Thursday October 4 Ag News

Your invited: October 21 NASCAR race in Kansas City

You and your family members are invited to the NASCAR race in Kansas city on October 21!

Again this year, the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska’s 23,000 corn farmers invite you to attend the Sunday, October 21 NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway.  The cost is $90 per person which includes transportation to and from the race, the ticket for the race, and morning and evening meals. A savings of $35 from last year!  The race begins at 1:00 pm. We will leave Lincoln at approximately 6:00 am and return about 9:30 pm.

Seating is limited and your seat and ticket are reserved with your payment.  No payments will be accepted the day of the race.

What: NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Kansas City
When: October 21,2012
Where: Kansas Speedway
Cost: $90 per person
Reserve your seat today by sending payment to:
Nebraska Corn Board-NASCAR race
Attn: Kim  Clark
Po Box 95107
Lincoln, NE 68509-5107

***Checks should be made out to the Nebraska Corn Growers Association
*Include your phone number and email address so we can send you confirmation of your payment, reservation, and further details.

American Ethanol began a partnership with NASCAR starting with this racing season and the Nebraska Corn Board is a contributor to American Ethanol.  In the Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup Series, and Camping Truck Series, drivers will be running their race car on American Ethanol.  This partnership was formed to promote ethanol, educate consumers about agriculture, and more.

At each of the NASCAR races, American Ethanol is being promoted.  Each car has a green American Ethanol decal around the fuel cap and different drivers each week have the American Ethanol in-car cam.  Also, Austin Dillon and Kenny Wallace are spokespersons for American Ethanol.

NASCAR races are all over the country each weekend.  As part of our partnership with NASCAR, American Ethanol is able to negotiate reduced ticket prices for the race, pit access, driver interviews and more.

Final details on the race day events will be sent the week prior to the race.  Cancellations will not be accepted and refunds will not be given after October 16.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kim Clark, Director of Biofuels Development, Nebraska Corn Board, at 402.471.2676.  



2012 Nebraska Sheep & Goat Conference
A joint conference of the Nebraska Sheep & Goat Producers (NS&GP) and the Nebraska Dairy Goat Association (NDGA)

Friday, November 2
12 noon – Meet at Heritage Inn in Wahoo, NE
12:30 p.m. – Leave for tours
1:30 p.m. – Tour of Mike & Chris Stork dairy farm-turned meat goat operation near Arlington, NE
3:30 p.m. – Tour of Wayne Vermeline on-farm museum of antique tools and farm equipment, including restored tractors, near Malmo, NE
6:00 p.m. – Meet back at Heritage Inn for supper as a group and the NS&GP Board of Directors meeting

Saturday, November 3
8:00 a.m. – Registration at the ARDC near Mead, NE
8:00 a.m. – Silent Auction* opens
9:00 a.m. – NS&GP Annual Meeting and Election of 2013-2016 NS&GP Eastern District Board members
9:30 a.m. – Nebraska “Make It With Wool” Style Show, emceed by program director Alice Doane of Waverly
10:00 a.m. – Break
10:15 a.m. – “Controlled Grazing with Goats” with Michelle Wendell of Happy Goat Grazing at Brewster
11:00 a.m. – “Industry Overview” with Mike Caskey of Minnesota West Community & Technical College’s Lamb & Wool Management Program at Pipestone, MN
12:00 p.m. – Potluck Lunch**, with award given for the Best Dish Made with Lamb/Goat
12:45 p.m. – Fundraising Auction of .22 mag Henry rifle, auctioneering by Kylie Hammond of Ravenna
1:00 p.m. – Silent Auction closes
1:00 p.m. – Stock Dog Demonstration with John Holman, of Clay Center, Nebraska Stock Dog Association
2:00 p.m. – “Health and Nutrition” with Mike Caskey
3:00 p.m. – Break
3:15 p.m. – “Famacha Training” with Randy Saner, University of Nebraska Extension educator for Lincoln-McPherson counties, on controlling internal parasites***
3:45 p.m. – “We Support Ag” with Pete McClymont of the Nebraska Cattlemen on protecting livestock producers from animal rights activism
5:00 p.m. – NDGA Annual Meeting
5:00 p.m. – NS&GP Board of Directors Wrap-Up Meeting

COST:
NS&GP/NDGA members – $25 per member or $35 per family (dues can be paid at the door)
$35 per person or $45 per family for non-members
$10 per person for 4-H/FFA members if attending alone
*NS&GP/NDGA members are encouraged to donate an item to the Silent Auction
**Don’t forget to bring a food item to contribute to the Potluck Lunch
***Participants wishing to become Famacha-certified require a fee of $12.25 in addition to the cost of attending

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Deb Dauel at 402-642-5887, Suzy Hassler at 402-705-0733, OR www.nebraskasheepgoat.org



National Ground Water Association Conference on Great Plains Aquifers: Beyond the Ogallala 
Omaha, Nebraska • October 25-26, 2012

Conference overview
Learn about potential solutions to issues affecting the U.S. Great Plains aquifer system — which represents a microcosm of all the challenges facing water allocation and land management today — during this two-day conference that seeks to prepare and assist diverse communities in planning for the great unknowns to sustain the aquifer system for the longest period of time.

Negative impacts to the Great Plains aquifer system have affected the domestic and international food supply and will continue to do so. The huge variations in the system’s saturated thickness create challenges that affect the agricultural and domestic water supply. Water managers and policymakers must constantly question if the periods of record are truly reflective of current conditions. Too often the research focuses on doing more with less instead of accurately valuing the water being conserved in context of how it is used. Questions to be addressed include:
-    How is the aquifer system affected by changing land use and short-term climate change — and what are potential solutions?
-    How can having different jurisdictions and water policies be reconciled for effective resource management to provide support instead of mandates?
-    How can collective expertise be shared and best practices implemented?
-    How can we be well-prepared to meet the conditions we face and how quickly can we adapt if conditions change?

Conference program... http://ngwa.confex.com/ngwa/pga12/webprogram/meeting.html. 

Conference highlights
Keynote session: Impacts of Water Scarcity
Presented by Ann S. Bleed, Ph.D., PE, Adjunct Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2012 NGWREF McEllhiney Lecture: Life-Cycle Economic Analysis of Water Wells — Considerations for Design and Construction
Presented by Marvin F. Glotfelty.  He is cofounder and principal hydrogelogist with Clear Creek Associates, a groundwater consulting firm, has participated in almost every aspect of the hydrogeologic sciences including recharge projects, water supply studies, water rights issues, groundwater quality, well installation programs, and well rehabilitation projects. He has also given more than 60 presentations on hydrogeologic and water well topics.

Who should attend?
-    Groundwater scientists and engineers
-    Water planners and managers
-    Climatologists
-    Local, state, federal, and tribal agency personnel
-    Agricultural professionals
-    Energy company representatives
-    Beverage producers
-    Financial institution representatives
-    Land managers and developers
-    Researchers.



Midwest Drought Worsens

The nation's worst drought in decades is showing no sign of letting up in several key Midwest farming states, worrying farmers harvesting the summer's withered corn crop in record time that their winter crops may also be at risk.

Overall drought conditions in the lower 48 states held steady over the seven-day period ending Tuesday, with about one-fifth of the total land area in extreme or exceptional drought, the two worst classifications, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly update of its drought map released Thursday.

Conditions worsened, though, in Kansas and Iowa, the nation's biggest corn producer, and nearly 98% of Nebraska was still deemed to be in one of the two worst categories.

The unrelenting dryness won't have much effect on the region's corn and soybean crops, which are already being plucked from the fields. But it could hurt other crops, such as winter wheat.

According to the map, which is put out by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, 75% of Iowa is enduring extreme or exceptional drought. That's up roughly 10 percentage points from the previous week.

Just over 93.25% of Kansas was in the same predicament, which was an increase of roughly 5 percentage points.



Weak El Nino Expected Into Winter

Weak El Nino weather conditions are expected to continue into winter in the Northern Hemisphere, with the possibility of strengthening in the next few months, a U.S. government forecast said Thursday.

But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said forecast models are mixed and the chances of El Nino development are less than they had been in the past few months.

El Nino is the name given to the unusual warming of the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, with wide-reaching impacts.

"Due to the recent slowdown in the development of El Nino, it is not clear whether a fully coupled El Nino will emerge," NOAA said. The majority of forecasts indicate neutral conditions to weak El Nino conditions will continue, the forecast said. "About half suggest that El Nino could develop, but remain weak," the forecast said.

NOAA has said that among El Nino's effects are potential dry and warm conditions in normally wet regions of the world such as Indonesia and Australia. Places that are normally dry, such as western South America and the southwest U.S., tend to be much wetter than normal.

In El Nino events, western Canada and Alaska, along with portions of the U.S. Midwest, tend to experience a much warmer-than-normal winter, while the southeast U.S. tends to experience wet and cool conditions throughout much of an El Nino winter, NOAA has said.



Students Pitch Business Ideas for UNL Competition

Students from Nebraska high schools and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln competed in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources' first Quick Pitch Competition on Sept. 24. The event was held as part of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act celebration.

Aspiring entrepreneurs in both the high school and undergraduate divisions were given two minutes to pitch their idea for a new business venture to a panel of judges. This required them to think through a business concept, deliver it in a clear, concise way and answer questions from people who know about business, said Tom Field, director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program.

"There's a certain beauty to having to stand up in front of a panel of judges that can't be replicated in a classroom," he said.

The Engler Program plans to continue the competition to offer students a real world approach to vetting business ideas.

Undergraduate division winners' names, year, major, hometown and business name are:
– First place: Jordyn Lechtenberg, junior agribusiness major, Ainsworth, GRO
– Second place: James Verhoeff, junior business management and marketing major, Cortland, Digichures
– Third place: Dylan Tegtmeier, freshman fisheries and wildlife major, Pleasant Dale, Wild Wind Whistle Company
– Fourth place: Li Luqi, senior turfgrass management major, Beijing, China, Professional Lawn Care at Beijing, China

The winners in the high school division were:
– First place: Christian Hedstrom, Lincoln Southwest High School, Hedstrom Hedge Apples
– Second place: Maradeth Hart, Entrepreneurship Focus Program, Lincoln Public Schools, Infinite Composting
– Third Place: Karly Goertzen, Millard South High School, Flat Lander Expeditions
– Fourth Place: Jeffrey Wallman, Freeman High School, Filley, Senior Specialty Services



RC&D Celebrated at Association Conference
The Northeast Nebraska Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council hosted state the annual RC&D State Association Conference during National RC&D Week September 24 - 28.  Thirty-five people from across Nebraska participated in the 3-day event held in Wayne. The conference theme was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” which provided a perfect opportunity to share local successes of the Northeast Council.  It also gave new meaning to the sites visited on the motor coach tour.

Gill Landfill, the first stop, was an eye-opener for many.  It was started in 1981 with 270 acres, but has expanded to include 1200 acres making its’ capacity large enough to last 40 years.  600-900 tons of garbage is brought in each day from a radius of 90 miles.  In recent years they’ve added methane capture to their ventures and serve the ethanol plant near Jackson with 10% of their energy needs.

Ponca State Park Superintendent Jeff Fields provided a hayrack ride tour of the park.  Four different kinds of geothermal systems are in use in their facilities.  Straw bale cabins are very “green” in their construction and offer a look at an alternative type of building.   And all park guests and staff are encouraged to recycle everything possible.

The Laurel Recycling Center has been in operation since 2004, but continues to expand to meet consumer needs.  This facility is open 24-hours a day with an easy-to-use drop off system for all wishing to recycle.  They take everything except glass and TVs.  Security Shredding is also located there, but operates as a private enterprise.  This mobile business grew out of a need to protect consumer identity.

Awards for the year had the Northeast Nebraska RC&D Council bringing home the Outstanding Council honor.  Plainview FFA received Outstanding Youth Involvement, Outstanding Executive Director went to Bobbi Meints of the Five Rivers RC&D, and Darol Ellwanger of the PrairieLand RC&D took home the Outstanding Volunteer award.  The Panhandle RC&D received the Program Support Assistant award for Joyce Mick and the Top Project Award for the Intertribal Gathering.

New officers elected for the Association were President Dan Hruza from Ord with Loup Basin RC&D, and Vice-President Twila Phillips, Mullen, of the Sandhills RC&D.  Continuing to serve as Secretary is Jessica Jones from the Five Rivers RC&D at Tecumseh and Treasurer Norm Hanson of the Great Plains RC&D.  All twelve RC&D Councils in Nebraska are continuing their efforts to meet local needs across the state.



USGC Projects a Strong China Crop: Good News for Drought-Impacted Global Markets

The U.S. Grains Council 2012 China Corn Harvest Tour projects another good Chinese corn crop, driven both by higher yields and an increase in planted acreage. Persistent reports of weather and pest problems in some areas this summer, plus recent typhoon impacts in northeastern China, had raised concern about potentially significant yield reductions. The Council's survey, however, suggests that the impact of these events is relatively small. While the final harvest will fall short of best-case expectations, it will be another record year for China corn.
"The U.S. drought and short 2012 crop is pressuring buyers in all sectors," said USGC President and CEO Tom Sleight. "But corn trades in a global system, and the safety net is the capacity of other producers to step up.

"The United States is by far the world's largest corn producer and exporter, but in a tough year for U.S. corn, it is a relief that the world's number two producer is having a good year. That will help limit demand destruction and preserve markets for U.S. corn as we rebound next year."

China is the world's second largest corn producer and until 2010 was an export competitor of the United States in Asian markets. In 2010, however, China became a structural corn importer, and last year purchased nearly 5.2 million metric tons (205 million bushels) of corn from the United States, making it the third largest U.S. export market.

"Continued growth in China's economy and individual income growth will continue to drive increases in meat consumption and animal feed demand," said Bryan Lohmar, the USGC director in China. "But a good harvest this year, plus the forward purchases they have already done for the 2012/13 marketing year, gives China some breathing room in a very tight global market. China will likely be strategic in its purchases this year, entering the market to build reserves if and when prices dip."

The USGC Harvest Tour is comprised of teams of industry experts who visited China's seven top corn production provinces in the North China Plain and Northeast China. These account for over 70 percent of China's corn production. In addition to crop conditions, the Council's teams observed increased corn acreage, which has increased in China at the expense of cotton and soybean acreage. While some insect and weather damage was apparent, the overall crop looks good, and is expected to again set a Chinese production record.

The 2012 Tour was conducted from September 10-28, 2012, and included representatives from major grain traders, the Chinese feed industry, U.S. and Chinese market analysts, U.S. corn producers, the U.S. embassy, and USGC staff.



USDA Releases Results of the 2011 Certified Organic Production Survey

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified organic growers in the United States  sold more than $3.5 billion organically grown agricultural commodities in 2011, according to the results of the 2011 Certified Organic Production Survey, released today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS conducted the survey for USDA’s Risk Management Agency to help refine federal crop insurance products for organic producers.

“This is the first time we have conducted a survey focused solely on the USDA-certified organic producers,” said Hubert Hamer, Chairperson of NASS’s Agricultural Statistics Board. “With this survey’s results, policymakers will be able to better assess the Federal Crop Insurance program and its impact on the organic industry.”

Mirroring its conventional counterpart, corn leads organic field crops in sales and accounted for more than $101.5 million in 2011. The only other field crops to have more than $50 million in sales were alfalfa dry hay and winter wheat, accounting for $69.5 million and $54 million in sales respectively.

When it comes to organic field crops acreage, Wisconsin leads the nation with more than 110,000 acres harvested in 2011. Wisconsin is followed by New York, with organic growers harvesting more than 97,000 acres. California closely follows the Empire state growers with more than 91,000 acres of organic field crops harvested in 2011. These top three states illustrate just how geographically diverse organic crop production is in the United States.

In addition to looking at organically produced crops, the survey also gathered information on the organically raised livestock, which accounted for $1.31 billion in sales in 2011. Organic milk was the top livestock commodity last year, accounting for $765 million in sales. The other key organic livestock commodities were chicken eggs and broiler chickens, earning $276 million and $115 million in sales respectively.

The survey results also include statistics on organically grown fruit and vegetables, value-added products and marketing outlets. The full results of the survey are available online at http://bit.ly/2011OrganicSurvey. 



U.S. Oil Production Continues to Grow

U.S. oil production, including crude oil and lease condensate, has grown steadily since 2008, a change from the two decades of declines before 2008. This growth has been driven mainly by increased production from various tight formations. Horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing have allowed exploration and production companies to access commercial volumes of oil from rock formations that are less permeable than those found in conventional formations. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects that development of tight formations will lead to continuing significant increases in U.S. oil production in the coming years.

Three key basins with tight formations have been the largest contributors to U.S. oil production growth: the Permian Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico; the Western Gulf Basin in southern Texas, which includes the Eagle Ford shale; and the Williston Basin, which extends over parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana and which includes the Bakken formation (Figure 1).

Since January 2009, North Dakota's crude oil production has more than tripled from an average of less than 190,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) to nearly 675,000 bbl/d in July 2012, based on North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources statistics. This growth makes North Dakota the second largest oil producing state, behind Texas and ahead of both Alaska and California. The Bakken tight oil formation has accounted for nearly all of the new production in North Dakota. EIA forecasts total Williston Basin production, including North Dakota and Montana, will approach 1.1 million bbl/d by January 2014.

Texas oil production has increased about 770,000 bbl/d since January 2009, and in June 2012 averaged 1.9 million bbl/d. Texas has seen the largest volumetric increase of any state. The Permian Basin, which was already producing significant quantities of conventional oil, has experienced increases in oil production from both conventional and shale plays. EIA forecasts Western Gulf Basin production to rise to almost 930,000 bbl/d and Permian Basin production to reach 1.55 million bbl/d by January 2014.



Argentina May See Record Soy Crop

Argentina's farmers are gearing up for a record soybean crop this season as high global prices and promising weather stoke planting, according to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange.  Planting area is expected to reach a new high mark of 19.7 million hectares, up 4.5% on the year, the exchange said in a report Thursday. (One hectare equals 2.47 acres.)  Argentina's farmers are just about to start 2012-13 soybean planting and a wet Southern Hemisphere spring attributed to the El Nino weather pattern bodes well for their efforts.

Argentina's soybean production is estimated at 55 million metric tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The previous high mark of 52.7 million tons was set during the last El Nino event in 2009-10, according to Argentina's agriculture ministry.

Argentina is the world's No. 3 global soybean exporter behind Brazil and the U.S. and leads in soymeal and soyoil shipments.  Argentina is also the world's No. 2 corn exporter, and planting area is seen sliding next season due to higher costs for corn seed and agrochemicals and as farmers go all in with soy.

Argentina's total corn planting area is expected to drop by 12% on the year to 3.4 million hectares, according to the exchange. Area will drop by about 470,000 hectares, with most of that area going to soy, the exchange said.  Corn planting is well under way, with farmers taking advantage of the wet soil to get seeds into the ground. As of last Thursday, about 10% of the forecast area had been planted, according to the exchange.



Animal Antibiotics And Biotech Seed Experts Highlight The Food Dialogues: New York

Americans continue to have questions about how food is grown and raised. In response, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), which was created to lead the dialogue and answer questions consumers have about food production through unique events, social media, access to farmers and ranchers, and content on its website, www.fooddialogues.com, will host The Food DialoguesSM: New York. Today, USFRA announced the list of panelists who will assemble at The TimesCenter in Midtown Manhattan on November 15 for panel discussions on some of today's most pressing issues concerning food – antibiotics, biotechnology and media, marketing and food.

 "Following the momentum of past Food Dialogues' panel discussions in September 2011, March 2012 and June 2012, we realize that Americans still have a lot of important questions surrounding topics like biotechnology, animal antibiotics and how media and the marketing community talk about food and healthy choices," said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We're excited to bring a wide range of voices together for in-depth panel discussions about these issues and to answer some important questions that aren't getting heard. It's time we move the conversation forward."

The panel discussions, which will stream live at www.fooddialogues.com, will focus on three separate topics. USFRA has assembled a group of panelists who are experts in their respective fields with various points of view on the panel topics, including Tracie McMillan, author of "The American Way of Eating," representatives from Consumers Union, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and farmers and ranchers from across the country. Following is the current roster of participants and topics that will be covered on November 15:

The Media, Marketing and Healthy Choices panel will examine how the media's coverage of food and its health benefits has impacted consumer choice. This discussion also will address what more can be done to answer Americans' questions about how their food is grown and raised. Expert panelists include:
-    Tracie McMillan, author, The American Way of Eating
-    Debbie Beauvais, New York School Nutrition President and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson
-    Blake Hurst, President, Missouri Farm Bureau
-    Craig McNamara, California organic farmer
-    Richard Ball, New York vegetable farmer

For the Your Toughest Questions Answered on Antibiotics in Your Food panel, experts will discuss antibiotics and its use and application in animal agriculture. USFRA has secured:
-    Dr. Christine Hoang, DVM, MPH, CPH, Assistant Director of the Division of Scientific Activities of the American Veterinary Medical Association
-    Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives, Consumers Union
-    Keith Ayoob, pediatric nutritionist, Alert Einstein School of Medicine
-    Dr. Karen Jordan, Brush Creek Swiss Farms, North Carolina – dairy farmer and veterinarian

Your Toughest Questions Answered on Biotechnology (GMOs) in Your Food panel will include experts who are well-versed in the use of biotech seeds, including the benefits and concerns related to long-term health and food labeling including:
-    Pamm Larry, the leader of California's Prop 37, "GMO labeling"  initiative
-    Dr. Bob Goldberg, plant molecular biologist currently using genomics to identify all of the genes required to "make a seed", UCLA
-    Jerry Slocum, Mississippi soybean farmer
-    Dr. Julie Howard, Chief Scientist, Food Security, USAID

In addition to the panel discussions, USFRA has plans to announce farmers and ranchers who are semi-finalists for its Faces of Farming and Ranching program.

To attend an event in-person, go to http://fooddialogues.com/ny-food-dialogues/rsvp or call 888-25-USFRA (888-258-7372) for additional details. For information about USFRA and to see footage from past Food Dialogues events, visit www.fooddialogues.com. To join the conversation online, visit www.facebook.com/USFarmersandRanchers and follow USFRA on Twitter @USFRA using #FoodD .



Monsanto Report Higher Year-End Earnings, Profits

Monsanto Company announced it concluded fiscal year 2012 with ongoing earnings per share growth of 25 percent, and added that it is well-positioned to attain mid-teens ongoing earnings per share growth next year. The company delivered growth in its base business in the United States on the continued adoption of its key corn and soybean platforms, complemented by international seeds and traits performance.

Executives also highlighted early 2012 U.S. corn harvest results, which reinforce Monsanto's long-standing yield advantage even in one of the most difficult growing seasons on record.

"We've proven our business on a global stage with back-to-back years of tremendous performance and momentum," said Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive officer for Monsanto. "With more waves of innovation and global opportunities than ever before, I'm confident that by building off what we accomplished in 2012 we can achieve steady growth in fiscal year 2013 as we continue to deliver sustainable yield to our farmer customers."

Monsanto reported net sales of $2.1 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012. Net sales for the full fiscal year were $13.5 billion, a 14 percent increase over fiscal year 2011. Full year net sales results were driven primarily by higher global corn seeds and traits revenue, and increased soybean seeds and traits revenue in the United States and Brazil.

Seeds and Genomics segment net sales were $1.2 billion for the quarter, a decrease from the prior year. For the fiscal year, net sales for the Seeds and Genomics segment reached $9.8 billion, a 14 percent increase over the prior year. Agricultural Productivity segment net sales were $895 million for the quarter. Net sales for the Agricultural Productivity segment for the fiscal year grew to $3.7 billion.

Monsanto reported a net loss of $229 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012, compared with a reported net loss of $112 million in the same period last year. Net income for fiscal year 2012 was $2 billion, an increase over fiscal year 2011 net income of $1.6 billion.

The company's fiscal year 2012 earnings per share (EPS) was $3.70 on an ongoing basis and $3.79 on an as-reported basis. For the fourth quarter, the company reported a loss per share of $0.44 on an ongoing basis and $0.42 on an as-reported basis.



Study: Pesticide Use Up on Major GE Crops

A study published this week by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops - cotton, soybeans and corn - has actually increased. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service. Benbrook's analysis is the first peer-reviewed, published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use.

In the study, which appeared in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Environmental Sciences Europe, Benbrook writes that the emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds is strongly correlated with the upward trajectory in herbicide use. Marketed as Roundup and other trade names, glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. Approximately 95 percent of soybean and cotton acres, and more than 85 percent of corn, are planted to varieties genetically modified to be herbicide resistant.

"Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and they are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent," Benbrook said.

The annual increase in the herbicides required to deal with tougher-to-control weeds on cropland planted to GE cultivars has grown from 1.5 million pounds in 1999 to about 90 million pounds in 2011.

Herbicide-tolerant crops worked extremely well in the first few years of use, Benbrook's analysis shows, but over-reliance may have led to shifts in weed communities and the spread of resistant weeds that force farmers to increase herbicide application rates (especially glyphosate), spray more often and add new herbicides that work through an alternate mode of action into their spray programs.

A detailed summary of the study's major findings, along with important definitions of terms used in the study, are available online at http://bit.ly/esebenbrookmajor.



Applications Being Accepted for New Inductees of Ag PR Hall of Fame

Nominations are now open for the Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame, an award program honoring agricultural public relations professionals who have made lifetime contributions to the industry.

The program, sponsored by the Agricultural Relations Council and Agri Marketing magazine, will recognize its second group of recipients at the March 2013 ARC annual meeting in Oklahoma City, Okla. Nominations will close Jan. 15, 2013.

Nominees must be current or past members of ARC to be considered. Inductees will be selected based on criteria including:
-    Years of membership in ARC;
-    Service to ARC (president, board member, committee chair, etc.);
-    Professional accomplishments/achievements in ag communications; and
-    Awards/Recognition in service to ag communications within ARC and also outside of the organization.

“We had a tremendous launch of the Hall of Fame earlier this year, and I have no doubt we will be inducting another stellar class of honorees next spring in Oklahoma City,” said ARC Board President Mace Thornton, of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “This is the single-best opportunity for the industry to recognize the professionals who’ve shaped agricultural public relations.”

Two honorees were chosen for the inaugural class: Don Lerch, a founding member of ARC; and Lyle Orwig, co-founder and current CEO of Charleston│Orwig. Lerch and Orwig were inducted during ARC’s annual meeting last March in Charleston, S.C.

For 2013, up to two inductees will be chosen. Nominations will be reviewed and chosen by a committee of ARC members.

“We hope all members of the agricultural communications community will consider nominating a deserving individual,” said ARC Hall of Fame committee chair Deron Johnson, of Pfizer Animal Health. “Recognition of this type not only honors the individual, but validates all of the professionals who work in agricultural public relations every day.”

For additional questions, please call the ARC office at: 952/758-5811. Or review the nomination form on the ARC web site at: www.agrelationscouncil.org.