A20 - Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 22, 2014 www.lancasterfarming.com Ag Briefs International Near-Record Juice Grape Harvest in Washington China, Australia Sign Free-Trade Deal CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — China and Australia signed a preliminary free-trade deal Monday that would give Australian agriculture advantages over competitors from the United States, Canada and the European Union, officials said. Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing by Australian and Chinese officials of a declaration of intent, which officially concluded negotiations that began in 2005. Trade Minister Andrew Robb said the pact would be signed next year and take effect as early as March if it is endorsed by the Australian Parliament by then. The removal of tariffs on Australian farm products would give Australia an advantage over U.S., Canadian and E.U. competitors while negating advantages New Zealand and Chile have enjoyed through their free-trade deals with China, Robb said. Egyptian Woman Dies of Bird Flu, Second This Year ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian health officials say a woman who was diagnosed with bird flu has died, the second fatality from the H5N1 virus this year in the country. Egypt has reported seven bird flu cases so far in 2014. Most victims have been women and children who are traditionally tasked with caring for domestic poultry. Ahmed Abdel-Hamid in the southern city of Assiut says the woman was a 19-year-old who raised chickens at home. He says she was admitted to hospital on Nov. 10 and died on Monday. Health Ministry official Amr Kandil says the earlier fatality was in June. Since 2006, there have been 64 bird flu deaths in Egypt. The H5N1 virus is hard to catch but has remained a threat. Most cases have been linked to contact with poultry. National Chinese Company, Dairy Farmers Plan Kansas Plant KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Chinese company and the Dairy Farmers of America say they are planning a $100 million plant in Kansas. DFA, a cooperative owned by 13,000 dairy farmers, is based in Kansas City. It is working with the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group. The two groups formed a partnership two years ago. The Kansas City Star reports that the plant’s location has not been disclosed but that it will likely be in western Kansas, where most of the state’s milk production occurs. The plant will produce up to 88,000 tons of milk powder a year. Rick Smith, president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America, said Yili is a fitting partner because it is a leading Chinese dairy processor. Tenn. Farmers Ready to Grow Hemp, Unused to Rules NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — With a decadeslong ban on hemp production in Tennessee finally lifted, some farmers say they want to grow the crop but aren’t used to the government oversight that comes with it. WPLN-FM reports the state Agriculture Department held a hearing Tuesday about proposed rules it hopes to finalize before spring planting. They include a requirement to let inspectors enter hemp fields at any time to check the levels of THC, the only real difference between hemp and its cousin, marijuana. Farmers would have to pay the $35-an-hour bill for inspections. In addition, they would be required to purchase an annual hemp license that would cost $250, plus $2 per acre. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE Salisbury Township, Lancaster County has the following items for sale: • 2000 Ford F350, 4x4, dual wheel, aluminum tool body, 98,500 miles • 2004 Pinehill Drop Trailer- 19,000 GVW, 18 ft. long • 2 Athey Belt Loaders • 2 Large V Plows • 1 12 ft. Side Plow • CAT Backhoe Buckets, 30 in., 16 in. & 12 in. • Int'l Front Tractor Weights (1970's) • Misc. Steel I Beams- for reuse or recycle • Truck Mount Fuel Tank w/ hand pump • Electronic Portable Speed Sign Best offer received by Jan. 20, 2015 at noon. Must be on township bid form. For photos or more info, contact 717-768-8059 or email [email protected] GRANDVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Thanks to very little spring frost damage, a hot summer and warm fall, growers of Concord grapes have harvested a near-record juice crop in Washington, industry officials said. Figures compiled for the growers estimate the crop at 264,000 tons, the third-highest on record and well above the 10-year average of 190,000 tons, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported Friday. Washington is the nation’s largest producer of juice grapes, contributing about half the annual tonnage. Processors averaged 12.3 tons per acre for Concords, well above the 10-year average of 8 or so, said Trent Ball, a Yakima Valley Community College viticulture professor. Prices are down to about $110 per ton, partly because of cheaper imports and inventories left over from large 2013 harvests in New York and Pennsylvania, Ball said. Last year, Washington growers received $225 per ton following record prices of $280 per ton in 2012. Officials Say Farmworkers Weren’t Paid Properly TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Federal labor officials say they’ve recovered more than $131,000 in back wages for almost 400 farmworkers in central Florida who weren’t paid for work they did. Officials with the U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday also said they had issued $196,000 in civil penalties this year against growers who had safety, housing and transportation violations. The farmworkers picked citrus, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon. Labor officials say they saw fewer violations in Florida’s citrus industry this year compared with last year but that they continue to see violations in the strawberry industry. Farms Ask Court to End Ore. County’s GMO Crop Ban MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — Two southern Oregon farms are asking a court to end Jackson County’s voter-approved ban on genetically modified crops or force the county to pay the farms $4.2 million. The farmers say that’s the value of the Roundup Ready alfalfa crop they’ll have to destroy if the ban stands. The Medford Mail Tribune reports the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court on behalf of Schultz Family Farms LLC and James and Marilyn Frink and their family trust. Lawyers say a coalition of farming, agriculture and biotechnology organizations is assisting the Jackson County farmers. County voters approved the ban in May. The lawsuit claims that the GMO ban conflicts with state law and will require farmers to destroy crops they have already planted and grown for sale. Midwest Farmers Turn to Barges to Deliver Goods MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Congested railways have more Midwest corn and soybean farmers turning to the Mississippi River and its navigation system to move their goods. As oil trains from North Dakota compete for space on the crowded rail lines, the river system is becoming more important to shipping crops. A USDA report says grain barge tonnage is up 13 percent this month compared with the five-year average. The Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis says another federal report notes that barge rates for export grain in October averaged 33 to 60 percent higher than the five-year average for the month. Chevrolet Supports Grassland Preservation Program TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Chevrolet has become the first corporate participant in a public-private initiative that pays farmers not to convert natural prairie to large-scale crop production, officials said Monday. The automaker, a division of General Motors, said it has bought more than 39,000 metric tons of carbon credits from North Dakota ranchers to preserve 5,000 to 6,000 acres of grasslands in the prairie pothole region, a broad expanse of grasslands and wetlands reaching across the northern Great Plains and parts of Canada. Grasslands store huge volumes of carbon dioxide, one of the gases most responsible for climate change. Tilling the soil for agriculture releases the gases into the atmosphere. Preserving grasslands keeps carbon bottled up and preserves habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Feed Recalled After 3 Horses Die in South Florida LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — A Lakeland-based animal feed manufacturer is recalling four of its horse feed products following a possible link to the deaths of three horses in South Florida. The deaths are being investigated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Spokeswoman Erin Gillespie told The Ledger of Lakeland the feed has been sent to a private lab for testing. Lakeland Animal Nutrition recalled the four products on Oct. 22. It is a subsidiary of Alltech, an animal nutrition company based in Lexington, Ky. The horses died between Oct. 16 and 20 at a South Florida ranch. Regional Heavy Snowfall Puts Ohio Harvests Behind Schedule TROY, Ohio (AP) — The first heavy snowfall in the state has put Ohio harvests behind schedule after an already difficult growing season due to last winter’s brutal cold. The Dayton Daily News reports heavy snow blanketed much of Ohio before one-fifth of the state’s corn crop could be harvested. The wintry conditions mean farmers might have to work into December to complete their harvests. Miami County Farm Bureau President Bill Wilkins says farmers are running late when they’re still harvesting after Thanksgiving. Soybeans are also running late, with about 7 percent of the crop still to be harvested. Farmers may also face a loss of yield from the wintry weather. Wilkins says soybean pods are at risk of opening in cold temperatures, and the weight of snow can cause cornstalks to collapse. 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