Monday February 27 Ag News

NE Temps, Precip Above Normal in February

Agricultural Summary: 
For the month of February 2012, temperatures averaged 4 degrees above normal for the eastern half of the state and near normal for the western half.   Heavy precipitation in the form of rain and snow fell early in the month.   Overall,  precipitation  for  the month was  above  normal  for most  of  the  state,  according  to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Moisture accumulation was greatest across the South East District with over 2 inches received.  Elsewhere, one half to one and a half inches were common.  At the end of the month, snow depth was  limited mainly  to  the Northeast District with  near  2  inches  of  snow  cover.   Strong winds  have  dried  soils leaving soil moisture mostly adequate to short.  During the last week of the month, soil temperatures ranged from 32 to 37 degrees.   The  coolest  soils were  in  the northern half of  the  state  and  increased moving  to  the  south.   Hauling grain  to market, preparation  for spring planting, and  livestock care were  the main activities during  the month.  Wheat condition continued well above year ago levels.   Producers have not had to do as much supplemental feeding of cattle due to mild conditions.   Most  feed  supplies  are  adequate.    Cattle  and  calves  are  in  good  to  excellent  condition  and  calving was progressing well with the mild weather.

Weather Summary: 
Average snow depth at the end of February averaged less than one half inch statewide.  By region, the heaviest snow depth was across the northern third of the state.  Temperatures averaged above normal at the beginning and end of  the month but below normal for  the second week.  Average  temperatures for  the month got warmer moving from north to south across the state.  

Field Crops Report:  
Wheat conditions statewide rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 29 fair, 59 good, and 6 excellent, well  above  40  percent  good  to  excellent  last  year.   Hay  and  forage  supplies  rated  1  percent  very  short,  5  short,  92 adequate and 2 surplus, near year ago levels.

Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report: 
Cattle and Calves condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 8 fair, 74 good, and 17 excellent, above last year.  



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 02/26/2012

BOONE
Weather has been mild, starting to snow today so will probably have a little snow cover this weekend.

CEDAR
We had rain and snow this past week. Warmer temperatures melted much of the snow that did fall. Favorable conditions for calving.

DIXON
Cattle are still picking up feed in open stubble fields. Some amount of supplemental feeding has been needed over the past month. Winter has remained open here for a wide spectrum of outside work to be done including grading, shaping, excavation, construction, etc.

DODGE
Hauling grain to town and putting lime on fields are the main activities. With snow about gone, cattle continue to graze stalks.

KNOX
Primary activities have been grain marketing, tax preparation, review of crop insurance options, care of livestock, and preparation for spring fieldwork.



Nebraska Beef Council Announces 2nd Annual “Best Burger” Contest

Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers along with the Nebraska Beef Council have announced the launch of the 2nd annual “Nebraska’s Best Burger” contest. Nominations for the award will be accepted March 1 through March 31, 2012.

Participants wishing to nominate their favorite burger may do so by visiting www.nebeef.org and completing the online form. The top prize last year went to Cellar Bar & Grill of Kearney for their Western Burger.  Past contest winners are not eligible to win in consecutive years meaning a new “Best Burger” winner will be announced in April.

“We had a great response to this contest last year” said Adam Wegner, Director of Marketing for the Nebraska Beef Council. “We’re looking forward to showcasing more of the great beef burgers served throughout the state.”

For a full list of rules, contest details or to submit a nomination, visit www.nebeef.org or contact the Nebraska Beef Council at 308-236-7551.



2012 Junior Show Results from NE Cattlemens Classic
278 Juniors, 247 Breeding Heifers, 142 Market Steers, 53 Market Heifers, 25 Classic Heifers

Breeding Heifers – Overall Results
Supreme Breeding Heifer
1.    Commercial Breeding Heifer – Allee Maronde from York, NE
2.    ChiAngus Breeding Heifer – Hannah Esch from Unadilla, NE
3.    Chianina Breeding Heifer – Kelsey Rutt from Minden, NE
4.    MaineTainer Breeding Heifer – Mollie Wilken from Bloomfield, NE
5.    Reserve Commercial Breeding Heifer – Elizabeth Spencer from Gibbon, NE
6.    Polled Hereford Breeding Heifer – Jesse Hoblyn from York, NE
7.    Simmental Breeding Heifer – Rylee Stoltz from Pierce, NE

Market – Overall Results
Supreme Market Animal
1.    Crossbred Market Steer – Beau Bremer from St. Edward, NE
2.    Reserve Crossbred Market Steer – Samantha Schneider from Cozad, NE
3.    Simmental Market Steer – Tejlor Strope from O’Neill, NE
4.    Market Heifer – Brody Wulf from Guide Rock, NE
5.    Charolais Market Steer – Jesse Hoblyn from York, NE
6.    Chianina Market Steer – Brody Wulf from Guide Rock, NE
7.    Reserve Market Heifer – Skyler Weber from Albion, NE

Senior Showmanship
1.    Kelsey Rutt from Minden, NE
2.    Samantha Yonkers from McCook, NE
3.    Quinn Rutt from Minden, NE
4.    Kaisha Jurgens from Miller, NE
5.    Aaron Aldana from Nebraska City, NE
6.    Atlanta Maronde from York, NE
7.    Alex Meduna from Colon, NE

Intermediate Showmanship
1.    Savannah Schafer from Nehawka, NE
2.    Abby Nelson from Valparaiso, NE
3.    Taylor Heim from Plattsmouth, NE
4.    Dane Hubbard from Elm Creek, NE
5.    Tejlor Strope from O’Neill, NE
6.    Brendon Hauxwell from McCook, NE
7.    Riley Eisenhauer from Farnam, NE

Junior Showmanship
1.    Korynn Clason from Beaver City, NE
2.    Jaclyn Heinrich from Hickman, NE
3.    Jace Stagemeyer from Page, NE
4.    Malina Lindstrom from Elm Creek, NE
5.    Lauren Hope Trauernicht from Wymore, NE
6.    Stevie Johnson from Imperial, NE
7.    McKenna Hubbard from Elm Creek, NE


Breeding Heifer Results -

Horned Hereford Heifer
Champion – Aaron Aldana from Nebraska City, NE
Reserve – Jefferson Keller from St. Paul, NE

Polled Hereford Heifer
Champion – Jesse Hoblyn from York, NE
Reserve – Jackie Lewis from Burwell, NE

Red Angus Heifer
Champion – Kellan Heavican from Rogers, NE
Reserve – Riley Eisenhauer from Farnam, NE

Angus Heifer
Champion – Jaclyn Heinrich from Hickman, NE
Reserve – Allee Maronde from York, NE

Simmental Heifer
Champion – Rylee Stoltz from Pierce, NE
Reserve – Katie Trail from Nebraska City, NE

Foundation Simmental Heifer
Champion – Kelsey Rutt from Minden, NE
Reserve – Sydney Williams from Wisner, NE

Charolais Heifer
Champion – Jeht Stateler from Hoskins, NE
Reserve – Megan Amos from Stapleton, NE

Composite Charolais Heifer
Champion – Beau Bremer from St. Edward, NE
Reserve – McKenna Jedlicka from Schuyler

Limousin Heifer
Champion – Korynn Clason from Beaver City, NE

LimFlex Heifer
Champion – Megan Amos from Stapleton, NE

Gelbvieh Heifer
Champion – Kaisha Jurgens from Miller, NE
Reserve – Jake Lammers from Lexington, NE

Balancer Heifer
Champion – Elizabeth Spencer from Gibbon, NE
Reserve – Levi Farr from Moorefield, NE

Shorthorn Heifer
Champion – Cody Schulz from Pierce, NE
Reserve – Silas Plate from North Loup, NE

Shorthorn Plus Heifer
Champion – Derick Vogt from Elmwood, NE
Reserve – Anna Kastens from Otoe, NE

Maine Anjou Heifer
Champion – Katlyn Ahrens from West Point, NE
Reserve – Jade Hill from Falls City, NE

MaineTainer Heifer
Champion – Mollie Wilken from Bloomfield, NE
Reserve – Reed Stoltz from Pierce, NE

Chianina Heifer
Champion – Kelsey Rutt from Minden, NE
Reserve – Cody Harms from Grand Island, NE

ChiAngus Heifer
Champion – Hannah Esch from Unadilla, NE
Reserve – Tyler Shaw from Kimball, NE

Commercial Heifer
Champion – Allee Maronde from York, NE
Reserve – Elizabeth Spencer from Gibbon, NE

Classic Heifer – Heifers Purchased During the 2012 Classic Sales
Premiere Classic Heifer – Elizabeth Spencer from Gibbon, NE
25 Classic Heifers Entered


Market Results

Market Heifer
Champion – Brody Wulf from Guide Rock, NE
Reserve – Skyler Weber from Albion, NE

Chianina Steer
Champion – Brody Wulf from Guide Rock, NE
Reserve – Korynn Clason from Beaver City, NE

ChiAngus Steer
Champion – Sam Goering from Syracuse, NE

MaineTainer Steer
Champion – Haley Ehrke from Orleans, NE
Reserve – Isabelle Schultz from Cairo, NE

Maine Anjou Steer
Champion – Ashley Wallander from Bertrand, NE
Reserve – Brendon Hauxwell from McCook, NE

Shorthorn Plus Steer
Champion – Cale Went from Monroe, NE
Reserve – Tyler Fear from Sutherland, NE

Shorthorn Steer
Champion – Tejlor Strope from O’Neill, NE
Reserve – Bailey Schroeder from Beatrice, NE

Limousin Steer
Champion – Josh Peterson

Charolais Steer
Champion – Jesse Hoblyn from York, NE
Reserve – Ty Dybdal from Newcastle, NE

Composite Charolais Steer
Champion – Tessa Shaw from Kimball, NE
Reserve – Connor Wright from Alliance, NE

Foundation Simmental Steer
Champion – Brody Wulf from Guide Rock, NE
Reserve – Alyssa Schneider from Cozad, NE

Simmental Steer
Champion – Tejlor Strope from O’Neill, NE
Reserve – Dylan Beller from Leigh, NE

Angus Steer
Champion – Savannah Schafer from Nehawka, NE
Reserve – Emily Dethlefs from North Platte, NE

Hereford Steer
Champion – MaKayla Rutt from Minden, NE
Reserve – Trevor Schultz from Columbus, NE

Crossbred Steer
Champion – Beau Bremer from St. Edward, NE
Reserve – Samantha Schneider from Cozad, NE






Iowa Legislature Goes Through First Funnel
from Iowa Cattlemen's Association

The first funnel week in the Iowa Legislature was this past week. It is a self-imposed deadline that helps legislators narrow down the number of bills that are eligible for debate. During the first funnel, a bill must be passed out of committee in the originating chamber in order to continue to move through the process.

The second funnel week is Mar. 12-16. At that time, a bill must have moved through committee in the second chamber to stay alive for debate.

While the funnel applies to most legislation, there are certain types of bills that are exempt from the funnel. They include tax and spending proposals and bills sponsored by legislative leaders.

Bills that did not survive the funnel, can always be resurrected through an amendment to an eligible bill. Thus, a bill may technically die in the funnel, but the issue itself can still remain alive and be proposed in a variety of other ways.

Until legislators go home for the year, there is never a guarantee that any particular issue is dead.

This year, legislation was introduced that would make changes to Iowa's partition fence law. SF2102, introduced by Senator Pam Jochum (D- Dubuque) would not require an adjoining landowner to contribute to a partition fence if that landowner does not keep livestock. Essentially, the bill gives the landowner keeping livestock sole responsibility for the fence.

The bill was not considered by the full Senate State Government Committee prior to the legislative funnel deadline.

There was no companion legislation in the House.

Legislation regarding the issue of stray voltage continues to be discussed in both the House and the Senate. The companion bills, SF 2072 and HSB 558, have been amended significantly from their original form. Under the amended versions of the bills, a farmer would be required to notify the utility of a stray voltage claim at least 90 days prior to filing a lawsuit.

Once a stray voltage claim is made, the landowner must let the utility or an independent third party conduct testing for the existence of stray voltage. Additionally, either party can ask the Iowa Utilities Board to conduct such testing to determine where stray voltage may exist.

Although both bills have been approved by their respective Commerce Committees, legislators have acknowledged that problems remain with the bill and have expressed willingness to address concerns raised by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association and other opponents.



Voting for 2012 FFA Chapter Challenge ends Wednesday

Competitive events, educational tours, leadership workshops, concert-like general sessions and a massive career and trade show could become a reality for one hard-working FFA chapter when closing for the 2012 FFA Chapter Challenge ends Wednesday.

That’s because the winning chapter will receive an all-expenses paid trip for six FFA members and an advisor to join more than 54,000 fellow FFA members at October’s 2012 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

And even for the 840 chapters who signed up for the FFA Chapter Challenge in 12 states and don’t win the grand prize, plenty of great rewards are in sight. Ten FFA chapters in each state will receive $2,500 to use for FFA supplies or costs associated with FFA members attending national leadership conferences.

The premise of the FFA Chapter Challenge is simple: Members from local FFA chapters build relationships with local farmers and, in turn, those farmers visit the Chapter Challenge website (https://www.ffachapterchallenge.com/) and vote for their favorite chapter. The opportunity gives FFA members a chance to learn about different aspects of local agricultural life while building community awareness of their FFA chapter. Voting ends at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday.

Monsanto sponsors the program as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

“The mission of FFA goes beyond farming but its heart will always be in creating new generations of leaders who understand agriculture and small communities,” said Linda Arnold, Monsanto customer outreach lead. “Monsanto is proud to partner with the National FFA Foundation to help local chapters create that bond with the people who grow our food and build our communities.”

Voting for the 2012 FFA Chapter Challenge began Jan. 16 and recorded an impressive 16,506 votes. The second-year program expanded to 12 states this year, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

Many of the farmers who have voted for a local chapter have been able to rekindle a passion for both FFA and agricultural education that they had as high school students.

“My sisters and I were able to wear our father’s FFA jacket as our own,” said Mary Brubach, a voter from Garden Prairie, Ill. “I can even look up awards won by my family members and see our names on those same awards.”

Today, Brubach is an ambassador for agriculture at her family farm, where she runs Susie’s Garden Patch farm market in addition to helping in the fields and greenhouses.

“I enjoy educating visitors about farming,” she said. “I love seeing little children come out of the strawberry patch covered in red juice or watching their reaction when a calf sucks on a bottle. I want others to be able to experience just a little bit of the country life.”

More stories about farmers who voted in the 2012 FFA Chapter Challenge are available online... https://www.ffachapterchallenge.com/featured_farmers/. 

The top 200 FFA chapters that make the most connections and receive the most farmer votes by Wednesday will be awarded between $1,000 and $2,500 in FFA credit to be used for chapter supply purchases or registration fees for national leadership conferences.  As a sponsor of the program, Monsanto is providing more than $300,000 in incentives.

The National FFA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA Organization, which provides agricultural education to 540,379 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,489 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.



Farm bill conservation funds fuel water quality improvements

While Congressional committees debate the fate of farm bill conservation programs, Iowa farmers are putting those program funds to work, achieving documented results in improved water quality.

One striking example is the Brushy Creek watershed project in Carroll County, Iowa. Once the site of multiple fish kills in the Upper Brushy Creek and deemed unfit for recreation, due to high bacteria levels, the stream is now safe for swimming, kayaking and canoeing.

This success is the result of a three-year project organized with state Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) funds through the leadership of Des Moines Water Works (DMWW), Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), several state agency and ag retailer partners and local farmers. Watershed farmers leveraged $433,110 in USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Improvement Project (EQIP) cost share and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) payments with $782,166 of their own investments to implement such practices as grass waterways, vegetated strips, terraces and open-air hoop building cattle confinements. This not only prevented manure transport during rainstorms, but improved animal health, as well.

Extensive water monitoring conducted by Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance (ACWA), an association of 13 ag retailers committed to improving water quality, helped identify specific water quality problems, target resources to improve outcomes, and document progress and eventual success.

ISA Environmental Scientist Chris Jones, Ph.D., who led project design and coordination while supervising the DMWW lab, says, “Density of E. coli in the stream at Dedham, the lower end of the project area, declined throughout the project. Data from 2011 indicate the stream is now safe for recreation. This is a huge achievement.”

Opportunities to verify water quality improvements like this one from farm bill conservation program investment are rare, due to the cost and logistical challenges of conducting quality controlled monitoring over the necessary time frame. ACWA has invested in monitoring for more than a decade, partnering with ISA and DMWW.

The Nature Conservancy’s North America Agriculture Program Director Sean McMahon says, “The Nature Conservancy is partnering with ISA, NRCS and others to help growers improve agricultural productivity and environmental performance. Farmers are improving their bottom lines and water quality at the same time. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Thanks to collaboration of farmers, farm organizations, ag businesses, private conservation organizations like TNC, and government agencies, Iowa farmers are expected to have access to an estimated $25 million infusion of EQIP funding over four years in Iowa’s Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI) watersheds. An additional $17.5 million in statewide EQIP projected for 2012 and other conservation cost share programs will help them implement multiple targeted conservation practices and measure their performance, with the hope that Brushy Creek will be one of many documented successes.

“We recognize downstream water resource concerns and hope the nonfarm public supports the farm bill conservation programs that help us address them,” says Jim Andrew, Iowa soybean farmer and ISA Environmental Advisory Council chair. “Iowa farmers, agribusiness, agencies and taxpayers can take pride in the cost effective and environmentally sound practices they are developing and implementing to help clean up Iowa’s water.”



Farmers Get $10B From Crop Insurance

U.S. farmers collected a record $10 billion in crop insurance indemnities for their 2011 crops, said a trade group on Monday, calling insurance a sound safety net as Congress prepares to overhaul crop subsidies.

Five percent of claims on 2011 crops are outstanding, so the pay-out is likely to climb above the current $10.08 billion, said National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS). The payment record was $8.67 billion in 2008.

"The ability of U.S. agriculture to sustain more than $10 billion in insured losses and seamlessly finance itself for the 2012 crop season should not be taken for granted," said NCIS president Tom Zacharias.

Drought in the U.S. Plains, spring flooding along the Mississippi River and crop-damaging freezes in the South were factors in claims on 2011 crops.

A handful of farm groups want to use crop insurance as a model for a 2012 farm law that protects grower revenue against adverse market prices or yields.

The Senate Agriculture Committee scheduled a hearing for March 14 to discuss potential change to the crop subsidy system. The $5 billion a year "direct payment" subsidy is unpopular and a target of reformers. It accounts for the bulk of payments to grain, cotton and oilseed growers.

Crop insurance is subsidized and regulated by the federal government. The cost of the program has more than doubled in a decade, due in part to record-high commodity prices and the popularity of revenue policies.

Fifteen companies are approved by the Agriculture Department to provide coverage this year.



USDA Takes Next Step to Modernize Department as Part of Blueprint for Stronger Service

As part of a continuing effort to build a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that meets the evolving needs of a 21st century agricultural economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today informed Congress that in 90 days he plans to approve consolidation of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices with other USDA service centers, consistent with provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill. Under the Blueprint for Stronger Service announced on January 9, Vilsack laid out USDA's plans to modernize and accelerate service delivery while improving the customer experience through use of innovative technologies and business solutions. The Blueprint included USDA's plan to close 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs, including the proposed closure of 131 FSA offices, and seven foreign offices.

Consistent with provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, FSA held public meetings in every county in which an FSA office was proposed for consolidation. Members of the public were invited to make public comments at the meetings, and/or to submit comments in writing for up to 10 days following the public meeting. All comments were reviewed and considered prior to the issuance of the Secretary's notification letters to Congress.

USDA followed two steps in identifying FSA offices to propose for closure. First, USDA fulfilled its obligation under the 2008 Farm Bill to propose first for consolidation, to the maximum extent practicable, all offices that are located within 20 miles of another office, and which employ two or fewer permanent full-time employees. In addition, FSA identified all offices that currently have zero employees, regardless of location.

By proposing to consolidate 131 offices nationwide, FSA is striving to balance budget reductions, staff reductions, and increasing workloads while focusing the efforts of our staff on continuing to provide high quality service from the remaining 2,113 office locations. The agency's goal is to strengthen service, notwithstanding reduced budgets and fewer workers. And the Blueprint for Stronger Service helps to achieve FSA's goal.

The Blueprint is based on a Department-wide review of operations, in which USDA took a hard look at all USDA operations, from headquarters to field offices. The end result is a plan that creates optimal use of USDA's employees, better results for USDA customers, and greater efficiencies for American taxpayers.

When fully implemented, these office consolidation actions, along with other recommended changes, will provide efficiencies valued at about $150 million annually and ensure that USDA continues to provide optimal service to the American people within available funding levels.

In addition, USDA is implementing a series of other changes that will save taxpayers' money while eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies. The Blueprint for Stronger Service details 133 recommendations that affirm processes already in place, as well as 27 initial improvements, and other, longer-term improvements. The initial improvements include the following:
-    Consolidate more than 700 cell phone plans into about 10;
-    Standardize training and purchases of cyber security products; and
-    Ensure more efficient and effective service to our employees by moving toward more centralized civil rights, human resource, procurement, and property management functions, creating millions of dollars in efficiencies without sacrificing the quality of our work.

Proposed Closings in Nebraska:
Natural Resource Conservation Service Office in Scotts Bluff County

Proposed Closings in Iowa:
Farm Service Agency Offices - 3 counties - Appanoose, Decatur, & Union
Natural Resource Conservation Service Office in Jefferson County

Find more information here:  http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=impacted_offices.html&contentidonly=true. 



CWT Assists with 5.5 Million Pounds of Butter and Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 20 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Michigan Milk Producers Association and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 1,129 metric tons (2.489 million pounds) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 1,385 metric tons (3.053 million pounds) of butter to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered February through June 2012.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese totaling 26.9 million pounds and butter totaling 23 million pounds to 16 countries on four continents.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by reducing inventories that overhang the market and depress cheese and butter prices. In the long-term, CWT’s Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.

CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.



Brazil Harvest Roars Ahead

Brazil's soybean harvest continues to run well ahead of schedule, helped by drier weather across most producing regions.  Farmers had collected 29% of their estimated 72.0 million-metric-ton crop as of last Friday, compared with 19% at the same point last year and a five-year average of 15%, Celeres reported Monday.  Fieldwork is running quickest in the top-producing center-west region, where almost half of the estimated 6.85 million-hectare planted area has been harvested.

Harvesting has been quick, and concentrated, this year for a couple of reasons. The first is that uniform rains fell across the center-west at the start of October, allowing farmers to get soybeans in the ground relatively early. Meanwhile, attractive prices for winter corn prompted farmers to plant more short-cycle soybeans early.

According to Celeres, soybean harvesting will likely continue ahead of schedule as 60% of the Brazilian crop has reached or past the maturation stage, compared with 52% at the same point last year.

With the size of the soybean harvest still uncertain, Brazilian farmers remain cautious when selling the crop. Some 55% of the crop had been sold up till last Friday, two percentage points ahead of last week and one percentage point ahead of the same time last year.



U.S. Still Weighing Japan's Bid to Join Pacific Trade Agreement

The United States government is still considering whether to support Japan's bid to join talks on a trans-Pacific regional free trade agreement, three months after Tokyo announced interest in the negotiations.

"Both governments agreed to continue the consultative process, with additional meetings to be arranged at a later date," the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a statement after two days of talks with Japanese officials.

"The meeting was an opportunity for the United States to continue the assessment of Japan's readiness" to make significant market-opening reforms, USTR said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced Tokyo's interest in joining talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) back on Nov. 11, prior to joining President Barack Obama in Honolulu for a meeting of Asia Pacific leaders.

According to Reuters, the two sides had senior level talks earlier this month and followed that with technical level talks this week.

Detroit-based U.S. auto manufacturers have objected to Japan joining the TPP negotiations, saying they do not believe Tokyo is prepared at this time to dismantle "non-tariff" barriers that they blame for low U.S. auto sales in Japan.

Japan, whose tariff on U.S. autos is already zero, says Detroit's claims are exaggerated and the real problem is that the automakers do not make cars suited to the Japanese market.

U.S. trade officials have said the decision on whether Japan will be allowed into the negotiations will be made in consultation with the eight other countries currently involved in the TPP talks - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Chile and Peru.

Canada and Mexico have also asked to join the negotiations and are awaiting a decision as well.



Monsanto Prevails in Suit
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Seed Giant Brought by Organic Growers

A federal judge has ruled in favor of global seed giant Monsanto Co, dismissing a lawsuit brought by a consortium of U.S. organic farmers and seed dealers who said their industry is at risk from Monsanto's growing market strength.

U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald, for the Southern District of New York, threw out the case brought by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) and dozens of other plaintiff growers and organizations, criticizing the groups for a "transparent effort to create a controversy where none exists."

The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed the suit last March on behalf of more than 50 organizations challenging the agricultural giant's patents on its genetically modified seeds. The group wanted a ruling that would prohibit Monsanto from suing the farmers or dealers if their organic seed becomes contaminated with Monsanto's patented biotech seed germplasm.

But Judge Buchwald said Monsanto had not sued or even started the process of suing anyone of the plaintiffs or anyone in "similar stead."

"We're disappointed. We think the judge erred in her ruling," said Jim Gerritsen, spokesman for the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association.

Daniel Ravicher, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said farmers stop growing certain crops to avoid being sued by Monsanto and the court's refusal to protect those farmers was a mistake.

"Her decision to deny farmers the right to seek legal protection from one of the world's foremost patent bullies is gravely disappointing," said Ravicher. "Her belief that farmers are acting unreasonable when they stop growing certain crops to avoid being sued by Monsanto for patent infringement should their crops become contaminated maligns the intelligence and integrity of those farmers."

Monsanto is the world's largest seed company and a leader is development and marketing of genetically altered soybeans, corn and other crops. The company has developed a reputation for zealously defending its patents on its genetically altered crops, which include patented "Roundup Ready" soybeans, corn and cotton. The crops are favorites of U.S. farmers because of their ability to withstand herbicide treatments.

Monsanto has filed 144 patent infringement lawsuits against farmers between 1997 and April 2010, and won judgments against farmers they claimed made use of their seed without paying required royalties.

Many U.S. farmers have claimed that their fields were inadvertently contaminated with Monsanto's biotech seeds without their knowledge, and the issue has been a topic of concern for not only farmers, but also companies that clean and handle seed.

But the court ruling said there was no likelihood that Monsanto would pursue patent infringement cases against the organic farmers, who have no interest in using the company's patented seed products.

"This decision is a win for all farmers as it underscores that agricultural practices such as ag biotechnology, organic and conventional systems do and will continue to effectively coexist in the agricultural marketplace," said Monsanto general counsel David Snively.

"This ruling tore down a historic myth, which is commonly perpetuated against our business by these plaintiffs and other parties through the internet, noting that not only were such claims unsubstantiated but, more importantly, they were unjustified."

Monsanto has said that it is committed to never suing farmers over the inadvertent presence of biotechnology traits in their fields.



Broad Group Signs on to Oppose 'Ag-Gag' Laws

Twenty-seven national groups representing a wide spectrum of public interests have signed on to a statement opposing proposed "ag-gag" legislation that is being considered in states around the country. These bills seek to criminalize investigations that reveal animal abuse and could suppress critical information about the production of animal products on agricultural facilities.

The statement, which is being provided to lawmakers who are currently reviewing ag-gag legislation, was organized by a coalition of national animal welfare organizations that have come together to collectively combat these harmful proposals. These organizations include the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Compassion Over Killing, Farm Forward, Farm Sanctuary, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), In Defense of Animals and Mercy For Animals (MFA).

The statement reads in part:

"These bills represent a wholesale assault on many fundamental values shared by all people across the United States. Not only would these bills perpetuate animal abuse on industrial farms, they would also threaten workers' rights, consumer health and safety, and the freedom of journalists, employees and the public at large to share information about something as fundamental as our food supply. We call on state legislators around the nation to drop or vote against these dangerous and un-American efforts."

In addition to the aforementioned animal organizations, the following groups representing civil liberties, public health, food safety, environmental, food justice, legal, workers' rights and First Amendment interests signed on to the statement: A Well-Fed World; Brighter Green; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Science in the Public Interest; The Cornucopia Institute; Earth Policy Institute; Earth Save; Food and Water Watch; Food Empowerment Project; Government Accountability Project; National Freedom of Information Coalition; National Press Photographers Association; Natural Resources Defense Council; Organic Consumers Association; Slow Food USA; T. Colin Campbell Foundation; United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; Whistleblower Support Fund; and Youth for Environmental Sanity.

In a recent poll commissioned by the ASPCA, it was revealed that 71 percent of Americans support undercover investigative efforts by animal welfare organizations to expose animal abuse on industrial farms and 64 percent oppose making such efforts illegal. Additionally, 94 percent of Americans feel that it is important to have measures in place to ensure that food coming from farm animals is safe for people to eat, and 94 percent agree that animals raised for food on farms deserve to be free from abuse and cruelty.

Some of the horrific cruelties committed on industrial farms have been exposed by investigators from such animal welfare groups as The HSUS, MFA and Compassion Over Killing. These include newborn piglets screaming in pain at breeding facilities in Oklahoma, workers kicking and stomping on turkeys at a Butterball facility in North Carolina, dairy calves being stabbed repeatedly with pitchforks on an Ohio dairy farm, and ducks being tortured at the nation's largest foie gras factory farm.

Undercover farm investigations have also led to the disclosure of crucial health and welfare information and many groundbreaking reforms, including a ban on cruel confinement systems in California, the closure of a massive slaughterhouse that was shipping meat from sick animals to public schools, and the development of humane slaughter protocols.

This year, ag-gag legislation is being considered in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York and Utah. Ag-gag proposals were also being considered as part of two bills in Florida, but lawmakers in January decided to remove the controversial language after pressure from constituents and animal protection groups. In addition to industrial farms, these bills have the potential to shield slaughter plants and puppy mills from legitimate investigations.