Thursday November 5 Ag News

Updated:  Field to Market Assessments to Improve Efficiency

        Nebraska Extension in Saunders County announces that the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, Neb. will be a host site for a new series of workshops that employs the agricultural industry authored Field to Market tool to estimate efficiency of input use and environmental sustainability for your farming practices.   The workshop is sponsored by Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.  Participating farmers will use a new web based tool called the Fieldprint® Calculator.

   Calculating "Fieldprints" can help growers to establish benchmark data on a field and track improvements overtime, set energy saving and efficiency goals and compare performance against local, state and national benchmarks said Extension Educator Keith Glewen.  The Fieldprint Calculator is simple to use, though the technology behind it is very complex and the metrics are science based. 

   The Field Assessment workshops in Nebraska are hands-on and will show growers how to document eight sustainability and efficiency indicators via use of a laptop computer.  They are Land Use, Conservation, Soil Carbon, Irrigation Water Use, Water Quality, Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Quality.

   Participants will select a representative corn or soybean field for 2015 and complete a data input sheet in advance of the Fieldprint® Calculator workshops.  Meals and workshop materials are sponsored. Computer laptops are provided or bring your own. No prior computer knowledge is necessary, there will be plenty of experienced users to assist all who attend or bring along a helper.  Pre-registration is required by Thursday, December 3, 2015, by contacting a host Extension office. Participants from 2014 workshops are invited back to review outcomes from last year’s workshops and complete another cropping sequence.

   “We want growers in Nebraska to be better able to understand and communicate how management choices affect overall sustainability performance and operational efficiency of their farm operations, but also be prepared for any new supply chain initiatives in the food sector that could emerge” said Glewen

Nebraska Workshop Times, Locations and Pre-registration Information:

   LINCOLN:  Monday, December 7, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road
   Contact: Tyler Williams, (402)441-7180 or tyler.williams@unl.edu

   BEATRICE:  Monday, December 7, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Gage County, 1115 West Scott Street
  Contact: Paul Hay, (402) 223-1384 or paul.hay@unl.edu

  AUBURN:  Tuesday, December 8, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  Nemaha County Hospital Meeting Room, 2022 13th Street
  Contact: Gary Lesoing, (402) 274-4755 or gary.lesoing@unl.edu

   GENEVA:  Tuesday, December 8, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Fillmore County, 1340 G Street
   Contact: Brandy VanDeWalle, (402) 759-3712 or brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu

   CLAY CENTER:  Wednesday, December 9, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Clay County, 111 West Fairfield
   Contact: Jennifer Rees, (402) 762-3644 or jenny.rees@unl.edu

   CENTRAL CITY:  Wednesday, December 9, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Merrick County, 1510 18th Street
   Contact: Troy Ingram, (308) 946-3843 or troy.ingram@unl.edu

   FREMONT:  Thursday, December 10, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
   UNL Extension Office in Dodge County, 1206 West 23rd
   Contact: Nathan Mueller, (402) 727-2775 or Nathan.mueller@unl.edu

   NEAR MEAD:  Friday, December 11, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
   UNL Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1071 County Road G
   Contact: Keith Glewen, (402) 624-8030 or kglewen1@unl.edu

   The workshop instructors include a core team of Nebraska Extension faculty.   For more information and to pre-register by the December 3, 2015 deadline, contact the Nebraska Extension at 402-624-8030 or Saunders-County@unl.edu.



CORNHUSKER ECONOMICS OUTLOOK MEETINGS TO ADDRESS FARM AND RANCH ISSUES

    The 2015 Cornhusker Economics Outlook meeting series will focus on ag outlook and management decisions for Nebraska farmers and ranchers at six locations across the state from Nov.17-24. The annual series is offered by Nebraska Extension and the University of Nebraska -Lincoln Department of Agricultural Economics. The meetings are free to participants thanks to the support of Great Western Bank along with local meeting sponsors.

    "With price and income prospects changing substantially during 2015, producers are looking closely at production, marketing and financial decisions to manage successfully in this changing environment," said Brad Lubben, Nebraska Extension policy specialist and series organizer. "Our annual outlook series provides the right information at the right time to help producers analyze and make management decisions today to prepare and position operations for the year ahead."

    The meetings are structured for a concise, fast paced discussion of crop, livestock, policy and financial outlook with attention to production, management and marketing decisions for 2016.

    > Kate Brooks, Extension livestock economist at UNL, will provide outlook and analysis for beef and other livestock producers. Brooks will discuss emerging livestock market fundamentals, meat supplies and meat demand to assess producer profit potential and sound marketing and production decisions in 2016.

    > Cory Walters, Extension crop economist at UNL, will discuss the crop outlook and implications for producers. Walters will talk about the current price environment and market outlook for Nebraska crop producers and the implications for production, marketing and risk-management decisions in the year ahead.

    > Brad Lubben, Extension policy specialist at UNL, will discuss the ag policy outlook. Beyond the current policy environment in Washington, Lubben will focus on the role of the farm income safety net and the projected support from farm programs and crop insurance for cash flow planning and risk-management decision-making.

    > Tina Barrett, director of Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., will discuss the farm financial outlook and financial management decisions ahead for producers. Building on data from hundreds of farm cooperators in NFBI, Barrett will focus on the current financial position and trends for Nebraska agriculture and the financial management challenges and decisions facing producers, with a focus on budgeting and cost control.

    > Jay Parsons, Extension economist at UNL, will discuss farm and ranch risk-management issues and decisions. Parsons will draw on his expertise in risk management to incorporate the marketing, production, policy and financial discussion into risk-management decisions and strategies for producers for 2016.

    Meeting locations are:

    > York, Nov. 17, 1-4 p.m., Holthus Convention Center, 3130 Holen Ave., York, NE 68467; contacts: Gary Zoubek, York County Extension, 402-362-5508 or gzoubek1@unl.edu; or Brandy VanDeWalle, Fillmore County Extension, 402-759-3712 or bvandewalle2@unl.edu.

    > Bridgeport, Nov. 18, 9 a.m-noon, Prairie Winds Community Center, 428 Main St., Bridgeport, NE 69336; contact: Jessica Groskopf, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 308-632-1247 or jjohnson@unl.edu.

    > McCook, Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-noon, McCook Christian Church, 507 West B St., McCook, NE 69001; contact: Robert Tigner, Red Willow County Extension, 308-345-3390 or rtigner2@unl.edu.

    > Kearney, Nov. 19, 1-4 p.m., Buffalo County Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Gateway Farm Expo, 3807 Ave. N, Kearney, NE 68847; contact: Brent Plugge, Kearney County Extension, 308-236-1235 or bplugge1@unl.edu. Further information on Gateway Farm Expo is available at http://www.gatewayfarmexpo.org.

    > Nebraska City, Nov. 23, 9 a.m.-noon, Kimmel Education and Research Center, 5985 G Road, Nebraska City, NE 68410; contact: Monte Vandeveer, Otoe County Extension, 402-269-2301 or mvandeveer2@unl.edu.

    > Wayne, Nov. 24, 9 a.m.-noon, Wayne Fire Hall, 510 Tomar Drive, Wayne, NE 68787; contacts: Tim Lemmons, Northeast Research and Extension Center, 402-370-4061 or tlemmons2@unl.edu; Jim Jansen, Cedar County Extension, 402-254-6821 or jjansen4@unl.edu.

    For more information on the outlook meetings, visit http://agecon.unl.edu/ceo. Register by contacting the local extension office or extension educator listed for each location. Although there is no cost to participants, pre registration is encouraged to plan for facilities, refreshments and materials.



Farmers Cooperative Company, West Central Boards Recommend Merger, Members to Vote

Farmers Cooperative Company (FC, Ames, IA) and West Central Cooperative (Ralston, IA) this week announced a unanimous vote by their Boards of Directors to proceed with a merger vote by members of both cooperatives.

Following several months of internal and independent analysis on the potential risks and benefits associated, the Boards approved the plan of merger and recommend a merger.

“Our members own these cooperatives. We encourage each owner to read the plan of merger and proposed articles of incorporation, ask questions, and return their ballot,” said FC board president and Odebolt-area farmer, John Scott. “Every member matters.”

“This is a landmark decision for our member-owners,” explained West Central board chair and Paton-area farmer, Sue Tronchetti. “Our Boards, management and employee teams believe we can diversify our businesses, improve member services and protect and enhance member patronage by utilizing our scale to procure more efficiently.”

Members are invited to hear presentations and information on the merger at one of 20 member meetings hosted Nov. 30-Dec. 11, 2015. A list of meeting locations and member resources are available online at wccgrow15.com or fcgrow15.com.

“By merging FC and West Central, members would truly have an ownership stake in every step of the value-added supply chain,” noted West Central president and chief executive officer, Milan Kucerak.  “Whether it’s branded seed, faster grain assets, or value-added corn and soybean processing, a combined cooperative is better positioned to weather market volatility, directly access global markets, and offer more to its owners.”

“We want to improve member service with better, faster assets sooner, and by retaining and hiring the best people,” added FC chief executive officer, Jim Chism. “Most importantly, a merger allows us to maintain our commitment to serving our communities and keep profits local.”

For a merger, Iowa law requires 50 percent of each membership to vote, with two-thirds of those votes cast to favor the proposal. Ballots and voting details will be mailed to each cooperative’s voting members approx. Nov. 20, 2015. The votes will be counted at a special meeting slated for Dec. 18, 2015.

Should the membership approve the merger, each cooperative will be represented by nine farmer-owners and member equity will roll into the new cooperative on a one-for-one basis. The combined cooperative, to be headquartered in Ames, Iowa, will be led by Kucerak as chief executive officer.

In its last full fiscal year, Farmers Cooperative Company’s agronomy, grain and feed businesses grossed $675 million in sales and had $292 million in total assets. FC has 414 full-time employees at 49 locations.

West Central’s agronomy, grain, feed and dairy nutrition product line grossed $633 million and had $300 million in assets its last full fiscal year. The cooperative has 275 full-time employees in 24 communities.



Iowa in Top 10 States for Organic Farm Numbers

The 2014 Organic Survey included all known farm operators who produced organic crops and/or livestock. The 2014 Organic Survey results provide acreage, production, and sales data for a variety of organic crops, as well as inventory and sales data for selected organic livestock commodities. In addi-tion, data for land in farms, participation in federal farm programs, and mar-keting practices on organic farms are included in the full report.

Wholesale market sales accounted for 86 percent of the sales from Iowa organic farms. This is higher than the National rate of 78 percent.

Consumer direct sales accounted for 12 percent of sales while direct-to-retail sales accounted for 2 percent. National percentages were 8 for con-sumer direct sales and 14 for direct-to-retail sales.

Corn for grain was the most valuable organically produced commodity in Iowa with over $26.8 million in sales. Iowa produced the most organic corn for grain and soybeans than any other State, and comprised 15 and 18 percent of national production, respectively. The area harvested for organic corn for grain increased 16 percent from 2008. Organic soybeans came in with just over $12.8 million in sales.

On December 31, Iowa producers had 3,398 organic hogs on hand, and comprised 39 percent of the national inventory. Iowa's organic hog inventory ranked first, ahead of all other States.

Iowa has 4 percent of the nation's organic farms. Iowa has a total of 97,448 organic acres, 67,868 of those acres are harvested as field crops. The top 10 states were:
1. California with 2,805
2. Wisconsin with 1,228
3. New York with 917
4. Washington with 716
5. Pennsylvania with 679
6. Iowa with 612
7. Vermont with 542
8. Ohio with 541
9. Oregon with 525
10. Maine with 517

Of the 612 Iowa organic farms, the average production expenses per farm were $105,685, compared with the U.S. average of $280,722.



Vilsack on the Release of Text for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement regarding the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

"The release of the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an important step forward in the process to make this landmark agreement for U.S. agriculture a reality. The text confirms that this agreement provides new market access across the board for America's farmers and ranchers by lowering tariffs and eliminating other barriers, and will boost exports and support jobs in our rural economies.

At the end of the day, TPP is about opportunity. The agreement will advance U.S. economic interests in a critical region that accounts for nearly 40 percent of global GDP. It will also help the United States respond to the regional and bilateral trade agreements that are already in place or are being negotiated by competitor countries. This high standard agreement will expand U.S. agricultural exports, generate more rural economic activity, and support higher-paying American jobs. I encourage our farmers and ranchers to take a look at what's in the deal for them, and I hope that after a period of consideration and review in the coming months, Congress will move quickly to pass this agreement.

While the release of the text is a critical benchmark, there is still much work to be done. We look forward to a discussion across the country about the details of this agreement, including the simple fact that TPP removes barriers to trade in food and agriculture products, which is critical for the economic health of U.S. agriculture and rural communities. With 95 percent of the world's consumers outside of our boarders, we cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away."

To review the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, visit www.usda.gov/trade.



Pork Producers Strongly Support TPP

The National Pork Producers Council, after reviewing the text of the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, today expressed unequivocal support for the TPP deal and called on the U.S. Congress to expeditiously pass the agreement.

Initiated in late 2008, TPP is a regional trade deal that includes the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, which account for nearly 40 percent of global GDP.

“Past U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) have demonstrated the importance to our industry of opening international markets,” said NPPC President Dr. Ron Prestage, a veterinarian and pork producer from Camden, S.C. “TPP will provide benefits to our producers that dramatically exceed those of prior trade agreements. I assure you that pork producers across this great nation will do whatever it takes to get TPP passed by Congress and implemented.”

Previous agreements have increased U.S. pork exports by 1,550 percent in value and almost 1,300 percent in volume since 1989 – the year the United States began using bilateral and regional trade agreements to open foreign markets – and now are valued at nearly $6.7 billion.

“The United States now exports more pork to its 20 FTA partners than to the rest of the world combined,” Prestage said. “Free trade agreements work,” he stressed, “not just for pork producers and U.S. agriculture but for the entire U.S. economy. As a nation, we export almost as much to our FTA partners as we do to the rest of the world combined.”

More than a quarter of total U.S. pork production now is exported, and those exports add more than $62 to the price pork producers receive for each hog marketed. Pork exports help generate an estimated 110,000 pork-related U.S. jobs.

Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes, who said a final TPP agreement would be “the most important commercial opportunity ever for U.S. pork producers,” estimates the TPP will exponentially increase U.S. pork exports and help create more than 10,000 U.S. jobs tied to those exports.

“Without the TPP agreement, U.S. pork exports to the Pacific Rim region would be at a serious competitive disadvantage,” said Prestage. “Competitors such as the European Union, which are negotiating FTAs with countries in the region, will leap at the opportunity to fill the void that congressional delay would create. It is important that Congress act swiftly so that we don’t fall behind.”

The TPP has the potential to provide even greater trade benefits if and when it is opened to additional countries, such as Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, all of which have expressed interest in joining the trade bloc.

“NPPC deeply appreciates the efforts of U.S. trade officials in achieving an outcome from the TPP negotiations that will provide enormous new market opportunities for high-quality U.S. pork products,” said Prestage.



Cattlemen Stand Firmly Behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership
 
Today, the White House released the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership for public review. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Chugwater, Wyo., cattleman Philip Ellis confirmed that this agreement is a major victory for the cattle industry:

“We were pleased to have the opportunity to review the TPP agreement in full today and it confirms the positive results our negotiators were able to achieve over the past five years of talks. The TPP represents the highest standard of trade agreements and provides the foundation for increased access and lower tariffs to the Pacific Rim markets. TPP member nations already account for over 60 percent of total beef exports, and lower tariffs will allow us to continue to grow our market share in that region.

“While the agreement is not perfect, it is a vast improvement over the current tariff rates, and the greatest market access that has ever been negotiated to Japan. Clearly, working collaboratively we were able to achieve more than we could have alone. The TPP will immediately reduce the tariff to Japan, our largest market for U.S. beef, from 38.5 percent to 27.5 percent. And tariffs will continue to decrease, in some cases be eliminated, over the next 15 years.

“Every day that goes by before we pass this TPP costs U.S. producers market share in the Pacific Rim. And every day, competing nations continue to negotiate agreements benefiting their producers and domestic economies. Since passage of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership in late 2014, we have lost over 11 percent of our sales into Japan. Our market share will continue to erode until TPP is signed into law. America’s cattle producing families produce the best beef in the world and deserve a level playing field to compete for global customers; TPP is an outstanding start.”



NMPF and USDEC on Release of Full Text of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council welcome this morning’s release of the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement by the Obama administration. The TPP dairy provisions are extremely important to the nation’s dairy industry since today we export nearly 14 percent of all U.S. milk production.

NMPF and USDEC are carefully reviewing the text and will comment when the details have been fully assessed. There are thousands of tariff lines, hundreds of new rules, new chapters on Sanitary & Phytosanitary requirements, as well as a whole new chapter on protecting common food names. In addition, there are several side letters with exemptions, clarifications and concessions. All must be thoroughly reviewed before we can make a more informed determination of the final impact of the agreement on the U.S. dairy industry, and are able to determine whether or not we recommend that members of Congress support the agreement.

Once again, we express our thanks to the U.S. negotiators for their work, and to the many members of Congress who joined us in urging a balanced dairy market access outcome to the negotiations.



NFU Says TPP Will Fail Family Farmers and Ranchers

The following statement was issued after the release of the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The statement should be attributed to National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson:

“After years of negotiating in secret for an enormous agreement guarded from the public under lock and key, the text of the TPP has at last been made public. Unfortunately, it appears to be as bad for America’s family farmers and ranchers as we had feared. 

“This agreement has been peddled to farmers and ranchers as a potential goldmine for farm exports. But as with other trade deals, these benefits are likely to be overshadowed by increased competition from abroad, paired with an uneven playing field that will not only reduce revenues for farmers and ranchers but will also speed the loss of U.S. jobs.

“This agreement looks to be particularly bad for the nation’s ranchers. The beef export opportunities are very modest. Japan included a snapback provision that will allow them to fully reinstate the current high levels of tariffs if it deems that beef imports are hurting its domestic farmers. Japan’s protection, coupled with the very generous access the U.S. gave the rest of the world, will likely push down domestic prices.

“While NFU will continue to analyze the text of the agreement, we already know TPP includes no enforceable language to address currency manipulation, an effective maneuver used by our competitors to immediately tilt the playing field in their favor, even after signing an agreement of this scope and magnitude, having the potential to completely wipe out any gains.

“Several of the countries that are eager to ratify this agreement have recently manipulated their currencies and nothing is stopping them from doing this again. Additionally, the agreement does not have the goal or the ability to reduce our debilitating trade deficit.

“If we enter this agreement, our trade deficit, already exceeding $500 billion per year, will continue to rise, not fall.  This enormous deficit will continue to drag down our economy, export even more US jobs and dash the hopes for coming generations. 

“Given that this deal has been granted Fast Track authority, there is no alternative other than to vote this down.”



NCGA Calls for Quick Resolution on Federal Transportation Funding

The National Corn Growers Association today thanked the House of Representatives for passing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, a bill that would extend federal highway funding for the next six years. The House and Senate must now reconcile their respective transportation bills and send it to the White House for signature, before federal transportation funding expires on November 20.

“On behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers, thank you to the House for passing this important legislation,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a farmer from Maryland. “Eighty percent of America’s corn crop is trucked to market, so this issue affects all of us. Safe roads and bridges allow us to get our products to market quickly, safely and efficiently. When roads and bridges aren’t properly maintained, it’s not just a nuisance – it puts our safety at risk and hurts our bottom lines.”

“We especially want to thank the House Transportation Committee, Chairman Bill Schuster (R-Pennsylvania), Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), and Representatives Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) for their leadership in getting this bill passed. We now call on the House and Senate to reconcile their two bills and send this legislation to President Obama as quickly as possible before the Thanksgiving recess,” said Bowling.

As part of the debate over highway funding, NCGA joined more than 70 food and agricultural organizations in supporting the Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act. This bipartisan amendment, which was sponsored by Reps. Reid Ribble (R-Wisconsin), Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), and Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), would have improved the efficiency of America’s food supply chain by modernizing truck weight limits. The amendment failed to pass on the House floor.

“The SAFE Trucking Act would have helped farmers get their product to market more efficiently. While we are disappointed that this amendment was defeated, we are happy to see Congress moving forward on long-term highway funding,” said Bowling.



White House Pulls South Africa’s AGOA Benefits

The Obama administration today announced that beginning Jan. 1 South Africa will lose its privilege to ship to the United States agricultural products through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) at a zero-tariff rate, a move hailed by the National Pork Producers Council. NPPC has been urging the administration to withdraw or limit trade benefits for South Africa because of that country’s reluctance to provide market access to U.S. pork. (It also restricts imports of U.S. beef and chicken.)

“South Africa has been willing to use U.S. preferential trade programs but is unwilling to extend even customary equitable treatment to imports of pork from the United States,” said NPPC President Dr. Ron Prestage, a veterinarian and hog farmer from Camden. S.C. “The U.S. is the top global exporter of pork, shipping it to more than 100 nations every year. But because of non-science-based restrictions that don’t pass the red face test, we can’t ship pork to South Africa.”

South Africa gets duty-free access to the U.S. market for dozens of its products under AGOA and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). In 2014, it shipped $1.7 billion of goods to the United States under AGOA and $1.3 billion under the GSP program. The administration’s action is focused on the AGOA program.

Despite the tariff-free treatment of its products shipped to the United States, South Africa enforces import restrictions on U.S. pork to prevent diseases for which there are negligible risks of transmission from U.S. pork products. The South African Ministry of Agriculture restricts pork because of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), for example, even though there is no documented scientific case of PRRS being transmitted to domestic livestock through imported pork. Prestage noted that New Zealand, a PRRS-free nation, imported pork for 10 years from PRRS-positive countries without getting the disease.

“Pork producers have run out of patience, and it’s time to draw the line,” Prestage said. “We are tired of watching South Africa accept pork from our key global competitors in Brazil, Canada and the EU while rejecting U.S. pork. We applaud the administration and members of Congress for standing up for U.S. pork producers and American agriculture by recognizing that South Africa is not playing fair and withdrawing its AGOA trade benefits.”



FSA County Committee Elections to Begin; Producers to Receive Ballots Week of Nov. 9

Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2015 FSA County Committee elections on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by Dec. 7, 2015, to ensure that their vote is counted.

“County committee members represent the farmers and ranchers in their communities,” said Dolcini. “Producers elected to these committees have always played a vital role in local agricultural decisions. They are essential to the daily operation of nearly 2,200 offices across the country. It is a valued partnership that helps us better understand the needs of the farmers and ranchers we serve.”

Nearly 7,700 FSA County Committee members serve FSA offices nationwide. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. County committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs; conservation programs; indemnity and disaster programs; emergency programs and eligibility.

Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the county committee election. Approximately 1.9 million producers are currently eligible to vote. Farmers and ranchers who supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, but are not of legal voting age, also may be eligible to vote.

Farmers and ranchers will begin receiving their ballots the week of Nov. 9. Ballots include the names of candidates running for the local committee election. FSA has modified the ballot, making it more easily identifiable and less likely to be overlooked. Voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can pick one up at their local FSA office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7, 2015. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2016.



 New NFU Poll: Rural Area Political Candidates Benefit from Support of RFS

National Farmers Union (NFU) today released a new poll on the popularity and support within rural congressional districts for political candidates that show support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). NFU President Roger Johnson said that the poll demonstrates the importance of the administration getting the RFS back on track as it sets the RFS volume obligations for 2014-16 within the next several weeks.

“The RFS is a rare issue that cuts across party lines and deals directly with rural economics,” said Johnson. “This poll demonstrates the importance of the RFS to rural voters. The President, both because it is the right public policy and it is the right political move in rural America, needs to show his support for a strong RFS. And that begins by issuing volume obligations that comply with the RFS statute.”

Johnson noted that support for the RFS outweighed opposition in five out of the six districts surveyed by the poll. “Rural America seems to have taken note of the measurable gains in climate change resiliency, energy independence and the rejuvenation of rural economies across the country that are directly attributable to the RFS.”

Johnson also noted that moderate and split-ticket voters are the voters that make a difference in close races, and that this new poll shows that moderates in rural areas say a candidate’s support for the RFS will make them more likely to vote for that candidate.

“Self-identified moderates constituted 39 percent of the electorate surveyed in the poll, and by a two-to-one margin, these voters said that support for the RFS will make them more likely to vote for a congressional candidate versus voters who say it will make them less likely to support that candidate,” said Johnson.

Johnson said the poll demonstrates the importance of the Obama administration’s decisions as they relate to issuing RFS volume obligations later this month. Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed RFS volume standards that fall well short of their statutory levels.

“The President’s actions between now and the election that could harm the RFS, such as issuing weak volume obligations, will negatively impact his party in the 2016 election,” he said.

“Rural America clearly understands the importance of the RFS to family farmers, ranchers and their local economies, and this poll shows that much of their support for political candidates can be attributed to the candidates support for a strong RFS. The President, as the key figure in his party, should show support for the RFS by ensuring the volume obligations are set to their statutory levels.”



Trucker Strike Threat a Worry For Brazil Corn Exporters
Alastair Stewart, South America Correspondent, DTN

An independent group of truckers has called for roadblocks across Brazil starting Monday in a repeat of the five-day strike that delayed grain and meat transport in April.

It remains unclear how much support the strike movement has. The National Transport Command is working independently of truckers' unions but has 27,500 likes on its Facebook page. That doesn't seem like much but, of course, it doesn't take that many truckers to block a highway.

The freight industry has taken a big hit with the dramatic slowdown in the Brazilian economy -- it's pegged to contract 3% in 2015 -- and surging inflation -- currently running just under 10%. The National Transport Command has a bucket list of demands to help ease the impact on truckers, including lower diesel prices, minimum freight rates, fixed salary scales and subsidized credit.

However, there appears also to be a political element to the movement. In its communique issued last week, the group said it counts on the support of the principal popular movements seeking the impeachment of embattled Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff.

According to local press reports, the government has talked to the main truckers unions and is hopeful that the stoppage won't be as effective as the one in April, which slowed the delivery of soybeans at port to a trickle for a couple of days.

It is now low season for soybean exports but Brazil is in the middle of exporting record volumes of corn. Ship lineups indicate over 5 million metric tons of corn are due to be shipped this month.



Zoetis Reports Higher Sales, Lower Net Income

Zoetis Inc. reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2015, and updated its full year 2015 guidance, as well as its financial outlook for full year 2016 and 2017.

The company reported revenue of $1.2 billion for the third quarter of 2015, which was flat compared to the third quarter of 2014. Revenue reflected an operational increase of 9%, excluding the impact of foreign exchange.

Net income for the third quarter of 2015 was $189 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, an increase of 14% and 15%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted net income1 for the third quarter of 2015 was $252 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, an increase of 22% compared to the third quarter of 2014.



Agrium Profit Tops Expectations

Agrium Inc. on Thursday reported a stronger-than-expected third-quarter profit, helped by higher sales volumes of key fertilizer nutrients in its wholesale operations, and lower costs.

The Calgary, Alberta-based fertilizer company said wholesale sales volumes for all three key crop nutrients—potash, nitrogen and phosphate—were stronger in its latest quarter, though prices were lower due to weaker market conditions.

Agrium said it had a third-quarter profit of $99 million, or 72 cents a share, up from $50 million, or 35 cents, a year earlier. Year-ago results included a loss of 28 cents a share related to discontinued operations.

Adjusted to exclude items, earnings of 71 cents a share in the latest quarter came in well ahead of the Thomson Reuters mean estimate of 67 cents.

Sales fell 14% to $2.52 billion, below the $2.87 billion analysts expected.



EWG Calls Crop Insurance "An Annual Disaster for Taxpayers and the Environment"

When you buy home or car insurance, you expect to collect only when there’s a disaster. If there was a policy that paid out year after year, you only had to pay less than half of the premium and you’d actually make money from buying it, you’d jump at it – but the insurer would be foolish.

According to a new report from Environmental Working Group, that’s the deal more than a million farmers – including big, rich agribusinesses – are getting through the federal crop insurance program. And the insurer is the American taxpayer.

EWG’s analysis found that the federal crop insurance program is much more costly to taxpayers and more harmful to the environment than the disaster payment program it has largely replaced. EWG analyzed crop insurance and ad hoc disaster payment data and reviewed scientific and economic studies of the two approaches to farm assistance, and found:

    In the six years between 1999 and 2008 in which Congress authorized large ad hoc disaster relief programs, the total cost to taxpayers of crop insurance (which does not include the share of premiums paid by farmers) was almost $20 billion – nearly a third larger than disaster payments.

    Over those six years, crop insurance payouts (which include farmer-paid premiums) were $11 billion more than ad hoc disaster payments. Insurance payouts topped disaster payments every year except 2005.

    Taxpayer-funded premium subsidies mean many farmers actually make money by buying crop insurance since payouts regularly exceed the share of premiums paid by farmers. The Government Accountability Office says some farmers gain almost $2 in profit for every dollar they pay in premiums.

Crop insurance was originally designed as a safety net for farmers. But the program has strayed far from its roots thanks to government premium subsidies and virtually guaranteed payouts. The report says swapping crop insurance for disaster programs has created “a different kind of disaster – for taxpayers and the environment.”

“Whenever crop insurance is criticized, the agricultural industry and its political patrons argue that it’s at least better than disaster payments – but the facts show this is simply untrue,” said Anne Weir, EWG senior economics analyst and author of the report. “Crop insurance is not what most people would recognize as an insurance policy, but is essentially an income support program.”

What’s more, crop insurance is worse for the environment than disaster programs were. Insurance payouts are so generous and so frequent they encourage farmers to plant crops on sensitive land, exacerbating environmental consequences of high risk farming practices.

“Crop insurance needs to return to its roots as a safety net instead of what it has become: a burden on taxpayers and the environment,” said Weir. “Congress should make sure the program shields farmers from potentially crippling losses because of bad weather, but in a way that saves taxpayer money and does not encourage environmental harm.”



EWG:  Proposal Would Reform Bloated Crop Insurance Program

Legislation introduced in Congress today would ease the burden placed on taxpayers and the environment by the bloated federal crop insurance program, according to the Environmental Working Group.

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (R- N.H.) and in the House of Representatives by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). It endorses the new target rate of return for crop insurance companies prescribed in last month’s budget deal, making the bill especially timely. The budget deal approved by the House would lower the guaranteed rate of return from 14 percent to 9 percent, saving taxpayers $3 billion over 10 years.

“The cuts included in the budget deal are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done if we want to reform crop insurance to protect family farmers, taxpayers and the environment,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president of government affairs. “The Flake-Kind bill demonstrates that reasonable reforms could generate significant savings and still provide farmers a robust safety net."

The legislation introduced today, titled the Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures (AFFIRM) Act, would subject crop insurance premium subsidies to means tests, payment limits and greater transparency in order to achieve additional savings. Adopting these reforms – which are already applied to other farm subsidies – would save taxpayers more than $24.5 billion over 10 years.

“The crop insurance savings laid out in the budget deal are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Craig Cox, EWG’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “The last farm bill ended the much derided direct payment program but re-directed those funds toward the crop insurance program, guaranteeing big profits for crop insurance companies and virtually guaranteeing payouts to farmers.”