July 3, 2003

URBANA—Even though agricultural marketing services do not appear to “beat the market,” studies released today by University of Illinois Extension indicate their use does provide an opportunity for corn and soybean producers to improve marketing performance.

July 2, 2003

URBANA -- Two Asian countries may have growing wild in their pastures and on their mountainsides the secrets to preventing numerous human diseases. Uzbekistan and its neighbor, Kyrgyzstan, which together, are about the size of California and South Dakota, are teeming with wild flowers and plants that have been curing ailments for centuries, but without formal scientific testing and the quality control needed to distribute them to the rest of the world.

July 1, 2003

URBANA—The markets viewed two recent USDA reports as negative for corn and soybean prices, especially with current prospects for higher yields in 2003, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.

“The spring wheat acreage estimate, along with better export demand, provided some temporary support to the wheat market,” said Darrel Good.

Good’s comments came as he reviewed the USDA’s June 1 Grain Stocks and June 30 Acreage reports.

June 26, 2003

Urbana - More than 160 odorous compounds have been identified in dairy, beef, swine and poultry manure, according to Ted Funk, University of Illinois Extension specialist in environmental engineering.

June 25, 2003

URBANA - Incidents of deadly bacteria found in meat and poultry have raised public health concerns. And although irradiating the meat would greatly reduce outbreaks of E.coli and Salmonella, fear of the food becoming radioactive has prevented the process from becoming widely accepted in the United States.

Irradiation was approved for use on certain foods by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the early 1960s. Not only does it decrease bacteria in foods, it also reduces spoilage and delays ripening so produce can stay fresh longer.

June 24, 2003

URBANA--When it comes to beef, shoppers want low prices, little visible fat and good color and cuts at the store. At the table, though, they want tenderness, flavor and juiciness. A new study based on taste testing of 103 consumers also says that beef enhanced with a sodium and phosphate solution pass the dinner-table quality test.

June 24, 2003

URBANA—Developments in other areas of the world, in addition to the United States, will be potentially important for the demand for U.S. corn and soybean crops as current forecasts suggest reasonable chances for at least trend-line corn and soybean yields this year, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.

June 20, 2003

URBANA—Agricultural producers seeking to market crops whose value hinges on identity preservation need to understand the needs of those who are buying them, according to a recent University of Illinois study.

June 18, 2003

URBANA—A recent study by University of Illinois Extension answers the often-asked question: do large grain farms have lower per acre costs than smaller grain farms. The answer, according to Gary Schnitkey, the study’s co-author, is yes, up to about 1,000 acres.

June 18, 2003

URBANA - The possibility of unintended effects occurring in plants produced using biotechnology has generated fear, doubts and opposition. And even though biotechnology has been around for some 10,000 years, its use in crops, particularly those that will ultimately become food on our table, is suspect to some.