Wednesday October 28 Ag News

Nebraska Cooperative Council Annual Meeting

The 2015 Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2015, at the Kearney Holiday Inn.  The annual meeting features nationally recognized speakers, a business session, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and membership reception.  Time is 4:00pm - 8:30pm.  Advance Registration Discount is available to all participants who are pre-registered. To receive this discount, the preregistration form and fee must be received in the Council’s office by November 6, 2015.  Go to www.nebr.coop for more information. 



Nebraska Cooperative Council Director/Manager Workshop - "Managing Your Risk"

The commodity super cycle that began in 2006 has lost all momentum, and the full impact is beginning to be felt all across the Midwest and plains states. Whether or not long-term lows in commodity prices have occurred remains to be seen. What is clear is that there is still a rebalancing process that must take place in production ag. While commodities are much lower, input costs have not yet readjusted, and this imbalance will impact more highly leveraged producers.

During the Director/Manager Workshop, speakers will provide an economic overview of agriculture and agribusiness and what to expect in the next year. We will then discuss the financial conditions that exist for Nebraska farmers and ranchers and the risks associated. We will also discuss risk management strategies for cooperatives in this changing economic environment.  The final presentation of the day will focus on leadership with a special emphasis on board leadership.

Speakers:
Dr. Michael Swanson, Agricultural Economist and consultant for Wells Fargo.
Bill Davis, Chief Credit Officer - Farm Credit Services of America
Tom Houser, CoBank Vice President of the Regional Agribusiness Banking Group in Omaha
Doug Stark, President and Chief Executive Officer - Farm Credit Servcies of America

DATE: Fri., November 20, 2015
TIME: 7:30am (CT) Registration; 8:00am-2:00pm Program (lunch provided)
LOCATION: Kearney, Holiday Inn (308/237-5971)

Early registration is available until November 6th for $280, or $305 after that.  To qualify, the form and fee must be received in the Council office by November 6, 2015.  Go to www.nebr.coop for more information. 



Statement by Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau President Regarding World Health Organization Classification of Processed and Red Meat

“It is our hope that those who consume meat products produced by Nebraska’s farm and ranch families will take the time and effort to look beyond the simplistic headlines surrounding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) announcement, assessing cancer and the consumption of red meat and processed meat.”

“Those who have reviewed WHO’s materials understand the classification is not an assessment of the cancer risk posed by meat consumption. In other words, WHO determined that a rock falling from a cliff could be harmful if it fell on you. It did not determine the risk of that actually happening.”

“Experts have pointed out that billions of dollars have been spent on studies around the world and no single food has ever been proven to cause cancer. It is our hope that people will avoid knee-jerk reactions to national headlines that would imply eating meat is the equivalent of eating asbestos. Any insinuation of such is ludicrous and clearly not the case as the WHO pointed out in its own Question and Answer documentation that accompanied the classification. Unfortunately, those realities failed to make their way into national headlines because of our societal obsession with fear mongering and sensationalism that all too frequently puts flash over substance.”

“Lean meat protein continues to be an important part of a balanced diet and Nebraska farmers and ranchers remain committed to producing the highest quality products for consumers, which include members of their own families.”



Iowa Cattle Industry Convention to include policy discussions

The Iowa Cattle Industry Convention will bring together producers and industry partners for educational sessions, policy discussions, and a trade show Dec. 8-9 at the Holiday Inn Des Moines-Airport Conference Center.

Three ICA policy committees will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 8 to discuss issues regarding beef products, cattle production and business issues. Topics expected to come up for discussion are national issues like CME feeder cattle index changes as well as statewide issues such as the Iowa Beef Checkoff, the state’s preconditioned and tag programs, and in-state price reporting. A full report of expiring and updated policies can be found at www.iacattlemen.org.

Those discussions will lead to the ICA annual meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 9, where the policy positions will be presented to ICA membership for discussion and final adoption. Kristina Butts, executive director of legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Tracy Brunner, NCBA President Elect, will also speak at the annual meeting.

ICA members who register for the convention by Nov. 27 will be entered into a drawing for an Eby trailer. Find program and registration materials at www.iacattlemen.org, or call the ICA offices, 515-296-2266.



Grain Storage: Core It, Cool It, Store It

Grain is quickly coming out of the fields this fall, with 92 percent of soybeans and 73 percent of corn harvested in Iowa as of Oct. 26, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Since much of it has been harvested and put into the bin at 60 degrees and warmer, proper grain drying and cooling is essential for storage life and grain quality. For safe grain storage during warmer conditions, Greg Brenneman, agricultural and biosystems engineering specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says you need to core it, cool it and check it.

“With grain this warm, moisture migration within the grain mass and spoilage can occur very quickly, even with fairly dry grain,” said Brenneman.

Core it
Fines and broken grain tend to accumulate near the center of the bin and often cause aeration and storage problems. Brenneman recommends removing a few loads of grain from the center, so the unloading sump will “core” the bin and remove most of those fines. Then, remove grain until approximately half of that center peak is gone.

After coring, the top of the grain should be visually inspected to ensure an inverted cone has been created. If no cone is created, bridging of the grain has taken place and a very unsafe condition has been created. No one should enter the bin until situation has been safely corrected.

Cool it
This week’s forecast shows cooler temperatures for Iowa, providing an ideal time to get stored grain cooled down. However, farmers may still need to run fans later this fall to lower temperatures further.

“The sooner you can lower grain temperatures, the better,” said Brenneman. “Grain should be stored at 30 to 40 degrees for winter storage, so you may still need to run fans a couple times during the fall to get grain down to wintertime storage temperatures.”

The time required to completely cool a bin of grain depends on fan size. In general terms, a large drying fan will take 10-20 hours to cool a bin of grain. However, a small aeration fan can take a week or more to completely cool a full bin.

In either case, it is best to measure the temperature of the air coming out of the grain to see if cooling is complete. It is also much better to err on the side of running the fan too long rather than turning it off too soon.

Check it
If grain is dried down to the proper moisture and correctly cooled, it should store very well through the winter. Even so, it is best to check stored grain at least every two weeks during the winter and once a week in warmer weather. 

To do a good job checking grain, inspect and probe the grain for crusting, damp grain and warm spots. Also, run the fan for just a few minutes and smell the exhaust air for any off odors. 

For more details, order a copy of “Managing Dry Grain in Storage” AED-20 from Midwest Plan Service at https://www-mwps.sws.iastate.edu/catalog/grain-handling-storage, or check out more grain drying and storage information at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/graindrying.



Integrated Crop Management Conference Provides Latest Research and Technologies

The annual Integrated Crop Management Conference will be held Dec. 2-3, 2015 at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus. This year, the conference has added additional speakers to its program, providing topics and information on the latest in crop production and technology from around Iowa and the Midwest. Online registration is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/icm.

“Our goal is to construct a program that provides in-depth cutting edge topics, transfers the latest research findings, and still provides practical, take-home information to use in Iowa crop production,” said Alison Robertson, associate professor and extension specialist in plant pathology and microbiology at Iowa State University and planning committee chair.

The conference will include 41 workshops led by Iowa State faculty and staff, along with speakers from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota and Kentucky. Presenters will provide research updates and information on crop management, pest management, nutrient management, soil and water management and pesticide applicator training. Attendees can choose from up to six topics each hour.

“Concurrent sessions allow attendees to tailor the conference experience to their interests and needs,” said Brent Pringnitz, program services coordinator.

Sessions available include an interactive session of plant disease diagnosis trivia, a presentation on tractor and planter adjustments to improve profitability and lowering input costs while maintaining or increasing yields, and a discussion of recent advances in the application of transgenic technology in generating disease resistance crop species. Participants can also earn up to 14 Certified Crop Adviser continuing education credits and recertification for Commercial Pesticide Applicators in categories 1A, 1B, 1C, 4 and 10.

“New information on crop production and protection technologies will provide producers and agribusiness professionals with the knowledge they need for their operations,” Robertson said.

Other topics will include: herbicide and insecticide resistance, variable seeding rates, crop weather risk and market outlook for 2016 and managing low to negative crop margins. Precision agriculture, nitrogen application and input decisions, new decision-maker tools, integrated management of white mold, and a corn disease update are also on the list for discussion.

“The conference allows for a large number of participants to gather each year, and provides practical, need-to-know information from several invited speakers across the Midwest,” said John Sawyer, professor and extension specialist in soil fertility and nutrient management at Iowa State. “Not only do attendees have the opportunity to interact with extension specialists from Iowa State and others, but it’s an opportunity for them to network with each other and talk about what’s going on in the industry.”

The annual event attracts almost 1,000 participants each year.

“Enrollment to the conference is limited and we encourage people to register early,” Pringnitz said.

Register by going to the conference website at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/icm/. Early registration is $200 and runs until midnight Nov. 20, when the fee increases to $250. Pre-registration is required and no registrations will be accepted at the door. Registrations will be accepted, as space allows, until noon on Nov. 30.

The Integrated Crop Management Conference is hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Agronomy, Economics, Entomology, and Plant Pathology and Microbiology.



Budget Deal has Implications for Agriculture

This week, the White House and Congressional leaders struck a tentative budget deal that provides a framework and additional funding needed to allow Congress to complete the annual appropriations funding legislative process.

According to Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, the budget deal contains significant implications for agricultural and Farm Bill programs. “This bill takes a small step in reforming federally subsidized crop insurance programs by reducing the cap on the profits that crop insurance companies extract from administering the program from 14.5 percent to 8.9 percent,” said Bruckner. “In addition, it also indicates that the Standard Reinsurance Agreement must be renegotiated by December 31, 2016 and once every five years thereafter.”

“This is a small but a positive step forward,” noted Bruckner. “Insurance companies have been one of the largest beneficiaries of the subsidized crop insurance program. They witnessed double digit returns over the last decade or more, with one year being as high as 34%. During belt-tightening times, it is most appropriate to ask crop insurance companies to accept a reduction in the profits from federal subsidies that they receive.”

“Moreover, the budget deal scraps the Farm Bill provision that prevented taxpayers from benefiting from government negotiations with the private sector over the delivery of crop insurance,” added Bruckner. “This was an outrageous gift to the crop insurance lobby and it is a policy that should never have seen the light of day.”

Bruckner noted further that while there is a great deal more crop insurance subsidy reform needed to support and protect family farmers and the environment, renegotiation is a small but important first step toward much needed comprehensive reform.

“And with the additional funding the budget deal provides to the appropriators to finish the fiscal year 2016 funding bills, Congress has the opportunity to turn back the tide on cuts to conservation,” Bruckner continued. “Congress should move quickly to eliminate the 23 percent cut to the Conservation Stewardship Program in the pending House bill and the $300 million cut to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program that is currently included in both the House and Senate bills.”

“Opponents of cuts to crop insurance company profits have criticized ‘opening up the Farm Bill’ but those criticisms ring hollow when compared to how often Congress has opened up the Farm Bill to cut conservation programs,” concluded Bruckner. “It is disingenuous to use rhetoric about family farmers to protect crop insurance company profits while at the same time cutting the conservation programs that farmers and ranchers depend upon to improve soil and water quality, conserve water, and prepare for extreme weather events.”



NCGA Opposes Proposed Cuts to Federal Crop Insurance Program

National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling, a corn farmer from Newburg, Maryland, issued the following statement in response to a proposed $3 billion cut in crop insurance support as part of a national budget deal.

“Slashing the federal crop insurance program is bad policy. The 2014 farm bill provides farmers with a critical safety net, the cornerstone of which is the federal crop insurance program. Cuts to the crop insurance program will lead to fewer insurance providers and agents, and that means fewer choices for farmers to manage their risk.

“This deal is yet another attempt to reopen the farm bill, despite major reforms and $23 billion in budget savings. Agriculture remains the only industry that has voluntarily accepted spending reductions. We stand with Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson in defending the farm bill and calling on Congress to remove these cuts.

“We urge all farmers to contact their elected officials immediately. Tell them that if cuts to federal crop insurance are not removed, they must vote no on the budget bill.”



U of M research shows pigs infected with pathogen predisposes them to shed Salmonella

A recent University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) study shows that pigs infected with Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacterial pathogen that causes disease in pigs and horses, predisposes these animals to shed the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica.

S. enterica is responsible for 1.5 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The results of this CVM study will be used as the basis for future research that is designed to show that vaccinating pigs for L. intracellularis could decrease shedding of S. enterica, potentially helping to reduce the number of foodborne illnesses attributed to this pathogen.

Pigs are frequent asymptomatic carriers of S. enterica, and pigs that carry the pathogen can result in contaminated pork products. “Swine can act as a reservoir for the spread of S. enterica throughout the herd, within the packing plant, and during processing to the finished product,” the study notes.

Researchers in the CVM Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences—Drs. Klaudyna A. Borewicz, Hyeun Bum Kim, Randall Singer, Connie Gebhart, Srinand Sreevatsan, Timothy Johnson, and Richard Isaacson—characterized the composition of the gut microbiome (all microbes living within a defined community) in pigs challenged with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (a subspecies of S. enterica) and/or L. intracellularis and then compared it to the fecal microbiome of non-challenged control pigs.

The research analysis demonstrated that there was a disruption in the composition of the gut microbiome in pigs challenged with either pathogen. Moreover, the compositions of the microbiomes of pigs challenged with either L. intracellularis, S. enterica, or both were similar to one another but differed from those of the non-challenged control animals. Significant increases in some other specific bacteria were also seen in the challenged pigs.

To determine whether the changes were specific to experimentally challenged pigs, the researchers also characterized the compositions of the fecal microbiomes of pigs naturally infected with S. enterica and found that similar changes in the gut microbiome were associated with carriage of S. enterica regardless of whether the pigs were experimentally challenged or acquired this pathogen naturally.

The study, “Changes in the Porcine Intestinal Microbiome in Response to Infection with Salmonella enterica and Lawsonia intracellularis,” was published in the October 13, 2015, issue of PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS).



ASA Applauds EU Vote on Biotech Opt-Out Proposal

The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomes news this morning of the European Parliament’s overwhelming rejection of a proposal that would allow individual EU member states to opt-out of importing and using foods containing biotechnology for non-scientific reasons. The body voted 619-58 to approve a committee report recommending opposition to the controversial “opt-out” proposal. ASA President and Texas farmer Wade Cowan issued the following statement on today’s vote:

“This is a much-needed action today by the European Parliament. ASA has repeatedly called on the EU to make science-based decisions on the issue of biotechnology, and we are very happy to see the Europeans do so this morning. One of the unifying principles of the EU is to provide a single market, both within Europe and as a partner in in global commerce. Enabling each of its 28 member states to go rogue on GMO acceptance, based on societal or political concerns, is hardly a unifying strategy for success.

“Soybean farmers welcome today’s news as we look to expand our European markets for animal feed, edible oils, biodiesel and biobased products. Europe is a top-five market for American soybeans, and we looking forward to further expanding our trade relationship.

Moving forward, the Commission has been directed by the EU Parliament to come up with a new proposal. However, in our view, it would be more appropriate for the EU to use its own existing procedures to approve new biotech products rather than trying to come up with another approach. The Commission just needs to do its job by following its own regulations and procedures.”



What Safety Net Does This Budget Strengthen? Certainly Not Crop Insurance.

In response a statement today from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan on a prospective budget agreement that will potentially cut more than $3 billion from the nation's crop insurance program, the American Soybean Association (ASA) countered that the proposed budget would weaken the farm safety net at a time when it is most needed.

"Chairman Ryan made the claim this morning that this budget deal would strengthen our safety net programs when the exact opposite is true,” said ASA President and Brownfield, Texas, soybean farmer Wade Cowan. “When he discusses strengthening the safety net, apparently we’re not talking about farmers.”

Specifically, the budget would make cuts to the federal crop insurance program in the form of a reduction on the rate of return for crop insurance providers to 8.9 percent, a decrease of almost a third. Also, while the bill exempts many spending categories from the mandatory 6.8 percent reduction under sequestration, it does not do so for farm programs. The combination of these cuts comes at a time when crop values are down more than 50 percent over the past three years, and key agricultural production areas across the country are struggling with the type of volatile weather events that lead to an increased need for crop insurance claims.

“It is unconscionable that after the House and the Senate Agriculture Committees put more than three years of careful work into creating a farm bill that protects farmers and actually brings budget savings to the table, Congressional leadership would strike a backroom deal that hobbles our risk management framework,” said Cowan. “The farm economy is cyclical, and to assume that the farm economy won’t notice a $3 billion hit is extraordinarily short-sighted on the part of this Congress”

Added Cowan, “We will continue to oppose any budget deal with this cut of our safety net included.”



Big Data Brings Farmers New Rewards, New Risks

Farmers and ranchers see tremendous benefits with technology, but can't turn a blind eye to the privacy concerns that remain, Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst told the House Agriculture Committee today. Hurst, a board member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, was asked to testify on innovation and its implications for agriculture.

"The big data movement--and the innovative technologies and analytics it yields--could lead to at least as much change in agriculture as the Green Revolution and the adoption of biotechnology did," Hurst said. "Farmers are reporting higher yields, fewer inputs, more efficiency and higher profits thanks to technology."

While farmers are eager to adopt these groundbreaking tools, they are not willing to simply hand over their sensitive business information - nor should they have to. Farmers have the right to know what information is collected, how exactly their data is used and who else has access to it. "It's then up to farmers to determine whether the benefits outweigh the privacy and security risks associated with usage," Hurst said.

These concerns are best resolved through private partnerships where farmers can work directly with businesses to address problems and find workable solutions. "If we rely on the government to make changes, the undue overhead might irreversibly deter innovation," Hurst said.

AFBF has led the way in addressing big data concerns and recently joined with other industry players to produce a set of principles to govern data privacy and security. AFBF and its partners are currently developing tools to help farmers evaluate privacy agreements and data storage options. When farmers and businesses work together, Hurst told the committee, they can "expand their return on investment and unlock the power of ag data."



NAWG Commends Congress for Passing PTC Implementation Extension

Wednesday afternoon, the Senate unanimously approved the short-term highway bill extension, which includes a three-year extension for implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC). The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this week.

Following Senate passage, NAWG President, Brett Blankenship, wheat grower from Washtucna, Wash. made the following statement:

“We are very pleased by the passage of the PTC extension ahead of the December 31 implementation deadline. A shutdown of the nation’s freight rail network would have disastrous consequences for the nation’s economy and U.S. wheat growers who rely on the rail system to move their grain. When implemented, PTC will be a critical safety component of our national rail network. It remains essential for Congress to hold railroads accountable to efficiently complete the PTC requirements set forth in Rail Safety Improvement Act, and to also realize the current status of implementation. We now look forward to the President’s signature.”



USDA Announces $210 Million to be Invested in Renewable Energy Infrastructure through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with 21 states through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to nearly double the number of fueling pumps nationwide that supply renewable fuels to American motorists. In May 2015, USDA announced the availability of $100 million in grants through the BIP, and that to apply states and private partners match the federal funding by a 1:1 ratio. USDA received applications requesting over $130 million, outpacing the $100 million that is available. With the matching commitments by state and private entities, the BIP is investing a total of $210 million to strengthen the rural economy.

"This major investment in renewable energy infrastructure will give Americans more options that not only will suit their pocketbooks, but also will reduce our country's environmental impact and bolster our rural economy," said Vilsack. "The Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership is one more example of how federal funds can be leveraged by state and private partners to deliver better and farther reaching outcomes for taxpayers. The volume and diverse geographic locations of partners willing to support this infrastructure demonstrate the demand across the country for lower cost, cleaner, American-made fuels. Consumers will begin to see more of these pumps in a matter of months."

The 21 states participating in the BIP include Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The amount awarded to each state is available at: www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/energy-programs/bip/index. The final awards being announced today are estimated to expand infrastructure by nearly 5,000 pumps at over 1,400 fueling stations.

A typical gas pump delivers fuel with 10 percent ethanol, which limits the amount of renewable energy that consumers can purchase. The new partnership will increase the number of pumps, storage and related infrastructure that offer higher blends of ethanol, such as E15, E85, and even intermediate combination blends.

USDA's Office of the Chief Economist just released a comprehensive report on ethanol. The report, titled U.S. Ethanol: An Examination of Policy, Production, Use, Distribution, and Market Interactions, brings clarity to the complex interaction of ethanol production with agricultural markets and government policies. The corn ethanol industry is the largest biofuel producer in the country, with production increasing from about 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to just over 14 billion gallons in 2014, stimulating economic activity in rural communities.



NMPF Reflects on 100 Years of Leadership at Federation’s 99th Annual Meeting

Kicking off a year-long centennial commemoration, the leadership of the National Milk Producers Federation today reflected on the organization’s many achievements on behalf of dairy farmers, and noted continuing challenges ranging from assuring humane animal care to reforming federal immigration laws.

Speaking at the Federation’s 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, Board Chairman Randy Mooney and President and CEO Jim Mulhern also unveiled an updated NMPF logo and a booklet chronicling the organization’s 100 years of leadership on behalf of dairy producers.

The updated logo retains an image of the Capitol — used by the organization for half a century — but with a refreshed look. “A new century and new challenges call for a new, more modern design,” said Mulhern.

The Mooney–Mulhern presentation marks the beginning of NMPF’s 100th year, as the organization was founded in Chicago in 1916. “As our work today demonstrates, leadership is a journey, not a destination,” said Mooney. “It’s not just a word on a piece of paper; leadership is the tangible result of hard work.”

In the past century, NMPF has recorded numerous legislative victories, including enactment of the Capper-Volstead Act in 1922, and the establishment of federal milk marketing orders in the 1930s. It was instrumental in the creation of the dairy price support program in the 1940s and convinced Congress to create the mandatory dairy check-off program in the 1980s.

But the two NMPF leaders related how past achievements reflect on current issues facing dairy producers.

In the last few years, one of those was the need to create a new and better federal safety net for dairy farmers, now known officially as the Margin Protection Program. This catastrophic risk management program protects against worst-case scenarios like the Great Recession, Mooney said. NMPF conceived of the program after dairy farmers lost billions of dollars in equity in the 2008-2009 recession. The organization then lobbied Congress to include it in the 2014 farm bill. Ten months in, more than 55 percent of America’s dairy farmers are enrolled.

“Without question, the program has its challenges, challenges we continue to work to address,” said Mulhern. “But it’s important to recognize that the program was designed as a producer insurance safety net, not an income enhancement program. . . . And for those wondering how MPP stacks up against its predecessor, the old MILC program would not have paid a penny this year to any dairy farmer, anywhere in the country.”

The pair touched briefly on the self-help program Cooperatives Working Together, which was recently extended for through 2018. CWT helps its members to export key products like American-type cheese and butter. So far in 2015, the program has helped export the equivalent of 1.3 billion pounds of milk production.

In addition to economic issues, the need to counter imitation dairy products has been a long-time concern for the Federation. NMPF continues to urge the government to crack down on the misuse of dairy terms for non-dairy items, such as soy and almond “milk.” The revamp of the REAL® Seal brand has helped inform consumers of the benefits of original, American-made dairy products, Mulhern said.

Another very recent major accomplishment has been the conclusion of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal between the 12 countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Access to foreign dairy markets was one of the more controversial points, and the issue wasn’t resolved until the last day of the negotiations. Though final details are still being reviewed, Mulhern called the early results a victory.

“It appears that we have successfully prevented the very real risk of a harmful agreement that would have sacrificed U.S. dairy farmers’ interests as chits in a high-stakes poker game,” he said.

NMPF is also working with the USDA on revising federal dietary guidelines, which are being updated this year. New research has shown that saturated dairy fats are not as unhealthy as once thought. Mulhern also mentioned the Federation’s efforts to relax restrictions on chocolate milk in schools through this year’s child nutrition reauthorization bill.

More recently, animal health and environmental concerns have come to the forefront of NMPF’s list of issues. The National Dairy FARM program, launched in 2009, continues to evolve to promote the best practices of dairy farmers.

“The FARM program quantifies the great steps that farms contributing more than 90 percent of the U.S. milk supply are taking to care for their herds,” said Mulhern. “No other sector in livestock has as comprehensive or widely adopted program as ours.”

NMPF has plenty of other objectives to tackle in the next 100 years, said Mooney. The country is dealing with a failed immigration system, as farmers struggle to obtain the workforce needed to milk cows and perform other agricultural jobs. The organization also continues to challenge EPA’s Waters of the U.S rule, even as it develops other means to improve water and air quality on farms.

Mooney and Mulhern toasted other milestones, as well. Dairy Management Inc. and the U.S. Dairy Export Council turned 20 this year, and the National Dairy Council has been educating the public on the nutritional value of dairy products for 100 years.



Representatives from Major Food Marketing Companies Extol Need for Continuous Improvement and Collaboration with Dairy Farmers

Representatives from Chobani, Walmart, Starbucks and Kroger commended dairy producers this week for their hard work and passion, but also for their dedication to top-notch animal care, during a panel session at the 2015 Annual Meeting.

During a discussion Tuesday, NMPF Vice President of Animal Care Emily Meredith hosted a conversation on the shared expectations between well-known food brands and dairy producers on the subject of animal care. Panelists included Michael Gonda, senior vice president of communications for Chobani; Tres Bailey, director of federal government relations at Walmart; Ann Burkhart, director of ethical sourcing for Starbucks; and Mike Nosewicz, Vice President of Network Optimization and Fresh Dairy at Kroger.

Each panelist said their company is often contacted by “hyper-conscious” consumers who want to understand how their food goes from the farm to the dinner table, and if it’s produced humanely. One of the most common issues raised, they said, is tail docking.

“We realize we’re not experts in this,” said Gonda, of Chobani. “When it comes to something like animal welfare, we need to look at consumer expectations and have an emotional response.”

One way to connect on that emotional level is for farmers to utilize social media to share their experiences with animal care and the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program.  Today’s customers, said Bailey, are embracing communications on the internet, and companies need to meet them there, instead of the other way around. Several other panelists echoed this sentiment.

“We should celebrate the incredible work this industry does,” said Gonda. “And share information about that work so consumers understand the care that goes into dairy products.”

The FARM Program used Tuesday’s panel to help launch several social media accounts that will broadcast farmers’ stories and share their support of animal well-being. Meredith fielded some questions from the audience using the Twitter hashtag #FARMProud.

Many concerns around animal care arise from consumers being misinformed, said Burkhart, of Starbucks. No matter the consumer’s agenda, a company must correct any falsities and provide a way for that consumer to trust the company.

“We want to tell stories with metrics about dairy farming across the supply chain,” she said. “That will create opportunities for us to share your message with customers.”

The panelists noted the benefits of the FARM Program, and how it’s improved the company’s relationship with their suppliers. Almost all of the panelists lauded the recent NMPF Board decision to phase out the practice of tail docking by Jan. 1, 2017. Nosewicz called the decision “a godsend.”

Bailey said that in conversations with commodity groups, the FARM Program emerged as the leader in animal care practices.

“The FARM Program is consistently one of the best animal care program we’ve seen,” he said. “Kudos to you.”

A consistent theme during the panel was the concept of “continuous improvement” toward a transparent and ethical supply chain. The FARM Program, Nosewicz continued, supports this idea.

“We want the dairy industry to be the gold standard for animal care,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but we are getting closer.”

Added Burkhart: “We want basic animal care and welfare to be collaborative. It shouldn’t be a competitive sport.”



BASF Reports Lower Net Income

In a weaker than expected market environment, BASF sales in the third quarter of 2015 were €17.4 billion, 5% below the level of the previous third quarter. EBITDA increased by €358 million to €2.9 billion, mainly due to higher depreciation.

In contrast, income from operations (EBIT) before special items declined by €171 million to €1.6 billion. In the Chemicals segment, EBIT before special items rose slightly, while it increased sharply in the Functional Materials & Solutions segment. In the remaining segments, earnings declined significantly.

Compared with the previous third quarter, sales rose by 6% to €1.1 billion in the Agricultural Solutions segment through higher volumes and prices. The sharp depreciation of the Brazilian real resulted in negative currency effects.

EBIT before special items declined by €36 million to €7 million. This was largely the result of higher costs arising primarily from capacity increases and inventory reduction.