Wednesday May 30 Ag News

Senate Farm Bill’s ARC Program Ensures Equitable Treatment of Program Crops

The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program established in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s recently-approved Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 will treat program crops like corn, wheat, rice, peanuts and soybeans equitably, that according to a report issued today by the Food and Agriculture Policy Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri in Columbia. In its report, FAPRI examined the potential impacts of key aspects of the proposed legislation, more commonly known as the Farm Bill.

“According to the FAPRI analysis, benefits to soybean farmers under the ARC program will amount to 1.9 percent of total market receipts, slightly below the average of corn, wheat and sorghum and slightly above that of peanuts and rice,” said ASA President Steve Wellman, a soybean farmer from Syracuse, Neb. “This is a good indicator that the Senate version of the Farm Bill treats most commodities equitably.”

Contained in the FAPRI report is the below table, which illustrates the benefits to various crops under the revenue programs established in the Senate Farm Bill.

“In addition to its relatively evenhanded treatment of crops, the ARC program reflects the realities of what farmers actually are planting and provides a measure of revenue protection to farmers should yields and prices drop significantly,” added Wellman. “Farmers from all regions of the country have been planting more soybean acres for years in response to market signals and the planting flexibility first introduced in farm programs in 1996. Last year, farmers planted 75 million acres of soybeans not only on acres technically classified under previous farm bills as ‘soybean base acres’, but also on acres that have been technically classified as wheat, corn, cotton, and other commodity base acres. FAPRI’s analysis reflects these planting decisions that have been made by farmers and is consistent with the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the Senate Farm Bill released earlier.”

The Farm Bill now awaits time on the Senate floor, where it is currently second on the chamber’s schedule upon return from recess next week.

“We’re looking forward to passage by the full Senate next week, in hopes that we can get this critical legislation on to the House and passed before it expires on September 30,” said Wellman.

For a full transcript of the FAPRI report, please click here...   



Legislative Session Wrap-Up for Iowa Ag Department

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey Tuesday said that the 2012 Iowa legislative session was a success for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and thanked the bipartisan support for restoring some funding to the Department after significant cuts in recent years.

The Department received a $584,000 increase in the general fund appropriation and a $550,000 increase to administer soil conservation programs through the Environment First fund. The Department also received an additional $350,000 for conservation cost share, which is matched by landowners to build conservation practices, $1.55 million for agriculture drainage well closure and $1 million for the Water Improvement Review Board (WIRB). Governor Branstad signed the appropriations bills last Friday evening.

"The Department has dealt with significant cuts in the last few years and I greatly appreciate the support of the Legislature and the Governor to restore some funding to the Department," Northey said. "We still have work to do to stretch each of these dollars as we work to deal with increased costs and other challenges, but I know it was an extremely tight budget year and understand the hard work by legislators to provide these funds."

The Department's general fund appropriation has been cut from $21.2 million in fiscal year 2009 to $16.5 million in the current fiscal year, or a 22 percent reduction. As a result, the Department lost a total of 70 employees over that time period and is at the lowest staffing levels in 25 years.

The $17.5 million general fund appropriation for the Department for fiscal 2013 will be used to backfill some of the losses in the Department's Weights and Measures and Animal Industry Bureaus. Funds would also be used to meet mandatory salary and health insurance costs facing the Department.

The Department's Environment First funding has been cut from $15.8 million in fiscal year 2009 to $12.4 million in fiscal year 2012, which is a 21.5 percent reduction.

The $550,000 increase for soil conservation administration will help the Department begin to address the twenty-one field offices are currently without a state secretary and fourteen technicians that have been lost in the last two years.

The additional funds for cost share, ag drainage well closure and WIRB will support program that provide assistance to farmers and landowners to install conservation practices and do other work to prevent soil erosion and improve water quality.

This session the legislature also passed and the Governor signed SF 2311, which was a technical bill that will modernize and update language in Iowa code to allow the Department to become more efficient and eliminate unneeded requirements and outdated practices. The bill also included an additional objective of the department to encourage, promote, and advance biofuels.



Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards Announced
Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sec. Bill Northey, Tuesday, announce the establishment of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards to recognize the environmental efforts of Iowa's farmers.

The governor, lt. governor and secretary are currently seeking nominations of farmers that have taken significant steps to serve as local leaders in environmental stewardship on their farms utilizing a variety of techniques and best management practices. Nominee's actions should merit recognition for leadership in advancing water quality and soil sustainability measures in Iowa agriculture.

"The governor and I are excited to have the opportunity to honor Iowa farmers who are true stewards of the land," said Reynolds. "It is important for Iowans to take proactive conservation methods to protect our great state so that future generations reap the benefits of Iowa fields. Agriculture is a tremendous asset to our state's economic environment and we must protect it."

This award seeks to not only recognize farmers for their responsible choices, but also to encourage other farmers to follow in their footsteps by building success upon success.

"Iowa farmers take great pride in caring for the land and protecting Iowa's waters," Northey said. "I'm excited to join with the Governor to recognize farmers who are leaders in environmental stewardship and conservation."

An appointed committee of representatives from both conservation and agricultural groups will annually review the nominations and select the winners. This year's recipients will be recognized at the 2012 Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 17.

Nominations are open until June 30.



EPA Issues Notice of Data Availability on Grain Sorghum

On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning renewable fuels produced from grain sorghum under the RFS program.

EPA’s analysis shows grain sorghum, when used to make ethanol at facilities that use natural gas, has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction (GHG) of 32 percent. According to EPA, when grain sorghum is used to make ethanol at facilities that use biogas digesters in combination with combined heat and power technology, it achieves a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 53 percent, qualifying it as an advanced biofuel under the Renewables Fuels Standard.

This is significant in allowing the domestic production of advanced biofuels from grain sorghum as envisioned in the 2007 Energy Bill. National Sorghum Producers has worked closely with EPA for 25 months to establish a biofuels pathway for grain sorghum-based ethanol in the RFS.

“We are pleased we are finally to this point in getting a pathway approved for grain sorghum as an advanced biofuel,” said NSP Chairman Terry Swanson, a sorghum grower from Walsh, Colo. “We have not yet crossed the finish line, but this is an important step in the right direction. NSP thanks EPA for their work in moving this process forward, and we would also like to thank Growth Energy for their support in this effort.”

The NODA will have the customary 30-day comment period. NSP will be providing comments to EPA while coordinating with our membership. To view the full announcement from EPA, visit http://www.epa.gov/oms/fuels/renewablefuels/regulations.htm.



Fertilizer Prices Steady Once Again

Fertilizer prices are again relatively steady for a second consecutive week after many weeks of moving higher, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of May 2012.

Five of the eight major fertilizers were higher compared to a month earlier, but none were up significantly. Urea had an average price of $770 per ton, 10-34-0 $779/ton, anhydrous $770/ton, UAN28 $432/ton and UAN32 $489/ton.  Three fertilizers had lower retail prices compared to the fourth week of April, but again these price moves lower were fairly minor. DAP had an average price of $634/ton, MAP $692/ton, and potash $662/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.84/lb.N, anhydrous $0.47/lb.N, UAN28 $0.77/lb.N and UAN32 $0.76/lb.N.

Half of the eight major fertilizers are still showing double-digit increases in price compared to one year earlier. Leading the way higher is urea. The nitrogen fertilizer is 52% higher compared to last year while both UAN28 and UAN32 have jumped to 15% higher and potash is now 10% more expensive compared to the fourth week of May 2011.  One fertilizer has seen just slight price increases compared to a year earlier. Anhydrous is now 4% more expensive.  The three remaining fertilizers are now actually lower compared to one year ago. DAP is now 7% lower, 10-34-0 is 5% less expensive and MAP has decreased 2% in price.



CWT Assists with 2.5 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Darigold, Foremost Farms, Land O’Lakes, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 397 metric tons (875.235 pounds) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 755 metric tons (1.664 million pounds) of butter to customers in Asia, North Africa, Central America and the Middle East. The product will be delivered May through November 2012.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 54.7 million pounds, and butter and anhydrous milk fat totaling 44.7 million pounds, to 27 countries on four continents. Totals of both were adjusted due to cancellations. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 1.480 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 70,460 cows.

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.



USDA: U.S. Food Poses No Pesticide Residue Safety Concerns

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service has posted data from the 2010 Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary. The 2010 PDP report confirms that food does not pose a safety concern based upon pesticide residues.

In May of 1991, USDA initiated the PDP to test commodities in the U.S. food supply for pesticide residues. Since passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, one of PDP's focuses has been on testing foods that are most likely consumed by infants and children.

AMS partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on selected foods.

In implementing the FQPA, the EPA uses data from the PDP to enhance its programs for food safety and help evaluate dietary exposure to pesticides.

Each year, USDA and EPA work together to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis.

In 2010, surveys were conducted on a variety of foods including fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, oats, eggs, catfish, baby food, groundwater, and treated and untreated drinking water.

Similar to previous years, the 2010 report shows that overall pesticide residues found on foods tested are at levels well below the tolerances set by the EPA.

The report does show that residues exceeding the tolerance were detected in 0.25 percent of the samples tested.



USDA's MyPlate Celebrates Its First Anniversary

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today joined local officials, educators, and students to highlight the first anniversary of the MyPlate food icon and announced a month of nutrition events and promotions to mark the occasion. In June 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled MyPlate, the federal government's primary food group symbol, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthy food choices consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.

"A year ago First Lady Michelle Obama and I joined together to launch MyPlate and to encourage people to think about their food choices in order to lead healthier lifestyles," said Merrigan. "Today we celebrate the great strides we are making from our local schools to the dinner table as Americans embrace MyPlate and find practical ways to apply it to their daily lives."

USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) estimates that about 90 percent of nutrition professionals are familiar with MyPlate and are using the resources and messages that support MyPlate in client counseling. Since it was released, there have been over 7 million downloads of MyPlate graphics and other materials. CNPP and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) have distributed educational tools to those who have requested materials including schools, churches and youth groups, gym and fitness centers, clubs, and others. Currently, over 6,000 Community Partners have joined along with 90 National Strategic Partners all committed to promoting the recommendations found in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). In the first quarter of this year, there were 34 million page views at the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and over 700,000 registered users of the MyPlate SuperTracker, the web based tool to gauge one's diet and physical activity.

Development of MyPlate came as a result of a 2010 report of the White House Childhood Obesity Task Force. The report challenged USDA to design a new generation symbol as a cue to inspire consumers to choose healthier foods at mealtimes – something simpler and more direct than the Food Pyramid.

The MyPlate icon shows a plate with the five food groups on a placemat that is suggestive of proportions; i.e., to make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Integral to its design is the incorporation of the ChooseMyPlate.gov website address where consumers can apply the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans in a personal way. The ChooseMyPlate website provides the public, particularly school children, with the practical 'how-tos' to put the Guidelines recommendations of getting more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods into action in their own lives.

During the month of June, CNPP will be celebrating the first anniversary of MyPlate with special blog postings on its website, daily Tweets on healthy eating, recipes, partner images, a resource for having healthy celebrations, and MyPlate Happy Birthday coloring pages for kids, among other user-friendly resources. In addition, the quarterly MyPlate message for May through June will be "Drink Water Instead of Sugary Drinks" to highlight that thirst quenching water can be "dressed up" with a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange as a great way to round out a healthy plate.

USDA has been in the food guidance business for well over 100 years dating back to 1894 with the publication of food buying guides and graphic images representing the Basic Seven in the 1940's, the Basic Four during the 1950s through the 70s, the Food Guide Pyramid in the 1980s and 1990s, and MyPyramid in 2005. However, never, until the launch of MyPlate in June 2011, has USDA taken a more pro-active, comprehensive approach to reaching all consumers – kids, parents, and educators --with practical ways to apply the Dietary Guidelines wherever they learn, play, shop and prepare foods. Public acceptance over the last 12 months of the MyPlate food icon suggests that USDA's new vision for healthy eating will be a popular and useful image for years to come.



USDA Poultry Plan Violates Federal Law, Union Contends

The Agriculture Department's proposal to largely outsource poultry inspections functions and drastically speed up the visual inspection process violates federal law and must not be allowed to proceed, the nation's largest federal employee union said in official comments on the proposal.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents thousands of federal meat and poultry inspectors, submitted comments to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Friday, May 25. More than 2,000 comments were submitted before the comment period ended May 29.

The USDA's budget-cutting proposal would allow poultry companies to inspect their own chickens and turkeys, leaving a single federal inspector responsible for examining up to 175 birds per second as they speed down the line.

"It exceeds the bounds of logic and common sense to reasonably contend that one person can carefully examine more than 80,000 chickens per workday when the carcasses are whizzing past the inspector at a rate of 3 chickens per second," AFGE Assistant General Counsel Matthew Milledge wrote in the union's official comments.

Contrary to the agency's assertion that these changes would improve food safety, Milledge wrote that the proposal "will ensure that increased numbers of adulterated poultry enter the marketplace thereby endangering the health and safety of the American consumer."

The proposal violates the 1957 federal law that established the current poultry inspections process, which requires federal inspectors to perform a "careful examination" of the carcass of every bird processed to determine its fitness for purchase, Milledge wrote.

Not only will federal inspectors be physically incapable of examining every carcass, the proposal eliminates the current requirement that federal inspectors examine the internal organs, or viscera, of each bird. Many of these parts are sold for human consumption, including chicken livers and giblets.

"Under this new system, poultry parts will be sold to the public that have never been inspected by a federal inspector in violation of federal law," Milledge wrote.

AFGE and other concerned consumer groups have denounced the proposed regulations and organized petition drives and other protests. More than 16,000 people have signed a petition on the White House website urging the Obama administration to withdraw the proposed rule.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 625,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.



Genscape Launches RIN Integrity Program
Genscape announced the launch of its biodiesel Renewable Identification Number integrity auditing network Wednesday morning.

The RIN Integrity Network(TM) will serve biodiesel producers and obligated parties such as petroleum refiners, marketers and blenders in meeting their obligation under the Renewable Fuels Standard, Genscape said.

The RFS mandates that at least one billion gallons of biomass-based diesel be blended into petroleum-based diesel this year. RINs are the credits used by obligated parties to show they are meeting the annual RFS mandate.

The RIN auditing program was introduced in response to three large biodiesel RIN fraud cases being investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result of the fraud, small biodiesel producers have had trouble selling RINs since last fall, with 2012 RINs from large producers at a 20-cent premium to those produced by small producers, trade sources explain.

"Producers join the service through a rigorous auditing process recommended by the National Biodiesel Board RIN Integrity Task Force and continue promoting their integrity through ongoing validation," Genscape said.

"We are confident that producers and obligated parties will see the value in Genscape's comprehensive auditing and real-time monitoring program," said Joe Jobe, CEO of NBB, the biodiesel industry's trade group.

"Recognizing the sense of urgency for biodiesel producers to promote their integrity in the wake of devastating fraud, the RIN Integrity Network is being implemented with a fast-to-market, two-phase approach," Genscape said.

The initial launch of the service showcases audited plants on a dashboard map with details of audit compliance that are desired by obligated parties.

Genscape said dozens of producers are in the process to be added to the dashboard. In parallel, ongoing monitoring is being configured for producers that have registered for the service.

"Genscape's seen a fantastic response from the industry during the development of the RIN Integrity Network," said Robert Barton, COO of Genscape.

He said Genscape has had more than 70 registrations from producers pre-launch and currently has commitment from 15 obligated parties.

"Genscape understands the sense of urgency for an industry solution and has pushed hard to meet our May launch date commitment," Barton added.

Genscape is a global provider of energy information for commodity and financial markets.



Fiat Industrial Proposes CNH Farm Business Merger

(AP) -- Fiat Industrial Chairman Sergio Marchionne is seeking a full merger with U.S.-based CNH farm and construction vehicle business, in a move that would shift the company's capital center to the U.S. and drop the Fiat name.

But Marchionne, who is also CEO of the Fiat and Chrysler carmakers, cautioned Wednesday against considering the deal a blueprint for a future merger of the two automakers, which are in a three-year partnership.

Under the Fiat Industrial-CNH proposal, the combined company's shares would be traded on the New York Stock Exchange with a secondary listing in Europe — but not Milan where it is currently traded.

The merged Fiat Industrial and CNH would likely not carry the Fiat name, Marchionne told analysts. But he wrote in a letter to Fiat Industrial employees that the operational structure will not change.

Marchionne argued in a four-page letter to the CNH board that a merger with Fiat Industrial would unlock value in both companies, while also creating a competitor to the major North American capital goods companies both in terms of market appeal and business scale.

Fiat Industrial is the third-largest global player in the capital goods market, behind Caterpillar and Volvo. But Marchionne said its "cumbersome" corporate structure has left it undervalued in the markets and it is trading at a significant discount compared with its peers.

Fiat Industrial owns 88 percent of CNH, which is based in the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge, Illinois. CNH said in a separate statement that it had no immediate position on the proposal.

The new company would be registered in the Netherlands. Shareholders must approve the deal.

CNH Global N.V. sells farm and construction equipment under the Case and New Holland brands in 170 countries.

Beyond its farm and construction business, Fiat Industrial makes trucks, commercial vehicles and buses under the Iveco brand along with related engines and transmissions. It has been expanding its business into emerging markets through joint ventures.



Monsanto Raises Full-Year View; Sees 3Q Above Expectations

Monsanto Co. raised its earnings outlook for the fiscal year and forecast higher-than-expected fiscal third-quarter profit as the company reported strong seed sales in North and South America.

The St. Louis seed producer's updated guidance resolves questions about its strong second-quarter, which came amid an unusually early planting season. The company's chief financial officer said in April it was unclear to what extent the strong second-quarter sales were a matter of timing, and whether that would detract from third-quarter sales.

With greater clarity on the U.S. and European planting seasons, "it's clear our performance reflects an even greater component of business strength and momentum versus timing," Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant said Wednesday.

The company said it would exceed initial U.S. sales targets for its high-end corn seed, and that premium soybean seed sales would be at the high end of its projected range.

The world's largest seed company said a strong performance in its seed and traits business was complemented by better-than-expected sales in its herbicide business and lawn and garden segment.

Grant said at an investor conference in New York on Wednesday that Monsanto expects continued earnings growth next year--estimated in the midteens on a percentage basis. 

For the fiscal year, Monsanto now expects per-share earnings of $3.65 to $3.70, up from its prior view for $3.49 to $3.54.

For the fiscal third quarter, the company projected per-share profit of $1.57 to $1.62, above analysts' recent estimates of $1.29.

Monsanto in April reported that its second-quarter earnings jumped 19% over a year ago, due in large part to its corn seed and traits business.



FFA, RMEF Launch Relationship for Conservation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has formed a new relationship with the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Alumni Association that opens the door for more than 500,000 students of agriculture to learn more about elk, habitat, hunting and conservation.

Through a gift made to the National FFA Foundation, RMEF will support two major FFA events in 2012—as an exhibitor in October’s 85th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Ind., and July’s National FFA Alumni Development Conference in Bozeman, Mont. Together these events offer a chance to engage thousands of young and continuing leaders in the strong connections between sustainable agriculture and sound wildlife conservation.

“A partnership between these two organizations is exciting because it has the power to help both of us serve our respective members and missions more directly, and in the near term as well as the future,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for RMEF.

RMEF was founded in 1984 to help ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Its 184,135 members are 95 percent hunters fueling a conservation effort that has protected or enhanced more than 6 million acres across public and private lands.

FFA, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting—it’s a science, it’s a business and it’s an art.

FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet those challenges by helping its members to develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Today, FFA membership nationwide stands at 540,379 in 7,489 chapters. Eighty-nine percent of FFA members are in grades 9-12, while 70 percent live in rural areas. The 85th National FFA Convention will be held in downtown Indianapolis, Oct. 24-27.

The National FFA Alumni Association acts as a support arm for FFA, agriculture and agriculture education, with an unwavering commitment to supporting and sustaining both FFA and agricultural education. The association was founded in 1971, and today boasts 52,555 members from 1,394 local affiliates in 44 states. The FFA Alumni Development Conference, held July 11-14 in Bozeman, Mont., allows participants to explore ways to strengthen their own personal skills and their local FFA Alumni affiliates through workshops, speakers, and group interaction.

RMEF also will be involved in the National Association of Agricultural Educators. By communicating with over 10,000 agriculture teachers, RMEF hopes to become a teaching resource and integrate elk-country conservation lessons into appropriate curriculums.



NCGA Reminds Growers to Minimize Machinery Fire Risks

With reports of equipment fires cropping up in dry, windy areas across the Midwest, the National Corn Growers Association reminds farmers to carefully follow proper safety procedures that minimize the possibility of a farm machinery fire, much like those taken during last year's harvest.  Even if the weather has not been warm and dry, fuel sources such as leaves, stalks, husks, dust, oil and fuel come into constant contact with potential sources of ignition from farm equipment, such as exhaust, bearings and electrical wiring presenting an ever present fire risk.

"Equipment fires are not only dangerous but are often extremely costly for farmers," said NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team Chair Dean Taylor. "During this busy season, a fire can halt work in an instant causing property damage and consuming valuable time.  Building risk management practices into your schedule could end up saving both time and money."

First, keep farm equipment clean, particularly the engine compartment as 75 percent of all machinery fires start there.  Using either a pressure washer or high pressure air, remove all caked-on grease, oil and crop residue.  Cleaning the engine thoroughly will allow it to run cooler, operate more efficiently and will greatly reduce the risk of a fire.

Once the equipment has been cleaned, make sure to keep it clean.  Frequently blow dry chaff, leaves or other material off of the machine with compressed air or a portable leaf blower.  Then, remove wrapped plant materials on or near bearings, belts and any other moving parts.

At the beginning of each day, check engine fluid levels, particularly coolant and oil levels, in all equipment that will be used.  While doing so, look for any possible leaking fuel or oil hoses, fittings or metal lines.  Often, areas that may rub from wear, such as the pressurized oil supply line, may breach causing an oil leak. Should a leak be found, repair it immediately.

Next, eliminate heat sources that could increase fire risk.  Most commonly, exhaust system surfaces containing flammable material ignite fires in this fashion.  To minimize this risk, check to ensure the exhaust system, including the manifold, muffler and turbocharger, are in good condition and free of leaks.  Again, should damage be found, repair it immediately.

As arcing electrical wires generate extremely high temperatures in farm machinery, make sure to scan for signs of wiring damage or deterioration daily.  Replace any worn or malfunctioning components properly.  Notably, frequently blowing fuses or intermittent circuit disruptions often signal a short or loose connection in that system.

Much like damaged wiring, worn bearings can also reach extremely high temperatures which can cause any rubber belt coming into contact with this intense heat to ignite.  Make sure to inspect for worn bearings, belts and chains frequently.

Despite the most vigilant care, farm equipment fires can still occur.  It is essential that each machine carries a working, fully charged fire extinguisher mounted in the cab and still within reach from the ground.

Should a fire break out while you are operating a machine, shut off the engine, grab the extinguisher and immediately exit the vehicle.  Then, use either a cellular phone or two-way radio to signal that professional assistance is required as quickly as possible.

As fires are dangerous, flaring up dramatically if doors, hatches or other entry points are opened, it is crucial to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle at all times.  Using the flexible hose on the extinguisher, spray the base of any visible flames continuously to cool the fire and prevent a reflash until help arrives.