USGC says China probe could hurt grain trade
BEIJING (AP) — China’s anti-dumping investigation into U.S. exports of animal feed could disrupt trade, a U.S. trade group said Friday.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) said in a statement that China’s decision last week to open a probe into American exports of distiller’s dried grains (DDGs) was “surprising and could be disruptive to trade.

“China’s unusual market and supply volatility over the last two years has resulted in new global trade flows. As trade flows change, it should perhaps not be surprising there would be an adjustment period in response to unprecedented demand,” said the group, an influential lobbying arm for the farm industry.

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Dec. 28 it had begun looking for evidence of dumping from July 2009 until June 2010, and would also widen the search for harm to China’s industry starting from January 2007. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have sharpened in the past year over a number of issues, from clean energy to currency. Specific spats have emerged over commodities including tires, auto parts and beef.

Earlier last week, the Obama administration filed a case against China before the World Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of providing unfair government subsidies to Chinese energy companies. The case arose from a petition by the United Steelworkers union in September, which alleged that Chinese businesses have undercut foreign manufacturers of wind and solar equipment on the international market because of huge government subsidies.

Barn fire kills horses, dogs, raccoons in Indiana
HOBART, Ind. (AP) — A northwestern Indiana barn fire has killed three wild mustangs the barn’s owner adopted six years ago from a federal agency.
Rose Romano said she was awakened early Dec. 29 by a Hobart police officer banging on her door, saying her barn was on fire. She told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville that she and her boyfriend tried to get to the barn to open the doors, but the flames were too intense. The blaze killed the three horses as well as five dogs and two raccoons.

Romano told The Times of Munster she adopted the mustangs in 2004 from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management when they were six months old. Fire Chief Brian Taylor said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Corn syrup spills into Mississippi River at Keokuk
KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Iowa environmental officials say an open drain valve at Roquette America in Keokuk resulted in 6,000 gallons of corn syrup being spilled into the Mississippi River.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said a worker at the corn processing plant failed to close a drain valve after a tank was being cleaned on Dec. 30. The spill was discovered Friday morning.

The DNR said corn syrup can lower oxygen levels and be toxic to fish, but because it will be highly diluted in the river the spill is not expected to have a significant environmental impact. The agency said Roquette America will likely be fined for failing to report the spill.

FDA warns against sprouts from Urbana company

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising the public not to eat alfalfa sprouts produced by the Tiny Greens Organic Farm in Urbana, Ill., because of possible salmonella contamination.
The warning issued Dec. 27 also includes a mix called Spicy Sprouts, which also contains radish and clover sprouts. The sprouts were distributed to various customers, including farmers’ markets, restaurants and groceries, in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and possibly other Midwest states.

The FDA said preliminary results of the investigation of a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections indicate a link to Tiny Greens alfalfa sprouts served in sandwiches at Jimmy John’s restaurants. But Tiny Greens owner Bill Bagby Jr. said not one sample of his product taken by health authorities has come back positive for salmonella contamination.

2009 crop year SURE signup begins Jan. 10
WASHINGTON, D.C. — USDA announced that producers who suffered losses during the 2009 crop year can sign up for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program at their local Farm Service Agency offices starting on Jan. 10, 2011.

To be eligible for SURE, a farm must have had at least a 10 percent production loss on a crop of economic significance; have crop insurance of some kind on all crops of economic significance; and be physically located in a county declared a primary disaster county or contiguous county by the USDA secretary. Without a declaration, individual producers may be eligible if the actual production on the farm is less than 50 percent of its normal production because of a natural disaster.

Producers considered socially disadvantaged, a beginning farmer or rancher or a limited resource farmer may be eligible for SURE without crop insurance. More information is online at www.fsa.usda.gov/sure

Loans available in Michigan after drought, heat
DETROIT, Mich. (AP) — The federal government says small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofits in Michigan are eligible for loans because of drought and excessive heat this year.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) stated the agency’s disaster declaration includes more than half of the state’s counties. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm- and nonfarm-related organizations that had financial losses due to the drought and heat.
Loans may be up to $2 million for up to 30 years. Completed loan applications must be returned no later than Aug. 8.