Tuesday November 13 Ag News

Saunders County Soybean Growers Host Omaha-area Tour
Keith Glewen, UNL Extension Educator, Saunders County

For those of you who are members or prospective members of the Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization, register for the upcoming bus/chartered coach tour scheduled for Thursday, November 29.  Tour stops include:
-  Claas Lexion Combine Production Facility – Omaha
-  AGP Headquarters  -  Omaha
-  Union Pacific Harriman Dispatch Center – Omaha
-  Lucky Bucket Brewing Company – LaVista
-  Steak Dinner – Compliments of Saunders Co. Soybean Grower’s Org.

There is no cost on your part to participate. The Nebraska Soybean Board is sponsoring the cost of the bus, steak dinner provide compliments of the Saunders Co. Soybean Growers Org. and AGP is our host for the noon lunch. Don’t hesitate, get a seat on the bus by calling the Extension Office 800-529-8030 or Keith at 402-450-1463 by November 21st. 



FSA HAS NEW CROP ACREAGE CERTIFICATION DEADLINES FOR FARMERS

Producers should now be contacting their County FSA office to complete the certification of all crops growing this fall on their farm, stated Bruce Coffey, County Executive Director of the Colfax County Farm Service Agency (FSA). This includes alfalfa, grass for haying or grazing, wheat, and other crops.  The deadline for certifying those crops for crop year 2013 is now NOVEMBER 15, 2012.   Late filed crop reports will be accepted after this date for this transition year and all fees will be waived, stated Coffey.  However, this November 15 deadline will be effective for future crop years.  Other crops such as corn and soybeans will have the same July 15 certification deadline as previous years.  Situations that require additional information include pasture that is rented on a farm you do not operate.  In these cases Coffey noted the producer needs to have the landowner call the office to grant permission for the farm records to be updated.  If you have questions or want to make an appointment, please call your county FSA office.

FARM RECORDS NEED UPDATED AT FARM SERVICE AGENCY
Farmers and landowners should make sure the records concerning ownership of the farm,  operator of the farm,  shareholders in corporations, etc. are updated immediately at your county's FSA Office, stated Bruce Coffey, County Executive Director of the Colfax County FSA office.  The farm records at FSA should match the records at the county courthouse.  Also in many situations there are deceased producers that show as landowners on our records –these situations must be updated to the correct ownership.  This is the producer’s responsibility.  Our office cannot change the records until we are notified and the proper title transfer documents are provided.  If you operate a farm with this situation, please contact the heirs or personal representative and get the needed records.  Your efforts to ensure your farm records are correct will save all of us time once the new Farm Bill is approved, noted Coffey.

Changes of land ownership must be updated in our office by providing a copy of the deed or other legal document showing this transfer.  Our office is required to pay the correct producers on the farm based on land ownership and risk in the crop based on inputs in the growing crop.  Coffey stated if you fail to update the ownership records at FSA, everyone on the farm will lose program benefits.    Producers need to plan ahead to save everyone time during signup in the farm program.   Anyone that has questions on what documents are needed, please contact your county FSA office or USDA Service Center.



Feedlot Tour and Open House — Please join us at McLean Beef
(from Accu-Steel)

The many advantages of fabric-covered buildings have feedlot operators -- like Central Nebraska-based McLean Beef -- convinced that these cost-saving structures make sound economic sense. Environmental concerns, protection from brutal weather extremes, and more consistent weight gains are just a few reasons that the McLean family added two fully-customized fabric-covered buildings — manufactured by Accu-Steel of Templeton, Iowa — to their feedlot operation.    

The McLeans, along with Central Confinement Service and Accu-Steel invite you to see these impressive feedlot facilities. Please join us, Thursday, Nov. 15 anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the McLean Farm for an Open House.  Lunch will be served by McLean Beef from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The McLean Farm is located along Highway 81 — 4.5 miles South of Stromsberg, NE or 2.5 miles North of Benedict, Neb.

Representatives from McLean Farm, CCS and Accu-Steel will be on hand to answer questions, lead tours and offer insights about why fabric-covered structures are changing the conventional wisdom of livestock production.



Annie's Project Courses Possible by Farm Credit Services

Farm Credit Services of America's collaboration with and financial support of Annie's Project will provide 19 farm transition and business management courses for women farmers and ranchers across Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming in 2013. FCSAmerica's collaboration effort includes a total pledge of financial support for $60,000.

The 19 courses include Annie's Project Level I standard courses and the Annie's Project Level II courses, titled Managing for Today and Tomorrow. Standard courses focus on all five areas of risk management -- financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production. The Managing for Today and Tomorrow courses expand on human resources and legal risk management through succession, business, estate and retirement planning for farm and ranch women. For delivery of the courses, FCSAmerica will partner with USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, South Dakota State University Extension, University of Nebraska Extension and University of Wyoming Extension.

"Having worked with farm women for 25 years, I've seen the benefits of offering transitioning information first-hand," said Angie Loew, FCSAmerica financial officer and member of the curriculum development team. "I know the guidance they are looking for and the state-level curriculum provided by local educators fits the need."

Managing for Today and Tomorrow is a specialized program designed to help women farmers and ranchers become involved in the journey of transitioning the farm or ranch. The 12-hour specialized course spans five sessions and evolved from the needs expressed by farm and ranch women participating in standard Annie's Project courses across the country. To maintain the integrity of Annie's Project, the newly funded course curriculum was built on the successful educational methodologies of the standard course and the strengths of partners and collaborators.

"Farm transitioning is not intuitive or easy to do. Women farmers and ranchers benefit from lecture, discussions and activities in the comfort of a small group of peers from all generations," said Tim Eggers, co-director for the Annie's National Network Initiative for Educational Success at Iowa State University. "The program is developed by people who care deeply about helping farm families prepare for and successfully manage farm and ranch transitions."

Gary Matteson, Farm Credit Council vice president for Young, Beginning and Small Farmer Programs, calls FCSAmerica's support a tremendous opportunity for helping farmers succeed. "Locally, FCSAmerica brings knowledge of community financial issues and allows women to learn in the best possible environment and form networks with people who can help them solve problems." The Farm Credit National Contributions Program is providing additional national project support for participant materials.

Annie's Project, an agricultural risk management education program for women, was started by Ruth Hambleton in 2003 when she was a University of Illinois Extension farm business management and marketing specialist. Hambleton recognized that the unique learning preferences of women often are not served through traditional farm management education programs. Annie's Project, created in tribute to Hambleton's mother, Annette "Annie" Fleck, sets up multi-session courses in farm communities. Annie's Project has successfully reached more than 8,000 women farmers and ranchers in 32 states.



Reminder: 2013 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Proposals are due Thursday, November 29th

This is a reminder that the 2013 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Proposals are due Thursday, November 29th at 4:30 p.m. at the NCR-SARE office in Saint Paul, MN.

Farmers and ranchers in the North Central Region are invited to submit grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch.  Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results. Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible.

Projects should emphasize research or education/demonstration. There are three types of competitive grants: individual grants ($7,500 maximum), partner grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate operations who are working together ($15,000 maximum), and group grants for three or more farmers/ranchers from separate operations who are working together ($22,500 maximum). NCR-SARE expects to fund about 45 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with this call. A total of approximately $400,000 is available for this program. Grant recipients have 25 months to complete their projects.

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal online. You can find more information about sustainable agriculture on this website, or take a free National Continuing Education Program online course about the basic concepts. Proposals are due on Thursday, November 29th at 4:30 p.m. at the NCR-SARE office in Saint Paul, MN.

A hard copy or an emailed copy of the call for proposals is also available by contacting Joan Benjamin. We make revisions to our calls for proposals each year, which means it is crucial to use the most recent call for proposals.

Each state in SARE's North Central Region has one or more State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to potential grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online.

Potential applicants with questions can contact Joan Benjamin, Associate Regional Coordinator and Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, Tollfree: 800-529-1342.  



Baker is New Iowa Pork Industry Center Director

When Rodney “Butch” Baker agreed to become interim director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) at Iowa State University, he knew it was the right time and the right step for him. The senior clinician at the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine department of Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine said he’s excited to be part of the center.

“I know the Iowa Pork Industry Center does great work and I’m looking forward to learning more and becoming more involved with what we do throughout the state,” Baker said. “We want to remain an integral part of the pork industry in Iowa and the nation, and that’s high on my priority list.”

Baker will serve as interim IPIC director for two years, and intends to use his experience and expertise in the veterinary medicine field to help guide the center’s work during that time.

“I’ve been a practicing swine veterinarian and have industry and educational experience, and expect to use some of that experience in my new role,” Baker said. “I’ll continue my veterinary teaching responsibilities here at Iowa State, and expect to see some synergy between these two roles.”

Former IPIC director John Mabry said he decided this year was the right time for him to step back from that leadership role.

“I’ve been here as director for 12 years and enjoyed the opportunities it brought,” Mabry said. “When I came to this job in 2000, I saw it as the best place in the country for helping to provide technology, education and information to the swine industry, and my opinion hasn’t changed. Iowa continues to have a unique potential for low-cost and high quality pork production capability, and IPIC helps those who wish to take advantage of the state’s pork production assets.”

Mabry will remain on the animal science faculty and expects to stay involved with IPIC, its programming efforts and extension program staff members.



Fertilizer Prices Unmoved

Retail fertilizer prices may be plateauing, as prices tracked by DTN did not move much in either direction for the first week of November. For the first time in several months, all of the eight major fertilizers' prices were steady.  Three fertilizers were higher compared to last month, but just slightly, including anhydrous, which has been on the move in recent weeks. DAP had an average price of $641/ton, MAP $679/ton and anhydrous $856/ton.  The remaining five fertilizers were all just slightly lower compared to the first week of October. Potash had an average price of $618/ton, urea $588/ton, 10-34-0 $856/ton, UAN28 $380/ton and UAN32 $422/ton

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.64/lb.N, anhydrous $0.52/lb.N, UAN28 $0.68/lb.N and UAN32 $0.66/lb.N.

Only one of the eight major fertilizers is still showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Anhydrous is now 5% higher compared to last year.  Five fertilizers are actually lower in price compared to October 2011. Both potash and urea are now 6% lower, UAN28 7% lower, UAN32 8% lower and MAP is 9% lower.  Two remaining fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. DAP is down 10%, while 10-34-0 is 25% less expensive from a year ago.



IEA Report A “Story of Two Americas”

Novozymes, the world leader in making industrial enzymes for biofuels, issued a statement on the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook.

"This report is the story of two Americas: one striving for energy independence and the other mired in its addiction to oil," Adam Monroe, President of Novozymes North America, said. "On one side, the United States could be energy independent by 2035, aiding the creation of new technologies like advanced biofuels - which we're now making from agricultural residue and household trash. On the other, we're spending seven times more supporting fossil fuels than we do renewable energy. With so much at stake for the economy, we need the private investment, careers and security that clean energy provides."

The IEA notes the great disparity in investments globally in fossil fuels, $523 billion, compared to renewables, $88 billion. The IEA explains that reducing the pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels and addressing the issue of climate change will require nations to greatly reverse this imbalance in support.

In May 2012, Novozymes inaugurated the largest enzyme plant dedicated to biofuels in the United States with the opening of its advanced manufacturing plant in Blair, Nebraska. Funded with $200 million in private investment, the plant created 100 career positions and 400 construction jobs, and specializes in enzymes for both the first generation and advanced biofuel markets.



NCBA Urges Congress to Pass Permanent Estate Tax Relief

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today joins more than 30 groups representing the agriculture industry in sending letters to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate urging them to provide farmers and ranchers with permanent and meaningful relief from the estate tax. Current estate tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2012 with exemption levels dropping to $1 million per individual and the tax rate increasing to 55 percent.

“If Congress allows current estate tax relief to expire it will have a devastating impact on the cattle industry. America’s farmers and ranchers are small business owners who cannot afford to foot the bill for government inaction,” said NCBA President J.D. Alexander. “The fate of American agriculture and our economic recovery rests on there being certainty in the tax code and continued relief from the burdensome death tax.”

Reducing the tax burden on cattlemen and women has always been a top priority for NCBA and the beef cattle community. For decades NCBA has fought for full and permanent repeal of the estate tax. Alexander said that at a minimum, NCBA supports extending the exemption level to $5 million per person and retaining the top rate of 35 percent until permanent repeal is achievable.

Uncertainty in the tax code, specifically with the estate tax, creates an unnecessary burden for farmers and ranchers who are forced to set aside valuable resources for estate planning instead of investing in the expansion of their family businesses. More than 96 percent of American farms and ranches are owned and operated by families, and eliminating the death tax is an important step in stimulating the nation’s economy.

Ranching families are often land rich and cash poor, with the appraised value of rural land being extremely inflated when compared to its agricultural value. Many cattle producers are forced to spend an exorbitant amount of money on attorneys or sell off land or parts of their operations to pay off tax liabilities.

“NCBA stands with our partners in agriculture in urging Congress to act by the end of this year to renew the current estate tax relief until full repeal of the estate tax is possible,” said Alexander. “We will continue to make this our top priority until there is certainty in the tax code and rural America is relieved from the devastating effects of the estate tax.”



NMPF Joins Other Groups in Urging Congress to Pass New Farm Bill in Lame Duck Session

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today joined more than 230 other farm, agriculture and food groups in urging Congress to pass a new, five-year farm bill in the upcoming lame duck congressional session expected to begin this week.

The letter, which was directed at the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives, noted that there is still ample time for the House to complete its work on a new farm bill, and reconcile any differences with the already-adopted farm bill approved last summer by the Senate.

Failure to pass a new bill before Dec. 31st “will create significant budget uncertainty for the entire agricultural sector, including the rural businesses and lenders whose livelihoods are dependent upon farmers’ and livestock producers’ economic viability,” the letter said.

NMPF has been working for three years on a new and better safety net for dairy farmers that was incorporated by the House Agriculture Committee in the overall farm bill adopted by that panel in August. The dairy reforms featured in both the House and Senate versions of the new farm bill will reduce government expenditures compared to current policy.

“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 bill, saves money compared to the present program,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF.

While some have suggested that Congress should forego action on a new bill and simply pass an extension of current programs, “any temporary extension would be a short-sighted, inadequate solution that would leave our constituencies crippled by uncertainty. Both the Senate and the House Committee on Agriculture passed versions of a five-year farm bill with strong bipartisan support. We urge you to lead your colleagues in passing a new 2012 Farm Bill this year,” the coalition letter said.

NMPF’s Board of Directors earlier this year came out against an extension of the status quo, 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 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.



CWT Assists with 7.5 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 12 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Land O’Lakes, and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 2.090 million pounds (948 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 5.463 million pounds (2,478 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The product will be delivered November 2012 through May 2013.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda cheese totaling 108.4 million pounds, butter totaling 66.7 million pounds, anhydrous milk fat totaling 127,868 pounds, and whole milk powder totaling 85,980 pounds. The product will be delivered to 36 countries on four continents. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 2.458 billion pounds, or the same as 68% of the increase in U.S. milk production through September 2012.

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.



Brazil Logs 1st Soy Rust

With only half the soybean crop in the ground, Brazil has registered its first two cases of Asian rust for the 2012-13 season.  The yield-sapping fungus was identified on stray plants growing on roadsides in the center-west state of Mato Grosso and the southern state of Santa Catarina, according to Embrapa, Brazil's crop research agency.

The rust fungus, or Phakopsora pachyrhizi, spreads and intensifies throughout the season, reaching its nadir at around harvest time. Therefore the identification of cases so early in the cycle is a worry.

The fungus causes lesions on the leaves of soybean plants, which impede the formation of the bean and can result in massive yield losses. In more extreme cases, the fungus can kill the plant.  It is virtually impossible to prevent rust's arrival as the fungal spores are carried on the wind. However, it can be controlled by fungicide.

Since it arrived in the first half of the last decade, Brazilian farmers have learned to manage the fungus' threat, spraying on the first reports of cases in their region rather than waiting for the telltale yellow mosaic to appear on their own plants.  However, control comes at a cost. Fungicide applications run at approximately $15 to $20 per acre and multiple applications are necessary when the presence of the disease is particularly strong. For example, last season in Mato Grosso some farmers sprayed five times.



Sales of Brazilian Soybeans Continue to Advance

Sales of Brazil's 2012/2013 soybean crop advanced one percentage point to 49 percent in the past week as planting picked up on an improving rain outlook, local analyst Celeres said on Monday. According to Reuters, farmers in Brazil earlier this year sought to lock in high prices with forward sales after the worst drought in 56 years in the United States. Less of the new crop - 36 percent - was sold at the same time a year earlier.

The pace of sales in Brazil, which is on track to replace the United States as the world's top producer of the oil seed this season, have slowed since prices in Chicago retreated from all-time highs in September.

January soybean futures in the U.S. fell nearly 2 percent on Monday, to their lowest in more than four months, dragged down by a forecast of higher-than-expected production in the United States and hopes of bumper supplies from Brazil and neighboring Argentina.

After a dry October, rains in top producing Mato Grosso state should unleash a flurry of planting and assure good germination of already seeded fields, Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, farmers have planted 58 percent of projected area, according to a poll by Celeres, up from 44 percent a week earlier and in line with the pace of planting last year.

Brazil has sold 99 percent of the 65-million-tonne 2011/2012 crop that ended harvest in May, Minas Gerais-based Celeres said in a weekly report. Some states ran out of soy in August and were forced to import from neighboring countries.




Ukraine Won't Halt Wheat Exports

Ukraine won't suspend or limit wheat exports this year, the prime minister said Tuesday, contradicting comments by his own agriculture minister that sparked deep concern in Europe.  "There will be no embargo or restrictions," Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said in an interview with AFP and a handful of other media outlets.  "We have good stockpiles and a good harvest forecast for next year," he added.

Ukraine's agriculture minister set European Union alarm bells ringing last month by declaring that a cold winter and subsequent summer drought would force the country once known as the breadbasket of Europe to halt its wheat exports soon.

One of the top 10 world wheat exporters, Ukraine harvested just 44.6 million metric tons of grain this year compared with 56.7 million tons in 2011, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures.



U.S. Tractors & Combine Sales Still Going Strong

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' monthly "Flash Report," the sales of all tractors in the U.S. for October 2012 were up 29% compared to the same month last year.  Two-wheel-drive smaller tractor (under 40 HP) were up 32% from last year, and 40 & under 100 HP were up 22%. Sales of two-wheel-drive 100+ HP were up 34% from last year, and four-wheel-drive tractors were up 29% for the month.  Combine sales were up 45% for the month.

For the year, a total of 157,058 tractors were sold, which compares to 142,734 sold through October 2011.  So far this year, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) are up 9% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP are up 9%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP are up 16%, while 4-Wheel Drive tractors are up 12% for the year.  Sales of combines for the first nine months totaled 8,383, a decrease of 0.7% over the same period in 2011.