Monday March 11th Ag News

ANIMAL WELFARE FOR PORK INDUSTRY & FAREWELL TO DUANE REESE

Area pork producers will want to make plans to attend a meeting on Tuesday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. that will be held at the Cuming County Courthouse Meeting Room in West Point.

The feature speaker will be University of Nebraska-Lincoln Swine Specialist, Duane Reese who will be retiring later this year. Duane will reflect on experiences that he has had while teaching the animal welfare class to students of varying backgrounds at UNL. Those who attend will be encouraged to ask Duane any swine related questions.

For more information contact the UNL Extension Office in Cuming County at 402-372-6006. 



CVA Bow Valley Open House

There will be an Open House at the Central Valley Ag Bow Valley Grain location on Friday, March 15, 2013 From 8 a.m. till Noon. This is for all current and future customers of Bow Valley Grain.  Refreshments and rolls will be served. Hope to see you there!




CVA Hooper 2013 Spring Update Meeting

Join CVA in Hooper at the 2013 Spring Update Meeting on March 18th at 10 a.m. The meting will be held at the Hooper Fire Hall and topics will include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and nitrogen inhibitors. There will be a lunch following the meeting. Please RSVP to CVA in Hooper at 402-654-3367 by March 15th. We hope to see you there!



Platte County Cattlemen meeting March 18th
Crystal Klug, President, Platte Valley Cattlemen

The March meeting of Platte Valley Cattlemen will be on Monday, March 18th, at Wunderlich’s Catering in Columbus.  The topic for the evening will be presented by Mark Peterson with Elanco.  Mark will discuss how we as producers, will continue to provide a safe and affordable food supply in the 21st century while remaining committed to sustainability. He will also touch on how technology will play a role in feeding our ever-growing population.  Social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is being sponsored by Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Inc.  The meal will be at 7:00 p.m., sponsored by Gary Tibbetts, Zinpro Coorporation. See you Monday, March 18, for drinks, steak, and great discussion.



WIC Sprayer Clinic March 22nd

Western Iowa Coop invites you to a Sprayer Clinic on Friday, March 22nd beginning at noon.  It will be held at the Mike Wilt residence, 13296 120th St., Sloan, IA 51055.  Lunch will be served prior to demo.  With new EPA rules, they encourage both Custom and Farmer Operators to attend.  Bring your spray tip & see how well or how poorly it works!



Webinar To Feature Nitrogen Sensing Technology

Daniel Barker, assistant scientist with the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University, will discuss nitrogen sensing technology during the Iowa Learning Farms’ monthly webinar,  Wednesday, March 20 at 11:30 a.m. The webinar is part of a free series, hosted by ILF, through Adobe Connect. The series is held on the third Wednesday of each month. A computer with Internet access is all that is needed to participate.

Barker’s presentation will cover field research trials and on-farm demonstrations using remote sensing technologies (active canopy sensors) to vary application of in-season nitrogen fertilizer in corn. He will discuss total amounts of nitrogen fertilizer applied, efficiency of nitrogen rates and timings, and yield benefits with sensor nitrogen strategies. Barker has research and extension responsibilities in soil fertility, nutrient management and remote sensing.

To connect to the webinars, go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/.  Barker will be able to answer questions from webinar “attendees” via the Adobe Connect chat box. The ILF website contains links for archived webinars from previous months: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/Webinars/.



Citing the Need to Find Common Ground, ASA Revises Position on Farm Bill

In an effort to resolve longstanding differences on new farm legislation and address higher projected costs, the American Soybean Association (ASA) announced today that it will support a 2013 Farm Bill which includes updating and extending the current Counter-Cyclical Program (CCP). ASA will continue to support the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) included in both the House and Senate versions of last year’s farm bills as a complement to federal crop insurance. ASA will also support offering a choice between “higher options” for these two programs, recognizing that producers in different growing regions have different priorities for protecting farm income.

ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., stated that “ASA strongly supported the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program in the Senate bill last year as an effective risk management tool designed to work with crop insurance. However,” Murphy said, “because of ARC’s higher cost and the need to find additional savings in the farm bill, we have decided to support updating and extending the CCP program included in current law.” Murphy added that “the decoupled CCP allows producers to respond to market signals rather than government programs in making their planting decisions, which has been a key priority for ASA during the farm bill debate. It also provides a safety net against several years of low prices, which has been important to supporters of the House bill.” Murphy added that “the SCO will provide revenue protection at the county level and is more defensible because, like crop insurance, it requires farmers to pay part of the cost of the premium.”   

Earlier this month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found both the Senate and House bills to be more expensive than it estimated last year. While the savings required for deficit reduction under any Congressional budget agreement have yet to be determined, the Agriculture Committees would need to find an additional $8 to $10 billion to achieve the same level of savings provided under their original bills.

Under its proposal, ASA would set Target Prices under the CCP at levels that reflect an average of recent market prices. Payments under the CCP are based on the underlying crop acreage bases on a farm rather than on current-year plantings. This is important in the event prices for commodities fall below their Target Prices, which would otherwise become a factor in planting decisions and could distort production. ASA’s support for a price-based program is contingent on decoupling program payments from current year production to avoid planting distortions.

“Agriculture faces a major challenge in getting the various stakeholders to find common ground and finish a comprehensive, long-term farm bill,” Murphy continued. “This policy adjustment demonstrates that ASA is committed to working with other commodities as well as both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to support a safety net that can work for all farmers. It also addresses the need to provide savings for deficit reduction and make farm programs more defensible, while ensuring that our farmers have the risk management and crop insurance safety net they need.”

In addition to modifying its position on risk management policy, ASA continues to support extending the Marketing Loan Program, eliminating the ACRE program, and reducing or eliminating Direct Payments, provisions which were included in last year’s Senate and House farm bills. ASA also supports the Senate version of the cotton STAX program. ASA urges the Agriculture Committees to protect the current crop insurance program as the foundation of the farm safety net, and to adopt improvements that would make it a more viable risk management tool for producers of all commodities in all regions of the country.

Recognizing differences between commodities and growing regions, and depending on cost, ASA will support allowing producers to choose between higher Target Prices under the decoupled CCP program if they forego eligibility for SCO, or a higher premium subsidy under SCO if they forego eligibility under the CCP. “Providing options has been a priority for some producers, who prefer a choice of programs over a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” Murphy said.

“We recognize that ASA is making a significant change in our policy recommendations” said ASA First Vice President Ray Gaesser, a soybean farmer from Corning, Iowa. “But we must accept budget realities and the need to find additional savings if we are going to get a new farm bill done. Agriculture is the only sector that has been willing to reduce spending for deficit reduction. We’re prepared to make adjustments, provided we have policies that maintain a viable safety net for farm income and preserve planting flexibility.”



Checkoff Calling for Nominations for Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards

Applications for the sixth annual checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Award are now being accepted. The National BQA Awards recognize four winners in the area of beef, dairy, marketing and education:
-    The beef and dairy awards recognize producers that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations.
-    The BQA Educator Award is open to individuals or companies that provide high quality and innovative training to individuals that care and handle cattle throughout the industry chain.
-    The BQA Marketer Award is open to livestock markets, cattle buyers and supply-chain programs that promote BQA to their customers and offer them opportunities to get certified.

The BQA award winners will be selected by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and affiliated groups. Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group, or individual on behalf of a U.S. beef producer, marketer or educator. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, however the nominees are expected to be involved in the preparation of the application.

To submit an application, click here... http://bqa.org/2014awardapplications.aspx.  Applications are due via the online submission form by July 1, 2013.



Minnesota’s Spronk Elected NPPC President

Randy Spronk, a pork producer from Edgerton, Minn., March 9 was elevated to the post of president for the National Pork Producers Council. He was elected for a one-year term at NPPC’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held March 8-9 in Orlando, Fla.

Spronk is the managing partner for two family farm enterprises: Spronk Brothers III LLP is involved in pork production, and Ranger Farms LLP is involved in crop production. The pork production enterprise markets 120,000 head annually. Spronk and his partners also raise corn and soybeans on 2,000 acres.

Spronk has served on the NPPC board of directors for the past five years; he is chairman of the organization’s Environmental Policy Committee. He has been involved with the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, serving as president in 1999, and with the Minnesota Soybean Association. He holds a degree in animal science from South Dakota State University.



Hill Elected NPPC President-Elect

Dr. Howard Hill, a pork producer and veterinarian from Cambridge, Iowa, March 9 was elected to the post of president-elect for the National Pork Producers Council. He was elected for a one-year term at NPPC’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held March 8-9 in Orlando, Fla.

Hill is the director of animal well-being for Iowa Select Farms, an Iowa-based pork production company. He has been with Iowa Select since 2000, when he joined the company as director of production. In 2001, he was promoted to chief operating officer, continuing in that role until 2009.

His pork production business, H&K Enterprises, includes hogs and cattle, and Hill and his son farm 2,600 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

A native of southern California, Hill earned his bachelor’s and doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees from the University of California-Davis. After graduation, he was a mixed animal practitioner in southern California for a year and a half. Hill received his Master’s degree and PhD. in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University.

Hill, who serves on a number of NPPC committees, last year was one of nine veterinarians appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health. He also is a member of the Story (Iowa) County Pork Producers, is on the board of directors of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and is past president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Hill also is involved with the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.



Prestage Elected NPPC Vice President

Dr. Ron Prestage, DVM, a pork producer from Camden, S.C., March 9 was elected to the post of vice president for the National Pork Producers Council. He was elected for a one-year term at NPPC’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held March 8-9 in Orlando, Fla.

Prestage, who has served on the NPPC board of directors for the past three years, is part of the family-owned Prestage Farms, which includes hogs, turkeys, cattle and cropland for hay. He’s primarily responsible for the sows and turkeys on the farms in South Carolina and the swine operation in Mississippi.

A graduate of North Carolina State University who received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Auburn University, Prestage has served in leadership positions with a number of organizations, including the National Turkey Federation, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, South Carolina Poultry Federation, Palmetto Agribusiness Council, Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.



Challenges Frame 2013’s Opening Red Meat Export Report

The first month of 2013 offered a mix of good news and challenges for exports of U.S. beef and pork during January, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Beef exports continued the trend shown in 2012 with higher export values on lower volumes while pork exports improved slightly from December’s levels but remained behind year-ago totals.

Led by sharply higher exports to Hong Kong, Canada and Taiwan, and solid growth to Japan, beef exports for January rose 9.3 percent in value from year-ago levels on slightly lower (-3.2 percent) volumes.

Pork exports rebounded slightly from December, but closed 7.6 percent lower in value on 11.7 percent smaller volumes compared to January 2012. The ASEAN region was the bright spot with 17.1 percent higher volumes and slightly higher (2.7 percent) value.

“The year ahead will offer no shortage of challenges to red meat exports, which will require our industry to be creative and aggressive,” said Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO. “On the beef side, we are still dealing with market access barriers in Saudi Arabia and significant obstacles in Russia, but there are signs for optimism in the months ahead with expanded beef access to Japan and Hong Kong that will provide a boost.”

Also in Asia, Seng noted that an overabundance of domestic pork in South Korea is driving down demand for imports there while China’s aggressive efforts to build its domestic pork industry appear to be bearing fruit as its need for imports declines.

Seng also indicated that the continued devaluation of the Japanese yen, which has fallen 20 percent in value versus the U.S. dollar since last summer, will be a factor in purchasing patterns by this key trading partner for both beef and pork.

Beef export highlights
-    For the month of January, U.S. beef exports totaled 86,608 metric tons valued at $443.8 million. The decline in volume versus January 2012 was more than accounted for by a 91.5 percent drop in exports to Russia, which has been delisting U.S. beef plants for detection of growth promotant residues.
-    Canada emerged as the top volume and value market for U.S. beef exports in January, buying 16,586 metric tons (up 32 percent from last year) valued at $102.9 million (42 percent increase).
-    Hong Kong saw its U.S. beef purchases rise 144 percent in volume and 115 percent in value to 7,004 metric tons valued at $37.1 million – pushing it to No. 6 on the beef export list.
-    Taiwan continued its recovery as an export market with its January purchases rising 14.5 percent in volume and 39.7 percent in value (3,167 metric tons valued at $22.6 million).
-    The value of beef exports to South Korea rose 12.2 percent to $58.2 million on slightly lower volumes (down 1 percent to 11,602 metric tons).
-    Anticipating the Feb. 1 expansion of the market to beef from cattle under 30 months of age, Japan increased its U.S. beef purchases 5.5 percent in volume and 21.6 percent in value to 10,217 metric tons valued at $72.5 million.

Pork export highlights
-    For the month of January, pork exports totaled 186,681 metric tons valued at $523.7 million – declines of 11.7 percent in volume and 7.6 percent in value from last January, but up slightly from December’s totals of 186,135 metric tons valued at $515.9 million.
-    Japan remains the value leader, buying 37,745 metric tons of U.S. pork (-9.5 percent) valued at $173.6 million (+1.7 percent).
-    Mexico remains the volume leader, purchasing 55,103 metric tons (-9 percent) valued at $102.7 million (-6.9 percent).
-    Russia posted the largest pork export gains at 3,314 metric tons (+8.2 percent) valued at $10.2 million (+9.7 percent), although some of that purchase may have been made in anticipation of Russia’s closing of its borders to U.S. pork and beef in February.
-    The ASEAN region posted a 17.1 percent gain in pork volume (to 4,921 metric tons) and a 2.7 percent bump in value to $10.8 million.

“Looking ahead, USMEF is focusing on building demand for chilled and branded pork in both Japan and Korea as well as overall consumer demand for pork in Mexico,” said Seng. “We will see benefits from these campaigns in the year ahead.”

Lamb export highlights
Exports of U.S. lamb also were mixed, up 16.6 percent in value over last January’s totals on lower volumes – down 28.2 percent. Totals for the month were 984 metric tons valued at $2.4 million.

Mexico remains the top export destination, buying 851 metric tons (86.5 percent of total exports) valued at $1.6 million (64.3 percent of total value). Sales to Mexico rose 37.2 percent in value on 16.7 percent lower volume for the month.

Canada and the Caribbean are the No. 2 and No. 3 regions for U.S. lamb exports, and both posted double-digit declines from year-ago levels.



Diesel prices continue to fall

The U.S. average retail price for on-highway diesel fuel fell to $4.09 a gallon on Monday.  That’s down 4.2 cents from a week ago, based on the weekly price survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  Diesel prices were highest in the New England region at 4.24 a gallon, down 5.5 cents from a week ago.  Prices were lowest in the Rocky Mountain States at 4.01 a gallon, down 3.7 cents.  The average on-road diesel price in the Midwest territory was $4.043, which is down $0.042 from last week, but up $0.027 from a year ago. 

Gasoline prices continue to fall
The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline decreased for the second week in a row to $3.71 a gallon on Monday.  That’s down 4.9 cents from a week ago, based on the weekly price survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  Pump prices were highest in the West Coast region at 4.05 a gallon, down 2 cents from a week ago.  Prices were lowest in the Rocky Mountain States at 3.47 a gallon, down 7-tenths of a penny.  The Midwest average for the week was $3.618, down $0.091 from a week ago and down $0.191 from a year ago. 



Ethanol producers respond to market conditions
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service.

Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able to recover corn oil, make up a diminishing portion of the ethanol industry. Reacting to the market conditions, several ethanol plants temporarily shut down. By January 2013, the number of idled ethanol plants had grown to at least 20.

Relatively simple ethanol plants produce ethanol and distillers grains from corn. More advanced plants are able to recover other products, like corn oil, from a portion of the distillers grains. Ethanol plants with corn oil recovery units are able to earn more revenue, so they usually have higher profit margins than plants without corn oil recovery, even if their production costs are slightly higher.

Over the past few years, margins at plants with corn oil recovery have been 15-20 cents per gallon higher than at plants without it, meaning their margins have remained positive, while margins at plants without corn oil recovery were negative. Each time margins at the simple plants turned negative, several of these less sophisticated plants announced shutdowns, including plants in Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Profit margins also affect ethanol production, prices, and consumption. Following the first set of plant shutdowns, a rise in margins resulted in more domestic ethanol production, which helped reduce prices and resulted in higher ethanol consumption through July. Then, at the beginning of August, a drop in margins led to lower production, reducing ethanol stocks to their lowest level since December 2011. This pattern illustrates how sudden changes in supply (e.g., shutdowns) can lead to short-term market volatility.

During plant shutdowns, some companies have embarked on new capital projects to recover corn oil, while others are performing routine maintenance and looking for opportunities to buy corn economically. Two plants, POET Biorefining in Macon, Missouri, and Abengoa in Madison, Illinois, may add corn oil recovery units in 2013. Others, such as an ADM facility in Walhala, North Dakota, could shut down permanently.

Corn oil recovery is one of several strategies that the ethanol industry is developing to improve margins. Others involve switching to processes that are more advantageous under the renewable fuels standard (RFS). For instance, Aemetis in Keyes, California, is changing its feedstock from corn to sorghum and replacing its natural gas consumption with biomass. Other companies plan to produce butanol rather than ethanol, or integrate cellulosic feedstock, such as wood waste or corn stover (e.g., leaves, stalks, and leftover cobs after the corn harvest). These approaches allow their products to qualify as advanced biofuels under the RFS, a category that specifically excludes ethanol produced from cornstarch, which has been the dominant feedstock for the U.S. ethanol industry.



Chromatin Signs Pact with POET to use South Dakota-grown Sorghum in Ethanol Production

Chicago-based Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, said today it has entered into an agreement with POET, LLC, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, to use sorghum grown in South Dakota in the production of ethanol.

“POET is one of the most experienced and respected bio-refiners in the U.S., and our agreement with them is a significant step in our commitment to expand the use of grain sorghum in the production of energy-efficient biofuels,” Chromatin Chief Executive Officer Daphne Preuss said.  “Ethanol producers are embracing the benefits of sorghum as a drop in replacement for corn.”

Chromatin said the agreement covers up to 4,400 acres of sorghum grain that will be grown in South Dakota.  It will be used in POET’s Chancellor plant, which is located about 20 miles southwest of POET’s headquarters in Sioux Falls, SD.  Chancellor is POET’s largest plant and utilizes about 35 million bushels of corn to produce 110 million gallons of ethanol annually.

“At POET, we are constantly working to diversify our operations, not only in the products we offer but in the feedstocks we process,” said Rod Pierson, Vice President of Operations for POET Plant Management. “Sorghum is a fantastic grain for producing biofuel, and this arrangement will enable us to better manage costs and balance feedstock markets.”

Chromatin said  South Dakota growers are attracted to sorghum as a grain source because it is easy to grow, has low fertilizer and water needs and is tolerant to both heat and drought conditions.  South Dakota growers near the Platte River already familiar with the benefits of growing grain sorghum now have an alternative market for their grain.  In addition, the residue from the harvest of sorghum grain can be used as high quality animal feed. 

Ethanol plants like those owned by POET can realize the benefits of alternative crops to reduce feedstock costs, to improve their carbon footprint and to source feedstock from locally grown energy-efficient crops. Sorghum grown in South Dakota has proven to be cost effective and energy efficient.

“Our commitment to locally grown sorghum is strong,” Preuss said.  “We are actively bringing this alternative feedstock to ethanol producers to take advantage of advanced biofuel pathways and make the market a reality.”



Vilsack to lead U.S. Delegation at the G-8 International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead the U.S. delegation at the G-8 International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture on April 29-30, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Open access to publicly funded agriculturally-relevant data is critical to increasing global food security.

"I am pleased to partner with G-8 colleagues in ensuring that agriculturally relevant data is readily available to users around the world. By making our data accessible and encouraging others to do the same, we will enable collaborations that will spur innovation and increase economic growth around the world," said Secretary Vilsack.

The U.S. delegation will also include: Dr. Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist, USDA; Paul Weisenfeld, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development; Jonathan Shrier, Special Representative for Global Food Security, State Department; and representatives from the National Science Foundation, Millennium Challenge Corporation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The conference is a commitment that was made at the 2012 G-8 Summit in Camp David, Maryland. Open data is being used by innovators and entrepreneurs around the world to accelerate development. At last year's G-8 Summit, leaders committed to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition—including an agreement to share relevant agricultural data available from G-8 countries with African partners and convene an international conference on Open Data for Agriculture. The conference is being organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the United Kingdom, which holds the G-8 Presidency this year.

"The U.S. government places high priority on open access to data as a forward-thinking approach to address the global food and agricultural challenges facing us. From replicating new findings to developing applied outcomes, we've seen that international collaboration facilitates much of the progress in agricultural research," said Dr. Woteki. "The G-8 is also pleased to invite government delegations from the New Alliance as well as Australia, Brazil, China, India, Mexico to attend the conference."



Cargill Optimistic About Global Food Security

In a panel discussion about food security at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Minneapolis, Cargill President and Chief Operating Officer David MacLennan said Cargill is optimistic about the ability to feed nine billion people by 2050. MacLennan said farmers produce enough food to meet the nutritional needs of all the world's people, "The question is: will we have the policies and infrastructure in place to ensure the poorest members of society will be able to continue to access that food?"

MacLennan emphasized the importance of free trade to creating a more food-secure world. "We cannot feed nine billion people without open trade," said MacLennan. "We encourage governments to advance policies that will help the world realize the benefits of trade flows, which include better access to safe, affordable and nutritious food for all."

MacLennan joined Land O'Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Policinski and Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco, on the panel, which was moderated by former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno.

As a company dedicated to being the global leader in nourishing people, Cargill is working to address the complex challenge of feeding the world while at the same time protecting the planet. Cargill advocates for policies that let markets work and enable farmers to thrive; helps expand access to food, improves nutrition and pursues partnerships to end hunger; and works to increase agricultural productivity and incomes while ensuring responsible land use. Over the past five years, Cargill has contributed more than $55 million to reduce hunger and improve nutrition globally.



Celebrating the Role of Agriculture
Senator Mike Johanns

Each morning, while the rest of the world is still fast asleep, ag producers across Nebraska are up, checking on their herds or preparing their equipment for a long day in the fields.  Careers in farming or ranching offer few days off.  Cattle still need to be fed on Christmas morning. Crops, ripe for harvest, don’t care about your vacation plans. A break from the fields on a rainy day is an opportunity to get caught up on equipment maintenance. And animals don’t need veterinarians only between 9 and 5.

For 365 days a year, farmers toil with the earth and tend to their livestock to provide food and fiber for the rest of the world, but how often do we consider how the produce gets to the supermarket? One day in particular is devoted to raising this awareness.

March 19 marks the 40th National Ag Day, a time to celebrate the hard work by America’s ag producers to provide safe, abundant and affordable food supplies, and an opportunity to reflect on how the products we depend on every day reach store shelves.

In Nebraska, where nearly 47,000 farms and ranches form a patchwork across the state, we are well versed in the chain of events that must occur before food can reach the table, but in many places across the country, where farmland gives way to pavement, this important work can easily be taken for granted. National Ag Day offers a chance for all Americans to learn about the important role agriculture plays in our country, not just in feeding and fueling the world, but also by providing jobs at home and strengthening relationships abroad.

Agriculture dominates Nebraska’s economy.  The state leads the nation in red meat production at more than 7 billion pounds a year. It also produces more popcorn and Great Northern beans than any other state, and ranks fourth in total land mass used for ag production. That’s a lot of livestock and cropland to maintain. But all that hard work can pay off. Nebraska’s agriculture receipts total more than $21 billion a year—a huge part of the state’s economy. And our state’s $6.9 billion in ag exports generates $9.3 billion in economic activity at home.  A third of all jobs in Nebraska are tied to agriculture, and the state enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country: 3.8 percent, compared with 7.7 percent nationally.

The benefits of American agriculture go far beyond our borders. We produce more food than we consume and we continue to foster trade opportunities that help feed the world while strengthening our economy. At home, places like the University of Nebraska are researching new ag techniques to help farmers grow more food on less land using fewer resources to continue feeding a growing global population.

Many ag organizations will be descending upon Washington to help tell the story of the important role agriculture plays in our country’s prosperity. It couldn’t come at a better time, as lawmakers continue to craft a new fiscally-responsible, reform-minded farm bill that focuses on needed risk management tools, and better reflects the state of the ag industry. Ag producers work hard year round to provide necessities to our nation. We all benefit from the fruits of their labor.  It’s time Washington returns the favor by passing a responsible five-year farm bill.