KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – In China, dairy cows revolve on carousels in synchronized milking; in Kenya, small farmers are planting a new high-yielding sweet potato; and in laboratories in Iowa, scientists play with plant genetics to create corn that grows well even in drought.

These projects, and scores more, are shaping a new century of agriculture. Whether it be cattle herders in sub-Saharan Africa or rice growers in rural Asia, farmers and ranchers need help to produce enough nutritious food to feed a population forecast by the United Nations to hit 7 billion on October 31.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Cooler temperatures and mild weather continued to help loosen the grip of a historic drought in Texas, but more than 90 percent of the southern state still suffered from extreme conditions, according to a national drought report issued Thursday.

The report stated that 91.87 percent of the Lone Star State was considered in extreme or exceptional drought. That was down from 91.96 percent a week earlier.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – October is a busy month for Kansas farmer Darin Grimm. With 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans to harvest, the third-generation family farmer is running a combine nearly dawn to dusk.

But he still makes time to tweet.

Whether it’s touting the benefits of a new fertilizer, sharing photos of a newborn calf, debating genetically modified crops or discussing modern-day hog farming, a growing legion of farmers and ranchers like Grimm are increasingly turning to Facebook, Twitter, and personal web blogs to try to connect with consumers, educators and others about agriculture.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Global agribusiness Monsanto Co (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research) reported stronger-than-expected sales on Wednesday, outweighing news that it is restating financials for prior periods amid an ongoing regulatory probe into its Roundup business.

Monsanto shares were up 3.8 percent as analysts cheered robust U.S. and Latin American sales and a smaller-than-expected fourth-quarter loss by the world’s largest seed company. Total sales for the quarter hit $2.2 billion, well above analysts’ estimates for $1.89 billion.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – Global agribusiness Monsanto Co (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reported stronger-than-expected sales on Wednesday, outweighing news that is restating financials for prior periods after a regulatory probe into its Roundup business.

Monsanto shares rose 3.3 percent as analysts cheered robust U.S. and Latin American sales and a smaller-than-expected fourth-quarter loss by the world’s largest seed company. Total sales for the quarter hit $2.2 billion, well above analysts’ estimates for $1.89 billion.

Oct 5 (Reuters) – Global agribusiness company Monsanto Co
(MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) beat Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, but the
smaller-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter was clouded
by news that it must restate financials for 2009, 2010 and
prior 2011 quarters after a regulatory probe into its
glyphosate business.

Monsanto said the restatement will impact 2009, 2010 and
prior 2011 quarters and involves the timing of accruals related
to customer incentives for the glyphosate business.

, Sept 28 (Reuters) – U.S. ethanol
production slipped 3.4 percent last week and stocks rose more
than 1 percent as fall maintenance of U.S. plants eroded output
to the lowest level seen over the last year.

The Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday
that U.S. ethanol production totaled 841,000 barrels per day in
the seven days to Sept. 23, down 30,000 barrels per day from
the previous week and the lowest point output since the week
ended Sept. 24, 2010.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – A departing Federal Reserve official lit into the U.S. central bank’s ultra-easy policies on Wednesday, saying they may be doing more harm than good and could harm economic growth over the long term.

“When you encourage consumption by inhibiting your interest rates from rising to their equilibrium level, you will in fact buy problems, and we have in fact bought problems,” Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig said in his final speech in office. He retires on October 1.

Sept 21 (Reuters) – Monsanto Co. (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the world’s
largest seed company, has prevailed in another lawsuit against
a U.S. farmer, earning a ruling from a federal appeals court
that protects Monsanto’s interests even when its patented seeds
are sold in a mix of undifferentiated “commodity” seeds.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in
Washington issued its ruling Wednesday, affirming the lower
court decision that favored Monsanto.

PAOLA, Kansas (Reuters) – Farmer Mark Nelson bends down and yanks a four-foot-tall weed from his northeast Kansas soybean field. The “waterhemp” towers above his beans, sucking up the soil moisture and nutrients his beans need to grow well and reducing the ultimate yield. As he crumples the flowering end of the weed in his hand, Nelson grimaces.

“When we harvest this field, these waterhemp seeds will spread all over kingdom come,” he said.