Thursday December 3 Ag News

NDA SELECTS STUDENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL EXCHANGE IN TAIWAN

Three high school seniors are heading to Taiwan next week to represent the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) as part of a long-standing student exchange program. Selected by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), the students will learn about Taiwan’s agricultural industry and the leading role Nebraska has with product exports to the country.

“This agriculture exchange program is important for Nebraska students and the students from Taiwan,” said NDA Director Greg Ibach “It creates a first-person opportunity to broaden their world view.  They get to experience different types of agriculture, different ag techniques and different cultures, and gain an understanding of how it fits together in a global economy.”

For the past 12 years, as part of this exchange program, three students from an agricultural high school in Taiwan have visited Nebraska to attend the annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute – a week-long summer program coordinated by NDA. In return, NDA chooses three NAYI delegates to travel to Taiwan.

The three students going to Taiwan this year are:
·         Sean Krebs from Clearwater. Sean is a senior at Clearwater-Orchard High School and is the son of Shane and Regina Krebs.
·         Brent Miller from Lyons. Brent is a senior at Lyons-Decatur High School and is the son of Roy and Sarah Miller.
·         Halle Ramsey from Ord. Halle is a senior at Ord High School and is the daughter of Clayton and Jennifer Ramsey.

The trip is coordinated by NDA and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Denver and is sponsored by the Nebraska Farm Bureau and TECO.

The students will leave for Taiwan on Dec. 6 and will return to Nebraska on Dec. 12. While in Taiwan, the students will be staying at the Taichung school. Their visit will include tours of the campus, interaction with Taiwanese students, participation in presentations, visits to local farms, and observations of several agricultural research institutes. They also will have the opportunity to do some sightseeing.

The students will share their experiences at the 2016 Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute.



DuPont Pioneer, Ag Processing Announce New 2016 Pioneer® brand Plenish® High Oleic Soybean Program

DuPont Pioneer and Ag Processing Inc (AGP) announced today that AGP will offer production contracts for Pioneer® brand Plenish® high oleic soybeans for 2016 in Nebraska. The agreement expands the market footprint of Plenish® high oleic soybeans and will help assure improved soybean oil availability for food and industrial product customers in the United States and particularly for western population centers.    

“AGP is excited to bring this value-added opportunity to area soybean farmers to help improve their return per acre, and to develop the first Plenish® high oleic soybean production footprint west of the Mississippi,” said Mark Sandeen, AGP vice president of Processing and Marketing. “The improved fry-life and shelf-life characteristics that Plenish® high oleic soybean oil brings to food industry applications, along with the product’s nutrition benefits, will help build long-term soybean demand. It’s a win-win for all stakeholders in the soybean industry, from farmers to consumers.”

AGP will contract with growers around its Hastings, Neb., soybean processing plant and refinery to produce Pioneer® brand soybeans with the Plenish® high oleic trait for the 2016 growing season. Farmers will receive a $.50 per bushel incentive for producing and storing the beans, or a $.40 per bushel premium for a harvest delivery contract.

“Plenish® high oleic soybean seed products from DuPont Pioneer have outstanding yield and agronomic performance in the field, which is why we’re pleased to work with AGP in bringing this new opportunity to Nebraska growers,” said Mark Deterding, DuPont Pioneer director for the Western Business Unit. “For our farmer-customers, this contract program is an important step in expanding soybean market demand and increasing the return per acre today and longer term.”

The development and commercialization of Plenish® high oleic soybean oil is an example of how biotechnology can provide direct benefits to the food industry and consumers. The oil’s improved fatty acid profile provides a sustainable, U.S. grown, soy-based trans-fat alternative for food companies and foodservice operators with the highest oxidative stability of any soybean oil being commercially produced. The enhanced stability means longer fry life in restaurant applications in addition to less polymerized oil buildup on equipment. For food manufacturers, it means longer shelf life for packaged food products without sacrificing flavor and provides the opportunity for a cleaner ingredient label by eliminating the need for artificial preservatives.

Plenish® high oleic soybean oil has 0g trans fat per serving and 20 percent less saturated fat than commodity soybean oil, making it a more attractive ingredient for health conscious consumers.

Plenish® high oleic soybean varieties are developed by Pioneer using its elite T-series genetics. Field testing has confirmed yields are on par with similar elite commercial soybean varieties.

Traits included in Plenish® high oleic soybean products have received regulatory approvals in nearly all key U.S. soybean export markets and approvals are pending in remaining export markets.  For more information on Plenish® high oleic soybeans, visit www.plenish.com.



ICON PREPARES FOR TENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) will be hosting their TENTH annual convention in Brewster, NE, on Friday, December 18, 2015, 12 noon CST, at Uncle Buck’s Lodge.

The day starts at 11 a.m. with registration. A luncheon will be served at the Lodge at noon and followed by the afternoon activities.

A Senator’s Panel will lead off at 1 p.m. with Senators Al Davis and Mike Gloor discussing what’s happening in the legislature. At 2:30 p.m., Dr. Max Thornsberry, R-CALF USA, will talk about Hoof and Mouth Disease, which will be followed by a discussion with Nebraska Farm Bureau at 3:30 p.m. ICON Business Meeting will begin at 4:30 followed by a social hour at 5:30 p.m., Banquet at 6 p.m., silent auction for Jim Hanna Memorial Scholarship and auctioneer Mike Baxter as the evening entertainment.

Registration for the 2015 ICON Convention Registration is $50 and includes the noon luncheon. Guests accompanying a paid registration can register for $20. The evening Banquet with prime rib is an extra $25 per attendee. ICON membership dues for 2015 are $100 and if members have not paid, there will be a $10 discount at the convention.

ICON Convention registration can be sent to: ICON/Linda Wuebben, 55669 888th Road, Fordyce, NE 68736. For more information, call 402-357-3778 or visit ICON online at www.independentcattlemen.com.

Rooms are available by calling the Lodge at 308-547-2210. Area Bed & Breakfasts have some rooms available including the Degroff Family at 308-547-2460.



Current National Drought Summary
droughtmonitor.unl.edu

This U.S. Drought Monitor week saw improvements in drought conditions across parts of the Midwest, South, Southern Plains, and portions of the West. Starting late last week, a broad, slow-moving frontal system impacted the Central and Southern Plains as well as Texas. The system delivered mixed precipitation (freezing rain, sleet) including locally heavy rainfall accumulations (two-to-eight plus inches) to portions of Oklahoma and Texas – thus, eliminating remaining areas of drought on the map in both states. Moving northward, areas of the Northern Plains and portions of the Upper Midwest received locally heavy snowfall accumulations (six-to-ten inches) including eastern South Dakota while portions of Minnesota received two-to-eight inches of snow. In the West, conditions have steadily improved during the past twelve months in the desert Southwest leading to removal of remaining areas of drought on the map in northwestern New Mexico as well as continued improvement in northeastern Arizona. Removal of the remaining areas of drought in New Mexico marked the first time since November 23, 2010 that New Mexico was drought-free on the map. Despite overall improvements in the region, lingering longer-term hydrologic impacts remain in the managed reservoir systems including Arizona’s Salt and Verde River as well as the Lower Rio Grande of New Mexico. Elsewhere in the West, cold temperatures dominated during the past week with temperatures plummeting from five-to-twenty degrees below normal across the Far West, Great Basin, Northern Rockies, and western portions of the Southwest. In California and Nevada, the snow season has begun favorably with Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL stations in the Central Sierras, Ruby Mountains, and the headwater region of the Humboldt River Basin in northeastern Nevada currently reporting average to above average snowpack conditions. In the Cascades of Oregon and Washington and the Northern Rockies, snowpack conditions are below normal.

The Plains
Across the Plains, improvements were made on the map in areas of Abnormally Dry (D0) in southwestern South Dakota and in areas of Abnormally Dry (D0) and Moderate Drought (D1) in Kansas and Oklahoma. This week’s storm events in Oklahoma and Kansas helped to remove short-term precipitation deficits, improve soil moisture, and enhance streamflow activity. In Oklahoma, this week’s precipitation led to the removal of all drought conditions statewide from the map. Temperatures were generally below normal across the western two-thirds of the region and slightly above normal in eastern portions.

Midwest
The Midwest saw some minor improvements in areas of Moderate Drought (D1) along the Illinois-Indiana border where soil moisture and streamflow conditions have improved during the past 30-day period. Elsewhere in the region, heavy snowfall accumulations were observed in Minnesota, northwestern Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota with greatest accumulations in South Dakota. Overall, average temperatures were above normal across the region with the greatest departures (five-to-ten degrees above normal) observed in the Lower Midwest.

Looking Ahead
The NWS WPC 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) calls for significant precipitation totals (ranging from six-to-sixteen inches) in coastal northern California, Oregon, and Washington with coastal areas of Washington expected to receive the greatest accumulations. Otherwise, more meager accumulations are forecasted for the Northern Rockies of Idaho and northern portions of the Sierras; the remainder of the West will be generally dry. In the eastern tier, heaviest precipitation accumulations (one-to-four inches) are forecasted for parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. The CPC 6–10 day outlooks call for a high probability of above normal temperatures across nearly the entire continental U.S., with the exception of normal temperatures in southern New Mexico and Texas. Across most of the West, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest and extreme northern California, there is a high probably of below normal precipitation. Below normal precipitation is forecasted to extend across the Central and Northern Plains as well as across the Midwest into the Northeast. In contrast, portions of the Southeast, Southern Plains, and Texas have a high probability of above normal precipitation.




97th Iowa Farm Bureau Annual Meeting draws more than 1,000 members

Members of the state’s largest grassroots farm organization gathered in Des Moines this week to mark farming and stewardship progress through the generations and showcase future leadership during the 97th annual meeting of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF).  There were many ways the state’s largest farm organization showcased their 2015 theme, ‘Growing for the Greater Good,’ Dec. 1 and 2 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines.   

Craig Hill, IFBF president and longtime Milo, Iowa, grain and livestock farmer, called on IFBF members to honor their heritage, celebrate their success, and share their stories of stewardship and innovation.  “No one can fully tell the story of agriculture better than a farmer. It is up to us! We need to tell the story instead of letting someone else define who we are and what we do.  Because it truly is about our theme here this year, ‘Growing for the Greater Good’; it means we all must be dedicated to leaving the world a better place than how we found it.  Our organization, now a record 159,000 members strong, is the organization that leads the way,” said Hill.

Nine different educational seminars, designed to educate and inspire, brought big crowds of farmers, including sessions focused on conservation approaches.  When it comes to conservation and managing nutrient loss, many farmers had questions for speaker Mike Castellano, Iowa State University (ISU) agronomy professor.  “Fertilizing mismanagement is not the primary cause of the nitrate loss to Iowa waterways; when soil gets warm in the spring, naturally-occurring bacteria in the soil turns nitrogen into nitrates before the crops can uptake the nutrients.  Cover crops can really help but there is no magic bullet.  I tell folks it’s like going to the doctor and finding out you have high blood pressure. The doctor says you can do two things: take medicine or exercise and eat better.  What we do on our farm fields are comparable to the ‘eating better and exercise’ approach, because they treat the root of the problem.  So, we need to invest in research to reduce nitrogen variability and losses year-round and make our field practices more effective.  That’s like adding ‘medicine’ to find the solution.  It won’t happen overnight because it’s going to take time, money, training and technology,” said Castellano.   The soil scientist also said it’s going to take everyone’s help on the farm and everyone’s understanding outside the farm to reach water quality goals. IFBF leaders shared that farmers are coming to conservation field days in record numbers, to learn more about the conservation options that would work best for them, and how to embrace challenges and fund solutions. 

Aaron Thomas delivered a stirring keynote address to IFBF members, who called on farm leaders to look upon all challenges in their lives as opportunities to develop a platform that helps them connect with others, improving lives of all.  Thomas is the son of the late Aplington-Parkersburg coach, Ed Thomas, who helped the Parkersburg community recover from a tornado, but later had an untimely death at the hands of a former athlete.  Soon after it was learned that his father was murdered by the troubled former student, the Thomas family stood together, and told a nationwide audience to ‘pray for both families in crisis.’  “My father always said, ‘Life is 10 percent what happens to us, but 90 percent how we choose to react to it.’  And it’s true; anybody can lead when things are going well; it is how one deals with adversity that makes you rise above.” Because of the Thomas family’s leadership on that day, their service to the community and the generations of athletes they inspired, they received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2010 ESPY Awards.  Aaron Thomas is a motivational speaker and the Aplington-Parkersburg High School principal and head basketball coach.  

To see highlights from the 97th annual Iowa Farm Bureau meeting, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.



Fatigued Cattle Syndrome: What You Need to Know

 Yesterday afternoon, Merck Animal Health sponsored a webinar, “Fatigued Cattle Syndrome: What You Need to Know,” presented by Dan Thomson, D.V.M., Ph.D., the Jones Professor of Production Medicine and Epidemiology at Kansas State University. His presentation was based on the recently published “Description of a Novel Fatigue Syndrome of Finished Feedlot Cattle Following Transportation,” in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Thomson discussed the research conducted by him and his well-respected colleagues, as well as their valuable findings about Fatigued Cattle Syndrome (FCS). The independent research concluded that cattle that are stressed during the end of the feeding period can experience FCS, which can result in strained breathing, slow or lethargic movement, or non-ambulatory cattle.

With regard to the causes of such stress, the study determined that factors such as heat load, animal size, cattle handling, time of day at shipping and animal transportation caused stress during the summer leading to cattle that were fatigued. In addition, factors once at the packing plant can contribute to cattle being fatigued, including time spent standing, available shade, water cooling, pen surface, cattle handling and density of cattle in pens.

According to Dr. Thomson, “Cattle that are fed beta agonists are no more likely to develop FCS than other cattle, and there are no differences in this regard whether the cattle are fed zilpaterol, ractopamine or are not fed a beta agonist at all. In reality, the factors that contribute most significantly to FCS are the finished weight of cattle, heat stress and animal handling practices.”

The identification of FCS is significant for producers, nutritionists, veterinarians and packing plant personnel because it brings to light multiple factors that can impact cattle movement. It also offers a chance for the industry to work together to create solutions for continuous improvement in the area of cattle well-being now and in the future. We believe it’s important to support the FCS Stewardship Program and have agreed to fund it because it is something that will benefit the entire industry. We want to make good practices better, provide information and training, support the needs of producers and contribute to the industry’s continuous improvement efforts.

Based on the research of Dr. Thomson and his colleagues, as well as the other studies that have been published over the past two years, Zilmax has been proven safe and effective when used according to label and in conjunction with good animal husbandry practices. Zilmax will be made available to those customers who complete the Zilmax Certification Program, are willing and able to participate in the Fatigued Cattle Syndrome Stewardship Program, and have secured an outlet for their cattle.

We hope you will join with us in supporting and engaging in the Stewardship Program. The program will be conducted in-field and will periodically collect and monitor real-world data and is focused on minimizing/ eliminating fatigued cattle syndrome in the industry by mitigating risk factors – in the feedyard, during transport and at the packing plant facilities. Bottom line, this program will create positive change within the industry and will support continuous improvement of animal well-being practices.



Pork Supplies Up, Hog Prices Drop

Hog prices are the lowest they have been since November 2009.

That's because swine herds are recovering from the outbreak of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and many pork producers have expanded production, resulting in a large supply of pork on the market, North Dakota State University Extension Service swine specialist David Newman says.

PEDv, which has killed an estimated 9 million pigs since 2013, sent hog prices soaring to record highs in 2014.

Now that the virus is getting under control, livestock market analysts are predicting record hog production, which could send prices even lower.

While low hog prices are good news for consumers, who are paying less for bacon, ham and other pork products, they're not good news for swine producers.

"However, feed prices, driven by low corn and soybean meal costs, are also very low, which does help soften the losses for producers," Newman says.

Although new vaccines and hogs developing immunity to PEDv have slowed the spread of the disease, swine producers still need to have biosecurity in place to prevent the loss of livestock from diseases.

"PEDv is still a very serious threat to the swine herd, which could result in substantial losses for producers if affected," Newman says. "Although the number of outbreaks has slowed, there are still producers in our region who are battling the effects of PEDv."

The best defense against diseases is to use good biosecurity practices, he notes. Those practices include cleaning and disinfecting trailers used to transport pigs, and washing boots and clothing before and after being around pigs. It also includes establishing a line of separation between the clean area (the barn) and the dirty area (anywhere outside the barn), and requiring employees and visitors to adhere to this strict policy.



"What should eating right look like?"

As increased obesity rates rose in importance to consumers and the nutrition community during the last decade, the beef checkoff has jockeyed to answer this pivotal question: “What should eating right look like?”

The answer, in short: Physical activity and eating right are important at all life stages, and the benefits last a lifetime!

Toward sharing this information with consumers and nutrition influencers, the checkoff talks about the protein equation, which addresses the general mix of foods and nutrients that make up a healthful diet. Meeting all nutrient needs within the calorie allowance allotted by age, gender and activity level can, however, be challenging when we look at “eating right.” For example, beef supplies significantly fewer calories and more complete nutrients than many plant proteins. It often takes more than twice the calories to get the same amount of protein from beans, nuts and grains compared to beef. For example, a 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides 25 grams of protein in less than 160 calories, on average. It would take 6 tablespoons of peanut butter (564 calories) or 1  cups of black beans (382 calories) to provide the same amount of protein.

“Our beef checkoff has worked to develop more lean cuts of beef to meet protein and calorie needs that make for eating right,” says Cattlemen’s Beef Board member Jo Stanko, a cattle producer from Steamboat Springs, Colorado and member of the checkoff’s Nutrition and Health Committee. “In just 15 years, we helped quadruple the number of lean-beef cuts to nearly 40 to give consumers more options for ‘eating right’.”

The beef checkoff also led the way in questioning long-held assumptions about the negative nutrition effects of saturated fat. By taking an evidence-based research approach, the checkoff discovered that all of the various depictions of ‘eating right’ can include beef – even if it isn’t all lean beef.

For example, a common misperception is that the majority of the fatty acids in beef are saturated. In reality, however, half of the fatty acids in beef are monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy type found in olive oil. In addition, nearly one-third of the saturated fat in beef is stearic acid, a fatty acid that has been shown to have a neutral effect on LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Learn more about the good fat in beef at fatty acid profile for beef.

“The portrait of ‘eating right’ can take as many forms as there are differences in consumers, but regardless of which healthful diet you choose to follow, we know and have research to prove that beef can play an important role,” says Stanko.

Learn about additional checkoff-funded peer-reviewed and published research about the power of protein in beef at Protein’s Role in the Human Diet. And for more information about your beef checkoff’s investment in human-nutrition research, visit BeefResearch.org and MyBeefCheckoff.com.



USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Safety Net Coverage in 2016

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that producers who chose coverage from the safety net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, can begin visiting FSA county offices starting Dec. 7, 2015, to sign contracts to enroll in coverage for 2016. The enrollment period will continue until Aug. 1, 2016.

“The choice between ARC and PLC is completed and remains in effect through 2018, but producers must still enroll their farm by signing a contract each year to receive coverage,” said Dolcini.

Producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to enroll. If a farm is not enrolled during the 2016 enrollment period, producers on that farm will not be eligible for financial assistance from the ARC or PLC programs should crop prices or farm revenues fall below the historical price or revenue benchmarks established by the program.

The two programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in prices or revenues for covered commodities. Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity. For more details regarding these programs, go to www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.



USDA Dairy Products October 2015 Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 991 million pounds, 1.5 percent above October 2014 and 3.8 percent above September 2015.  Italian type cheese production totaled 421 million pounds, 2.2 percent above October 2014 and 5.4 percent above September 2015.  American type cheese production totaled 386 million pounds, 0.7 percent below October 2014 but 2.6 percent above September 2015.  Butter production was 148 million pounds, 1.7 percent below October 2014 but
9.4 percent above September 2015.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with October 2014)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 119 million pounds, down 11.9 percent.
Skim milk powders - 40.3 million pounds, down 7.2 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with October 2014)
Dry whey, total - 75.8 million pounds, up 11.0 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 84.1 million pounds, down 6.2 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 41.2 million pounds, down 10.8 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with October 2014)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 61.5 million gallons, up 0.9 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 30.0 million gallons, down 4.5 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.04 million gallons, up 7.7 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 5.16 million gallons, up 0.3 percent.



Informa Boosts Argentina Corn
Private analytical firm Informa Economics increased its forecast for Argentina's corn production to 21 million metric tons, up 2.5 mmt, following the results of the country's presidential election.

"The newly elected president, which will assume office on Dec. 10, has promised to remove many of Argentina's restrictive agricultural policies," the report stated. "Only time will tell how quickly and to what degree the new administration will follow through on its promises to alter the country's agriculture policies and how quickly farmers will believe and act on the changes."

Informa's affiliate group in Argentina conducted a survey of farmers following the election that indicated farmers would plant 3.3 million hectares (8.15 million acres) of corn, up 400,000 hectares (about 988,000 acres) from last month's estimates. That's still smaller than the previous crop size, however.

Brazil's corn crop is forecast at 81.3 mmt and the South Africa corn crop at 12 mmt. Both forecasts are 500,000 metric tons lower than last month.

On soybeans, Informa sees Brazilian farmers harvesting 101.4 mmt, up 400,000 mt from last month, and Argentine farmers 58.5 mmt, down 500,000 mt.



NCGA Spotlights Sustainability of U.S. Ag during International Climate Change Talks

A delegation representing America's corn farmers brought their perspective to meetings held in conjunction with the COP21 United Nations climate talks in Paris this week. Through presentations and panel discussions, the National Corn Growers Association shared U.S. corn farmers' perspectives on a wide array of sustainability and environmental issues.

The event, hosted by Field to Market, Business for Social Responsibility and Pepsico, brought together notable dignitaries, including French Foreign Minister and COP21 President Laurent Fabius and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, included discussions on the value of public-private partnerships, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing productivity and collaboration to achieve large scale change.

The international event brought corn farmers interests to the climate change talks on many levels. NCGA is a founding member of meeting organizer, Field to Market, which was represented by CEO Rod Snyder. NCGA participated directly through a presentation by Corn Board member Keith Alverson, a farmer from South Dakota, who received additional support in discussions from Vice President of Production and Sustainability Paul Bertels. Representatives from U.S. soy, wheat and industry also shared their perspectives.

"Many times, discussions on climate change and agriculture either foretell doom and gloom or place blame. In Paris, we explored the opportunities that would have a positive impact on agriculture and on our climate," said Alverson. "Farmers in the United States and around the world have a vested interest in preserving the air, water and soils that allow us to pass along our farms from generation to generation.

"While I felt the discussions looked at the potential agriculture has in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our talks were somewhat overshadowed by the EPA's announcement that indicated weakening support for renewable fuels- such as ethanol. U.S. corn farmers work every day to grow a sustainable crop that provides a cleaner, renewable fuel. If the Administration wishes to publicly support efforts to reduce carbon emissions, it must first take actions which would fight it at home."



Biodiesel Industry Calls on Congress to Act on Tax Incentive

The National Biodiesel Board called on Congress to quickly pass a reformed biodiesel producer’s tax incentive Thursday as tax negotiations heated up on Capitol Hill and lawmakers introduced updated biodiesel tax legislation in the House and Senate.

“The biodiesel industry cannot grow and support good-paying jobs without some level of predictability on tax policy, and the legislative clock is winding down,” said Anne Steckel, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “This tax incentive has strong bipartisan support, as demonstrated by the bills introduced today. It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for consumers. And importantly the reforms included in today’s bills will appropriately focus the incentive on U.S. production” 

The new legislation, sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J), builds on legislation (S. 1946) that won unanimous support from the Senate Finance Committee in July.

“We want to thank Reps. Noem and Pascrell and Sens. Grassley and Cantwell again for their leadership on this issue,” she added. “This bill, when passed into law, will go a long way toward creating biodiesel jobs across the country and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The bills include a key reform restructuring the incentive from a blender’s credit to a producer’s credit focused on domestic production. Under the existing blender’s structure, biodiesel that is produced overseas and blended in the U.S. is increasingly taking advantage of the incentive, undermining U.S. production and directing U.S. tax benefits to foreign producers. Already this year we have seen more than 500 million gallons of foreign fuel blended in the U.S. to take advantage of the incentive. By limiting the incentive to apply only to domestic production, the reform would save about $90 million, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“I think lawmakers would universally agree we shouldn’t be using U.S. tax dollars to support the production of foreign fuel,” Steckel said. “The whole point of this policy is to create American jobs and industry while strengthening our energy security and encouraging innovation in the fuels market.”

Additionally, under the blender’s structure, thousands of companies are eligible to apply for the credit at a variety of points along the distribution chain – making it difficult for the RFS to monitor compliance and fraud. By narrowing the eligibility for the credit to domestic biodiesel producers, the reform would streamline the process for taking the credit. The incentive will continue benefiting consumers by lowering the cost of biodiesel blended into diesel fuel.



Farmer Co-ops Commend House Passage of Highway Bill, Urge Support in Senate

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives today applauded the House of Representatives’ approval of H.R. 22, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, and urged Senators to support the legislation when it is voted on there later today or tomorrow.

“This highway bill marks is an important part in ensuring that our country’s infrastructure boosts economic growth in rural communities instead of holding it back. America’s farmers, ranchers and cooperatives need to make sure that their products get to customers in a timely and efficient manner,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC. “The bill contains numerous provisions important for agriculture including, for example, modernizing regulations to improve the movement of freight.”

“In addition, the legislation also reverses cuts to the federal crop insurance system that were made as part of the budget agreement that Congress reached last month,” continued Conner.  “As we have said time and again, agriculture has always stood ready to do our part when it comes to reducing the federal budget deficit and substantive cuts to crop insurance have already been made in the past few years. Restoring the program as written by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill is essential to ensuring that producers have access to the risk management tools they need to weather the risk inherent in production agriculture.”



Fischer Praises Final Passage of Highway Bill

This evening, the U.S. Senate passed the final version of a five year highway bill 83-16. U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, and an active member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was appointed to the highway bill conference committee. As a member of both committees, Fischer played a key role in drafting the bill and advocating for its passage in the Senate this summer. Fischer released the following statement this evening following final passage:

“For the first time in over a decade, Congress has come together and provided long-term solutions for America’s transportation challenges. Through bipartisan cooperation, this bill will provide certainty and authorize funding for our nation’s infrastructure over the next five years.

“The Senate led the way, and I’m proud to have been engaged in this historic bill – from the Commerce and EPW committee markups earlier this year to the final passage today. This final agreement includes many victories for Nebraska and will offer new resources for updating and maintaining our roads, highways and bridges for years to come.”

The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. It will authorize surface transportation projects over the next five years.

Since her time in the Nebraska Legislature, Senator Fischer has been a strong proponent of long-term transportation solutions. Fischer joined her colleagues to craft the Senate version of the highway bill, which passed in July.


Fischer Provisions in Final Highway Agreement
Senator Fischer announced the successful adoption of several key provisions she fought to include in the legislation. These provisions, which are listed below, were drafted in consultation with key transportation stakeholders in Nebraska, including officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads, local officials and community leaders, and both the public and private sector.

Increased Nebraska Transit Funding (Section 3015 and 3017): Nebraska’s transit programs will receive approximately 12 percent more in increased funding for the life of the bill. It establishes a new competitive grant for bus and bus facility funding.

Categorical Exclusion Programmatic Agreement Template (Section 1315): Fischer’s provisions will improve the programmatic agreement process for categorical exclusion (CE) projects. This provision establishes procedures – based on a template developed by the Secretary of Transportation – which will allow states, in addition to the federal government, to determine which state or federal agencies must be consulted prior to beginning an infrastructure project.

Technical Assistance for States (Section 1307): This provision will provide technical assistance from the Federal Highway Administration to help states provide their own certification regarding the appropriate level of environmental review of certain CE projects. This will prevent them from wasting time while waiting for the federal government to provide its assessments.

Commercial Driver Pilot Program for Veterans (Section 5404): The FMCSA will be required to establish a pilot program to allow military veterans, who are between the ages of 18 and 21 and also possess a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive commercial trucks across state lines. The program also establishes a working group to evaluate, monitor, and provide recommendations to the DOT on the pilot program. Program participants will not be authorized to transport passengers, hazardous cargo, or larger truck configurations.

National Freight Program and Rural Corridors (Section 1116 and 70103): Provides guaranteed annual funding for Nebraska’s rural and urban freight corridors.  Under the separate freight grant program, there is a set-aside for both small and rural projects, which will be a significant benefit for Nebraska.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulatory Reform (Sections 5202 to 5205): Reforms flawed regulatory process at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to ensure better public and stakeholder participation in the process. It will also promote more transparency at the agency, improve responses to stakeholder petitions, and a strengthened cost-benefit analysis for rulemakings. Fischer’s provisions also require the FMCSA to inventory, update, and reissue outdated guidance documents every five years.

Compliance, Safety, Accountability Reform (Sections 5221 to 5225): This provision addresses the flawed Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) truck scoring program. It requires the FMCSA to commission an independent assessment of the program and issue a corrective action plan after receiving the results. Current scores must be removed from public view until the DOT Inspector General certifies these flaws are addressed.

Hair Testing for Commercial Drivers (Section 5402): Allows for hair testing of commercial truck drivers as an alternative form of drug testing. The provision requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish guidelines within one year for hair testing.

Ports Performance Freight Statistics Program (Section 6018): This will require yearly reporting by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics regarding metrics for top U.S. ports. It establishes a working group to design the metrics for reporting, including ports, federal stakeholders, rail and trucking industries, shippers, and port users.

Hazardous Materials Endorsement Exemptions for Agriculture Producers (Section 7208): The provision exempts agricultural retailers, business employees and producers from obtaining a hazardous materials driver’s license for transporting diesel fuel. This applies to shipments containing less than 1,000 gallons if the container is clearly marked as “diesel fuel.”

PTC Plan Approval Clarification and ECP Braking Study (Section 11315d and 7311): This provision clarifies that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) does not have the authority to approve or disapprove Positive Train Control (PTC) plans that outline its implementation beyond 2018. It requires the FRA to report and publish the safety benefits of a billion dollar electronic braking mandate – or face repeal.

Crop Insurance Restored (Section 32205): The $3 billion in cuts to the crop insurance program are reinstated. Previously, the Bipartisan Budget Deal reduced the overall rate of return for insurance providers from 14.5 percent to 8.9 percent. This had put the most important and viable risk management tool available to agriculture producers at risk.

Protections for Nebraska’s Community Banks (Section 32203): The conference report would reduce the rate of the dividend the Federal Reserve pays to its member banks with total assets greater than $10 billion from six percent to a floating rate. This mirrors the yield on 10-year treasury bonds, protecting the majority of Nebraska banks. The report would also reduce the assets within the Federal Reserve’s Capital Surplus Fund to $10 billion and redirect funds above this amount to the Highway Trust Fund.



ASA Welcomes Highway Bill with Crop Insurance Fix

The American Soybean Association (ASA) greeted news this evening that the Senate approved the conference report on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, more familiarly known as the Highway Bill. The final legislation is formally titled the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, and will now head to President Barack Obama for signature.

Providing funding certainty for road and bridge construction and maintenance was a priority for ASA in the legislation, as well as reversing the $3 billion in cuts to crop insurance that were included in the bipartisan budget deal passed in October.

"The cut to crop insurance was a dealbreaker for soybean farmers and we're very relieved to see these cuts reversed," said Wade Cowan, ASA's president and a farmer from Brownfield, Texas. "Soybean farmers across the country rely on crop insurance in times of extreme weather to ensure they can stay in business to farm in the coming year. An ill-advised $3 billion in cuts would have severely hobbled the program, and we're happy to see them reversed."

While pleased with the results of the vote today, Cowan noted that the association would be on the lookout for similar attacks in coming budget discussions.

"ASA will continue our opposition to any attempt to cut the farm bill programs in the budgeting process," he said. "These programs seem to be low-hanging fruit to lawmakers who don't understand how important they are to the nation's food producers, and we will continue to fight to make sure they stay whole. We thank Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson for their continued defense of the farm safety net, and for securing the fix for this most recent grab at the crop insurance program."

With regard to transportation, the multi-year reauthorization provides certainty for state and local governments to maintain and move forward with transportation projects. It provides new flexibilities and streamlines environmental review and permitting processes aimed at accelerating projects. The bill also establishes new national freight policies and programs aimed at improving freight movement and strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness.

Unfortunately the bill fails to enable states to allow increased truck weights on federal interstates, after the defeat of an amendment offered by Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin that would have provided states the option to increase truck weight limits on federal interstates.



Dairy Groups Urge Congress to Fix Country-of-Origin Labeling Problem in Year-End Spending Bill

Dairy producers and exporters today urged Congress to eliminate the threat of damaging new tariffs on dairy exports to Canada and Mexico by solving a trade dispute over country-of-origin meat labeling in the massive year-end spending bill currently being negotiated on Capitol Hill.

In a letter sent Thursday to House and Senate leaders, the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council expressed increasing alarm that new tariffs targeted at U.S. dairy exports to the two neighboring nations are potentially only weeks away.

The tariffs would be imposed under a World Trade Organization finding that parts of the U.S. country-of-origin labeling law violate international trade rules, allowing retaliation by our trade partners.

The WTO is set to announce on Monday the amount of retaliatory tariffs Canada and Mexico can place on U.S. exports as a result of the meat labeling law. After one more perfunctory approval step, the two countries could activate their tariff penalties as early as late this month.

“It is critical that Congress resolve this challenge in the end-of-year spending legislation in a way that Canada and Mexico agree sufficiently addresses their concerns in order to remove the threat of retaliation tariffs,” the joint NMPF-USDEC letter said.

The letter went to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). A similar letter was sent to Senate leaders last month.

The WTO ruled last spring that Canada and Mexico could retaliate against U.S. exports in response to its finding that parts of the U.S. COOL program were not compliant with U.S. WTO obligations. American dairy products have been on Canada’s target list for retaliatory tariffs resulting from the ruling and Mexico has targeted dairy exports in prior retaliatory actions.

“Retaliation against dairy products would come at a particularly harmful time for our industry, given the depressed global dairy market,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Multiple cooperatives have already faced an oversupply of milk this year.”

“Retaliatory tariffs would back up exports further onto the U.S. market during a time of overly abundant milk supplies,” added USDEC President Tom Suber. “U.S. dairy producers and processors cannot lose this chance to avoid considerable damage to the export markets they have invested so heavily in developing in recent years.”

Canada and Mexico are two of the largest U.S. export markets. Together, they import more than $2 billion in U.S. dairy products annually.

Congress has been discussing legislation to solve the COOL issue all year. The year-end omnibus spending bill, needed to fund the federal government after December 11, will be one of the last large measures considered by the House and Senate before they adjourn for the year.



NFU Guest Opinion: To Fix WTO Issue On Food Labeling, Pass Voluntary COOL

The U.S. can both maintain the integrity of the food labeling system for consumers and meet our World Trade Organization (WTO) obligation by passing legislation making Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) voluntary, says a guest column by National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson in The Hill.

“The WTO delivered a major setback to American consumers and producers earlier this year when it ruled against the U.S. Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law,” notes Johnson. “The good news is that the U.S. can both maintain the integrity of this label and at the same time comply with our WTO obligations with one quick fix. That fix – voluntary COOL –  has already been introduced in the U.S. Senate.”

Johnson notes that COOL came about because of a failure in the free market. “Prior to the law’s implementation, multinational meatpackers were able to deceive consumers into believing what they were eating was a product of the United States, when in many cases, that was inaccurate. These meatpackers are now the ones fighting for a repeal of the popular labeling law, arguing that the system costs them money and that voluntary COOL won’t fix the WTO dispute,” he says.

COOL has already been implemented, and its costs are negligible. “Feedyards and packing facilities already segregate for a number of different marketing reasons like hormone-free and antibiotic-free, and there are federal regulations that determine the guidelines for these voluntary programs as well.”

Johnson points out that consumers have a right to know where their food comes from, and free markets work best when buyers and sellers have access to this information. “After all, consumers across the world know where their blue jeans, bicycles and watches come from. In an increasingly global economy, that information should be available at the grocery store too.”

The COOL dispute currently before the WTO underscores another major issue: the U.S. continues to enter into trade agreements that prevent America from maintaining laws that benefit both the consumer and the producer. In the case of COOL, the WTO has stacked the deck so that it is difficult for Congress to maintain mandatory COOL, despite the fact that over 60 other WTO countries have some form of country-of-origin labeling, Johnson points out. Johnson argues that the WTO decision against U.S. mandatory COOL provides a telling example of why trade agreements work for the multinational corporations that have a seat at the negotiating table, but not for America’s consumers.

“Thankfully for American consumers and producers, cooler heads in the Senate have prevailed. Sens. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, introduced a compromise for the COOL dispute, which would repeal mandatory COOL and put in its place a voluntary COOL labeling system, something Canada and the meatpackers have previously suggested to the U.S. as a fix to the WTO dispute,” he notes. 

The Hoeven-Stabenow bill also defines what a “Product of the U.S.” is, eliminating the consumer deception involved with previous labeling systems and providing consumers with labels that are accurate and have integrity. “Voluntary COOL will solve the trade dispute once and for all, and Congress should act swiftly to approve the fix.”