OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
The U.S. Agriculture Department predicts that demand for crops and
livestock will continue to grow as global population increases over the
next decade, and producers should be able to meet the demand.
The
USDA said Monday American farmers will have to find ways to boost what
they harvest out of each acre, and farmers overseas will have to expand
production.
USDA economist David Stallings says he believes
agriculture will be able to continue what it has done for the past 100
years and expand production enough to satisfy demand.
The report
is most useful in identifying long-term trends, and the government uses
it to assess the impact of new policies. But the report is based on
numerous assumptions, including normal weather patterns, steady economic
growth and no big surprises.
