Tuesday September 10 Ag News

Emergency Haying of CRP open for 14 days in Saunders County
Tim Divis, County Executive Director

Due to the recent D2 designation in a portion of the county on the US Drought Monitor, the Saunders County Committee requested and received approval to open CRP for emergency grazing.  Because of the late timing of the designation a special approval has just been granted by the national office to allow emergency HAYING of CRP for the next 14 days only.

Interested CRP producers may now come into the office and request to hay their CRP.  Haying is only allowed through September 24, 2013 and on eligible practices (CP-1, CP-2, CP-4, CP-10, CP-18 and CP-38).  Producers can only hay 50% of a field and any CRP that was hayed in either of the last 2 years and the hay was sold, cannot sell the hay again this year under these emergency provisions.  

As part of the request, the payment reduction for any new emergency haying requests has been reduced from 25% to 10%.  Bales must still be removed from the field by October 15, 2013.   Please contact our office if you have any questions!



E15 coming to four locations

The Nebraska Ethanol Board applauds the Frontier Co-op’s decision to offer E15 at four of its retail fuel locations in east central Nebraska.  E15 is a higher-octane blend consisting of fifteen percent ethanol and gasoline. Beginning September 20th, it will be available at the Co-op’s stations in Brainard, Ceresco, Dwight, and Weston.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent approval of the higher ethanol blend gives consumers a lower cost choice at the pump at a time of rising gas prices.  E-15 is expected to be priced about twenty cents a gallon less than no-lead gasoline.  Vehicles of the model years 2001 and newer along with drivers of the state’s one hundred and fifty thousand Flex Fuel vehicles can purchase E-15.  For more information on this and other Nebraska fuels, visit ne-ethanol.org.



Iowa Soybean Association board of directors elects 2014 officers

Six farmers were elected to leadership positions at the Sept. 5 meeting of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) board of directors.

Brian Kemp of Sibley took his seat as president and Tom Oswald of Cleghorn was elected president-elect. Rolland Schnell of Newton was chosen as treasurer and Wayne Fredericks of Osage was elected secretary. Jeff Jorgenson of Sibley was also elected to the executive committee.

ISA directors re-elected Mark Jackson of Rose Hill, immediate past president, and Ray Gaesser of Corning to represent Iowa on the American Soybean Association board of directors.

In addition, the directors discussed a number of issues concerning soybean farmers including the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, consumer outreach efforts, new and continuing crop research, sustainability and more.

“Iowa soybean farmers look to these leaders as they work to be more efficient and productive on their own farms,” said Kemp. “ISA plays an important role in agriculture, from state to national to international levels;  working to secure and strengthen new and existing markets for soybeans and support our farmers as they continue to be the leaders in national soybean production.”



ASA Appoints 16 Growers from 11 States for World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Leadership

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy has confirmed 16 soybean growers from 11 states to ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Committee in 2013-14. Keith Roberts of Ohio and Jack Trumbo of Kentucky are the newest additions to the WISHH farmer leadership team.

WISHH Committee Members reelected David Iverson of South Dakota as chair, Andy Welden of Michigan as vice chair, Illinois grower Dan Farney as treasurer, and Kansan Lucas Heinen as secretary. Additional WISHH Committee Members for 2013-14 are: Gary Berg (Ill.); Ron Bunjer (Minn.); Ryan Cahoon (N.C.); Dean Coleman (Iowa); Bret Davis (Ohio) Levi Huffman (Ind.); Mike Marron (Ill.); Monica McCranie (S.D.); Joe Murphy (Ill.), and Art Wosick (N.D.). United Soybean Board Director Mary Lou Smith (Mich.), and Drew Klein, representing the U.S. Soybean Export Council, serve as ex-officio members of the Committee. Murphy and Iverson thanked outgoing WISHH Committee Members Darrel McGriff (Ind.) and Randy Van Kooten (Iowa).

"ASA applauds these leaders who have recognized that U.S. soy markets are linked to the economic growth of developing countries," Murphy said.

"WISHH is blazing trails to bring the benefits of benefits of U.S. soy to Africa, Asia, Central America and more,” Murphy said. “U.S. soy is an affordable, available, nutritious and delicious protein solution for developing country diets.”

Chairman Iverson said, "WISHH is a leader through more than a decade of programs that span entire supply value chains for human foods as well as livestock and aquaculture feeds. U.S. soy improves the diets as well as economic opportunities in these countries."

Experts say that developing countries are the future of market demand for U.S. agriculture. Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Robert Thompson points out that of the billion additional mouths to be fed in the next 12 years, fewer than 5 percent of them will be in the high-income countries. The potential growth markets of the future are in the lower-income countries.

Importantly, income growth in developing countries is also on the rise. The middle class in developing countries is projected to increase by 160 percent by 2020 compared to just 15 percent in developed countries, according to analysis by Global Insight.

WISHH is a trade-development organization. Since U.S. soybean farmers founded WISHH in 2000, it has worked in 24 countries to improve diets, as well as encouraged growth of food industries. The WISHH program is managed from ASA’s world headquarters in St. Louis.  For more information, visit www.wishh.org.



ARS Develops Strategies to Stop TB Infections in Cattle

Improving tests and vaccination methods are some of the strategies U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are using to overcome obstacles that prevent the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle worldwide.

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, are developing new methods to prevent and control TB in cattle and white-tailed deer. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

Veterinary medical officers Ray Waters and Mitch Palmer and microbiologist Tyler Thacker are collaborating with international groups, other U.S. government agencies, the cattle industry and private companies to combat TB. They are developing better tests to help producers identify and remove TB-infected cattle from herds and keep healthy animals.

The tuberculin cattle skin test has helped eradication efforts, but has drawbacks, such as a 72-hour waiting period for results, according to Waters. Interferon-gamma release tests require live white blood cells that must be processed quickly. Traditional serum tests would be more convenient and less expensive.

Scientists demonstrated that improved antigens--substances that cause the immune system to produce antibodies against foreign bacteria--are crucial in developing effective serum tests. These findings were instrumental in the recent development of a new serum TB test by IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., of Westbrook, Maine.

Another type of test, based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of DNA, has been developed by Thacker. The new PCR test detects Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine TB, in fresh tissues. It is quicker, accurate and helps distinguish between M. bovis and environmental mycobacteria, which can cause false-positive results.

Scientists also tested a century-old TB vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), in deer. Palmer and his colleagues fed a BCG oral bait vaccine to captive deer and examined them one to 12 months later to determine how long the vaccine remained in the deer. BCG was not detected in deer given a standard dose.

Deer that received elevated dosages--10 times the standard--had traces of BCG in lymph nodes and other tissues not commonly used for food. The vaccine was never found in common cuts of deer meat in any of the safety experiments.



Fertilizer Prices Slide Once Again

Retail fertilizer prices are continuing to move lower, according DTN's weekly survey of more than 330 retail locations nationwide. All eight major fertilizers declined with a majority of the fertilizer moving significantly lower.

UAN28, UAN32 and 10-34-0 were all down 8% compared to the first week of August. UAN28 had an average price of $340 per ton, UAN32 $385/ton and 10-34-0 $548/ton.

Urea saw a 7% fall in price compared to a month earlier while potash slipped 6% and anhydrous another 5%. Urea averaged $472/ton, potash $526/ton and anhydrous $684/ton.

The remaining two fertilizers had price declines that were fairly small. DAP averaged $558/ton and MAP $592/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the national average urea price was at $0.51/lb.N, anhydrous $0.42/lb.N, UAN28 $0.61/lb.N and UAN32 $0.60/lb.N.

Fertilizer prices could be the relief valve in farmers' 2014 budgets as all eight of the major fertilizers are now at least 10% lower compared to one year earlier.

UAN32 is now down 10%, DAP 11%, MAP and UAN28 12%, 10-34-0 13%, potash 16%, anhydrous 17% lower and urea is 22% less expensive compared to September 2012.



Taiwanese Committed to Purchase $4 Billion in US Ag Products Within the Next Two Years

The Taiwan Feed Industry Association on behalf of the Taiwanese Agricultural Goodwill Mission signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Grains Council on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, committing to purchase 5 million metric tons (197 million bushels) of U.S. corn in 2014 and 2015. In addition, 0.5 million tons of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) will be included in the memorandum.

The total value of intended purchases is estimated to be nearly $4 billion, making Taiwan's letter of intent evidence of a U.S. commitment to strengethen trade ties and maintain a well-established partnership with the nation.

“Over the last 40 years, Taiwan has been one of the most import export markets for U.S. coarse grains and products,” said Julius Schaaf, USGC chairman. “With Taiwan producing less than one percent of its needed grains, the United States is able to be a major supplier to the nation. In 2011-2012, Taiwan was the sixth-largest U.S. corn market, the third-largest U.S. barley market and the seventh-largest U.S. sorghum market. The Council is proud of the partnership we have had with Taiwan for many years and are excited for the possibilities that continue to grow from this partnership.”

The Council has played an integral role in building and sustaining close ties between the United States and Taiwan. Even though U.S. agriculture exports to Taiwan are facing increasing competition from other suppliers, the Council continues to offer customer service, through providing timely and objective market information and assuring the Taiwanese of the quality and reliability of U.S. coarse grains and products. Through this relationship, Taiwan has remained one of the most stable markets for U.S. agriculture.



Petroleum Equipment Institute Report Shows Actual Cost of Installing E15 is Much Lower than Claimed by Ethanol Opponents

The cost of upgrading an existing retail gas station to sell E15 is substantially less than recently suggested by ethanol opponents, according to new information from the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI).

E15 has now been in the marketplace for over a year, and those stations offering E15 have seen increases in both overall fuel sales and in-store sales. Unfortunately, some of the retailers wanting to explore E15 have been discouraged from doing so by biofuel opponents who hope to block widespread use of the new fuel blend. Those detractors have stated that adding E15 will cost retailers $200,000 to $300,000. The ethanol industry has repeatedly stated that such estimates represent an absolute worst-case scenario that would be far from the norm. In fact, the stations that offer E15 today have spent an average of just $10,000 per station to add the product—or slightly less than $0.01 per gallon of gasoline sold for the average retail gas station.

Today, PEI further underscored the ethanol industry’s point that E15 station conversions can be done affordably. By request from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), PEI examined the potential cost of installing E15 at retail gas stations under 10 different scenarios. For example, stations that are just required to have compatible equipment can offer E15 with minimal investment. Those that can use existing dispensers—such as the Kansas station that was first in the country to sell E15 last summer—can offer E15 for under $1,200 on average per station. In this case, the investment in converting the station to sell E15 can be recouped in just one month (due to the potential for increased profitability from the sale of E15).

Those that require a listing by a testing laboratory also have inexpensive options. Stations can choose to retrofit their dispensers to offer E15 for under $4,200 per dispenser on average or replace dispensers to offer E15 for under $20,500 per dispenser on average. Even new stations being built could add E15 for under $10,000 per dispenser on average.

How do retailers pay for these upgrades? The good news is the return on investment (ROI) is quick given today’s markets. Given ethanol’s discount to gasoline and the current value of RINs, retailers offering mid-level ethanol blends like E15 can quickly recoup their investments in infrastructure.

Retailers should also keep in mind that the PEI cost estimates do not include any available incentives that help defray installation costs. Federal, state and local incentives and grant programs are available in most areas, and would further help reduce the cost of equipment and installation. One example, the USDA’s REAP Program, has funded hundreds of blender pumps that can offer a range of ethanol blends like E15. Retailers interested in incentives should visit www.BYOethanol.com and click on incentives.



EIA: Ethanol Output Continues Recovery

In its Short-term Energy Outlook released Tuesday, the Energy Information Administration revised lower its forecast for ethanol production going forward, though output continues to recover from 2012 levels.

EIA forecasts ethanol production would increase to an average 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2014, down from the 920,000 bpd forecast a month ago but up from 2012 levels. Smaller corn harvests due to widespread drought resulted in U.S. fuel ethanol production falling from an average of approximately 900,000 bpd, or 13.8 billion gallons per year, in the first half of 2012 to 820,000 bpd, or 12.6 billion gallons per year, from July 2012 through March.

According to the report, biodiesel production, which averaged 63,000 bpd, or 1.0 billion gallons per year, in 2012, has increased this year and reached a record level of 113 million gallons, or 89,000 bpd, in June. Biodiesel production is forecast to average about 81,000 bpd this year and 87,000 bpd in 2014.

EIA revises up forecast for U.S. 2013 crude oil production by 70,000 barrels per day
The forecast for U.S. crude oil production keeps going higher.  The U.S. Energy Information Administration revised upward its projection for crude oil output in 2013 by 70,000 barrels per day and for next year by 190,000 barrels per day.  U.S. oil production is now on track to average 7.5 million barrels per day this year and rise to 8.4 million barrels per day in 2014, according to EIA’s latest monthly forecast.  Estimated oil production in August hit 7.6 million barrels per day, the highes t monthly output since 1989.



Stabenow: It's Time to Stop Kicking the Can Down the Road

Senator Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Monday released the following statement regarding moving forward on the 2013 Farm Bill.

Stabenow joined Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid and Neil Young at a news conference Monday and called on House leadership to announce their conferees and officially begin conferencing the Farm Bill before the current extension expires on Sept. 30.

"It's time to stop kicking the can down the road and leaving rural America and 16 million jobs hanging in uncertainty. The Senate has agreed to go to conference and appointed conferees, and whenever the House decides to do the same we can move forward and finish the Farm Bill," Stabenow said.

"I do not support an extension because it is bad policy that yields no deficit reduction, no reform and does nothing to help American agriculture create jobs. It's time to do the work we were sent here to do and finally finish this Farm Bill."



CWT Assists with 8.4 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 21 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creamery, Dairy Farmers of America, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 8.153 million pounds (3,698 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 220,462 pounds (100 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered September 2013 through February 2014.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 94.651 million pounds of cheese, 67.424 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of anhydrous milk fat and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 37 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.392 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 Exports Top 150 Million Pounds in August
The month of August was another solid month for the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program. Assistance was provided to member cooperatives on cheese totaling 10.820 million pounds and on butter (82% fat content) totaling 5.932 million pounds.

These sales bring the year-to-date total sales to 86.5 million pounds of cheese and 67.2 million pounds of butter. On a milkfat basis, that is the equivalent of 2.312 billion pounds of milk.

Exports of U.S. dairy products are up significantly this year and CWT has been a major contributor to the increase. Through June, CWT-assisted product shipments are 51% of total butter exports, 72% of total American cheese, and 18% of total cheese.



New REAL Seal Campaign Continues to Grow

The National Milk Producers Federation continues to create awareness of dairy products – and the REAL Seal itself – through its new social media campaign connecting a new generation of consumers with products that use the Seal.

To date, NMPF has made a significant initial investment to underwrite a variety of promotional activities, including a new website, a new Facebook page, blogger outreach, and a new animated character. This brief video highlights activities already underway, and those planned for the future.

Until last fall, the REAL® Seal website – www.realseal.com – was targeted only at companies using the REAL® Seal to help them learn what they needed to do to qualify for the program. Today, the website is focused on consumers of dairy products and foods with dairy as a significant ingredient. The REAL® Difference for Consumers section tells consumers how to differentiate REAL® dairy products and foods made with REAL® dairy ingredients from imitators. Another subsection provides nutrition information comparing the natural goodness of REAL® dairy products, to the fabricated nutrition of imitators.

In addition, a buyer’s guide will soon be added to the website. All companies using the REAL® Seal will receive a free basic listing, and the opportunity to expand their presence in the Buying Guide. Consumers interested in buying REAL® dairy products, or foods made with REAL® dairy ingredients, will be able to d o so by using this Guide.

The REAL® Seal Facebook page — www.facebook.com/REALSealDairy — is reaching consumers, and more importantly, engaging them in why they should buy REAL® dairy products, and foods made with REAL® dairy ingredients. Since the Facebook page was launched in June, it has received nearly 60,000 “Likes.” This is the result, in part, of a paid advertising campaign initially funded by NMPF. The Facebook campaign has also benefited from the strong click-through rate, meaning consumers are continuing on to the REAL® Seal Facebook page rather than simply clicking “Like” on the REAL® Seal ad in their news feeds.

The program user fees being collected will go toward continuing these and other campaign elements, strengthening the connection between consumers and REAL® Seal users’ products. Future program elements will include a national blogger network, a Pinterest presence, email-driven direct marketing, and mobile apps.



2014 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards Program Announced

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®, established under the leadership of dairy producers, is now accepting nominations for the third year of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. These awards recognize outstanding dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships for management practices that are good for the community, good for the planet, and good for business.

To help kick off the new call for nominations, the Innovation Center is proud to present Dairy’s Sustainability Journey, a new video documentary series produced in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund® . WWF and the Innovation Center are working together with the nation’s dairy producers to develop, adopt and share new, science-based practices leading to a more sustainable dairy industry.

The short videos feature the 2013 winners of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards on their respective farm or operation, sharing their stewardship stories and sustainability practices in action.

“Sustainability is a journey that the dairy industry has been on for generations so that we can continue to contribute to a safe, affordable and nutritious food supply,” said Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “Every operation is different, and we encourage dairy farms and businesses to think about the steps they have taken that add up to better use of natural resources, increased profitability and positive community contributions. Nominate yourself, your business partners, or your neighbors so that these stories can be shared, recognized and replicated.”

Nominations are open through Nov. 15, 2013, to all segments of the U.S. dairy value chain — from farm to table — for the following categories:
-    Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability
-    Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability
-    Outstanding Achievement in Renewable Energy
-    Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency

This year’s gold-level sponsors include: the Center for Advanced Energy Studies; DeLaval; DVO Anaerobic Digesters; Elanco Animal Health; HDR; InSinkErator; Tetra Pak Inc.; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; World Wildlife Fund and Zoetis. Silver-level sponsors include Organic Solution Management; Skip Shapiro Enterprises, LLC; and Syngenta.

An independent panel of judges will evaluate all nominations based on results of the project or initiative as measured by triple-bottom-line success — economic, environmental and social. Judges also will assess: the potential for other dairy farms and businesses to adopt the practices; demonstrated learning, innovation and improvement; and scalability.

Success stories help connect consumers to agriculture
Consumers increasingly want to know that the products they buy are produced responsibly. This is especially true for those who drink a lot of milk, according to research conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute. However, consumers are more disconnected than ever from agriculture and know little about the sustainable practices employed on farms and in dairy businesses.

“Caring for the land, animals, air and water is essential to producing wholesome, nutritious milk,” said Paul Rovey “Through the dairy farms and businesses can share with consumers how their sustainability practices demonstrate their commitment and care for our environment.”

Research shows that today 9.2 million dairy cows produce more milk than the 25.6 million dairy cows the country relied on in 1944. Through improvements in cow health, nutrition and housing, among other factors, dairy farms today use 90 percent less cropland and 65 percent less water, and produce 76 percent less manure and 63 percent less carbon emissions. The industry is responsible for approximately 2 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is committed to reduce this further through a voluntary goal to reduce GHG emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

Past award winners use various management practices that are good for the environment, the community and their farm businesses. On Petersen Dairy Farm in Appleton Wis., for example, Mark Petersen and his family purchase newspaper from local nonprofit schools and churches to use as bedding for their cows, and then recycle it with cow manure into compost for their neighbors. Learn more about past winners – their stories, successes and lessons to share — in the Awards Winner Brochure available online.

Nominate today
The awards are part of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, an industrywide effort to understand and communicate about dairy sustainability, demonstrate progress, create long-term economic growth and build consumer trust.

An important part of the Innovation Center’s work is the development of the Stewardship and Sustainability Guide for U.S. Dairy. In its first phase, the science-based guide provides common metrics for all segments of the dairy supply chain to employ when tracking and communicating about social, economic and environmental impact.

Winners of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards will be announced in Washington D.C. in April 2014. In addition, their stories and passion for sustainability will be shared on a national scale in forums and venues, and will be featured on USDairy.com/Sustainability.

The deadline for applications is Nov. 15, 2013. There is no fee to enter. For more information, go to USDairy.com/Sustainability/Awards or Facebook.com/DairyGood.



An Update on the White House Rural Council
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Since the White House Rural Council was formed in 2009, our members from across the Federal government have taken a renewed look at many critical programs and services that impact rural residents, with an overarching goal to ensure that Federal agencies are collaborating to achieve the greatest possible benefit in rural America.

Today, I hosted a meeting of the White House Rural Council where we continued our focus on shared efforts to better serve rural America – from conservation, to veterans’ services, to rural development, to support for American agriculture and more.

Today’s meeting included a special focus on expanding rural access to health care. Rural Americans face unique barriers with regard to health care services, and new investments in medical facilities, expanded information technology and stronger veterans’ health care services can help meet these challenges.

While we look forward to a number of announcements in the weeks and months to come that are intended to strengthen rural health care capacity, the Department of Health and Human Services made two key announcements today in partnership with the White House Rural Council.

First, HHS announced that tomorrow, $4 million will be awarded through its Rural Health Information Technology Program to recruit, educate, train and retain health IT specialists in rural America. These awards will allow 15 organizations across the nation to train more healthcare workers in the specialized technology needed to better manage records and deliver remote services in rural America. As these services are expanded, more folks in rural areas will see streamlined management of health care records. Service will be more efficient. And it will be easier for specialists to help provide remote consultations through innovative new technology.

HHS also announced new awards as part of ongoing efforts to enhance mental health and other healthcare services for our veterans in rural America. Through the Flex Rural Veterans Health Access Program, HHS is making available $900,000 to three states, which will be officially announced tomorrow, to enhance telehealth and health information technology efforts. The funding is aimed at expanding healthcare – especially access to mental health services – for rural veterans in areas with particularly high veteran populations. This new effort by HHS will strengthen health IT capabilities for a wide range of institutions, from pharmacies, to clinics and hospitals across rural America.

Building on these new announcements, Rural Council members also discussed ongoing efforts to expand health care services to our veterans, in partnership with community organizations. Right now, the Department of Veterans Affairs is accepting applications under its Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot Program. This effort seeks to partner with five organizations, for two years each, to help reach out to rural veterans and their families with information on programs that could help them.

As we look ahead to future meetings of the White House Rural Council, I’m confident that there is a great deal of opportunity for Federal agencies to partner on behalf of rural America like never before. We’re excited to find new ways to work with each other, and with Americans from across the nation, to better serve rural America. I look forward to keeping folks updated on our progress.



CHS opens Uruguay office

CHS Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative and a global agribusiness, announced today it has opened an office at Montevideo, Uruguay, making it the fourth South American nation in which CHS has operations.

CHS growth in South American markets supports the company's strategic goal of expanding its business platform to meet growing customer demand and adding value to its member -owners' investment.

"CHS expansion into Uruguay will further build our grain origination and fertilizer distribution capabilities, and is a strategic complement to current operational and logistical activities in Argentina and Paraguay," said Stefano Rettore, senior vice president, CHS South America.

Sebastian Lavista will manage the CHS Uruguay office.  He will report to Ignacio Bosch, general manager, CHS Argentina.  Prior to joining CHS, Lavista was responsible for commercial business with Glencore in Uruguay.  He earned a bachelor's degree in International Business at Catholic University of Uruguay, at Montevideo.

CHS also has international marketing offices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Paraguay, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Hungary, Jordan, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Ukraine.



New Mapping Capabilities Provide Scorecard for Precision Ag Plans

Two new enhancements in the R7® Tool by WinField turn yield data into a scorecard farmers can use to easily evaluate input performance and field profitability. These valuable insights will help them make informed decisions season after season.

The Field Response Map spatially correlates actual yield map data from the combine with the map originally used to determine the input prescription for the field. Each map illustrates areas that responded well or poorly to that prescription. Examining the areas of the field that did not respond as predicted provide an opportunity to improve productivity potential for the following year.

The Profitability Map spatially correlates input costs, either flat or variable rate, and the yield map data from the combine to determine the parts of the field that were most profitable. Less-profitable areas provide the opportunity to discuss how to better align input investment with yield potential for the following year. This map helps farmers, together with their local agronomists, to manage profitability potential on every acre.

“Field response and profitability are two things that have always alluded precision ag,” said Dave Gebhardt, director data and technology Winfield. “’Did my field prescription work?’ and “Did my field prescription increase my ROI?’ are questions that farmers will now be able to answer, and then use those insights to make appropriate adjustments for next season.”

These new R7® Tool mapping capabilities underscore a commitment by WinField to help farmers turn this season’s yield and profitability data into valuable insights. WinField-affiliated local agronomists can help farmers analyze the data derived by these new features and work with them to implement any revisions necessary into a plan for next spring.

“We can use these tools to get the most out of the yield potential of the genetics that WinField offers in our CROPLAN® seed line,” said Gebhardt. “And we can help farmers make sure they’re getting the fertility balance right; that they’re not overfertilizing and wasting resources. Making these types of important adjustments can help ensure that farmers are using the right inputs at the right rates to optimize yield and profit potential.”