Friday November 6 Ag News

USDA NASS TO COLLECT 2015 CROP PRODUCTION AND CROP STOCKS DATA

As the 2015 growing season comes to an end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to gather final year-end crop production numbers and the amount of grain and oilseed they store on their farms. At the same time, NASS will survey grain facility operators to determine year-end off-farm grain and oilseed stocks.

“These surveys are the largest and most important year-end surveys conducted by NASS,” explained NASS’s Northern Plains Director Dean Groskurth. “They are the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major agricultural commodities in the United States and grain and oilseed supplies. Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make crucial year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing and marketing season.”

The information will be compiled, analyzed and then published in a series of USDA reports, including the Crop Production Annual Summary and quarterly Grain Stocks report to be released January 12.

“Responses to the survey will be used in calculating county yields,” explained Groskurth. “USDA uses county yield information from the survey to evaluate and administer vital farm disaster mitigation and insurance programs such as Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC). Farmers who receive this survey should use this opportunity to assure their county is accurately represented in the calculation of Nebraska county yields.”

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.



USDA NASS CONDUCTING DECEMBER HOGS AND PIGS SURVEY

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is contacting producers for the December Hogs and Pigs Survey. Conducted quarterly, this survey is the most comprehensive gathering of detailed data on market hog and breeding stock inventories as well as farrowing intentions in every state.

“According to the most recent Hogs and Pigs report in September, there were 68.4 million hogs and pigs in the United States,” said Dean Groskurth, Regional Director of the NASS Northern Plains Office. “This marks the highest inventory of all hogs and pigs since official, U.S. government quarterly hog and pig estimates began in 1988. The December survey and resulting report will continue to provide important indicators for the industry of what changes are occurring.”

NASS will mail the questionnaires to all producers selected for the survey in late November. To ensure all survey participants have an opportunity to respond, NASS interviewers will contact all producers who do not respond by mail or online to conduct telephone and personal interviews.
The data gathered in these quarterly surveys allow NASS to accurately measure and report conditions and trends in the U.S. pork industry over the course of the year. The information is used by all sectors of the industry to help make sound and timely business decisions.

Groskurth noted that, as is the case with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. “NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level estimates, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified,” he said. NASS will publish the survey results in the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on December 23.



Register for Cattlemen's College

The 2015 Cattlemen's College will showcase many great speakers this year and now is the time to register for the event. Join fellow cattlemen and women for a day of Cattlemen's College - a short, intensive cattle producer education program designed to address relevant issues and deliver information that will improve production and profitably. Sponsored by Zoetis, the program offers a wide range of informative speakers. This is an event that should not be missed.

Cattlemen's college is held Wednesday, December 2, 2015 during the Nebraska Cattlemen Annual Convention at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney Nebraska.

The 2015 Cattlemen's College will include the following educational sessions:

    Cattle Market Drivers and 2016 Outlook
        Jim Robb, Director, Livestock Marketing Information Center

    Future of Beef Production
        Gary Sides, Ph.D., Beef Cattle Nutritionist, Zoetis

    Nebraska Department of Agriculture Updates
        Greg Ibach, Director, NE Dept. of Agriculture

    Healthy Cattle - Healthy Ranch, BQA and Feedyard Assessment program
        Josh White, Executive Director of Producer Education, NCBA

    Growing Calves using Crop Residues and Double Cropped Forages
        Mary Drewnoski, PhD., Beef Systems Specialist, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

    Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)
        Dee Griffin, DVM, School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

    Applying genomics to reproduction: Selecting or managing for fertility
        Robert Cushman, PhD., U.S. Meat Animal Research Center

    Producer Panel - Getting Started in the Beef Business

The Cattlemen's College will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Cost to attend Cattlemen's College is $60 and registration information can be found at www.nebraskacattlemen.org or by calling the NC office at 402.475.2333.



Current National Drought Summary

A series of storm systems swept across the lower 48 States, generating wet weather that soaked many portions of the contiguous U.S., including a second round of heavy rains that provided drought improvement and relief to the southern Great Plains and Mississippi Delta. Unfortunately, the rains were accompanied by severe weather and flash flooding in Texas, including a record daily total of 14.99 inches at Austin (5.76 inches in one hour) on October 30, and an EF2 tornado in Floresville that damaged the high school. Additional dryness or drought relief from moderate to heavy rains (more than 2 inches) also occurred across most of the Southeast, west-central Corn Belt and western Great Lakes region, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, much of the Atlantic Coast States, and the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, and Sierra Nevada. Heavy precipitation also fell on interior and northeastern Puerto Rico and along the southeastern Alaskan Panhandle. Weekly temperatures generally averaged above to much-above normal in the lower 48 States, with near to below-normal readings limited from the Southwest northeastward into the middle Mississippi Valley, and in interior New England.

Northern and Central Plains
Weekly totals were much lower across the northern and central Plains as compared to areas to the south and east; however, in North Dakota, timely rains (0.2-0.7 inches) helped improve the condition of the winter wheat while farmers utilized the dry weather to continue harvesting corn and sunflower seeds which were done well ahead of normal. Even though little or no rain fell on South Dakota, 90-day surpluses, lower temperatures, and minimal evapotranspiration have kept the D0(S) from worsening. In southern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, light to moderate (0.3-0.9 inches) rains generally kept conditions stable, although a reassessment of short-term tools led to a slight redraw of the D1 areas in Kansas and D0 in southwestern Nebraska. In southwestern Colorado and southwestern Kansas, 0.6-1.5 inches of rain, locally to 2.5 inches, plus heavy rains from last week, were enough to eliminate the D0 in Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Prowers counties (Colorado), and Greeley and Hamilton counties (Kansas).

Midwest and Great Lakes region
Similar to the southern Plains and Delta (minus the magnitude of the rain totals), widespread light to moderate (0.5-2 inches) and occasionally heavy (2-6 inches) rains fell on much of the Midwest and Great Lakes region, halting or ending a general expansion of abnormal dryness or drought in most of this region. With lower temperatures, little or no evapotranspiration, and (still) unfrozen ground, rainfall during the autumn can go a long way in recharging the soil moisture. As a result, D1 was improved 1-2 categories in northwestern Tennessee, western Kentucky, and south-central Indiana where a large band of 2-6 inches of steady, all-day rains greatly eased or erased short-term deficits. Similarly, 2-4 inches in central Kentucky, southeastern Indiana, and southwestern Ohio eliminated abnormal dryness. In southwestern Wisconsin, 2-3 inches of rain was enough for a 1-category improvement, but not so in southwestern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa where totals (0.5-1.5 inches) were not enough to significantly reduce deficiencies. Light to moderate rains also halted the expansion of short-term dryness and drought in the western Great Lakes region, and actually trimmed away some of the D0 and D1 edges where the totals were large enough (northern Wisconsin, UP of Michigan, northern lower Michigan). In Missouri and southeastern Iowa, bands of moderate to heavy rain (1.5-2.5 inches) allowed for some trimming of the D1 edges, along with a bit of D0 and D1 improvement in central Illinois (1.5 to 2 inches of rain). Not surprisingly, the NASS/USDA statewide topsoil moisture rated short to very short came down (improved) 10-34 percentage points on Nov. 1 from the previous week in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee, although Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana was still at 42, 38, and 38%, respectively.

Looking Ahead
For the upcoming 5-day period (November 5-9), moderate to heavy (1-3 inches) precipitation is expected from the southern Great Plains northeastward into the eastern Ohio Valley. Light to moderate precipitation (0.5-1.5 inches) is forecast from Louisiana eastward to the North Carolina Outer Banks, southern Florida, the central Great Lakes region, parts of the Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest. Little or no precipitation should occur in most of California and the Great Basin, the High Plains, and the Northeast. Temperatures should average below-normal in the western third of the Nation, and above normal in the northern half of the Plains and eastern third of the U.S.

For the ensuing 5 days (November 10-14), the odds favor above median precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, central Rockies, north-central and southern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes region, New England and mid-Atlantic, and most of Alaska except sub-median chances in the southwest. Below median odds are likely from central California northeastward into western North Dakota. Below-normal temperatures are favored in the West and Alaska, and above-normal readings in the eastern half of the Nation.



Publication Offers Solution to Improve Tractor Efficiency and Cut Fuel Cost

A new publication, Farm Energy: Case Studies – Techniques to improve tractor energy efficiency and fuel savings (PM 3063D), is now available for download in the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Store. This publication is part of the Farm Energy: Case Study series and outlines ways for farmers and ranchers to improve their tractor energy efficiency and save on fuel costs throughout the year.

“Diesel fuel is the largest direct energy cost for Iowa farmers and directly impacts profitability. Small changes in tractor management style can save several thousand dollars per year on many row crop farms without affecting field operations,” said Mark Hanna, agricultural biosystems engineering specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

This publication provides suggestions to reduce fuel costs such as shifting up to a higher gear and reducing engine speed, adjusting tillage depth, decreasing travel speeds, correct tire inflation, dual vs. single tires and mechanical front-wheel drive recommendations.

The Farm Energy publications are part of a series of farm energy efficiency resources developed by the ISU Farm Energy team. This outreach effort aims to help farmers and utility providers to improve on-farm energy management and to increase profitability in a rapidly changing energy environment. Follow the team on Twitter @ISU_Farm_Energy.

To find this publication and others, go to the Iowa State University Extension Store, https://store.extension.iastate.edu/.



Iowa Lakes Community College offers new Beef Feedlot Technician Course

Iowa Lakes Community College, in cooperation with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, has developed a Beef Feedlot Technician short course. In just six weeks, the course will educate participants on safety recommendations, animal handling principles, and general equipment maintenance to prepare them for the industry.

The joint project was initiated when the issue of securing competent employees in the Iowa beef industry surfaced at producer-focused listening sessions held in March of 2014. ICA members shared their challenges finding suitable employees that could safely handle livestock, haul manure and balance rations. During the 2014 Iowa Cattle Industry Convention, the association adopted policy supporting the development of curriculum for Iowa’s beef industry employees. Since that time, an appointed working group provided recommendations for course objectives and learning outcomes for the course.

“We anticipate the Iowa Lakes short course will generate a supply of competent employees for Iowa’s feedlot operators in an efficient and economical way,” says Jim Christensen, ICA member and feedlot operator from Royal, Iowa.

The Beef Feedlot Technician course is open to current employees as well as potential industry recruits. The course will be held during evening hours to provide flexibility and financial resources are available through GAP funding. Interested parties should contact the admissions office at Iowa Lakes Community College at 1-800-521-5054 for more information regarding enrollment.



AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: QUARANTIES LIFTED ON ALL 72 COMMERCIAL SITES, 5 BACKYARD FLOCKS REMAIN UNDER QUARANTINE

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that all of the 72 commercial poultry farms that had a confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have had the quarantines on their facilities lifted and they are eligible to restock birds.  All sites have completed the cleaning and disinfection process and had negative environmental tests.  They also had to undergo a 21 day fallow period following disinfection before the quarantine could be lifted.

Five backyard operations remain under quarantine.  Backyard facilities must undergo a 180 day fallow period following depopulation before the quarantines can be lifted and birds brought back to the farm.  It is anticipated that these sites will be able to come off of quarantine in the next month.

Biosecurity continues to be emphasized to protect birds
Now that fall migration of wild waterfowl is underway, bird owners are again reminded to exercise biosecurity to prevent the return of the disease.  USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a report last month on its planning and preparation for a potential recurrence of the disease.  APHIS’ fall plan focuses on four major areas: preventing or reducing future outbreaks; enhanced preparedness; improved and streamlined response capabilities; and preparing for the potential use of AI vaccines.

APHIS’ fall planning report not only discusses planning and preparedness activities but also contains links to updated policies, guidance documents, and background information, including a biosecurity self-assessment for the poultry industry, criteria for using ventilation shutdown as a depopulation method and a plan for how vaccine could potentially be used.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, together with USDA, partner state agencies and industry stakeholders have conducted after-action reviews and preparedness planning.

Iowa Avian Influenza Situation Update
The Iowa HPAI response operates under a Unified Command involving the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services.

There were 77 total premises and 31.5 million birds affected with H5N2 HPAI in Iowa. There are 35 commercial turkey flocks, 22 commercial egg production flocks, 13 pullet flocks, 1 chicken breeding flock, 1 mail order hatchery, and 5 backyard flocks.

Updated information about the number cases, when they are confirmed and other relevant information will be posted to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.iowaagriculture.gov/avianinfluenza.asp.



Chemical Dealer Meetings Give Timely Crop, Pest, Nutrient Info

Updates on the latest crop production products and recommendations are the featured topics at meetings sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Iowa City, Nov. 24 and Ames, Dec. 16.

Ag input providers can meet with extension specialists to review current research, discuss new products and learn new recommendations to prepare for next year's crop production challenges.

Each location will feature presentations on weed, insect and crop disease management, and an update on the past growing season. Meetings are approved for Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credits. The meetings also offer Iowa Commercial Pesticide Applicator recertification in categories 1A, 1B, 1C and 10 for calendar year 2015. Recertification is included in meeting registration. Attendance at the entire meeting is required for recertification.

Early registration is $70 if received by midnight, Nov. 17 (Iowa City) or Dec. 9 (Ames). Late or on-site registration is $85. Visit www.aep.iastate.edu/acu for program details or to register online. For additional information contact an Iowa State University extension field agronomist hosting the meeting.

Iowa City -- Nov. 24 -- Virgil Schmitt, vschmitt@iastate.edu, (563) 263-5701 or Meaghan Anderson, mjanders@iastate.edu, (319) 337-2145

Ames -- Dec. 16 -- Mark Johnson, markjohn@iastate.edu, (515) 382-6551 or Angie Rieck-Hinz, amrieck@iastate.edu, (515) 532-3453

The Ag Chemical Dealer Updates are hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the departments of Agronomy, Entomology, and Plant Pathology and Microbiology.



USMEF Conference Concludes with Officer Elections, Support for TPP

The U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) annual Strategic Planning Conference concluded Friday in Tucson, Arizona, with the election of a new officer team. Roel Andriessen, who heads the International Sales Group of Tyson Fresh Meats, is the new USMEF chair. He succeeds Leann Saunders, president of Where Food Comes From, a leading agricultural and food verification and certification company.

Andriessen has more than 35 years of meat industry experience, beginning with his family’s international meat and poultry business in the Netherlands. In 1978 he joined IBP, which was subsequently acquired by Tyson. He has been involved with USMEF since 1979 as a member of the executive committee and has chaired various USMEF committees.

“Whether your company is very large, very small, or somewhere in between, USMEF has the talent in place to enhance your opportunities in the global marketplace,” he said.

Andriessen addressed the economic challenges that have caused U.S. red meat exports to slow in 2015, but said that even in difficult times exports still deliver important returns to the entire U.S. industry – including producers, processors and exporters.

“The industry is going to have ups and downs – from time to time we are going to have issues,” he said. “But overall the global marketplace is growing, especially in the China region and all of Asia. So there’s plenty of opportunity for us to participate, for the benefit of the total supply chain.”

Bruce Schmoll, a soybean and corn producer from Claremont, Minnesota, is the new USMEF chair-elect. Schmoll is a past president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and has held several industry leadership positions at the local and state level. Dennis Stiffler, Ph.D., USMEF vice chair, is chief executive officer of Mountain States Rosen, a producer-owned fabricator, processor and distributor of quality lamb and veal products.

The newest member of the USMEF officer team is Conley Nelson of Algona, Iowa, who will serve as secretary-treasurer. Nelson is general manager of Smithfield Foods’ hog production division in the company’s five-state Midwest region and was president of the National Pork Board in 2012-13.

Also on Friday, the USMEF membership unanimously approved a resolution supporting ratification and implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The resolution states that TPP offers significant tariff relief for U.S. beef and pork entering Japan and Vietnam, and includes mechanisms for addressing sanitary and phytosanitary issues that will assist the United States in reducing non-tariff trade barriers and achieving reliable market access. The resolution also notes that failure to ratify TPP could cause the U.S. red meat industry to face significant disadvantages as competitors move forward with trade agreements.

The resolution originated with the USMEF Beef and Allied Industries Committee and Pork and Allied Industries Committee, which had met the previous day to discuss market conditions and marketing activities in key destinations for U.S. red meat. Meetings were also conducted by the USMEF Exporter Committee and the USMEF Feedgrain and Oilseed Caucus.

The Strategic Planning Conference also included a detailed outline of TPP’s implications for U.S. agriculture by Sharon Bomer, assistant U.S. trade representative for agricultural affairs and commodity policy for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. USMEF members also received informative presentations on China’s role in the global economy from Michael Drury, chief economist for McVean Trading, and Joel Haggard, USMEF senior vice president for the Asia Pacific.



Only Two Weeks Remain for BQA Free Certification Period

With only two weeks remaining, the countdown continues for beef and dairy producers to become Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-certified for free online through Nov. 20. And, as an added bonus, anyone who becomes certified during this period is eligible to win a pair of Roper boots, courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. and the BQA program, funded in part by the beef checkoff.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. will pick up the $25-$50 online training fee for every person completing BQA training through Nov. 20. That includes anyone who works with cattle – whether it is beef or dairy. Visit www.bqa.org to take advantage of the open certification period today!



SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO TAKE UP CASE RELATED TO CAFO EMISSIONS

The U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to take a case brought by Iowa environmental activists to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate air pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) under the Clean Air Act. The court Monday notified the plaintiffs in Samuel Zook vs. EPA that it denied their petition to review a decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upholding a U.S. District Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit.

The activists claimed EPA ignored scientific findings by not setting air standards for ammonium and hydrogen sulfide emitted by CAFOs. They also claimed CAFOs should be listed as a stationary source of air pollution. The case is rooted in years of efforts by environmentalists to force more rigorous regulations on CAFOs. In upholding the dismissal, the Appeals Court said that, under the provision of the Clean Air Act the activists used to bring their lawsuit, only “nondiscretionary acts” can be challenged. But the activists “have not identified a nondiscretionary act or duty that the administrator has failed to perform,” said the court, “and the district court properly dismissed their complaint.”



NCGA Joins Legal Challenge to Chesapeake Bay Ruling

Today the National Corn Growers Association joined a coalition of agricultural and builder groups petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to micromanage local land use and development decisions under the guise of the Clean Water Act.

Although the context of the lawsuit relates to the EPA’s so-called “blueprint” for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, it has national implications related to the power and reach of the federal government.

“The EPA has consistently pushed the legal limits of the Clean Water Act, with the Chesapeake Bay blueprint and the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule being two of the most recent examples,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, who farms on the Chesapeake Bay watershed in southern Maryland.

“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act, their intention was to create balanced, practical policies to protect America’s water resources. In both of these cases, the EPA’s actions represent an unlawful expansion of their authority. That’s why we joined this petition on the Chesapeake Bay blueprint, and we are party to a lawsuit challenging the WOTUS rule,” said Bowling.

“We support the goals of the Clean Water Act, and we remain committed to working with the EPA and other stakeholders to protect our water resources.”



Farm Bureau Asks Supreme Court to Stop EPA Abuse of Clean Water Act Powers

The American Farm Bureau Federation and a coalition of agricultural and builder groups today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that allows the Environmental Protection Agency to micromanage local land use and development decisions under the guise of implementing the federal Clean Water Act. The lower court’s ruling, according to the petition, “opens the door for a dramatic expansion of federal power” and must be overturned.

The lawsuit arose in the context of EPA’s so-called “blueprint” for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, but Farm Bureau points out that the issue at stake is national in scope.

“It’s about whether EPA has the power to override local decisions on what land can be farmed, where homes can be built, and where schools, hospitals, roads and communities can be developed,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “This is nothing less than federal super-zoning authority. As much as we all support the goal of achieving a healthy Chesapeake Bay, we have to fight this particular process for getting there.”

Twenty-one states, 39 members of Congress and a group of counties within the Bay watershed supported AFBF’s legal challenge in the lower courts.

“We certainly hope for even more support in asking for Supreme Court review,” said AFBF General Counsel Ellen Steen. “There has been a lot of attention to EPA’s recent rule expanding its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. EPA’s overreach in the Bay ‘blueprint’ is just as aggressive, and its impact on communities and businesses is just as dramatic. From the beginning, this was designed as a model that would be followed around the country.”

According to today’s court filing, the greatest practical, local harm of the Bay blueprint is that it “locks in” decisions made in 2010 and “deprives state and local governments of the ability to adapt their plans to take account of changes in societal needs, developing technologies, or new information. It prevents them from exercising their own judgment about the best and most efficient ways to achieve the goals for the Bay.” Implementation of the blueprint is expected to cost roughly $28 billion to $30 billion in Maryland and Virginia alone.



Southeast Asia Buyers Conference Facilitates $81 Million in U.S. DDGS Sales
Kevin Roepke, U.S. Grains Council Regional Director for Southern Asia

The 12th annual Agricultural Cooperators Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia, last month created renewed interest among buyers of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and an opportune time to network between buyers and sellers of this valuable U.S. corn co-product.

More than a fifth of Southern Asia and Oceania’s annual DDGS sales volumes were either inked or discussed during the recently-held conference, co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).

The 335,000 metric tons of DDGS valued at $81 million that was traded during the week of the conference marked a new record. This year’s sales bested the previous record set in 2011, which was the first time the conference officially promoted DDGS.

In 2014, the United States sold approximately 1.6 million tons of DDGS to the countries that were represented during this conference. If the region imports similar amounts of DDGS this year, this event would be directly responsible for almost one out of every five tons of DDGS sold to the region.

By bringing together key decision makers with U.S. suppliers and providing them a central location to network, this conference helped facilitate these sales. Southeast Asia is a very challenging market for traders to service due to geography, making the USGC/USSEC conference a unique and valuable meeting place.

If traders want to visit customers in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur, they will spend significant time traveling. This conference is designed to streamline that process, allowing Southeast Asian buyers and U.S. sellers to network under one roof, in one location.

“This conference in Southeast Asia allowed for great relationships to be developed that, hopefully, can pay dividends in the future,” said Brandon Hunnicutt, a representative of the Nebraska Corn Board who delivered the U.S. corn crop report during the conference.

“From my networking during the conference, I was able to learn what the opportunities are in this part of the world and how U.S. farmers can become a key supplier of coarse grains to this region.”

Besides time to network, the 170 attendees of the conference benefited from a strong agenda that included U.S. farmer crop reports for both corn and soybeans, a global transportation outlook, review of risk management tools and information on feed sector developments.



USDA Loan Repayment Awards $4.5 Million to Ensure Access to Veterinary Services in Rural Communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today awarded more than $4.5 million to 49 American veterinarians to help repay a portion of their veterinary school loans in return for serving in areas lacking sufficient veterinary resources. The awards, made through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will help fill shortages in 26 states.

"Rural America is challenged with recruiting veterinarians", said Dr. John Clifford, Chief Veterinary Officer for the USDA. "These professionals often face high student loan debt, leading them to work in locations with larger populations and higher pay. This program offers loan-repayment assistance to veterinarians, allowing them to fill shortages and work in rural areas, ultimately improving the well-being of livestock and providing an abundant and safe food supply for America."

Veterinarians are critical to America's food safety and food security and to the health and well-being of both animals and humans. Studies indicate there are significant shortages of food animal veterinarians in certain areas of the country, and in high-priority specialty sectors that require advanced training, such as food safety, epidemiology, diagnostic medicine and public health. A leading cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of professional veterinary medical training which leaves current graduates of veterinary colleges with a mean debt burden of $135,283.

Recipients are required to commit to three years of veterinary service in a designated veterinary shortage area. Loan repayment benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received for attendance at an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or the equivalent. Loan repayments made by the VMLRP are taxable income to participants. Also included in the award is a federal tax payment equal to 39 percent of the loan payment to offset the increase in income tax liability.

This is the third year NIFA has made renewal awards through VMLRP. Previous awardees with educational debt surpassing $75,000, the maximum award amount, are eligible to apply for a renewal award. Renewal applications follow the same competitive review process as new applications, and submission of a renewal application does not necessarily mean the veterinarian will received continued VMLRP benefits.



USSEC Achieves Foreign Ag Service ‘Highly Effective’ Rating

U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) CEO Jim Sutter announced Friday that the organization achieved the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) rating “highly effective.”

USSEC’s rating is based on its processes, including its Unified Export Strategy (UES), which the organization has worked hard to continuously improve.

Sutter stated that USSEC received higher FY16 allocations from both the Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Program (MAP).

Sutter added the achievement is impressive not only because they received more money, but there was more competition for the money.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is a cooperator with FAS for USSEC, and applauded the highly effective rating and the work of the soybean family this week.

“We are pleased that our international marketing program has reached this highest level of effectiveness as measured by FAS,” said ASA Secretary Ron Moore, who serves as chair of the Trade Policy and International Affairs Committee. “The entire soy family – USSEC, USB, and ASA – have been working to continuously improve our international marketing efforts, coordination, strategies, evaluation, and success stories. This recognition by FAS recognizes the effectiveness of our marketing efforts as well as the wise investment of both taxpayer funding from FAS and checkoff resources from farmers.”



Study Shows Farmers Get $45-to-$1 Return from Wheat Export Promotion Funds

U.S. wheat producers invested an average of $4.9 million in checkoff funds per year to promote their milling wheat overseas between 2010 and 2014, and for every one of those dollars they received up to $45 back in increased net revenue. That is a principal conclusion of a new economic analysis of wheat export promotion released today by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).

USW commissioned the study with funding from the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Market Access Program. Dr. Harry M. Kaiser, the Gellert Family Professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell and director of the Cornell Commodity Promotion Research Program (CCPRP), designed and conducted the research using established methods from his 30 years of research experience.

“The study showed that investing in U.S. wheat export promotion had a large and beneficial impact for producers and the economy that far exceeded its cost,” Dr. Kaiser said. “The econometric models we used showed that between 2010 and 2014 the total investment in wheat export promotion by farmers and the government increased total annual gross revenue by $2.0 billion to $3.0 billion. So for every $1 farmers and the government invested, the estimated return in gross revenue to the U.S. economy was between $112 and $179.” Dr. Kaiser added that the most likely annual gross revenue return is about $149 for each dollar spent based on USDA supply elasticity studies.

Dr. Kaiser quantified the impact of wheat export promotion through models that account for several factors affecting commodity export demand such as prices and exchange rates. The study determined that cutting promotion by 50 percent between 2010 and 2014 would have significantly reduced wheat exports by about 15 percent. That represents a total potential export loss equal to nearly 161.5 million bushels per year. The value of that loss was determined, then compared to total wheat export promotion cost to calculate a series of benefit-to-cost ratios (BCR).

The BCR from the total promotion cost averaged 14.9 to 1. Because producers contributed about one-third of the total producer and FAS investment through state checkoff program, the BCR for their investment averaged about three times the total, or about 45 to 1. Assuming farmers get ten percent of the total revenue, Dr. Kaiser said the study shows wheat export promotion increased net revenue for farmers by more than $247 million per year. The impact of in-kind contributions from state commissions was not considered in this study.

“Our organization is accountable to wheat farmers and other taxpayers who fund the market development work we do,” USW President Alan Tracy said. “Dr. Kaiser’s research methods are well respected and the conclusions echo previous studies in 2004 and 2009, so we can very confidently say that the money farmers provide for export promotion is well worth the investment. In fact, the study predicts that increasing the promotion investment has the potential for even greater returns to wheat farmers, the wheat supply chain and the U.S. economy.” 

USW will use additional results from the study to help plan and manage its future activities. The organization has posted full study results on its website, www.uswheat.org.



USGC, NCGA Joint Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership

The U.S. Grains Council and the National Corn Growers Association today pledged their support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a day after the full text was released by the White House.

“We are pleased that the U.S. is on the path toward approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement,” said Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a farmer from Newburg, Maryland. “This agreement will give America’s farmers and ranchers greater access to the Asia-Pacific region, bringing more American grains, meat, and dairy to the rest of the world. That’s why NCGA members will be going to Capitol Hill and asking Congress to vote in favor of the TPP agreement.”

The Asia-Pacific region represents 40 percent of the world’s economy and is one of the fastest-growing areas of the world.

“The Trans-Pacific Partnership will have significant benefits for exports of corn in all forms,” said Alan Tiemann, chairman of the U.S. Grains Council and a farmer from Seward, Nebraska. “Over the coming decades, this will help our members expand their overseas sales and grow their businesses. We look forward to working with our grain industry partners to tell the story of trade successes in our industry and how TPP will take those wins to the next level.”

Both NCGA and USGC will spend the coming weeks analyzing the full text of the agreement to understand its impact on grain farmers.

“We expect the agreement will provide tariff relief, ease non-tariff barriers, improve trade facilitation and prompt systemic shifts in the ag marketplaces of TPP countries that will ultimately generate new demand for U.S. coarse grains and their co-products. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to analyze the details of the agreement along with our overseas offices,” Tiemann said.

“We are optimistic that the TPP agreement will increase U.S. agricultural exports, which not only increases farm incomes, but also generates economic development in rural communities,” said Bowling. “We look forward to working with our partners in the livestock community and throughout agriculture to break down trade barriers and promote a level global playing field for American farmers and ranchers.”



Soy Growers to President Obama: Critical to Fill CFTC Openings with Ag Markets, Policy Knowledge

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and a coalition of other major farm and ag stakeholders sent a letter to President Barack Obama regarding open seats on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The CFTC consists of five commissioners appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve staggered five-year terms. The President, with the consent of the Senate, designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. No more than three commissioners at any one time may be from the same political party. There are currently two open seats; one for each party.

“Now is a critical time to consider nominating an individual to be Commissioner that has knowledge of agricultural commodity markets and the issues that affect the ability of our sector to use those markets as risk management tools,” the groups state in the letter. “Throughout the agency’s existence there have always been Commissioners that intricately understood agricultural futures markets, as well as policy issues that impact the agricultural sector…With the passage of Dodd-Frank, the CFTC has taken on much more responsibility for overseeing financial markets than in the past. This recently has led to a makeup of the Commission that largely reflects backgrounds and experience in the financial sector.”

The letter asks President Obama to “ensure we have at least one Commissioner with a background in, and familiarity with, issues important to production agriculture and agribusiness.”



Rule on RFS Volumes Moves to White House for Final Review

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) this week received the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final proposed rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This is the final stage of the review process and is an indication that the Administration is on track to finalize the rule by Nov. 30.

The official public comment period on the EPA Proposed Rule closed on July 27 and the comments submitted by EPA can be viewed here. The contents of the rule that EPA has forwarded to OMB for final review are not public. The initial EPA proposal released in May set biomass-based diesel volumes at 1.63 for 2014, rising by approximately 100 million gallons per year to 1.9 billion gallons in 2017.

While these volumes were a significant improvement from the original 2013 EPA proposal of 1.28 billion gallons, the American Soybean Association (ASA) has urged EPA to support more aggressive, but achievable, RFS volume targets for biodiesel. Given the many benefits of biodiesel and the capability for increased production, EPA should, at a minimum, support biomass-based diesel volumes of at least 2 billion gallons for 2016 and 2.3 billion gallons for 2017.



Voting Open for NCBA National Anthem Contest
 
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is proud to announce the finalists for the annual National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook. The four finalists are:
-    Eliza Smith, age 14, Stantonville, Tenn.
-    Ashtin Lopeman, age 15, Red Bluff, Calif.
-    Sheyenne Weaver, age 16, Alliance, Neb.
-    Sage Patchin, age 15, Shelley, Idaho

Help support these budding young stars as they sing their way to the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. You can view the submission videos online at www.BeefUSA.org or on the NCBA Facebook Page. Voting will take place through Nov. 30, 2015. View the videos online and vote for your favorite. One vote per person, per day.

The winner of the contest will be announced Dec. 4, 2015 and will receive an apparel package from Roper or Stetson as well as a trip to the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Jan. 27-29, 2016 in San Diego, Calif., to sing the National Anthem at the Opening General Session.

Cast your vote today and spread the word about these talented contestants.



 New Studies Reveal Milk and Saturated Fats Are Healthier than Once Believed

Milkfat made a splash last month, when several new studies revealed that saturated fats are healthier than previously thought.

In the last year, the reputation of full-fat foods has gotten a facelift, with Americans increasingly consuming more of them, according to a study by the Credit Suisse Research Institute. Butter sales, for example, climbed 6 percent in the first three months of 2015, according to the study.

“Saturated fat has not been a driver of obesity: fat does not make you fat,” said researchers.

At the beginning of the month, dairy made the front page of The Washington Post when scientists said whole milk is not a strong contributing factor to heart disease – a notion championed by the federal government through its dietary guidelines for years. In fact, the article stated, “people who consumed more milk fat had lower incidence of heart disease.”

At the end of October, another study published in the Journal of Nutrition revealed yet more exciting news for milk drinkers: “Total and especially full-fat dairy food intakes are inversely and independently associated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older adults,” the report said. Simply put: Those who consume full-fat dairy products are less likely to be afflicted with the related risk factors that predict heart disease and diabetes.

Studies like these come at a crucial time for the dairy industry. This year, the federal dietary guidelines are due for their five-year update.

“We’re entering a new era of dairy consumption,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “We’ve long believed in that milkfat need not be demonized by health researchers. I’m glad to see science – and hopefully the government – catching up with us."

NMPF has advocated on several occasions for the increased consumption of milk, including bringing more of it to school cafeterias and touting its nutritional quality through the REAL® Seal.



 CWT assists members in getting export sales contracts to sell 4.2 million pounds of cheese

Cooperatives Working Together assisted member cooperatives in getting 32 contracts to sell 4.252 million pounds of dairy products to customers in 11 countries in October. The will be shipped from October 2015 through April 2016.

These sales contracts bring the year-to-date 2015 totals through October to 51.4 million pounds of cheese, 25.7 million pounds of butter, and 35.1 million pounds of whole milk powder. In total, CWT assisted transactions will move the equivalent of 1.308 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis to customers in 35 countries on five continents. These totals are adjusted for contract cancellations.

Developed by NMPF, CWT’s export assistance program supported on a voluntary basis by dairy farmers across the nation. By helping to move U.S. dairy products into world markets, CWT helps maintain and grow U.S dairy farmers’ share of these expanding markets which, in turn, keeps dairy farmer milk prices at reasonable levels.



The Andersons Reports Lower Income

The Andersons, Inc. announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.

"The Rail Group had a great quarter as they continued to benefit from their focus on asset management, which has led to higher lease and utilization rates. The Ethanol Group also had good results, despite margins being down, as they continued to increase throughput due to various process improvements they have made," said Chairman Mike Anderson. "Overall, however, this was a disappointing quarter primarily due to the results of our Grain and Plant Nutrient groups. We are confident in our future earning potential and we have again raised our dividend."

Anderson says the loss during the third quarter of 2015 attributable to the Company was $1.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share.

Last year, third quarter net income was $16.8 million, or $0.59 per diluted share. Net income through September this year was $34.0 million, or $1.19 per diluted share.

Adjusted net income through September of 2014 was $73.2 million, or $2.57 per diluted share.

Third quarter 2015 revenues were $936 million compared to $953 million in the prior year.



Survey Shows Room for Improvement in Herbicide Resistance Management Programs

Herbicide-resistant weeds remain a top concern for corn and soybean growers. According to a survey conducted by DuPont Crop Protection at the 2015 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, more farmers are scouting fields, keeping field records and adding multiple herbicide modes of action to spray tanks to combat herbicide resistance and control yield-robbing weeds.

Though most of the growers surveyed said they are taking action against resistance, they’re still concerned resistant weeds will cut yields and profits. Among the more than 1,200 survey respondents, 85 percent said they worry about controlling resistant weeds on their farms. Most said they rotate and/or tank-mix herbicides to address the problem.

Though awareness of resistant weeds was high and most industry experts recommend rotating herbicide modes of action (MOA) used on a crop in a given season, survey respondents were only moderately knowledgeable about the specific herbicide MOA being used on their fields. Less than half (48 percent) said they could name the herbicide MOA used on their farms, although another 26 percent said they had the information on file. Only 42 percent of growers said they tank-mix herbicides with multiple MOA.

Jeff Carpenter, corn and soybean herbicide portfolio manager, DuPont Crop Protection, said he’s encouraged by increasing farmer awareness of the resistant weed problem. “Growers understand the implications increasing populations of resistant weeds can have on their operations and are becoming more proactive by applying a full range of tools to fight resistance.”

While herbicide application is just one element of a comprehensive herbicide resistance management program, using herbicides strategically can play a significant role in avoiding resistance development, said Carpenter. “Starting with clean fields is a smart way to start the new growing season. Applying a burndown plus residual herbicide program eliminates emerging weeds and keeps new weeds from developing before planting. A solid herbicide program also minimizes the weed seed bank that can create problems for years, despite crop rotation and other cultural practices to control weed pressure.”

The DuPont Crop Protection survey follows publication of results from an on-farm study by the University of Illinois and the USDA Agricultural Research Service, which showed that simply rotating herbicide MOA instead of mixing herbicides in the tank significantly increases frequency of herbicide resistance. Among the 105 farms in that study, farmers who used multiple herbicides per application in tank mixtures were less likely to have herbicide-resistant weed populations than those who simply rotated herbicides from season to season. When an average of 2.5 MOA per application were used, fields were 83 times less likely to have resistant weed populations, compared to growers using 1.5 MOA per application.

“As more growers use multiple herbicide modes of action, we hope to see further progress in fighting resistant weeds,” said Carpenter. “To make it easier to achieve more complex tank mixes with less mixing and measuring, we have collaborated with growers to develop a number of herbicides with two, three or more modes of action, each designed to address specific regional weed concerns. We are working together to help increase crop production to feed the growing world population.”

For effective herbicide resistance management, Carpenter recommends employing an integrated pest management strategy that includes these steps:
·       Know what weeds are in fields and keep scouting records.
·       Incorporate residual herbicides into the weed-control program.
·       Use herbicides that contain more than one mode of action.
·       Consider multiple herbicide applications in a season, starting with a strong preemergence herbicide program.
·       Layer residual herbicide products across multiple applications, such as burndown, at planting, preemergence and postemergence.