Ennis Agri Tech

Midwest Prepares for Massive Spring Flooding One of the snowiest winters on record for the Midwest and northern U.S. Plains have crop watchers worried about a repeat of the massive flooding that hit the major U.S. grain producing region in 2008. Meteorologists report that accumulated precipitation this winter through the end of February ranged from 125 percent of normal to well over 200 percent for the region of northern Iowa into the southern two-thirds of Minnesota and westward to the Dakotas

U.S. and state officials are preparing for spring floods as forecasters predict moderate to major flooding for the region. In 2008, heavy rains in the northern Midwest in June and July caused tributaries into the Mississippi River watershed to overflow, flooding tens of millions of acres of cropland in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This year, the timing of rains and how quickly floodwaters recede will hold the key to how many acres need replanting. (Insurance Journal, March 7, 2011)

The current issue of AAEA Exchange, the newsletter of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (formerly American Agricultural Economics Association), features three perspectives on the long-term viability of maintaining separate departments of economics and agricultural economics. (Much of the discussion would apply to business economics departments too.) Ron Mittelhammer of Washington State argues for consolidation, Ken Foster of Purdue for keeping separate departments, and Rob King of Minnesota for the transformation of agricultural economics departments to applied economics departments.

The issues are organizational and strategic and familiar to O&M readers. Mittelhammer emphasizes tangible resources and a shared intellectual heritage and downplays accumulated routines and capabilities, organizational culture, etc.:

TACLOBAN CITY — A 10-hectare vegetable based agro-forestry project is set for implementation in a forestland in Taft, Eastern Samar located inside the Ulot Watershed Model Forest.

With a fund allocation of P155,500 from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the project would be undertaken by the San Rafael Integrated Farmers Cooperative, Inc. (SRIFC) in Barangay San Rafael, Taft, Eastern Samar. The project is expected to be completed within the year.

In a Memorandum of Agreement set to be ratified by the DENR and the People’s Organization (PO) SRIFC through its President Jesus Cabujat, the DENR would facilitate and provide technical assistance to the PO in the implementation of the project. This shall include determination of species to be planted in accordance with site species suitability and market potential for the commodity.

For its part, SRIFC would conduct activities for the ground implementation of the project to include site preparation, sowing, planting and nurturing of the vegetable farm. A nursery shed house/bunkhouse which will also serve as bagsakan center would be constructed from the allocated funds.

“With this vegetable based agroforestry project, we hope to veer the upland people away from further destruction of our forests,” said DENR Regional Executive Director Primitivo Galinato, Jr. “Sadly, we are seeing our forests being opened up as upland communities engage in charcoal making which provides them immediate income,” Director Galinato lamented.

Director Galinato revealed that the project is in consonance with the National Convergence Initiative of the government, which calls for collaborative efforts of the local government units, people’s organizations, non-government organizations and other stakeholders towards poverty reduction and environmental protection