California
politicians pressing for gas-price relief and probe into possible market
manipulation [Sacramento Bee]
With
gas prices hovering near $5 a gallon in California, the state's politicians are
simultaneously pressing for relief and questioning whether the oil industry is
manipulating the market. The California Air Resources Board said Monday that it
had granted Gov. Jerry Brown's request over the weekend to allow refineries to
switch early to making cheaper winter-grade fuel. The idea is to boost the
supply of gasoline, but analysts said it's unclear how quickly the change will
bring prices down, or by how much….Monday marked the third straight day of
all-time high prices in California….Energy analysts blame the high prices on a
perfect storm of supply disruptions that began Aug. 6 with a fire at the
Chevron refinery in Richmond, a key piece of the state's petroleum
infrastructure….Air Resources Board spokesman Dave Clegern said it was
uncertain how quickly the government directive could lower prices at the pump.
Milk-cow
drought culling accelerates as prices jump [Bloomberg]
U.S.
milk production is headed for the biggest contraction in 12 years as a
drought-fueled surge in feed costs drives more cows to slaughter….Dairies in
California, the top milk-producing state, are filing for bankruptcy, and U.S.
cows are being slaughtered at the fastest rate in more than a quarter century.
Corn surged to a record in August as the USDA forecast the smallest crop in six
years because of drought across the U.S. Global dairy prices tracked by the
United Nations rose 6.9 percent last month, the most among the five food groups
monitored, and that will probably mean record costs next year, Rabobank
estimates….Dairy farmers in California, which produced 41.46 billion pounds of
milk last year, may be suffering more than in other states partly because they
are reliant on imports of corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay, said Michael Marsh,
the Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairymen, a Modesto,
California-based trade association….It cost California farmers about $18.22 to
produce 100 pounds of milk in the second quarter, and the average price was
about $13.91, Marsh estimates. There were 1,675 dairies in California last
year, government data show, and about 100 may close in 2012, he said.
Fresno
County targets grape pest in Easton [Fresno Bee]
Fresno
County's ongoing fight against the glassy-winged sharpshooter is taking aim in
the Easton area this week. The county will be treating the area with a
pesticide as part of its continued effort to keep the harmful grape pest under
control. Several sharpshooters have been found in insect traps around the
central Fresno County community, prompting the chemical treatments….The county
has been fighting the glassy-winged sharpshooter for more than a decade and has
managed to keep the pest from infesting commercial vineyards. Grape growers
fear the pest because it can carry the vine-killing Pierce's disease.
Feds
reject calls to limit logging in Aspen project [Sacramento Bee]
Standing
amid a scattering of stumps last week, an official from the U.S. Forest Service
acknowledged the agency made mistakes by logging too many pine trees, including
majestic old-growth giants, in an effort to help another Tahoe species: the
quaking aspen. But he rejected calls from local residents that the Tahoe
National Forest sharply scale back the cutting along Independence Creek north
of Truckee….To try to quell criticism, Quinn
announced that Forest Service officials have decided to halt logging of
conifers 40 inches in diameter or greater on the remaining 190 acres of the
479-acre project. But he rejected suggestions to limit cutting to trees 30
inches in diameter or less.
Commentary: Obama hits a foul
by honoring Cesar Chavez [CNN]
…Chavez
has significance as a historical figure. It is because of the UFW that
farmworkers now have clean water and toilets in the fields, collective
bargaining, lunch breaks and other legal protections. But Chavez was never a
leader for all Latinos….Last, most Latinos disapprove of the president's
heavy-handed immigration policies and record number of deportations….Chavez
earned many titles in his life, but "champion of immigrants" was not
one of them. He was primarily a labor leader who was concerned about illegal
immigrants undercutting union members, either by accepting lower wages or
crossing picket lines….According to many historical accounts, Chavez ordered
union members to call the Immigration and Naturalization Service and report
illegal immigrants who were working in the fields so that they could be
deported.
Op-Ed: Prop. 37 bad for
farms, economy and families [Santa Maria Times]
Agriculture
is the largest industry in California, and as a long-time Santa Maria farmer, I
am deeply concerned about provisions in Proposition 37 that will harm our
entire industry and mean higher grocery bills for California families. Prop. 37
is a deceptive measure that will result in shakedown lawsuits, exempts huge
categories of foods, and will increase bureaucracy, red tape and taxpayer costs
— without providing any health or safety benefits. That’s why Prop. 37 is
opposed by a broad coalition of family farmers, scientists, doctors, business,
labor, taxpayers and consumers.
Ag
Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for
information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com.
Some story links may require site registration. To be removed
from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your
name and e-mail address.
No comments:
Post a Comment