Wednesday September 12 Ag News

NEBRASKA SEPTEMBER 1 CROP PRODUCTION FORECAST            

  Based on September 1 conditions, Nebraska’s corn crop is forecast at 1.32 billion bushels, 1 percent below last month, 14 percent below last year, and the smallest crop since 2006, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Yield is forecast at 145 bushels per acre, 2 bushels below last month and the lowest since 2002.  Area to be harvested for grain, at 9.1 million acres, is down 5 percent from a year ago.
 
  Soybean production in Nebraska is forecast at 200 million bushels, down 7 percent from last month and 23 percent below last year.  Yield is forecast at 40 bushels per acre, a decrease of 3 bushels from August and the lowest since 2002.  Area for harvest, at 5.0 million acres, is up 4 percent from a year ago.
  
  Sorghum production in Nebraska is forecast at 4.48 million bushels, down 7 percent from the August forecast and down 32 percent from last year.  Yield is forecast at 56 bushels per acre, down 4 bushels from last month and the lowest since 2002.  Acres for harvest, at 80,000, are 10,000 acres more than 2011.
  
  Sugarbeet production is forecast at 1.52 million tons, up 3 percent from last month and 18 percent above 2011.  Yield, at a record high 31 tons per acre, is up 1 ton from last month and over 6 tons above the previous high of 24.9 tons per acre set last year.

Iowa:
As of September 1,  Iowa’s corn production  is forecast at 1.90 billion bushels, 19 percent below  the 2011  production  and  nearly  1  percent  below  the August  1  forecast  according  to  the  USDA  National Agricultural  Statistics  Service  Crop  Production report.   Iowa’s  corn  crop  is  forecast  to  yield 140 bushels per acre, down 32 bushels from 2011 and 1  bushel  below  the August  forecast.    Acres  planted and  harvested  for  grain  remained  unchanged  at 14.0 million and 13.6 million acres, respectively.  

The  September  1  soybean  yield  forecast  of 39.0 bushels  per  acre  is  down  4  bushels  from  the August  1  forecast.    If  realized,  soybean  production would be 368 million bushels, down 21 percent  from last year’s 466 million bushels.  Iowa’s  soybean pods with beans per 18 square feet, at 1,512,  is  the  lowest count  at  this  point  in  the  season  since  1993  when there  were  1,336  soybean  pods  with  beans  per 18 square feet.



PrairieLand RC&D Annual Meeting Sept. 19

The PrairieLand Resource Conservation & Development Council will hold its annual meeting Sept. 19 at the Klub 81 Restaurant near Humphrey at 6:30 p.m. There will be a social hour prior to the meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. Following the council meeting and election of officers, attendees may enjoy the delicious buffet meal. Please RSVP to the PrairieLand office if you would like to attend the banquet.

The public is always invited and encouraged to attend all PrairieLand RC&D meetings. The council will continue its discussion regarding the future of the RC&D program, the upcoming state RC&D meeting in September, the future Shell Creek project and results of the scrap tire collection.

PrairieLand RC&D is a non-profit organization helping concerned citizens complete vital rural development projects in Nance, Boone, Colfax, Madison, Stanton and Platte Counties. Everyone is encouraged to participate in active projects, propose new projects and attend meetings. Please join to find out what you can do to get involved in helping your rural community. Contact the RC&D office at 402-454-2026 or prairielandrcd@gmail.com for more information.



SowBridge Educational Series Begins Fifth Year of Distance Education

The successful distance education program SowBridge will begin its fifth year Nov. 7 and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension swine specialist Duane Reese said suggestions from subscribers help maintain the program's value.

"We asked participants for suggestions on topics and speakers, and are happy to provide current content on topics that people are interested in," Reese said. "SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts, and to contact those experts following the individual sessions."

Reese, who also is the Nebraska contact for SowBridge, said the program is intended for people involved in managing or caring for boars, sows and/or their litters, including operation owners, employees, technicians, managers and technical service providers. SowBridge is designed to improve the understanding and application of various tools and techniques involved in daily care of the breeding herd and piglets.

"People from the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and West Indies took part in this past year's program, and they told us they appreciated having the opportunity for all employees to participate in the sessions without requiring any travel or other expenses," he said. "With the live phone presentation and slideshow viewed on computer, participants do not need Internet access and can take part from anywhere."

Entities with more than one location have the opportunity to add locations at a lower rate. Cost is $250 for the first registration from an entity and $125 for each subsequent subscription from the same entity. This provides access to one phone line per session and all program materials for each registration. Reese said materials, delivery process and program costs are slightly different for those with non-U.S. mailing addresses and encouraged potential subscribers from outside the U.S. to contact him at 402-472-6425 or dreese1@unl.edu for more information.

Before each session, U.S. subscribers receive a CD containing that session's presentation, along with information on accessing the live speaker presentation. Most participants will call a toll-free conference line to listen to and interact with presenters. Each session begins at 11:30 a.m. Central Time and lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Reese said the yearlong program is offered by subscription only with an Oct. 15 deadline to ensure participants will receive materials for the first session on Nov. 7.

A brochure with information and a registration form is available at http://www.ipic.iastate.edu/SowBridge/2012BrochureIPIC.pdf. Nebraska residents who want more information can call Reese.

SowBridge is sponsored by a group of 11 state universities – including UNL – from the nation's major swine producing states.



Iowa Cash Rent Up $39 per Acre

Cash Rent paid for non-irrigated cropland in Iowa during 2012 was $235 per acre, an increase of $39 from 2011, according to the latest numbers released by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Cash rent paid for pasture in Iowa, at $46 per acre, was unchanged from 2011 at the state level.  Seventy-nine counties had non-irrigated cropland cash rents of $200 per acre or more in 2012, compared with 31 counties in 2011.



Caution Urged when Pumping Manure from Deep Pits

Last year there were several documented cases of manure pit fires and explosions in Iowa. Not all of these incidents happened during agitation and pumping, nor did all of the pits have foam present when the fires or explosions happened. Iowa State University Extension agricultural engineers say these episodes highlight the caution needed when agitating and pumping manure from pits beneath buildings.

Liquid manure in pits undergoes slow decomposition which creates several gases including methane and hydrogen sulfide, both of which can create dangerous situations. The rate of gas release from the manure can be drastically increased when the manure is agitated (stirred) during pumping. This increase is especially true for hydrogen sulfide, which can have a lethal paralyzing effect.

In addition to the concern about gas release from pumping and agitation is the concern about rapid gas release in pits with excessive foam. It is believed that pits with substantial foam prevent the normal release of methane from the deep-pit facilities. Captured methane can be released quickly when the foam is disturbed by agitation or other activities such as power-washing. The rapid release of methane mixing with fresh air can create an explosive mixture. If this mixture comes into contact with an ignition source, it can cause a flash fire or explosion.

To minimize risk of injuries and flash fires, manure handlers should follow these steps:
-    Review your emergency action plan with all workers and have emergency contact numbers available at the site. The publication Emergency Action Plans at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1859.pdf has additional information.
-    Prior to agitation or pumping, turn off electrical power to any non-ventilation equipment such as lights and feed motors, and extinguish any pilot lights or other ignition sources. Fully open all ventilation curtains or ventilation pivot-doors, but leave walk-in doors locked to prevent human entry.
-    Run ventilation fans at maximum speed.
-    Ensure that all people are out of the building and clearly tag all doors noting that the building is unsafe for entry during agitation and pumping. The Iowa Pork Producers Association has door hang tags available to Iowa pork producers and commercial manure applicators. To request tags, please contact the IPPA at (515) 225-7675.
-    If significant foam is present, consider pumping without agitation to reduce the risk of fire or explosion, and monitor solids accumulation to decide if agitation is advised at the next pumping event.
-    Do not agitate manure until manure has been pumped and level is at least two feet below the slats.
-    When agitating the manure keep the jet of pressurized manure below the liquid surface. Don’t let the jet of manure strike walls or columns in the pit.
-    Stop agitation when the manure level does not allow agitation below the liquid surface.
-    Continue maximum ventilation for 30 minutes to an hour after pumping has ended before re-entering the building.

NEVER enter a building or manure storage structure when liquid manure is being agitated or pumped. A video discussing safety practices for pumping from deep pits can be found at: http://vimeo.com/15463270. Manure gases are an unavoidable by-product of liquid manure storage. Strict safety protocols along with proper ventilation and agitation practices can minimize the risk of flash fires and explosions during manure pumping.



July Pork Exports Trend Lower; Beef Exports Largest of 2012

U.S. pork exports in July were slightly lower than a year ago while beef exports dipped moderately in volume, achieving their largest monthly total of 2012 while holding steady in value. These results are based on statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

“With higher operating costs, both the pork and beef sectors are facing serious economic challenges,” said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. “Tight beef supplies have pushed prices higher and strong demand from our international customers is helping support higher beef cutout values. On the pork side, an increase in U.S. production has been offset by larger exports, helping drive the pork cutout to its peak in late June. With these factors in mind, it is absolutely critical that we remain aggressive with our international promotions and continue to capture the highest return possible on the products we export. Our pork and beef export value totals continue to outpace last year’s records, which is certainly a positive sign.”

July pork exports totaled 164,720 metric tons (mt), down nearly 3 percent from a year ago and the smallest volume since October 2010. Pork export value was also down less than 3 percent to $467.4 million. Despite these lower results, year-to-date exports through July remained very strong – 4 percent above last year’s record pace in volume (1.3 million mt) and 11 percent higher in value ($3.63 billion).

Pork export value per head slaughtered in July was $56.04, down from $58.84 a year ago. But for January through July, export value per head was about 8 percent higher than last year at $57.56. Exports equated to 23 percent of July production for muscle cuts and 26.5 percent when including variety meat. For January through July, these ratios were 24 percent and 27.5 percent, respectively.

While July beef export volume (108,971 mt) was 9.5 percent lower than a year ago, it was the largest monthly volume of 2012 and up 16 percent from June. Export value in July ($513.5 million) was slightly higher than a year ago and up 11 percent from June. Year-to-date exports through July remained 11 percent below the record pace of 2011 in volume (659,433 mt) but increased 4 percent in value to $3.17 billion.

July beef exports equated to 11 percent of production for muscle cuts and 14.3 percent when including variety meat. The respective ratios for January through July were 9.8 percent and 12.8 percent. Beef export value per head of fed slaughter totaled $235.18 in July – down less than 1 percent from the record set in July 2011. For January through July, per-head export value averaged $212.73 – topping last year’s pace by 7 percent.

Pork export market highlights
Mexico (340,091 mt, +13 percent), China/Hong (252,187 mt, +20 percent), Canada (129,730 mt, +14 percent) and Russia (58,572 mt, +43 percent) continued to drive pork export volume through the first seven months of 2012. Among these key markets, only China/Hong Kong recorded a lower year-over-year volume in July. January-July export value was also substantially higher in each of these markets: Mexico ($625.7 million, +12 percent), China/Hong ($508.9 million, +55 percent), Canada ($473.5 million, +19 percent) and Russia ($168.4 million, +38 percent).

Export volume for Japan was 6 percent lower in July and down 7 percent for the year, but Japan is still 6 percent ahead of last year’s record value pace ($1.17 billion). After slipping in June, export value to Japan rebounded to $157.2 million in July – roughly equal to a year ago.

Year-over year exports to South Korea continued to be down about one-third in volume through July (91,640 mt) and about one-fourth lower in value ($261.6 million). However, this is due to the surge in exports in 2011 resulting from a major shortage of domestic pork. This year’s exports to Korea were still up 64 percent in volume and 120 percent in value when compared to January-July 2010.

Beef export market highlights
Several key beef exports markets posted increases in value for January through July despite lower volumes, including: Canada (-12 in volume to 97,326 mt, +7 percent in value to $639.3 million), the Middle East (-5 percent to 91,348 mt, +8 percent to $201.5 million), Japan (-3 percent to 91,132 mt, +19 percent to $600.2 million) and the ASEAN region (-6 percent to 38,502 mt, +14 percent to $160 million).

Markets posting increases in both volume and value included Russia (+7 percent to 44,461 mt and +38 percent to $184.7 million) and Central and South America (+35 percent to 20,458 mt and +79 percent to $76.1 million). Exports to Hong Kong were steady in volume at 29,776 mt and up 22 percent in value at $161.7 million.

A weak peso continued to create a tough business climate for U.S. beef in Mexico, which remained the largest volume destination (122,056 mt) but slipped to third in value (behind Canada and Japan) at $518.3 million. A weak economy and large domestic supplies hurt exports to Korea, which were 22 percent lower in volume (76,559 mt) through July and down 18 percent in value ($353.6 million). Exports to Taiwan have been hit hard by regulatory restrictions – down 65 percent in volume (6,755 mt) and 58 percent in value ($43.4 million). However, Taiwan’s recent establishment of a maximum residue level for ractopamine is expected to create a more favorable business climate for the remainder of this year.

Lamb exports continue to struggle
U.S. lamb exports continued to battle a tough economic environment through July, with year-over-year exports falling by 36 percent in volume (7,299 metric tons) and 21 percent in value ($14.7 million). Export volume was down across the globe, though increases in value were achieved in Canada ($2.5 million, +24 percent) and Panama ($128,000, +103 percent). USMEF continues to work with U.S. trade officials on regaining access for U.S. lamb in critical destinations such as Japan, Russia, Taiwan, Korea and the European Union.



Forage Testing in 2012-13 is Critical

It pays to test your livestock’s feedstuffs every year, but it is critical to test forages this fall due to extreme variation in quality of silage and hay produced during the drought of 2012. Iowa State University extension agronomist Steve Barnhart and beef program specialist Joe Sellers said many producers have harvested silage from drought stressed corn, and proper ration development depends on knowing the nutrient content of that feed. Conservation Reserve Program forage and cornstalk bales harvested this year also will be variable in quality, making forage analysis essential.

“When testing corn silage, it is best to wait at least 30 days, until ensiling is complete,” Barnhart said. “Corn silage is generally tested for protein, energy and other nutrient values, but producers also should add a nitrate test to the order, to determine if excessive nitrate levels have persisted through the ensiling process. Producers should take a good representative sample from the pile, trench or bag silage storage shortly after feeding is started.”

CRP acres were released for emergency haying in Iowa with hay harvested across the state in August.

“The forage types present in CRP are quite diverse, due to seeding mixes used and status of mid contract management,” Sellers said. “With this diverse plant mix, producers should request that their forage testing laboratory use ‘wet chemical analysis’ tests rather than the near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) test.”

Most laboratories offer both options for forage testing, he said. However, NIRS analyses use calibrations established with more traditional forage species mixtures, and may not satisfactorily analyze this more non-traditional mix of forages.

Elevated concentrations of nitrates also may be a concern in baled corn stalks or summer annual forages such as sorghums or millets harvested and stored as dry bales. Testing for nutrient content and nitrates also should be completed for those forages, particularly when harvested following drought conditions, Barnhart said.



Farmers Call on Congress for a Farm Bill Now

Durring a rally on Capitol Hill today, National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer called on Congress to do their job and pass a new, five-year farm bill.  Over 80 agriculture organizations and associations supported the rally today as part of the Farm Bill Now coalition.  The current bill is set to expire Sept. 30.

"Just like every other farmer here, I had to get off the combine to come to Washington to deliver this message to Congress: Do your job!" Niemeyer said during the rally.  "America needs a new, five-year comprehensive farm bill now.  Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in the American economy.  We continue to be more productive and innovative.  But we need to have some certainty about how we plan our business.  And that is exactly what the farm bill does."

Nearly 500 farmers heard from a bi-partisan group of congressmen and 10 organizations representing interests from row crops, specialty crops, energy and retailers.  The event was also live-streamed on FarmBillNow.com and a link to the entire rally is now posted to the site.

"The groups here today are diverse in what we want in the bill, but unified in saying we need a new, five-year farm bill," Niemeyer said.  "Congress has known for 1,732 days that the current farm bill is going to expire on September 30th.  We are tired of the excuses as to why the new farm bill isn't done.  We need Congress to come together and pass a Farm Bill Now!"



NMPF Urges Congress to Pass New Farm Bill at Capitol Hill Rally

Members of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) joined hundreds of other farmers on Capitol Hill today at a rally urging Congress to pass a new, five-year farm bill before current farm programs expire in less than three weeks.

NMPF is a founding member of the Farm Bill Now coalition, which brought dozens of groups and hundreds of farmers together Wednesday at the steps of the U.S. Capitol. One of them was NMPF First Vice Chairman Ken Nobis, a dairy farmer from St. John, Michigan, who told those assembled that politics shouldn’t stand in the way of helping America’s farmers.

“Dairy farmers have worked with Democrats and Republicans, in the Senate and the House, to create a farm bill that saves taxpayers money, and at the same time offers dairy producers a more effective safety net when times are tough,” Nobis said. “It would be a tragic mistake, after this bill has already passed the Senate, and the House Agriculture Committee, to let it wither and die on the political vine, rather than make the necessary effort to get it passed in the coming weeks.”

Nobis reminded lawmakers that the dairy reforms included in the new farm bill will reduce government expenditures compared to current policy, which should appeal to those members of the House concerned with the deficit.

“If the question in Washington is how to reform government programs and make them more effective, we have an answer: pass the 2012 Farm Bill. The dairy title, along with the rest of the program, is budget-friendly. By not acting on this measure, Congress actually increases federal spending next year,” Nobis said.

There are fewer than ten days left on the legislative calendar of the House of Representatives before the Congress adjourns in October. If the bill can’t be approved this fall, the path forward is murky at best. Other possible outcomes include a farm bill being passed by a lame duck session of Congress after the November elections, or a one-year extension of current farm programs.

NMPF’s Board of Directors earlier this year came out against the latter option, asserting that an extension of current policy through 2013 does dairy farmers no real good, and leaves the tough choices about budget priorities unresolved.

NMPF President and CEO Jerry Kozak said that if Congress can’t generate the necessary effort to pass a new farm bill this year, the organization would not support an extension of current dairy programs, and instead would insist on getting the Dairy Security Act – the dairy reform bill already included in the Senate version of the Farm Bill – included in any extension package of other farm programs.

“We’ve come too far to acquiesce to another serving of the status quo. Dairy farmers need more than platitudes from Congress – we need action and leadership,” he said.



Statement from ARA President & CEO Daren Coppock in Support of Today’s Farm Bill Now Rally in Washington, D.C.

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) joins with farm organizations today to request Congressional passage of a comprehensive multi-year Farm Bill.

The most important feature of long term farm legislation is certainty. The importance of certainty for farmers doesn't end at the farm gate. Farm certainty reaches throughout the input supply chain to those farms, whether those inputs be financing, fertilizer, crop protection, seed, equipment, or services and insurance. If farmers don’t have certainty about the government policy, their ability to plan for their businesses is hampered. This eventually translates into supply chain congestion, last minute orders and logistics challenges, and price volatility. Farmers and those who serve them can’t wait until the 11th hour to plan for their businesses. But, farmers will lack the necessary certainty to plan effectively if a bill can't get done.

Uncertainty also plagues U.S. agriculture in the regulatory arena. The House bill contains vital improvements that remove duplicative, unnecessary and actually harmful pesticide permitting requirements for pesticide applications. There are several reported cases outside of agriculture where these requirements are hampering efforts to control vectors for the West Nile Virus. The House bill also contains provisions to provide more certainty and predictability to our nation's biotechnology regulatory system, and other essential elements.  They are very important improvements.  But, they’ll be lost if the bill doesn't get done.

Clarity is important too, and both Senate and House bills streamline programs, particularly in the conservation area. This should yield greater efficiency and less confusion in our nation’s conservation efforts; a win for everyone. However, this will not happen if the bill doesn't get done.

Our nation faces a daunting budget crisis. Both committee bills offer substantial savings, a level of ambition which has not been matched or even attempted by any other authorizing committee in the Congress. But, the savings offered up in the farm bill will not be captured if a bill doesn't get done.

No piece of legislation is perfect. But true to form, both House and Senate committees have reported bipartisan legislation that provides a pathway to conference and a final bill. Congress can do this; and it should.



USDA-ASA-Afghan Cooperation Creates Afghanistan’s First Soy Processing Plant

A distance of seven thousand miles is just the start of the differences between the Brookville, Ohio farm where Steve Berk grew up raising soybeans as an FFA project and his current residence in Afghanistan. Yet, a new soybean processing factory creates a landmark link between states like Ohio and Afghan reconstruction efforts.

Berk is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Senior Representative at the U.S. Consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif. He and U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service Agriculture Minister Counselor Quintin Gray joined the American Soybean Association’s (ASA) World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program at the unique soy processing business this summer.

“It’s great to see the Afghan and U.S. partners get this soybean processing facility up and operating,” Gray says. “It will help Afghanistan agriculture continue to develop.”

Through USDA’s Food for Progress Program, WISHH and its partners have established Afghanistan’s first commercial soybean value chain as part of the Soybeans in Agricultural Renewal of Afghanistan Initiative (SARAI). As a result, Iowa-made processing equipment from Insta-Pro now has soybeans from Afghanistan as well as Ohio, Michigan and other states flowing through it. An Afghan company provided the land and the building as well as employs the staff.

People and livestock will benefit from the high-protein soy flour, soy meal and the crude soybean oil produced at the Mazar-e-Sharif manufacturing facility. An Afghan dairy, Kefayat Farms, made the first purchase of 10 metric tons of soybean meal for its herd of 140 Holstein cows. Farmhands soon noted the cows producing two to three additional liters of milk a day, and the milk quality was noticeably improved so customers were willing to pay more.

A solid supply of soybeans is key to the processing plant serving as a reliable source to its customers. Throughout the three-year project, more than 200,000 bushels of U.S. soybeans will augment local production processed in the plant. Perdue Grain and Oilseed’s 2011 sale exemplifies how U.S. soybeans contribute to the processing plant being a steady supplier of soy products in Afghanistan.

For example, USDA purchased 1500 metric tons of soybeans for the processing plant’s use from Perdue’s partnership with Commercial Lynks, a Virginia-based trading company. Perdue has more than 70 grain elevators east of the Mississippi River and used Michigan and Ohio soybeans for the USDA purchase. The soybean sale further contributed to the U.S. economy as the shipment loaded at a port facility in Chesapeake, Virginia.

According to Perdue Grain and Oilseed Vice President John Cassidy, developing country markets represent a growing demand for U.S. feed ingredients. “WISHH is an important tool to expand markets in the U.S. soybean industry,” says Cassidy, who also appreciates the importance of USDA backing of the financing in countries that have immature banking sectors.

In 2011, the project also assisted 891 Afghan farmers, including 91 women, in producing the country’s first commercial crop of soybeans on a total of approximately 450 acres. This year, 3,325 Afghan farmers, including 300 women, are planting soybeans through SARAI.

The U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense contributed to this success by assisting ASA’s WISHH with military air transport of the Stine soybean seeds from Illinois to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The shipment was then trucked to farmers in a northern province. In 2011-12, a combined total of approximately 50 metric tons of U.S. soybean seeds went to Afghanistan for farmers to plant.

In addition to generating income for subsistence farmers who typically have less than an acre of land, the soybeans are priming the growth of oilseed demand in the country. Currently, Afghanistan imports more than 90 percent of its cooking oil. Much of that is palm oil. Afghanistan’s poultry and livestock industries also look to expand with quality meal from oilseed crops, such as soybeans.

Since being founded by U.S. soybean farmers in 2000, WISHH has worked in 24 countries to improve diets, as well as encouraged growth of food industries. The WISHH program is managed from ASA’s world headquarters in St. Louis. For more information, visit www.wishh.org.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 9/7/2012

According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 816,000 barrels per day (b/d) – or 34.27 million gallons daily.  That is down 13,000 b/d from the week before.  The 4-week average for ethanol production stood at 822,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 12.60 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 19.0 million barrels, a slight increase from last week.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged 365.2 million gallons daily, down significantly from recent weeks.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 9.38%.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 12.373 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 91,068 metric tons of livestock feed, 81,188 metric tons of which were distillers grains.  The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal.  Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.25 million pounds of corn oil daily.



Tractor Sales Up 15-Percent in August, Combines Lower

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' monthly "Flash Report," the sales of all tractors in the U.S. for August 2012 were up 15% compared to the same month last year.  For the month, two-wheel-drive smaller tractor (under 40 HP) were up 12% from last year, and 40 & under 100 HP were up 11%. Sales of two-wheel-drive 100+ HP were up 27% from last year, and four-wheel-drive tractors were up 49% for the month.  Combine sales were down 12% for the month.

For the year 2012, a total of 122,276 tractors were sold, which compares to 112,999 sold through August 2011.  For the first eight months, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) are up 7% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP are up 8%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP are up 13%, while 4-Wheel Drive tractors are up 9% for the year.  Sales of combines for the first eight months totaled 5,263, a decrease of 12% over the same period in 2011.



Brazil's Forward Sales Streets Ahead

Brazil soybean farmers keep on getting further and further ahead with the sales of the 2012-13 crop.

The recent surge in international prices has prompted southern farmers to forward sell another batch of next-crop beans over the last week. As a result, farmers have now committed coming up for 50% of the crop, which is completely unheard of.

According to Celeres, a local farm consultancy, some 45% of the 2012-13 crop had been committed for sale as of Sep. 9, compared with 36% at the same time last year and a five-year average of 16%.

According to AgRural, another local consultancy, soybean farmers in southern Goias can expect a margin of R$1,400 per hectare ($279 per acre), up from R$1,300 per ha (259 per acre) last year (Figures don't include land rents).



DuPont Pioneer Receives All Regulatory Approvals to Sell Products with Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme Insect Protection

U.S. and Canadian farmers can now plan for 2013 spring planting with Pioneer® brand corn products featuring Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme insect protection technology. DuPont Pioneer recently received all necessary regulatory approvals for import into major world markets of grain grown from Optimum AcreMax XTreme products.  All necessary state approvals have also been received, allowing growers to plant products with this technology.

“This innovative product will further support the Pioneer goal of helping North American corn growers achieve ultimate simplicity while maximizing corn yields across their entire operation in 2013,” says Josh St. Peters, DuPont Pioneer corn marketing manager.

Optimum AcreMax XTreme products offer growers a single-bag refuge option in areas of the Corn Belt requiring protection from both above- and below-ground insects.

The latest offering in a robust lineup of insect protection solutions, Optimum AcreMax XTreme technology provides two unique modes of action for above-ground insect control, and two individual modes of action for below-ground insect control. Optimum AcreMax XTreme corn products integrate a high-yielding Pioneer hybrid with a similar non-Bt hybrid acting as the in-bag 5 percent refuge. The primary hybrid is a trusted, excellent performing Pioneer corn product containing Herculex® XTRA insect protection (combining the Herculex I and Herculex RW traits) in combination with YieldGard® Corn Borer insect protection and the Agrisure® RW trait.

Optimum AcreMax XTreme products also offer herbicide tolerant traits -- Roundup Ready® 2 and LibertyLink® traits -- including those hybrids acting as the refuge plants.

“By blending the refuge in the bag, Optimum AcreMax XTreme products assure that refuge requirements are met, reducing the risk of insect resistance while working to extend the durability of in-plant protection technologies,” says St. Peters. “All of this contributes to maximum yields across growers’ entire operations and helps producers simplify planting.”