AgDay Daily Recap -July 30, 2013

COLD WEATHER:

GOOD MORNING I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS. IT'S NOT EVEN AUGUST AND YET FARMERS ARE EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE FROM AN EARLY FROST...AND FOR GOOD REASON.

CROP WATCH:

THE COOL TEMPS HAVE EVERYONE TALKING. MIKE HOFFMAN JOINS US NOW THE AGDAY WEATHERCENTER WITH MORE--IN TODAY'S CROPWATCH.

CROP PROGRESS:

ACCORDING TO USDA'S LATEST CROP PROGRESS REPORT....63 PERCENT OF THE CORN CROP IS RATED EITHER GOOD OR EXCELLENT. THAT'S UNCHANGED FROM LAST WEEK. ON THE MATURITY SIDE, COOL WEATHER ISN'T HELPING THE CROP CATCH UP. 71 IS TASSLEING--- FOUR POINTS BEHIND THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE. EIGHT PERCENT HAS REACHED THE DOUGH STAGE, NINE POINTS BEHIND. SOYBEANS - 63-PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT, DOWN A TICK FROM LAST WEEK. 65-PERCENT OF THE CROP IS BLOOMING - 10 POINTS BEHIND AVERAGE. 20-PERCENT HAS SET PODS - IT'S USUALLY A THIRD OF THE CROP BY NOW WINTER WHEAT HARVEST - 81-PERCENT COMPLETE. MONTANA IS STILL IN SINGLE DIGITS, BUT THAT'S RIGHT ON AVERAGE. COTTON - A THIRD IS JUST FAIR. ANOTHER THIRD IS GOOD. TEN PERCENT IS EXCELLENT.

CROP INSURANCE:

NEW NUMBERS OUT FROM THE NATIONAL CROP INSURANCE SERVICES. AS OF LAST WEEK, NEARLY 700-THOUSAND CROP INSURANCE POLICY'S HAD BEEN PROCESSED THROUGH PARTICIPATING COMPANIES. CROP INSURNACE NOW COVERS 178 MILLION ACRES...COSTING FARMERS ABOUT 2 POINT 5 BILLION DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET. THAT'S STILL WELL BEHIND 2012'S FINAL TOTALS. TO DATE, KANSAS, IOWA, TEXAS, NEBRASKA AND ILLINOIS LEAD THE WAY IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CROP INSURANCE POLICIES PURCHASED.

IMMIGRATION:

IMMIGRATION REFORM CONTINUES TO BE A HOT ISSUE FOR WASHINGTON BUT IN AG CIRCLES MANY GROUPS FEEL IT'S VITAL TO SUSTAINING THE INDUSTRY. ON MONDAY THE WHITE HOUSE RELEASED A REPORT DETAILING HOW THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION IS IMPACTING AGRICULUTURE AND RURAL AMERICA.

FLORIDA GESTATION RULING:

A FLORIDA APPEALS COURT HAS RULED IN FAVOR OF A FORMER PORK PRODUCER WHO WAS FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OF HIS USE OF GESTATION STALLS.

CANADA GMO:

IT APPEARS JAPAN COULD RESUME SHIPMENTS OF OF U-S WESTERN WHITE WHEAT THIS WEEK. THAT'S ACCORDING TO REUTERS NEWS. JAPAN STOPPED SHIPMENTS OF THE GRAIN EARLIER THIS SUMMER AFTER G-M-O WHEAT MYSTERIOUSLY SHOWED-UP IN AN OREGON FIELD.

VALLEY MEAT FIRE:

MEANWHILE, IN NEW MEXICO, A COMPANY THAT RECEIVED FEDERAL APPROVAL TO OPEN A HORSE PROCESSING FACILITY IS FACING MORE HURDLES. THIS TIME, IN THE FORM OF POSSIBLY ARSON. BLAIR DUNN, THE ATTORNEY REPRESENTING VALLEY MEAT COMPANY--LOCATED IN ROSWELL NEW MEXICO-- TOLD AGDAY SOMEONE SET FIRE TO THE FACILITY. INITIAL REPORTS FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT INDICATE ARSON. DUNN TOLD US IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE TRYING TO DESTORY THE REFRIGERATION UNITS. WHILE THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED, IT COULD COST VALLEY MEAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

ANALYSIS:

IN AGRIBUSINESS THIS MORNING...CORN AND SOYBEANS CONTINUED THEIR SLIDE MONDAY. THAT ON THE HEELS OF LAST WEEK'S DIFFICULTY.  IN ANALYSIS THIS MORNING, AL PELL TALKS TO TRADER MIKE FLOREZ--WHO BROUGHT ALONG A FEW REASONS TO KEEP THE BULLS HAPPY.

VIRGINIA CLAMMER:

EVERY SUMMER, WATERMEN HEAD OUT INTO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO HARVEST THE YEAR'S CATCH OF SOFT SHELL CRAB. IN THIS REPORT PROVIDED BY THE VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU PATRICK DUNN TELLS US IT IS AN ART THAT REQUIRES PATIENCE AND SPECIFIC TIMING. THANKS PATRICK. WHILE THERE IS A PROUD HERITAGE OF FISHING TO EARN A LIVING, TOURISM AND SUMMER HOMES MAKE UP A LARGE PART OF THE ECONOMY IN LANCASTER COUNTY. ONLY 71 FAMILIES MAKE A LIVELIHOOD IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY OR FISHING IN THAT VIRGINIA COUNTY.

ELDERBERRY BENEFITS:

MISSOURI FARMERS ARE LOOKING TO BOOST THEIR PROFITS WITH A CROP THAT MAY BE GROWING RIGHT IN YOUR BACK YARD. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI RESEARCHERS ARE FINDING ELDERBERRIES NOT ONLY MAKE GREAT WINES, AND JUICES BUT ALSO HAVE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS.

TEST TUBE BEEF:

IT WON'T LOOK AS GOOD AS THESE BURGERS DO, I'M SURE. THE WORLD'S FIRST TEST TUBE BURGER IS SET TO BE SERVED IN LONDON NEXT WEEK. IT'S MADE MEAT GROWN IN A LABORATORY--FROM BOVINE STEM CELLS. MAKING ONE 5 OUNCE PATTY TOOK 3-THOUSAND TINY STRIPS OF MEAT. THEY EVEN EXERCISE IT IN THE LAB TO BULK IT UP. IT'S THEN MIXED WITH TEST TUBE ANIMAL FAT TO MAKE THE BURGER. THE FINAL PRODUCT IS DESCRIBED AS GREY AND SLIPPERY--ABOUT THE TEXTURE OF SQUID OR SCALLOPS. JUST ONE PATTY COST 385-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PRODUCE.