A GUIDE TO U.S. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES

GOVERNMENT SITES:

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-provides information about the CFTC, commissioners, and employment opportunities as well as contact information. The site also contains links to commission programs, commitments of traders, reports and publications, press releases and speeches, and public information and complaints. The site provides a site map, an "Ask CFTC" feature, and a list of related links. Lastly, the site has a search feature for users to search for keywords or by the topics of natural resources, financial instruments, and agriculture.
  
  
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-contains information about the FTC including the vision, mission, and goals statements, information about offices and bureaus, and job opportunities. The site also provides information about consumer protection, antitrust and competition, economic issues, and legal issues. The site links to news releases, publications, speeches, business guidance, and other related sites. Lastly the site has a simple search feature for users to search by keyword and a guided search feature.
  
  
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-provides news and information such as news releases, reports, and publications; what's new at the USDA; and business, research, community development, and volunteer opportunities at the USDA. The site also provides general information about the USDA including the mission, vision, and other department statements as well as information about the agencies and staff offices in the USDA. The start-up page of the site contains the following categories: Today's Features, Secretary Glickman's Activities, Top Stories, Issues, Today's News Releases, and Special Topics.
  
  
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-provides information about the ARS, ARS job opportunities, experts at ARS, and ARS research. The site also contains links to agricultural news and other related sites.
  
  
• USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)-contains information about the ERS and ERS specialists. In addition, the site provides information on the following issues: the changing market and the government's role in biotech corn and soybeans, U.S. organic agriculture, and various other issues that can be found in the issues archives. The site contains links to the online version of USDA publications entitled Increasing Food Recovery from Farmers' Markets, Economic Implications of the Methyl Bromide Phaseout, and Consolidation in U.S. Meatpacking. The site also provides information on conferences as well as research reports, news releases, product data, and other research information.
  
  
• USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)-provides information about the FSA, what's new at the FSA, and the FSA Civil Rights statement. The site also provides links to the news room, agricultural programs, farm loan programs, conservation programs, commodity information, price support, procurement opportunities, FSA office locator, and the USDA homepage. The opening page of the site provides descriptions of each of the links to help users determined which page to search as well as a "search the FSA" feature.
  
  
• USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)-provides links to countries, commodities, exporter assistance, news and information, programs, trade policy, and divisions. The site also provides links to the fact sheets and press releases of the U.S.-China World Trade Organization Accession Agreement and other agriculture agreements. Lastly, the site provides links to World Production, Market, and Trade Reports; feature articles; the Annual Performance Report for 1999; the Clean Wheat Initiative Public Hearing; Federal Register Notices; hot issues; and upcoming events.
  
  
• USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS)-provides agency information including mission statement, organizational and office structure, coming events and news at NASS,and costomer service contacts. The site also provides statistical information and research, publications, graphics, historical data, state information, and the census of agriculture. Lastly, the site as a search feature, a NASS Kids page, and provides other related links.
  
  
• USDA Risk Management (RMA)-provides links to news, crop policies, pilot programs, participation data, regulations, tools/calendars, agent locator, producer training, events, crop weather, publications, and other related sites. The site also provides information about RMA including a "Who We Are" section and information about FCIC, field offices, civil rights, filing a complaint, reporting fraud, FOIA, frequently asked questions, and contacts.
  
  

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS:

• Amercian Corn Growers Association (ACGA)-respresents the interest of thousands of corn growers in 28 states in the Unites States. The site provides information about the directors as well as membership and convention information. The site also provides links to news topics about commodites, the results of the GMO 2000 Survey, the Farm Act of 2000, key market indicators, and other commodity and farm web sites. Although the site gives a link to the GMO 2000 survey, it does not explain what GMO stands for. In addition, this site does contain a dead link to the Elevator Survey.
  
  
• American Crop Protection Association (ACPA)-is the nonprofit trade organization that represents the major manufacturers, formulators, and distributors of crop protection and pest control products. The site contains information about the ACPA, its member companies, and affiliate organizations as well as contact information. It contains sections on the issues important to the agriculuture industry, ACPA publications, and other related links. The site also provides activities for school children in all grades so as to educate them on the agricultural issues and a members only section.
  
  
• American Soybean Association (ASA)-provides general information about the ASA, a calendar of events, useful addresses, publications, processing and product information, reports, press releases. The site also contains information about the soybean plant, nutritional information about soybeans, soybean statistics, and soybean prices.
  
  
• American Sugar Alliance (ASA)-is a national trade organization that represents the sugarbeet, sugarcane, and corn sweetener growers and processors in the United States. The ASA site contains information about the ASA and its publications as well as membership information and press releases. The site also provides links to the Sugar Policy, the 17th Annual International Sweetener Symposium, and other related sugar web sites. In addition the ASA site contains information about the sugar trade, the economic impact of sugar, corn as a sweetener, and other facts about sugar. Lastly, a sugar news page is currently under construction.
  
  
• Corn Refiners Association (CRA)-represents the U.S.'s corn refining (wet milling) industry. The site defines corn refining and describes the process of refining corn. The site also provides product, statistical, career, membership, and contact information and provides press releases, news concerning the industry, links to member companies and the CRA board and staff, CRA publications, and other related links.
  
  
• National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG)-provides links to the weekly report from Washington, news releases, the Wheat Action Plan, the Wheat Industry Research Forum Proceedings for 1999 and 2000, other agricultural and wheat industry web sites, and government agencies. The site also provides information about the NAWG Foundation, the officers of the NAWG, associate members, and contact information as well as market and research information on wheat.
  
  
• National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)-provides information about the corn business and making profits, news concerning the corn industry, business development efforts, and corn processing research. The site also provides the following links: "Know Before You Grow/Know Where You Grow," ASTA Grain Handlers Database, "The Information Bin," "Corn Cirriculum," and "Legislative Action Center." Lastly, the site links to the NCGA Statement on Biotechnology, February 2000 Issue Papers, the Interactive High Oil Corn Model, and Industry Insect.
  
  
• National Cotton Council (NCC)-provides information about the NCC, the news and events of the NCC, membership information, and frequently asked questions of the NCC. The site provides economic, educational, and technical information concerning cotton as well as links to producers, ginners, warehouses, merchants, crushers, cooperatives, and manufacturers.

  
  

• National Futures Association (NFA)-a self-regulatory organization for the U.S. futures industry, which began operations in 1982 and is committed to protecting the rights of investors in the futures markets. The site provides information about the NFA, careers at NFA, NFA news, and investor services. The site also provides basic information about futures professionals.
  
  
• National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA)-is a non-profit national trade association that represents 1,000 member companies including grain elevators, merchandisers, feed/flour millers, corn/soybean processors, and related commercial businesses. The site provides information about the NGFA and affliated associations as well as contact and membership information. The site also provides links to biotechnology updates, grain news and information, USDA grain and livestock reports, and trade rules. Information about NGFA publications, NGFA upcoming events, and optimal grain marketing can be found on this site too.

  
  

• National Grain Trade Association (NGTA)-advocates and defends the principles of open, competitive markets for the distribution of agricultural commodities. The site provides information about the council including the mission statement, officers, executive committees, and member roster. The site also contains information about meetings and links to reports, the Issue Update Booklet, the Fair Act and Farm Policies, U.S.-Canada grain trade issues, agricultural trade options, futures trading issues, grain quality issues, and speeches and testimonies.
  
  
• National Potato Council (NPC)-is the only national, non-profit trade association for the U.S. potato industry and, therefore, provides legislative, regulatory, envirnmental, and trade information concerning potatoes. The site provides information about the NPC, what's new at the NPC, NPC membership information, and information about NPC meetings and events. The site also provides the following links: communications, education, environmental, IPM protocol, research, and political action as well as links to related sites.
  
  

COMMODITIES BROKERS (U.S. and Global Trading):

• Agritrade-is not yet fully operational but is expected to be so by June 1, 2000. Agritrade is a "global, web-based, market-making forum" for agricultural products and services for sellers and buyers. Agritrade is currently offering all of its services free of charge for a limited time. The site provides information about the company's news, members list, frequently asked questions, and general information about the company and its services.
  
  
• American Futures and Options, Inc.-offers full service, discount service, and managed futures. The site provides information about the services the company offers, news about futures and options, and other related links.
  
  
• Central States Commodities, Inc.-is a United States based full service commodities brokerage firm located in the historic Livestock Exchange Building in Kansas City, MO. Central States Commodities, Inc. is registered with the National Futures Association and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The site contains information about Central States Commodities and it's principals and associates as well as links to other related sites.
  
  
• Cleartrade Commodities-provides information about the company, recommendations about commodities trading, and resources about commodities trading. A unique feature of this site is that it contains client testimonials about the services provided by Cleartrade Commodities.
  
  
• CommStock Investments-is a full service brokerage firm and market advisory service and the producer of the CommStock Report. This report analizes the market, provides trade recommendations, and contains opinionated commentary on agribusiness issues. The site provides subscription information for the CommStock Report and a link to the latest trading tip.
  
  
• Dallas Commodity Company, Inc.-provides information about Dallas Commodity Company, Inc., the brokerage services the company provides, and employment opportunities within the company. The site also links to useful trading tools and educational resources for free and has a registered client only area. In addition, the site contains a sitemap and a search feature.
  
  
• Grain Service Corporation (GSC)-offers risk management consulting, education, and brokerage services nation-wide to agriculture and energy businesses. The site provides information about the GSC Grain Division, the GSC Energy Division, and its home in Atlanta. The site also provides a link to contact GSC through e-mail.
  
  
• LaFayette Commodities, Inc.-contains information about the company, the company's services, online trading, and margins. The site also provides delayed quotes, charts, links to USDA reports, and other related links as well as a client only area to review one's account.
  
  
• Producers Exchange (PE)-is a online resource that offers cotton, corn, and soybeans by the producer and provides producers with an actual demand figure for production before crops are planted, therefore assisting producers in marketing the crops. The site contains a "Public Viewing Area" where one can view selected crop offerings in a particular region. The site also provides links to the trading floor, the buyers and sellers floors, PE press releases, PE company information.
  
  
• U.S. Secuirites and Futures Corp.-is a full service brokerage that provides futures, commodities, stocks, and options trading. U.S. Secuirites and Futures Corp. is a member of the NASD, the SIPC, and the NFA. The site provides information about the company, its services, market news, weekly and daily charts, daily settlement prices, and current margins as well as information on how to improve your commodities and futures trading.
  
  

OTHER RELATED SITES:

• Agscape-finds, interprets, and chooses the best web sites for agricultural information. The site provides links to radio news, commodities, print news, headlines, weather, and classified ads. The site also provides a feature called "My Agscape" which allows users to create costomized links to commodities, print news, weather, and other links.
  
  
• Commodity Exchanges-USA-provides links to the following U.S. commodity exchanges: the Chicago Board Options Trade; the Chicago Board of Trade; the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; the Coffee, Sugar, and Cocoa Exchange Inc.; FINEX; GLOBEX; the Kansas City Board of Trade; the Midamerica Commodity Exchange; the Minneapolis Grain Exchange; the New York Cotton Exchange, the New York Futures Exchange; the New York Mercantile Exchange; and the Philadelphia Board of Trade.
  
  
• Traderivers-provides links to TradeRivers Ranch and Farm Business Center, commodities markets, USDA reports, the agricultural outlook, weather, state reports, and press releases.