Tuesday August 2 Ag News

Beef Feedlot Schools at Four Locations in August

Beef feedlot employees and supporting industry personnel will get a hands-on learning experience in feedlot horse care and ruminant nutrition at the 2016 Beef Feedlot Schools August 15, 16, 24, and 31 in Curtis, Holdrege, West Point and Mitchell.

The Nebraska Extension Feedlot School will be offered August 15 at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Livestock Teaching Center in Curtis, at the Phelps County & Arena in Holdrege on August 16, at the Cuming County Fairgrounds in West Point on August 24, and at the Scottsbluff County Fairgrounds in Mitchell on August 31.

Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. with introductions and welcome at 1:00 p.m.  The program will conclude by 5 p.m.

The afternoon sessions will cover feedlot horse management topics that include: horse psychology/behavior, body condition scoring, basic health grooming, tack, food care and other horse management topics unique to feedlot use.  General ruminant nutrition concepts will also be discussed as they relate to animal health crews.  This hands-on learning opportunity will include a team of Extension Faculty that can tailor the program to feedlot employee needs relate to horse care.

Pre-registration is available by phone, fax, e-mail or mail and requested one week prior to the event at each location.  Cost is $20 and will be accepted with pre-registration at the door.  Cost for those who have not pre-registered will be $30.  For more information or a registration form contact Matt Luebbe at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff NE 69361, phone 308-632-1260, fax 308-632-1365 or e-mail mluebbe2@unl.edu.



Beef Industry Recognizes Bosshamer for 20 Years of Service

The Nebraska Beef Council congratulates their executive director, Ann Marie Bosshamer for dedicating 20 years of service to the beef industry. Bosshamer leads a team that oversees the collection and management of the $1 per head Beef Checkoff in Nebraska. 

Recognized by many Nebraskans as the “Voice of Beef,” Bosshamer has been featured on radio and television commercials as part of the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” advertising campaign. Over the years, Bosshamer’s voice has joined the likes of Sam Elliott and Matthew McConaughey to deliver beef nutrition and preparation messages to consumers across the state.

“Ann Marie has been a tremendous asset to the beef community over the years,” said Buck Wehrbein, current board chairman for the Nebraska Beef Council. “We couldn’t ask for a more passionate, tireless ambassador for our industry.”

During her 20 years of service at the Beef Council, Bosshamer has worked closely with various other agriculture organizations including the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture (A-FAN), the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. She has served as the chair of the Federation Advisory Council and as a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Committee. She is an alumni of the Nebraska LEAD program and served as a member of the Cattlemen’s Ball Advisory Board. Recently, Bosshamer was recognized as the newest UNL Bock & Bridle honoree.

“Ann Marie brings unmatched energy and dedication to the Nebraska Beef Council,” said Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “Her passion for the beef industry is evident through her commitment to all Nebraska beef producers.”

Bosshamer graduated from UNL in 1992 with a degree in diversified agriculture. After a short time as a Nebraska Extension assistant in Lancaster County, she began her career with the Nebraska Beef Council on August 7, 1996 as Director of Consumer Affairs. She later transitioned into Director of Retail and Foodservice before becoming the Director of Marketing. In 2006 she was promoted to her current position as the Executive Director for the organization.

Bosshamer grew up on the family farm near David City. She and her husband Brian raise cattle near Amherst along with their two daughters, Brooke and Breanna.



BE WARY OF NITRATES
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Will you graze or feed hay from cane, millet, or oats, or maybe corn stalk bales, to your cows this year?  If so, don’t let high nitrate levels kill your cows or cause abortions.

               Nitrates occur naturally in all forages.  At low levels, nitrates either are converted into microbial protein by bacteria in the rumen or they are excreted.  But when nitrate concentrations get too high, they can kill cows and maybe abort calves.

               Some plants are much more likely to be high in nitrates than others.  Annual grasses like cane, millet, oats, and even corn often have elevated nitrate levels.  Weeds like pigweed, lambsquarter, and kochia can be especially troublesome.  If your hay has lots of these weeds or is an annual grass, be alert to the potential for high nitrates.

               That doesn’t mean these forages always are toxic or that high-nitrate forages can’t be grazed or fed safely.  But always test these forages for nitrates in a lab to determine how to feed them safely.

               There are many ways to use high nitrate forages safely.  Diluting with grain or low nitrate forages is most common.  Frequent, small meals that slowly increase the amount of nitrate fed helps cattle adapt to high nitrate forages.  And make sure cattle have plenty of clean, low nitrate water at all times.

               Nitrates cause deaths most often when very hungry animals are given free access to high nitrate hay or pasture.  Avoid feeding even marginally high nitrate forage at this time because hungry cattle will rapidly eat an extra large meal.  This could create an overload of nitrates to their system, leading to death.

               More details about nitrates in forages are available in a NebGuide at your local extension office or online to help you feed safely.



Twelve Pursue 63rd Iowa State Dairy Princess Title

Twelve young women involved with the Iowa dairy community will compete to win the title of 63rd Iowa State Dairy Princess Wednesday,Aug. 10, at 8 p.m. at the Multi-Media Center of the Cattle Barn at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines. The princess and her alternate are charged with helping consumers learn more about dairy products and the farm families who tend the farms and cows that provide them.

The contestants are:
    Ally Bierschenk, 16, daughter of Cary and Jen Bierschenk of Van Horne, representing Benton County;

    Haley Burken, 16, daughter of Martin Burken and Lisa Burken of Clinton, representing Jackson and Clinton counties;

    Kylie Burmeister, 19, daughter of Kerry and Keri Burmeister of Humboldt, representing Humboldt County;

    Mikayla Gavin, 18, daughter of Mike and Kay Gavin of Lansing, representing Allamakee County;

    Katelyn Goldsmith, 18, daughter of Jim and Kristi Goldsmith of Earlville, representing Delaware County;

    Rachel Grober, 16, daughter of Todd and Sherry Grober of Ionia, representing Chickasaw County;

    Sally Hamlett, 18, daughter of Mark and Jennifer Hamlett of Aurora, representing the Iowa Holstein Association;

    Jennifer Hammerand, 18, daughter of Jerry and Lois Hammerand of Sherrill, representing Dubuque County;

    Shana Hilgerson, 19, daughter of Scott and Suzy Hilgerson of Elkader, representing Clayton County;

    Jordan Kalenske, 17, daughter of Tommy and Tracy Kalenske of Fairbank, representing Iowa Brown Swiss Association;

    Mary Scott, 19, daughter of Mike and Kathleen Scott of Westgate, representing Iowa Holstein Association; and

    Jessica Stempfle, 18, daughter of Paul and Jody Stempfle of Maynard, representing Fayette County. 

The winners are chosen on the basis of their knowledge and enthusiasm about dairy, personality and communication ability during judging which begins Wednesday, Aug. 9. Both the princess and alternate will receive scholarships from Midwest Dairy Association, which sponsors the contest and princess program on behalf of Iowa’s dairy farmers.

The outgoing 2015-16 Iowa Dairy Princess is Kate Stewart, daughter of Matt and Diana Stewart of Oelwein, and the Alternate Princess is Leslie Sivesind, daughter of Dan and Jane Sivesind of Waukon. Their reigns will be completed at the end of the Iowa State Fair, and the new Princess and Alternate will begin their duties Sept. 1.



EPA's Latest Atrazine Report Ignores Science

A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft report on atrazine ignores a large body of scientific evidence affirming the herbicide's safety, setting a dangerous precedent for all crop protection tools, says Brent Hostetler, a farmer from Plain City, Ohio, and chair of the National Corn Growers Association's Production and Stewardship Action Team.

"Federal law requires the EPA to base its decisions on science. And the science on this is pretty clear," said Hostetler. "Atrazine is one of the safest and most effective crop management tools farmers have. It's also one of the most studied pesticides in history-and more than 50 years' worth of data show it is safe."

EPA released its draft ecological risk assessment for atrazine in June 2016. All pesticides sold or distributed in the U.S. must be registered by EPA and re-registered every 15 years. Ecological risk assessments are one step of that registration process. EPA is accepting public comments on the ecological assessment through October 4.

In the report, EPA recommends an aquatic life level of concern (LOC) be set at 3.4 parts per billion (ppb) on a 60-day average. EPA's current LOC for atrazine is 10 ppb; however, scientific evidence points to a safe aquatic life LOC at 25 ppb or greater.

In drafting this assessment, EPA discounted several high-quality studies showing atrazine to be safe, relying instead on studies its own Science Advisory Panel deemed "flawed" in 2012.

"This sets a dangerous precedent for all crop protection tools," said Hostetler. "Atrazine deserves a thorough review based on sound science. This report does not meet that standard."

Farmers are urged to contact the EPA to voice their concerns at www.FightEPA.com.



USDA Continues to Quantify Ag Conservation Effects

The National Agricultural Statistics Service is contacting 25,000 farmers and ranchers now through August to take part in a national survey that will more accurately measure the environmental benefits associated with implementation and installation of conservation practices on agricultural land. The results will help further develop the science-based solutions for managing the agricultural landscape to improve environmental quality.

"The survey gives farmers and ranchers the power to provide a more complete and accurate picture of the conservation practices on their operations," said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. "If contacted, I encourage farmers and ranchers to participate. Their collective responses can directly benefit themselves and all producers by helping leaders focus on what producers need to install conservation practices that are best for their operations environmentally and financially."

By documenting the work of America's farmers to conserve natural resources while producing the food, fuel and fiber the world requires, participating farmers and ranchers support the case for continued science-based conservation programs that protect natural resources while supporting farm-related jobs. Survey results will guide USDA conservation policy and program development and help conservationists, farmers and ranchers more efficiently and effectively conserve natural resources.

In addition to helping determine the effectiveness of existing conservation practices, CEAP analysis also provides estimates of resources farmers may need to further protect the soil, water and related resources. Additional information about CEAP is available at the Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey web page.

In the first survey, which is shorter, NASS will determine eligibility for the more in-depth survey that will take place between October 2016 and February 2017.



Importing Raw Brazil Beef Political, Terribly Reckless

"Today's announcement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stating he is reopening the U.S. market to raw Brazilian beef and Brazil is reopening its market to U.S. beef is a political tit-for-tat that will expose U.S. consumers and the U.S. cattle herd to an unnecessary and avoidable risk of disease," said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.

Bullard said Vilsack's announcement for the nearly simultaneous market reopenings reads like talking points created by high-paid, multinational meatpacker lobbyists.

Vilsack stated in his announcement: 'The Brazilian market offers excellent long-term potential for U.S. beef exporters. The United States looks forward to providing Brazil's 200-million-plus consumers, and growing middle class, with high-quality American beef and beef products.'

"This is absurd," said Bullard adding, "Brazil produces far more beef than it can consume. This is why, with the world's second largest cattle herd, which far and away dwarfs the size of the U.S. herd, Brazil is the world's third largest beef exporter, behind only India and Australia. And like India and Australia, Brazil's imports of U.S. beef for longer than a decade before it closed its borders to U.S. beef in 2003 were miniscule.

"To say that the Brazilian market affords U.S. cattle producers with economic opportunities would be laughable if not for the significant risk associated with Vilsack's weakening of our longstanding import restrictions for countries like Brazil that continue to battle foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and other dangerous livestock diseases."

Bullard claims that one of the reasons it has taken so long for the USDA to approve raw beef imports from Brazil was because Brazilian cattle and their resulting beef continued to exceed tolerance levels for pesticides such as Ivermectin.

"Brazil lacks the resources and infrastructure to maintain health and safety standards that are at least equal to that of the United States," said Bullard adding, "That is why the USDA lowered the U.S. standard to that of mere equivalency - which essentially means "close enough."

"This reckless action by the Secretary, which helps multinational meatpackers leverage down U.S. cattle prices with increased imports that do not meet identical U.S. safety standards is yet another in a long line of failures by the USDA to do anything to strengthen the economic condition of the U.S. cattle industry.

"The Secretary capitulated on country-of-origin labeling (COOL) and continues to weaken U.S. import standards that protect our cattle herd and our customers from foreign diseases, including his most recent proposal to relax our import standards for raw beef from Namibia, Africa. He has refused to protect the competitiveness of the U.S. cattle market from antitrust and anticompetitive practices of the monopolistic meatpackers. He has refused to reform the beef checkoff program that funds a lobbying group that represents the economic interests of multinational meatpackers. And, under the Secretary's watch, our industry continues to experience an alarming exodus of cattle farmers and ranchers, feedlot numbers have declined by the tens of thousands, domestic beef production has fallen to the lowest level since before NAFTA, and the U.S. cattle herd shrank to the lowest level in over 70 years.

"Even the Secretary's depiction of exports over the past seven years as they relate to this particular announcement is deceitful at best. While the Secretary boasts that 'the past seven years have represented the strongest period in history for American agricultural exports,' this irresponsible statement purposely omits the fact that while the dollar value of beef and cattle exports did increase over the past seven years, they were decisively overwhelmed by record imports, which caused the trade deficit for our industry to grow from less than $1 billion in 2009 to more than $2.5 billion in 2015.

"We couldn't be more disappointed in the Secretary's actions, which clearly demonstrate that he is advocating the interests of multinational meatpackers at the expense of independent U.S. farmers and ranchers and consumers," concluded Bullard.



Mosaic Swings to a Loss

Fertilizer maker Mosaic Co. swung to a loss in its latest quarter, as its top line fell sharply, hurt by lower prices and volumes.

Mosaic stock fell 2.4% premarket to $26.63. Shares have lost 38% of their value over the past 12 months through Monday's close.

"We are taking the necessary actions to ensure Mosaic remains competitive across all points of the business cycle," said Chief Executive Joc O'Rourke.

The company faces a challenging environment, but it is optimistic about the second half of the year and sees signs of stabilization "with fertilizer prices bottoming and solid demand for our products," Mr. O'Rourke said.

He said the company is preserving its cash and trying to cut back on operating expenses to further help its bottom line. Mosaic had $1.1 billion in cash and $3.8 billion in long-term debt as of the quarter's end.

For the quarter ended June 30, the company posted a loss $10.2 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with a profit of $390.6 million, or $1.08 a share, a year earlier.

Overall, sales fell 32% to $1.7 billion, reflecting lower potash and phosphate prices and lower sales volumes.

Mosaic missed the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, who had forecast 12 cents in per-share earnings on $1.74 billion in revenue.

The fertilizer company's phosphate segment reported $976 million in sales, a fall from $1.4 billion a year ago. Its sales in potash, a potassium-based fertilizer, also fell to $457 million from $730 million a year ago, weighed down by lower average realized prices and lower sales volumes. Mosaic said signing delays in India and China also hurt its buying activity and prices.

The international distribution segment saw $534 million in second-quarter sales, down from $637 million a year earlier. Average selling price was $374 per ton compared with $427 per ton a year ago.



ADM Reports Second Quarter Earnings of $0.48 per Share, $0.41 per Share on an Adjusted Basis
• Net earnings of $284 million
• Market conditions began to turn in the quarter, presenting improved opportunities for second half

Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

“After a challenging start to the year, general market conditions began to turn at the end of the second quarter, providing us with improved opportunities for the second half of the year,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. “Weak grain handling margins and merchandising results continued for Ag Services. Results for Corn included strong performance in sweeteners and starches offset by lower ethanol results. Our Oilseeds operations leveraged their flex capacity to crush record volumes of soybeans in the second quarter as global protein demand continues to grow. WFSI saw strong growth in flavors and systems, with operating profit in line with the year-ago quarter.

“During the quarter, we continued to advance our strategic plan, acquiring full ownership of Amazon Flavors, a leading Brazilian manufacturer of natural extracts, emulsions and compounds. We added soybean crushing capability to our facility in Straubing, Germany, allowing us to utilize flex capacity while also meeting growing customer demand for non-GMO soybean meal and oil in Western Europe.

We continued to invest in Asia’s growing and evolving food demand by further increasing our strategic ownership stake in Wilmar from 20 percent to 22 percent. In addition, we continue to make progress in the strategic review of our ethanol dry mills. We have implemented almost $150 million of new runrate savings actions in the first half of the year and remain on track to meet our $275 million target by the end of the calendar year. Also, we repurchased about $500 million of shares in the first half as we continue to execute on our balanced capital allocation framework.

“The first half of the year was very challenging. However, with improved fundamentals, we anticipate a more favorable second half of the year.”

During the first six months of 2016, the company returned $0.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.



S&W Seed Company Signs First U.S. Sorghum License Agreement

S&W Seed Company (Nasdaq: SANW) today announced the Company has signed a licensing agreement with a leading U.S.-based seed company for production and marketing of a proprietary hybrid grain sorghum variety in the United States as well as Mexico. The United States is one of the largest sorghum markets in the world with an estimated 597 million bushels harvested from approximately 7 to 8 million acres in 2015. This is the first U.S.-based licensing agreement by S&W for any of its sorghum varieties, positioning it to benefit in a crop that is gaining increasing popularity in food products due to its gluten-free characteristics, as well as its antioxidant, high protein, low fat, high fiber and non-GM properties.

“Sorghum is gaining increasing importance throughout the world due to its efficiency as a high-energy, drought tolerant crop that is environmentally friendly, and has favorable consumer attributes,” said Mark Grewal, CEO of S&W Seed Company. “We believe our hybrid grain sorghum varieties are some of the highest yielding in the world, and incorporate other important traits such as disease resistance and drought tolerance. This agreement allows us entry into a growing U.S. sorghum market with a producer that has tremendous capabilities to expand production and drive distribution. We look forward to a long-term and successful relationship with this new licensee.”

2015 sorghum food consumption increased by nearly 40 percent compared to 2014. More than 350 products on grocery store shelves contain sorghum, and mainstream brands are adding sorghum to new product formulations every year. U.S. sorghum is traditionally grown throughout the Sorghum Belt, which runs from South Dakota to Southern Texas, primarily on dryland acres. Recently, acreage increases have been seen in non-traditional areas like the Mississippi Delta and Southeast regions. The top five sorghum-producing states in 2015 were Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The company estimates the U.S. sorghum seed market at between 25 and 30 million pounds of planting seed, worth an estimated $100 million annually.

In addition to this new agreement in the United States, S&W has licensing agreements with different partners to provide its grain sorghum and forage sorghum genetics throughout the world, including Australia, parts of South America, South Africa, China, Pakistan and South Africa.