TODAY ON AGDAY
DECEMBER 28, 2012
EPA ADMIN RESIGNS:
Good morning I’m Tyne Morgan in for Clinton Griffiths. The Obama administration has another cabinet position to fill after the e-p-a chief announces she is stepping down.
DROUGHT MONITOR:
The snowstorm that blew across the upper Midwest last week is bringing some relief to parched regions of farm country, but not nearly enough to relax the droughty chokehold. Nationally the weekly drought monitor is unchanged from last week. Gold says while it’s definitely possible another drought is on the horizon, the U.S. can't afford two bad crop years in a row. He says we haven't seen a situation like this since the dust bowl era.
MISSISSIPPI LEVELS:
While the recent blizzards didn't provide much relief on the drought monitor, it's also having little impact on the Mississippi river conditions. The American Waterways Organization projects commerce to come to a halt as early as January 3rd near Thebes, Illinois. That’s about two weeks earlier than original estimates. AWO says as the water drops below the required 9 foot channel depth, consequently barge traffic will be forced to come to a stop. Meanwhile, work is still being done to remove those rock pinnacles in the area.
CROP WATCH:
As we've been reporting, the drought continues to plague many regions. Frank Waugh of AgDay affiliate WNDU has details in this morning's crop watch.
FARMER OF THE YEAR:
Each year at this time, the editors at Profarmer newsletter go back through their notes and news stories to find one person who really made a difference in agriculture. They are then named the "AG Person of the Year". Profarmer Editor Chip Flory joins us from the Profarmer studios to explain why they took a different approach this year.
WHEAT YIELDS:
See Comments