Thursday September 29 Ag News

2016 ENG SYMPOSIUM: INNOVATIONS IN INTENSIVE BEEF COW PRODUCTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Animal Science is hosting its annual Dr. Kenneth and Caroline Eng Trust Fund Symposium at noon, Oct. 5-6, at the Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S. 13th St., Lincoln, Neb.

This two-day symposium, co-hosted by Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University, begins at noon Oct. 5 and ends at 1 p.m. Oct. 6.

Its purpose is to present new research findings on improvements of beef cow efficiency and profitability by intensive and semi confined production systems by universities through grants provided by the Dr. Kenneth and Caroline trust fund.

"There continues to be growing interest in incorporating some intensive management into cowherds. As producers consider this, there are several management considerations they need to think through. The Eng Conference is a great place to find research based information on it,” said Karla Jenkins, UNL associate professor and range management cow/calf specialist.

Speakers and topics to be discussed are:
    Karla Jenkins, UNL – current cow/calf systems research focused on stalk grazing plus confinement
    Terry Klopfenstein, UNL – effects of early weaning on cow and calf efficiency
    Galen Erickson, UNL – response to systems of feeding calves from confined cows to slaughter
    Jason Sawyer, TAMU – Do antimicrobials contribute to sustainable beef production?
    Tyron Wickersham, TAMU – comparison of beef cow feeding scenarios, decision support for cow-calf producers 
    Kenneth Eng – merging cow-calf and feedlot operations
    Miles Redden, OSU – energy requirements of lactating beef cows managed in controlled environment systems
    David Lalman, OSU – matching cows to the environment
    Larry Corah, Certified Angus Beef – producing and marketing branded beef for improved profits

RSVP by Oct. 4 at http://animalscience.unl.edu/eng-symposium-registration. General registration is $150, however, pre-registration is $125. The registration form may be used to purchase Dr. Eng’s books, “Poetic Memories of Old Friends, Old Flames, and Tales We Can Tell” and “Just Started Small and Got Lucky.”

For more information, please visit http://animalscience.unl.edu/eng-symposium or contact Karla Jenkins at 308-622-1245.

The Dr. Kenneth & Caroline Eng (-K-) Trust Fund was established in 2011 by Kenneth in memory and as a legacy to his wife, Caroline, who loved life, cattle and cattle people, and to provide research money to universities to study cow/calf efficiency. Through development and adoption of technologies that reduce cost of feed, the long-term economic sustainability of the U.S. beef industry cow-calf sector will improve. Kenneth is from San Antonio, Texas, and has had a long career as a rancher and consulting feedyard nutritionist.



Addressing Feedlot Lameness - Norfolk, NE, Oct 12, 2016
Bonita Lederer, NE Cattlemen Director of Producer Education

The Production Animal Consultation group and Zinpro Corporation are pleased to host a one day program focused on preventing lameness issues in feedlots.  The program titled “Addressing Feedlot Lameness” will be held Wednesday, October 12th, at the Pohlman Agriculture Complex in Norfolk, Nebraska.  The program was designed to be very practical and is aimed at an audience of feedyard managers and cattle crew managers.

Registration will be exclusively through the web link pasted below.  If you plan on attending please register early.  The facility will limit attendance to 100 participants and we expect the registration will fill quickly.  Register at https://www.getfeedback.com/r/6VMkOXTQ. 



OCTOBER IS PORK MONTH – THANK A PIG FARMER
Al Juhnke – Executive Director, Nebraska Pork Producers Association

October became known as Pork Month because it marked the time of year when hogs were traditionally marketed. Today, it serves as a celebration to thank pork producers and share their stories with consumers.

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA) is a grassroots, incorporated, non-profit organization established in 1961. Our mission statement, “Serving Nebraska’s Pork Industry - Responsible people. Sustainable Pork.” reflects our ongoing commitment to family farmers and communities across the state.  We work every day to promote the pork industry through the enhancement of consumer  demand, producer education and research.

Our pork producers make important contributions to our rural agricultural economy.  Nebraska is the 6th largest pork production state in the U.S. with more than 3.1 million pigs raised, generating over $1 billion in annual receipts. Pig operations come in all sizes and production methods, and provide good paying jobs helping to boost the economic health in rural areas.

The benefits of our local farm production are felt beyond our borders. Pork is consumed by more people worldwide than any other meat. Nebraska and U.S. pork producers help to feed these people by exporting about 25% of what we produce to other countries. We are proud of the healthy sustainable pork we produce and the rest of the world looks to us for a safe nutritious product.

Swine production has been a part of our country’s history for a long time. During the Revolutionary War, General Washington secured salt pork from New Jersey which was shipped behind British lines to Valley Forge to feed the hungry Continental Army in the winter of 1776 to 1777. Today, pork tenderloin is recognized as a ‘heart healthy’ food and is served on plates across our nation as part of a balanced diet.

So, whether your favorite pork product is ham, ribs, chops, tenderloin or bacon (who doesn’t like bacon), this month we recognize the people who produce this food. These Nebraska family farmers are proud members our communities, our neighbors, and our friends. We recognize their many contributions and thank them for all they do!



PLATTE VALLEY DISTILLERS CLOSES $20 MILLION OF NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT CAPACITY FROM CEI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC TO BEGIN OPERATIONS

Platte Valley Distillers has closed on $20 million in New Markets Tax Credit capacity from CEI Capital Management LLC, enabling the company to begin manufacturing high-quality feed for livestock out of distillers grain using a proprietary, patented new process.

Distillers grain is an agricultural byproduct of ethanol and grain production. Platte Valley Distillers will use its licensed and innovative technology to capture the protein-rich elements from ethanol production and process it into feed cube and pellet products for livestock. The company will focus on direct manufacture, and expand adoption of the technology to other licensed facilities through the manufacture and refurbishment of production equipment.

Platte Valley Distillers’ business is not only a boon to the farmers and ranchers who will able to purchase their product, but also to the surrounding community of Lexington, where it will increase jobs, serve as signal of stability in the community, and provide opportunities for future growth and expansion, especially in the agricultural technology sector. The new operation is projected to add 14 full-time equivalent jobs. The financing includes an additional community benefit toward the creation of the next generation of ag-tech workers through a $50,000 scholarship fund for qualifying students.  

“Platte Valley Distillers is converting a byproduct into treasure for employees, its community, the agri-business industry, and ultimately, consumers who benefit with foodstuff having better nutritional value,” said CEI Capital Management CEO Charlie Spies. “The New Markets Tax Credit program is helping this company bring an idea to reality, put people to work in a rural community, and build a sustainable business model. This is a perfect example of the triple bottom line mission that guides our parent organization, CEI.”

U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation provided the New Market Tax Credits equity with Lincoln Savings Bank providing the debt financing for the transaction.

“This project is a wonderful combination of job creation and environmental sustainability that will benefit the Lexington area for years to come. We were happy to be part of the team that helped bring this effort to life," said Steve Kramer, senior vice president of U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation.



Interactive Map Helps Tell The Story of Grain Export Value To U.S. Economy

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) launched this week an interactive online map showing the value of U.S. grain exports to farmers and the economies of each U.S. state.

The new tool is available at www.grains.org/tradevaluemap.

A recent study commissioned by USGC and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) showed that exports of U.S. corn and corn products generated $74.7 billion in annual economic output in 2014, with sales of all U.S. feed grain products contributing $82 billion.

The study offered details of these results by state and selected Congressional districts, showing results for corn, ethanol and its byproduct distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten feed and the corn equivalent of meats, in addition to sorghum and barley.

Now these results are available in an online map format, where users can click on their own state or district, explore the results for each crop and share the information on social media.

Results are also displayed in the map by export value and value of total production.

In addition to social media share graphics, PDF briefers with detailed information for each state and covered Congressional districts are also available through the map portal.



House Passes Water Resources Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5303, the Water Resources and Development Act of 2016 (WRDA 2016), late Wednesday, by a vote of 399-25. The National Corn Growers Association thanks the House for making the bill a priority during the short September legislative session.

"Farmers and ranchers need to be able to get their products to market quickly and safely, and inland waterways are a critical part of that process for much of the country. The Water Resources Development Act helps maintain and modernize our inland waterways infrastructure and plays a vital role in moving corn to export markets," said NCGA First Vice President Wesley Spurlock, a farmer from Stratford, Texas.

A main focus of the WRDA 2016 bill is clearing the backlog of projects at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It also provides more than $10 billion in funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop, maintain and support the nation's port and waterways infrastructures.

"We would like to thank Congressman Bob Gibbs of Ohio, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, for his leadership and continued support for our inland waterways system," said Spurlock.

The next step for WRDA 2016 is a conference of the House and Senate bills, with a potential final bill ready to be signed by the President by the end of the year.




Senate Ratifies Plant Genetics Treaty

The Senate passed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture on Wednesday evening.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) supported passage and ratification of the Treaty. In February, ASA President Richard Wilkins wrote to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD) to express support, noting that it “establishes uniform terms for the exchange of plant materials which provide the greatest certainty to public sector plant breeders and seed companies.” The Treaty was signed by the U.S. in 2002.

Many crops grown in the U.S. rely on genetic diversity from other countries, in fact, few crops originated in North America. Today, 139 countries have ratified the Treaty, many of which are key competitors with the U.S. in international seed markets.  Even without ratification, U.S. companies, universities and government agencies are impacted by the Treaty, and must abide by its legally binding material transfer agreement in order to access critical, international germplasm. Ratification of the bipartisan Treaty requires no changes in existing U.S. laws and no additional appropriations.



Congress Approves Continuing Resolution Keeping Government Open until December

After weeks of political wrangling, the Senate and House of Representatives acted on a continuing resolution to enable government operations to continue at largely FY 2016 levels until December 9, 2016.  When Congress acts on CRs, Congressional leaders will usually minimize the inclusion of any extraneous provisions.  The debate this time around centered around the inclusion of funding to combat the Zika virus, respond to flooding in Louisiana, and fix the water infrastructure system in Flint, MI following the lead contamination disaster. The question of how to address funding for Flint ended up being one of the last sticking points preventing completion of the CR.  Following a failed procedural vote in the Senate on Tuesday, House leadership agreed to allow for consideration of an amendment providing funding for Flint as part of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).  With that step being taken, the CR was able to move forward through both the Senate and the House on Wednesday, ultimately meaning the government will not shut down come October 1.

With action on the CR now complete, this will set up the need for action on another CR or an omnibus appropriations bill during the Lame Duck session of Congress following the election.  The National Assoc. of Wheat Growers is focused on a number of priorities in an omnibus appropriations bill, including ensuring there are no cuts to crop insurance or other areas of the Farm Bill, increased funding for the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (as was included in the House and Senate versions of the FY 2017 Agriculture Appropriations bill) and the Small Grains Genomic Initiative, limitations on funding for implementation of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, sufficient funding for FSA loan programs, and funding for a study required by the new GMO labeling law, among other priorities.



House and Senate Co-Sponsors Needed on Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension

The American Soybean Association (ASA) continues efforts to get Congress to take up a tax extenders package that includes extension and restructuring of the biodiesel tax credit before it expires at the end of 2016. This week, ASA joined with a diverse group of over 50 organizations and industries in a letter to Congress, urging action on multi-year extension of the tax provisions slated to expire.

Current House Sponsors/Cosponsors:
Noem (R-SD)
Pascrell (D-NJ)
Peterson (D-MN)
Loebsack (D-IA)
Blum (R-IA)
King (R- IA)
Young (R- IA)
Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Jason Smith (R-MO)
Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
Wagner (R-MO)
Guthrie (R-KY)
Bishop (D-GA)
Takai (D-HI)
Kuster (D-NH)
Cicilline (D-RI)

Current Senate Sponsors/Cosponsors:
Grassley (R-IA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Blunt (R-MO)
Roberts (R-KS)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Thune (R-SD)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ernst (R-IA)
Donnelly (D-IN)
Kirk (R-IL)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Murray (D-WA)
Franken (D-MN)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Markey (D-MA)

To bolster the case and support for the biodiesel tax credit, ASA wants to increase the number of cosponsors on the House and Senate marker bills. ASA encourages growers at the state level to contact their members of the U.S. House of Representatives and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 5240, introduced by Noem and Pascrell. Likewise, Senators are urged to cosponsor S. 3188 introduced by Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Cantwell (D-WA). These bills would provide a three year extension (2017-19) of the biodiesel tax credit and shift it from a blender’s to a production credit to further promote domestic biodiesel production. Under the current blender’s structure, biodiesel imported to the U.S. qualifies for the $1 per gallon incentive when it is blended in the U.S. – even when the imported fuel often already receives incentives in its country of origin. ASA and the U.S. biodiesel industry supports restructuring the tax incentive to a domestic producer’s credit, as proposed under H.R. 5240 ad S. 3188.



IGC Keeps Global Grain Output Forecast at 2.069B Tons

The International Grains Council kept its September forecast for 2016-17 global grains production unchanged at 2.069 billion metric tons on Thursday.

The harvest is set to be the biggest on record. The London-based IGC increased its forecast in each of the previous five months amid favorable weather conditions for crops in most of the world's major growing regions.

"A further upgrade for wheat is offset by reductions for coarse grains. This is mainly linked to maize (corn), as overly dry weather has affected crop prospects in the EU and China," the IGC said.

"The outlook for wheat is again cut for the EU, but this is outweighed by increases for Australia, Canada, China and Kazakhstan."

The IGC hiked its forecast for wheat production by 4 million tons to 747 million tons and cut its forecast for corn by 3 million tons to 1.027 billion tons. It sees soybean production 4 million tons higher at 329 million tons and rice production 2 million tons lower at 482 million tons.

The forecast for year-end grain stocks was also unchanged at 492 million tons.



Vilsack to Discuss Biobased Industry’s Impact on Rural Economy at National Press Club

On Monday, Oct. 3, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver remarks at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, DC. Vilsack will discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) historic investments into rural communities under the Obama Administration, in particular those made to support the biobased products industry. These investments are creating opportunity for the 50 million Americans who live in rural areas, and are building thriving rural economies for the long term.

During his remarks, Vilsack will also release new data demonstrating the tangible contributions that biobased products—which include plastics, chemicals and other everyday items made from plants or waste products—are making to our economy in terms of revenue and jobs created. These impacts are especially felt in rural communities, where the biobased industry is helping to bring back manufacturing jobs and spurring innovation, and it is one of the USDA’s four pillars for strong rural economies.

Vilsack has helped lead an effort to promote the domestic production and use of advanced biofuels to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in rural communities. Today, USDA’s BioPreferred program has an online catalog of more than 15,000 products, of which 2,700 have been certified to carry the USDA Biobased Product label. The increased use of biobased products currently displaces about 300 million gallons of petroleum per year – that’s the equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road. USDA support has also helped 21 states build nearly 5,000 pumps at over 1,400 fueling stations to strengthen the rural economy and increase the demand for agricultural commodities used in the production of biofuels, giving American consumers more options at the pump, while at the same time creating jobs and driving down fueling costs.



American Farm Bureau Insurance Services and Granular Announce Alliance To Simplify Crop Insurance

American Farm Bureau Insurance Services (AFBIS Inc.), a Managing General Agent (MGA) for Approved Insurance Providers (AIP's), has partnered with Granular, leading provider of farm management software, to streamline the crop insurance data collection and reporting processes for agents and their customers.

With the alliance, AFBIS agents will be able to get the production reports for their customers via Granular with just a few clicks, making it easier for all parties to share and get the information they need. Both companies have committed to developing automatic crop insurance reporting capabilities by the end of 2016, in advance of spring 2017 acreage and production reporting deadlines.

Based in San Francisco, Calif. and Champaign, Ill., Granular's farm management software helps farmers run more profitable businesses by enabling them to manage their operations and analyze their financials for each of their fields in real time. Granular also enables farmers to quickly create reports for third parties such as landowners, bankers, etc. Both Granular and AFBIS share a commitment to working with farmers and agents to strengthen the financial health and risk management of farm businesses through better reporting and more transparency.

"Granular works with the most technologically driven farms in the country, and their platform will allow us to uniquely deliver on our promise to make crop insurance easy," said Tim Green, vice president and general manager of AFBIS.

"We are thrilled to work with AFBIS to help their agents better partner with farmers to understand and manage risk, and do so in a way that doesn't involve hours of trying to collect and organize the right information," said Sid Gorham, co-founder and CEO of Granular. "It is great to see insurance leaders recognize the value that our software brings to their own customer relationships."



Feed the Herd, Not the Parasites

When it comes to keeping breeding stock healthy and performing, many producers automatically lean toward reproductive vaccines. But vaccines aren’t the only herd health protocol that can help ensure the reproductive performance of a herd, according to Gary Sides, PhD, managing nutritionist, Beef Strategic Technical Services at Zoetis.

“As beef producers head into fall, it’s important to remember that with parasites, the same effects you see in feedlot cattle also occur in the cow herd,” Sides said. “Producers can see reduced feed intake and less energy utilization. Heading into winter, cows trying to grow a fetus with a parasite load can bring down the body condition of those animals. It may even affect the subsequent reproduction of the cow.”

Additionally, Sides says, parasites can be responsible for depressed immune systems, making cattle more susceptible to disease challenges. When added to the losses from increased days to market and longer postpartum intervals, producers could be losing as much as $200 per head each grazing season they do not deworm cattle.1

What’s more, many producers think that cold winter weather will help kill parasites, like Ostertagia ostertagi, overwintering on pastures; however, this often is not the case. It has been shown that infective larvae were able to survive on Minnesota pastures during winter months.

“There is no reason to feed the cow, calf and the parasites,” Sides said. “If you deworm in the fall, you’re making sure you’re feeding only your cattle and not parasites.”

To control parasites Sides recommends producers look for broad-spectrum dewormers like DECTOMAX® (doramectin) products. DECTOMAX Pour-On or Injectable treats and controls Ostertagia ostertagi, also known as the brown stomach worm, for up to 21 days and is safe for pregnant cows, newborn calves and bulls.

Research has shown an advantage in parasite control for DECTOMAX. Stocker trials showed DECTOMAX Injectable controlled parasites to outgain cattle treated with ivermectin by up to 26 pounds.2 In a study comparing DECTOMAX Pour-On with ivermectin pour-on, the animals treated with DECTOMAX showed a 21-pound advantage in live weight at slaughter.3

“With DECTOMAX, the label claims for internal parasites and external parasites are superior,” Sides said. “That’s why I continue to recommend it.”

DECTOMAX Injectable has a 35-day pre-slaughter withdrawal period. DECTOMAX Pour-On has a 45-day pre-slaughter withdrawal period. Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. DECTOMAX has been developed specifically for cattle and swine. Use in dogs may result in fatalities.



CropLife America Elects Board Leaders and Honors Award Recipients at 2016 Annual Meeting

During the association’s 2016 Annual Meeting held this week in New Orleans, La., CropLife America (CLA) announced the results from the annual election of directors. “The work of our Board of Directors is imperative to making sure that farmers have access to crop protection technology today and in the future,” said Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CLA. “The Board’s leadership continues to drive projects and priorities at CLA that take the association, as well as the ag industry, forward. We are grateful to each director for their commitment to the association, the industry, America’s farmers, and consumers worldwide.”

The current officers on the Board of Directors will continue to serve in 2017, including Diane Allemang, director of North America business development and global portfolio at FMC Corporation, as CLA’s 46th chair of the board. In addition, the following candidates were elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the term 2016-2019:
-    Andrew Bodane, Sipcam Agro USA, Inc.
-    Brendan Deck, NuFarm Americas, Inc.
-    Dave Tretter, Crop Production Services, Inc.
-    David Cassidy, Tessenderlo-Kerley, Inc.
-    Gregory Johnson, Fine Americas, Inc.
-    James Blome, Bayer
-    Jeff Bunting, GROWMARK, Inc.
-    Mark Ripato, Tenkoz, Inc.
-    Michael Steffeck, Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings, LLC
-    Spencer Vance, Albaugh, LLC
-    Vincente Gongora, United Phosphorus, Inc.

CLA also recognized exceptional member company employees, allies and staff with awards during the general session and farewell gala dinner on Tuesday, September 27. Award recipients were nominated by industry professionals and selected by CLA leadership.

Named for the association’s first and longest-serving president, the Lea S. Hitchner Service Award represents CLA’s greatest honor. The recipients of this year’s award were:
-    Iain Kelly, Bayer
-    Lisa Drake, Monsanto Company (retired)

Presidential Path to Leadership Award: Presented to those CLA members who have shown exemplary service as voluntary chairs of one or more CLA committees. This year, CLA honored three individuals with the Roosevelt Award (presented to those who have served one full, aggregate term leading a committee or Issues Management Team).
-    Aaron Whitsel, DuPont
-    Jason Gonzalez, DuPont
-    Ray Brinkmeyer, Dow AgoSciences

Workhorse Award: Recognizes significant and progressive contributions that support the crop protection industry as serving a key role in the production of a safe, affordable and abundant food supply for U.S. consumers.
-    Matt Kern, Waterborne Environmental
-    Kevin Henry, NovaSource / Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.
-    Jason Gonzalez, DuPont

State Legislative Award: Honors those who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the area of state legislative issues and who promote initiatives that preserve, protect and advance the ability of farmers to provide a safe, affordable and abundant food supply to America.
-    Senator Mac Middleton, Maryland
-    Ted McKinney, Indiana Department of Agriculture

Urbanowski Grassroots Award: Presented to non-member individuals who work to promote crop protection within communities and through grassroots activities.
-    Lynne Hoot, Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association
-    Lindsay Thompson, Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association

Agriculture Ambassador Award: Honors members of the media or allied organizations who have made a major contribution to the education of the public about crop protection and their contribution to a safe, affordable and abundant food supply.
-    Barb Glenn, National Association of Conservation Districts
-    Jim Gray, 2,4-D Taskforce
-    Bucky Kennedy, Southern Crop Production Association
-    Lisa Nichols, Crop Production Services

Chairman’s Award: Recognizes individuals within the CLA staff for exceptional service to member companies, the industry and the association.
-    Rebeckah Adcock, senior director, government affairs
-    Whitney Gray, coordinator, communications

“We are proud to honor the winners for their acumen, leadership and perservance to advancing crop protection technology and moving the industry forward,” continued Vroom. “The contributions of our members make CLA a leader in agriculture. Through an unwavering commitment to sound science, an openness to collaboration with partner organizations, and a willingness to go a step further and reach both consumers and growers, the association and its members continue to contribute to making the U.S. food system the most advanced in the world.”