Monday September 30 Ag News

NEBRASKA SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 GRAIN STOCKS

Nebraska old crop corn stocks in all positions on September 1, 2013 totaled 79.4 million bushels, down 15 percent from 2012 and the smallest total since 1996, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Of the total, 22.0 million bushels are stored on farms, down 21 percent from a year ago.  Off-farm stocks, at 57.4 million bushels, are down 13 percent from last year. 

Old crop soybeans stored in all positions totaled 9.8 million bushels, down 44 percent from last year.  On-farm stocks of 2.5 million bushels are down 14 percent from a year ago and off-farm stocks, at 7.3 million bushels, are down 50 percent from 2012. 

Wheat stored in all positions totaled 50.7 million bushels, down 18 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks of 6.60 million bushels are down 14 percent from 2012 while off-farm stocks of  44.1 million bushels are down 19 percent from last year. 

Old crop sorghum stored in all positions totaled 776,000 bushels, down 35 percent from 2012 and the lowest since 1957. 
 
IOWA: 
Iowa  corn  stocks  in  all  positions  on  September  1,  2013  totaled 204 million bushels, 10 percent below a year ago.  Of the total stocks, 33  percent were  stored  on-farm.   The  June  - August  2013  indicated disappearance  totaled  362 million  bushels,  22  percent  less  than  the 463 million bushels used during the same period last year.

Iowa  soybeans  stored  in  all  positions  September  1,  2013  totaled 40.2 million bushels, 4 percent more than the 38.8 million bushels on hand September 1, 2012.   Of  the  total stocks, 31 percent were stored on-farm.  Indicated disappearance for the June - August 2013 quarter was 63.2 million bushels, 41 percent less than the 108 million bushels used during the same quarter last year.

Iowa oat stocks stored in all positions on September 1, 2013 totaled 5.12 million bushels, down 23 percent  from  the 6.61 million bushels on  hand  September  1,  2012.    Of  the  total  stocks,  47 percent  were stored  on-farm.   The  June  -  August  indicated  disappearance  was 3.19 million bushels, down 20 percent  from  the 3.97 million bushels used during the same quarter last year.



United States Grain Stocks Report

Old crop corn stocks in all positions on September 1, 2013 totaled 824 million bushels, down 17 percent from September 1, 2012. Of the total stocks, 275 million bushels are stored on farms, down 12 percent from a year earlier. Off-farm stocks, at 549 million bushels, are down 19 percent from a year ago. The June - August 2013 indicated disappearance is 1.94 billion bushels, compared with 2.16 billion bushels during the same period last year.

Old  crop  soybeans  stored  in  all  positions  on  September  1,  2013  totaled  141 million  bushels,  down 17 percent  from September  1,  2012. Soybean  stocks  stored  on  farms  totaled  39.6 million  bushels,  up 3 percent  from  a  year  ago.  Off-farm  stocks,  at  101 million  bushels,  are  down  23  percent  from  last September.  Indicated  disappearance  for  June  -  August  2013  totaled  294  million  bushels,  down 41 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Based  on  an  analysis  of  end-of-marketing  year  stock  estimates,  disappearance  data  for  exports  and crushings, and farm program administrative data, the 2012 soybean production is revised to 3.03 billion bushels, up 18.6 million bushels  from  the previous estimate. Planted area  is unchanged, but harvested area  is  revised up 60,000  acres  to 76.2 million  acres. The 2012  yield,  at 39.8 bushels per  acre,  is up 0.2 bushel  from  the previous  estimate. A  table with 2012  acreage,  yield,  and production  estimates by States is included on page 17 of this report.

All wheat  stored  in  all  positions on September  1, 2013  totaled 1.85 billion bushels, down 12 percent from  a  year  ago.  On-farm  stocks  are  estimated  at  547  million  bushels,  down  5  percent  from  last September. Off-farm  stocks, at 1.31 billion bushels, are down 15 percent  from a year ago. The  June  - August 2013 indicated disappearance is 991 million bushels, up 10 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Oats  stored  in  all  positions  on September  1,  2013  totaled  63.4 million bushels,  25  percent  below  the stocks  on  September  1,  2012. Of  the  total  stocks  on  hand,  37.0 million  bushels  are  stored  on  farms, 9 percent  higher  than  a  year  ago. Off-farm  stocks  totaled  26.4 million  bushels,  48  percent  below  the previous  year.  Indicated  disappearance  during  June  -  August  2013  totaled  38.9  million  bushels, compared with 34.0 million bushels during the same period a year ago.



2013 NEBRASKA SMALL GRAIN ACREAGE AND PRODUCTION

Winter wheat production is estimated at 39.6 million bushels, down 26 percent from last year and the lowest since 1944.  Planted acreage totaled 1.47 million acres, up 7 percent from a year earlier.  However, area harvested for grain totaled 1.13 million acres, down 13 percent from 2012.  Yield at 35 bushels per acre, is down 6.0 bushels from 2012 and lowest since 2002.

Oat production is estimated at 1.63 million bushels, 58 percent above 2012.  Planted acreage totaled 150,000, is double that of a year earlier.  Area harvested for grain, at 25,000 acres, is up 39 percent from last year.  Yield of 65.0 bushels per acre, is up 8 bushels from 2012.



Iowa Small Grains Summary

OAT  production  is  estimated  at  3.96 million  bushels,  up  5  percent  from  last  year  according  to  the USDA, NASS,  Iowa Field Office.   Harvested  area  for  grain  is  60,000  acres,  up  3  percent  from  2012.   Oat  yield,  at 66.0 bushels per acre, is up 1 bushel from last year.

WINTER WHEAT  production,  at  1.09  million  bushels,  is  up  58  percent  from  last  year.    Winter  wheat harvested area  is 21,000 acres, up 62 percent  from  last year.   Winter wheat yield, at 52.0 bushels per acre,  is down 1 bushel from 2012.



USDA-NASS Small Grains 2013 Summary

All  wheat  production  totaled  2.13  billion  bushels  in  2013,  down  6  percent  from  2012.  Grain  area  totaled 45.2 million acres, down 8 percent from the previous year. The United States yield is estimated at a record high of 47.1 bushels per acre, up 0.8 bushel from the previous year. The levels of production and changes from 2012 by type are winter wheat, 1.53 billion bushels, down 7 percent; other spring wheat, 532 million bushels, down 2 percent, and Durum wheat, 61.5 million bushels, down 26 percent.

Oat production is estimated at 66.0 million bushels, up 3 percent from 2012 but the third lowest production on record. Yield  is estimated at 64.0 bushels per acre, up 2.7 bushels  from  the previous year. Harvested area, at 1.03 million acres, is slightly below last year. This is the second lowest acreage harvested for grain on record.



Frontier Cooperative, Husker Coop Announce Merger to be finalized January 1, 2014

Representatives from Frontier Cooperative Company, Brainard, Nebr., and Husker Coop, Columbus, Nebr., are proud to announce a definitive merger agreement to consolidate into a unified cooperative. The consolidated company will assume business as Frontier Cooperative Company effective Jan. 1, 2014.

All Husker Coop members were eligible to vote on the proposed merger. Ballots were counted at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, in Columbus. The merger was finalized with the result of a majority vote over 80% in favor of the merger. A total of nearly 44% of all Husker members voted, with 530 voting in favor of the merger and 120 voting against the merger.

The proposal to consolidate was a result of careful consideration and extensive research conducted by both Boards of Directors and managers. The merger came about based on several key factors identified by both companies. The cooperatives determined that pursuing a merger is the best way to maintain pace with customers’ ever-changing demands of quality products, services, resources, and facilities. The consolidation of the companies will help improve and expand services in order to meet the present and future needs of producers.

Frontier Cooperative Company (formerly Farmers Cooperative Company), was established in 1915. The company experienced growth and acquisitions for several decades, and in 1990, the Frontier Cooperative Company brand was established. Frontier is a full-service cooperative with grain, agronomy, fuel, seed, and feed. The company currently operates at 14 grain, agricultural, and aerial locations.

“This unification means a better future for both companies. Our goal in all of this has been to do what is in the best interest for our personnel, our customers, and future generations of our cooperative,” says Randy Robeson, general manager of Frontier Cooperative. “The No. 1 reason to merge companies is to be able to provide for future generations. We want to be able to bring in the younger generation, show a career, and hire the right people.”

Husker Coop (formerly Farmers Coop Grain) was incorporated in 1921 in Osceola. Throughout the years, the company underwent many additions, expanding its territory east, north, and west. Husker Coop currently operates in 10 locations and consists of six grain elevators, three feed mills, seven dry fertilizer plants, three liquid fertilizer plants (with liquid storage at all 10 locations), two service stations, and one convenience store.

“Our Board’s goal has been to do the right thing for our employees, for the members of our cooperative, and for future generations of the members of our cooperative. I believe that we have accomplished that goal,” says Rich Richey, general manager of Husker Coop.

The next few months will be a fundamental learning process for both companies during the transition.

“We look forward to serving the Husker Coop and Frontier patron members with assets attained through this merger and with future equipment and facility investments that are in the development stages, says Robeson. “We’re also very eager and excited to welcome the Husker Coop employees into the Frontier Cooperative family.”



Managing Soybean Harvest Timing, Moisture to Improve Yield
Gary Zoubek, Extension Educator, York County
Roger Wilson, Extension Farm Management/Enterprise Budget Analyst
Chuck Burr, Extension Educator, Water/Cropping Systems

Soybean harvest is underway in many dryland soybean fields and some early season irrigated fields. Soon it will be in full swing.

Harvesting soybeans in a timely manner and at the optimum moisture is important to getting the best yields. Even though stems may be green, soybeans may be dry and ready for harvest.

Monitoring Moisture
It’s probably more common for soybeans to be harvested at 10% moisture or less than it is to harvest them at the desired 13%. Beans testing over 13% moisture are assigned a penalty that shows up on the scale ticket. Soybeans testing under 13% also are penalized, but it shows up as fewer bushels to sell rather than an item on the scale ticket.

A standard bushel of soybeans weighs 60 lb and is 13% moisture; that is 52.2 lb of dry matter and 7.8 lb of water. If you harvest soybeans at 12% moisture, you still have 52.2 lb of dry matter, but the bushel of beans weighs 59.318 lb instead of 60 lb. The lost water is 0.682 lb or a 1.137% decrease in beans delivered. If you are harvesting 60 bushel soybeans at 13% moisture and sell them for $12 a bushel, you will receive $24 an acre more than letting them dry down to 10% moisture. This loss will increase to nearly $40/acre if you harvest them at 8% moisture.

Risk is another factor to consider. The longer the beans are in the field, the greater the risk of losing them to shattering or lodging. You may want to think of the “scale ticket penalty” as an insurance premium. Giving up a little in penalties reduces the chance that severe weather or unfavorable harvest conditions may reduce your yield.

While it is impossible to harvest all your beans at exactly 13%, that should be your goal.

Soybean Harvest Tips
The following adjustments in your practices can help you get the most from your harvest:
-    When harvesting tough or green stems, make combine adjustments and operate at slower speeds.
-    Begin harvesting at 14% moisture. What appears to be wet from the road may be dry enough to harvest. Try harvesting when some of the leaves are still dry on the plant; the beans may be drier than you think. Soybeans are fully mature when 95% of the pods are at their mature tan color.
-    Harvest under optimum conditions. Moisture content can increase by several points with an overnight dew or it can decrease by several points during a day with low humidity and windy conditions. Avoid harvesting when beans are driest, such as on hot afternoons, to maintain moisture and reduce shattering losses.
-    Avoid harvest losses from shattering. Four to five beans on the ground per square foot can add up to one bushel per acre loss. If you are putting beans in a bin equipped for drying grain, start harvesting at 16% moisture and aerate down to 13%.
-    Harvest at a slow pace and make combine adjustments to match conditions several times a day as conditions change.

While it's too late for this season, next year select your varieties and schedule your planting to spread out plant maturity and harvest.



Gabe Brown Will Speak on Increasing Profits While Regenerating Resources

The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension are hosting Gabe Brown, a noted soil health advocate, on a four-day, eight-stop traveling road show across Nebraska.

Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement which focuses on regenerating resources. Brown, along with his wife, Shelly, and son, Paul, own and operate a diversified farm and ranch near Bismarck, N.D.

The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping system, which includes multi-species cover crops, with all natural grass fed beef, poultry and sheep.  Brown has been an invited speaker across the U.S. and beyond. He was honored with the NRDC's 2012 Growing Green Awards winner in the Food Producer category. For over 15 years, he has merged back-to-basics agrarian practices with innovative science-based sustainable farming techniques. Brown will share topics that include:
            – Decreasing inputs while increasing yields
            – Livestock: The missed income opportunity
            – Producing corn for only $1.42/bushel
            – Regenerating soil resources
            – Opportunities to bring the next generation into the operation
            – Lowering cow wintering costs

Dates, times, locations and local UNL Extension contact include (times are Central Time unless noted):
            Nov. 18 – 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Mountain Time), Cheyenne County 4-H Building, Sidney; Contact: Aaron Berger, UNL Extension Office in Banner, Kimball and Cheyenne Counties, 308-235-3122
            Nov. 18 – 5-9 p.m., Nebraska Ag Industry Education Center, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Curtis; Contact: Barb Scharf, UNL Extension Office in Frontier County, 308-367-4424 or 888-367-4424
            Nov. 19 – 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Adams County Fairgrounds, Hastings; Contact: Ron Seymour, UNL Extension Office in Adams County, 402-461-7209
            Nov. 19 – 5-9 p.m., Nemaha County Hospital, Auburn; Contact: Gary Lesoing, UNL Extension Office in Nemaha County, 402-274-4755
            Nov. 20 – 10 a.m.2- p.m., Time Square Event Center, Norfolk; Contact: Wayne Ohnesorg, UNL Extension Office in Madison County, 402-370-4040
            Nov. 20 – 5-9 p.m., Scotia Community Center, Scotia; Contact: Heather DePra, UNL Extension in the Central IV Counties, 308-728-5071
            Nov. 21 – 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Ainsworth Conference Center, Ainsworth; Contact: Dennis Bauer, UNL Extension in Brown, Keya Paha and Rock Counties, 800-634-8951
            Nov. 21 – 5-9 p.m. (Mountain Time), Chadron State College, Student Center, Chadron; Contact: Scott Cotton, UNL Extension Office in Dawes County, 308-432-3373

Cost is $15 which covers the cost of the meal. NGLC will pick up the cost of all student registrations. Participants must preregister by Nov. 11 to reserve a meal by calling the UNL Extension office indicated. Registrations will be taken until full.

For more information, contact Ron Bolze, coordinator, Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, 402-321-0067 (cell) or ron@nebraskagrazinglands.org.



ICON PREPARES FOR EIGHTH ANNUAL CONVENTION

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) are making plans for the eighth annual convention.  ICON will be hosting their annual gathering in O’Neill, Nebraska, on Saturday, November 9, at the O’Neill Community Center.  The day will start with registration at 8 a.m. and the ever popular Senator Panel will begin at 9 a.m. Senator Al Davis, ICON director, will be joining Senators Mark Christensen, Jerry Johnson and Ken Schilz for the ICON panel. The ICON membership is always intrigued by visiting with the Senators in a one-to-one situation.

The morning Senator Panel session will last until 11:45 when the ICON members will break for dinner. A catered noon luncheon will be served at the Community Center. The afternoon session includes a presentation of Sheriff Richard Mach from Arizona who will talk about states rights and a COOL discussion with Bill Bullard of R-CALF USA.

The ICON business meeting will be the last agenda item and during that meeting, resolutions will be discussed for the upcoming year. ICON will once again host a prime rib banquet and follow with entertainment, which this year will be hypnotist, Rick Bultez.

A Social Hour will precede a Prime Rib Evening Banquet and auction for the Jim Hanna Memorial Scholarship. The evening entertainment will follow.

Pre-registration for the evening banquet is required for a meal count so please send in those registration forms early. All members present are encouraged to participate in the silent auction so ICON can continue to support the Hanna Memorial Scholarship. A bidding auction will also be held to raise money for ICON expenses.

This past year ICON has been deeply involved in the brand issue as a form of animal identification and disease traceability. It supports a bill which would make Nebraska a state-wide brand state.

The day’s activities are open to the public with a paid convention registration of $50. The charge for the evening banquet is $25 and must be reserved before Oct. 30. The hypnotist event is $10 at the door for non-convention participants. Everyone is welcome.

A block of rooms have been set aside for the next two weeks and can be reserved at the Super Eight in O’Neill by calling 1-888-946-3379. More convention information and registration forms will be available in the October issue of the Rancher’s Review and online at http://www.independentcattlemen.com/ , by calling communications director Linda Wuebben at 402-357-3778 or email at linbo@gpcom.net.



Conservation Stewardship Program to reach 63 million acres nationally

Once this years Conservation Stewardship Program contracts are finalized, the program will have reached a total of approximately 63 million acres enrolled nationally. Helping about 48,000 farmers and ranchers across the country increase their conservation on working lands.

“It is crucial that we learn from the farmers and ranchers who are using the program if it is working as we envisioned,” noted Traci Bruckner, Assistant Director for Rural Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs. “Previous applicants that we’ve heard from helped us develop recommendations and influence the Natural Resources Conservation Service to make positive changes for the program so that it better reflects and values farmers’ and ranchers’ conservation efforts.”

According to Bruckner, the program has sought to enroll roughly 12.8 million acres each year. Automatic budget cuts, known as "sequestration," that Congress adopted earlier this year will, however, lower expectations for future sign-ups by nearly 800,000 acres annually, to just over 12 million acres. The competition for contracts was stiff with full funding, and budget cuts will make it even more competitive.

“At the Center for Rural Affairs, we want to ensure that the farmers and ranchers with the best stewardship on their working farm or ranch lands rank among the top,” Bruckner continued. "That’s why we created our Farm Bill Helpline - (402) 687-2100 - so farmers and ranchers can contact us there and we can learn from their experiences with the program application process as well as assist new applicants.”

“If you just signed up during this most recent round, give us a call and share your CSP story. Call us even if you signed up in one of the earlier rounds,” Bruckner added. “We want to learn from your experience with the Conservation Measurement Tool, which determines eligibility, ranking and ultimately your payments. It is vitally important for us to hear from farmers and ranchers who have applied and used the program so we understand what is working, what is not working, and if there are problems that need to be fixed.”

Bruckner also reminded potential applicants that if they did not sign-up during this most recent round, the program offers a continuous sign-up process and applications made now will be considered in the next ranking pool.



Pork producers connect farm to fork during National Pork Month

October became known as Pork Month because it marked the time of year when hogs were traditionally marketed. Today, it serves as a celebration to thank pork producers and share their stories with consumers.

“If you eat, you have a connection to a farmer every day,” said Karen Richter, National Pork Board President and Montgomery, Minn., pork producer. “October Pork Month is an opportunity to refresh the connection consumers have with farmers. We are committed to continuous improvement on our farms and to providing high-quality pork products for families across the United States and around the world.”

In 2008, pork producers adopted the six ethical principles at National Pork Industry Forum. The pork industry follows the six guiding ethical principles of the We Care initiative to maintain a safe, high-quality food supply of pork. Producers are committed to:
·         Producing safe food;
·         Safeguarding natural resources in all industry practices;
·         Providing a work environment that is safe and consistent with the industry’s other ethical principles;
·         Contributing to a better quality of life in communities;
·         Protecting and promoting animal well-being; and
·         Ensuring practices to protect public health.

“These ethical principles define our values and who we are,” said Richter. “Consumers can be confident that the pork they eat was raised using these ethical principles.”

Pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat representing 42 percent of the meat consumed, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Some 81 percent of the population consumes pork in-home at least once in an average two-week period.

The top five most popular pork products include ham, sausage, bacon, lunchmeat (excluding ham) and pork chops. Of pork products consumed at home, ham accounts for 31.1 percent, sausage represents 19.6 percent, bacon totals 18.1 percent, lunchmeat accounts for 10.3 percent and pork chops round out the top five with 10.2 percent of pork consumed in-home.

“Consumers recognize the versatility of serving pork in their homes,” Richter said. “Cooking to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended internal temperature of 145° F will ensure flavorful and tender pork on the plate.”



Branstad Signs Harvest Weight Proclamation

Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed a proclamation to allow the transportation of overweight loads of soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover. The proclamation took effect Friday and expires after 60 days.

"Our farmers provide food, fuel and fiber for their families and families around the world." said Branstad. "With the challenging weather conditions that our state has seen over the past several months, this proclamation will help transport our agriculture commodities safely and efficiently."

"We hope this proclamation will provide additional assistance to farmers during this demanding time of the year," said Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds.

"Harvest is an extremely busy time for farmers and this proclamation allows farmers to move crops as efficiently as possible while ensuring roadway safety," Northey said. "I appreciate Gov. Branstad signing this proclamation in a timely manner so that it is in effect as harvest begins in earnest statewide."

This proclamation is intended to allow vehicles transporting soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight, not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight, without a permit, but only for the duration of this proclamation. This action is intended to allow loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the interstate system, and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the nonprimary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code §321.463(5)(b), by more than twelve and one-half percent (12.5%), do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to assure the public's safety and facilitate the movement of the trucks involved.



Soybean Growers to Congress: Your Inaction is Hurting Farmers

With today’s expiration of the one-year extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, coupled with the shutdown of the federal government, the American Soybean Association (ASA) lamented another failed opportunity on the part of Congress to provide the nation’s soybean farmers with the certainty they need to remain competitive and plan for the future. Compounding this most recent Congressional dysfunction is the expiration of funding for key U.S. Department of Agriculture programs as a result of the federal shutdown of what are improperly considered “non-essential” government activities.

“Congress has yet again failed its most basic duty: to debate and pass legislation and, frankly, we’ve run out of ways to say we’re disappointed,” said ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean, corn and wheat farmer from Canton, Miss. “The farm bill authorized and provides critical funding for myriad programs on which farmers depend, including key conservation programs, indispensable foreign food assistance and market development activities, and industry-advancing research. These and other programs have helped to make American agriculture a bright spot throughout the recession and into the recovery. We’ve created jobs, supported rural communities and fed our neighbors both at home and abroad. All of these programs will come to a grinding halt tomorrow because this Congress is more interested in scoring partisan political points than serving its constituents. Once again, Congress fails to act and American farmers pay the price.”

The expiration of the farm bill means multiple programs on which soybean farmers depend will cease. Conservation programs affected include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Foreign aid programs affected by the farm bill’s expiration include the Food for Peace Program, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, and the Emerging Markets Program (EMP). Particularly impactful for the soybean industry will be the expiration of funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (Cooperator) Program (FMD).

“Shutting down the MAP and FMD programs will bring immediate and harsh consequences for the soy industry,” said Murphy. “Soybeans are the nation’s most valuable agricultural export. Our overseas market development arms, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), work with foreign buyers and carry out trade servicing and demand building activities. Both USSEC and WISHH count on critical funds from FMD and MAP to operate offices and carry out demand building work around the globe. A cutoff of funds from the Foreign Agriculture Service will force our industry to discontinue program activities. Congress’ shortsighted failure to pass a farm bill isn’t just a political embarrassment; it will cost the industry global market share almost immediately.”

Adding to the frustration for farmers is the fact that innumerable USDA agencies will close until further notice as a result of today’s shutdown of the federal government. Due to the lack of appropriations funding, USDA staff deemed “non-essential” will be prevented from staffing their offices, which Murphy also says will have a significant impact on soybean farmers. “Farmers depend on these agencies,” he said. “Whether it’s the county Farm Service Agency office, staff at the Risk Management Agency, market access work done by the Foreign Agricultural Service or Office of U.S. Trade Representative, or the work done at the Agricultural Research Service, soybean farmers have a longstanding and valuable working relationship with our federal partners at USDA, and their absence for the foreseeable future will be painfully apparent.”

“Congressional gridlock has cost farmers yet again, and we demand a stop to the political gamesmanship,” added Murphy. “It’s time for our elected officials to remember who they represent and get to work passing a farm bill that works for American farmers.”



USDA's Response to the Shutdown

DTN Political Correspondent Jerry Hagstrom reported Monday how USDA would respond to a possible shutdown on Tuesday.

Food stamp benefits would be delivered for the month of October, forest fires will continue to be fought, meat and poultry will still be inspected, grain inspection will continue, laboratory animals will be fed and the rural development division will still monitor government loans.

But USDA will not release any new production statistics, most of the rest of USDA will shut down and its website may go dark.

The situation at the Agricultural Marketing Service is complicated because some AMS programs are funded through user fees and will continue to operate while others are funded through appropriations and will not.

Those are the main points from a DTN analysis of the shutdown plans and procedures for each division posted on the USDA website late Friday. USDA mission areas varied in the detail of their shutdown plans, however.

Meat, poultry and egg product inspections will continue, and 87% of the agency’s 9,633 employees will be still on the job.

The Farm Service Agency will close down all offices, including county offices, except for emergency and natural disasters response. The agency can continue to use “remaining discretionary prior year unobligated balances (carryover, within authorized apportionment unless the debt ceiling is reached)” and user fees collected under the U.S. Warehouse Act.

Some Agricultural Marketing Service programs such as market news and marketing orders and agreements would be shutdown.

Agency legal counsels, working with senior agency managers, determine which employees are designated to handle “excepted” and “non-excepted” functions,” according to the USDA shutdown plan.

If the shutdown takes place, the guidance to employees says that all non-excepted employees will be expected to report to work on Tuesday “for the sole purpose of engaging in orderly shutdown activities.”

In most cases, the guidance says, furloughed employees should take no more than three or four hours to “provide necessary notices and contact information, secure their files, complete time and attendance records, and otherwise make preparations to preserve their work.”

But some agencies have said it will take several days to complete an orderly shutdown.

Other USDA programs would remain open because they are not funded through appropriations. Those would include dairy grading cotton classing and grading, tobacco inspections, specialty crop inspections and meat grading.

Most activities at the Natural Resources Conservation Service will cease except for the protection of life and property.

At the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, firefighters and law enforcement personnel needed to protect equipment, life and property will stay on the job, and the service will retain its capability to respond to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will continue operations and eligible households will still receive monthly benefits for October.



FSA Announces Sequester-Based Changes to 2013 Crop Marketing Assistance Loans

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced today several adjustments to commodity loan programs to accommodate the automatic funding reductions known as sequester that are mandated by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011.

The programs, which provide interim financing for agricultural commodities to be stored after harvest and sold throughout the year when unaffected by harvest-season pressure on prices, are subject to sequester reductions of 5.1 percent. With commodity loan programs operating on a crop year basis and Sept. 30 marking the end of the federal fiscal year, adjustments will occur for the 2013 crop year as follows:

Loan-making for all commodities will be suspended on Oct. 1 and are targeted to resume mid-October. Loan repayment and loan servicing for all disbursed commodity loans will continue. Beginning in mid-October, the 2013 crop loans, and if applicable, loan deficiency payments (LDPs) will receive 5.1 percent reductions. Re-pledged 2012 crop sugar loans are not subject to sequester. 2013 crop loan rates are not affected.

Commodity loans issued by FSA, marketing associations and loan servicing agents are all subject to these reductions.



House Rule Passage Should Pave Way for Farm Bill Completion
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement Saturday after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a rule that would relink farm programs and nutrition programs:

“Today’s actions should pave the way for the farm bill to be completed this year. Extending the 2008 Farm Bill again is not an adequate solution. While it is obvious we will not have a completed farm bill by its expiration on Sept. 30, I urge House leadership to appoint conferees so that the process of conferencing the Senate and House versions of the bill can begin right away.  NFU will continue to advocate for a five-year, comprehensive farm bill to be completed in the next month.”



CWT Assists with 1.8 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creameries, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’Lakes, Michigan Milk Producers Association and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 1.036 million pounds (470 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 716,502 pounds (325 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered September through December 2013.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 102.010 million pounds of cheese, 72.255 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 2.569 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.



Brazil's Mato Grosso Soybean Planting Starts Slow

The slow start to the soybean planting continues in Brazil's Mato Grosso amid sparse, irregular rains.  Two weeks into the season, Brazil's leading soybean state has planted just 0.8% of its projected 20 million acre area, according to the Mato Grosso Agricultural Economy Institute (IMEA).  At the same point last year, Mato Grosso had planted 1.7% of the soybean crop.  Planting is progressing most quickly in the west of the state, where rains have been more regular. In contrast, very little planting has taken place in the northeast of the state.

Fieldwork is a little more advanced in the southern state of Parana, where heavier rain has allowed farmers to plant 2% of the estimated 12 million acre area, according to the state's agricultural department.  Moderate showers during the course of this week in Parana and Mato Grosso do Sul should allow planting to accelerate, said Somar Meteorologia, a local weather service.

Growers will be less fortunate in Mato Grosso and Goias, however, where precipitation will continue to be sparse and patchy, causing less-than-ideal planting conditions to persist.  Indeed, Mato Grosso will only see regular, heavy showers return in the second half of October, says Somar. That's extremely late for the region.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates Brazil will produce 88 million metric tons (mmt) of soybeans in 2013-14, up 7% on the year before.



National FFA Organization membership explodes to 579,678 students

Analysts forecast that the world's population will grow to 9 billion people by 2050. With global needs today to fight hunger and prepare for the expected population explosion, the agriculture industry needs educated, skilled and passionate people dedicated to sustainability.

Students are answering that call, evidenced by an explosion in FFA membership throughout the U.S, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the past year.

Membership in FFA today stands at 579,678 students in grades seven through 12. More than 22,300 new students joined FFA during the 2012-13 school year. The number of new, local FFA chapters throughout the country has grew to 7,570.

“FFA is preparing our youth to ensure the security of our country's food, fiber and natural resources for years to come,” said National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. “Through real-world experiences, the nation’s agriculture teachers are helping students develop the technical knowledge, skills and problem-solving capabilities to be the industry's leaders of tomorrow. FFA members will be tomorrow’s advocates for agriculture.”



2014 National Beef Ambassadors Selected

Tori Summey (Arizona), Emma Morris (California), Sierra Jepsen (Ohio), Rachael Wolters (Tennessee), and Justana Von Tate (Texas) were named to the 2014 National Beef Ambassador Team at the annual National Beef Ambassador competition, funded in part by the beef checkoff.

During the event in Springdale, Ark. over the weekend, 22 senior contestants (ages 17-21), were judged in the areas of consumer promotion, education and outreach strategy, media interview technique and issues response.

Contestants from throughout the country vied for a place on this elite team of agriculture advocates, plus $5,000 in cash prizes sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit. In addition, the American National CattleWomen Foundation and Monsanto awarded five educational scholarships totaling $5,000.

This year's contest also included a junior competition for youth advocates (ages 12-16). Twelve passionate contestants vied for cash prizes, competing in three judged categories: consumer promotion, media interview technique and issues response. The first place winner was Katelin Spradley of New Mexico. Second place went to Madison Martin of Tennessee, and third place to Phillip Saunders of Virginia. They all took home checks sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit for their top scores.

While preparing for this national beef promotion and education competition, youth across the nation learn about beef and the beef industry with support from state CattleWomen and Cattlemen's associations and state beef councils. The preparation highlights industry issues of current consumer interest. Winners of the state competitions compete at the national level, where they receive additional training. After the event, the youth ambassadors speak about industry issues and misconceptions and educate their peers and mealtime decision-makers about beef nutrition, cattle care, safety and more during consumer events, in the classroom, and online.

Follow the National Beef Ambassadors on Twitter at @beefambassador and visit www.nationalbeefambassador.org or www.ancw.org for more information.