Kansas.com: Agriculture

Obama a question for ag industry

RICK PLUMLEE — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:39 CST

Steve Kopperud came to Wichita to explain to his audience at the Kansas Agri Business Expo what the new presidential administration would mean to agriculture business.

On Wednesday, the man with more than 25 years of experience in agriculture, government and communications took a deep breath and said, "I wish I had a clue of what to expect.

"It's going to be a surprise and a surprise and a surprise."

He could have just as easily said the same thing if John McCain and not Barack Obama had been elected president.

"I don't think (Obama) has a deep, deep understanding of agribusiness," said Kopperud, who is senior vice president of the Washington lobbying firm, Policy Directions. "But if you look at the policy positions put forth by both candidates, neither one had agriculture anywhere near the top of their agendas."

Kansas farmers doing well -- for now

RICK PLUMLEE — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:36 CST

All Ed Frey has to do is look at his mortgage delinquency rate to know it's been a good year overall for Kansas farmers.

Frey, the senior vice president for Farm Credit Services of Central Kansas in Wichita, said the delinquency rate is less than one-tenth of 1 percent.

"That's very good," he said Tuesday.

Historically, Frey said an average mortgage delinquency rate is one-half of 1 percent.

So taking into account the overall downturn in the economy, Frey said, "Agriculture is still faring fairly well."

Turkey producers not thankful for this year's prices

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:05 CST

Thanksgiving is bringing turkey producers little to celebrate this year, while diners anticipating the most poultry-centric of holidays may be grateful that they won't see much difference in the cost of their bird.

Meat producers have been struggling this year with higher costs for key ingredients like corn, soybeans and oil, part of why the cost of beef and chicken has risen so much. Turkey producers are facing all the same pressures, but don't have the same economies of scale and have to plan a year in advance for the one day a year they count on most.

About 46 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving Day, about the same as in previous years, said Sherrie Rosenblatt, spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation.

Consumers will see good prices this year, Rosenblatt said, because retailers will again heavily advertise turkey at prices where they may not make any money on the deal in hopes that shoppers drawn in by the lower price will buy lots of other products.

It's prime turkey-eating time in an industry that produced about $13.9 billion worth of product last year. But even the seasonal sales boost won't ease the industry's sagging profit margins.

Organization to advocate for ethanol

RICK PLUMLEE — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:37 CST

Leaders in the ethanol industry went to the nation's capital Tuesday to announce the creation of a new organization, but they used the opportunity to fire retaliatory shots at the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Claims by the GMA that corn-based ethanol caused higher food prices were "nothing but a sham cooked up by the food industry," Dave Vander Griend, chief executive of Colwich-based ICM, said during a news conference in Washington, D.C.

He was joined by three other chief executives from ethanol-related companies in announcing the formation of Growth Energy as an advocacy group for the industry.

The group said it will launch an advertising campaign to dispute the GMA's assertion that increased demand for corn because of ethanol caused food prices to increase 7.6 percent over the past year.

Vander Griend, whose ICM is the nation's leading designer of ethanol plants, said Big Food ignored the impact that rising fuel prices had on food costs.

Business shows support for tech ed

RICK PLUMLEE — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:41 CDT

Like most fathers, John Messman had his plans for his two sons.

Go to college; turn the degree into a high-paying job.

Except that's not how it has worked out.

One of his two 20-something sons wants to pursue a business degree.

The other son told Dad of his dreams of becoming a hunting and fishing guide.

Small business hurting, panel told

RICK PLUMLEE — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:38 CDT

A Hutchinson executive in the agriculture industry warned a congressional committee Tuesday that many of the nation's small businesses are in an "economic free fall."

Richard Brown, president and chief operating officer for Krause Corp., told the House committee on small business that across the country, agriculture is "the economic foundation for countless small businesses and thousands of Main Streets."

But he said the ripple effect of tightening credit markets and increased input costs will lead to economic hardships for rural America.

Brown was one of five experts in Washington, D.C., to address the committee, which held the hearing to look into ways to create opportunities for small businesses to recover economically.

"While Wall Street is on a financial roller coaster," said Brown, who is also chairman of the small-enterprise committee for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, "I'm here to tell you that many small businesses in America are in an economic free fall."