Following supporting testimony from MFB, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture on Wednesday directed the state Department of Agriculture to convene a task force that will review water use issues and recommend to the Commission an appropriate "plan of action" for Michigan's agriculture industry.

The development of state standards, or Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs), for agricultural water use will be one of the actions considered by the task force, according to MFB Natural Resources Specialist Scott Piggott.

Developed and adopted by the Michigan Commission of Agriculture, GAAMPs give farmers guidelines to voluntarily follow concerning a wide range of agricultural practices from manure management and pesticide utilization to care of farm animals. Farmers who comply with the standards are offered protection under Michigan's Right to Farm Act from nuisance lawsuits.

"We asked the Agriculture Commission to create a task force that would be responsible for reviewing the feasibility of developing water conservation GAAMPs," Piggott said. "If the task force determines that the Right to Farm Act is the proper vehicle to address the water use issue and recommends that the Commission establish water conservation GAAMPs, the Commission - if it agreed - would most likely turn to MSU for leadership in developing the standards."

MFB's interest in possible GAAMPs for agricultural water use stems from organizational policy opposing water use permits and two pieces of legislation recently introduced in the state House and Senate.

The bills propose requiring groundwater withdrawal permits of persons who withdraw 70 or more gallons of groundwater per minute - a rate that would affect many in Michigan's agriculture industry, according to MFB officials.

"Michigan's agriculture industry acknowledges that our state's water resources must be managed responsibly, and we understand that water consumption is something that should be reviewed as demands for water rise," said Rob Anderson, MFB associate legislative counsel.

"But subjecting all consumptive water users to a costly and cumbersome 'one-size-fits-all' permit system is not the answer," said Anderson. "The Michigan agriculture industry should first be given a water-use standard to meet.

"That's why we appreciate the Agriculture Commission agreeing to look into whether establishing water-use GAAMPs are a logical approach to resolving some of the water-use conflicts that sparked the proposed legislation."

Ben Kudwa, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, also testified before the Commission in support of MFB's push for "discussions regarding the development of GAAMPs for water use in Michigan."

Kudwa told commissioners that "potatoes require precisely applied amounts of moisture to achieve the quality now demanded by the marketplace." As such, "irrigation has become the indispensable lifeblood of Michigan potato production," he said.

"Disruption of the water supply at any time during the growing season results in irreparable harm to the tubers and unacceptability in the market," said Kudwa. "Michigan's potato growers stand willing, along with other agricultural water users, to address water issues from a constructive and scientifically tenable perspective."

The Commission on Wednesday did not set any timelines regarding the task force but agreed to have MDA staff work with industry representatives and Michigan State University on its establishment.

In supporting the creation of the task force, Commission Chairman Doug Darling acknowledged the potential adverse impacts of severely restricting agricultural water use.

"Major corn companies will not grant seed corn contracts unless there is irrigation," Darling said.

Commissioner James Maitland added that it would be "scary" to subject water-dependent agricultural industries to onerous water-use legislation.

"I think everyone is hoping to get off to a better start this year," said Bob Boehm, manager of the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Commodity and Marketing Department. "The rains of late have been welcome because they'll help to replenish areas that remained dry as a result of last summer's drought conditions and our milder winter."

Bob Green, executive director of the Michigan Bean Commission, agreed. Weather last year caused the lowest Michigan dry bean yields since the 1930s.

"Most people are betting that we won't have the same conditions as last year," said Green, adding that economics can also be credited for a projected 40 percent increase in the state's dry bean acreage.

"We were the lone bandits last year in seeing a bad crop," Green said. "Some experts are placing black beans in the mid $30 per bushel range for this year's crop. I think there will be profit opportunities in beans this year."

Complete MASS findings are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/mi/press. Below are highlights from the cash crop and fruit and vegetable intentions reports.

According to the MASS 2002 Michigan Prospective Crop Plantings Report:

• Corn potential is 2.3 million acres, up 100,000 acres from 2001.
• Soybean acres are estimated at 2.15 million, tying last year's record high.
• Sugar beet acreage is expected to total 180,000 acres - the same as last year.
• Dry edible bean potential is estimated at 300,000 acres, up 85,000 acres from last year's record low.
• Barley acres are expected to total 21,000, unchanged from last year.
• All hay harvested acres are expected to total 1.15 million acres, unchanged from last year.

• Vegetable processors expect to contract 44,500 acres in Michigan this year, up 1,800 acres from 2001 contracts.
• Snap bean processors intend to contract 16,600 acres, down 5 percent (900 acres) from last year.
• Contracted cucumbers for pickles acreage is expected to increase from 22,000 to 24,000 acres.
• Contracted tomato acreage is expected to increase 700 acres from a year ago to 3,900 acres.
• Acreage for asparagus is estimated at 16,000 acres - unchanged from 2001.
• Onion growers intend to plant 3,700 acres of summer storage onions, down 200 acres from a year ago.
• Strawberry acreage for harvest is expected to be 1,100 acres - 100 acres more than last year.

For help arranging interviews with local farmers, call Jill Haake, Michigan Farm Bureau Media Support Services Manager, at (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585 or Darron Birchmeier, County Information Specialist, at ext. 6584.

"The ability to access Russia's market, on terms that are favorable to our farmers, is critically important," testified Wood on behalf of poultry producers in Michigan and around the nation. "That is why we welcome the eventual membership of Russia into the World Trade Organization. However, there are a number of important issues outstanding in the agricultural concessions of Russia's accession agreement that must be satisfactorily addressed.

"The Russian market offers an important opportunity for the U.S. food and agricultural sector. However, it remains a largely untapped market for our exports for a number of reasons, not the least of which are inconsistent regulations, arbitrary bans and discriminatory preferences for other countries," Wood continued.

"These practices are not in accordance with international rules. We must bring Russia into the global trading body to ensure that it begins to play by the rules."

According to AFBF, Russia is the largest U.S. poultry market, representing nearly 40 percent of the United States' total foreign poultry shipments and constituting more than 24 percent of overall U.S.-Russian trade.

Wood told the subcommittee that Russia implemented an "arbitrary, unjustified ban" on U.S. poultry exports last month.

"The ban lacked scientific merit and immediately shut the door on our largest poultry export market valued annually in excess of $660 million," Wood said.

Last month's action marked the second time Russia "has suddenly and arbitrarily" banned U.S. poultry. According to AFBF officials, Russians in 1996 imposed a poultry ban on U.S. imports that was "strikingly similar to the current ban." Ultimately, a bilateral agreement was reached that resolved the issue. Russian authorities, according to AFBF officials, are now alleging that the 1996 agreement is no longer valid.

"The Russian market has been a top destination for our poultry exports for nearly 10 years, mostly without incident," Wood testified. "U.S. poultry exports to Russia have steadily climbed, with significant increases experienced immediately preceding both poultry bans. This is not without coincidence.

"We also understand that Russian authorities, at the request of their domestic poultry industry, are considering implementing new quotas on imported poultry as early as this year," Wood added. "This would be a very troubling development in advance of their accession to the WTO, which is intended to further liberalize - not restrict - the Russian market."

In closing, Wood said the overall U.S.-Russia trade relationship currently favors Russia, with Russian exports reaching $6.5 billion compared to $2.5 billion in U.S. exports.

"Unfortunately, our agricultural trade relationship with Russia has been severely damaged by its arbitrary and unjustifiable ban on our largest export to its market, poultry," Wood summarized.

"Every effort must be taken to ensure that this issue is resolved in a manner that rapidly restores our access to that market and ensures that actions of this nature are not allowed to disrupt the important relationship that our country is trying to build with that nation."

Ballots, which were mailed by MDA on April 5, must be signed and postmarked by April 19 to be counted.

The Michigan Potato Industry Commission was created to develop and promote the potato industry through research, promotion, advertising, market development or expansion, education, and the development and dissemination of market and industry information. By law, the program, established in 1970 and last amended in 1996, must be renewed every five years. Currently, the producer assessment is 3 1/2 cents per hundredweight and 1 1/2 cents for the first handler.

For the program to be renewed, more than 50 percent of the grower votes cast, representing more than 50 percent of the total hundredweight represented on the cast ballots, must approve it. Each grower, partnership or corporation is entitled to one vote.

Producers who have questions or who have not received a ballot should contact MDA at P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909, or call (800) 292-3939.

The grant will be applied to costs for a feasibility study and other expenses to establish the pork marketing co-op.

The grant is among more than $5 million being distributed to 622 businesses in 22 states through the USDA's Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant program, which is designed to help foster economic development in rural areas. The grants are expected to create or save 1,410 jobs.

The Great Lakes Pork Cooperative was organized last fall and is the culmination of more than three years of work by the Michigan, Ohio and Indiana Pork Producers Associations, the three state Departments of Agriculture, Michigan Farm Bureau, and Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue Universities to explore and investigate alternative pork marketing opportunities.

The group's goal is "to create an integrated production system from the farm to the plate to enhance the value of the pork being produced" and make pork producers more of an "active participant" in the production of food products.

Contact: Ernie Birchmeier, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2024

The second most popular choice was "food and fiber producers," which came in at 9 percent. "Agriculturists" came in third with 6 percent of the vote.

Four percent of the respondents said they preferred to be called a commodity-specific name, such as soybean grower or milk producer.

Two percent settled on the generic "grower" title and another 2 percent said they preferred something else.

Contact: Jill Haake, (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585

"I think (the ban) goes back to the steel dispute that started a little bit more than a month ago and the tariffs that the president has put on steel," said American Farm Bureau Federation Economist John Skorburg. "One of the key steel-producing countries in the world is Russia. And if you are a country that's upset about 30 percent tariffs being put on your products, one of the things you do is look at how you can best get back at another country and make that country take note."

Skorburg said the poultry ban certainly hurts American poultry farmers. Russia is the No. 1 market for poultry, importing $640 million worth last year. Almost 30 percent of U.S. poultry exports go to Russia.

Contact: Sarah Black, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2025

Nutrient-conscious consumers can now tap a new data resource available through the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS scientists recently launched an online directory where users can look up the amount of a specified nutrient within any one of 1,147 food items. So far, the home page has already received more than 100,000 visitors. To access the database, go to www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.

Michigan State University researchers have developed a new potato variety that is resistant to late blight fungus. The "Jacqueline Lee" potato is a late-blight-resistant cultivar with commercially viable market traits. Late blight is the top disease affecting potatoes worldwide and is responsible for more than $2 billion in crop losses. Most commercially grown potato varieties are highly susceptible to late blight, and entire fields can be devastated within days if no controls are in place.

A Massachusetts company has developed a series of flavored beverages that contain a soluble dietary fiber found naturally in oats that reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and lowers blood cholesterol. The beverage contains Nutrim, an oat bran, which features a highly concentrated amount of oat beta glucan. According to a press release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved oat beta glucan as the component of oats that lowers cholesterol.