Tuesday June 28 Ag News

Lower Elkhorn NRD seeks public input on water quality issues for basin-wide plan

Over the last year, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) has been establishing the Lower Elkhorn River Basin Water Quality Management Plan (Plan).  The Plan covers the lower portion of the Elkhorn River Basin, which is the watershed that created the boundary for the LENRD.  The basin is located in northeast Nebraska and covers over 2.5 million acres including all of Cuming, Pierce, Stanton, and Wayne Counties and portions of Antelope, Burt, Cedar, Colfax, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Knox, Madison, Platte, and Thurston Counties.  The basin includes 50 communities and has a population of 90,000.

The Plan is focusing on issues with nonpoint source pollution and will provide a single coordinated strategy to identify water quality threats and needs, prioritize watershed areas for development of enhanced planning and restoration projects, and identify practices and activities appropriate to address the known water quality deficiencies.   LENRD Project Coordinator, Kristie Olmer, said, “Examples include impaired waters, such as Willow Creek Reservoir near Pierce, and maintaining high quality resources such as Skyview Lake in Norfolk and Maskenthine Lake near Stanton.”  She added, “Another primary concern is nitrates in groundwater, especially wellhead protection areas for public drinking water suppliers.”

The LENRD is now actively seeking public input on water quality concerns and issues from anyone living or working within the basin. The public is encouraged to visit the LENRD website www.lenrd.org for more information on the draft plan.  As portions of the Plan become complete they will be placed on the website for public review.  A draft of the Plan will be made available for review in August, and will also be presented to the public at an Open House.  Please contact Kristie Olmer at 402-371-7313 or kolmer@lenrd.org to provide comments or input. The project is funded by the LENRD and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.



New ‘Farmer’s Guide’ Book Series on Corn and Soybean Diseases Now Available

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists contributed to two new publications recently published by the American Phytopathological Society (APS), A Farmer’s Guide to Corn Diseases and A Farmer’s Guide to Soybean Diseases. These publications, specifically for corn and soybean farmers, provide easy-to-read disease listings and overviews, basic instructions for using diagnostic and scouting tools, and non-technical management recommendations.

“These publications are intended to help farmers maximize their yield and economic return through correct corn and soybean disease diagnosis,” said Daren Mueller, assistant professor and extension specialist in plant pathology and microbiology at Iowa State University.

Thirty-three experts from more than 20 universities, agencies and companies collaborated to produce the material for a particular audience.

“The books are unique because they were written with farmers and crop scouts in mind,” said Alison Robertson, associate professor and extension specialist in plant pathology and microbiology at Iowa State University. “For example, each book includes a key that can be used to help narrow down the diagnosis, and maps that enable growers to easily tell if the disease has been reported in their region.” 

The information listed for each disease includes symptoms and signs, conditions that favor disease, similar looking diseases and disorders, and a review of basic management options. These general management recommendations serve as a starting point, and localized treatment options should be discussed further with extension or crop specialists specific to the state or area.

The Farmer’s Guide to Corn Diseases and The Farmer’s Guide to Soybean Diseases can be purchased online at the Extension Store for $29.95 each.



ISU Extension and Outreach to Host Soybean Cyst Nematode Clinic

Anyone with an interest in learning more about the biology, sampling, scouting and management of soybean cyst nematodes is welcome to attend the Soybean Cyst Nematode Clinic on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Field Extension Education Laboratory in Boone, Iowa. This clinic will give attendees the opportunity to understand the interactions of SCN with abiotic factors and other pests and pathogens. There also will be a portion to obtain hands-on experience with SCN specimens.

Greg Tylka presents research at a crop clinicThe one-day clinic is open to anyone who wishes to attend, but will pertain particularly to crop consultants, agronomists and farmers. This clinic does qualify for 7.0 pest management credits for Certified Crop Advisers, subject to board approval. The clinic’s instructors include Greg Tylka, extension nematologist and professor at Iowa State University, and Augustine Beeman, Chelsea Harbach and Jared Jensen, graduate students in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University. 

“Our Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) program will focus on the biology and life cycle of SCN, along with current research updates focused on management of this pest and other concerns related to SCN,” said Warren Pierson, ISU Extension and Outreach Field Extension Education Laboratory coordinator. “Greg Tylka and current graduate students will discuss their most recent research updates and discuss management solutions for SCN.”

The Field Extension Education Laboratory is located at 1928 240th St. in Boone, IA. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. on Aug. 23, with the actual program starting at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided for all who attend, and the clinic will end at 5 p.m.

The cost of the event is $150 and that includes workshop materials, publications, lunch and refreshments. Pre-registration is required to attend, and the deadline to register is midnight, Aug. 16. Additional information and online registration with credit card is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/scn.



ISU Extension and Outreach to Host Crop Disease Clinic

Anyone who wants to learn more about corn and soybean disease management, particularly crop consultants, agronomists, or farmers, should register for the Crop Disease Clinic hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The clinic will take place Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Field Extension Education Laboratory in Boone, Iowa.

The purpose of the clinic is to understand the principles of Integrated Pest Management and research-based recommendations for Iowa corn and soybean production. The clinic will also provide hands-on experiences with identification of common corn and soybean diseases. Participants can expect to improve their corn and soybean disease identification and biology skills throughout this clinic, while earning 6.0 pest management credits for Certified Crop Advisers, subject to board approval.

“Our crop disease clinic is a full day focused on the identification, biology and lifecycle of common corn and soybean diseases in Iowa,” said Warren Pierson, Field Extension Education Laboratory coordinator at ISU Extension and Outreach. “ISU Extension and Outreach specialists, along with post doctorates and graduate students, will discuss their most current research results and management decisions regarding corn and soybean diseases.”

Clinic instructors include Daren Mueller, assistant professor and extension crop plant pathologist at Iowa State University, and Alison Robertson, associate professor and extension crop plant pathologist at Iowa State University. Participants should dress appropriately for field activities as well as changing weather conditions.

The Field Extension Education Laboratory is located at 1928 240th St. in Boone, Iowa. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 24, with the actual program starting at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided for all who attend, and the clinic will end at 4 p.m.

The cost of the event is $150 and that includes workshop materials, publications, lunch and refreshments. Pre-registration is required to attend, and the deadline to register is midnight, Aug. 17. Additional information and online registration with credit card is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/disease.



American Farm Bureau Supports National GMO Pre-emption Bill

The American Farm Bureau Federation is supporting proposed Senate legislation that establishes federal pre-emption of what was expected to grow into an unruly patchwork of state-by-state mandatory GMO labeling laws.

"Our nation's top scientists agree that crops enhanced through GMO technology are safe, and this bill will act to stop the expansion of state laws that threaten interstate marketing and effectively ignore science," said AFBF President Zippy Duvall, following a vote by the AFBF Board of Directors to support the bill.

"The bill is far from perfect, but it correctly puts the federal government in the driver's seat in important areas such as protecting interstate commerce and new crop development techniques. There is no public health or scientific justification for the bill's mandatory disclosure provisions, but the national uniformity established by this bill is paramount."



NAWG Supports Senate GMO Labeling Agreement

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow have released a long-awaited GMO labeling agreement.

NAWG applauds the bipartisan efforts to secure a national standard that preempts a state-by-state patchwork, thereby avoiding a conflict of regulatory laws between states. NAWG supports the proposed bill, which allows for a variety of labeling options which do not vilify biotechnology.

“GMOs have been scientifically proven to be safe for human consumption and there is no nutritional difference,” says NAWG President Gordon Stoner. “It is vital that a patchwork of state laws not jeopardize access to safe, sustainably produced food; this national standard will assure food security for generations to come.”

NAWG encourages the Senate to pass the bill as soon as possible before the coming recess.



ASA Lauds European Commission Extension of Glyphosate

The farmers of the American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomed news today that the European Commission will re-extend authorization for the herbicide glyphosate for another 18 months. ASA President and Greenwood, Del., soybean farmer Richard Wilkins noted in a statement that the announcement comes as only temporary relief for American farmers searching for certainty in the European marketplace:

“An 18-month extension gives U.S. farmers and exporters the assurance that they will at least have access to the European market for that period of time. Clearly that’s not the certainty the industry needs, but it’s better than nothing. That said, we are still extraordinarily frustrated by the unscientific approach in the EU. Remember, the European Food Safety Authority found that glyphosate is safe. Given this repeatedly proven fact, it’s a relief that the Commission decided to step in and issue this reauthorization, even after the Council of Ministers was unable to find the support among its members to affirm the EFSA finding. Continued progress is needed, however. A logical and welcomed next step will be for the EU to finalize approval of the three pending biotech varieties. With that approval, our farmers can move forward with the certainty they need.” 





Cattle Production Tops U.S. Cash Receipts

Cattle production is one of the most important industries in the United States, accounting for $78.2 billion in cash receipts during 2015. This represents 21 percent of the Economic Research Service's forecasted total cash receipts of $377 billion from agricultural commodities in 2015. Corn being the nation's second largest cash receipt forecasted at $47.2 billion in 2015.

Modern beef production in the U.S. is a highly specialized system that spans from cow-calf operations that typically graze pastureland to cattle feedlots focusing on finishing cattle on grain for slaughter. In 2015, the beef industry saw the first increase in cattle and calves production since 2011, producing 41.5 billion pounds, a 3 percent increase from 2014. Total cattle and calves inventory as of January 1, 2016 was 92.0 million head, also 3 percent above previous year.

Meanwhile, gross income from cattle and calves totaled $78.8 billion, a 4 percent decline from the 2014 record of $82.1 billion. All cattle and calf marketings during 2015 totaled 52.4 billion pounds, down 1 percent from 2014. This was combined with the market year average price received for cattle greater than or equal to 500 pounds decreasing $5 per hundredweight from $152 per cwt in 2014 to $147 per cwt in 2015.

At 52.4 billion pounds the all cattle and calf marketings were the lowest since 1992, while gross income was second largest on record. Cattle production in 2015 was 41.5 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the 40.2 billion pounds produced in 2014.



Modest Pork Expansion; Brexit Casts Shadow

In the June Hogs and Pigs survey, pork producers told USDA they had increased the size of the breeding herd by 1 percent relative to year-ago levels. The breeding herd began to increase in the fall of 2014 after producers had record profitability due to reduced production, a consequence of the PED virus. According to a Purdue University Extension economist, the industry has been in a slow expansion since that time. Declining feed prices were also a stimulus to expansion until this spring when feed prices began to rise once more.

"The latest inventory report also found somewhat more young pigs than had been expected," says Chris Hurt. "The spring pig crop was 2.5 percent larger as a result of 1.5 percent more farrowings and 1 percent more pigs per litter. This means a bit higher pork supplies later this year than had been anticipated."

Several states had a large increase in their breeding herd numbers over the last year. These included Illinois with an increase of 40,000 animals; Oklahoma up 30,000; and South Dakota up 20,000. The percentage increases for those three states were Illinois up 8 percent; Oklahoma up 7 percent; and South Dakota up 12 percent.

"Although they are expanding the breeding herd, pork producers also indicated they intend to reduce farrowings by 2 percent this summer and by 1 percent in the fall," Hurt continues. "Pork supplies in the last half of 2016 are expected to be up about 2 percent. However, pork supplies in the first half of 2017 are expected to be near unchanged."

Prices of hogs averaged about $55.50 in the second quarter of 2016 on a live-weight basis. Prices are expected to average $55 to $58 in the third quarter and then fall sharply in the final quarter to an average of $45 to $48. First-quarter 2017 prices are expected to be modestly higher compared to late 2016. Prices for the second quarter of 2017 are expected to average in a range from $52 to $56.

"Feed costs have become more volatile with weather uncertainties and will likely be important to the overall profits or losses for the industry in the coming year," Hurt says. "Using current futures prices to estimate cash feed prices suggests that the industry will operate with a profit of about $8 per head in the third quarter, but lower fourth-quarter hog prices will mean losses of about $19 per head. Losses would prevail at about the same level in the first quarter of 2017 and then move close to breakeven prices in the second quarter. Estimated losses for farrow-to-finish operations last year was a modest $3 per head. Current estimates for 2016 are for losses of $4 per head.

"Turning to pork demand, two events seem likely to have some impact," Hurt says. "The first is the question of how much pork the Chinese will purchase this summer and how long their internal pork shortage will continue. The second event regards the impact of Brexit on the U.S. pork markets. The U.S. exports little pork to the EU28 trading block. In 2015, only 0.2 percent of U.S. pork exports were destined for EU28 countries. However, Brexit has strengthened the U.S. dollar making U.S. pork more expensive around the globe. This will tend to increase prices for U.S.-origin pork and reduce U.S. exports from what they would have been."

Hurt says that since the Brexit announcement, the dollar has increased by about 3.5 percent relative to the Euro. The 28 member countries in the European Union have been the largest exporters of pork in the world for the last two years. This has given the 19 countries in the EU28 that use the Euro an immediate price advantage over U.S. pork.

"Said another way, Brexit gives our biggest global pork competitor a sizable and immediate price advantage," Hurt says. "The longer-term economic implications of Brexit may be the most important and could reduce the rate of world economic growth. If Brexit does slow world income growth, it could be negative for global sales of pork and other U.S. agricultural products."



Study Finds Biodiesel Industry Supports Nearly 48,000 Jobs

Nearly 100 biodiesel industry leaders are converging on Capitol Hill Tuesday to call for strong clean-fuels policy as a new study found that the industry is supporting nearly 48,000 jobs nationwide.

The study, which conducted by LMC International, found that the 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel used by Americans last year supported $8.4 billion in economic impact across a wide variety of economic sectors along with 47,400 jobs and $1.9 billion in wages paid.

The report also highlighted how growing biodiesel imports are eating into the domestic industry’s production and economic impact. It found that the industry would have supported 21,200 additional jobs last year if all the biodiesel and renewable diesel had been produced domestically. Instead, almost a third came from overseas.

Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), said the study underscores the benefits of strong policy that encourages further development of the domestic industry.

“Ending our dependence on oil is an opportunity, not just for the environment and our national security, but for the economy and for American workers,” Steckel said. “This industry is supporting tens of thousands of jobs from coast to coast, and we’re just getting started.”

Biodiesel – made from a diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats – is the first and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel to reach commercial-scale production nationwide. According to the EPA, biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 percent to 86 percent compared with petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel producers, feedstock suppliers and other stakeholders were heading to Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to highlight the benefits of strong biodiesel policy. They are calling for higher Biomass-Based Diesel and Advanced Biofuel requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) than EPA recently proposed along with extension and reform of the biodiesel tax incentive slated to expire at the end of the year. The reform would change the $1-per-gallon incentive to a domestic producer’s tax credit. Under the current blender’s credit, biodiesel imported to the U.S. qualifies for the incentive.

The LMC study, which was commissioned by NBB, found that biodiesel production has a significant positive impact across a variety of economic sectors, including processing and manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and animal processing.

NBB believes EPA should set stronger volumes of Biomass-Based Diesel under the RFS, calling for at least a 2.5-billion-gallon requirement in 2018.  LMC found, with 2.5 billion gallons of production, the industry would support 81,600 jobs and $14.7 billion in total economic impact if all production were domestic. The impact is 55,000 jobs and $9.8 billion in total impact under a split of two-thirds domestic production and one-third imports.



Growth Energy Thanks Thorntons, Sen. Cunningham on Highlighting Importance of Fuel Choice

Thorntons has unveiled a new station in the Chicago area introducing Thorntons branded E15 fueling option, known as Unleaded15, as well as E85. Sen. Bill Cunningham made an appearance at the Thorntons retail location in Oak Lawn, Illinois to celebrate the newly opened store. Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO, issued the following statement:

“We congratulate Thorntons on their work to expand consumer choice at the pump to their customers and we are proud to partner with them through the Prime the Pump initiative. We are equally thankful to Sen. Cunningham for taking the time to highlight the importance of renewable fuels and for his work to help Illinois consumers get access to E15.

“Ethanol is an American success story that’s giving consumers a choice at the pump for a cleaner, higher-octane, less expensive and homegrown fuel. We commend Thorntons for bringing more fuel options such as E15 and E85 to consumers who are demanding higher performing, lower cost fueling options.”

Growth Energy has led the way by working directly with independent retail chains and Prime the Pump, an organization founded by American ethanol producers to help retailers build out the necessary infrastructure and increase market access of higher blends of ethanol to consumers across the country.



Companies to Buy TX Biodiesel Plant

BIOX Corporation and World Energy today announced a 50/50 joint venture to acquire and operate a 90-million-gallon biodiesel production facility in Houston, Texas. Each company has committed $10 million to the World Energy BIOX Biofuels joint venture.

The facility, formerly known as Green Earth fuels, is located within the Kinder Morgan Liquids terminal on the Houston Ship Channel and is the third largest biodiesel production facility in North America.

The plant acquisition is scheduled to close by the end of this month. Plant commissioning and startup will ramp up over the third quarter.

"This joint venture with World Energy and the acquisition of a 90 million USG facility provide BIOX an opportunity to significantly expand and diversify our production capacity in combination with a high quality partner," said Alan Rickard, CEO of BIOX. "It is a large scale asset that is well positioned to supply biodiesel for compliance with the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard in the U.S. market."

Rickard furthered, "As we see the distribution of our products from our facilities shifting from the U.S. markets to fulfill the mandates under Ontario's Green Diesel Initiative, this acquisition provides us with a strategically positioned production facility from which we can address the U.S. market in partnership with World Energy."

Gene Gebolys, CEO of World Energy, said the joint venture "enables us to lever our collective strengths to serve customers better than ever before with unparalleled logistical access by rail, truck, barge, ship, and pipeline to the biggest biofuels markets in the U.S. and beyond."

With the establishment of the World Energy BIOX JV, the board of directors of BIOX has accepted the request of Robert Beamish to retire from the board. To fill the vacancy left by Beamish's retirement, the board has accepted Gebolys, effective as of the closing of the transaction. In addition, the board has determined that is an appropriate time to appoint Rickard to the board of directors.

Boston-based World Energy is an advanced biofuels supplier with 200 million gallons of production capacity in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas, and over 16 million gallons of biofuels storage servicing major markets in North America and beyond.

BIOX is a renewable energy company that owns and operates approximately 450 million liters of nameplate biodiesel production capacity at plants located in southern Ontario and Houston.