Thursday November 14 Ag News

NE Cattlemen to Gather at Annual Convention & Trade Show

The 2013 Nebraska Cattlemen Annual Convention and Trade Show will meet at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Neb. on Dec. 4 – 6. The convention will offer opportunities for attendees to learn tips to improve their farm or ranch business, find out about new products available for their animal health and livestock supply needs at the trade show, and for members to weigh in on policy discussions.

“Our Annual Convention is a great opportunity for members to shape policy and provide direction for leadership and staff,” said Dale Spencer, Nebraska Cattlemen President. “It will also be an excellent time for people to come together and celebrate the beef industry and the historic impact Nebraska Cattlemen has had over the past 125 years.”

The 2013 Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, will be held on Dec. 4 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm featuring Gary Sides, Beef Cattle Nutritionist with Zoetis; Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Director of Sustainability Research with NCBA; Rick Rasby, Professor and Extension Beef Specialist with UNL; Terry Klopfenstein, Professor of Ruminant Nutrition with UNL; and Kate Brooks, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics with UNL. Cattlemen’s College will feature educational sessions such as Defending our Turf: Modern Ag in a Facebook Culture, Improving Beef Production Today to Protect Tomorrow, There’s An App For That, Economics of Confined Cows and Calves, and Livestock Industry Trends and Nebraska’s Role.

Speakers will include Steve Dittmer, Agribusiness Freedom Foundation Executive Vice President and many other industry leaders. Wednesday kicks off convention with the Opening general session at 4:30 followed by a Welcome Reception at the opening of the Trade Show.

A major component of the convention is the setting of new policy and the review of past policies to guide the association through its day-to-day work. The policy process will begin on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:00am with Council Meetings followed by the six NC Committee Meetings. The Annual Banquet will be held on Thursday evening with a focus on “Our History, Our Future” as Nebraska Cattlemen celebrates its 125th anniversary.

Convention concludes Friday with a 7:00am Market Outlook session followed by the Annual Business Meeting.

As of November 14th those sponsoring the Nebraska Cattlemen Annual Convention & Trade Show include: AgriLabs, Allflex USA, Inc. , Bank of the West, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Cappel Sales, Inc., Darling International, Inc., DuPont Pioneer, Elanco Animal Health, Farm Credit Services of America, First National Bank of Omaha, Gallagher Grace/Mayer, Murphy Tractor & Equipment Company, Inc., Nebraska Soybean Board & united Soybean Board, NMC (Nebraska Machinery Co), Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Supreme International Ltd., The American Hereford Association/Certified Hereford Beef, The Home Agency, U.S. Bank, U.S. Premium Beef, LLC, Ward Laboratories, Inc., Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Zinpro Performance Minerals, and Zoetis.

For more information or to register refer to your November issue of Nebraska Cattleman magazine, visit the NC website at www.nebraskacattlemen.org, or call the Nebraska Cattlemen office at 402.475.2333. Preregistration for attendees is currently open and closes November 29th 2013.



Land Values to Cool in Q4

More Midwestern bankers expect the farm economy to slow as 2013 winds down, according to a Federal Reserve survey, reflecting a sharp drop in grain prices thanks to this year's bumper corn crop.

Farmland prices were seen heading lower even as momentum from last year's record corn and soybean prices helped lift values across farm states such as Illinois and Iowa in the third quarter, according to a quarterly survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

"The respondents' expectations tended to indicate a reversal of fortunes for farmland values," wrote David Oppedahl, senior business economist at the Chicago Fed, in the report released Thursday.

The dollar value of farmland in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin overall climbed 14% in the third quarter against year-earlier levels, according to the Chicago Fed's survey. Prices were just 1% higher compared to the second quarter.

U.S. farmers have seen the value of their land surge in recent years as rising demand for corn and soybeans and tough growing conditions drove grain prices to historic highs. But better weather this year produced what is expected to be a record corn crop and one of the biggest soybean crops in history, prompting more bankers surveyed by the Chicago Fed to predict that farmland values will slide in this year's fourth quarter, versus the third quarter.

About one-fifth of the Midwestern bankers surveyed forecast a decrease in farmland values in the fourth quarter, three times the number who anticipated prices to decline over the third quarter, according to the survey. About 75% of the bankers surveyed expect farmland values to remain stable in the fourth quarter.



Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on U.S. Agricultural Exports in 2013

USDA today released its final tally for agricultural exports in Fiscal Year 2013, showing a new record of $140.9 billion. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement on this news:

"American agriculture achieved record exports once again in Fiscal Year 2013, and the period 2009-2013 stands as the strongest five-year period for agricultural exports in our nation’s history. In fact, compared to the previous five-year period from 2004-2008, U.S. agricultural exports from 2009-2013 increased by a total of more than $230 billion – and the average volume of bulk commodities exported increased by nearly four million tons per year during that same period. We need to remain focused on keeping up the incredible momentum we’ve seen over the past five years. First and foremost, Congress needs to pass a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill to continue the trade promotion programs that helped American agriculture achieve these results. These trade promotion efforts return $35 in economic benefits for every dollar invested – a great value for producers who gain access to additional market opportunities abroad, as well as rural communities that depend on a solid agriculture sector to create and support jobs. A new Farm Bill would complement historic work by the Obama Administration to break down barriers to U.S. products and achieve new agreements to expand exports – an effort that continues today as we work toward new agreements with the European Union and a number of Asian nations. With record agricultural exports supporting about one million American jobs, we can’t afford to lose the incredible momentum of recent years – and that’s why we need Congress to pass a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible."



Acclaimed Documentarian James Moll Releases Trailer and Website for New Film Farmland

Oscar®-winning documentary filmmaker, James Moll, has unveiled an advance trailer and website for his latest film, Farmland. The feature length documentary follows the next generation of American farmers and ranchers, examining the lives of farmers and ranchers in their 20s, in various regions across the US.  The advance trailer and information about the film is now available at www.farmlandfilm.com.

“I make documentaries because it’s a thrill to explore new topics and meet people that I might not otherwise cross paths with,” said Moll. “While making Farmland, I found myself immersed in a community of some of the most hard working, passionate people I’ve ever met.  This film isn’t just about what it’s like to be a farmer, it’s about a way of life. It’s also about a subject that affects our lives daily.”

The film, made with generous support from the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®), gives viewers a firsthand glimpse into the lives of these young farmers and ranchers, their high-risk/high-reward jobs and their passion for a way of life that, more often than not, is passed down from generation to generation.



32 Senators Urge Administration to Support Biodiesel Growth

A bipartisan group of 32 U.S. senators from across the country sent a letter Thursday asking the Obama Administration to support reasonable growth in the biodiesel industry next year under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The senators, representing biodiesel production plants from Washington to Minnesota to Maine, specifically called on the Administration to establish a volume requirement of at least 1.7 billion gallons, consistent with this year’s projected production. The letter, which can be found below, was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Al Franken (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). It warned that a weakened RFS could lead to plant closures and thousands of lost jobs while threatening future investment.

“Biodiesel has exceeded RFS targets in each year and is clearly poised to do so again in 2013,” the senators wrote. “Biodiesel is improving our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported petroleum diesel, diversifying fuel supplies and creating competition in the fuels market. Setting the 2014 biodiesel volume requirement at reduced levels could have severe impacts on the domestic biodiesel industry.”

Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, thanked the senators for their support.

“This strong showing of bipartisan support represents the very real impact that biodiesel is having in communities across the country,” Steckel said. “It is creating jobs, reducing emissions and diversifying our fuel supplies so that consumers and our economy are not so vulnerable to volatile global oil markets.”

“Biodiesel is an RFS success story,” she said, “and we are urging the Administration to continue the momentum.”

In addition to the lead authors, the following senators also signed on to the letter: Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Jon Tester (D-MT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Kirk (R-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kay Hagan (D-NC).



Weekly Ethanol Production for 11/08/2013

According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 927,000 barrels per day (b/d) — or 38.93 million gallons daily. That is up 25,000 b/d from the week before and the highest since February 2012. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 909,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 13.93 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 15.2 million barrels. That is a 0.1% decrease from last week.

Imports of ethanol were zero b/d for the sixth week in a row.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged a robust 379.3 million gallons daily. Refiner/blender input of ethanol was the highest since early July.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 10.26%, up from last week.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 14.056 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 103,456 metric tons of livestock feed, 92,232 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal. Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.83 million pounds of corn oil daily.



USDA Selling Sugar to Ethanol Makers

The federal government is taking the first step toward reducing its pile of sugar.

USDA plans to sell the sugar it received after domestic processors defaulted on government loans to U.S. ethanol makers, in an effort to recoup some of its losses on the program, according to an emailed announcement by the agency Thursday.

U.S. sugar processors forfeited 296,500 short tons of sugar to the government as collateral on unpaid debt due at the end of September.

Processors, which turn sugar cane and beets into granulated sweetener, can take out operating loans under a government program that guarantees them a minimum price for their sugar. That program cost taxpayers about $278.6 million during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, including forfeitures of sugar and purchases USDA made to try to boost prices and prevent defaults.

USDA has already sold the sugar it bought to support prices, but it did so at discounts of as much as 80% to ethanol producers, or exchanged it for credits that allow U.S. refiners to import the sweetener, in an effort to reduce supplies on the U.S. market.

As domestic ethanol producers aren't readily equipped to process sugar -- most use corn to make the biofuel -- USDA has had to steeply discount sugar to entice ethanol makers to buy it.

USDA said Thursday it will solicit bids from bioenergy producers. The agency didn't specify a timeline for its sale.

U.S. sugar processors have also begun borrowing money from the government for the current year. Processors have already put up nearly 200,000 short tons of the sweetener as collateral for $76.3 million in loans, according to the USDA's website.

In the previous year, sugar processors borrowed a total $1.2 billion and defaulted on about 14% of the loans.



Brazil May Lose Top Corn Exporter Status Next Year

Brazil's corn exports in 2013 have surpassed last year's record as the agricultural superpower gained international market share with U.S. stocks still low, but the United States is set to make a huge comeback in 2014. According to Reuters, the country exported 20.8 million tonnes of corn between January and Nov. 10, passing the 19.77 million tonnes shipped abroad in all of 2012 when drought crimped production in the United States, the top producer and exporter of the grain.

For the 2012-13 crop year, Brazil exported 22 mln tonnes of corn while the U.S. exported 18.58 mln tonnes, according to USDA. But Brazil's exports will likely fall off in December and January, analysts said, and the United States should reclaim its spot as the top corn exporter.

Brazilian corn exports usually start trailing off at the end of the year, when logistics make the U.S. crop more accessible, but last season was atypical, analysts said.

Now, prices on the Chicago Board of Trade are around $4.30 per bushel on promises of an abundant supply from the Northern Hemisphere as the U.S. harvests a record crop.

Brazil's corn production has increased 60 percent in the past 10 years, culminating in a record 80 million-tonne crop in the 2012/13 season that left the country with far more corn than it can use domestically, Reuters reports.

Most analysts believe the next corn crop will be smaller with farmers preferring to plant soybeans and cotton. The USDA expects Brazil to produce 72 million tonnes of corn in the 2013/14 season and export 20 million tonnes for that crop year.

The United States is forecast to export 35.6 million tonnes in 2013/14 marketing year.



PLC and NCBA Hail House Committee Passage of H.R. 3189

Today, the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) hailed the House Committee on Natural Resources for passage of H.R. 3189 The Water Rights Protection Act (WRPA), the bill passed as bipartisan legislation with a recorded vote of 19-14. The bill was introduced in early October by Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and co-sponsors, Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Rob Bishop (R-Utah), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).

WRPA was developed to protect water rights from a recent directive and actions by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) which allow the agency to usurp water rights from private entities — despite private water development and property rights. The USFS is attempting to obtain these water rights for the federal government as a condition of issuing standard land use permits; however, USFS has repeatedly failed to provide just compensation — a violation of the Fifth Amendment.

“This bill is commonsense legislation, which will allow western producers to stay in business,” said Brice Lee, PLC president and Colo. rancher. “The directive and actions by the Forest Service and their attempt to unjustly acquire these rights amounts to a total negligence of states’ water law, private property rights, and the Constitution. The full committee taking up H.R. 3189 is promising — we are urging the House to take the bill to the floor and stop the USFS directive in its infancy.”

Last month, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on the bill, inviting a panel of witnesses who testified to the importance of water rights to private business. Witnesses explained the necessity of sovereign state water laws, which are long-established in the West. Witnesses told the subcommittee how devastating the impacts of this directive are to industries, including ski companies and federal land ranching — stressing the importance of these water rights and their significance in keeping businesses viable in western communities.

NCBA President and Wyo. rancher Scott George applauded the committee for taking up and passing the bill.

“This legislation is urgent and the committee’s hearing sends an important message to the USFS — holding them accountable and ensuring they cannot abuse water-right holders any further,” George said. “Ultimately, the USFS directive and similar actions could put a lot of folks out of business. Committee passage of this legislation is a step in the right direction for Congress and serves as an opportunity for them to protect private property rights for the livestock industry.”

Both Lee and George urge the House to move H.R. 3189 to the floor for swift passage and for the Senate to take the bill up without delay.



Antibiotic Resistance Complex, Open to Misinterpretation

The sharing of science-based antibiotic use and resistance information continued among experts and leaders from the animal, human and public health communities during the “Bridging the Gap Between Animal Health and Human Health” symposium sponsored by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture and conducted Nov. 12-14, in Kansas City, Mo. Adding to the symposium’s insightful, transparent discussions were presentations by media and consumer advocacy group representatives as well as questions generated by symposium attendees.

“Antibiotic resistance has been called the single most complex problem in public health, and this symposium provided respective health communities and disciplines a platform where they shared their latest research findings,” states Dr. Nevil Speer, co-chair of the symposium and a professor at Western Kentucky University.

“This year’s antibiotic use and resistance symposium not only shed additional light on this often polarized topic but we identified common ground so a collective path forward that serves the best interests of all parties can be forged.”

The 170-plus symposium participants from across animal, human and environmental health heard a wealth of information, including the following 11 points:

1.       The science behind the emergence, amplification, persistence and transfer of antibiotic resistance is highly complex and open to misinterpretation and misuse. If you think you understand antimicrobial resistance, it hasn’t been explained properly.

2.       The extremely complex relationship between animal health, human health and environmental health is driven by two premises: 1) Antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is present with or without the use of antimicrobials; and 2) Anytime an antibiotic enters the ecosystem, it contributes to the presence of antibiotic resistance.

3.       Antibiotic resistance is not just transferred from animals to humans; resistance is also transferred from humans to animals.

4.       Antibiotic resistance is not just a U.S. challenge; it’s an international issue that requires a strategic global One Health approach.

5.       Evaluating antimicrobial resistance involves balancing risks vs. needs while constantly recognizing the importance of maintaining an efficacious arsenal of human antibiotics.

6.       New tools that address food animal infectious diseases must be developed, whether they are in the field of prevention or new molecules for therapeutics.

7.       Research studies and findings are often viewed through different lenses. Individuals can look at the same study and obtain different interpretation of the results and what the study infers based on their own biases.

8.       Decisions should be based on science, and policy should be based on science.  The question, however, is who decides what constitutes evidence that is considered when making those decisions and policies.

9.       Significant efforts are being led by the public health community to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in human health and reduce hospital-acquired infections. Agriculture needs to be open to change as well.

10.   Change will happen. Open dialogue must continue, with animal agriculture at the table or change will be drastic and by statute and will not be a deliberative policy change.

11.   Solving antibiotic resistance requires collaboration and raises the question “How does human medicine, environmental health and animal medicine work together to address antibiotic use and resistance?”.

You can hear and view “Bridging the Gap between Animal Health and Human Health” symposium presentations—PowerPoints® with voice-over—online within the next two weeks at www.animalagriculture.org. A White Paper summarizing the symposium will be released and available online around Dec. 31.



NEW ONLINE GUIDE HELPS CORN-ON-CORN FARMERS MANAGE CHALLENGES

Corn-on-corn production can be rewarding for farmers but is accompanied by a unique set of challenges that require critical management decisions. Achieving optimal corn yield potential requires a holistic, year-round plan.

“The DEKALB® brand recognized the need to provide corn-on-corn farmers with solutions for these unique challenges,” said Rick Myroup, DEKALB Brand Manager. “That’s why we’ve launched an extensive online resource guide, called Acres of Gold.”

This online guide helps farmers understand the key yield factors that impact corn yield potential in corn-on-corn systems, as well as the seasonal importance of each factor. In an interactive step-by-step progression, farmers will be able to see the potential impacts of each yield factor throughout the development of a corn crop and identify opportunities to optimize a farmer’s production system to achieve their own “Acres of Gold.”

Farmers can visit www.DEKALB.com/AcresOfGold and search for solutions and tips by season or by yield optimizing factors. The seasonal approach of the site walks farmers through what they should be thinking about during the following times: Preseason Planning and Preparation, Seedbed Preparation and Planting, Early Season, Midseason, Late season and Harvest.

Another way to navigate through the online guide is by examining the following “Yield Factors”:
-    Environment: Learn more about how weather can directly and indirectly impact corn production and affect corn-on-corn planting compared to corn-to-soybean planting.
-    Product Selection: Be knowledgeable before making decisions as product selection is among the most important considerations impacting yield.
-    Equipment: Learn about variable rate planters and how they provide an opportunity to match optimum seeding rates to the productivity of each segment of a field.
-    Fertility: Using current soil test values and determining crop removal rates of nutrients like phosphorus and potassium can help guide fertility management decisions.
-    Tillage/Residue Management: Learn about tillage options and alternatives.
-    Insect Management: Understand the presence and potential impact of insect pests in corn-on-corn systems.
-    Disease Management: Get recommendations for the best practices that help manage the many factors that contribute to disease.
-    Weed Management: See tips for effective weed management solutions for winter annuals.

“Acres of Gold is just another way the DEKALB brand is striving to bring farmers agronomic solutions and expert guidance,” said Myroup. “We hope continuous corn farmers will find value in the recommendations and practices outlined in this guide and see an increase in yield potential.”