Wednesday October 12 Ag News

Trade Agreements Expected to Pass Congress Later Today
Senator Mike Johanns

Later today, the House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the three pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. In a floor speech this morning, I urged my colleagues to join me in supporting these long-overdue agreements to give our economy a much-needed boost. In Nebraska alone, nearly 20 thousand jobs and $4.4 billion in revenue were directly tied to exports last year. Those numbers will only grow from enacting these agreements, giving job creators across the country an opportunity to expand and grow. I look forward to their passage and full implementation.



Advisors Mobilize Students Through Fuel Up to Play 60

Midwest Dairy Council Tuesday named six school leaders as Program Advisors of the Year for their active leadership role in encouraging students to eat healthy, get active and make a difference as part of Fuel Up to Play 60. As advisors for this national in-school nutrition and physical activity program, they are the driving forces behind their school's involvement, which is now implemented in more than 70,000 schools nationwide.

The following leaders were selected as Program Advisors of the Year for the following states:
-- Linda Mally -- St. John Nepomucene School in Weston, Neb.
-- Terry Rex -- Wings Park Elementary School in Oelwein, Iowa
-- Nicole Osmundson -- Robert Frost Elementary School in Sioux Falls, S.D.
-- Carrie Flores -- Wilbur Middle School in Wichita, Kan.
-- Elonda Davidson -- Stanley Elementary School in Stanley, N.D.
-- Will Hogan -- Ridge Family Center for Learning in Elk Grove Village, Ill.

"Program Advisors champion school wellness while empowering students to create a unique program experience in their school," says Melissa Young, health and wellness director from Midwest Dairy Council. "Through the efforts of these dedicated Program Advisors, we're seeing students taking control of their own health and work toward making their school environment healthier with their friends."

In addition to engaging and empowering students to get involved in Fuel Up to Play 60, Program Advisors help their schools and students earn recognition, rewards and funding to support wellness initiatives in their schools. Any adult enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 can become a Program Advisor.

Launched by National Dairy Council, local dairy councils and the National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods, low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Multiple health organizations and several major corporations are also supporting Fuel Up to Play 60, now in its second year.



UNL's CASNR Announces 2011-2012 Ambassadors

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources appointed new student ambassadors for the 2011-2012 academic year.  The ambassadors were chosen through an application and interview process and serve one to three years. The seven ambassadors are:

– Kristin Witte, Scribner, Neb. agricultural education
– Ashley Bernstein, Elkhorn, Neb., food science and technology
– Katina Talley, Friend, Neb., food science and technology
– Colton Knickman, Syracuse, Neb., mechanized systems management
– Jill Petersen, Burwell, Neb., agricultural education
– Ethan Smith, Eustis, Neb., agricultural economics
– Brooke Grossenbacher, Overland Park, Kan., food science and technology

The ambassadors will create awareness of agricultural sciences and natural resource programs/careers, said Laura Frey, UNL college relations director.

In addition, they will recruit for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources through campus and outreach activities. They also will promote CASNR and UNL and meet with prospective students and provide tours of UNL's East Campus.

For more information about the CASNR ambassador program, visit casnr.unl.edu/ambassadors. Applications for the 2012-2013 academic year will be available in January 2012.



Farm Groups Urge FCC to Conduct Additional Testing on LightSquared

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and a coalition of 12 other national producer groups that represent American farmers and all major crop commodities are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct additional targeted testing to ensure that any potential commercial terrestrial services offered by LightSquared will not cause harmful interference to Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) operations utilized by farmers to facilitate the production of an abundant and dependable food supply. In the agricultural sector, GPS-based technologies are responsible for an estimated $19 billion in higher annual farm revenue, in addition to considerable safety and environmental benefits. Thus, much is at stake for precision agriculture and this is why comprehensive testing is so important.

It would be totally unacceptable to expect the GPS community including government users, farmers, and other taxpayers to bear any cost for replacing equipment that ceases to function properly if solutions are found enabling LightSquared to move forward. Any costs associated with retrofitting or replacing GPS receivers must be borne by LightSquared.

“As users of GPS precision equipment in agricultural applications, we believe this additional testing is imperative,” said ASA First Vice President Steve Wellman, a farmer from Syracuse, Neb. “We need to know with certainty that any modifications and proposed solutions will work for new and existing precision agriculture equipment.”

In addition to ASA, the letter to the FCC was signed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sugar Alliance, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Potato Council, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, and USA Rice Federation.

In January 2011, the FCC gave conditional approval to LightSquared Subsidiary LLC to build tens of thousands of ground stations that may cause interference to GPS signals. The radio wave spectrum LightSquared plans to use for its system sits in what is known as the L-Band, which is just adjacent to the spectrum which GPS devices use.

LightSquared gave initial assurances that its original proposal would not cause interference to the nation's GPS system. However, government and commercial tests demonstrated conclusively that its original network proposal would cause widespread disruption to GPS service.

“ASA noticed in recent public testimony before Congress that key government agencies that rely on GPS all agree that it is unclear whether LightSquared’s revised proposal will protect the government functions administered by these agencies from harmful interference,” Wellman said. “Agricultural operations that rely extensively on widely deployed GPS receivers and satellite augmentation signals for human safety, productivity, and mitigation of environmental hazards face the same unknown.”

Testing must include laboratory and field analysis of LightSquared's proposed solutions, and must adequately examine the full range of scenarios to ensure that the base stations and handheld devices proposed by LightSquared do not degrade GPS receivers.



EAJA Reform Legislation Reviewed in Congressional Hearing
—Groups Urge Lawmakers to Support Government Litigation Savings Act

The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law today, Oct. 11, 2011, held a hearing on H.R. 1966, the Government Savings Litigation Act. The Public Lands Council (PLC), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the American Sheep Industry Association, the Association of National Grasslands and 35 organizations representing livestock producers said the legislation will bring transparency and accountability to the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA).

EAJA allows plaintiffs to recover attorney fees and other expenses from the federal government when they prevail in a case against the government. According to Dustin Van Liew, PLC executive director and NCBA director of federal lands, environmental extremist groups have made a hobby of suing the federal government on minor process-related decisions. He said the government often settles cases and pays the plaintiffs through EAJA instead of devoting time, staff and resources to a trial. Pointing to Wyoming attorney Karen Budd Falen’s estimates, Van Liew said over the past decade, 12 environmental groups alone have filed more than 3,300 lawsuits, recovering more than $37 million in EAJA funds.

“EAJA has become a means for wealthy radical environmental groups to obtain federal funding to target ranchers by challenging federal land management agencies in court (primarily on minor process decisions), all to curtail natural resource uses such as livestock grazing,” the groups penned in a letter to Subcommittee Chairman Howard Coble (R-N.C.) and Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). “As a result, our members are forced to pay multiple times over to defend themselves: on the one hand, they pay attorney fees as interveners in defense of the federal government; on the other hand, as hard working citizens, their tax dollars go toward agency operations budgets, and toward lining the pockets of these vastly wealthy environmental groups with EAJA funds.”

Specifically, H.R. 1966, which was introduced by Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), will prohibit non-profit organizations with a net worth exceeding $7 million from filing for EAJA funds; require that EAJA filers show a “direct and personal monetary interest” in the action to be eligible for payment; and cap the attorney fees environmental activists claim to be owed. Despite accusations otherwise, Van Liew said the legislation does not affect the ability of individual citizens and small businesses to utilize EAJA when defending themselves against the federal government.

“Livestock producers have an obligation to responsibly use and manage the land and its resources,” Van Liew said. “EAJA payments do not encourage the responsible use and care for natural resources. EAJA payments encourage destructive behavior on the part of radical environmentalists. This legislation will reform EAJA to ensure individual citizens and small businesses can still access EAJA while ending abuse of the program by environmental extremists. We commend Rep. Lummis for introducing H.R. 1966 and the subcommittee for holding a hearing. It’s time to end this abuse of EAJA and the American taxpayers’ hard-earned money once and for all.”



U.S. Tractor Sales Were Higher Last Month, Combines Down

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' monthly "Flash Report," the sales of all tractors in the U.S. for September 2011 were up 4% compared to the same month last year.  Two-wheel-drive smaller tractor (under 40 HP) were up 2%, and 40 & under 100 HP were up 6%. Sales of two-wheel-drive 100+ HP were up 7% from last year, and four-wheel-drive tractors were up 10% for the month.  Combine sales were down 16% for the month.

For the year 2011, a total of 127,087 tractors were sold, which compares to 126,967 sold through September 2010.  Two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) were down 0.8% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP were up 2%. Sales of two-wheel drive 100+ HP are down 1%, while four-wheel-drive tractors are up 6% for the year.  Sales of combines for the year 2011 total 7,224, down 6% from the same period in 2010.



Scholarships for College Ag Students Available

As the weeks before the application deadline steadily tick away, the National Corn Growers Association reminds members that it, along with the BASF Corporation, will again award five $1,000 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in an agriculture-related field during the 2012-13 school year.

"While the December 9 deadline may still seem distant, it is important to note how quickly time passes for students busy with their studies," said Brandon Hunnicutt, NCGA's Grower Services Action Team Chair. "Completion by the deadline is required for consideration, and NCGA hopes that all interested parties are able to submit. This program fosters tomorrow's leaders. Reminding qualified students to apply is a proactive step to better the future of the industry."

Applicants for the NCGA Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program must be entering at least their second undergraduate year or any year of graduate study, and they, or a parent or legal guardian, must be an NCGA member. Scholarship applications must be postmarked on or before Dec. 9.

Scholarship recipients will be selected in early 2012. Recipients and a parent or guardian will enjoy travel and lodging to attend a portion of the 2012 Commodity Classic in Nashville, Tenn., to be recognized at the NCGA Awards Banquet and have the opportunity to learn more about modern agriculture.

This marks the fifth year for the program partnership between BASF and NCGA.



DuPont Announces New Seed Research Facility in Dallas Center, Iowa
Pioneer Hi-Bred Expands Crop Product Development and Testing for Local Needs

DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred today announced plans to expand its presence in central Iowa with a new research facility in Dallas Center.  This is one of the many recent investments the company is making to support local product development to help farmers increase productivity.

The new 50,000 square foot facility will help support corn breeding and product development, and corn and soybean product testing and characterization for farmers in western and central Iowa, eastern Nebraska and northwest Missouri.

“This investment in local product development and testing reinforces our commitment to help farmers get the right product on the right acre to maximize productivity,” said John Soper, Pioneer vice president, Crop Genetics Research and Development.  “It’s one of the many investments we are making to deliver innovative solutions to farmers locally and help to respond to the challenges of feeding a growing population.”

Local product development trials for the Pioneer IMPACT™ plot program also will be managed out of the new facility.  IMPACT™ plots provide testing of multiple products at the last stage before they are advanced for sale to growers.

Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin this month with occupancy anticipated in late spring 2012.

Pioneer has had a research location in Dallas Center since 2004.  The location currently houses a global molecular marker lab, laser-assisted seed selection, IMPACT™, and corn and soybean product development.

“As we have expanded the size and scope of our product development efforts, we have outgrown the size of our existing facility,” said Soper.  “This expansion will enable us to develop improved products from a state-of-the-art, technology enabled facility.”

The new Dallas Center research facility is one of the many investments Pioneer is making to expand its research presence in Iowa.  Construction is currently underway on a new $40 million research facility in Johnston that will include space for 400 new positions.  Pioneer also is in the midst of a $32 million greenhouse and research facility renovation and expansion project that will include space for 100 new full-time positions by the end of 2014.  In addition, Pioneer opened a new corn research center in Orange City, Iowa, earlier this year to expand product development and testing for farmers in northwest Iowa and surrounding areas.