Wednesday November 4 Ag News

NeFBF Hosts 2015 Council of Presidents and Policy Forum

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation will be holding the 2015 NFBF Council of Presidents meeting from 1:00-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, at the Kearney Holiday Inn.  The purpose of this meeting is to have an open dialogue between County Farm Bureau’s and key staff on programs, NFBF’s strategic plan, membership and other organizational matters.

Following the meeting, you're invited to join them for dinner at the Kearney Archway Monument located at 3060 East 1st Street in Kearney.

Then the NeFBF Policy Forum will be held on Thursday, November 12th,  from 8:30 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. back at the Holiday Inn in Kearney. The sessions are geared at giving you the opportunity to represent your County Farm Bureau and give input on submitted resolutions.

If you have any questions regarding either meeting, please contact Whittney Kelley at 402-421-4760 or whittneyk@nefb.org. 



U.S. Pork Exports Improve in September; Beef Exports Struggle

U.S. pork exports showed modest improvement in September while beef exports endured the most difficult month in some time, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

September pork export volume was up 6 percent from a year ago to 172,012 metric tons (mt). Export value was $456.1 million, down 11 percent year-over-year but the highest since May. Pork exports through the first nine months of the year declined 4 percent in volume (1.58 million mt) and 17 percent in value ($4.21 billion) compared to January-September 2014.

Beef export volume fell 21 percent from a year ago in September to 79,474 metric tons (mt) and value was down 28 percent to $456.6 million – the lowest since January. For the first nine months of 2015, exports were down 12 percent in volume (782,705 mt) and 8 percent in value ($4.8 billion).

September pork volume strong to Mexico, other Western Hemisphere markets
Pork export value per head slaughtered was $46.90 in September, down $11.21 from last year. For January through September, per head value was down $15 to $49.45. January-September exports accounted for just over 24 percent of total pork production and nearly 21 percent for muscle cuts only – down from 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively, during the first nine months of 2014.

Exports to Mexico, the leading volume destination for U.S. pork, fell slightly in volume in September but climbed 5 percent through the first nine months of the year to 529,798 mt, while export value fell 20 percent to $932.6 million.

Other pork export highlights include:
-    September exports to Canada were the largest of 2015, though January-September volume was still down 5 percent to 148,669 mt and value was 13 percent lower at $589.9 million.
-    Central/South America took 89,712 mt through September, up four percent from a year ago, as growth to Honduras and Chile offset smaller volumes to Colombia. Export value to the region fell 6 percent to $226.1 million.
-    January-September exports to South Korea were up 34 percent in volume (129,314 mt) and 23 percent in value ($373.8 million), though the market cooled in September, falling below last year’s monthly volumes for the first time in 2015.
-    Japan remains the leading value market for U.S. pork, despite January-September value declining 18 percent year-over-year to $1.23 billion. Export volume to Japan was down 12 percent to 314,760 mt.

Few bright spots for September beef exports
Beef export value in September equated to $233.80 per head of fed slaughter – down nearly $80 from a year ago. For January through September, per-head value was $280.46 – down $6.36 from the same period last year. Exports equated to 13 percent of total beef production and 10 percent for muscle cuts only – both down 1 percentage point from the first nine months of last year.

September exports to leading market Japan fell 34 percent in volume (15,386 mt) and 36 percent in value ($99.7 million) from a year ago. For the first nine months of the year, exports to Japan were down 12 percent in volume (161,961 mt) and 14 percent in value (just over $1 billion).

Other notable results for beef exports include:
-    September exports to Korea were the lowest since January, but January-September volume was still up 9 percent to 92,577 mt, while value was 4 percent higher at $612.9 million.
-    Exports to Taiwan were also below year-ago levels in September but still up 5 percent in volume (26,772 mt) and 12 percent in value ($241.3 million) for the first nine months of the year.
-    January-September exports to Mexico totaled 161,356 mt (down 10 percent year-over-year), valued at $808.4 million (down 6 percent).
-    September exports to Hong Kong rebounded somewhat from low summer totals but results for the first nine months of the year were down 26 percent in both volume (78,612 mt) and value ($565.1 million) from a year ago.

Tough year continues for lamb exports
For January through September, U.S. lamb exports fell 17 percent in volume to 6,714 mt year-over-year and were down 32 percent in value to $14.3 million. Exports expanded to the Middle East — up 49 percent in volume to 271 mt and 2 percent in value to $874,000 — but declined to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.



Kansas, Iowa Researchers Improving Feed Efficiency in Swine Herds

Researchers at Kansas State University are making steady progress in developing improved diets for pigs, a science so exact that even a 1 percent improvement in feeding efficiency can translate into $100 million of added profit to the U.S. swine industry.

Mike Tokach, Kansas State University distinguished professor of animal sciences and industry, said the university is working in collaboration with researchers at Iowa State University to develop practices that improve feed efficiency on U.S. farms.

"Our first goal is to save feed and thus reduce costs for producers, which ultimately reduces the cost of pork to consumers," Tokach said. "The other very important part of our research is the environmental side. Anything we do to improve feed efficiency reduces the output of nitrogen and phosphorus from that farm."

Based on results from a 2012 survey of more than 200 U.S. swine producers, the two universities developed 13 fact sheets that provide specific direction on how producers can improve feeding efficiency on their farm. The topics include genetics, particle size, pelleting, temperature, market weights, amino acids and more. The materials are available at swinefeedefficiency.com.

One sheet includes a decision tool that producers can use to measure their current practices against research-tested methods.

"Producers can use that to troubleshoot their operation; if their efficiency is not where they want it to be, they go through the decision tree to see what areas they can check out," Tokach said. "Or, they can plug in things they're currently doing into a feed efficiency model on the website that tells them it's good enough, or maybe they should change temperature in the barn, change diets, or change the way their feed is processed."

Since the 2012 survey, the researchers have conducted field trials with farmers in Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota.

"Each project was done with different production systems to give the data more credence since it was done in many locations and in the field," Tokach said. "Each project explored a different area that influences feed efficiency, such as the level of dried distiller grains, feed particle size, pelleting or sow feed usage."

Also in the field trials, Iowa State University researchers focused on genetic selection as a factor of feed efficiency. Their work led to a genetic line selected for improved feed utilization.

The $5 million project is funded through 2017 by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Tokach said that the federal agency's support is a testament to the importance of feed efficiency on the farm. The annual value of hog feed in the U.S. is $10 billion, and feed accounts for 65-70 percent of the cost of raising a pig, he said.

The work done by Kansas State University and Iowa State University is being updated regularly online. Tokach and many others have been sharing the research results at numerous workshops, professional meetings and in the mass media.



SEEDCorn, Midwest Big Data Hub, Launched

Iowa State University is one of five universities creating a Midwest Big Data Hub with the support of a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The science foundation announced four regional big data hubs designed to help the country use today's huge data sets to effectively create knowledge and make decisions. The Midwest hub will be known as SEEDCorn, Sustainable Enabling Environment for Data Collaboration. The hub's founding schools are Iowa State, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Michigan, Indiana University and the University of North Dakota.

The hub will be led by Edward Seidel of Illinois, where he directs the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and is Founder Professor in Physics and a professor of astronomy. A full-time executive director will be based at Illinois and part-time staff will be based at the other campuses.

Sarah Nusser, Iowa State's vice president for research, is a co-principal investigator for the Midwest Big Data Hub and a member of its steering committee.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Iowa State to build on its data driven science initiative," Nusser said. "President Steven Leath has already invested in 20 new big data faculty positions and will soon announce research projects supported by the Presidential Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research for Data Driven Science. We have many strengths to contribute to the Midwest Big Data Hub."

The hub will be dedicated to meeting the challenges of collecting, managing, mining, storing and analyzing the huge and complex data sets created by today's research, government and commercial activities. A project description said the SEEDCorn project will work "to harness the power and realize the promise of Big Data."

A key strategy for harnessing big data will be to establish partnerships between universities, businesses, government agencies and nonprofits, Nusser said. Those partnerships are expected to help the Midwest respond to big data challenges while capturing opportunities and resources for the region.

Nusser, for example, noted the hub will have research themes (dubbed spokes) that are closely related to Iowa's economy and Iowa State's strengths, including digital agriculture, advanced manufacturing, smart cities, transportation and a spoke related to the water, food, energy nexus.

The digital agriculture spoke, she said, "Connects to our strengths and interest in precision agriculture, sustainability and research projects connecting agronomists, engineers and plant scientists. I like to think of this as the equivalent of precision medicine for agriculture."



Senate Passes Resolution to Withdraw WOTUS Rule
 
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council appreciate the bi-partisan show of support in the Senate today against the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ “waters of the United States” rule. NCBA President, Philip Ellis said the joint resolution passed today by the Senate (53-44) could finally put this burdensome regulation to rest.

“America’s cattlemen and women are drowning in federal regulation that adds burdens, costs and uncertainty to our businesses,” said Ellis “The WOTUS regulation is the greatest overreach yet. If allowed to take effect, it would give EPA jurisdiction over millions of acres of state and private property. Without action by Congress and the President to withdraw this rule; producers, stakeholders and states will be forced to continue litigation, adding millions of dollars in expenses and years in delay.”

The joint resolution passed by the Senate was brought by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) under the Congressional Review Act. This resolution would order the EPA and Corps to withdraw the WOTUS rule and would prevent the agencies from further similar rulemaking. The joint resolution must now be passed by the House and signed by the President.



Smith Applauds Senate Passage of Resolution of Disapproval to Block WOTUS

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement today after the U.S. Senate passed S.J. Res. 22 to block implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS) by congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act.  This legislation, introduced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), is a companion bill to Smith’s H.J. Res. 59 introduced in the U.S. House in July.

“WOTUS is one of the largest abuses of executive power in modern history, posing a significant threat to Nebraska’s agriculture economy,” Smith said.  “While the Obama administration defiantly pushed forward with this damaging rule, I introduced the resolution of disapproval in the House to ensure Congress did not miss an opportunity to block this regulatory overreach.

“With today’s passage of the resolution in the Senate, I am optimistic the House will soon consider this legislation and send it to President Obama’s desk.  I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for standing up for rural Americans and following through on our commitment to using every available tool to prevent this devastating rule from ever being implemented.”



NCGA Calls for Collaboration On A New WOTUS Rule

On Tuesday, the Senate failed to pass S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, a bill that would have halted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineer’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. On Wednesday, the Senate passed S.J. Res. 22, a joint resolution of disapproval of WOTUS.

Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a farmer from Newburg, Maryland, issued the following statement:

“Thank you to the bipartisan group of Senators who have recognized that the Waters of the U.S. rule did not work.

“America’s farmers and ranchers care deeply about clean water, and we are committed to protecting it for future generations. But this rule is not based on science or law, does not clarify farmers’ responsibilities under the Clean Water Act and will not improve water quality.

“We supported S. 1140 because we believe the EPA, the Corps, farmers and other stakeholders must collaborate on a better rule we can all get behind. While that bill did not pass, we appreciate the Senate’s actions today, and we remain hopeful that cooperation and dialogue can win the day. We have been engaged with EPA from the beginning and our door remains open. Let’s work together on a better rule that will give farmers the certainty they need while protecting America’s water resources.”



Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Regarding Senate WOTUS Vote

“While the effort to send the flawed Waters of the U.S. rule back to the drawing board fell a few votes short, we applaud members of the U.S. Senate who today stood up for farmers and ranchers. While we are disappointed in today’s vote, we know this issue will remain a critical one for America’s farmers and ranchers, and we will continue our fight to protect them from federal regulatory overreach.”



Congress Ignores Science; Fails to Include Truck Weight Reform in Highway Bill

Statement by National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Philip Ellis on failure to include Rep. Ribble’s truck reform language in H.R. 22 Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act.

“The vote taken tonight is an injustice to America’s cattle producers. Truck weight regulations affect every cattle producer’s bottom line. Outdated federal transportation laws force trucks to carry partially full loads, stifling efficiency and requiring more trucks than necessary on the road. While some opponents claim a safety issue, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s own Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study shows the numerous benefits to increasing truck weights without sacrificing the safety. Instead of voting on the side of science, our elected officials were bullied into a faulty emotional vote - a dangerous precedent for our lawmakers to follow. Cattlemen and women appreciate the strong leadership of Rep. Ribble (R-WI) for bringing forward legislation that would have made livestock transportation safer, more economical, and less stressful on U.S. roadways. Without meaningful reform to the outdated truck weight laws, NCBA cannot support the passage of the Highway Bill.”



NCBA Strongly Opposes the House Transportation Bill
 
Statement by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Philip Ellis on failure to include Rep. Tom Rooney’s (R-Fla.) commonsense amendment to address the outdated truck weight laws in H.R. 22 Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act.

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is greatly disappointed in the members of Congress who opposed modernizing America’s transportation laws. The cattle industry relies on trucks for the safe, timely transportation of livestock from all corners of the country in order to keep up with the global demand for our product. The days of the cross-country cattle drive are over, and the livestock industry no longer utilizes the rail system. Rep. Rooney’s amendment would have allowed states the option to issue special permits for livestock shippers to operate vehicles weighing up to 95,000 pounds. Despite the numerous objective science-based transportation studies, including the U.S Department of Transportation’s own study, that support the increase of truck weights both on economical and safety principles, the House failed to vote on the side of science. Without the inclusion of Rep. Rooney’s amendment, Rep. Reid Ribble’s (R-WI) amendment, or language to address the mandatory 30-minute rest period rule, there is nothing to support in H.R. 22 Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, and NCBA strongly opposes its passage.”



DDG Exports Up in September

Exports of dried distillers grains to China may have declined month-to-month, but year-to-date exports to China are 30% higher than year-ago levels.

September’s DDG exports totaled 1.109 million metric tons, up 22% from the same month a year ago. The data, which is released by the Foreign Ag Service, is based on U.S. Census Bureau tallies.

China was the biggest DDG customer in September, buying 484,535 metric tons, 192% more than the same month last year. In August, China bought more than 600,000 mt of U.S. DDG.

U.S. ethanol exports are also stronger than last year, up 7% from a year ago. Exports totaled 60.3 million gallons in September, 6% higher than the same month a year prior, with Canada as the largest buyer.

Biodiesel exports in September increased 47% from a year ago to 28,205 mt. Canada bought 17,796 mt of that. Year-to-date exports in 2015 are down 6%.



Ethanol Stocks, Production Higher

Domestic ethanol inventories rebounded from a 10-month low, rising during the week-ended Oct. 30 by 501,000 barrels (bbl), or 2.7%, to 18.774 million bbl while up 9.3% from a year ago, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The report showed domestic ethanol production surged 25,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 2.6%, to 969,000 bpd while up 4.3% year-on-year. Ethanol imports amounted to 10,000 bpd last week.

Blender inputs, a gauge for ethanol demand, decreased 31,000 bpd, or 3.4%, to 915,000 bpd while up 40,000 bpd, or 4.3%, versus a year earlier.

EIA reports implied demand for gasoline fell 159,000 bpd during the week-ended Oct. 30 to 9.184 million bpd, although 0.2% higher than the same week a year ago.



CME Group Averages 12.8 Million Contracts Per Day in October

CME Group announced that October 2015 volume averaged 12.8 million contracts per day, down 27 percent from an exceptionally strong October 2014.

Total volume during October 2015 was more than 282 million contracts, of which 86 percent was traded electronically. Average daily volume to date in 2015 is 14.1 million contracts, up 3 percent versus the same period in 2014, with year-over-year growth across four of six product lines.

Open interest through October is 102 million contracts, up 8 percent from year-end 2014.

CME Group interest rate volume averaged 5.8 million contracts per day in October 2015, down 37 percent compared with October 2014.

Agricultural commodities volume averaged 1.2 million contracts per day, down 5 percent compared with the prior-year period.



Armezon® PRO herbicide from BASF receives registration for use on all corn types

Armezon® PRO herbicide provides long-lasting residual control of emerged grass and broadleaf weeds. The BASF product has received full Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration for use on all corn types.

“Growers want flexible options to control weeds based on their farm’s needs,” said Daniel Waldstein, Technical Market Manager, Ph.D., BASF. “Armezon PRO herbicide has a wide application window and low use rate, resulting in time, storage and money savings.”

Armezon PRO herbicide is a combination of topramezone, the active ingredient in Armezon herbicide, and dimethenamid-P, the active ingredient in Outlook® herbicide. This chemistry combination helps provide strong contact and residual weed control.

Armezon PRO herbicide has high bioavailability to deliver control under wet and dry conditions. This results in better control of grass and small-seeded broadleaf weeds, such as foxtails, barnyardgrass, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.

“Because Armezon PRO herbicide has strong contact and residual performance, corn growers can rely on its consistency and have less worry about the risk of a re-spray,” said Waldstein. “With Armezon PRO herbicide, we hope to give growers confidence in their weed control.”

Armezon PRO herbicide will be available to all corn growers for the 2016 season. To learn more, ask your local retailer or visit www.agproducts.basf.us/products/armezon-pro-herbicide.html.



Syngenta Crop Challenge details unveiled

The Syngenta Crop Challenge case competition, challenging participants to develop a model that helps predict what farmers should plant next season to maximize yield, launches today. Contestants will use provided data on soil property, weather and seed variety tests to develop their unique models.

Syngenta, a leading innovator in plant genetics, and the Analytics Section of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) are proud to sponsor the Syngenta Crop Challenge. Knowing the world is grappling for new ideas to help alleviate hunger challenges, this new, joint competition focuses specifically on using analytics to address the problem.

Each year farmers have to make decisions about what crops to plant given uncertainties in expected weather conditions and knowledge about the soil at their respective farms. This competition asks, how can a farmer make seed variety decisions that optimally reduce risk and increase yield?

Case details were announced at the 2015 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this week. Contestants will be provided the following data:

·         Soil property information for the model farm that will be used when choosing which varieties to plant

·         Daily weather data for the past 15 years (focused on the growing season) for the farm

·         Test data for the seed varieties at various soil types and weather types for the past 4 years, indicating the yield for each variety at each growing season                                                                                        

The winner of the competition will receive a $5,000 prize. The runner-up will receive $2,500, and the third place winner will receive $1,000. Entries must be submitted by January 15 2016, and finalists will be announced in February 26, 2016. Finalists will make their presentation in person or via teleconference on April 12, 2016 at the INFORMS Practice Conference in Orlando, Florida. The winners will be announced at the conference after the final presentations. Contestants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Syngenta, an award winning company for its innovation in plant analytics, is proud to sponsor this competition to fuel the next big innovations in applying advanced analytics to biochemistry and agriculture. As, an extension of the Good Growth Plan, Syngenta’s six commitments to address global food security, this contest broadens its reach to include input from stakeholders the world over.

“Bringing plant potential to life is our purpose at Syngenta. We strive to continually bring new technologies and innovations to the market to help keep farmers at the top of their game. Extending our work through this challenge will help us broaden our reach and scope of ideas even more,” says Joe Byrum, Syngenta head of soybean seeds product development and lead for the Syngenta Crop Challenge. “We’re excited to see the ideas generated through this competition.”

More details about the Syngenta Crop Challenge competition can be found at www.ideaconnection.com/syngenta-crop-challenge.