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Alabama Agriculture & Forestry Steering Committee meets with Governor Bentley

Presented a plan outlining job creation and adding money to state economy

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The two go hand-in-hand, money and employment.

More jobs means there’s more work being done, more products being sold and therefore more money going into the economy.

The Steering Committee for the Alabama Agriculture & Forestry Strategic Plan, whose members include John McMillan, Agriculture & Industries Commissioner, Dr. Billy Powell, President of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and Leigha Cauthen, Executive Director of the Alabama Agribusiness Council, met with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and presented a plan to enhance the State’s future.

The plan, entitled “The Strategic Plan to Grow Alabama’s Agriculture, Agribusiness, Forestry, and Forest Products Industries – 2015-2020” is designed to create jobs and increase Alabama’s economy.

If the plan is enacted, it would see up to 58,000 jobs created and put approximately $7 billion back into the Yellowhammer State.

“Alabama is on the cusp of the golden age of agriculture and forestry,” said Commissioner McMillan in a press release.

The plan’s keys to turning this plan into a successful venture include:

  • Develop greater access to capital for small businesses in the agriculture and forestry industries
  • Develop Alabama’s workforce education with a focus on secondary and post-secondary education and career mentoring programs
  • Maintain and improve the transportation systems for the movement of goods

“Agriculture, forestry and related businesses represent nearly 40 percent of Alabama’s economic output of $70.4 billion a year, and this Strategic Plan provides a clear and concise direction of improving the lives of Alabama’s working families through economic expansion,” Governor Bentley said.

In 2013, Alabama’s top crop was soybeans with more than $239 million produced, followed by cotton and corn.


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The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.