News in brief

Dairy farms offered

safety net on prices

The U.S. Agriculture Department said Thursday that starting in September dairy farmers can enroll in a new voluntary program that works as a safety net when milk and feed prices shift.

Farmers must register for coverage at the Farm Service Agency office where their farm records are kept. A fact sheet on the program can be found at fsa.usda.gov/factsheets by searching for the program name.

The USDA also is offering a Web tool to help farmers determine how much coverage they might need. It can be found at fsa.usda.gov/mpptool.

The enrollment period for the dairy Margin Protection Program is Tuesday through Nov. 28. Established by the 2014 farm bill, the program is designed to help farmers squeezed by high feed costs and low milk prices.

There are 71 licensed dairy farms in Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Department of Health, down from 850 in 1990.

Farmers must remain in the program through 2018 and will pay a minimum fee of $100 each year. Milk producers have the choice of selecting different coverage levels during the enrollment period each year.

-- John Magsam

EPA grants approved

for sewer upgrades

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has been approved for $9.1 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Grant money will be used for projects that include improvements to sewer lines, wastewater treatment facilities and collection systems. The EPA is issuing the grants as part of its Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Cities and rural water districts have access to low interest rates with flexible terms through the revolving fund, which was established 25 years ago. More than $5 billion per year is distributed through the revolving fund for watershed and estuary management and wastewater treatment.

-- Chris Bahn

Arkansas Index falls

1.28, ends at 353.76

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 1.28 to 353.76 Thursday.

"U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday as escalating tensions in the Ukraine overshadowed data showing the U.S. economy expanded more than previously estimated," said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.

Tyson Foods rose 0.9 percent on average volume.

P.A.M. Transportation Services fell 1.9 percent in light trading.

Total volume of the index was 14.8 million shares.

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

Business on 08/29/2014

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