“SURE Program Now Available”
USDA has implemented the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program, in accordance with the 2008 Farm Bill. In making the announcement, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack encouraged producers to visit their USDA Farm Service Agency county office beginning on January 4, 2010, to participate in the program if they suffered crop production losses during the 2008 crop year. Vilsack promised, – producers will receive payments beginning in January, in time to help them with planning for next year’s crop.
To be eligible for SURE, producers must have suffered at least a 10 percent production loss on a crop of economic significance. In addition, producers must meet the risk management purchase requirement by either obtaining a policy or plan of insurance, under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or NAP coverage, for all economically significant crops. For 2008 crops, producers had the opportunity to obtain a waiver of the risk management purchase requirement through a buy-in provision.
SURE provides assistance in an amount equal to 60 percent of the difference between the SURE farm guarantee and total farm revenue. The farm guarantee is based on the amount of crop insurance and Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage on the farm. Total farm revenue takes into account the actual value of production on the farm as well as insurance indemnities and certain farm program payments.
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“Senator Gives Health Care Reform A Positive Spin”
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who helped write the health care reform bill now headed to conference committee, says – our legislation has a simple goal: decrease the number of uninsured, increase access to affordable care and make health insurance companies more accountable. With its passage, Harkin says, – we send an important message to Americans that help is on the way – that your insurance company can no longer discriminate against you for a pre-existing condition or based on your gender; if you’re a small business owner, you will have more choice and competition in the marketplace, and if you’re a senior, you will the prescription drug coverage you need.
Harkin notes, – in order to truly bend the cost curve, we must break the cycle of rising chronic disease that is keeping health care costs high. Harkin adds, – I can say without hesitation that this legislation provides a historic investment in prevention and wellness at every level –federal, clinical and in our communities to remove the barriers to healthy living. According to Harkin, – it will provide the reforms our country so desperately needs at a time when we need them the most.
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“USDA Declares Natural Disaster Areas”
The Department of Agriculture has designated 66 counties in Alabama and one county in Texas as primary natural disaster areas. The Alabama counties received excessive rain, flooding and flash flooding during the period of January 1, 2009, and continuing. Glasscock County in Texas received hail and high winds that occurred on October 8, 2009.
The designation for Alabama covers every county in the state with the exception of Coosa County; however, Coosa County also will be eligible for natural disaster assistance since it is named as a contiguous county for this disaster. Contiguous counties in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee will also be eligible for natural disaster assistance. Glasscock County in Texas and its contiguous counties are also eligible for natural disaster assistance.
All qualified farm and ranch operators in the designated areas are now eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.
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“Citrus Virus Now Quantifiable”
The Citrus Tristeza Virus is one of the most economically damaging virus disease in citrus and early detection has been elusive, until now. A new rapid way to test severity has been developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists in Parlier, California. Plant pathologist Ray Yokomi developed a system to screen local CTV isolates for severity, using a technique called real-time polymerase chain reaction. As a result, Yokomi has found that CTV isolates associated with the so-called T30 genotypes of the virus cause mild to moderate symptoms, while the T3 and VT genotypes cause severe symptoms.
CTV has led to the death of millions of citrus trees on sour orange rootstock worldwide, and virulent stem-pitting strains can drastically reduce fruit size, quality and production of millions of other citrus trees on tolerant or resistant rootstocks. Sour orange is generally considered the best overall rootstock for citrus and is still widely used in Texas, Mexico, Central America, and Mediterranean countries.
In central California, typical CTV strains are mild, remaining symptomless on tolerant or resistant rootstock. This has led to the spread of symptomless CTV in recent years. Over time, if undetected, a virulent strain may be introduced or become predominant in mixed infections with mild strains.
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“RETECH 2010 Is On Schedule”
The second Renewable Energy Technology Conference and Exhibition, will be held February 3-5 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. 25x’25 is joining the American Council on Renewable Energy and other partnering organizations to present RETECH 2010, which features a full-scale trade show with news conferences and product launches, a multi-track business conference, and RETECH Side Events.
More than 300 exhibitors across the entire renewable energy marketplace are expected, representing wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, waste, smart grid, and storage markets. Another 250 key leaders from the Obama Administration and industry are scheduled to speak at the event, which is expected to draw 5-thousand attendees.
The event will offer educational and networking opportunities to a wide range of participants.
