Wednesday May 29 Ag News

Beef DNA Technolgy: Where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed

DNA Technology continues to advance as is the use of that technology in cattle breeding and genetic selection. Dr. Matthew Spangler, UNL Extension Beef Cattle Quantitative Genetics Specialists is coordinating a meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at the USDA Meat Animal Research Center that will highlight these advancements. To attend, RSVP by June 10 to Terri Behl (tbehl1@unl.edu; 402-472-6411). Registration fee is $10 and includes lunch and all handout material.




Discover Beef - UNL Big Red Camp
Explore Nebraska’s largest industry — beef production! Discover all aspects of beef production through hands-on activities and interactions with UNL Extension educators and specialists, industry experts, and producers. Learn about genetics, reproduction, feeds and nutrition, marketing, meat and food safety, grazing-lands management, and current issues in the industry. Taught by the Department of Animal Science and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.  The camp is held June 9-12 at the UNL Campus in Lincoln.  This camp is designed for students going into grades 10-12, or those who just graduated this year.  Enrollment is limited to 16, first come - first serve.  Cost is $500. For more Information click this link: http://liferay.unl.edu/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=4163126&folderId=4163265&name=DLFE-36995.pdf. 



Iowa soybean farmers’ crops facing increased risk of Sudden Death Syndrome

This spring’s cool, wet weather is making difficult for Iowa farmers to plant their soybeans and making it easier for a well-known pest to affect this year’s crop.

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), a soil-borne fungus, is a disease that is highly dependent on the weather and the resistance level of the planted soybean varieties. Dr. Leonor Leandro, Iowa State University assistant professor of plant pathology, says conditions favoring SDS include compacted soils, soils with poor drainage and the interaction with the soybean cyst nematode. Fields with a history SDS are also more at risk.

Leandro says years with abundant rainfall throughout the season will be most favorable for SDS.

“This year, we’ve had a particularly cool spring and planting has occurred later than usual,” Leandro explains. “According to the National Agricultural Statistic Service, only 16 percent of soybean acres in Iowa had been planted by May 19, which means we’re planting a majority of our soybeans after May 20. In this last part of May, we’ve had soil temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60’s, and this is going to give the season an advantage to get out of the ground and escape infection. We may still see some infection of the roots, but it won’t be as severe as if we had planted in cool soils.”

Leandro says the unknown factor is how wet the remaining season will be. If the current prediction is correct and the summer will be dry, the risk of SDS will be low. But if the soybean plants get into the reproductive stages and good rainfalls occur, Leandro says SDS might show up. She says soybean yield losses vary greatly, depending on the weather in a given year or the location.

“Up to 100 percent yield losses have been reported in particular fields or sections of the fields. This especially occurs when the disease shows up in early reproduction stages. In 2010, Iowa experienced a very widespread, severe epidemic, and that year, the loss was estimated about 28 million bushels. In 2011 and 2012, the losses were very little because the summers were so dry.”

Leandro says the important thing for growers to note is that while the weather each year cannot be predicted, measures can be taken to reduce the impact of SDS if it appears. The most important measure is to plant SDS-resistant soybean varieties.

“There is no complete resistance to SDS, so any variety will develop some disease if it is in very favorable conditions, but they are going to suffer less yield loss than the more susceptible varieties,” she adds. “Many of the varieties that are resistant to SDS are also resistant to the soybean cyst nematode. Growers should try to select varieties that have resistance to both because there is an interaction with the soybean cyst nematode and SDS. If you manage both at the same time, you are going to be more effective at reducing losses from SDS.”

In addition to using resistant varieties, Leandro suggests growers use an integrated approach of other disease management practices to minimize yield losses. For SDS, that would include reducing soil compaction, avoiding planting in cool, wet soils and improving drainage. It’s also important to use good farming practices that maintain healthy soils with good fertility levels, good structure and good biological activity because a healthy soil helps plants develop a vigorous root systems, therefore, having a better defense against pathogens.”

To learn more, visit the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Production Research website, www.iasoybeans.com/productionresearch, and click on the podcast, “Protect Soybeans from SDS Unknowns.”



Preservatives and Hay Moisture
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

The moisture content of hay when it is baled influences yield, quality, and storability of the hay. Preservatives can help us get it right.

When hay is baled too dry, leaves fall off of stems to the ground, reducing both quality and yield. Unfortunately, hay baled too wet can get moldy, overheat, or even catch fire. So we have a narrow moisture range that results in good hay that keeps well.

Hay can be baled a bit wetter if a preservative like propionic acid is applied as it's baled. To get good results from preservatives, though, it helps to know how it works and what it can and cannot do.

Baled hay naturally contains millions of bacteria and mold fungi. As they consume hay nutrients, these microbes produce heat. The duration and intensity of this heat determines the amount of damage the hay receives.

This heat also forces moisture out of the bale, something we often call "going through a sweat". Usually, hay gets dry enough that the microbes soon die or go dormant. But when too much moisture is present, heating becomes excessive, mold develops, or both.

Preservatives kill many of the microbes so less heat is produced. This gives hay time to dry out naturally, without the "sweat". But as it dries the preservative also vaporizes and disappears. If we stack bales tightly into storage soon after baling or fail to allow drying to occur in other ways, the remaining microbes eventually produce the mold and heat we wanted to avoid. Also, if rain, high humidity, or other sources moisten the hay later, microbial activity can redevelop since the protection from preservatives lasts only a short time.

Preservatives can help make good hay at higher moisture levels but correct management is needed to keep that hay in good shape.



Nebraska Farmer Plants Field of High-Yield Dreams
West Point’s Todd Prinz Among Six Farmers to Plant Acreage

The only thing constant about weather across the Corn Belt this spring has been its unpredictability. Like the rest of his corn-growing peers, Todd Prinz of West Point, Neb., has dodged raindrops, snowflakes and stubborn soil temperatures to finally begin his attempt at pushing toward 300-bushel-per-acre corn on 100-plus dedicated acres of his ground.

The Mosaic Company introduced The Pursuit of 300SM: The Road to Higher Yields this past August. The program uses the real-world experiences of U.S. farmers as a launchpad for agronomists, researchers, retailers and industry stakeholders to discuss and create the next generation of cropping systems. The goal is a sustainable, profitable system that incrementally yields an increase in bushels of corn per acre. Six growers from six different states have each designated 100 acres or more to serve as their Pursuit Fields and are chronicling their efforts at Pursuitof300.com.

“The start of the first full production year for Prinz Farm and Feedlot’s Pursuit of 300 has kicked off, and we’re very excited about it,” says Dr. Kyle Freeman, Manager of New Product Development for The Mosaic Company. “Todd is willing to try different management strategies to see what adds incremental yield. We know that achieving high yields is more than just fertility; it takes all facets of the corn production chain to boost yields. The Pursuit of 300 gives farmers, retailers and the ag industry a platform to exchange information, ideas and best practices to boost yields.”

This spring has been full of stops and starts, but on a farm in need of moisture, Todd Prinz of Prinz Farm and Feedlot certainly wasn’t complaining about the conditions. He had retail partner Central Valley Ag apply MicroEssentials® SZ™ in advance of planting on April 9, and expected to plant the field shortly thereafter. But once winter reemerged in Nebraska, it made itself at home, and it was May 13 before Prinz was able to plant his Pursuit Field, where he increased the seeding population to 38,000 per acre.

"We're excited to have our Pursuit Field planted and be able to watch it grow and gauge its potential," says Prinz. "We're in this to be more efficient and to learn new, better practices — and to hopefully bring some ideas from other areas to our farm in Nebraska. We want to raise yields, and we want to do so efficiently. Hopefully, some of the practices we've implemented on our Pursuit Field will help us with that. We're excited to find out."

The Pursuit of 300 consists of six farms in six states stretching across the Corn Belt, and includes, in addition to Todd Prinz and Prinz Farm and Feedlot, the following:
-    Matt and Luke Lantz of Lantz Farms in Lake Crystal, Minn.
-    Curt and Chris Hudson of Hudson Family Farms in Crawfordsville, Ind.
-    Mitchell Baalman of FDK Partnership in Hoxie, Kan.
-    Dale Launstein of Launstein Farms in Holland, Iowa
-    James Schoff of Schoff Farms in Walnut, Ill.

For more on each Pursuit Farmer and the systems they are implementing to reach 300-bushel corn, visit Pursuitof300.com.



CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM SIGN-UP CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.

Nebraska landowners and operators have until June 14, 2013, to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) at their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. The Conservation Stewardship Program is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to address resource concerns by undertaking conservation activities and improving and maintaining existing conservation systems.

CSP provides financial and technical assistance to help farmers and ranchers conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.  However, only applications received by the June 14 cutoff date will be considered for the current ranking and funding period.

Craig Derickson, NRCS state conservationist in Nebraska, encourages Nebraska farmers and ranchers to not miss out on this opportunity.

“The Conservation Stewardship Program is unique in how NRCS provides conservation program payments.  CSP participants will receive an annual land use payment for the environmental benefits they produce on their operations.  Under CSP, participants are paid for conservation performance - the higher the operational performance, the higher their payment,” Derickson said.

According to Derickson, CSP has been a very successful program for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers.  Over 2,000 CSP contracts occur in all 93 counties and cover 3.9 million acres in Nebraska.

“CSP is popular in Nebraska because farmers and ranchers don’t have to take land out of production to participate. CSP helps conserve natural resources on working lands. Keeping land in production while protecting natural resources creates a win-win for all Nebraskans. CSP makes it possible to produce crops and livestock while also improving water quality, soil health and wildlife habitat,” Derickson said.

CSP is available statewide to individual landowners, legal entities, and Indian tribes.  Eligible land includes cropland, grassland, prairie, improved pastureland, non-industrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe.  Contracts are set at five years and include all the land controlled by an operator.

For more information about CSP, including eligibility requirements and a self-screening checklist to see if CSP is right for your operation, producers can visit http://www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CSP.html or stop by their local NRCS field office.



2011 SURE Deadline Approaching

Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Director, Dan Steinkruger wants to remind Nebraska producers that the final date to submit an application for payment under the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program (SURE) is June 7, 2013.  The SURE program provides financial assistance for crop production and or quality losses due to a natural disaster.

“To receive 2011 SURE payments, an eligible producer must have had a qualifying loss during the 2011 crop year, which means at least a 10 percent production loss affecting one crop of economic significance in a county that was declared a disaster in 2011or is contiguous to a disaster county,” said Steinkruger.  “Producers outside a declared disaster county or contiguous county must have production losses of 50 percent or more of the normal production to also qualify,” he said.

Steinkruger stated, “Twenty-two counties in Nebraska were declared a disaster in 2011, which qualifies those counties and the 26 contiguous counties based on the 10 percent loss requirement.”  The declared counties include the 14 counties bordering the Missouri River and 8 counties in southwestern Nebraska.  Producers in all other Nebraska counties must meet the 50 percent loss requirement. “To date, FSA has paid out approximately $23 million to more than 1,200 producers in Nebraska under the 2011 SURE Program,” said Steinkruger.

Steinkruger urges producers who think they may qualify for a payment to contact their local FSA office prior to the June 7 deadline to discuss details of the program and complete the application process.  More information can also be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/sure.



Wholesale Beef Prices Set New Records
John Anderson, Deputy Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation

After bouncing around mostly between $185 and $195 per hundredweight (cwt) since the end of summer last year, wholesale beef prices earlier this month finally moved into record territory above the $200 mark.  Last Thursday, the Choice cutout value reached $211.37 before slipping back below $209 on Friday.  For the week, the Choice cutout worked out to $210.47, up $2.98 from the prior week.  The cutout value has been led higher by strong prices on middle meats.  As of last Friday, the Choice cutout stood at $208.87, up $9.38 from its price at the beginning of the month.  Over that period of time, rib and loin primal values increased by $29.52 and $28.36, respectively.  By contrast, chuck and round primal values were basically unchanged during that time.

The strength in the boxed beef cutout in May was likely supported to a great extent by retailer purchases in advance of the Memorial Day holiday.  The outsized performance of middle meat prices lends credence to this notion.  These are the cuts whose highest and best use is on the grill; and Memorial Day is definitely a grilling holiday.  One might hope that this year's generally poor spring weather (too cool and too wet in many parts of the country) has contributed to a pent-up demand for grilling that was finally satiated this past long weekend.  No doubt retailers have already assessed the post-holiday condition of their meat cases.  Whether or not they are happy with the holiday movement of beef will have a lot to do with where wholesale prices head from here.

Another factor that will be key to the future direct of wholesale beef prices is the performance of competing meat prices.  Those have been very supportive of late.  For example, after being flat for just about all of 2012, boneless/skinless chicken breast prices have recently surged, climbing to over 200 cents/pound last week from around 150 cents per pound in mid-April.  This is the highest b/s breast price since about this same time of year in 2004, when prices briefly climbed into the mid-200s.  At that time, though, prices on other cuts were such that the 12-city broiler composite never exceeded 85 cents per pound.  By contrast, last week's national broiler composite (successor to the now-discontinued 12-city price series) worked out to 113.53 cents per pound, reflecting dark meat and wing prices that are far above 2004 levels.  Wholesale pork prices have also managed to move up along with the competition.  The pork cutout finished the week last week at $94.42 / cwt (FOB plant).  As recently at early-April, the pork cutout was struggling to get above $80.

Looking ahead, competing meat prices are likely to become less accommodative of higher beef prices.  Last week's Cold Storage report showed a substantial increase in both poultry and pork stocks.  Frozen chicken and pork supplies both increased by 8% over the prior month.  For chicken, dark meat stocks increased fairly dramatically, with drumstick and leg quarter stocks up 26% and 19%, respectively.  By contrast, breast and breast meat stocks were actually down 2% month-over-month.  For pork, the biggest increase in frozen stocks was also in the lower-valued cuts.  Picnic and ham stocks were up 26% and 33%, respectively, compared with the prior month.   With trade to China and Russia still disrupted, a larger share of this product will have to find a home on the domestic market - clearly not a positive feature for the wholesale market moving forward. 



81st General Session of the World Assembly of Delegates of the OIE

For its 81st General Session, the OIE had the honour of welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, OIE Goodwill Ambassador. Numerous Ministers of OIE Member Countries also honoured the Assembly with their presence at the Opening Ceremony today in Paris, France.  Over 800 participants, representing Member Countries of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and numerous international, intergovernmental, regional and national organisations (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Trade Organization, European Commission etc.) took part in the event.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or 'mad cow disease'
During this year's Session, the World Assembly of national Delegates recognised Bulgaria and Costa Rica as having 'controlled risk' status with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); Israel, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Slovenia and the United States of America were recognised as having a 'negligible BSE risk'.  The official status of all the countries that already had an officially recognised status remains unchanged.

Foot and mouth disease
New zones were recognised as officially free from foot and mouth disease (FMD), in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.  The OIE endorsed the national control programme for FMD submitted by Bolivia.

Animal welfare
The World Assembly of OIE Delegates adopted a new chapter on broiler chickens, which includes criteria and measurables for animal welfare in broiler production systems.  "This new chapter is the culmination of a long-term undertaking and it has taken OIE Member Countries several years to reach a consensus. It also goes to show that our Organisation's international standards-setting process, based on scientific excellence and democratically adopted standards – one country, one vote – achieves results of worldwide importance" declared Dr Bernard Vallat, Director General of the OIE.

Recognition of official animal health status
This year, the Assembly has added peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and classical swine fever (CSF) to the list of diseases for which Member Countries can apply for official recognition of their disease free status.

African horse sickness (AHS)
In 2012, OIE Members validated the application of an official procedure for official recognition of countries' AHS status. This year, the Assembly recognised, for the first time, 59 countries as being free from the disease.  

Antimicrobial resistance
The OIE Delegates continued their work in the field of antimicrobial resistance by updating an important chapter of the OIE Code on responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine in the 178 OIE Member Countries.

Rinderpest
A new chapter on rinderpest was adopted that confirms its global eradication in animals and enacts measures to be taken in the event of any accidental or deliberate release from laboratories still holding the virus.  A global communication programme on the sequestration and destruction of rinderpest virus was launched during the General Session. Supported by the United Kingdom, which currently chairs the G8 Global Partnership, the campaign includes the use of a video clip calling on OIE Member Countries to respect the commitments they agreed to in a vote at the OIE in 2011.

Influenza A(H7N9) virus
The Assembly gave special attention to the exceptional nature of the influenza A(H7N9) episode in the People's Republic of China in April 2013. The latest available information, delivered to the Assembly by the Delegate of China, and the results of the recent OIE expert mission to China, were presented to Member Countries with a view to preparing measures to try to prevent any worldwide spread of the virus in animals.  

Scientific network
This year, the Delegates accredited five new Collaborating Centres and six Reference Laboratories, bringing the number of official centres of scientific excellence within the OIE worldwide network to 284.



Vilsack on OIE Upgrade of US’ BSE Risk Status

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement about notification received today from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) upgrading the United States’ risk classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to negligible risk:

“I am very pleased with OIE’s decision to grant the United States negligible risk status for BSE. This is a significant achievement that has been many years in the making for the United States, American beef producers and businesses, and federal and state partners who work together to maintain a system of interlocking safeguards against BSE that protect our public and animal health.  This decision demonstrates OIE’s belief that both our surveillance for, and safeguards against, BSE are strong. U.S. beef and beef products are of the highest quality, wholesome and produced to the highest safety standards in the world.

"Last year, exports of U.S.-origin beef and beef products totaled $5.5 billion.  With our negligible risk classification from the OIE, we have a strong foundation in place to continue increasing exports of U.S.-origin beef and beef products.   In doing so, we will continue to press trading partners to base their decisions on science, consistent with international standards. U.S. food and agricultural exporters and consumers worldwide benefit when countries adopt science-based international standards.”



NCBA Statement on OIE Vote to Upgrade U.S. to "Negligible" Risk for BSE

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President-Elect Bob McCan, a cattleman from Victoria, Texas, made the following statement about the vote by the Scientific Commission for the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to upgrade the United States’ risk classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to negligible risk status:

“This announcement by OIE’s Scientific Commission is very positive news for U.S. cattle producers. The U.S. being classified as negligible risk for BSE by the OIE further solidifies the fact that the safety and health of our cattle and our beef is a top priority for American cattlemen and women. With the implementation of multiple interlocking safeguards by the U.S. beef industry and our partners, we have successfully been able to prevent BSE from becoming a threat to the U.S. beef supply, which remains the safest in the world. The vote by the OIE, an internationally recognized, standard-setting body, is proof that the science-based mitigation measures in place in the United States effectively protect our public and animal health.

“This announcement is an important step forward in increasing export opportunities for U.S. cattle producers. This is a significant achievement for the United States, our beef producers and federal and state partners who have successfully collaborated on this issue.”



Viewing Trees as a Crop Increases Their Potential

            When one thinks of Nebraska, corn and beef production come to mind. What people may not realize is that Nebraska has a significant and growing forest resource. Since 2005, the amount of forested acres has increased by 200,000 acres to 1.52 million acres.

            Most of these forested areas, about 88 percent of them, are owned by small, private landowners.

            "Unfortunately, many existing woodlands are in relatively poor condition because they are often considered to be 'waste' areas on the farm and are managed as such," said Dennis Adams, Nebraska Forest Service extension forester at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

            Adams said that many of these forested areas have a large potential.

            "These same areas, if managed properly, could yield substantial income from the periodic sale of wood products, plus enhanced wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and other environmental benefits," he said.

            By applying a few basic forestry management techniques such as thinning, weeding and pruning, the forest trees could grow to their maximum potential.

            Adams prefers to look at trees as another type of crop.

            "The objective of forest stand improvement practices is to distribute the total growth potential to a fewer number of desirable tree species and provide space to allow the crop trees to grow to their maximum potential ," Adams said.

            Another aspect of taking care of trees is making sure that weeds are managed properly, without damaging the trees with the use of herbicides.

            "Our trees are quite vulnerable to weed sprays," Adams said. "Wind carried herbicides may cause dieback of foliage and in many cases eventual death of the tree."

            Adams stressed that it is important to exercise caution when using herbicides, so that it does not have unintended consequences on trees.

            "Science has yet to create herbicides that can think, therefore spray goes wherever we aim it or wherever the wind carries it, and not always where we would like it," Adams said. "We have the power to direct and control spraying, and only the individual on the spraying rig has the power to shut down the spraying operation when it gets too windy."



Fertilizer Prices Near Standstill

Retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN continued to see very little movement during the third week of May 2013.  All of the eight major fertilizers were lower compared to last month, but these moves were fairly minor. DAP had an average price of $611/ton, MAP $654/ton, potash $587/ton, urea $566/ton, 10-34-0 $612, anhydrous $844/ton, UAN28 $399/ton and UAN32 $450/ton.  UAN28 dropped back below $400/ton for the first time in nine weeks. The third week of March 2013 was the last time the liquid nitrogen was below $400/ton. 

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.62/lb.N, anhydrous $0.51/lb.N, UAN28 $0.71/lb.N and UAN32 $0.70/lb.N.

Only one of the eight major fertilizers is showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Anhydrous is now 10% higher compared to last year.  Four fertilizers are single digit lower in price compared to May 2012. DAP is 4% lower, MAP is down 6% and both UAN28 and UAN32 are now 8% lower compared to last year.  The remaining three fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. Potash slipped 11% while 10-34-0 is 21% less expensive and urea is 26% lower.



USDA INVESTIGATING DETECTION OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED (GE) GLYPHOSATE-RESISTANT WHEAT IN OREGON

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today that test results of plant samples from an Oregon farm indicate the presence of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. Further testing by USDA laboratories indicates the presence of the same GE glyphosate-resistant wheat variety that Monsanto was authorized to field test in 16 states from 1998 to 2005. APHIS launched a formal investigation after being notified by an Oregon State University scientist that initial tests of wheat samples from an Oregon farm indicated the possible presence of GE glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. There are no GE wheat varieties approved for sale or in commercial production in the United States or elsewhere at this time.

The detection of this wheat variety does not pose a food safety concern.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed a voluntary consultation on the safety of food and feed derived from this GE glyphosate-resistant wheat variety in 2004.  For the consultation, the developer provided information to FDA to support the safety of this wheat variety.  FDA completed the voluntary consultation with no further questions concerning the safety of grain and forage derived from this wheat, meaning that this variety is as safe as non-GE wheat currently on the market.

“We are taking this situation very seriously and have launched a formal investigation,” said Michael Firko, Acting Deputy Administrator for APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Services, “Our first priority is to as quickly as possible determine the circumstances and extent of the situation and how it happened.  We are collaborating with state, industry, and trading partners on this situation and are committed to providing timely information about our findings.  USDA will put all necessary resources towards this investigation. ”

The Plant Protection Act (PPA) provides for substantial penalties for serious infractions. Should APHIS determine that this situation was the result of a violation of the PPA, APHIS has the authority to seek penalties for such a violation including civil penalties up to $1,000,000 and has the authority to refer the matter for criminal prosecution, if appropriate.



NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates Statement in Response to USDA Announcement on May 29, 2013

The National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates were notified Wednesday that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed that a genetically-modified, glyphosate-resistant wheat variety that Monsanto field tested from 1998 to 2005 was present in volunteer wheat on one farm in Oregon. 

APHIS included a statement about the safety of this trait in its report today and confirmed that the material detected is as safe for food and feed use as non-biotech wheat varieties now on the market.  In addition, APHIS stated that at this time, there is no information that indicates that this regulated trait has entered the commercial supply chain.

"Roundup Ready” crops have been genetically modified to include a gene that works to make that crop resistant to the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, also known by its branded name, Roundup.  No Roundup Ready wheat, or any other genetically modified wheat, has been authorized by USDA for commercial sale in the United States or anywhere else in the world.

Monsanto did conduct research on Roundup Ready spring wheat in the past, but withdrew its application for deregulation of the trait in wheat in 2004. APHIS will be investigating this detection to determine how this trait appeared outside of a regulated environment. We expect the regulatory authority’s investigation will give us additional details about the situation and any appropriate actions that may be needed. 

Although a Roundup Ready trait for wheat was never commercialized, in 2004 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that the Roundup Ready trait in wheat did not pose a health risk in food or animal feed.  We are confident that U.S. wheat, wheat flour and wheat foods remain safe, wholesome and nutritious for people around the world. 

We know it is important to understand how this situation occurred, and we have confidence that APHIS will be able to determine that as soon as possible.  Nothing is more important than the trust we’ve earned with our customers at home and around the world by providing a reliable supply of high-quality wheat. As industry leaders, we will cooperate with authorities in the United States and international markets to understand the facts surrounding this incident and help minimize its impact.

We appreciate our customers standing with us while we monitor the investigation, and we will share additional information as soon as it becomes available. 

For more from APHIS, visit www.aphis.usda.gov.



Australian 2013-14 Wheat Output May Rise Despite Dry Weather

Australian wheat output in the next marketing year beginning Oct. 1 is expected to rise to almost 24 million metric tons from 22 million tons this marketing year due to a likely rebound in production in Western Australia, a senior industry official said Wednesday.

Allan Winney, chief executive of Emerald Grain, one of the country's largest grain trading and handling companies, says Western Australia has received ample rains in recent weeks that have replenished soil moisture and if the weather continues to be conducive, production is set for a significant recovery.  Western Australia's wheat output fell by more than 50% to 5.6 million tons this marketing year according to industry estimates due to a devastating drought in 2012, pulling down national output by 27%.

In the current season, plantings in several regions of eastern Australia--including Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia--are running behind schedule due to dry weather, Winney said. Australia mostly plants wheat in the second quarter and harvests in the fourth.

Despite the 27% decline in output in the current marketing year, Australia has maintained a strong pace of exports by drawing down inventories, Mr. Winney said. Exports are expected to be higher this year by 1 million-2 million tons due to strong overseas demand, he said.



CWT Assists with 300,000 Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted three requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 299,829 pounds (136 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese to customers in Asia. The product will be delivered June through August 2013.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 57.126 million pounds of cheese, 51.727 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of anhydrous milk fat and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 31 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 1.656 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. That is more than USDA’s projected increase in milk marketings for all of 2013.

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 assistance to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.



NMPF and IDFA Criticize Nevada Raw Milk Bill, Urge Governor Sandoval to Veto Legislation Permitting Sales of Unpasteurized Milk

Two national dairy organizations are urging Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to veto legislation that would allow the sales of raw milk directly to consumers, arguing that the food safety risks of the measure represent too great a gamble with the public’s health.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Sandoval, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said that Assembly Bill No. 209, which is awaiting review by the governor, would greatly increase Nevadans’ risk of serious illness because of the potentially dangerous bacteria that are often present in milk that has not been properly pasteurized.

“Gambling with the health of your state’s residents – particularly its children – is a bad bet,” said NMPF President and CEO Jerry Kozak in the letter. “While choice is an important value, it should not pre-empt consumers’ well-being,” he said, likening consumption of unpasteurized milk to a game of Russian roulette.

The letter cited a 2012 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which found that between 1993 and 2006, unpasteurized dairy products resulted in 73 known outbreaks – causing 1,571 cases of foodborne illness, 202 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. The CDC also concluded that unpasteurized milk was 150 times more likely to cause food-borne illness outbreaks than pasteurized milk, and such outbreaks had a hospitalization rate 13 times higher than those involving pasteurized dairy products. The CDC has reported that nearly 75% of raw milk-associated outbreaks have occurred in states where sale of raw milk was legal.

“Legalizing the state-wide sale of raw milk in Nevada increases the risk to public health, opening up the State’s consumers to the inevitable consequence of falling victim to a foodborne illness,” said Connie Tipton, President and CEO of IDFA.

Gov. Sandoval has until the end of the week to either sign or veto the assembly bill.

Federal law prohibits the interstate sales of raw milk but leaves it up to each state to determine how to regulate the product within their borders. An increasing number of states have liberalized sales of raw milk in recent years, which the dairy organizations say is a threat to public health and runs counter to other trends in the food industry to take additional steps to prevent unsafe foods from reaching consumers.

“Raw milk is a known source of life-threatening pathogens such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. It’s an abdication of a public servant’s role to take actions that will result in more people, including children, becoming sickened by these bacteria,” Tipton said.



Alltech Launches Mineral Management Program

Global animal health leader Alltech is launching a new mineral management program that aims to help their customers feed less organic trace minerals to their livestock and get optimal performance results. A unique approach to mineral supplementation, Alltech’s Total Replacement Technology (TRT) project will be officially launched to the swine market at World Pork Expo June 5- 7 in Des Moines, IA.

The company recently formed a global mineral management team to focus on providing solutions and support while introducing a modern nutrition application.  By creating a network of mineral consultants and researchers around the world, they will be delivering technologies to address today’s nutritional and environmental mineral concerns. This approach encompasses all of the company’s efforts to redefine organic trace mineral nutrition by educating the feed industry about TRT and to no longer address single mineral-related issues but overall mineral nutrition challenges.

“Minerals are Alltech’s number-one selling product division and now we have dedicated an entire team to the value-added program,” said Steve Elliott, Alltech global director of the mineral management division. “We want to set the tone for the industry and revolutionize the way organic trace minerals are supplemented into an animal’s diet.”

With new environmental feeding regulations being put in place each year, the TRT project strives to provide a secure source of organic trace minerals that are contaminant-free and safe for the environment. The latest research, which shows producers can feed substantially less amounts of organic trace minerals than inorganic and get a similar, if not better, performance in the swine barns, will be highlighted at Alltech’s booth at World Pork Expo.

“Research has shown that if hogs are overfed inorganic trace minerals, they do not perform with optimal productivity,” Elliott said. “Feeding a pig exactly what it needs with organic trace minerals, will result in enhanced efficiency and less mineral excretion.”

The new mineral management program joins a list of Alltech On-Farm support services.  The company currently provides workshops and training for employees, nutritional advisory services, 37+ Mycotoxin analyses, TrueCheck in-vitro screening,  quality control checks and many other services to support the industry.