NEWS IN BRIEF

— Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods commit to storm relief

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc. are contributing to relief efforts after storm Sandy smashed into the East Coast last week.

Bentonville-based Wal-Mart committed $1.5 million to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Feeding America to help with relief efforts in the hardest hit areas, the company said. The retailer transported generators to schools and hospitals in New York City on Friday and delivered 1 million bottles of water Saturday throughout the northeast, according to a company statement.

Tyson Foods said it will match up to $100,000 of employee donations supporting victims of the storm. The Springdale-based company sent its mobile feeding unit and volunteer cook teams to New Jersey. It served 3,100 meals per day on Saturday and Sunday, and will continue to do so indefinitely, spokesman Worth Sparkman said via e-mail Monday.

  • John Magsam

Nongenetic soybean markets focus of talk

The results of a study by two University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture professors on potential markets for nongenetically modified soybeans will be discussed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Arkansas Farm Bureau headquarters at 10720 Kanis Road in Little Rock.

Ron Rainey, co-director of the Southern Region Risk Management Education Center and an Agriculture Division economics professor, is doing the study along with his brother Dan Rainey, also a UA economics professor.

The research is being funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.

Ron Rainey said the study is designed to see if Arkansas farmers can capitalize on the market potential for nongenetically modified soybeans.

The Raineys and other speakers will discuss market demand for nonmodified products, varieties being developed in Arkansas and how to certify crops as being free of genetic modifications.

Attendance at the one-day workshop is free. However, participants must register in advance by going to http://survey.uaex.edu/AgEconomics/soybeanproject.htm/

  • Glen Chase

Arkansas Index edges up slightly to 246.41

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 1.24 to 246.41 Monday.

“The financial markets ended slightly higher after a late-session rally despite trading lower through most of the session,” said Bob Williams, senior vice president and managing director of Delta Trust Investments Inc. in Little Rock.

Dillard’s hit a 52-week high during the session in active trading, Williams said.

USA Truck lost 3.4 percent on light volume.

Volume was 23 million shares; the average is 21.1 million.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business, Pages 21 on 11/06/2012

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