October 2004
Sun	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sat
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3	4	5	6	7 Agricultural Outlook Statistical Indicators	8 Aquaculture Outlook The Conservation Reserve Program: Economic Implications ... Farm and Farm-related Employment	9
10	11	12 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Black Sea Grain Exports: Will They Be Moderate or Large... China: A Study of Dynamic Growth	13 Cotton and Wool Outlook Oil Crops Outlook Rice Outlook	14 Feed Outlook Wheat Outlook 2004 Awards from FANRP's Competitive Grants and Cooperative ...	15 U.S. Agricultural Trade Update	16
17	18 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook	19 The Changing Tobacco User's Dollar Food Assistance Landscape, September 2004	20 Retail Scanner Prices for Meat	21 Vegetables and Melons Outlook	22 Food Stamp Program	23
24	25 Rural America At A Glance, 2004	26 Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook summary	27	28 The Role of Economics in Eating Choices and Weight Outcomes	29 Taxing Snack Foods: What to Expect for Diet and Tax Revenues China's Soybean Imports Expected To Grow Despite Short-Term ...	30
31

Filter view All Topics Ag Chemicals & Production Technology Agribusiness/Industry Concentration Agricultural Market/Trade Projections Agricultural R&D; and Productivity Biotechnology Crops Diet, Consumption, & Health Farm Financial & Risk Management Farm Structure, Income, & Performance Farm/Rural Finance & Tax Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs Food Market Structures Food Prices, Spreads & Margins Food Safety International Agriculture Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Aquaculture Macroeconomics in the Ag & Food Economy Natural Resources, Environment, & Conservation Policy Topics Rural America Trade U.S./State Facts All Product Groups Publications - Magazines - Research Reports - Outlook Reports Data Products Briefing Rooms Events All Products Agricultural Income and Finance Outlook Agricultural Outlook Aquaculture Cotton and Wool Outlook Feed Outlook Floriculture and Nursery Crops Outlook Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook Oil Crops Outlook Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade Rice Outlook Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook Tobacco Outlook U.S. Agricultural Trade Update Vegetables and Specialties/Melons Outlook Wheat Outlook World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

THIS MONTH AT ERS - [October 1, 2004 - October 31, 2004]
Thursday, October 7, 2004
Agricultural Outlook Statistical Indicators Statistical Indicators previously published in Agricultural Outlook addressing a broad spectrum of agriculture-related issues. Includes commodity and food prices, general economic indicators, government program expenditures, farm income estimates, and trade and export statistics.
Friday, October 8, 2004
Aquaculture Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines the U.S. aquaculture industry including production, inventory, sales, prices, inputs, and trade of catfish, trout, tilapia, salmon, mollusks, crawfish, shrimp, ornamental fish, and new species. Released at 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Printed copies can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-LDPAQS-4040). Users who subscribe to this twice-a-year newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification (ERS subscribers) or by mail (for NTIS subscribers).
Friday, October 8, 2004
The Conservation Reserve Program: Economic Implications for Rural America This report estimates the impact that high levels of enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have had on economic trends in rural counties since the program’s inception in 1985 until today. The results of a growth model and quasi-experimental control group analysis indicate no discernible impact by the CRP on aggregate county population trends. Aggregate employment growth may have slowed in some high-CRP counties, but only temporarily. High levels of CRP enrollment appear to have affected farm-related businesses over the long run, but growth in the number of other nonfarm businesses moderated CRP’s impact on total employment. If CRP contracts had ended in 2001, simulation models suggest that roughly 51 percent of CRP land would have returned to crop production, and that spending on outdoor recreation would decrease by as much as $300 million per year in rural areas. The resulting impacts on employment and income vary widely among regions having similar CRP enrollments, depending upon local economic conditions.
Friday, October 8, 2004
Farm and Farm-related Employment New data for 2001, the latest year for which detailed industry-level data are available, show that farming and its related industries provided 24.4 million jobs, or about 14.6 percent of total U.S. employment. Farm production employment, which includes farm proprietors and hired farmworkers, accounted for 3.1 million of these jobs. ERS has released new data on farm and farm-related employment for 2001, and revised the estimates for 1998-2000.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates [Release Schedule] Issued monthly, WASDE provides the most current USDA forecasts of U.S. and world supply-use balances for major grains, soybeans and products, and cotton, and U.S. supply and use data for sugar and livestock products. Released at 8:30 a.m. ET. There is no charge for the electronic version.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Black Sea Grain Exports: Will They Be Moderate or Large? [Release Schedule] This report examines the prospects for grain exports by the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS) that export through the Black Sea, the largest being Russia and Ukraine. If productivity growth in the region is high, annual grain exports by Black Sea countries could rise to 30-40 million tons. Such high exports would strongly affect the world grain market, since total annual world grain exports during 2000-03 averaged 237 million metric tons. This report is the second in a two-part series on the integration of CEE and NIS countries into global commodity markets.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
China: A Study of Dynamic Growth [Release Schedule] China's rapid economic growth has been driven by high rates of investment, gains in productivity, and liberalized foreign trade and investment. China's growth is likely to continue, but the Chinese economy faces some possibly unsustainable pressures.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Cotton and Wool Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for cotton and wool, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Includes data on raw fibers and textiles. Timely version released at 4:00 p.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Oil Crops Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for oil crops (primarily soybeans and products), including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Includes information on cottonseed, peanuts, sunflowerseed, tropical oils, corn oil, and animal fats. Timely version released at 4:00 p.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Rice Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for rice, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains information on U.S. rough, milled, and long-, medium-, and short-grain rice. Timely version released at 4:00 p.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Feed Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for feed grains, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Focuses on corn; also contains information on sorghum, barley, oats, and hay. Timely version released at 9:00 a.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Wheat Outlook [Release Schedule] Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for wheat, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains data and information on U.S. wheat by class. Timely version released at 9:00 a.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
2004 Awards from FANRP's Competitive Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program Under ERS's Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, USDA made awards of $1.1 million in grants and cooperative assistance. The awards fund research on strengthening economic incentives in food assistance programs; food assistance as a safety net; and obesity, diet quality, and health outcomes. The program is publicly announced and competitively awarded through the use of peer review panels.
Friday, October 15, 2004
U.S. Agricultural Trade Update [Release Schedule] Announces USDA's monthly release of year-to-date quantity and value of U.S. farm exports and imports. Released at 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Printed copies can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-FAT-4030). Users who subscribe to this monthly newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification (ERS subscribers) or by mail (for NTIS subscribers).
Monday, October 18, 2004
Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook [Release Schedule] Timely livestock, dairy, and poultry information, focusing on current production, price, and trade statistics for each of the sectors. Timely version released at 9:00 a.m. ET. Final full pdf available later in the month after release of key livestock and animal product data. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Printed copies can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-LDPM-4042). Users who subscribe to this monthly newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification (ERS subscribers) or by mail (for NTIS subscribers).
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
The Changing Tobacco User's Dollar [Release Schedule] U.S. consumers spent $86.7 billion on tobacco products in 2003, about $1.5 billion less than in 2002. Expenditures are declining as lower consumption (mainly cigarettes) outweighs higher costs facing tobacco product users. For cigarettes, a larger part of the consumer's dollar went to taxes and manufacturers, while wholesalers, retailers, and farmers took less. Since 1998, wholesale cigarette prices jumped 122 percent and excise tax rates (Federal and state) have increased 74 percent. Cigarette manufacturers raised prices partially to cover expenses incurred as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Food Assistance Landscape, September 2004 Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs totaled $23.3 billion during the first half of fiscal 2004 (October 1, 2003, to March 31, 2004), an 11-percent increase over the first half of fiscal 2003. If this trend continues during the second half of fiscal 2004, expenditures for the entire fiscal year will surpass the record $41.8 billion spent on food assistance in fiscal 2003 (prior to fiscal 2003, the previous historical record was $38.1 billion set in fiscal 1996). Five programs—the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program—accounted for almost 95 percent of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance. While each of these major programs expanded during the first half of fiscal 2004, most of the increase in total food assistance expenditures was due to the expansion of the Food Stamp Program.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Retail Scanner Prices for Meat Average monthly weighted retail price data for selected cuts of red meat and poultry based on electronic supermarket scanner data. While not based on a random sample, the raw data underlying the database are from supermarkets across the United States that account for approximately 20 percent of U.S. supermarket sales. This data set supplements similar data supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Currently, BLS data are used to derive ERS published price spreads from farm to retail.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Vegetables and Melons Outlook [Release Schedule] Provides current intelligence and forecasts the effects of changing conditions in the U.S. vegetables and melons sector (including potatoes, pulses, and mushrooms). Topics include production, consumption, shipments, prices received, trade, and more. Released at 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter (and yearbook) availability. Printed copies of the newsletter (together with the yearbook) can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-VGS-4039). Users who subscribe to this every-other-month newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification (ERS subscribers) or by mail (for NTIS subscribers).
Friday, October 22, 2004
Food Stamp Program This briefing room provides an overview of the Food Stamp Program. ERS research on this topic is highlighted, with links to recommended readings and other briefing rooms covering food and nutrition assistance programs. New information describing Food Stamp Nutrition Education research activities provides links to State-level maps and data, and posts tools to assist in assessing FSNE impact.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Rural America At A Glance, 2004 Rural America At A Glance, 2004 is a six-page brochure that highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural areas. The brochure is the third in a series of reports that uses current social and economic data to highlight population, labor market, income, and poverty trends in rural areas. This brochure provides information on key rural conditions and trends for use by public and private decisionmakers and others in efforts to enhance the economic opportunities and quality of life for rural people and their communities.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook summary [Release Schedule] Summary release. Contains data important to the fruit and tree nuts industry. Summary release at 4 p.m. ET. The full report, available in several weeks, contains data important to the fruit and tree nuts industry.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The Role of Economics in Eating Choices and Weight Outcomes This report uses data from the USDA's 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the 1994-96 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey to ascertain whether economic factors help explain weight differences among adults. Weight differs among demographic subgroups, and differences in specific behaviors, health awareness, and eating patterns can be linked to weight outcomes. An economic framework helps explain how socioeconomic factors affect an individual's ability to achieve good health. Our results suggest that income, household composition, and formal education help explain variation in behaviors and attitudes that are significantly associated with weight outcomes.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Taxing Snack Foods: What to Expect for Diet and Tax Revenues Health researchers and health policy advocates have proposed levying excise taxes on snack foods as a possible way to address the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States. Some proposals suggest higher prices alone will change consumers’ diets. Others claim that change will be possible if earmarked taxes are used to fund an information program. This research examines the potential impact of excise taxes on snack foods, using baseline data from a household survey of food purchases. To illustrate likely impacts, we examine how much salty snack purchases might be reduced under varying excise tax rates and possible consumer price responses. We find that even a 1-percent ad valorem tax would not appreciably alter consumption-and, thus, would have little effect on diet quality or health outcomes-but would generate more than $40 million in annual tax revenues.
Friday, October 29, 2004
China's Soybean Imports Expected To Grow Despite Short-Term Disruptions Rapid demand growth for soybeans and soybean products has outstripped supply in China over the past two decades. Liberalization in production and trade policies has facilitated the country's booming soybean imports, though some recent policy changes have disrupted imports. Despite short-term disruptions, however, China's demand for soybean and soybean products continues to look strong and provides favorable opportunities for U.S. soybean exports.
25 releases of 25 products this month on 15 different days.

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Ag Chemicals & Production Technology Agribusiness/Industry Concentration Agricultural Market/Trade Projections Agricultural R&D and Productivity Biotechnology Crops Diet, Consumption, & Health Farm Financial & Risk Management Farm Structure, Income, & Performance Farm/Rural Finance & Tax Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs Food Market Structures Food Prices, Spreads & Margins Food Safety International Agriculture Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Aquaculture Macroeconomics in the Ag & Food Economy Natural Resources, Environment, & Conservation Policy Topics Rural America Trade U.S./State Facts What's New State Facts Calendar of Releases E-Mail Updates Subject Specialists Archive