billion, respectively, in 2004. Dairy Foods 2005 earnings included an unrealized hedging loss of $4.2 million, as compared to an unrealized hedging loss of $2.6 million one year ago.

From a volume perspective, full-year volume in butter and spreads was up 1%, deli cheese up 2% and total cheese up 1% versus 2004.

Source: Land O’Lakes Inc./ News Release, Feb. 7, 2006
Source URL: http://www.landolakesinc.com/

Grain commodity trading benefited last week from activity from large funds now called "commercials." It is interesting to note the surge in open interest in grain futures in recent years. Open interest is a contract that has not closed the position with the offsetting trade thus completing the "round turn." On the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) during the 70's, open interest for wheat ranged form 10,000 to 20,000 contracts and between 50,000 and 100,000 contracts for both corn and soybeans respectively. Wheat open interest on the CBOT is now past 300,000 contracts and is a little over 150,000 at the Kansas City (KCBT) and Minneapolis (MGE) grain exchanges. CBOT corn has setting open interest records for several days. On Friday, it went above 1 million contracts for the first time ever with soybeans nearing 750,000 contacts. What does all this mean?

Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension/ Mike Roberts, Feb. 7, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/purcell/2006wp/05.html

Oxidation in 3 types of bovine milk with different fatty acid profiles obtained through manipulation of feed was evaluated by analytical methods quantifying the content of potential antioxidants, the tendency of formation of free radicals, and the accumulation of primary and secondary oxidation products.

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy should accordingly be further explored as a routine method for detection of early events in lipid oxidation in milk to predict shelf-life.

Source: Comparison of Descriptive Sensory Analysis and Chemical Analysis for Oxidative Changes in Milk. J. Dairy Sci. 89:495-504. R. V. Hedegaard, D. Kristensen, J. H. Nielsen, M. B. Frøst, et al.

In the last months, several new weed management products have been released into the market. The goal of this article is to present an overview of some that may have a significant impact on Montana's cropping systems. Some of the new products include:

• Roundup Ready Alfalfa.
• Axial
• CleanWav
• Gramoxone Inteon

Source: Montana State University/ News Release/ Fabian Menalled, Feb. 7, 2006
Source URL: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=3344

Valio and Swedish dairy companies Skånemejerier and Milko are exploring the possibility of three-way co-operation in Sweden’s dairy market. Valio and Milko published an agreement last year con-cerning long-term co-operation in the dairy business. Expanding co-operation is in line with Valio’s strategy, networking with European dairy companies to secure Valio’s competitiveness in its home market, comprising Finland, Sweden, the Baltic states and Western Russia.

According to other news reports, Valio will build a modern dairy plant in the Gatchina district of Leningrad region.

Source: Valio/ News Release, Feb. 2, 2006
Source URL: http://www.valio.fi/channels/konserni/eng/tanaan/uutiset/unnamed_563.html