Friday October 7 Ag News

 LAGOON CLOSURE DEMONSTRATION TO BE HELD NOV. 1

The Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Team will be hosting a lagoon closure demonstration on Nov. 1 at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory (HAL) in Concord. The demonstration will offer a unique opportunity to hear about and see the step-by-step process for planning and conducting a lagoon closure.

            The day will begin in the classroom at 10 a.m. where attendees will learn about Nebraska DEQ rules and recommendations, the history of the HAL swine lagoon and future plans for the land where the current lagoon stands. During the afternoon, attendees will view what has been done so far and lessons that have been learned, discuss equipment needs and options, observe sludge removal and application, and examine the soil profile beneath the lagoon.

            Livestock producers with lagoons or earthen manure storage basins that need to be closed or might be closed in the future should plan to attend. Consultants or others that work with producers with earthen storage basins are encouraged as well. Those with an interest in learning more about closure of lagoons or manure storages are welcome.

           “The workshops will give producers considering a closure the knowledge and resources necessary to do so while minimizing environmental risk,” said Leslie Johnson, UNL AMM coordinator.

            Pre-registration is required for all workshops. There is no cost to attend with pre-registration, but those who have not registered will be charged $10 at the door to cover lunch expenses.

            Workshops are sponsored by the Nebraska Extension AMM Team which is dedicated to helping livestock and crop producers better utilize the states manure resources for agronomic and environmental benefits.

            For additional information on this and to pre-register, visit http://go.unl.edu/lagoon2016 or contact Johnson at 402-584-3818, email ljohnson13@unl.edu.



Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency Issues Safety-Net Payments to Farmers in Response to 2015 Market Downturn

Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Dan Steinkruger said today that Nebraska farms enrolled in safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill will soon receive about $645 million in financial assistance for the 2015 crop year. The programs, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), are designed to protect against unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues due to market downturns.

“These safety-net programs provide help when price and revenues fall below normal, unlike the previous direct payments program that provided funds even in good years,” said SED Steinkruger. “These payments will help provide assistance to Nebraska farm families, who are facing low commodity prices.”

Statewide, 85,000 farms enrolled in the ARC-County and PLC programs. Farmers had the option to select which programs to enroll in, by commodity. Nebraska farmers enrolled roughly 95 percent of corn acres and 97 percent of soybean acres in the ARC-County program. About two-thirds of wheat and grain sorghum acres were enrolled in the ARC-County program.

Under the ARC-County program, SED Steinkruger said, both commodity price and yield play a role in the payment formula.

“Payments by county can vary because average county yields will differ,” he said. 

Details on the price and yield information used to calculate the financing assistance from the safety-net programs are available on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.

USDA works to strengthen and support American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 American jobs, provides American consumers with more than 80 percent of the food they consume, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. Since 2009, USDA has provided $5.6 billion in disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; expanded risk management tools with products like Whole Farm Revenue Protection; and helped farm businesses grow with $36 billion in farm credit. The Department has engaged its resources to support a strong next generation of farmers and ranchers by improving access to land and capital; building new markets and market opportunities; and extending new conservation opportunities. USDA has developed new markets for rural-made products, including more than 2,500 biobased products through USDA's BioPreferred program; and invested $64 billion in infrastructure and community facilities to help improve the quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.



Herbster Announces New Co-Chairs to Join National Trump Ag Advisory Committee

Today, Charles W. Herbster of Falls City, Neb., National Chairman of the Agricultural and Rural Advisory Committee for the Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, announced two new Co-Chairs from Nebraska for the advisory committee. Steve Nelson of Axtell, Neb. and J.D. Alexander of Pilger, Neb. add additional value and leadership to the nationally respected agriculture committee.

National Chairman Herbster said, “Steve and J.D. are two outstanding Nebraska agriculture leaders for our country. I am pleased they are joining me in leading the agricultural advisory committee for Donald Trump who is clearly the only candidate with the best interests of the agricultural community at the heart of his policies.”

Herbster is a fifth-generation farmer, Owner of Herbster Angus Farms, and Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Conklin Company, a company that specializes in agriculture and animal health products, among others. Conklin prides itself as a privately owned company that has 45 years of experience offering unlimited opportunities for those looking to build a brighter future for their family, business and country.

Nelson is the current President of the Nebraska Farm Bureau and has been involved in farming all of his life. He farms near Axtell in south central Nebraska and produces irrigated corn, hybrid seed corn and soybeans.

Alexander, a third-generation farmer-feeder in Pilger in northeast Nebraska, has been an active industry volunteer for more than two decades. Alexander is the former President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and a past President of the Nebraska Cattlemen Association.

Nelson said, “Donald Trump cares about the most important issues - jobs and the economy, and he respects the tremendous role agriculture plays in the well-being of our country. His commitment to reducing regulations, repealing WOTUS, and limiting the over-reach of the EPA and the rest of the federal government is certainly needed. When you look at the candidates, it is clear that Donald Trump is the only candidate who will help our industry thrive.”

Alexander said, “After eight years of the Obama administration, our country desperately needs a new direction and a new voice that cares about agriculture. Donald Trump is a businessman, not a career politician. He will work for increased exports and expand international opportunities that are vital for our industry. It will be a welcome opportunity for agriculture to have a seat at the table.”

Herbster added, “Like Donald Trump and myself, these individuals care deeply about agriculture and work to solve the issues that impact our rural areas every day. Donald Trump knows and respects talent and he will be a champion for agriculture and the United States as we work to make America great again.”

Nelson and Alexander join Herbster and a host of agricultural leaders throughout the nation supporting Mr. Trump for President of the United States.



NSF Funds Bold New Collaborative Big Data Projects

The University of North Dakota, in partnership with Iowa State University, Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is leading a multi-institution Digital Agriculture Spoke grant of about $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The NSF describes the UND-led project as follows: Digital Agriculture - Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Plant Sciences and Education.

"This is unequivocal testimony from the federal government that UND can lead Big Data efforts," said Grant McGimpsey (pronounced mah-JIM-sey), vice president for research & economic development and co-PI on the NSF award. McGimpsey also is dean of the UND School of Graduate Studies.

As noted in the Midwest Big Data Hub's own home page, the Midwest is vital to global agricultural production. The Midwest's ag sector is a key player in the regional and the national economy.

Farmers, landowners, governments and other entities in the region now can access data from a spectrum of agricultural activities--these data are gathered from sensors in farm and related equipment, aerial imagery, survey data, management and policy models and other sources.

The Midwest Big Data Hub Digital Agriculture spoke will help collaborators across institutions to build partnerships to address emerging issues, such as precision agriculture, ecosystem management and services, socio-economic impacts, and specific data-related issues. UND has appointed Evan Boucher as project manager to coordinate this project.

The NSF Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs is a program that aims to encourage multi-sector collaborations among academia, industry and government.

The grant aims to foster collaborative relationships among Midwestern agricultural and Big Data, or high-tech computing, constituencies. The project also includes national and international collaborations.

According to the NSF announcement relating to this grant, the agency awarded $10 million to 10 "Big Data Spokes" to initiate research on specific topics identified by the Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs.

Project topics range from precision agriculture to personalized education. The data spokes reflect the unique priorities and capabilities of the four NSF-funded Big Data Hubs--including the 12-state Midwest Big Data Hub, based at the University of Illinois--which represent consortia from the Midwest, Northeast, South and West of the United States.

"(The Spokes) advance the goals and regional priorities of each Big Data Hub, fusing the strengths of a range of institutions and investigators and applying them to problems that affect the communities and populations within their regions," said Jim Kurose, assistant director of NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, in the NSF release. "We are pleased to be making this substantial investment today to accelerate the nation's big data R&D innovation ecosystem."

The Digital Ag grant's other co-PIs are as follows, in alphabetical order:

-- Jennifer Clarke, director, Computational Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, and associate professor, Food Science and Technology Department and Statistics, University of Nebraska Lincoln

-- Joe Colletti, senior associate dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University Natural Resource and Ecology Management; Colletti is the lead for the Digital Agriculture Spoke project.

-- Travis Desell, assistant professor, Computer Science, UND John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.

-- Gregory E. Monaco, director for research and cyberinfrastructure initiatives, Great Plains Network, and research associate professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University.

In March 2012, the Obama Administration launched the Big Data Research and Development Initiative to improve the ability to solve some of the nation's most pressing challenges by extracting knowledge and insights from large, complex collections of digital data. The Big Data Hubs, announced last year, are one way the NSF is addressing this need by fostering multi-sector collaborations among academia, industry and government, and bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to solve regional challenges.

Like the Big Data Hubs, the Big Data Spokes will take on a convening and coordinating role, as opposed to directly conducting research. Each will gather important stakeholders, engage end users and solution providers, and form multi-disciplinary teams to tackle questions no single field can solve alone. However, unlike the Big Data Hubs, which aim to span the full range of data-driven challenges and solutions in a geographic region, each Big Data Spoke will have a specific, goal-driven mission.



REDUCING YUCCA IN RANGELAND
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Yucca plants, which are also called soapweed by many people, have nearly overrun many rangelands.  There are ways, though, to reclaim those grazinglands.

               Across much of western and central Nebraska, yucca has nearly taken over some pastures.  While they may be able to produce attractive flowers, dense stands of yucca can devastate grass production.

               Yucca plants develop rapidly once established on drier rangeland sites.  They produce a deep taproot that competes aggressively for the limited water in these soils.  Since cattle rarely eat it during summer, grass production decreases while yucca thrives.

               Herbicides like Remedy, Tordon, Velpar, or Cimarron Plus can control yucca, but only when each individual plant is sprayed directly.  General spraying to control yucca on rangeland is cost prohibitive, although small patches can and should be controlled before they expand.

               When yucca covers too much land to spray, the only cost effective way to reduce its impact is to winter graze.  During winter, yucca often is the only green plant around.  Sometimes cows actually will get down on their knees, lay their head sideways on the ground, and chew through the base of the plant to get to the moist, tender parts.  After several consecutive winters of grazing, yucca stands can be reduced so grass again thrives during summer.

               Now that summer range is going dormant for the winter, grazing will do little harm to your grasses.  Ample summer rain in many areas also produced more grass than usual so grass is more plentiful than usual for winter grazing.  This might be a good year to reclaim some of your rangeland back from yucca.  Winter grazing is your best tool.



Final Livestock and Poultry Rules on Iowa's EPC Agenda

Commissioners will be asked to approve three contracts and a final rule proposal on animal feeding operations at the Oct. 18 Environmental Protection Commission meeting in Des Moines.

Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 116 of the State Capitol Building, 1007 E. Grand Avenue in Des Moines. The entrance is on the northwest side of the capitol. The meeting is open to the public. Public comment will follow the monthly reports. Or, people may submit written comments to the commission by mail or email to Jerah Sheets, Jerah.Sheets@dnr.iowa.gov before the meeting.

Some of the proposed changes for animal feeding operation rules stem from recent legislation such as incorporating federal permit requirements for open feedlots and allowing fish production facilities to operate as a confinement. Others allow marketing solids from open feedlots as bulk dry animal nutrients, clarify other rule requirements, and repeal unnecessary and outdated rules.

Towards the end of the meeting, Cerro Gordo County has a demand for a hearing regarding a permit appeal.

The next two Environmental Protection Commission meetings are scheduled for Nov. 15 in Wright County, preceded by an educational tour on Nov. 14, and Dec. 20 in Windsor Heights. Find agenda details at www.iowadnr.gov/epc.

Commissioners include Mary Boote, Des Moines, chair; Chad Ingels, Randalia, vice chair; Cindy Greiman, Garner, secretary; Nancy Couser, Nevada; Bob Sinclair, Sigourney; Gene Ver Steeg, Inwood; LaQuanda Hoskins, Bettendorf; Ralph Lents, Menlo; and Joe Riding, Altoona. Chuck Gipp is the director of the DNR.



Webinar to Address Common Misconceptions about Drainage and Water Quality

Iowa Learning Farms has hosted a number of field days in 2016 where farmers, landowners, agriculture professionals and many others have come together to learn about conservation farming practices. At these events, many attendees have had common questions, and sometimes common misconceptions, about water quality and drainage.

Matt Helmers will explore some of these misconceptions during the Iowa Learning Farms’ monthly webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 19. The webinar is free, and all that is needed to participate is a computer with internet access.

Many have asked what might need to change to reach our nutrient reduction goals. “Many people are surprised by the magnitude of change needed,” said Helmers. “Under some scenarios, we need on the order of 7,600 wetlands and 120,000 bioreactors on the land, in addition to cover crops on over 10 million acres.”

The webinar will address common misconceptions about how various practices including nitrogen management, cover crops and perennials work to reduce nitrogen losses. In addition, the webinar will touch on drainage practices that you might hear about more in the future such as drainage water recycling.

Helmers is the Dean’s Professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2003. His research and extension activities include studies on the impact of nutrient management, cropping practices, drainage design and management and strategic placement of buffer systems on nutrient export from agricultural landscapes. 

The Iowa Learning Farms webinars are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. To log in, go to: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/ at 1 p.m. on the afternoon of the webinar and log in through the “guest” option. Webinar participants can ask questions during the presentation using the chat function. The webinar will be recorded and archived on the Iowa Learning Farms website for viewing at any time at: https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.



NCBA Cattlemen's Webinar Series Continues...
Don't Get Caught Off Guard - Preparing For Changing Antibiotic Regulations
Free Webinar - October 27, 2016,  7 p.m. Central

The new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for medically important feed-grade antibiotics will take effect on Jan. 1, 2017. Join the webinar to hear the latest information on how cattlemen and the cattle industry can prepare for these changing antibiotic use regulations. Mike Murphy DVM, and Tom Portillo, DVM will provide brief presentations followed by a Question & Answer session.

Tom A. Portillo, DVM Tom graduated from Colorado State University CVMBS in 1997 and spent 3 years in rural mixed animal practice in New Mexico and Arizona. He returned to Colorado in 2000 to join a 100% feedlot consultation and research practice until 2007. For the next 3 years, Tom worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a technical services veterinarian where duties included feedlot industry support, marketing and sales support and pre and post approval research. Tom returned to private practice in 2011 to focus on beef stocker and feedlot consultation and equine clinical practice before taking a full time position with Friona Industries as manager of Animal Health and Wellbeing.  Tom is also the 2016/17 President of Academy of Veterinary Consults. Tom currently resides in Amarillo Texas with his wife Jacque and their four children William, Jarod, Audrey and Veronica.

Mike Murphy, DVM, JD, PhD is a Veterinary Medical Officer in the Office of the Director in the Center for Veterinary Medicine in the Food and Drug Administration, where he has served for 7 years. Mike’s focus on the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule has been the veterinarian-client-patient-relationship (VCPR). Prior to joining FDA, after practicing in a mixed animal practice, Mike was a clinical and diagnostic veterinary toxicology in the Texas and Minnesota veterinary diagnostic laboratories. In addition to his diagnostic work at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Mike taught veterinary students, graduate students and conducted applied research.

To get more information and to register, click here.... http://www.beefusa.org/cattlemenswebinarseries.aspx. 



NO PROGRESS MADE ON RACTOPAMINE ISSUE DURING U.S.-TAIWAN TIFA TALKS

The United States and Taiwan this week in Washington held their latest round of negotiations under their Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). The talks covered a range of trade and investment issues, including Taiwan’s zero-tolerance policy for the presence of ractopamine in imported pork. The policy is in effect despite the fact that in August 2007 Taiwan notified the World Trade Organization that it was tentatively establishing a maximum residue level (MRL) for the feed additive. The MRL was based on studies by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the U.N.’s international food safety standard-setting body. (In 2012, the Codex Commission established an MRL for ractopamine, which U.S. pork producers easily meet.) Taiwan withdrew the WTO notification after intense pressure from its pork producers. The country’s ractopamine policy violates the WTO Sanitary-Phytosanitary Agreement, which requires that SPS measures be based on scientific evidence and that they only be applied to the extent necessary to protect human or animal health.

U.S. exports of pork to Taiwan declined from a high of 31,500 metric tons in 2004 to just 18,739 metric tons last year. Dermot Hayes, an economist at Iowa State University, estimates that U.S. pork losses in the Taiwanese market because of the ractopamine issue could be as much as $150 million annually.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative expressed disappointment that during the latest TIFA talks no progress was made on the ractopamine issue. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has indicated her country will consider standards applied by other nations, including Japan and South Korea, which accept pork from hogs fed ractopamine.



LITTLE HEADWAY MADE IN LATEST TTIP TALKS, FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS UNCERTAIN

In the latest round of talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, held this week in New York City, the United States and the European Union made little progress, with U.S. negotiators even rejecting an EU request for three days of agriculture talks.

In reaction to the talks so far, the National Pork Producers Council says they support TTIP, but they are skeptical of progress being made on it based on the intransigence of the EU on various issues. The 28-country bloc is willing to eliminate tariffs on nearly all goods, for example, but it announced publicly it is unwilling to eliminate them on beef, poultry and pork. The EU has indicated it would allow some market access for “sensitive” products, including meat, if the United States accedes to the EU’s demands on reciprocal access and on protections for products labeled with geographical indications, such as Cognac, Roquefort cheese and Parma hams. NPPC wants in the TTIP the same deal it has gotten in the 20 other free trade agreements the United States has concluded and in the recently finalized Trans-Pacific Partnership: elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. pork exports.

The future of the TTIP now is more uncertain. Last month, EU trade ministers expressed doubts about getting the trade deal completed before the end of the Obama administration (Jan. 20), and several called for a pause in negotiations. No talks are scheduled beyond October.



 CWT-assisted September export sales contracts total 7.6 million pounds

Thanks to the assistance provided by Cooperatives Working Together, member cooperatives captured 42 contracts to sell more than 7.6 million pounds of American-type cheese in September. The products will go to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, North Africa and Oceania. The product will be shipped from September through December 2016.

Through September of this year, CWT has assisted members in winning export sales contracts totaling 39.75 million pounds of American-type cheese, 7.5 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 21.30 million pounds of whole milk powder going to customers in 22 countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 690.94 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Totals are adjusted for cancellations received during the month.

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



World Food Prices Rise to Highest Level in 18 Months

World food prices rose in September to their highest since March 2015, led mainly by sugar, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday. Except for a small dip in July, the Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index has been increasing steadily since January, when it hit a seven-year low.

The index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 170.9 points in September, 2.9 percent above the month before and 10 percent higher than the same month last year.

Sugar prices surged 6.7 percent in September from the previous month, largely because of bad weather in Brazil, the world's biggest sugar producer and exporter, FAO said.

While cereal prices declined slightly, meat edged up and dairy and vegetable oil prices increased.

FAO raised slightly its forecast for world cereal production in the 2016-17 season rose to 2.569 billion tons, which would be a new record high and a 1.5 percent increase on the previous season. World wheat output is seen at 742.4 million tons, up slightly from the previous forecast of 740.7 million tons.



How India's Taste for Soy Oil Has Fueled a Surge in Imports

Indians are acquiring a strong taste for soybean oil thanks to lower prices, fueling a surge in imports at a helpful time for a global market struggling with a glut of the commodity.

India's imports of soybean oil have quadrupled in the last five years to more than 4 million metric tons this year, according to data compiled by the country's vegetable oils industry body. India's soybean oil imports are expected to rise over the next 10 years by as much as 40%, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated in May.

Soybean oil, produced by crushing soybeans, is used in everything from cooking oil to cookies and lipstick.In India, they are favored for cooking samosas, dosas and curries, but the relatively high price of soy oil was a deterrent for many consumers in the country. India's gross domestic product per capita grew 6.9% from a year earlier to $6,200 in 2015, but remained much lower than the U.S. with GDP per capita of $55,800, according to U.S. estimates.




Brazil OKs GMO Corn From US

Brazil's agriculture ministry approved late Thursday a measure that could allow imports of genetically modified corn from the U.S. to begin before the end of this year.

Bad weather during the 2015-2016 growing season slashed the country's corn harvest by 21% from the previous season, according to Brazil's national crop agency, Conab. That led to scarcity and pushed up prices for animal feed.

"Interested parties" will have 30 days to contest the measure, according to the ministry.

If there are no objections, imports can begin. In the event someone chooses to contest, a council composed of various government ministers will have to rule on the issue.

The ministry couldn't immediately define what or who an interested party might be, nor say how long the process could take if there are any objections to the measure.