Tuesday July 2 Ag News

Heineman Appoints 11 Individuals to Serve on the Water Funding Task Force

Gov. Dave Heineman today announced appointed members of the Water Funding Task Force. This task force was created with the passage of Legislative Bill 517e.

Members include: Brian Barels of Columbus, Joel Christensen of Omaha, John Heaston of Cozad, Tim Luchsinger of Grand Island, D. Chandler Mazour of Gothenburg, Roric Paulman of Sutherland, Rex Peterson of Gordon, Gerry Dale Sheets of Sargent, Scott Smathers of Lincoln, Walter Dennis Strauch of Mitchell and Lennie Adams of Waterloo.

The task force was created to make recommendations to the Legislature for a strategic plan that prioritizes programs, projects, and activities in need of funding; ranking criteria to identify funding priorities based on a variety of factors; legislation on a permanent governing board structure, application process, and a process evaluating priority projects; an annual funding amount; and statutes and regulations that would need to be modified in accordance with the task force’s recommendations.

According to the law, the task force consists of 34 total members. Sixteen are to be the current members of the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission and 11 members must be appointed by the Governor from the following categories: public power; public power and irrigation districts; irrigation districts; a metropolitan utilities district; municipalities; agriculture; wildlife conservation; livestock producers; agribusiness; manufacturing; and outdoor recreation users.

Additionally, seven members are ex officio non-voting, including the Director of the Department of Natural Resources or his or her designee, the chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee and five members of the Legislature appointed by the Executive Board of the Legislative Council.

The task force must submit their final recommendations to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2013, and will terminate at that time.



NCTA expands veterinary education program

      A branch of the animal health care and education scene will be extending from Curtis to Omaha next year thanks to visionaries seeing a need for more licensed veterinary technicians in the Cornhusker State.
     “There are many scenarios where licensed vet techs are the individuals trained and responsible for animal well-being,” says Glenn Jackson, DVM, PhD, and director of Nebraska’s newest Veterinary Technology Systems-Comparative Medicine option, based in Omaha.
     “Opportunities are many, right here in Nebraska, for educated individuals to care for animals in facilities used for teaching, research, animal science and production agriculture,” says Dr. Jackson, who joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska – Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis in 2012.
    In Fall 2014, Dr. Jackson and other NCTA faculty will be teaching the core NCTA Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech) curriculum plus more customized classes, to the first students in the new program to be delivered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) campus in Omaha.
     Facility space at UNMC is under renovation for the NCTA program and will house small animals – mainly rodents, rabbits, cats and dogs.  Hands-on education with larger animals will occur at the UNL’s farm and feedlot near Mead, Nebraska, and also with facilities near Lincoln and Omaha, Jackson said.
     The two-year ( 76 credits) training program will provide an Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology, and will prepare students to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam to become a licensed veterinary technician, as well as certification exams to become an Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician or a full Laboratory Animal Technician.
     The Vet Tech option can transfer to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bachelor of Science degree program majoring in Veterinary Technology.
     What exactly is “comparative medicine?”
     A prime example is insulin for regulating diabetes, notes Dr. Jackson.  In studying the pancreas of dogs and how insulin could regulate blood sugar, researchers then took those solutions into human health.
     “Comparative medicine is studying physiology in animals,” Jackson says.   Other examples include findings from cardiovascular research.  There’s the heart valve taken from pigs and used in humans, and perhaps more well-known is the Jarvik-7 artificial heart first tested in cattle.  Once perfected in calves and a bull, the Jarvik-7 addressed congestive heart failure for humans starting in 1982.
     Although based at UNMC where health research trials occur in UNMC’s programs, the NCTA vet tech students will not engage in research, but will learn how to care for and provide veterinary support for animals in all types of health settings, including laboratories.
     Comparative Medicine is conducted by several Nebraska companies and research institutions, primarily in the eastern part of the state, such as in pharmaceutical company drug investigations or livestock and pet animal research and product development.  Vet tech jobs are ample in both private and public industries, Jackson says.



ASA Calls on House to Bring Unified Farm Bill Back to Floor in July

The American Soybean Association (ASA) joined with more than 530 agriculture, conservation, nutrition, rural development, finance, forestry, energy and crop insurance organizations today in a letter urging House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to bring the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 back to the House floor for a vote as soon as possible. In the letter, ASA and its fellow organizations noted the benefits of a unified farm bill and cautioned that nutrition and farm program bills may fail to pass as standalone bills. ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., issued the following statement on the effort:

“In our nation’s capital, where so many efforts are poisoned by party-line bickering, the farm bill has long been a resoundingly bipartisan symbol of both parties’ ability to come together to pass legislation that benefits all Americans. The farm bill supports our farmers and ranchers, and rural Americans; but it also helps our friends and neighbors in urban and suburban communities as well. That responsibility—to provide for all Americans—is one that farmers take seriously. We are proud to stand alongside such a wide range of organizations to call on the House to recommit to passing a single, unified farm bill this month.”



NCGA Urges Boehner for New Farm Bill Vote

Today, the National Corn Growers Association joined 531 other agricultural organizations and companies on a letter to Speaker John Boehner urging consideration of the 2013 farm bill again by the House of Representatives.  The letter follows the surprising failure of the House to pass the legislation at the end of June.

"Farm bills represent a delicate balance between America's farm, nutrition, conservation, and other priorities, and accordingly require strong bipartisan support," the letter stated.  "It is vital for the House to try once again to bring together a broad coalition of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to provide certainty for farmers, rural America, the environment and our economy in general and pass a five-year farm bill upon returning in July."

The letter also raises concerns about splitting the nutrition title from the rest of the bill, a possibility that Majority Leader Eric Cantor publically announced prior to Congress leaving for the July 4th recess.  The letter advises moving a unified farm bill forward to eliminate the possibility that neither farm nor nutrition programs pass.

"NCGA opposes splitting the nutrition title, or any title, from the 2013 farm bill," NCGA President Pam Johnson said.  "Splitting will cause further delays, creating even greater uncertainty. America cannot afford another extension of the 2008 farm bill.  This simply postpones overdue reforms and savings for the U.S. taxpayer.  We have made progress in the Senate on the farm bill and expect Speaker Boehner to bring the legislation back to the House floor as soon as possible."



NCGA Comments Express Support for Tier 3 Standards, Urge Continued Support for FFVs

The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the 938-page Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Proposed Rule. In these comments, NCGA commended the agency on the proposed Tier 3 motor vehicle emission standard and fuel rule, which will reduce pollutants from the on-road light-duty motor vehicle fleet for many years to come.

The association also commended the agency on its recognition of the benefits of ethanol in transportation fuel, and its continued support for the Renewable Fuel Standard regulation, which is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy security in the United States through the use of domestically produced ethanol.

The comments NCGA submitted are based upon two main principles.

First, the RFS volumes of biofuels in the future should be met in order to preserve the 150 million metric tons of annual CO2 equivalent emission reductions attributed to the RFS 2 program by EPA. The comments explain that:

"These emission reductions are directly dependent on the volume of biofuels and not on the fuel economy of the light-duty on-road motor vehicle fleet. The volume of biofuels is in turn dependent on having vehicles that are flexible-fuel capable and those certified on high octane mid-level blends plus a retailer infrastructure offering energy-competitive pricing. The Tier 3 proposal thus has a direct bearing on the availability of vehicles to implement the RFS."

Second, ethanol blends above E10 should be splash-blended to increase octane above the level of 87 AKI. In the comments, NCGA explains, "This will open up higher-octane-value fuels (not higher-priced "premium" grade fuels) to be widely used by the motoring public and by the automakers in meeting the 2017 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards."

The comments express support for EPA's approach toward establishing E15 as the new certification fuel for 2017 and later non-flexible fueled light duty vehicles, EPA's specifications for lower sulfur levels for in-use gasoline and of EPA's recognition that a high-octane mid-level ethanol blend could help automakers achieve the 2017 and later GHG emission standards and CAFE standards.

The comments did note that while NCGA is "generally supportive of establishing new certification fuel requirements for FFVs, we are concerned that the proposed approach would inhibit the future development of FFVs and the development of dedicated vehicles designed for the exclusive use of a high-octane mid-level ethanol blend. Both FFVs and high octane utilizing vehicles are critical to ensuring that the 150 million metric tons of GHG emission reductions from the RFS volumes are attained."



NCGA Sets New Membership Record

Membership at the National Corn Growers Association reached a new all-time high with 39,042 on the rolls as June closed. This membership record replaces the former of 38,810 members at the close of April in 2013, and it marks the first time membership has surpassed the 39,000 member threshold.

"While many have theorized that the United States has reached a post-membership society and that enrollment and active participation in civic groups will continue to decline, farmers across the country increasingly see the valuable service NCGA provides to all corn growers and act in support of our mission," said NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt. "Whether working to promote innovations that increase opportunity or voicing the support of America's farmers for the Renewable Fuels Standard in Washington, NCGA draws upon the strength of its more than 39,000 members so that, together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could acting alone."

Throughout NCGA's history, grassroots efforts have been the strength and driving force behind the organization.

"Farmers are at the heart of everything that NCGA does, with growers behind each step of a project from conception through the realization of its goals," stated Hunnicutt. "So many farmers choose to actively participate in the organization because they value giving back to their industry, putting the interests of the greatest number of farmers from across the country first in every decision they make."

NCGA has members across the contiguous United States. It is part of a federation in cooperation with grower associations and checkoff boards from 28 states, and represents more than 300,000 growers who contribute corn checkoff funds in their states.



CHS introduces grain marketing customer website

CHS Inc., a leading farmer-owned energy, grains and foods company, today announced it has created www.chsag.com to serve farmers selling grain directly to CHS river terminals and processing plants in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. The new public website features cash bids updated every 10 minutes, a powerful charting tool, radar weather and forecasts, futures market overviews, as well as specific location contacts and announcements. These website features are also available via mobile phones at m.chsag.com.

“CHS knows that farmers want the immediacy and ease of accessing market information and insights electronically,” said Rick Dusek, CHS vice president, grain marketing, North America. “Providing tools and resources like chsag.com is one more way that CHS helps its owners grow.”

CHS buys grain directly from farmers at its river terminals and soybean processing facilities at Davenport, Iowa; Fairmont, Mankato, Savage and Winona, Minn.; and Pekin, Ill.  CHS is a leading grain company, marketing more than two billion bushels of grain and oilseeds annually to domestic and export customers in 60 countries worldwide.

Farmers interested in selling grain directly to CHS can view cash bids and receiving hours on the website, www.chsag.com, or by calling the local phone numbers listed there. Farmers selling grain to CHS on a regular basis will also have secure, login access for information about individual shipments, settlement and contract details and transactions. 



RI Bioheat Mandate Awaits Governor
Legislation in Rhode Island requiring heating oil to contain 2% biodiesel -- known as bioheat -- beginning in 2014 and gradually increasing to 5% by 2017 awaits the governor's signature.

The state legislature passed the law June 13, putting Rhode Island on track to be the first to implement a statewide bioheat requirement, according to the National Biodiesel Board in an email to Schneider Electric this afternoon.

"As with New York, the bill is yet to be signed by the state governor without a clear timetable," said Kaleb Little, NBB spokesman. "Rhode Island is on track to be the first to implement a statewide bioheat requirement," he added.

The Rhode Island bill is similar to legislation passed in New York, but yet to be signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York followed the lead of New York City as the state legislature passed similar legislation June 21 requiring all heating oil sold in the state contain at least 2% biodiesel by 2015.

The legislation calls for all heating oil sold in the City of New York, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties to contain at least 2% biodiesel by Oct. 1, 2014, and all heating oil sold statewide to meet this standard by July 1, 2015.

New York City, the largest municipal consumer of heating oil in the country, has already instituted a citywide 2% biodiesel requirement in October 2012.



CWT Assists with 3 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 16 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 2.361 million pounds (1,071 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 665,796 pounds (302 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered July through December 2013.

Year-to-date CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 66.923 million pounds of cheese, 52.393 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of AMF, and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 32 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 1.761 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

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.



World Dairy Expo Online Dairy Cattle Entries Available Now

World Dairy Expo’s online dairy cattle entry system is now available to exhibitors wishing to make entries to this year’s show. The program utilizes the latest online registration technology while maintaining an easy-to-use and exhibitor-friendly system. The online entry system, 2013 Premium Book, and all accompanying forms can be accessed on the Dairy Cattle Show & Sales page at worlddairyexpo.com.

The system allows exhibitors to enter their animals, purchase a tent and/or booth space and show season passes. Stalling requests, youth showmanship and fitting contest entries, Futurity entries and judge nominations can all be submitted using the online entry system. Exhibitors will be able to refer back to their entries after making payments.

Exhibitors entering online may take advantage of a $3 per animal entry fee discount when complete animal name, registration number and Animal Identification Number (AIN) 15-digit number information is provided. Pending information for these fields will not be eligible to receive the discount.  Entries must be submitted and payment transaction completed by August 31, 2013. The discount is only offered with the initial online entry and payment. A refund for the discount will not be granted when further data is provided after payment. The entry discount is not valid with paper entry.

Premium Books have been mailed to recent years’ exhibitors. Request a printed Premium Book by contacting World Dairy Expo at 608-224-6455. Paper entry forms will still be gladly accepted again this year.

INITIAL ENTRY DEADLINE IS SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2013. You may use the online entry system and pay by credit card (online only) until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. All applicable fees apply for entries made after August 31.

“Center of the Dairy Universe” is the theme for World Dairy Expo 2013, which will take place Tuesday, October 1 through Saturday, October 5 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. For show schedule and further information, visit worlddairyexpo.com.



Buyers Cool During Dog Days of Summer

Retail fertilizer prices remained steady once again, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of June 2013.  All eight of the major fertilizers were lower compared to last month, but again these moves to the low side were fairly minor. DAP had average price of $601 per ton, MAP $644/ton, potash $579/ton, urea $549/ton, 10-34-0 $602/ton, anhydrous $815/ton, UAN28 $392/ton and UAN32 $443/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.60/lb.N, anhydrous $0.50/lb.N, UAN28 $0.70/lb.N and UAN32 $0.69/lb.N.

Only one of the eight major fertilizers is showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Anhydrous is now 6% higher compared to last year.  Four fertilizers are single digits lower in price compared to June 2012. UAN32 is 4% lower, both MAP and DAP are 5% lower and UAN28 is now 6% lower compared to last year.  The remaining three fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. Potash fell 12% while 10-34-0 is 15% less expensive and urea is 24% lower.



Resistance Gene Found Against Ug99 Wheat Rust Pathogen

The world's food supply got a little more plentiful thanks to a scientific breakthrough.

Eduard Akhunov, associate professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University, and his colleague, Jorge Dubcovsky from the University of California-Davis, led a research project that identified a gene that gives wheat plants resistance to one of the most deadly races of the wheat stem rust pathogen -- called Ug99 -- that was first discovered in Uganda in 1999. The discovery may help scientists develop new wheat varieties and strategies that protect the world's food crops against the wheat stem rust pathogen that is spreading from Africa to the breadbaskets of Asia and can cause significant crop losses.

Other Kansas State University researchers include Harold Trick, professor of plant pathology; Andres Salcedo, doctoral candidate in genetics; and Cyrille Saintenac, a postdoctoral research associate currently working at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in France. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Borlaug Global Rust Initiative.

The team's study, "Identification of Wheat Gene Sr35 that Confers Resistance to Ug99 Stem Rust Race Group," appears in the journal Science.

It identifies the stem rust resistance gene named Sr35, and appears alongside a study from an Australian group that identifies another effective resistance gene called Sr33.

"This gene, Sr35, functions as a key component of plants' immune system," Akhunov said. "It recognizes the invading pathogen and triggers a response in the plant to fight the disease."

Wheat stem rust is caused by a fungal pathogen. According to Akhunov, since the 1950s wheat breeders have been able to develop wheat varieties that are largely resistant to this pathogen. However, the emergence of strain Ug99 in Uganda in 1999 devastated crops and has spread to Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen, though has yet to reach the U.S.

"Until that point, wheat breeders had two or three genes that were so efficient against stem rust for decades that this disease wasn't the biggest concern," Akhunov said. "However, the discovery of the Ug99 race of pathogen showed that changes in the virulence of existing pathogen races can become a huge problem."

As a first line of defense, wheat breeders and researchers began looking for resistance genes among those that had already been discovered in the existing germplasm repositories, he said.

"The Sr35 gene was one of those genes that was discovered in einkorn wheat grown in Turkey," Akhunov said. "Until now, however, we did not know what kind of gene confers resistance to Ug99 in this wheat accession."

To identify the resistance gene Sr35, the team turned to einkorn wheat that is known to be resistant to the Ug99 fungal strain. Einkorn wheat has limited economic value and is cultivated in small areas of the Mediterranean region. It has been replaced by higher yielding pasta and bread wheat varieties.

Researchers spent nearly four years trying to identify the location of the Sr35 gene in the wheat genome, which contains nearly two times more genetic information than the human genome.

Once the researchers narrowed the list of candidate genes, they used two complimentary approaches to find the Sr35 gene. First, they chemically mutagenized the resistant accession of wheat to identify plants that become susceptible to the stem rust pathogen.

"It was a matter of knocking out each candidate gene until we found the one that made a plant susceptible," Akhunov said. "It was a tedious process and took a lot of time, but it was worth the effort."

Next, researchers isolated the candidate gene and used biotechnical approaches to develop transgenic plants that carried the Sr35 gene and showed resistance to the Ug99 race of stem rust.

Now that the resistance gene has been found, Akhunov and colleagues are looking at what proteins are transferred by the fungus into the wheat plants and recognized by the protein encoded by the Sr35 gene. This will help researchers to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind infection and develop new approaches for controlling this devastating pathogen.



Global Food Security Index Shows Promise in Developing Nations

Today, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) issued findings from the annual Global Food Security Index, a first-of-its-kind ranking tool to comprehensively measure food security and monitor the ongoing impact of agriculture investments, collaborations and policies around the world.  Commissioned by DuPont, the 2013 Index expands on the 25 previously identified food security indicators to determine how two new factors, political corruption and urbanization, affect access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.  Additionally, the 2013 Index includes Singapore and Ireland in the 107-country comparison, designed to track progress, foster collaboration and create real-world solutions to help feed the 9 billion people on Earth.

“Addressing food security is fruitless without measurement tools and global benchmarks, together with a continued commitment, but most important: Action,” said DuPont Pioneer President Paul E. Schickler.  “Since we commissioned the first Global Food Security Index last year, governments, NGOs and academics have used the Index as a roadmap to identify critical food security issues and make better informed decisions, develop collaborative partnerships and create effective local policies to address country-specific needs.”

Using the 2012 Index findings as a guide, DuPont formed a joint-partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Ethiopian Government to help smallholder farmers access better seeds and increase productivity.  This year, the Sub-Saharan African nation jumped several spots on the Index as a result of this new program and other advances such as farmers’ improved access to financing.

2013 KEY FINDINGS
While the average 2013 Global Food Index Score remained flat (53.5 percent versus 53.6 percent in 2012), some trends emerged from the year-on-year comparisons that shed light on the stagnant figure:

-    Nutrition is Key in Chile and Beyond: The 2013 Global Food Security Index shines a spotlight on nutrition:  More than 3 million children under the age of 5 die from malnutrition each year.  In Latin America, these issues are especially acute since only 53 percent of countries in the region have official policies regarding nutrition in place in primary schools.  “Access to safe, nutritious and affordable food is critical to health and overall development,” said Schickler while speaking alongside NGO and government partners at a nutrition and agriculture roundtable event in Santiago, Chile.  Thanks to decades of strong economic management and political stability, Chile leads Latin America in terms of food availability and affordability and ranks second only to Argentina for its food quality and safety.  “While it’s important to acknowledge progress, we need to scrutinize the findings further to identify country-specific areas of concern and collaborate with partners to implement tailored, local solutions here in Chile (where diet diversification and obesity remain issues) and hundreds of countries around the world to ensure that nutrition is addressed holistically.”
    
-    Developing Nations Make Progress as Industrialized Countries Face Setbacks: Sub-Saharan African nations including Ethiopia, Senegal and Botswana made significant progress this past year, rising an average of nine places in the Index, with improvements attributed to rising incomes, greater access to farmer financing along with heightened emphasis on quality food and nutrition.  The growth in developing nations contrasts a fall in developed European economies, in particular Greece, as it regressed as fallout of financial collapse and lower gross domestic product.
    
-    Broader Food Security Metrics:  Rather than measure food security in black and white terms, the 2013 Index tracks 27 diverse factors that may explicitly or implicitly affect access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.  New this year, the Index points to political conflicts in Mali, Yemen and Syria as significant contributors to food insecurity in the regions.  With regard to urbanization, emerging markets appear best positioned to respond to the long-term trend and implications for food security: Sierra Leone was the top-ranked country in this new indicator, primarily as a result of its strong urban farming, which has been crucial in supporting the country’s nutritional needs.

“We’ve spent hundreds of hours collecting and analyzing data for the Index so we can better understand what factors help and hinder food security,” said Leo Abruzzese, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s global forecasting director.  “Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, global picture of food security so that stakeholders like DuPont can work with partners in vulnerable areas of the world where food insecurity is a serious concern.”  For more in-depth analysis of the 2013 Index, watch Abruzzese speak to key trends by clicking here.

For more information on the interactive Global Food Security Index, including definitions of the 27 global indicators, food price tracking, multi-country comparisons and more, visit: http://foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/.