Friday June 6 Ag News

UNL Professor Recommends Changes for Farmers Facing Late Soybean Planting

Heavy rains have slowed down planting for many Nebraska soybean growers, but as they wait for better planting conditions, there are some things farmers can do to improve their prospects for a good crop.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Professor Emeritus of Agronomy and Horticulture Jim Specht has spent his 40-year career studying soybeans and how they respond to water. While much of his research has focused on stress to plants caused by lack of moisture, Dr. Specht also knows how farmers can adjust to the challenges of late planting caused by an abnormally wet spring.

“The obvious disadvantage of the additional moisture this spring is that producers found it difficult to plant soybeans in early May. The delay in planting causes a yield penalty of half a bushel per acre per day of delay after May 1,” said Specht. He recommends that farmers adjust their planting practices to help reduce yield loss caused by late planting.

“You always want that ‘soybean canopy to be green to the eye by the 4th of July.’ This means that when you look at a field, you don’t see the ground between the rows. All of the incoming solar radiation is intercepted by crop leaves,” said Specht. “If you do have to plant later, consider switching from a typical 30-inch planter to 15-inch rows or even a 7.5-inch planter. Narrower row spacing will help obtain canopy closure as early as possible, even with delayed planting.”

Dr. Specht says the abnormally wet spring for many farmers isn’t all bad news. “The infusion of additional moisture will bring soil profiles in most of the state up to soil water field capacity, which is good, since the soybean crop is assured plentiful soil moisture to use in the early part of the growing season before it is depleted and irrigation begins,” said Specht.

For other tips and best practices, visit Soybean Management Field Days at one of the following locations.
·        August 11 – Holdrege
·        August 12 – Alda
·        August 13 – Wakefield
·        August 14 – Greenwood



STOCKPILE EXTRA SUMMER GROWTH FOR WINTER PASTURE
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Abundant rain produces abundant grass.  It might be wise to find the best way to take advantage of this blessing.

               When you get abundant rain and warm, sunny weather, your pastures may produce more growth than needed for your current summer stocking rates.  Options to use the extra growth are needed.

               Sometimes we cut and bale extra growth as hay.  This is a good plan if you need the hay.  Other times we simply let cattle graze what they want and leave the excess in the field.  Rebuilding surface litter that was burned up by recent droughts can be healthy for the pasture.

               How about another option?  Try stockpiling, or saving some extra pasture growth for grazing during the winter.

               There are lots of advantages to winter grazing.  For starter, less hay needs to be fed next winter.  Thus, you won’t need to make as much hay this summer.  And stockpiling in summer and fall followed by winter grazing is one of the best methods to improve the health of your grasslands, especially native range.

               If you have some run down, poor condition, low producing pastures, these often are the best candidates for winter grazing.  Grasses that need invigorating will be strengthened by not grazing them during the growing season.  Your winter grazing will clean off much of the frozen growth during winter.  Cattle even eat some plants like yucca and ragweed during winter that they won't hardly touch during summer.  Sure, you'll need some protein supplements, but cattle do a pretty good job of picking high quality plant parts to eat while winter grazing.

               Extra growth is an opportunity to both reduce winter feed costs and improve pasture condition.  Get it by stockpiling extra summer growth for winter grazing.



Senators Grassley, Ernst urge Agriculture Committee Chairman to Hold Hearing on Federal Government’s Response to Bird Flu

In a letter sent Thursday, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA)  and Joni Ernst (R-IA) urged Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to hold a hearing on the federal government’s response to the ongoing outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Senators Grassley and Ernst stressed the critical, timely nature of this issue, citing the devastating impact of the disease on Iowa poultry farmers and producers, and the need to address federal actions taken once the outbreak has been contained.

“Due to the sheer size and scope of this outbreak, we have heard from countless folks in Iowa who are concerned about the lack of certainty caused by this situation – many of whom just want to find resolution to this tragedy and get back to work,” the Iowa Senators wrote.

“As you know, it is critical for the vitality of our agricultural economy that key stakeholders – producers, ancillary industries, community leaders, and government officials – have the tools and lines of communication available to work with one another to overcome challenges such as HPAI,” the Iowa Senators added. "A hearing would provide an opportunity to bring these leaders and stakeholders together to review what has happened, identify what response procedures have worked, what has not worked, and set the stage to ensure we are better prepared in the future.”

Senators Grassley and Ernst urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to properly deploy resources to address the avian flu situation in a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack last month, following a letter to the USDA sent by the entire Iowa Congressional delegation in April.



LAWMAKERS WANT GIPSA RULES TO BE IMPLEMENTED
(from Nat'l Pork Prod. Newsletter)

Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, this week held a congressional briefing to call for an end to the use of amendments in agriculture appropriations bills that have prevented the U.S. Department of Agriculture from enforcing rules related to the buying and selling of livestock. As part of the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress asked USDA to address five specific areas related to livestock and poultry contracts. But the proposed regulations to the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Act (GIPSA) issued in mid-2010 went well beyond that scope and, according to livestock industry analysis, would limit farmers’ ability to sell animals, dictate the terms of private contracts, make it harder to get farm financing, raise consumer prices and reduce choices, stifle industry innovation and lead to more vertical integration of the pork industry. An economic analysis of the so-called GIPSA Rule found that it would cost the pork industry $333 million annually and the U.S. agricultural industry nearly 23,000 jobs. NPPC strongly opposed the rule and, along with other livestock organizations, successfully has pushed for riders to the annual agriculture funding bills to prevent USDA from implementing the regulation.



House Ag Committee Reviews Foreign Ag Subsidies

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to explore the structure and extent of agricultural subsidies in other countries. The Committee heard from Craig Thorn, a partner with DTB Associates in Washington, D.C., and Dr. Darren Hudson, Director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University.

DTB Associates had conducted a study sponsored by U.S. Wheat Associates and the USA Rice Federation quantifying the degree to which several other countries subsidize their agricultural industries, including China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Thailand. His testimony similarly addressed how other countries are subsidizing production to levels outside of their WTO commitments and are not transparent in terms of reporting their subsidies. Dr. Hudson’s testimony included information about ICAC’s database, which ranks countries’ support programs, in terms of exceeding their trade commitments. According to this database, the United States' system of subsidies and tariffs is low on the list.



American Farm Bureau Calls on House to Pass Trade Promotion Authority

America’s farmers and ranchers need access to open markets around the world to boost the economy here at home. The American Farm Bureau Federation called on the House today to protect the future of U.S. agricultural trade by passing the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, H.R. 1314.

“We lead the world in agricultural exports but will soon give up customers and potential markets without the trade promotion authority needed to secure important new trade agreements,” American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman said.

U.S. agricultural exports exceeded $152 billion last year, but stand to fall by $12 billion this year, due in part to the challenges U.S. negotiators are facing in reducing trade barriers. TPA gives our negotiators the leverage they need to resolve trade conflicts, break down barriers to U.S. products and open new markets around the world. The need for this tool is particularly critical now to break through logjams in both the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.

Foreign governments are reluctant to work out the tough trade issues with the U.S. when it’s possible for Congress to change details at the final hour and send negotiators back to the drawing board. Importantly, TPA ensures Congress retains final approval authority and its critical role in setting objectives and priorities for trade negotiations, but eliminates the possibility of deal-killing amendments.

“With TPA, we send a strong message to our international partners that when the United States comes to the negotiating table, we mean business,” Stallman said. “Without TPA, we risk yielding our global economic leadership to other nations. Farm Bureau urges the House to vote now to pass H.R. 1314 for the future of agriculture.”



NFU Urges House Members to Vote No on TPA, Says Organization Will Be Scoring Vote

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson reminded members of the U.S. House of Representatives that the 113-year old organization and its 200,000 family farmer and rancher members remain steadfastly opposed to the passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).

“As the House of Representatives considers this impactful piece of legislation, I encourage you to consider the impacts that trade agreements have had on the domestic economy and vote “no” on TPA,” said Johnson in a letter sent this morning.

Johnson noted that in agreements of this magnitude, the overall trade deficit must be considered. “Past trade agreements have served to increase the trade deficit. For thirty years and after several free trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement, the U.S. has grown a significant trade deficit. In 2014, the trade deficit increased to $505 billion, representing nearly 3 percent of GDP and slowing growth of the U.S. economy,” he said.

Johnson reminded House members that a major factor impacting the trade deficit is currency manipulation. “Several countries involved in the TPP negotiations are known currency manipulators including Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan. The U.S.-Japan trade deficit reached nearly $80 billion in 2013, and currency manipulation was the most significant cause of the deficit,” he added.

Johnson also pointed out that recent reports indicate that China may want to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “China is the largest currency manipulator in the world, and our trade deficit with China was over $343 billion in 2014. If currency manipulation is not addressed in TPA, the opportunity to deal with it in any meaningful way will likely be lost.”

Johnson cited estimates from The Economic Policy Institute that the trade deficit with Japan resulted in 896,600 jobs eliminated in the U.S, in nearly every congressional district and the trade deficit with China cost 3.2 million jobs between 2001 and 2013. “Job losses due to the trade deficit are a primary concern of NFU. Many farmers rely on off-farm jobs to supplement their income. Future trade agreements, including TPP, should directly address currency manipulation and include binding consequences for those that continue to manipulate currency,” he said.

“I urge you to oppose trade promotion authority,” he said, adding, “NFU will be scoring this vote.”



Presentations and highlights from Animal Agriculture Alliance Summit are available to view

Materials from the 2015 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit are now accessible online, the Alliance announced today. The 2015 Summit finished strong last month in Kansas City, Missouri with attendance totaling at 210 with many being first-time attendees.

“This year’s Summit was loaded with dynamic speakers covering many of today’s biggest issues impacting animal agriculture, and providing insight and advice about agriculture’s future,” said Kay Johnson Smith, president and CEO at the Alliance.

Based on a survey, the majority of first-time attendees said that the move to Kansas City positively influenced their decision to attend.

“The move outside of the Washington, D.C. area was in hopes of getting closer to farmers and other interested stakeholders who may not be able to travel to D.C. for the event,” said Hannah Thompson, communications director at the Alliance. “We are very excited with how it turned out.”

Presentations from leading experts in national media, marketing to millennials, crisis communications and from farmers who have implemented creative initiatives demonstrating transparency all explored how the industry is continuing its journey of constant improvement and feeding the growing population.

Common threads throughout the presentations included technology’s role in sustainability, consumer perceptions and how to effectively connect and communicate with the public about modern animal agriculture.

Highlight summaries of the presentations and speakers can be accessed at: http://animalagalliance.org/resourcelibrary/results.cfm?ID=289.

This year’s successful event would not have been possible without the support of a record number of sponsors, who are listed on the Alliance website.

Next year’s Summit will return to the Washington D.C. area on May 4-5, 2016 at the Westin Arlington Gateway hotel in Arlington, Virginia.



Apply Now for Farm Bureau Women’s Communications Boot Camp

The American Farm Bureau Federation is now accepting applications for the 2015 Women’s Communications Boot Camp, set for Oct. 13-16 in Washington, D.C.

The intensive training is open to all women who are Farm Bureau members. The program focuses on enhancing communication and leadership skills within the agriculture industry, and includes targeted training in the areas of public speaking, media relations, messaging and advocacy.

Sherry Saylor, an Arizona row crop farmer who chairs the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, said participants gain tremendous confidence in using communication tools to address agricultural topics.

“It is so important for those of us in agriculture to be transparent about what we do to produce food,” Saylor said. “The women who participate in boot camp become confident and powerful voices for rural communities across the nation, allowing our positive message about the agriculture industry to expand.”

Saylor said women are important representatives of agriculture, particularly in speaking with the public and reaching out through social media. The Women’s Communications Boot Camp is vital for producing powerful advocates for the agriculture industry, Saylor said.

Fifteen women will be selected to participate in this year’s program, which is sponsored by the AFBWLC. Applications are available online through state Farm Bureaus. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, June 30. All applicants will be notified of their status by July 31.

The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership program provides women with the training and education they need to encourage positive change in their communities and within agriculture. For more information, visit fb.org.