Thursday April 4 Ag News

“FFA Members Participated in Third Annual Agricultural Issues Academy”

FFA members across Nebraska participated in the third annual Agricultural Issues Academy (AIA) on April 3rd as part of the 2013 Nebraska State FFA Convention held in Lincoln. AIA is a leadership-based academy that focuses on providing participants with skills needed to become spokespeople for the agriculture industry.  The day-long program exposed participants to current agriculture issues, develop communication skills, and provide an opportunity to meet with industry leaders and law makers.

“Programs like Ag Issues Academy are a great way to involve young people in the political process and encourage networking with their peers while learning about current issues facing agriculture,” said Mat Habrock, Field Services Director for the Nebraska Corn Growers Association and committee member for the Agricultural Issues Academy.  “This is a great opportunity for FFA members to develop communications skills through hands-on activities and help them make connections with industry leaders and law makers,” said Habrock.

Participants were selected from a pool of 96 qualified applicants from across Nebraska and were narrowed down by a selection committee to 36 participants.  Selected candidates were charged with a task to a research current “ag” issue of their choice and be prepared to explain the issue at the academy.

At the Agricultural Issues Academy participants were a part of the following activities:
·       Round-robin sessions presented by experts on learning how to speak to lawmakers, preparing a successful and positive message for TV and radio, and have firsthand training for written and online communications.
·       A visit to the State Capitol, accompanied by agriculture lobbyists who introduced participants to the State Legislature, and provided an opportunity for them to meet with the senator from their home district.
·       The following day, academy participants served as peer leaders for the state convention’s annual legislative breakfast with State Senators and other FFA members.
·       Participants were recognized and awarded pins for participating in the academy at the Opening Session of the Nebraska State FFA Convention on Thursday morning.

The Agricultural Issues Academy is sponsored by Alliance for Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN), Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, Nebraska Association of Resource Districts Foundation, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Soybean Board, and Nebraska Pork Producers Association.



Reseeding Dead Pasture
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

Do you have patches in your pasture that are thin or dead? If so, let's discuss reseeding these areas and managing them within your existing grazing program.

Whatever the reason, dead or thin patches in pastures need to be reclaimed and fit back into your grazing program. If you just let them be, weeds will overrun the area and spread into your good grass.

Reseeding these areas follows the same basic guidelines as planting a whole new pasture. Prepare a firm, weed-free seedbed. This might be as simple as spraying first to kill existing weeds and then using a no-till drill to seed. Or, it might require very vigorous tillage, followed by packing the soil well before planting with appropriate equipment that places seed just slightly below the soil surface on the right date.

Your biggest challenges may be selecting the seed to use and then keeping cattle out while new seedlings develop. To determine what to seed, first decide if this reseeded patch will be part of a larger pasture or will it be a whole new separate pasture. If it's part of a larger pasture it is critical that you plant the same kind of plants that will be next to it when you add it back to the existing pasture. Otherwise, if you plant something they like better, they'll overgraze it. And if they don't like it as well, they'll not use it.

Be sure to fence animals out until new plants are well established. And I mean well established. Graze too soon and animals will pull out or trample apart your new grass, making you start over. Often it is better to cut it as hay first before starting to graze.

But done correctly, dead patches can become good pasture very quickly.



WINDBREAKS INCREASE CROP YIELDS

With another dry growing season forecast this year, many Nebraskans may be reminded of previous drought years when wind erosion and crop losses were serious problems.  If you are fortunate enough to have a good field windbreak on your farm or ranch, you can rest a little easier knowing your soil and crops are protected from the wind.  Unfortunately, less than two percent of Nebraska’s cropland acres are protected by field windbreaks, leaving many acres vulnerable to wind erosion events.  

Field windbreaks reduce wind speed by about 50 percent in the area immediately behind the windbreak.  This wind protection extends into the field on the lee side for a distance equal to 10 to 15 times the height of the windbreak.  A smaller area, two to five times the height of the windbreak, also protects the windward side of the windbreak. For example, a 30-feet-tall tree windbreak will protect two areas, a large area extending 300 to 450 feet downwind from the windbreak, and a smaller area extending 60 to 150 feet in front of the windbreak, according to Jim Brandle, Professor and Shelterbelt Ecologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  

The decrease in wind velocity and increased humidity in protected fields reduces the moisture stress on the plants. Because of reduced moisture stress, the existing soil moisture is used more efficiently, especially during dry years, Brandle emphasized. Windbreak research by University of Nebraska-Lincoln foresters has shown that dryland crops protected by tree windbreaks have higher yields than unprotected crops. Actual field measurements have shown average yield increases of 15 percent for wheat, 12 percent for corn, and 15 percent for soybeans as the result of wind protection by field windbreaks. 

On irrigated cropland, windbreaks can also decrease irrigation costs and conserve surface and/or the groundwater resources. Windbreaks substantially reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation and transpiration. Because of this reduced water loss, the irrigation system does not need to run as often or as long. 

Field windbreaks also provide other important benefits such as additional wildlife habitat, adding beauty to the landscape, and potential increases in property value. 

Trees are the backbone of a good windbreak. This year over one million tree and shrub seedlings are available to Nebraska landowners through the Nebraska Conservation Tree Program.
 
WINDBREAKS IMPORTANT FOR LIVESTOCK PROTECTION
Windbreaks consisting of trees and shrubs reduce wind speed 10 to 12 times the height of the windbreak on the leeward side. Livestock in the protected behind a well-designed tree and/or shrub tree windbreak require less feed  and are less susceptible to health problems during winter, according to Jim Brandle, Professor and Shelterbelt Ecologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in the Extension circular “Windbreaks for Livestock Operations” he co-authored.

“To adequately protect livestock during winter, particularly cattle, temperature and wind chill factors should be considered.  A heavy winter coat will generally protect cattle from temperatures as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit.  However, actual temperature combined with a wind makes the temperature feel lower. Wind chill below 18 degrees F can stress the animal, thus requiring more feed to maintain body temperature.  Windbreaks reduce wind speed in the protected zone; thus reducing wind chill effect.  Protection from cold is especially important for mature animals and young or newborn animals,” added Brandle.

Other livestock also benefit from the shelter provided by a good windbreak.  Dairy cattle show a decline in milk production when air temperature is below 35 degrees F.  Hogs in open confinement benefit from shelter. Even confinement buildings protected with a windbreak will take less energy to heat the building” Brandle said. 

“In Nebraska, the coldest winter winds typically come from the north and/or west,”  Brandle noted,  “so a windbreak is usually oriented to provides protection on the south and east side of the windbreak trees. Typically, an ‘L’ shaped windbreak design is recommended to protect from prevailing winter winds. Sometimes, a ‘U’ shaped windbreak is recommended to provide protection from winds from three different directions.  In contrast, summer winds are generally southerly, and livestock will benefit from the cooling southerly winds of windbreaks open to the south.”

Brandle recommends that all livestock windbreaks should be fenced to prevent damage to the trees from grazing, rubbing, or soil compaction. Also, enough space should be reserved on the leeward side of the trees to prevent heavy snow accumulation in the area where the cattle congregate.

“Windbreaks also provide other benefits like snow control, wildlife habitat, screen unsightly areas, dust or odor control, soil erosion control or energy conservation,” he concluded.

The Nebraska Conservation Trees Initiative Partnership is a consortium of local, state and federal agencies that includes: Nebraska’s natural resources districts, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, the Nebraska Forest Service, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, and USDA Farm Service Agency.  For more information about the Nebraska Conservation Trees Program, contact your local NRD, NRCS, UNL Extension, or NFS office. To learn more visit: http://nrdtrees.org/.



JBS to Acquire 2 US Slaughterhouses

Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS SA said Thursday it intends to acquire two slaughterhouses in the U.S. from Canada's XL Foods, completing an agreement signed in October after the latter company suffered an E. Coli contamination incident.

JBS's U.S. subsidiary plans to close the acquisition of a slaughterhouse in Omaha, Neb., and another in Nampa, Idaho, on April 8, the company said in a filing. Each plant has capacity to process 1,100 head of cattle per day, though the Idaho slaughterhouse is currently inactive and won't be immediately reopened.

JBS in October reached a deal to manage XL Foods' biggest slaughterhouse, in Brooks, Alberta, after U.S. and Canadian authorities detected E. Coli in beef produced and exported by the company.

The agreement granted JBS an option to purchase additional assets in the U.S. and Canada from XL Foods for $100 million in cash and stock, without assuming any of the company's debt. JBS acquired the Canadian operations from XL Foods in January.

"The announcement today completes the agreement between JBS and XL Foods," JBS said Thursday. "JBS informs that it will not assume, under any circumstance, any debts or liabilities from XL Foods."



Registration Now Open for Iowa Swine Day 2013

Building on its successful return to Iowa State University last year, the 2013 version of Iowa Swine Day has a new format and plenty of information for pork industry members. Professor of animal science John Patience said registration for the Thursday, June 27 event is now open.

"Those who register by the early deadline of June 14 will pay $60 -- that's $20 off the full registration fee -- and students of any age can attend for just $25," Patience said. "The fee includes lunch, refreshment breaks and a copy of the conference notebook."

The day begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. and the welcome at 9 a.m. The morning plenary session features four speakers in Benton Auditorium. Following lunch, attendees will choose from 14 breakout sessions organized into three concurrent tracks: sustaining the global competitiveness of the American pork industry, utilizing human resources most effectively in pork production and what's new at Iowa State University. The day's activities will conclude about 5:15 p.m.

The Iowa Swine Day program agenda, links to registration forms and sponsor list are available on the event website, http://www.aep.iastate.edu/iowaswineday/.

Patience, who co-chairs the event with Ken Stalder and Butch Baker of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, said the planning group has worked diligently to learn about information needs and how best to address those needs through the program, which is set in the Scheman Building at the Iowa State Center in Ames. Program planning partners are IPIC, Iowa State animal science department, Iowa Pork Producers Association and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

"We consulted with industry representatives to learn what they'd like included in the program and have put together a first rate program of speakers and topics," Patience said. "Session topics include employee engagement, global success in swine production, success with group housing of sows, effects of heat stress on pig productivity and understanding the impact of the replacement gilt on system health."

The program has been approved by the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine for two scientific credits and four management credits.



Iowa and New York Associations Are Top Membership States for First Quarter

The Iowa Soybean Association and New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association are the first quarter winners of the ASA State Association Quarterly Membership Challenge. The challenge is an effort to recognize state associations with the top overall growth and top percentage growth for a quarter. The first quarterly challenge started Jan. 1 and concluded March 31.

Iowa Soybean Association was the top overall state in membership growth, adding 316 members between January and March. The New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association was the top overall state in percentage growth, with a 57 percent increase in membership during the same quarter.

"ASA congratulates Iowa and New York for their efforts to grow their state and ASA membership," said Bob Worth, ASA Membership and Corporate Relations Chairman. "ASA’s success is based on the strong efforts of our recruiters and state associations to tell our story about how ASA is helping to increase soybean producers’ profitability."

The State Quarterly Membership Challenge continues with the current quarter of April 1 through June 30. The final quarter begins July 1 and concludes Sept. 30. The winning state associations each receive $500 to use for their state association activities.



CHS posts record six-month earnings for fiscal 2013 of $618.8 million

CHS Inc., an energy grains and foods company and the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative, today reported record earnings of $618.8 million through the second quarter of its 2013 fiscal year.

Earnings attributed to CHS operations for the first six months of fiscal 2013 (Sept. 1, 2012 – Feb. 28, 2013) increased 25 percent from the $494.7 million reported for the first half of fiscal 2012. Earnings through the second quarter of fiscal 2013 exceeded a record for that period set in fiscal 2008.

Revenues for the six-month period of fiscal 2013 were $21.6 billion, compared with $18.6 billion for that period of fiscal 2012, reflecting increased volumes for the grain, crop nutrients and processed oilseed products the company handles, along with increased values for grain and processed oilseeds.

For the second quarter (Dec. 1, 2012 – Feb. 28, 2013), CHS posted earnings of $275.1 million, more than three times the $78.5 million it reported for the same period in fiscal 2012. Revenues for the quarter were $9.9 billion, compared with $8.8 billion for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.

Earnings through the second quarter reflected strong performance within the company's Energy segment, led by its refined fuels business. Earnings increased in its propane, renewable fuels marketing and transportation businesses and declined slightly for lubricants.

Six-month earnings were essentially flat within the Ag segment which consists of crop nutrients, grain marketing, processing and food ingredients, and the company's Country Operations locally controlled retail businesses. Grain marketing saw lower earnings primarily due to reduced margins, while crop nutrients reported improved margins and increased volumes. CHS processing and food ingredients operations experienced improved soybean crushing and refining margins. Results for CHS local Country Operations retail businesses reflected stronger margins for sales of energy, fertilizer and other merchandise, partially offset by lower margins from grain sales.

CHS reports results for its business services operations and its two food processing-related joint ventures under the Corporate and Other category which recorded improved results through the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Earnings increased for the company's financing, insurance and hedging businesses, as well as its ownership in Ventura Foods, LLC, a packaged food joint venture, and Horizon Milling, a wheat milling joint venture.

CHS announces plans to boost McPherson, Kan., refinery production
A planned $327 million expansion will boost refining capacity by 18 percent at the National Cooperative Refinery Association facility at McPherson, Kan., CHS Inc., an energy, grains and foods business and the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative, announced.

The multi-faceted project, which will begin this spring, will boost refining capacity to 100,000 barrels per day from the facility's current 85,000 barrels per day. Completion will take place in phases during the second half of calendar 2015 and the first months of 2016, with production coming on line in early 2016. CHS is in the process of acquiring 100 percent ownership of the McPherson-based operation from current minority partners Growmark, Inc., of Bloomington, Ill., and MFA Oil of Columbia, Mo.

The expansion project will take place concurrent with construction of a $555 million replacement coker already in progress. The McPherson refinery will continue to operate normally during both construction projects.

"Investing in additional refining capacity at McPherson is further evidence of our commitment to expanding our energy platform to add value for our owners and customers while becoming the premier marketer of refined fuels to rural America," said Jay Debertin, CHS executive vice president and chief executive officer, Energy and Foods.       

The expansion brings to more than $1.4 billion the investments CHS has made or committed to over the past 24 months to expand and upgrade its refining, pipeline and distribution system in order to further strengthen dependable supplies of quality refined fuels to its owners and customers, Debertin said.

Debertin said the additional refined fuels gallons produced will allow CHS to better match production from McPherson and its 55,000 barrels per day refinery at Laurel, Mont., with customer demand. "The added refinery production will be equally divided between diesel and gasoline to best meet our customers' agricultural needs in rural America," he said.

Toelle elected to Nationwide board; resigns as CHS director
Long-time CHS Inc. Director Mike Toelle of Browns Valley, Minn., has resigned from the CHS Board of Directors to facilitate his election to the board of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company on April 4.

“During his more than 20 years on the CHS Board, including nine years as chairman, Mike has made significant contributions to building the CHS that serves you today – a farmer-owned global company that is financially strong and delivers value for its member-owners each day,” said CHS Chairman David Bielenberg. “We wish him all the best as he pursues this new opportunity to serve agriculture and a broad range of other consumers as a director for this mutually owned company.”

Toelle said his more than 20 years of service on the CHS Board and that of its predecessor company have been “extremely satisfying both professionally and personally.”

“The vision and commitment of this board, combined with the talent and dedication of CHS leadership and staff, have created a farmer-owned cooperative whose achievements are unrivaled,” he said.  “I am proud to have been a part of this journey.”

Bielenberg said the CHS Board intends to fill the vacancy at the next scheduled member meeting which will take place at the Dec. 5-6 CHS Annual Meeting. This also coincides with the end of Toelle’s current three-year term.



Congress Returns Next Week; Senate Farm Bill Mark-Up Expected in Late April

Members of Congress are set to be back in Washington next week after a two-week spring recess. Expected to be at the top the agenda are efforts to conference a budget resolution and begin the FY2014 appropriations process. The Obama Administration is scheduled to deliver its budget proposal on April 10, two months delayed from the traditional (and legal) deadline. The agriculture community is hoping for movement this spring toward a long-term farm bill, a process that has been stymied by fiscal and political uncertainty. While no official date has been set, word is that the Senate Agriculture Committee plans to mark-up a farm bill draft in April.



NCGA, ASA Host Forum on Grain and Oilseed Value Chain Collaboration

This week, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association convened key industry stakeholders to continue a dialogue on ways to improve cooperation and communication on biotechnology and trade issues. The discussions highlighted a broad array of opportunities to establish improved, more transparent communication regarding issues that potentially threaten the development, production or delivery of products derived from modern crop biotechnology.

"We are encouraged that all parts of the biotech value chain are committed to cooperative discussions that ensure growers have the tools they need to deliver a reliable product that meets our customers' needs," said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman.

Attendees discussed challenges and opportunities from both a domestic and international viewpoint. As agricultural biotechnology becomes an increasingly critical component of our nation's bioeconomy, representatives throughout the value chain noted the importance of maintaining a consistent dialogue and speaking with a unified voice in the United States and abroad.

In February 2012, NCGA, ASA, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American Seed Trade Association, the North American Export Grain Association and the National Grain and Feed Association entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on improving communication throughout the value chain on biotechnology and trade issues. Since that time, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Corn Refiners Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, and U.S. Grains Council have also become signatories to the MOU.



Food Aid Groups Await Potential Impact from White House Budget

With President Barack Obama’s budget expected on Monday, agricultural groups, including the American Soybean Association (ASA) are anticipating potential changes to the nation’s food aid programs. In late February, ASA contacted the president to oppose rumored changes in the structure of the food aid system contained in the White House budget. ASA followed the original letter with similar letters to the House Committees on Agriculture, Appropriations, Budget and Foreign Affairs, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture; as well as the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Budget and Foreign Relations, as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.

Proposed changes contained in the budget would restructure the nation’s foreign aid programs by eliminating the Food for Peace and Food for Progress programs and replacing them with a much smaller cash account managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"The Food for Peace and Food for Progress programs provide nutritious foods to developing markets and have been a key priority for ASA for multiple years," said ASA President Danny Murphy. "We are expressly opposed to the replacement of in-kind food aid with cash aid, which takes a key market away from American producers, placing aid recipients at a potential risk by allowing them to purchase commodities from foreign suppliers whose safety and quality are unknown."

ASA has been a leading driver of a broad-based coalition to oppose the restructuring that includes representative groups in the agriculture, supply chain and logistics, labor, non-governmental organizations, and development industries.



USDA Accepting REAP Fund Apps for Blender Pump Installation, BYO Ethanol Offers Free Grant Services

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for federal REAP funds to help gasoline retailers install blender pumps designed to give consumers flexibility and choice in the ethanol blends they use. This is the third year that blender pumps have been authorized as part of the REAP program. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in 2011 that USDA had plans to install 10,000 blender pumps over the next five years. That announcement and this year’s opening of the application process is welcomed news to the Blend Your Own (BYO) Ethanol campaign, a joint educational effort by the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). The campaign will again offer free grant writing services to those interested in applying.

“This program provided funding for hundreds of blender pumps the past two years, providing many consumers with the choice and flexibility they deserve to pick the ethanol blends that work for them based on their vehicle, their beliefs, and their budget,” said RFA Director of Market Development Robert White. “Through the BYO Ethanol Campaign, we have the ability to assist retailers in applying for these funds and help USDA and the Obama Administration achieve the renewable fuel goals they have put forward. This year retailers have more options than ever with E15; these blender pumps will help spread this new blend across the country.”

“We can continue to break the stranglehold oil has over our nation’s economy and energy future by giving consumers more options at the pump,” said ACE Senior Vice President Ron Lamberty. “The USDA’s announcement together with the efforts of the BYO ethanol campaign will go a long way toward making that happen.”

The BYO Ethanol Campaign is designed to inform gasoline marketers and retailers about the opportunities blender pumps offer. Blender pump technologies allow retailers and consumers to choose the blend of ethanol they want from no ethanol content to 85 percent ethanol by volume. Increasing the number of blender pumps in operation in conjunction with expanding the size of the America’s flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) fleet capable of using high level ethanol blends is critical to achieving our nation’s energy goals, including commercializing advanced ethanol technologies.

According to information released by USDA, this program is designed to help spur rural development. This program offers funding for grants, and loan guarantees, but certain restrictions will apply on the size of the local communities and the businesses applying for the funds. Applications for the grant program are due on April 30, 2013.

For more information on the REAP Program, free grant writing services or blender pumps, please visit www.BYOEthanol.com. 



Dairy Security Act Would Have Increased Farm Milk Prices More Than $1.00 Per Cwt. Had it Been in Effect Last Year, NMPF Official Tells Midwest Dairy Leaders

Milk prices for Midwest dairy farmers would have been more than $1.00 per hundredweight higher last year if the proposed federal Dairy Security Act (DSA) program had been available to them, a national dairy industry official told cooperative farm leaders gathered here Wednesday for the Minnesota-Wisconsin Dairy Policy Conference.

Jim Mulhern, Chief Operating Officer for the National Milk Producers Federation and a Wisconsin native, said a farmer with 200 cows, who purchased margin coverage at a level of $6.50 per hundredweight, would have received more than $44,000 in additional payments in 2012 under the Dairy Security Act that is now pending before Congress.

“The DSA was designed for the type of conditions we experienced last year: high feed costs and weak farm milk prices. If DSA had been in effect, dairy farmers who chose to participate in the program would have received margin insurance payments to cover increased costs and would have had to make only small reductions in milk output under DSA’s market stabilization program,” Mulhern said. “The net increase in farm revenue at the $6.50 margin coverage level would have averaged more than $2,000 per cow for the year,” he said. “This is income that would not have been received by a farmer if they weren’t in the program.”

The Dairy Security Act was approved by both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees during consideration of last year’s farm bill. The full Senate also approved the bill, but the House failed to vote on the farm bill last year, so Congress is now beginning efforts to pass a farm bill this year.

Mulhern said the Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to begin work on a new farm bill later this month, and the House Agriculture Committee likely will follow later this spring.

“I believe Congress will pass a farm bill this year, and when all the dust settles, DSA will be the dairy program in the final bill,” he said. “Congress will adopt the DSA because it is the only program that truly provides an effective safety net without busting the budget.

“The plan’s combination of affordable margin insurance and a stabilization program to quickly send production signals to producers when market prices are falling is specifically designed to protect both farmers and taxpayers,” Mulhern said.

A margin insurance-only alternative proposed by milk processors is irresponsible, Mulhern said, because it would create price-depressing milk surpluses and potentially cost billions of dollars.

“It would be terrible for our industry to enact a margin insurance-only program that guaranteed processors access to cheap milk by encouraging excess milk production, but that is exactly what some have proposed. An insurance-only program is dangerous because, by insulating producers through insurance payments, it actually prevents market signals from getting through,” he said.

Mulhern added that realistic insurance rates under a margin-only program would have to be much higher than those proposed in the Dairy Security Act in order to cover a greater portion of the cost of such a program.

“We are able to keep the insurance rates affordable under the DSA because the market stabilization program will help keep supply and demand in better balance,” he said. “Without stabilization, a margin-only program could become prohibitively expensive for small- and medium-sized producers to participate. That would be damaging here in the Midwest, and throughout the country.”



USDA Dairy Products February 2013 Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 857 million pounds, slightly below February 2012 and 8.4 percent below January 2013.  Italian type cheese production totaled 361 million pounds, 2.6 percent below February 2012 and 9.7 percent below January 2013.  American type cheese production totaled 347 million pounds, 1.3 percent above February 2012 but 7.8 percent below January 2013.  Butter production was 171 million pounds, 1.1 percent above February 2012 but 8.9 percent below January 2013.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with February 2012)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 138 million pounds, down 20.0 percent.
Skim milk powders - 43.2 million pounds, up 136.8 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with February 2012)
Dry whey, total - 80.8 million pounds, down 9.6 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 78.3 million pounds, down 3.7 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 34.2 million pounds, down 3.5 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with February 2012)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 62.6 million gallons, down 0.8 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 32.1 million gallons, up 3.3 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.27 million gallons, up 4.4 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 5.35 million gallons, up 1.1 percent.