Thursday April 7 Ag News

Midwest Dairy Council Rewards Student Efforts to Eat Healthy and Get Active

On Tuesday, April 12, the West Stadium Club at Memorial Stadium at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln will be filled with students in grades 3-8 from across Nebraska and western Iowa as they gather for a nutrition-themed Reward Summit that celebrates the students’ efforts promoting healthy eating and physical activity in their schools.

An invitation-only event, participating schools earn a place at the Reward Summits by being actively involved in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program—an in-school health and wellness program that encourages healthy eating and achieving 60 minutes of physical activity each day. All participating schools had to meet specific criteria, including holding a kick-off event and implementing healthy eating and physical activity initiatives. 

The Fuel Up to Play 60 Reward Summit is a high-energy day for the qualifying schools. Students participate in football activities with Husker student athletes, interact with special guests such as Governor Pete Ricketts, learn about dairy farming from a local farmer, play nutrition themed-games, and much more. This is the 5th year that the Midwest Dairy Council has hosted a Fuel Up to Play 60 Reward Summit in Nebraska.

Special guests:
·       Nebraska Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador Lane Welch, Scott Middle School
·       Midwest Dairy Association Vice Chairman of the Nebraska Division Joyce Racicky
·       Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts
·       Kansas City Chiefs Mascot KC Wolf
·       Nebraska Dairy Princesses Dawn Klabenes and Marta Pulfer
·       Husker student athletes
·       Beth Bruck Upton, Midwest Dairy Council



RFI NEWS RELEASE: Klein joins NU's Rural Futures Institute team

The Rural Futures Institute (RFI) at the University of Nebraska is proud to welcome Theresa Klein as executive associate to the RFI Team. She will work directly with the executive team to drive progress in all areas of the Institute in pursuit of its bold objective of being a world-class center for exploring and impacting all things rural.

Klein resides on a small farm west of Wahoo, Neb., and has grassroots leadership experience and perspective that adds another rural dimension to the RFI's executive team. She joins the team from her previous role as development director for Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo, Neb.

Klein has been engaged in a wide variety of community leadership roles including: Wahoo Chamber of Commerce, Teammates Board, Public Library Foundation and Friends of Saunders County 4-H and Extension Foundation. She currently serves on the Saunders County Ag Society and is a trustee of the Saunders Medical Center.

Klein's previous experience includes serving as the public relations and communications coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, followed by joining the University of Nebraska Foundation where she served as director of communications for 11 years. Klein is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and studied animal science and ag economics.

"Klein has a strong working knowledge of rural areas which will provide valuable insight when working with the RFI team to create synergies and to provide feedback from the community perspective," said Chuck Schroeder, executive director of the Rural Futures Institute. "We are very excited to welcome Theresa. Her background, along with her ability to connect to people, is a great fit for our team."

The Rural Futures Institute is one of four interdisciplinary institutes at the University of Nebraska that leverages the talents and research-based expertise from across the system. The institute, through a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, encourages bold and futuristic approaches to collaboratively address state, national and global challenges.

For more information about the Rural Futures Institute, visit ruralfutures.nebraska.edu.




Current National Drought Summary
droughtmonitor.unl.edu

The week’s heaviest precipitation fell on a swath from central Arkansas and adjacent Missouri southeastward across the Gulf Coast states. Between 2 and 6 inches fell on most of this region, easing some areas of abnormal dryness. Meanwhile, heavy snow blanketed parts of Wyoming and adjacent locales, with nearly 3 feet piling up on some spots in the higher elevations. This precipitation, along with assessments of a variety of monthly data recently updated through March, led to broad reductions in the extent and severity of drought and dryness in much of the interior Northwest, northern Intermountain West, and northern half of the Rockies, though patches of severe drought remain. Sharply dry conditions abetted the persistence or worsening of dryness and drought in the southern Rockies and most of the Plains, with strong winds and low relative humidity exacerbating conditions in the southern Plains toward the end of the period. Changeable conditions, alternating between spring-like and wintery, brought moderate precipitation to the central Appalachians and Northeast which had no significant effect on the abnormally dry areas in that region.

Southern Rockies and Plains
Several tenths of an inch of precipitation fell on parts of western and central Texas, but another week of little or no precipitation was observed in most areas from the southern Rockies into the central and south-central Plains. The showery weather relieved some of the D0 in western Texas, but farther north and west, abnormal dryness and moderate drought continued to expand. D0 conditions worsened to D1 in southern New Mexico, and D1 expanded across central and southern Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and part of Oklahoma. To the north and east, abnormal dryness expanded to cover southern Nebraska and enveloped additional areas in northern Kansas, northern Missouri, and west-central Illinois as well. Strong wind gusts reached tropical storm to minimal hurricane force, most significantly in the Oklahoma Panhandle. This, along with low humidity, stirred up dense dust storms in a few spots, and favored the development and rapid expansion of wildfires. One large fire in Oklahoma caused by arcing power lines burned more than 53,000 acres over the course of a few days in Woodland and Harper Counties

Looking Ahead
For the next 5 days (April 7 – 11, 2016) should feature a swath of moderate to heavy rain from central Kansas and eastern Oklahoma northeastward through the Ohio Valley, lower Great Lakes region, the Appalachians, and the Northeast. Totals are forecast to range from just under an inch to near 2.5 inches, with the largest amounts expected in and around central and southern Missouri, and across New England. Moderate precipitation is also anticipated in much of California, with at least half an inch forecast everywhere but the southeastern deserts and west-central sections of the state, and locally 1.5 to 3.5 inches in the higher elevations statewide. The southern half of Nevada and the higher elevations of Arizona are expecting 0.5 to locally 2.0 inches. In contrast, little precipitation is expected in the northern tier of the West and Rockies, along the High Plains, in the northern Great Plains, and near the Gulf of Mexico. Light to moderate amounts (up to several tenths of an inch) are expected elsewhere. It should be a warm 5 days for most of the Plains and central and northern sections of the Far West, with daily maxima averaging 10F to 15F above normal in the northern Intermountain West and adjacent Rockies. Conversely, unseasonably cold weather should dominate the East, with temperatures on average topping out 10F to 15F below normal from the upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, and Northeast southward into the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians, and mid-Atlantic region.

The next 5 days (April 12 – 16, 2016) should bring drier than normal conditions to the Great Lakes, adjacent Midwest, and middle Mississippi Valley, but odds favor wetter-than-normal weather for a large swath of the nation, including the East (outside Florida), the Tennessee and lower Mississippi Valleys, much of the southern Great Plains, and all but the northern tier of the country from the High Plains to the West Coast. Enhanced chances for wet weather also exist across Alaska.



Branstad Signs Administration Priority into Law

Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and many stakeholders were on Iowa State University's campus to witness the governor's signing of Senate File 2300. This legislation was outlined in the Governor's 2016 Condition of the State Address and will represent the next generation in production of renewable bio-chemicals.

"This legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, will help build Iowa's renewable chemicals industry by using biomass as feedstocks for the production of building block chemicals," said Branstad. "Iowa is the nation's premier leader in the renewable fuels industry and we will now build on our legacy of leveraging homegrown renewable resources to produce the next generation of building block chemicals."

Lt. Gov. Reynolds added, "The production of biochemicals is perhaps the fastest growing segment of the bioscience industry which means it represents one of Iowa's best opportunities for development of a high density industry cluster. I want to commend the Iowa Legislature on passing this bill in a bi-partisan fashion to put Iowa in a unique position to grow Iowa's biorenewables industry."

Senate File 2300: an Act relating to the administration of programs by the economic development authority by creating a renewable chemical production tax credit program, modifying the high quality jobs program, and including effective date and other applicability provisions. The bill was passed on a bipartisan basis through the Iowa Senate 46-3 on March 16 and the Iowa House 95-1 on March 28.



Iowa Soybean Association launches Soy Scholars program

High school students considering an ag-related career are encouraged to participate in the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Soy Scholars program launching this month at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames, April 18-19.

Four students will be selected to participate in the three-session career emersion, field experience and job shadow program. During the sessions, students will work directly with a mentor in their field of interest to gain hands-on experience, ask questions and make connections.

 “ISA is looking to engage with young leaders and provide opportunities for them to learn more about the soy value chain,” said Wayne Fredericks, ISA president and farmer from Osage. “The key word here is ‘opportunities.’ As I look back on my career, it was the opportunities provided and consequently taken that made all the difference to me.”

Soy Scholars, which allows students to explore career paths before they graduate high school or declare a college major, is offered with the support of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. Company vice-presient Shannon Latham, who graduated from Iowa State University after double-majoring in agricultural journalism and public service and administration in agriculture, said she’s excited to help showcase the wide-array of ag-related careers available.

“Soy Scholars is an opportunity for students to get real-world experience and gain a competitive edge before even going off to college,” said Latham. “They’ll gain insights about an industry that aren’t readily available online or in a textbook. And just as importantly, these students will meet some of our state’s top agricultural leaders who farm or work in agribusiness.”

One out of every five Iowans work in an agriculture- related job, according to a 2014 study. Iowa’s agriculture industry contributes one out of every three dollars in Iowa’s economy, or 33 percent of the total state economy. This sizable contribution offers more than a few opportunities for Iowa youth.

For more information or to apply, visit the ISA booth at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference or go to www.iasoybeans.com/SoyScholars. Applications are due May 3.



USDA Dairy Products Production February 2016 Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 956 million pounds, 7.8 percent above February 2015 but 4.7 percent below January 2016.  Italian type cheese production totaled 431 million pounds, 9.2 percent above February 2015 but 1.0 percent below January 2016.  American type cheese production totaled 368 million pounds, 4.9 percent above February 2015 but 8.2 percent below January 2016.  Butter production was 171 million pounds, 9.6 percent above February 2015 but
2.5 percent below January 2016.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with February 2015)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 145 million pounds, down 3.9 percent.
Skim milk powders - 39.9 million pounds, up 23.1 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with February 2015)
Dry whey, total - 74.6 million pounds, down 4.3 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 82.7 million pounds, up 2.9 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 36.9 million pounds, down 5.1 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with February 2015)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 60.1 million gallons, up 2.5 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 29.6 million gallons, down 6.3 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.15 million gallons, down 3.3 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 6.40 million gallons, down 2.1 percent.



Prices, Policy, Outreach Stoke Overseas Interest in U.S. Corn

International buyers of U.S. corn in markets like Korea, Mexico, Colombia and Taiwan are taking advantage of low prices, strong policies and the ongoing market development work done by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in their countries.

In Korea, buying groups recently purchased eight cargos of corn that totaled 526,000 metrics tons (20.7 million bushels), highlighting this sophisticated market’s ability to adapt quickly to changes in the market.

“U.S. corn in our market is more competitively priced than that from South America,” said USGC Director in Korea Haksoo Kim. “When taking into account availability, quality and price, U.S. corn is expected to maintain an edge in the Korean market at least until May when Brazil’s second crop corn will potentially create new dynamics.”

In recent months, this price competitiveness has also influenced sales to Mexico, which has purchased almost 10.8 million tons (425.2 million bushels) of U.S. corn this marketing year as of March 31. That is almost 1.6 million tons (63 million bushels) more than last year at the same time.

“Mexico has been a long-time, very good customer of U.S. corn and feed grains,” said USGC Director in Mexico Ryan LeGrand. “Sales this year are showing the influence of the country’s growing feed sector, which is increasing demand for corn and other coarse grains that the United States can easily supply.”

Meanwhile, a free trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia is helping boost sales of U.S. corn to that country, which is again on track to fill its duty-free quota before the calendar year’s end.

“In January, Colombia’s duty-free quota reset, and U.S. corn once again had the advantage that is leading to an uptick in their purchases,” said USGC Regional Director for the Western Hemisphere Marri Carrow. “As of March 23, Colombia had purchased almost 1.3 million tons (51.2 million bushels) of U.S. corn during calendar year 2016, which is more than 50 percent of their duty-free quota.”

In Taiwan, sales of U.S. corn spiked when four buying groups purchased 320,000 tons (12.6 million bushels) at the end of March, following a visit by USGC Senior Director of Global Programs Cary Sifferath to complement local market development efforts.

“During this visit, we were able to meet with several high-ranking government officials and key industry leaders,” said USGC Director in Taiwan Clover Chang. “The Taiwanese decision-makers were able to get their questions answered about U.S. corn production, supply, prices and quality, which helped build their confidence in the U.S. supply and eventually lead to these purchases.”

These examples from around the world highlight the importance of the Council’s efforts to find demand in the short term and build off the high-quality, established brand of U.S. corn for long-term success.

While this work is tailored for each individual market’s needs, much of it focuses on taking advantage of market dynamics, ensuring strong policy is in place to support sales and providing customer service unmatched by world competitors.

The Council’s international staff members working out of 10 global offices are trusted bridges between U.S. agriculture and the global grain trade, maintaining close working relationships with key global contacts and creating year-long dialogues with buyers.



Carbon-Neutral Crop Production Featured in College Program
   
The next time you hear about carbon neutrality, think of food security and sustainable agriculture solutions. With 795 million people in the world who do not get enough food to lead healthy, active lives, you will hear about this issue more often.

National Corn Growers Association Director of Soil Health and Sustainability Dr. Nick Goeser, who also directs the Soil Health Partnership, recently participated in a highly innovative, hands-on design lab for university students to create solutions to the emerging challenge of a carbon neutral food supply. Berkeley Nourishing 9 Billion SolutionLab is at the center of hosting events on college campuses to focus on food security and sustainable agricultural solutions. The event took place at Washington University in St. Louis.

Worldwide, 17 million children suffer from severe malnutrition and deadly conditions left untreated. With the world population growing from 7 billion to 9 billion people by 2050, the importance of surfacing solutions becomes apparent.

"Business, industry and even individual consumers are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. In agriculture, farmers are looking to improve and expand carbon-neutral crop production methods such as conservation tillage and cover crops," Goeser said. "Cover crops are plantings such as rye and clover that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released while keeping key nutrients trapped in the soil."

Students attending the event discussed changes in public policy that would support or inhibit changes in farming practices; the role of precision ag, biotechnology, soil nutrition and fertilizers; and the carbon implications of organic versus conventional production techniques.

"NCGA is partnering in a long-term initiative called the Soil Health Partnership that is collecting the data and communicating on the agricultural management practices that improve soil health, crop yields, economic performance, carbon sequestration and broader environmental performance," he said. "Many farmers are already implementing innovative management practices. This farmer-led project provides a platform for information sharing that will be critical to agricultural sustainability."

"Carbon neutrality" is a term used to describe the action of organizations, businesses and individuals trying to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as each releases. The overall goal of carbon neutrality is to achieve a zero carbon footprint.



NCGA to Be Featured on USDA Women in Ag Engagement Call

Next week, USDA's Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network will be hosting the second in a series of engagement conference calls, with the theme of "Women as New and Beginning Farmers, Ranchers, and Producers." National Corn Growers Association Past President Pam Johnson will take part in the panel.

Women looking to start a career on the farm or ranch, or who have just begun a career and are looking for guidance, are invited to join and hear from experts on tools available, what to expect, and how women can help each other succeed. The call will feature a panel and time for discussion following the speakers.

In addition to Johnson, featured speakers are Lilia McFarland, new farmer coordinator for the USDA, and A-dae Romero, director of community development for Pulama Lana'i, HI, contributor to the First Nations Development Institute, co-founder and former executive director of Cochiti Pueblo, N.M.

The call will be from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 13. Those interested can join by calling (888) 844-9904 with the passcode 9041474#. Questions on logistics and any questions for guest speakers can be submitted in advance by emailing them to agwomenlead@usda.gov by noon EDT on April 13.



Four Positions Open on National Sorghum Producers Board

National Sorghum Producers is accepting applications for four positions on the NSP Board of Directors. Each position includes a three-year term beginning October 1, 2016.

“Strong grower voices are needed now more than ever to help propel the sorghum industry forward and protect our existing tools and technologies,” NSP CEO Tim Lust said. “The commitment of our Board of Directors ensures NSP continues its first rate representation of U.S. sorghum producers in Washington, D.C., and throughout the entire industry.” 

Qualified candidates must be a current NSP member and have a passion for representing sorghum growers through lobbying activities and fundraising. No prior board experience is necessary, only a desire to improve the sorghum industry.

An extended job application is available at http://sorghumgrowers.com/?p=3997. To apply for an open position, qualified candidates must complete the application form at http://sorghumgrowers.com/?p=3996.

Applications must be submitted to the NSP office by May 13, 2016. The NSP Nominating Committee will review all applications before making nominations to the NSP Board of Directors for consideration and election during the August summer board meeting.

For more information or to submit an application, contact Debra Lloyd, NSP director of operations, at 806-749-3478 or nationalsorghumproducers@sorghumgrowers.com.



Cargill reports third-quarter fiscal 2016 earnings
Cargill today reported financial results for the fiscal 2016 third quarter and first nine months ended Feb. 29, 2016. Key measures include:
-    Adjusted operating earnings rose 13 percent to $476 million in the third quarter, compared with $421 million in the year-ago period.
-    Nine-month adjusted operating earnings decreased 2 percent to $1.66 billion.
-    Net earnings on a U.S. GAAP basis equaled $459 million in the third quarter and $2.36 billion in the first nine months. This compares with $425 million and $1.63 billion in the respective periods a year ago.
-    The variance between adjusted and net earnings in the nine-month period included gains on the second-quarter sales of the U.S. pork business and Cargill’s interest in the North Star BlueScope Steel joint venture, and a charge related to a change in accounting treatment for Venezuela.
-    Third-quarter revenues decreased 11 percent to $25.2 billion, reflecting lower commodity prices, the strength of the U.S. dollar against other currencies, and the sale of Cargill’s pork business in the second quarter. Revenues in the first nine months totaled $80 billion.

“With agriculture and energy markets as tough as we’ve seen in a long time, we’re pleased with the gain in earnings achieved this quarter,” said David MacLennan, Cargill’s chairman and chief executive officer. MacLennan said that prices and volatility in agricultural commodities remain low, as a series of big harvests have built global stocks. “Barring weather events, we don’t anticipate a near-term improvement in market conditions for agriculture. In these kinds of cycles, and we’ve been through them before, we focus on the levers under our control.” 

MacLennan said Cargill is creating a more streamlined organization, competitive business portfolio and greater efficiency in how it runs plants, manages supply chains and markets products and services. “The work we’ve undertaken this year is positioning us to better serve the changing needs of our customers and fulfill our purpose to nourish the world’s people.”
Third-quarter segment performance:

The Food Ingredients & Applications segment was the largest contributor to adjusted operating earnings in the third quarter, with results up appreciably from a weak comparative period. The segment’s ongoing efforts to strengthen commercial and operational execution lifted earnings broadly across edible oils, malt, starches and sweeteners, and texturizers. A warm winter in North America kept road salt and deicing products below the year-ago level, but salt for food applications posted strong results. 

Adjusted operating earnings in Origination & Processing increased moderately from last year, even as the segment contended with large global stocks, weak prices and low volatility in agricultural commodity markets. Within the segment, grain handling and oilseed processing in the Americas were up on a combined basis, with an additional contribution from world trading operations. While U.S. producers’ sales of corn slowed due to low prices, Argentina’s re-entry into agricultural export markets under its new administration boosted corn shipments from that country. 

Adjusted operating earnings in Animal Nutrition & Protein decreased slightly in the third quarter, mostly due to conditions in the beef industry. Prior purchases of high-cost feeder cattle in North America, drought-reduced cattle supplies in Australia, decreased U.S. beef exports due to the strong U.S. dollar, and less expensive pork and poultry choices at retail all worked to hold results below the prior year. Earnings rose in animal nutrition, led by operations in the U.S. and Vietnam. Additional strong performance in U.S. turkey and value-added proteins boosted segment earnings close to the year-ago level. 

Market conditions weighed on adjusted operating results in Industrial & Financial Services, with the segment recording a quarterly loss. Excess shipping capacity sent ocean freight rates to historic lows. Crude oil markets were oversupplied relative to demand, curbing results in petroleum. The slowdown in steel demand had the same effect on the metals supply chain. The segment turned a profit in natural gas and power in North America even as a warm winter and high industry production levels boosted gas storage and kept prices low.