Showing posts with label Farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farm. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cattle Rustling Alive and Well in 21st Century

English: Calf - Mill Farm
At least 26 cows have been stolen from the same farm, and while the owner thinks he has a motive, he still doesn’t know who is behind the thefts. Steve Belo works on his dairy farm that’s been hit twice in the last week by calf thieves.

“It’s real frustrating,” he said. “Right now, they are living a pretty good life. Who knows where they are going from here?”

Overnight, culprits stole 16 one-month-old heifers. That’s after already swiping 10 the first time. To get to the calves, thieves would have to lift up 300-pound cages.

“The workers do their best to keep these things fed and well-maintained, and you’ve got these thieves that come out here and they just steal them.”

Mike Seward oversees a group called Hilmar Farm Watch, working to get the word out about this growing problem.

“We hope this doesn’t become a trend,” he said. “They don’t care it’s a calf. They don’t view it as a life. They view it as income and that’s sad.”

Steve says each calf is worth about $600. He hopes the crooks are caught before the farm’s profits go down the drain. Read more >>
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Friday, December 21, 2012

With Farm Bill Stalled, Consumers May Face Soaring Milk Prices

Milk and cooky

Forget the fiscal crisis and the automatic budget cuts. Come Jan. 1, there is a threat that milk prices could rise to $6 to $8 a gallon if Congress does not pass a new farm bill that amends farm policy dating back to the Truman presidency.

Lost in the political standoff between the Obama administration and Congressional Republicans over the budget is a virtually forgotten impasse over a farm bill that covers billions of dollars in agriculture programs. Without last-minute Congressional action, the government would have to follow an antiquated 1949 farm law that would force Washington to buy milk at wildly inflated prices, creating higher prices in the dairy case. Milk now costs an average of $3.65 a gallon.

Higher prices would be based on what dairy farm production costs were in 1949, when milk production was almost all done by hand. Because of adjustments for inflation and other technical formulas, the government would be forced by law to buy milk at roughly twice the current market prices to maintain a stable milk market. Read more >>

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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

California Farm Labor Shortage 'Worst It's Been, Ever'

There's a different sort of drought plaguing California, the nation's largest farm state. It's $38 billion agricultural sector is facing a scarcity of labor. "This year is the worst it's been, ever," said Craig Underwood, who farms everything from strawberries to lemons to peppers, carrots, and turnips in Ventura County.

Some crops aren't get picked this season due to a lack of workers. "We just left them in the field," he said. The Western Growers Association told CNBC its members are reporting a 20 percent drop in laborers this year. Stronger border controls are keeping workers from crossing into the U.S. illegally, and the current guest worker program is not providing enough bodies.

"We have 100 fewer people this year," said Sergio Diaz, who provides workers under contract for growers. "We're having difficulty finding people to do this work." The lack of workers is forcing farmers to pay more. In one of Underwood's fields, pickers are harvesting peppers for $9.25 a hour, or $5 a bucket, whichever is more. Craig Underwood said his workforce is aging and starting to retire, and no one is coming in to replace them. Read more >>