An easy-to-use University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension calendar can help livestock operators keep track of manure-related records. Producers who have a 2011-2012 calendar can mail in the postcard found at the end of the calendar to get a free copy of the 2013 calendar. Other interested producers can contact Leslie Johnson at 402-584-3818, ljohnson13@unl.edu to order a free copy of the 2013 calendar. After Jan. 1, producers can contact their local UNL Extension office to get a copy of the calendar. Calendars are good through January 2014.
The 2013 calendar is endorsed by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for use by permitted operations. It features 13 months starting with January 2013 and offers educational tidbits and photos. Derek Schreiter, NDEQ inspector, says, "…it's a simple and organized way to keep monthly records in one place."
For more information about manure related questions, visit http://manure.unl.edu.
First retailer in Nebraska to offer E15
Uncle Neal’s Phillips 66 at 2705 S Plum Creek Parkway in Lexington is the first retailer in Nebraska to offer E15. A grand opening promotion will be announced soon.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved of E15 for use in 2001 and newer cars, light duty trucks and SUVs and in June gave final approval for its sale and use.
“This was a long time coming and we are excited that a retailer with new blender pumps is offering E15 as a fuel choice,” said Kim Clark, director of biofuels development for the Nebraska Corn Board. “There have been several hurdles, but we are finally starting to see E15 at the pumps right here in Nebraska.”
Neal Hoff, owner of Uncle Neal’s in Lexington and one of the recipients of the Nebraska Corn Board blender pump grant, decided to offer E15 as a fuel choice for consumers in the new blender pumps he installed. “E15 seemed like the logical fuel to offer since vehicles that are 2001 and newer can use over 80% of the fuel sold,” said Hoff. “We want to give consumers fuel choice and what better than to offer a locally homegrown and produced fuel?”
The Nebraska Corn Board and the Renewable Fuels Association worked with Hoff to ensure he was registered for the fuel survey, adopted the misfueling mitigation plan created by the Renewable Fuels Association, and the pumps were labeled properly for selling E15.
“It is a great feat for the ethanol industry to see E15 being sold in multiple states, and we are pleased Nebraska is added to the list,” said Robert White, director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association.
Clark and White agree that many hours and phone calls have been spent by all parties to get E15 in Nebraska and ensure it is introduced properly. September 15 was the earliest Nebraska could offer E15 to 2001 and newer vehicles because of the lack of a one pound reed vapor pressure waiver for E15.
“It has been 30 years since a new fuel has been introduced, and we know adoption is going to be slow. Consumers in Nebraska now are one of the first in the nation to have a new fueling option that we believe other retailers in the state will choose to offer in the future,” stated White.
Nebraska is the second largest producer of ethanol in the United States. Ethanol creates jobs, spurs economic development, increases energy independence, and helps Nebraska drivers by lowering the price at the pump. E15 is moving us in the direction of being even more self-sufficient.
World Food Prize Laureate to Speak at UNL Nov. 15 as Heuermann Lecturer
"Where America Must Lead: Ensuring the World Can Feed its People" is the topic Thursday, Nov. 15, when 2003 World Food Prize Laureate Catherine Bertini is the Heuermann Lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Bertini will speak at 3:30 p.m. in Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege, on UNL's East Campus. A 3 p.m. reception precedes the lecture.
A professor of public administration and international relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Bertini is a leader in public sector management, international organizations, humanitarian relief, agricultural development, gender programming and nutrition policy.
She also is co-chair of the Global Agricultural Development Initiative of The Chicago Council of Global Affairs, chair of its Girls in Rural Economies Initiative and co-chair of its U.S. Agriculture and Food Policy. For two years she was a senior fellow, agricultural development, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In her lecture Bertini will talk about a world where food costs more than rent; where certain types of basic foods are not available; where people riot for food, and governments establish policies to bar food exports.
Actually, Bertini says, all those actions occurred somewhere in the world in the last several years, adding, "if the world is not successful in growing 60 percent more food by mid-century, these problems could be on our doorsteps, as well."
The United States is positioned to play a leadership role to ensure enough food is grown and accessible throughout the world so that by 2050, each country, most communities and many more families can be stronger and much more self-sufficient in food production, Bertini said.
"America's tools include its innovative private sector, the excellent education and research available at land-grant universities, its government agencies supporting development, its active non-governmental organizations, and the strong commitment of its citizens to help people throughout the world help themselves to improve their lives," she added.
"This requires strong, even outspoken, leadership by the U.S. president, administration, Congress and people," Bertini said. "The U.S. has always been generous. Now we need to be smarter, stronger and more focused in our work in order to meet the challenges of this millennium."
Bertini was the driving force behind reform of the United Nations World Food Programme when she served 10 years as WFP chief executive. She was honored as a World Food Prize Laureate for her WFP leadership in ending famine and decreasing hunger. WFP's institutional changes under her leadership were cited by the U.S. government and the WFP's 36-government board as models of UN reform, and placed the food aid agency in the forefront of international agencies in efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and income.
Bertini was widely praised for her efforts at the UN WFP to end famine in North Korea, avert starvation in Afghanistan, ensure food was delivered effectively during crises in Bosnia and Kosovo, quickly reach Hurricane Mitch flood victims in Central America, and avert mass starvation in the Horn of Africa.
Following her WFP assignment, Bertini held other key positions for the UN, and served twice as the secretary-general's envoy, once for drought in the Horn of Africa, and once for humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank. She continues to organize assistance to increase the number of girls in developing countries' schools.
"Catherine Bertini's insight and expertise into what it takes to feed the world – in times of crisis and long-term – and her untiring passion for and devotion to this work, make her a wonderful addition to our Heuermann Lecturers," said Ronnie Green, Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, home of the Heuermann Lectures.
"In July 2010 she was named as the only U.S. member on the new High Level Panel of Experts which advises the Committee on Food Security in Rome. President George W. Bush appointed her and President Barack Obama reappointed her as a member of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development which advises the U.S. Agency for International Development. We very much look forward to her lecture."
Heuermann Lectures focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the people of the world, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs.
They are made possible by a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska's production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.
The lecture streams live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu, and all Heuermann Lectures are archived at that site shortly after the lecture. Heuermann Lectures are broadcast on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.
Vote by NRD Partner Clears Way for “Historic” Water Project
Following action by a Natural Resources District on Tuesday, four NRDs in Nebraska have now partnered on a landmark water project to aid and protect the Republican and Platte Rivers, the agricultural economy across one of Nebraska’s most productive ag regions, and taxpayers statewide by ensuring long-term compliance with interstate water agreements.
The Curtis-based Middle Republican NRD on Tuesday voted to move forward with a land purchase that the NRDs plan to close next month. The vote by the Middle Republican NRD completes a partnership with the Upper Republican, Lower Republican and Twin Platte NRDs to pursue a stream flow enhancement project that is being described as historic.
“This historic water project is unprecedented in Nebraska,” said Dean Edson, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. “The proposal addresses the most serious water availability issues facing the region. A project of this magnitude would probably not have been realistic a few years ago. I applaud the leadership of local NRD boards and staff for seeing the potential for stream enhancement in both the Platte and Republican Basins and making the idea a reality. This is a long-term solution that will benefit each and every Nebraskan no matter where they live”.
The project will transport water, via a pipeline, to the Republican and Platte Rivers that otherwise would have been consumed by crops on a large swath of irrigated land in southern Lincoln County. A significant amount of engineering design must still be completed, but it is expected that the project could add a total of roughly 45,000 acre feet of water to both rivers Republican and Platte Rivers in years when needed to maintain compliance with both the Republican River Compact and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. In the Platte, NRDs are responsible for returning that basin to water supply-and-demand conditions that existed in 1997 and ultimately reversing an over-appropriated designation to fully appropriated status under state law.
“The ability to manage the augmentation releases when and if they are needed, to guarantee that our obligations will be met, will definitely protect the economic viability of our basin,” said Joe Anderjaska, a Middle Republican NRD board member and president of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.
The amount of water available under the project is expected to be enough to close most of the gap between supplies and allowable use under the Republican River Compact that historically has existed in the Republican Basin during exceptionally dry years.
In addition to helping the Republican Basin, the project should also provide enough water for the Twin Platte NRD to fully meet its obligations under the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and efforts to return conditions to 1997 levels.
“This is a proactive move that shows what is possible when NRDs partner. It will go a long way towards solving serious issues in the Platte and Republican Basins that also effect residents across the state,” said Jasper Fanning, general manager of the Imperial-based Upper Republican NRD. “In the Republican Basin, it will be satisfying to satisfy Kansas’ demands without sacrificing livelihoods as our neighbor to the south is seeking to do in its lawsuit against the state. The Republican and Platte Rivers will be better off with this project, groundwater resources will be protected, interstate demands will be met, and the ag economy won’t be at the mercy of outside forces.”
The NRDs had to move quickly to pursue the project because the land was on the open market.
They are forming an interlocal agency and at this point are expected to contribute equally to the $83 million purchase of the property and improvements. An occupation tax of approximately $4-$6 per irrigated acre is expected to be needed to in each of the NRDs to pay off the project. The project could be paid for in a shorter timeframe, of course, if a higher occupation tax was levied. The $4-$6 occupation tax will not be in addition to the $10 per acre tax now levied in some districts such as the Upper Republican NRD; the occupation tax lid under state law is $10 per irrigated acre.
Natural Resources Districts are authorized by state law to levy occupation taxes on irrigated land occupation taxes are included in their Integrated Management Plans developed in cooperation with the state. The authority to levy the tax was granted by the Nebraska Legislature approximately six years ago; currently the Lower, Middle and Upper Republican NRDs are the only NRDs in the state that levy the tax on irrigators. State law outlines that the tax is supposed to be used to help enhance stream flow.
Twin Platte NRD is revising its Integrated Management Plan that will allow an occupation tax to be levied.
The property purchase being sought by the four NRDs is contingent on the NRDs securing financing for the project that is expected to be obtained. The NRDs expect to close on the property purchase within the next several weeks.
The 15,800 irrigated acres on the property will be retired from irrigated production. Approximately 10,400 of the irrigated acres are located within the Middle Republican NRD; another 5,360 irrigated acres are in the Twin Platte NRD. By retiring all or a significant portion of the acres, the NRDs will essentially be able to store, underground, water that otherwise would have irrigated and been consumed by crops on the large farm. That “saved” water, then, could be transported to the Republican River via a tributary such as Medicine Creek, and the Platte. Possible pipeline lengths will vary depending on routes, but it is possible that approximately 17 miles of pipeline will be needed to transport water to both rivers.
“The ability to manage the river enhancement releases when and if they are needed, to guarantee that our obligations will be met, will definitely protect the economic viability of our basin,” said Joe Anderjaska, a Middle Republican NRD board member and president of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.
It is anticipated that much of the property will be reseeded to native rangeland.
The property expected to be purchased is located in a region of plentiful groundwater where the saturated thickness of the groundwater aquifer is approximately 600 feet. It is expected that less water will be pumped as part of the stream flow enhancement project than what otherwise would have been pumped had the ground remained in irrigated crop production.
Brian Dunnigan, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, said, “Cooperative, proactive efforts among NRDs present the state with the best opportunity to comply with interstate water agreements, and this project exemplifies those efforts.” “The state is committed to complying with these agreements and sustainably managing natural resources, and this project meets both of those objectives,” Dunnigan added.
Water-supply alternatives to meet legally mandated objectives in both the Platte and Republican Basins could be much more expensive than costs associated with the project now being pursued by NRDs. Including land, project development and operations, producing water under the project for both river basins could cost between $300 and $500 an acre foot. By comparison, leasing surface water from irrigation districts can cost between $2,000 - $3,000 an acre foot. Permanently retiring irrigated acres close to streams without piping the water and instead allowing groundwater to seep into rivers and tributaries to increase flows can cost approximately $3,000 an acre foot, or more.
Solely retiring irrigated acres lacks two primary benefits of the joint project being pursued by the four NRDs: the benefit of being able to time water releases to the river when additional flows are needed; and the certainty of the volume of water added to the stream. The ability to manage and measure the water is invaluable. Otherwise NRDs and the state are left to model and ultimately guess at the benefit of actions, leaving at least some uncertainty that the actions will meet the required objectives. Manageable stream flow enhancement projects are a good way to actually provide certainty and peace of mind that obligations will be met, and that Nebraskans are not at risk of losing the ability to manage their use the water in Nebraska.
NMPF Takes First Steps in Revitalizing the REAL® Seal with New Website
As part of its efforts to revitalize one of the most recognized product symbols in the food industry, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) announced today that the REAL® Seal is undergoing a makeover. The first step in that process was taken Tuesday, with the launch of a revamped website: www.realseal.com.
The previous website existed primarily as a resource for dairy product manufacturers and marketers interested in putting the REAL® Seal on their packaging. The new website will contain more content to educate consumers about why they should look for the REAL® Seal on the foods they buy, while also continuing to provide information for those companies using the REAL® Seal to enhance their product marketing.
“Research has found that 93 percent of consumers know of the REAL® Seal, and that many people find it useful in making buying decisions,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, the organization driving this effort.
Effective March 15, 2012, the management of the REAL® Seal program was transferred from the United Dairy Industry Association to NMPF. This change was the result of an agreement between the two organizations that the transfer was the best opportunity to place a renewed emphasis on highlighting the importance and value of American-made dairy foods.
“Imitation products made from vegetables and nuts, but packaged like real dairy products and often using dairy names, have proliferated in the last few years,” said Kozak. “For example, frozen desserts made out of soybeans are packaged the same as real ice cream made from cows’ milk, with pictures that make it look like real ice cream. The only way a consumer would know the product isn’t ice cream is by reading the ingredients label.”
The same is true for other processed foods made with imitation dairy products, noted Kozak.
“Currently, frozen pizza is essentially the only processed food that uses the REAL® Seal. We intend to expand the products eligible to use the REAL® Seal beyond that that category.”
To address expanded use of the REAL® Seal, the seal itself is in the process of being tailored to other applications. Terms like “Made With” real dairy, and “American Made,” along with specific dairy product names, will be stacked above and below the basic REAL® Seal.
“Our goal is to have a fully integrated program up and running early in 2013,” Kozak said. “We know dairy farmers are enthusiastic about the REAL® Seal, and we’re excited about the tremendous potential this has for expanding sales of REAL® dairy products made from U.S. dairy farmers’ milk.”
“Consumers continue to express an interest in food quality and integrity, through the choices they make at grocery stores and restaurants,” Kozak said. “Labeling is an integral part of creating and maintaining a dialogue with them.”
As a result of this change in management, “the program will now strive to educate new generations of dairy consumers about the significance of the REAL® Seal, revitalizing the brand and talking to them about the good taste, nutritional value, and wholesomeness associated with dairy foods and dairy food ingredients made from milk produced in the United States,” Kozak added.
CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted nine requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Foremost Farms, Land O’Lakes and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 2.262 million pounds (1,026 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 330,693 pounds (150 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the South Pacific. The product will be delivered October 2012 through March 2013.
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 102 million pounds, butter totaling 58.7 million pounds and anhydrous milk fat totaling 127,868 pounds. The product has been sent to 34 countries on four continents. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 2.225 billion pounds, or the equivalent of 60% of the increase in U.S. milk production through September.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by helping to maintain inventories of cheese and butter at desirable levels. 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.
EU Approves MIR 162, Opens Doors to US DDGS, CGF
The U.S. Grains Council is pleased to learn of the official approval of the Syngenta corn variety MIR 162 Agrisure Vipterra in the European Union, opening the way for exports of U.S. corn co-products, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn gluten feed (CGF). The long-delayed decision came after years of industry leadership and efforts, especially those partners of the Council in the EU, including COCERAL, a grain trade association, FEFAC, a feed millers association, and the Irish Feed Millers Association.
“This approval is a great success as it opens the window of opportunity for U.S. products, including DDGS and CGF, to enter the EU market. This is especially attractive in big markets like Ireland, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. Their ability to import these high-protein feed ingredients is critical at a time of crop shortage in Europe and high prices. Everyone is looking for alternatives,” said Cary Sifferath, USGC senior regional director based in Tunis.
Sifferath noted, however, the opportunity may only exist for a limited amount of time as new crop biotech events coming down the pipeline are not yet approved in Europe. Such products may be planted by U.S. farmers in the spring, meaning they may enter the market in the fall of 2013. This could again stall sales of U.S. co-products into the EU provided the approval process remains sluggish within the trade bloc.
"Corn co-products are a tremendous feed ingredient recognized as a good value by buyers within Europe and around the world," Sifferath said. "Approvals such as this help livestock and poultry producers manage costs and expand options, and we are hopeful the availability of these options continue well into the future."
RFA to International Audience: Distillers Grains a Critical Component of Global Feed Market
Speaking to a crowd of more than 500 feed producers, marketers and buyers from around the world at today’s Export Exchange in Minneapolis, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President Geoff Cooper explained that distillers grains and other ethanol co-products have become a tremendously important component of the global animal feed market. The Export Exchange, which is a joint conference between the RFA and the U.S. Grains Council, began Monday and ends Wednesday.
“The American ethanol industry produced nearly 39 million tons of nutrient-dense animal feed in the 2011/12 marketing year, meaning the ethanol industry has surpassed the U.S. soybean crushing industry in terms of feed production,” Cooper said. “The feed produced by the ethanol industry is nourishing beef, dairy, swine, poultry, and fish around the world. About one-quarter of the feed co-products generated last year were exported to more than 50 countries.”
Cooper also explained that the U.S. ethanol industry has responded to the historic drought of 2012 by curtailing its consumption of corn. “There is a false notion out there that the ethanol industry is somehow insulated from the effects of the drought and high corn prices because of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS),” Cooper said. “That simply isn’t true. As crop conditions deteriorated in July and August and corn prices increased, corn use for ethanol dropped by almost 15 percent. That means the ethanol industry reduced its corn consumption by about 600-700 million bushels on an annualized basis in less than two months’ time. Without a doubt, the ethanol industry has not been spared from the effects of the drought.”
A waiver of the RFS, as requested by some governors, wouldn’t have any meaningful impact on corn prices or availability, Cooper said. Further, he pointed out that if an RFS waiver did reduce ethanol and biodiesel production, prices of distillers grains and soybean meal would increase and net feed costs might actually increase for some livestock and poultry feeders.
Despite the effect of the drought on U.S. crops, Cooper remarked that grain and feed markets are global in a nature and underscored that the world grain crop is projected to be the second-largest in history by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. While grain production is projected down in North America and Europe, output is projected higher in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.
DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends
Anhydrous ammonia prices stayed flat this week, breaking a 10-week stretch of continuous gains, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN. The average price for a ton of anhydrous held steady at $850, which is 4% more expensive than the average price of ammonia last month. The other seven fertilizers tracked by DTN also were mostly unchanged this week.
Of the liquid fertilizers, 10-34-0 costs $616 per ton, 3.7% less than in September. UAN28 costs $380 per ton, down 1.7% from last month, and UAN32 costs $423 per ton, less than 1% higher than last month. Retail phosphate prices increased slightly from last month, with DAP costing 1% more than last month at $639/ton and MAP costing 1.3% more at $675/ton. Potash and urea are slightly cheaper this month than in September. Potash prices are about 1% lower at $618/ton, and urea prices are 2.3% lower at $567/ton.
Compared to last year, 10-34-0 prices are 25% lower. DAP and MAP prices have declined 10% and 9% respectively. Potash, UAN28 and UAN32 are all 7% cheaper, while urea is 4% less expensive. Anhydrous is the only fertilizer that's more expensive this year than last. It's 5% more expensive than last year.
Weekly Outlook: Cattle Prices Will Continue to Rise
The impacts of the 2012 drought continue to play out in a beef industry discouraged by high feed prices and large cattle-feeding losses. In the latest Cattle On Feed report, the USDA confirmed that placements into feed lots dropped sharply in September following substantial declines in July and August. As a result, on-feed numbers are now down nearly 3 percent as the beef industry is doing its part to reduce corn and other feed usage, according to Purdue University Extension economist Chris Hurt.
"Drought has been particularly cruel to the beef cattle industry," Hurt said. "A multiple year drought in the Southern Plains has been followed by a devastating midwestern drought in 2012 that is now forecast to continue into 2013. Brood cows remain the last major livestock industry that is land extensive. So when dryness causes wide stretches of land to be unable to support cow grazing, producers have to buy feed or send the cows to town."
In reviewing the year, Hurt said that the 2012 drought began in the eastern Corn Belt in the spring and early summer but migrated westward in the late summer and fall. Today the drought conditions still cover 62 percent of the lower continental United States according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The central Great Plains has become the epicenter with Nebraska having 95 percent of the state in the worst two drought categories. In addition to Nebraska, six other states, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Iowa, have more than 50 percent of their area in the worst two drought categories:. These states represent 30 percent of the nation's beef cows.
"While some important beef cow areas have gotten relief from the drought, others have a discouraging outlook," Hurt said. "Improved moisture conditions began in August and have continued into the fall in the eastern Corn Belt and the Southeast. However, the forecast is for the drought to continue and possibly intensify into the winter for the area of the country that is west of a line roughly from Chicago, Ill. to Lubbock, Tex."
Hurt said that beef cow numbers are likely to be 2 to 3 percent lower in the upcoming January inventory report. The mid-year estimates were already reflecting a 4 percent decrease in the national beef cow herd, and that was before the impacts of the 2012 drought began to be felt. The implications are for continued cow reductions until feed and forage supplies are restored. USDA is currently reporting 55 percent of the nation's pastures and ranges in "poor" or "very poor" condition, the lowest two categories.
According to Kansas State University, negative returns for feedlots have continued with losses over $200 per head. High feed prices, a small calf crop, and excess capacity in feedlots have all contributed to these large losses. Placements of calves in September were down 19 percent from a year-ago. Significantly, this was the smallest number of cattle placed in 1,000 plus head capacity feedlots since USDA began the current series in 1996. The low September placements follow about a 10 percent reduction in placements in both July and August.
"As a result of the slowing placements in the past three months, the number of cattle on feed dropped to 3 percent below year-ago levels on Oct. 1," Hurt said. "Cattle on feed will play a role in rationing the short corn supply. The current 3 percent reduction in on-feed numbers contrasts with only a 1 percent expected reduction in on-feed numbers in USDA's grain consuming animal unit calculations for the 2012-13 marketing year. Cattle on feed represent 23 percent of the total USDA grain consuming animal units," he said.
"The cattle on-feed numbers were supportive to the overall expected reduction in per capita beef supplies of about 3 percent through the first half of 2013," Hurt said. "As a result, finished cattle prices are expected to continue to rise this year and into 2013. For the just completed third quarter, steer prices averaged near $120 per hundredweight. Prices are expected to be near $125 for the final quarter of 2012 and $130 in the first quarter of 2013. Spring prices may peak in the higher $130s with the second-quarter average in the mid-$130s. Record-high cattle prices will be in store for 2013 with prices now expected to average in the very low $130s compared to an expected record this year near $122," he said.
Hurt said that calf prices will be slower to recover due to high feed prices, which will continue to depress calf prices until feed prices begin to moderate.
"That moderation could begin in a small way with lower soybean meal prices in the spring of 2013, assuming reasonable South American soybean production," Hurt said. "Further declines in feed costs could occur with a better grazing season in the spring and summer of 2013 and a return to larger U.S. corn and soybean crops next year," he said.
Hurt said that a more abundant feed supply in the second half of 2013 could result in a robust price recovery for calf and feeder cattle prices. Replenishment of feed supplies would also begin beef cow expansion in late 2013.
NEW ONLINE TOOL ADDRESES CONSUMER QUESTIONS ON FOOD PRODUCTION
Consumers seeking answers about how their food is grown and raised now will find it difficult to find accurate information. Search terms such as antibiotics and biotechnology currently result in a plethora of misinformation. The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) today unveiled USFRA FoodSource, an online resource designed to bring accurate information to the forefront. This tool, available at www.fooddialogues.com, is a one-stop, online destination.
“USFRA recognizes that consumers have questions and want to learn more about how their food gets from the farm to their plate,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “With so much information available to consumers today, we wanted to create one destination that compiled factual and unbiased information on food production. This new site, USFRA FoodSource, provides these resources and also adds the voice of farmers and ranchers responsible for raising and growing the food we eat. Our hope is that the information on this site continues to grow over time based on new inquiries received from the online community.”
USFRA FoodSource gives consumers the opportunity to learn more about how food is grown and raised by compiling information from third party experts, including researchers and scientists at leading universities, into one easy-to-navigate website. The site currently features nine topics related to food production, all aggregated in one online destination for the first time. These topics include: antibiotic use in farm animals, biotechnology in seeds, hormone use in farm animals, pesticide use, water quality, farm size and ownership, available food choices, food safety and animal care.
The information available on USFRA FoodSource also includes a compilation of materials, including video and documentaries produced by USFRA and its affiliates, industry partners and strategic partners, which represent more than 70 commodity groups. The site empowers its users to submit questions and recommend links to additional resources for information on the current topics addressed on the site. Over time, these topics will expand to cover new subject matter.
Syngenta Reports Higher Third-Quarter Earnings
Syngenta reports that sales in the third quarter of 2012 increased by 6 percent at constant exchange rates driven by an excellent performance in Latin America. The company says during the first nine months of the year, sales were up 9 percent to reach a record $11 billion, with volume up 6 percent and prices up 3 percent.
Total integrated sales increased by 7 percent at constant exchange rates. In Latin America, a strong start to the season drove sales growth of 18 percent, with expansion across all product lines. High soybean prices are leading to acreage expansion and increased investment by soybean growers in Brazil and Argentina.
Sales of crop protection for sugar cane doubled as a result of rapid technology adoption. In Asia Pacific, sales increased 3 percent. Significant growth in Corn seeds, notably in South East Asia, demonstrates the continuing momentum of an enhanced corn portfolio. Vegetables seeds showed a marked recovery with double digit growth. Crop protection sales were lower in Japan and also in India, owing to a delayed monsoon; expanding seed care use across the region was reflected in sales growth of more than 50 percent.
In Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the success of the integrated hybrid barley product offer drove sales particularly in Germany and Northern Europe. Eastern Europe maintained its record of broad-based growth, with sales in the CIS up by almost 20 percent.
Overall crop protection sales in the low season were unchanged after a strong first half, with significant growth in fungicides offsetting lower herbicide and insecticide sales.
In North America, crop protection sales were broadly unchanged despite a reduction in fungicide applications due to drought and a shift in selective herbicides phasing to the fourth quarter. Non-selective herbicides and seed care grew strongly; in addition, sales of FORCE® tripled with increasing grower awareness of resistance to a competitor's corn rootworm trait.
For the first time in its 85-year history, the National FFA Organization has an official mascot – an adorable, approachable, feathery and highly playful great horned owl.
Flyte the Owl is the chief brand ambassador of the National FFA Organization and arrives in town tomorrow to help kick off the 2012 National FFA Convention & Expo.
The seven-foot-tall character has a busy week of appearances at special events and functions at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana State Fairgrounds and several other venues throughout the city.
Flyte was created to serve as a head-turning champion for FFA and agricultural education. He’ll help spread the message that today’s FFA helps develop knowledge and skills that students need as they prepare for careers in science, business, marketing, food production or any of the more than 300 agriculture-related fields that exist today.
The huggable Flyte is a creation of Street Characters in Calgary, Ontario, Canada, the industry leader in character creation. Street Characters has created hundreds of characters for NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS and minor-league teams, colleges and universities and secondary schools.
“I am always extremely impressed by our artists and production team but when Flyte became a reality, the costume just blew me away,” said Aubrey Fishman, director of marketing at Street Characters. “The detail. The expressions. How real he looks and feels. The National FFA Organization was great to work with on this project and we hope that Flyte serves as an engaging brand ambassador for FFA for many years to come.”
Flyte’s website is www.FFA.org/Flyte. He’s on Twitter @FlyteTheOwl. Appearances earlier this year at the Indiana State Fair and Victory Field are up on http://www.flickr.com/photos/flytetheowl/.
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