Friday November 27 Ag News - Part 1

2015 Silver Eagle Award to Honor Mike Johanns

Nebraska Farm Bureau has selected former U.S. Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska as the 2015 recipient of its highest honor, the Silver Eagle Award. The award will be presented to Johanns on Dec. 8, at the 2015 Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in LaVista.

Mike Johanns has served at all levels of local, state and national government.  From the Lancaster County Board to the Lincoln City Council and from his service as Mayor of Lincoln to his service as the 38th Governor of Nebraska. Johanns was then appointed as the 28th Secretary of Agriculture by then President George W. Bush. After serving in the President’s Cabinet, he was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Nebraska. During his time in the Senate, Johanns was one of only two senators who served as a governor and a Cabinet secretary, showing his vast amount of experience in government.

“Mike Johanns was born and raised on a dairy farm in Osage, Iowa. So he knows what getting up early and hard work is all about. Nebraska Farm Bureau celebrates Mike Johanns and the great accomplishments he’s had during his 30-plus years in public service. Mike has been a strong advocate for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers,” Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson said.

Over the course of his career, Johanns has tackled bird flu, mad cow disease, the Farm Bill and deficit reduction. He was designated a Farm Bureau “Friend of Ag” throughout his entire gubernatorial and senate career. He received American Farm Bureau’s Golden Plow Award in 2012 and numerous other awards and honors.

“Mike has always been a strong conservative legislator committed to stimulating economic growth through reduced government spending, lower tax rates, and reduced regulatory burdens on Nebraska farmers and ranchers and all Americans,” Nelson said.

As Governor he led five trade missions, promoting Nebraska agriculture in Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, Chile and China. As a result of those missions, Taiwan, China and other countries agreed to purchase Nebraska products, Nelson said. As Secretary of Agriculture he dedicated nearly two years to the development of the George W. Bush administration’s Farm Bill proposal, traveling and seeking input from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders. He also provided a strong voice for agriculture in negotiating the Doha Development Agenda, ensuring U.S. producers received fair treatment in the draft agreement. He played a key role in the passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). He brought together dozens of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and offices that had a role in renewable energy to achieve a more coordinated approach.

“As a U.S. Senator, Johanns worked to secure an increase of $1 million in funding for the APHIS tuberculosis programs when Bovine Tuberculosis was found. He requested assistance from USDA in addressing problems facing the dry bean industry and he co-sponsored the Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010 to improve the reporting on sales of livestock and dairy products. He urged Taiwan to ensure that their beef regulations be based on science-based international standards and they eventually adopted those standards. He fought regulatory overreach by the federal government. He supported increasing allowable fuel blends to include E-15 and he tirelessly worked with Farm Bureau and led efforts to repeal the burdensome 1099 mandates,” Nelson said.

Johanns is a graduate of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Creighton University School of Law. He began his career as an attorney working in private practice after he clerked for the Nebraska Supreme Court. He has two children and five grandchildren and has been married for nearly 30 years to his wife, Stephanie.

“Agriculture and certainly Nebraska is stronger because of Mike’s vision,” Nelson said. “Mike is extremely worthy of receiving Nebraska Farm Bureau’s highest honor, the Silver Eagle Award. We thank him for his service to Nebraska and elevating Nebraska agriculture and the farmers and ranchers who make up our industry,” Nelson concluded.



NE Pork Producers Announce New Executive Director

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA) is pleased to announce that Alan R. Juhnke from Willmar, Minnesota will take over the executive director position for NPPA in January of 2016. Juhnke will fill the vacancy created by retiring Larry Sitzman.

The selection was made after a national search and selection process. “We are very pleased to announce this appointment,” stated Scott Spilker, NPPA President. “Al will bring leadership and creativity to the Association. He has an extensive public and private agriculture background and is experienced in public policy.”

Al’s resume includes over 30 years of executive planning, administration, communications and marketing experience in the agriculture sector. Al has served as Ag, Energy and Environment Advisor to U.S. Senator Al Franken since 201l. Prior to joining Senator Franken’s staff, Juhnke served  in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 14 years.



Saunders Co Corn Growers Ag Industry Tour

December 2 – Saunders County Corn Growers Bus Tour  will feature ag. industry related stops in the Lincoln area. If you’re not a member of the corn growers when you get on the bus you will be when you get off. Bus leaves fairgrounds in Wahoo at 7:30 a.m. Call 402-624-8030 or drop me a note at kglewen1@unl.edu to reserve a seat and obtain additional information. Guaranteed to be good day!



Dr David Kohl to be in West Point Dec 7th

Rob See Co, Central Plains Milling, and Direct Enterprise is proud to present one of the best Ag Economists of our time, Dr. David Kohl from Virginia Tech.  For 25 years, his official title was “Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics.”  He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agriculture Economics from Cornell University.

Kohl has traveled almost 9 million miles throughout his career!  He has conducted more than 6,000 workshops and seminars for agriculture groups and has published four books plus over 1500 articles on financial/business related topics.  Kohl regularly writes for Corn and Soybean Digest.

December 7, 2015 - Nielsen Community Center - West Point, NE
9:00 a.m.-9:30 Registration - 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Lunch is provided
RSVP by Dec. 4 by calling Central Plains Milling - 1-888-200-2037

The agriculture industry is in a major economic transition.  The great commodity super cycle that fueled much of the income statement and balance sheet growth in agriculture is in the rear view mirror.  What will be the emerging trends impacting agriculture and rural America’s bottom line in the short and long run?  What are the latest trends and views in agriculture?  What can you to do position your business for this economic reset? Dr. Kohl will present his challenges & opportunities tool kit to give you some tools to help your business position for success so be sure to attend this information packed, high energy session.



Washington County Cattleman's December Meeting

The Washington County Cattleman will be holding their montly meeting on Monday December 7th at the Blair Marina, Blair, NE.  Social Hour is set to begin at 6 pm followed by dinner at 7.  Speaker for the evening will be Ann O'Reilly, Cargill Corn Merchanising Manager.  Call Derek Dam with any questions... (402) 278-0682. 



Field to Market Efficiency Workshop on Dec. 10
Nebraska Extension in cooperation with the Corn and Soybean Boards is conducting hands-on workshops to introduce corn and soybean producers to a tool that measures key farm efficiencies. Field to Market Efficiency Workshop will teach producers how to use a web-based computer tool called the Fieldprint® Calculator. No prior computer knowledge is necessary and experienced users will be available to provide assistance. Computer laptops are provided.

One of the host sites is in Fremont at the Dodge County Nebraska Extension Office at 1206 West 23rd St. on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free lunch and workshop materials are provide by sponsors and grant funds. 

The tool rewards farms focused on efficient use of inputs, productivity, and sound stewardship practices as environmentally sustainable. It provides an opportunity for producers to assess how their farm measures up. Fieldprints® can help growers to establish benchmark data on a field and track improvements over time, set energy-saving and efficiency goals and compare performance against local, state and national benchmarks. Producers will select a representative corn or soybean field for 2015 and complete a data input sheet in advance of the Fieldprint® Calculator workshops.  

For more information and to pre-register by the December 3rd, contact the Dodge County Extension office at 402-727-2775, email Nathan Mueller at nathan.mueller@unl.edu, or go ahead and register online at dodge.unl.edu.



NCBA’s Cattlemen’s College Set to Kick-off 23rd Year in San Diego

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Cattlemen’s College series will kick-off its 23rd year Jan. 26-27, 2016 in San Diego, Calif. Widely hailed as the premier educational event in the cattle industry, this series, sponsored by Zoetis, will feature speakers and live animal demonstrations that give cattlemen and women the tools to connect, learn and innovate.

“Cattlemen’s College is a great opportunity for producers from all parts of the country, all ages, and all operations to learn from leading industry experts and their fellow cattlemen and women,” said NCBA President Philip Ellis. “Never has producer education been more important in our industry, and if applied, the principals discussed in this program will add value to your operation.”

Cattlemen’s College will start off on Jan. 26, with an opportunity to listen to and question five of the most influential and dynamic experts in the beef industry through the session “Whole Herd Makeover: Cowboy Style.” Industry experts will include Dr. Dave Daley, Don Schiefelbein, Patsy Houghton and Tom Brink, with Dr. Tom Field moderating. Topics will range from expanding your cowherd with a vision, to genetics and animal health. This session will also feature live cattle demonstrations as these topics are explored in-depth. The day will conclude with a California Fresh Reception, showing off the bounty of California’s agricultural products and produce, sponsored by Zoetis.

Jan. 27 will start with a general session hosted by Dr. Robert Fraley, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Monsanto, who believes the challenge to feed a growing world population will take collaboration and a greater focus on maximizing the use of resources. Dr. Fraley will share his outlook and thoughts on how agriculture will meet those goals. Following the general session and throughout the morning, attendees will have a choice of five key topic areas for hour-long breakout sessions. These breakouts will focus on cattle health, nutrition, hot industry topics, business development, production and how to seize future opportunities.

During lunch, attendees will have another chance to follow up with the day’s speakers and ask questions.

Early registration for Cattlemen’s College ends Jan. 4, 2016. Registration includes all Cattlemen’s College sessions and the reception. A complete schedule and registration information are available online at www.beefusa.org.



Dow Expects Enlist Duo to be Available for the 2016 U.S. Crop Season

Relative to EPA’s recently filed motion to vacate the registration of Enlist Duo herbicide, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) is confident in the extensive data supporting this new technology and is working quickly with EPA to provide assurances that our product’s conditions of registered use will continue to protect the environment, including threatened and endangered plant species.

“We believe the questions that have been raised about any potential synergy between 2,4-D choline and glyphosate can be promptly resolved in the next few  months, in time for the 2016 crop use season,” said Tim Hassinger, Dow AgroSciences President and CEO.

“It’s possible that we could see some changes to use conditions on the existing Enlist Duo label,” Hassinger added.  “However, based on the ongoing dialogue with EPA, we do not expect these issues to result in the long-term cancellation of the Enlist Duo product registration.  We continue to prepare for commercial sales of Enlist Duo for the 2016 growing season with enthusiastic grower adoption.”

Evaluations of potential synergy from herbicidal mixtures are common within the crop protection industry and are not unique to Dow AgroSciences or Enlist Duo. EPA has not used observations of potential synergy in mixtures as a basis for regulatory action.  Technology providers, like Dow AgroSciences, have commonly filed patent applications on mixtures, without there being any connection to EPA’s regulatory processes.

“EPA now has all of the data developed by Dow AgroSciences on observed potential synergies between 2,4-D choline and glyphosate in Enlist Duo,” Hassinger added. “From these data, EPA will readily see – after evaluating all of the efficacy data on the final formulation – why these data support the registration of Enlist Duo.”



Vilsack to Travel to Brussels, Paris to Discuss TTIP, Global Food Security, Climate Change

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 and Paris, France from Dec. 1 – Dec. 3 to address international dignitaries and stakeholders on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), climate change, and global food security. The trip follows travel earlier this month to Cuba, Japan and China, where Vilsack also held talks with government counterparts in each of the three countries about opportunities to expand markets for American-made agricultural products.

While in Brussels, Secretary Vilsack will address the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) on Monday, Nov. 30, and will give remarks at the EU Agricultural Outlook Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Secretary Vilsack will address climate change, sustainability, and TTIP at both events. The Secretary will also meet with Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner of Agriculture and the Presidents of COPA-COGECA, the EU union of farmers, cooperatives and agricultural organizations.

On July 12, 2013, the United States and the European Union began the first round of negotiations in pursuit of a comprehensive, transatlantic free trade agreement. The EU is the world’s largest importer of agricultural products and food, but despite continued market growth, the U.S. market share is shrinking. The ability for U.S. exporters to penetrate the European market remains constrained by tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, and ongoing TTIP negotiations offer opportunities to address these unjustified barriers.

“At USDA we intend to build on the record agricultural trade already achieved in the Obama Administration. We will continue breaking down barriers to U.S. products and working toward new agreements to expand exports, including a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union,” said Vilsack.

On Dec. 2, Secretary Vilsack will be in Paris, France for the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21), where he will host an event on the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture. Launched in Sept.  2014, the Global Alliance helps to promote international engagement around agricultural industries and their role in reducing the impacts of climate change. This alliance offers opportunities for international leaders to share knowledge, make investments, and develop policies that empower all producers to adapt to climate change and to mitigate greenhouse gases in agriculture while increasing sustainable production.

Later that day, Secretary Vilsack will host an event to release a new report global food security and the U.S. food system at the COP21. Following the event he will also meet with French Minister of Agriculture Stephane Le Foll.



Abengoa Reports Troubles

Spanish renewable energy company Abengoa Bioenergy SA has filed for protection from its creditors, the company said on Wednesday. It's unclear what that might mean for the company's corn-based and cellulosic ethanol plants in the United States.

Dow Jones news service reported Abengoa is filing for preliminary protection from its creditors, which could be a prelude to filing bankruptcy.

Abengoa is one of a handful of companies launching commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production in the United States during the past 18 months. Earlier this year, the company began production at a plant designed to use wheat straw and switchgrass among other feedstocks in Hugoton, Kansas.

Abengoa operates ethanol plants in Portales, New Mexico; Colwich, Kansas; Granite City and Mount Vernon, Illinois; as well as Ravenna and York, Nebraska. In addition to the Hugoton cellulosic ethanol plant, the company operates a pilot-scale biomass plant in York, Nebraska.

Including the Hugoton biomass plant, Abengoa has a biofuel production capacity of more than 370 million gallons per year, making it one of the largest producers in the United States.

Abengoa is one of the world's top builders of power lines in Latin America and a top engineering and construction business, as well as building renewable-energy power plants from Kansas to the U.K. The company reportedly filed for protection from creditors after a Spanish investment firm called off plans to provide the company with a cash injection.

According to Spanish law, Abengoa has up to four months to continue talks with creditors. In addition, creditors are not allowed to force bankruptcy proceedings in the meantime.



Deere's Profit Tops Forecasts

(AP) -- Even though sales of its green tractors, bulldozers and other equipment fell sharply, Deere & Co. reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings as it cut costs.

The Moline, Illinois-based company also posted an earnings outlook for the year that surpassed Wall Street expectations. Its shares rose more than 2 percent in morning trading.

Deere has been hurt by weak commodity prices which have made farmers less likely to buy new equipment. And falling oil prices has hurt sales of its construction equipment.

Sales of its agriculture equipment, which include tractors, fell 25% in the quarter from a year ago. Sales of its construction equipment fell 32% in the period from a year ago.

For the fiscal year 2016, the company expects earnings of about $1.4 billion, above the $1.33 billion analysts expected, according to FactSet. Deere said it expects sales of its equipment to fall 7% in fiscal 2016, compared with the year before.

For the quarter ending Oct. 31, it reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $351.2 million, or $1.08 per share.

Deere said it cut costs by 21% to $6.26 billion.

The agricultural equipment manufacturer posted revenue of $5.93 billion in the period, which fell short of Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $6.13 billion.

For the year, the company reported profit of $1.94 billion, or $5.77 per share. Revenue was reported as $25.78 billion.



General Mills Announces Plans to Go with Cage-Free Eggs

General Mills Inc will use only cage-free eggs in its U.S. operations by 2025, it said on Tuesday, marking the first time the packaged food company has given a timeline for the switch.

The maker of products including Betty Crocker cake mixes and Cheerios cereal said in July that it was working toward using exclusively cage-free eggs in its products but did not provide specifics on when the process would be completed, reports Reuters.

The move comes at a time when the food industry is under pressure from groups including the Humane Society of the United States, Mercy for Animals and World Animal Protection, which have successfully lobbied many companies to adopt animal welfare practices.

Competitor Kellogg Co said in October that it will source 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2025. Fast-food companies have made similar announcements.