Farmers And Ranchers

Merced County farmers and ranchers sent a record $973.2 million worth of agricultural products to market in 1988, according to a report released by the county Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The report said the 1988 agriculture value figure was 3.26%, or $30.7 million, higher than the previous year and preserved the county's ranking as the sixth highest agriculture producer among California's 58 counties. As it has for the past several years, milk topped all other commodities in the county in 1988, with sales exceeding $218 million last year.

More than 736,000 farmers and ranchers have received a total of $3.5 billion in aid under the 1988 drought relief law, according to Department of Agriculture figures released today. A total of $333 million was paid in April. The drought law is the largest federal disaster program ever approved by Congress. Weeks of searing heat slashed U.S. grain production by 26% last year.

People in the Panhandle community of Shamrock are expecting a new neighbor next week--a whole town. MTV has put up a 100-acre tract of rural Wheeler County as the first prize for the winning postcard drawn in the music video channel's latest contest. "The channel is very well known for its outlandish contests," MTV promotion coordinator Peter Danielsen said from New York. "Now we're giving away a town." The network gave away $1 million in 1985, and sent rock idol Prince to Sheridan, Wyo.