Friday March 4 Ag News

A farmer from Cornlea appointed to LENRD Board
Bob Noonan, a farmer from Cornlea, was appointed as the newest member of the LENRD Board of Directors at last night’s board meeting.  Noonan fills Cory Beller’s seat.  Beller recently moved outside of his subdistrict boundaries and could no longer serve.

Noonan teaches agronomy and diversified agriculture at Northeast Community College in Norfolk.  He was selected from among four applicants to serve the nine-month term.  He has also filed for election to a two-year term to the board to complete Beller’s four-year term.  The other three applicants were:  Gene Hemmer of Humphrey, Dave Kathol of Norfolk, and Bob Lueninghoener of Stanton.



Excellence in Agriculture Award Luncheon March 15th in Fremont

The Fremont Chamber-Ag Business & Natural Resources Council is hosting the inaugural Excellence in Agriculture awards luncheon on Tuesday, March 15th, 11:30am at the Fremont Golf Club.  The keynote speaker for the day will be CommonGround volunteer Joan Ruskamp, farmer/feeder from Dodge, NE.  Three awards will also be presented.... Farm Family of the Year to the Ray Kucera Jr. Family;  Ag Business of the Year to Hormel Foods;  and Innovator of the Year to CropMetrics.  Individual tickets are $30 each, or tables of eight can be bought for $250.  Go to fremontne.org or call 402-721-2641 to get more information and reserve your spot.



Act Now to get Cuming County Feeders Banquet Tickets

Cuming County Livestock Feeders President Steve Ott invites you to the annual banquet set for Saturday April 2nd at the Wisner Auditorium.  There's a great evening of fun and entertainment planned, with social hour starting at 6pm, a prime rib dinner with all the fixings at 7pm, and a performance by Gayle Becwar to close out the evening.

Tickets are $50 each.  Corporate sponsors are also welcome ($1000), along with Grand Champion Sponsors ($500) or Reserve Champion Sponsors ($300).  Ticket requests should be made by March 15th so they can be sorted and mailed out by March 21.  Contact Angie Ernesti for more information at 402-372-3036 or 402-372-8036. 



March Clinics Offer Free Financial & Legal Counseling

Openings are available for one-on-one, confidential Farm Finance Clinics being conducted across the state each month. An experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor will be available to address farm and ranch issues related to financial planning, estate and transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, water rights, and other relevant matters. They offer an opportunity to seek an experienced outside opinion on issues affecting your farm or ranch.

March Clinic Sites and Dates
    Grand Island — Thursday, March 3
    Norfolk — Thursday, March 10
    North Platte — Thursday, March 10
    Valentine — Friday, March 11
    Lexington —Thursday, March 17
    Fairbury — Tuesday, March 22
    Norfolk — Thursday, March 24

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska sponsor these clinics.  To sign up for a clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.



UNL joins initiative to help farmers control the data they collect

    The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has joined a new initiative aimed at helping farmers better control, manage and maximize the value of the data they collect every day in their fields.

    The Agricultural Data Coalition is the result of years of planning and coordination by UNL, AGCO, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Auburn University, CNH Industrial, Crop IMS, Ohio State University, Mississippi State University, Raven Industries and Topcon Positioning Group.

    The coalition's goal is to build a national online repository where farmers can securely store and control the information collected by their tractors, harvesters, aerial drones and other devices. Over time, that data can be scrubbed, synced and transmitted in an efficient and uniform way to third parties including researchers, crop insurance agents, government officials, farm managers, input providers and farm advisers.

    "There have been extensive activities focused on agriculture data management platforms within the past couple of years and we're excited to be part of such advances in which the farmers' needs are at the core of the platform development process with input from a variety of industry partners," said Joe Luck, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. "I think the development approach taken by the ADC will serve as an industry model for adding value to small and large farm operations with respect to agricultural data privacy, access and utilization."

    A press briefing took place March 3 in New Orleans for media attending the annual Commodity Classic.

    "The key is that farmers are in complete control, and they decide who is allowed access to their data," said Matt Bechdol, interim executive director of the coalition. "That's what sets ADC apart. This is not about profit for others, it's about streamlining data management, establishing clear lines of control and helping growers utilize their data in ways that ultimately benefit them."

    Farmers interested in learning more about data collection and organizations interested in joining the coalition's efforts should visit http://www.agdatacoalition.org.



Strode, Hoer named NCTA Aggies of the Month                                                                         

Two students from eastern Nebraska garnered honors at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis during February as “Aggies of the Month.”

Adrienne Strode of Lincoln and Shane Hoer of Blair were recognized by faculty and staff for their contributions to academic and student life at the agricultural college, said NCTA Dean Ron Rosati.

“Adrienne and Shane exemplify the character and dedication of our students here at NCTA,” Rosati noted.

Strode, who attended Waverly High School, is a first-year veterinary technology student studying to be a certified veterinary technician.  She likes working with cats and a variety of small animals. One of her duties in the Facilities Management course is daily care of animals, birds and exotics in the Veterinary Technology complex.

“Addie has a real desire to help animals. Her family and she have donated a wonderful turtle habitat, two turtles and water filtering system to our veterinary technology animal facility,” said Judy Bowmaster-Cole, veterinary technology assistant professor. “She monitors the habitat to be sure everything is functioning correctly for the good health of our turtles.”

In addition to her academics, Strode is a member of NCTA’s Student Technicians of Veterinary Medicine Association.

As a second-year student in Agriculture Production Systems, Shane Hoer’s emphasis is agriculture education, leadership and communications. He is president of NCTA Student Senate and Collegiate 4-H and FFA Club, and competes on the senior livestock judging team.  He also is a student worker in the Assistant Dean’s Office and is a Resident Assistant in NCTA’s residence hall.

Hoer was active in FFA in high school and hopes to continue his college career in leadership and agricultural literacy.

“Shane is a great student for NCTA. He is always looking for ways to make our campus a better place to go to college and to live,” said Jennifer McConville, assistant dean.



ICA Opposes CME’s Proposed Worthing Discount

The CME Group recently announced changes to amend the Live Cattle futures rules concerning delivery. ICA strongly advises CME to reject the current proposal specific to live cattle futures contract specifications for the Worthing, SD delivery point.

The proposed change would add a seasonal discount of $1.50/cwt on deliveries tendered to Worthing, SD for the October contract month. According to the CME, since it’s inception in 2009, 50.9% of all delivered loads of cattle were originally tendered to Worthing, SD.

ICA members feel that if this discount is added, the CME is setting a dangerous precedent for additional modifications, leading to confusion and distrust in the system.

“The Live Cattle Futures Contract through the CME has served as a meaningful risk management tool for cattlemen,” states Dustin Puhrmann, ICA Feedlot Council Chair. “The CME needs to maintain its revered consistency for delivery points across the country. Distribution of cattle on feed nor types of cattle fed and marketed should make a difference on the tendered location.”  

ICA members are concerned that the CME proposal as presented will negatively impact effective use of the Live Cattle Futures Contract to mitigate risk and convergence of the cash and futures market.

Comments on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (CME) Request for Market Feedback on Proposed Changes to Live Cattle Futures Contract Specifications are due Monday, March 21st. Comments should be sent to: 

Andrew Crafton
Commodity Research & Product Development
Andrew.Crafton@cmegroup.com
312-634-8923

Thomas Clark
Agricultural Products Business Line
Thomas.Clark@cmegroup.com
312-930-4595

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association will be submitting comments on behalf of members and strongly encourages producers to submit additional comments.



 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey Provides Guidance for Hiring

 Hiring others to do custom machine work is a common practice for farmers across Iowa. The 2016 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey canvassed 182 farmers, custom operators and farm managers from the state, putting together a guide for pricing custom machine work.

The publication, which can be found online at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Store (FM 1698) or on the Ag Decision Maker website as Information File A3-10, provides rates for custom work in the following categories: tillage, planting, drilling and seeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, drying and hauling grain, harvesting forages, complete custom farming, labor, and both bin and machine rental.

The survey found there was a 2 percent price decline across all surveyed categories. When the categories with the 5 percent highest and lowest change were removed, the average decline in rate became 2.6 percent.

“This change is tied to lower crop prices,” said Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “The bad news is the decline in price for those who hire custom work is dwarfed by the overall decline in crop prices.”

The average rate and range for each machine work function were compiled into the survey as usual, but this year the median charge and number of responses for each category were added to provide additional context to the findings. The additions were included to make the publication more useful and user-friendly, providing clarity on how far apart the average and median charge were. Another addition to the 2016 survey are responses for scouting crops with a drone.

For the survey, the average is calculated as the simple average of all responses. The median is the response that splits all the ordered responses (from smallest to largest) in half. The range consists of the second-lowest value and the second-highest value in the sample.

The values presented in the survey are intended only as a guide. There are many reasons why the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness with which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted, and the condition of the crop for harvesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area will also affect rates.

The Ag Decision Maker website offers a Decision Tool to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machinery operations. Plastina and Ann Johanns, program specialist in economics with ISU Extension and Outreach, authored the publication.



Research Shows Extra Cover Crop Growth Prior to Soybeans Provides Benefits

Research at Iowa State University, funded by the United Soybean Board (USB), suggests that an additional period of cover crop growth prior to soybeans results in high cover crop biomass production, nitrogen retention and has no negative effect on yield.

Iowa State University associate professor in agronomy, Mike Castellano, has been working on the project over the last three years to show the effect of cover crops preceding soybeans. The study consisted of three major experiments that included corn and soybean systems with and without the cover crop, winter cereal rye. The cover crop prior to corn was terminated about seven to 10 days before planting corn, while the cover crop prior to soybeans was terminated at two different times; the same day the cover crop was terminated in corn and approximately three weeks later, the day before soybean planting.

Winter cereal rye that grew an extra three weeks prior to soybean planting produced about 300 to 400 percent more biomass with a 100 percent increase in nitrogen retention, when compared with the early terminated cover crops.

“The extra three weeks of cover crop growth is like getting three to four years of cover crop production in the system and organic matter into your soil,” said Castellano. “This is clearly a way to speed up the process of receiving the benefits of biomass production.”

The study also showed that cover crops left in the field for an additional three weeks before soybean planting increased the nitrogen in the cover crop from 40 pounds per acre to over 80 pounds per acre.

“It really goes to show that you get a lot of bang for your buck in those extra three weeks,” said Castellano. “And despite letting the cover crop grow an extra three weeks, we saw the same soybean yields.”

While the research so far has demonstrated what an extra period of growth can do for cover crop biomass, the overall goal of the research is to link the amount of cover crop biomass directly to economic benefits.

“At the present time, we can say with confidence that we can retain a lot more nitrogen in the system and lose less to the environment with increased biomass production,” said Castellano. “In the short term, that’s a great benefit for water quality challenges. In the long term, adding that biomass and keeping that nitrogen in the system will build soil health.”

Future Cover Crop Research
In the future, Castellano believes the effects of additional biomass production and nutrient retention will lead to reduced fertilizer rates and increased yields, due to the improvement of soil characteristics such as lower compaction, more organic matter, aeration and water-holding capacity. Daren Mueller, extension plant pathologist, and Leonor Leandro, associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology, at Iowa State have also been working on the soybean and cover crop research project, focusing on the effects of cover crops on insects and disease.

“To date, we have not found any of the cover crops we have evaluated to increase disease in the field,” said Mueller. “We’ve found that some of the cover crops may get infected with some pathogens, but this has not led to an increase in diseases in the main crop.”

Mueller and Castellano intend to continue research on cover crops in a corn and soybean system to find short term economic benefits for the farmer by looking at extra cover crop biomass through pest management.

“We think exploring the potential reduction for fungicide sprays and other pesticide applications are good opportunities for the farmers to see some short term benefits from the extra cover crop biomass,” said Mueller.

Currently, farmers can go online to the ISU Extension and Outreach Soybean Planting Tool to see how the planting date of different soybean varieties will effect their predicted yield. Farmers can use this tool, at http://agron.iastate.edu/CroppingSystemsTools/soybean-decisions.html , to see if there are potential advantages to planting later for extra cover crop growth without damaging yield.  



NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the month of February 2016, temperatures averaged four to six degrees above normal, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Snowfall occurred early in the month across much of the State, with heaviest amounts in central and northeastern counties. By the end of February, the snow had melted leaving little or no snow cover statewide. The mild conditions have been good for the calving season. The frost was coming out of the ground, leaving feedlots muddy. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 14 short, 80 adequate, and 6 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 15 short, 80 adequate, and 3 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 38 fair, 49 good, and 10 excellent.

Livestock Report:
Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 13 fair, 73 good, and 14 excellent. Calving was 10 percent complete. Cattle and calf death loss rated 1 percent heavy, 72 average, and 27 light.

Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 21 fair, 77 good, and 2 excellent. Sheep and lamb death loss rated 1 percent heavy, 62 average, and 37 light.  Hay and roughage supplies rated 1 percent very short, 6 short, 88 adequate, and 5 surplus.  Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 7 short, 91 adequate, and 1 surplus.



IOWA CROP & WEATHER SUMMARY, FEB 2016

Iowa experienced above normal temperatures for the month of February, which resulted in virtually no snow cover throughout the State. There were numerous reports of drainage tile running, as well as standing water in low-lying areas according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. As February came to a close, average snow depth was 0 inches. Fieldwork activities for the month of February were limited to scattered manure and dry fertilizer applications.

February topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 26 percent surplus. The south central portion of Iowa reported the highest moisture level with 45 percent rated surplus.

Grain movement rated 34 percent none, 39 percent light, 24 percent moderate, and 3 percent heavy. Nearly three-quarters of the grain movement for the month of February was rated light to none, although grain movement increased overall from the previous month. North central Iowa recorded the least grain movement with 85 percent rated light to none for the month of February.

Availability of hay and roughage supplies was 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 82 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Cattle feeding was reported to be a challenge due to muddy conditions.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry J. Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

General Summary. Iowa temperatures averaged 28.1° or 4.1° above normal while precipitation totaled 0.92 inches or 0.13 inches less than normal. This ranks as the 31st warmest and 65th driest February among 144 years of records. Snowfall averaged 9.0 inches or 2.2 inches above normal to rank as the 37th snowiest February among 129 years of records. This was the seventh consecutive snowier than normal February.

Temperatures. Bitter cold weather made a relatively brief appearance in Iowa during February with subzero temperatures reported on only the 4th, 5th and 10th through 13th. Temperatures were above average every day from the 15th through the end of the month with only a handful of locations seeing readings dip below 20° during the second one-half of February. Cresco reported the month’s lowest temperature with a -17° reading on the morning of the 13th. Temperatures reached 73° at Shenandoah and Sidney on the 18th while Sidney reached 75° on the 27th. These are the highest February temperatures recorded in Iowa since 1999 (76° at Glenwood on Feb. 10). In response to the milder late-month weather soils began to thaw across central and southern Iowa on the 19th and were completely frost-free over about the southern one-half of Iowa at month’s end. The late-month warmth also melted most of the snow cover that had persisted over northern Iowa since December 28. Some flooding occurred in response to the snowmelt and ice jams that resulted from the break-up of river ice.

Heating Degree Day Totals. Home heating requirements, as estimated by heating degree day totals, averaged 25% less than last February and 8% less than normal. Season-to-date degree day totals are running 17% less than last season at this time and 14% less than normal. The warmer weather and lower energy prices should result in considerably smaller heating bills this winter compared to recent years.

Precipitation. Over one-half of the month’s precipitation fell very early in the month with the major winter storm of the 2nd-3rd. Heavy snow fell across the northwest one-half of Iowa with greatest amounts reported of 14.0 inches at Washta, 13.6 inches at Akron and 13.5 inches at Sheldon. However, only a cold rain fell across extreme southeast Iowa with this storm. There were very frequent light snow and/or rain events between the 3rd and 21st. The largest of these events came on the 13th-14th when 2 to 4 inches of snow fell over much of the northeast one-half of the state. However, winds gusts of 40 to 50 mph combined with light snowfall and deep snow cover left from the Groundhog Day storm system to create blizzard conditions over north central Iowa from the night of the 7th through the morning of the 9th. Finally, winter weather made a return visit late on the 29th into March 1st with 2 to 5 inches of snow falling across the northern one-third of the state. Overall monthly precipitation totals were well below normal over east central and southeast Iowa and well above normal over the northwest. February precipitation totals varied from 0.35 inches at Gilman and Toledo to 1.92 inches at Sheldon. Monthly snowfall totals varied from only 1.3 inches at Clarinda to 23.4 inches at Sheldon. Snow totals have been well above normal in three of the past four months in northwest Iowa.

Severe Weather. Wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range were common statewide on the 19th with Iowa City Airport reporting the highest gust at 63 mph. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Winter Summary. Temperatures over the three mid-winter months averaged 26.8° or 4.7° above normal while precipitation totaled 6.57 inches or nearly double the seasonal normal of 3.34 inches. This ranks as the wettest and 17th warmest winter among 143 years of state records. The last warmer winter came four years ago (2011-2012), averaging 1.1° warmer than this one. Despite slightly below normal precipitation in January and February these two months brought enough precipitation when combined with December 2015’s record total to easily surpass the 6.00 inch total of the 1914-15 winter for the wettest on record.



Current National Drought Summary
droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Early in the period, a strong storm system tracked from the western Gulf Coast northeastward into interior New England, triggering numerous and widespread showers and thunderstorms across most of the eastern third of the Nation. Some of the storms produced severe weather that included numerous reports of tornadoes, some with fatalities, in the Southeast (February 23) and the mid-Atlantic (February 24). As the system traversed the Northeast, moderate to heavy (more than 2 inches) rain fell on most locations as temperatures were well above freezing. In the central Great Lakes region, however, colder air allowed snow to fall, with up to 15 inches measured in northwestern Indiana. As the storm exited the U.S., colder and drier weather enveloped the East. Elsewhere, after a dry start, weak Pacific systems brought light precipitation to the Northwest during the last 4 days of the period, eventually spreading eastward into the Midwest and south-central Great Plains by week’s end. Unfortunately, precipitation bypassed most of the southwestern quarter of the lower 48 States and northern Plains, and weekly temperatures averaged above normal in the West and across the northern half of the Nation. The El Nino induced dryness across Hawaii has started producing negative impacts as parts of the islands were degraded.

Central and Northern Plains
From South Dakota into Kansas, little or no precipitation fell, except for a band of precipitation (0.2-0.5 inches) in southeastern Montana, central South Dakota, southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin. Recent surplus precipitation, however, over the past several months was enough to keep this region drought free with the exception of a few small lingering D0 areas. A watchful eye, however, will be necessary from northeastern Oklahoma northeastward into northwestern Illinois as short-term (2-months) dryness has so far been offset by very wet conditions at 3-months and longer. For example, as of March 1, Kansas City, MO had 28 consecutive days without measurable precipitation, the longest stretch since 41 days in 2002; however, Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 2015 precipitation totaled 7.67 inches, or more than twice of normal (208%).

In southwestern North Dakota, recent dryness at 60- and 90-days, along with unseasonably mild readings and minimal snow cover (mainly due to melt, sublimation, and evaporation), created similar conditions that justified the merging the two D0 areas in southeastern Montana and central North Dakota. In southeastern Montana, however, re-evaluation of the tools pointed to wet conditions out to 4 months, thus the D1(S) was removed there.

Looking Ahead
During the next 5 days (March 3-7), heavy precipitation is expected to drench the Pacific Coast. Totals include up to 9 inches in western Washington, 7.3 inches in northwestern California, 8.2 inches in the northern Sierra Nevada, 5 inches near San Francisco, and 1-2 inches near San Diego and Los Angeles. The precipitation will extend eastward into the Intermountain West and northern Rockies, albeit with lower amounts. Unfortunately, little or no precipitation is forecast for the Southwest and southern half of the High Plains. Light to moderate amounts are predicted for most of the eastern half of the Nation, except for dry conditions in Florida. Temperatures should average above-normal in the western half of the U.S., especially the High Plains, and below-normal in the Northeast.

For days 6-10 (March 8-12), the odds favor above-median precipitation in the western third and eastern half of the Nation, with the highest probabilities in Oregon and northern California, and the Delta. Below-median probabilities were limited to the northern half of Alaska. Above-median temperatures are likely in the eastern two-thirds of the lower 48 States and southern Alaska, especially the eastern Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley, while below-normal temperatures are favored in the Southwest and western Alaska.



 U.S. Pork Exports Struggle But Finish 2015 Strong

Despite struggling for most of 2015, U.S. pork exports posted a strong finish during December, ending a tough year on a high note. December export volume was up 3 percent from 2014. For the year, U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports totaled 4.7 billion pounds in volume and $5.58 billion in value, down 2 percent and 16 percent, respectively from 2014.

“Without a doubt, 2015 was a difficult year for U.S. pork exports,” said Becca Nepple, vice president of international marketing for the Pork Checkoff. “The West Coast port slowdown, market-access challenges, the strong U.S. dollar and strong competition led to last year’s decrease in exports.”

However, pork exports accounted for 24 percent of total 2015 pork and pork variety meat production. Export value per head averaged $48.31, down 23 percent from 2014.

“With projections for increased pork production this year, the Checkoff is committed to strengthening its partnership with our international customers,” Nepple said. “The National Pork Board has allocated funding toward focused in-country promotions of U.S. pork with the U.S. Meat Export Federation during 2016.”

During 2015, more than 100 countries around the world imported U.S. pork.
-    The top five markets in total pounds of pork exported were Mexico (1.585 billion pounds), Japan (895.5 million pounds), Canada (747.5 million pounds), China and Hong Kong (443.1 million pounds) and Korea (369.3 million pounds).
-    The top five markets in total value exported were Japan ($1.586 billion), Mexico ($1.267 billion), China and Hong Kong ($778.8 million), Canada ($700.4 million) and Korea ($470.3 million).



NPPC ELECTS NEW OFFICERS, BOARD MEMBERS AT ANNUAL MEETING

The National Pork Producers Council today elected new members to its board of directors at its annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – in Indianapolis. Re-elected to the board for another three-year term were Jim Compart, of Nicollet, Minn., Maschhoff and AV Roth, of Wauzeka, Wis. Board member Kent Bang was re-elected to a two-year term for the Allied Industry Council seat. Jen Sorensen, of Ankeny, Iowa, with Iowa Select Farms, was elected as a new member of the board for a three-year term. They join current directors Cory Bollum, with Hormel Foods Corp. in Austin, Minn. – who is the Packer Processor Industry Council representative – Phil Borgic, of Nokomis, Ill., Jim Heimerl, of Johnstown, Ohio, David Herring, of Lillington, N.C., Bill Kessler, of Mexico, Mo., Dale Reicks, of New Hampton, Iowa, Kraig Westerbeek, of Warsaw, N.C., and Terry Wolters, of Pipestone, Minn.

Re-elected to the NPPC Nominating Committee, which vets candidates for the board, was Duane Stateler, a producer from Ohio. Joe Baldwin, a producer from Indiana, also was elected to the committee. 

Coming up on Saturday, March 5, NPPC President-election John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa, will be elevated to president, and Vice President Ken Maschhoff, a producer from Carlyle, Ill., will be elevated to president-elect. The vice president will be picked by the board of directors that day.



NPPC QUESTIONS FINDINGS OF STUDY DETERMINING FEASIBILITY OF CSDE INSURANCE

The National Pork Producers Council this week submitted comments questioning the legitimacy of a study commissioned by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to determine the feasibility of developing an appropriate insurance program for swine producers as protection against a catastrophic swine disease event (CSDE).

The study, completed in December 2015 and open to public comments until March 1, determined that CSDE insurance is unfeasible. NPPC commented that the study lacked necessary institutional knowledge, creativity and necessary attention to the pork industry’s legitimate concerns. NPPC advocated for the study to be completed during the 2014 Farm Bill talks.

A meeting between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) and pork industry leaders was requested to further discuss the need for a swine CSDE insurance program.



2016 Sees Change in Forage Coverage Under ARPI

An important change to RMA's Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI) was made for the 2016 crop year as it relates to grazing acreage. Effective for the 2016 crop year, the ARPI-Forage policy will only cover hay production. Rotational grazing, or any other grazing practice, has been removed from the ARPI-Forage policy. Producers interested in insuring forage with the intended use of grazing can utilize the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) plan of insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) through the Farm Service Agency.

Previously, in ARPI counties, NAP was only available for "native grass" with an intended use of forage and/or grazing. The 2016 crop year change will mean NAP is available in ARPI counties for native grass as well as other grass types with intended use of grazing.

The deadline for 2016 NAP coverage for perennial forage pasture (grazing) is March 15.



Brazilian Soy Harvest 41% Complete, Matopiba Weather a Concern

Rain fell across most of the principal Brazilian soybean-producing regions last week.  But fieldwork still progressed eight percentage points in the period to reach 41% complete as of Friday, slightly ahead of the five-year average of 39% for this stage of the harvest, according to AgRural, a local farm consultancy.

Of concern is the dry spell in the Mapitoba region in the eastern Cerrado, which has lasted a month and has caused irreversible damage to the crop, the consultancy reported.  In the key Mapitoba state of Bahia, where harvesting is 10% complete, hot, dry conditions are hurting crops going through reproductive stages. The situation is similar in Tocantins and Piaui.

In Mato Grosso, soybean harvesting is 64% complete, slightly behind the 66% registered a year before. Rainfall has been reasonably frequent across the state in recent weeks but not sufficient to affect quality of harvested beans, said AgRural.

In the south, incessant rain is causing problems, particularly in Parana.  In Cornelio Procopio, northern Parana, AgRural reported that 15% of the crop is ready to harvest and desiccated fields have up to 40% damage.  Harvest efforts in Parana are 53% complete, ahead of the 47% registered one year before.

In the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the harvest has just started at 1% complete.



23,000 Dairy Operations Enroll in MPP for 2016 Coverage

More than 23,000 dairy operations representing 162.3 billion pounds of milk enrolled in MPP for the 2016 coverage year, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. The overwhelming majority of farms enrolled in MPP did so at the base level of $4.00/cwt. catastrophic coverage.

Given USDA’s forecast for 211.9 billion pounds of milk produced in 2016, the milk enrolled in MPP represents 77 percent of the U.S. milk supply. Additionally, based on the number of licensed dairy operations in 2015, 54 percent of licensed dairy operations are participating in MPP for 2016. These participation rates are down slightly from last year, as 80 percent of the U.S. milk supply and 55 percent of licensed dairy operations participated in MPP during 2015.

Of the participating farms, 18,000 purchased the $4.00 catastrophic coverage while just over 5,300 farms purchased a higher level of coverage.



CWT members capture 12.1 million pounds of dairy product export sales contracts in February

Cooperatives Working Together members received 31 contracts in February to sell 3.95 million pounds of cheese, 2.54 million pounds of butter, and 5.59 million pounds of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, Oceania, and South America. The product will be shipped from February through August 2016.

Combined with the contracts member cooperatives captured in January, CWT-assisted transactions so far in 2016 total 8.23 million pounds of cheese, 5.4 million pounds of butter and 6.85 million pounds of whole milk powder going to customers in twelve countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 247.519 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share through the Export Assistance program expands the long-term demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of products that directly impact their milk price.



U.N.'s Food Price Index Was Steady in February

The FAO Food Price Index was stable in February, as falling sugar and dairy prices offset a substantial jump in vegetable oil prices from the previous month. Averaging 150.2 points for the month, the FAO Food Price Index was virtually unchanged from a revised 150.0 points in January and down 14.5 percent from a year ago.

FAO also issued its first forecast for the world's 2016 wheat harvest, projecting 723 million tonnes of total production, about 10 million tonnes below last year's record output.

The FAO Food Price Index is a trade-weighted index tracking international market prices for five key commodity groups: major cereals, vegetable oils, dairy, meat and sugar.

Diverging from February's generally stable trend was a sharp increase in the FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index, which rose 8.0 percent from the previous month. That was led by a 13 percent surge in palm oil, which gained on reports of falling inventories and a poor production outlook in the near future. Soy oil prices also firmed as a result.

But other staple commodities more than absorbed that rise. The FAO Sugar Price Index declined 6.2 percent from January, buoyed by strong global inventories and improved crop conditions in Brazil, the world's largest producer and exporter.

The FAO Dairy Price Index fell 2.1 percent on the month amid sluggish imports, especially by China.

Prices of the world's staple grains were broadly stable. The FAO Cereal Price Index inched down only around half a percentage point from the previous month but was 13.7 percent lower than a year earlier. Wheat prices fell 1.5 percent, maize prices slipped only slightly, while rice prices rose modestly.



DuPont Plans to Add Lumisena™ Fungicide Seed Treatment to Lumigen™ Seed Sense Portfolio

DuPont has announced plans to add the next member of the DuPont™ Lumigen™ seed sense portfolio. DuPont™ Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment, pending U.S. EPA registration, will help deliver improved crop establishment and stand uniformity through Phytophthora control in soybeans and best-in-class downy mildew control for sunflower crops in the United States.

“Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment will be the most advanced seed-applied technology to control Phytophthora in soybeans since the introduction of mefenoxam and metalaxyl,” said Mick Messman, director, DuPont Seed Treatment Enterprise. “Once registered, Lumisena™ is expected to help growers protect their crops through effective control against the oomycete pathogens that reduce soybean and sunflower production due to Phytophthora and downy mildew infection in developing crops.”

In university research trials, soybean seed treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena™ provided outstanding protection against Phytophthora compared with conventional seed treatment fungicides. In DuPont research trials across four growing seasons, seed protected with Lumisena™ had 32 percent reduced incidence of Phytophthora sojae versus untreated seed.

In sunflower university trials, seed treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena™ produced plants with significantly reduced incidence of downy mildew versus existing fungicide seed treatments. DuPont trials have shown seed treated with Lumisena™ had 76 to 96 percent less incidence of downy mildew compared to untreated seed, and 20 to 41 percent less incidence of downy mildew compared to conventional fungicide seed treatments. No cross-resistance to other seed-applied fungicides has been observed.

Oxathiapiprolin, the active ingredient in Lumisena™, is a DuPont discovery that received the Agrow Award for Most Innovative Chemistry in 2012. It is another example of the dynamic DuPont R&D pipeline, which has received 20 Agrow Awards over the last eight years, including the Best R&D Pipeline award in 2013 and 2014.

“The true benefit in using Lumisena™ is in how it works,” said Messman. “In development trials, this remarkable product controlled oomycete infestation during multiple stages of the pathogen life cycle, resulting in healthier plants and greater crop efficiency.”

Lumisena™ is expected to have a favorable environmental profile, given its ability to deliver highly effective pathogen control at extremely low use rates.

“The Lumigen™ seed sense portfolio is growing to meet the demands of our customers around the world,” said Messman. “Upon registration, Lumisena™ will follow DuPont™ Lumiderm™ insecticide seed treatment for canola in Canada, DuPont™ Dermacor® seed treatment products in the Brazilian soybean market, and DuPont™ Lumivia™ insecticide seed treatment for corn in the United States.”

The DuPont Integrated Seed Science Network, with state-of-the-art centers in Wilmington, Delaware, and Johnston, Iowa, is dedicated to testing industry-leading seed treatment formulations, matching seed treatments with genetics for integrated seed solutions, and exploring applications and seed-handling techniques to bring new tools to seed companies and growers.

“We are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to help the industry,” Messman added. “Working together to help farmers get more from every acre is fundamental to delivering on the need to provide enough food for our growing global population.”



THE CLIMATE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE DATA CONNECTIVITY AGREEMENTS, MAKING THE CLIMATE FIELDVIEW™ PLATFORM THE MOST BROADLY CONNECTED IN THE INDUSTRY

The Climate Corporation, a division of Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), announced data connectivity agreements with several agronomic and retailer software systems as well as the John Deere Operations Center, enabling farmers and their trusted advisors to quickly and easily transfer certain field data between these systems and Climate FieldView. With Climate FieldView, farmers can visualize their farm data and gain customized, field-level insights to help them make operational decisions with confidence.

“It’s exciting to see the industry come together to help farmers sort through the clutter and get all of our data into one place, so that we can make the best decisions to achieve the greatest outcome,” said farmer Ken Dalenberg of Mansfield, Ill. “It’s extremely important for me to have the freedom and convenience to move my farm data to all of the resources I use in my precision ag management process. Not only do I need the ability to share my information with the advisors I work with on a regular basis, but I need to ensure my data is imported into my Climate FieldView account so I can easily visualize and analyze what’s happening in each of my fields throughout the season.”

These agreements connect Climate FieldView to the farm management platforms of more than 80 percent of the top retailers across the Corn Belt and the largest U.S. agricultural equipment provider. Improved data connectivity helps farmers maximize the value of their field data, while giving them full control over how their data is used and shared.

“Traditionally, data management has been difficult for farmers, because the tools for data collection, storage and analysis have been disconnected,” said Doug Sauder, senior director of product for The Climate Corporation. “We’re solving that problem by making data connectivity seamless. In just minutes, farmers can connect other software systems to Climate FieldView to gain a more complete understanding of their fields, simplify data sharing with their trusted advisors and make informed decisions for their operations.”

Through these new agreements, farmers will be able to transfer data such as field boundaries, field maps, management zones, variable rate seeding prescriptions, planting and harvest data, and soil test results into their Climate FieldView accounts.

Climate’s most recent agreement with John Deere will enable farmers to transfer current and historical field data between the John Deere Operations Center and Climate FieldView. This new data connectivity agreement is in addition to the agreement John Deere and Climate entered into in November 2015, which represents the first and only near real-time in-cab wireless connection by a third party to John Deere’s equipment.

Connectivity agreements between Climate and agronomic software and equipment platforms include: AgIntegrated OnSite®, Agrian®, SSI® Agvance Mapping, FS Advanced Information Services™, MapShots AgStudio®, John Deere Operations Center and SST Summit®. The agreements will enable a farmer’s data to easily flow between his or her Climate FieldView account and many farm management platforms used by the following top retailers:
-    CHS Inc. (select locations)
-    Crop Production Services
-    GROWMARK
-    Helena
-    MFA Incorporated
-    Simplot
-    South Dakota Wheat Growers
-    Southern States Cooperative
-    Winfield Solutions, LLC

In addition, farmers can wirelessly map their field data into their Climate FieldView account using the new Climate FieldView™ Drive, a device that easily transfers field data from a farmer’s equipment into their Climate FieldView account. Farmers can enjoy similar functionality with Precision Planting’s 20/20® monitors enabling them to use either device to collect, store and view field map data in real-time when used with Climate FieldView™ Plus software.

The integrated Climate FieldView digital agronomic platform also includes Climate FieldView™ Pro, a tool that provides customized, field-level agronomic insights powered by data science, and Climate FieldView™ Prime, a tool that provides field-level weather, notifications and scouting.

To experience seamless data connectivity through Climate FieldView, contact your local Climate dealer or visit www.climate.com. Some data transfer functions are enabled today, with others currently under development with planned deployment later this season. Exact data types available for transfer vary by agreement.