Radio Newsline

***Broadcasters: Do not use this story after 11:45 am, Tuesday, January 31st*** Beef markets eagerly awaiting USDA's twice-yearly Cattle Inventory report. (Gary Crawford and USDA livestock analyst, Shayle Shagam)

Rural power providers are getting help from USDA to modernize their systems. (Gary Crawford and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack)

An outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis Virus is currently impacting Australian swine herds and has U.S. animal health experts monitoring the situation. (Rod Bain and Paul Sundberg of the Swine Health Information Center)

Maggie Niederwerder of the Swine Health Information Center discusses how animal health experts are monitoring a Japanese Encephalitis Virus outbreak in Australia to prepare in the event the virus arrives in the U.S.

Testing and field work continues for an autonomous tractor and tillage system introduced last year at a prestigious consumer electronics show. (Rod Bain and Ryan Jordan)

What are some of the things various farm and ag groups wish to see in a new Farm Bill, per priority lists developed over the last several months. (Rod Bain. Peter Orwick of the American Sheep Industry Association. Mykel Bickham of EDGE Dairy Cooperative. Todd Wilkinson of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Craig Meeker of National Sorghum Producers. Daryl Cates of the American Soybean Association. Michael Peters of U.S. Wheat Associates. Andy LaVigne of the American Seed Trade Association. American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. Ross Hetterveg of the National Farmers Union.)

A member of the ag industry says explaining the importance of a Farm Bill to all Americans is an ongoing process for various reasons. (Rod Bain and Will Stafford of CHS-Inc)

While mechanized equipment use grows in fruit and vegetable production, there is still the issue of adapting such innovation for various crops. (Rod Bain and Skyler Simnitt of the Economic Research Service)

USDA economic researcher, Skyler Simnitt, discusses some of the fruit and vegetable crops using mechanical harvesting equipment, and the need for more innovation to advance the use of mechanization aids.

Food shoppes this year may get a little bit of a price break for beef and pork. (Gary Crawford and USDA economist, Matt MacLachlan)