Monday October 17 Ag News + Crop Progress

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending October 16, 2016, temperatures averaged near normal in the east and two to six degrees above normal across western Nebraska, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Sugarbeet harvest was delayed in Panhandle counties due to the above normal temperatures. However, freezing temperatures at mid-week were reported across a wide area of the State. Rainfall was minimal, but heavy morning dews limited soybean harvest progress. There were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 24 short, 65 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 24 short, 66 adequate, and 3 surplus.
 
Field Crops Report: 
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 21 fair, 57 good, and 16 excellent. Corn mature was 96 percent, equal to last year, and near the five-year average of 93. Harvested was 34 percent, near 36 last year, and behind 40 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 14 fair, 61 good, and 24 excellent. Sorghum harvested was 52 percent, well ahead of 30 both last year and average.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 19 fair, 57 good, and 20 excellent. Soybeans harvested was 62 percent, behind 73 last year and 74 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 27 fair, 56 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 90 percent, ahead of 79 last year and 73 average.

Alfalfa fourth cutting was 86 percent, behind 95 last year and 94 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 52 good, and 7 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 10 short, 88 adequate, and 1 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & HARVST REPORT

 Fieldwork was slowed by damp, foggy conditions but farmers were able to make some harvest progress during the 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending October 16, 2016, according the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Many farmers reported waiting for crops to dry down in the field before harvesting and concentrating on corn rather than soybeans. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer applications, and seeding of cover crops.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus.

Ninety-seven percent of the corn crop was mature or beyond, 3 days behind last year, but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. Thirty-three percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 4 days behind last year and almost one week behind average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested was at 18 percent. Corn condition rated 82 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-six percent of soybeans were dropping leaves or beyond, equal to the five-year average. Sixty-two percent of soybeans have been harvested, 6 days behind last year’s pace. 

Pasture condition was rated 62 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as good. 



USDA Weekly Crop Progress

Corn and soybean harvest continued to lag the five-year average pace in the week ended Oct. 16, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress report released Monday, although soybeans were only 1 percentage point behind.

The nation's corn crop is 46% harvested, compared to 35% last week, 54% last year and a 49% average. Corn condition improved slightly to 74% good to excellent, compared to 73% last week.

Sixty-two percent of the soybeans are harvested, compared to 44% last week, 73% last year and a 63% average. Soybean condition held steady at 74% good to excellent.

Winter wheat planting is 72% complete, compared to 59% last week, 73% last year and a 73% average. Winter wheat is 47% emerged, compared to 34% last week, 44% last year and a 45% average.

Eighty-nine percent of cotton had bolls opening, compared to 80% last week, 93% last year and an 88% average. Cotton harvested was reported at 30% compared to 22% last week, 28% last year and a 27% average. Cotton condition worsened slightly to 17% poor to very poor, compared to 16% last week.

Ninety-three percent of the rice crop was harvested, compared to 89% last week, 93% last year and an 86% average.

Sorghum harvest was 57% complete, compared to 48% last week, 58% last year and a 49% average.



Brazil Soybean Plantings Ahead of Normal

Brazilian soybean farmers finished sowing 17% of the area expected to be planted with the crop as of Friday, according to agricultural consultancy Safras & Mercado, versus last year's 11% and the 5-year average of 12%. In Mato Grosso, the Brazilian state which produces the most soybeans, planting was 31% finished, versus the 5-year average of 17%. In Parana, the rate is 38%. Brazil is the No. 2 grower behind the US and the country's crop agency has forecast a record crop for this season.

Brazil Summer Corn Planting More Than Half Finished
Brazilian corn growers had finished 51% of their planting for the country's summer crop by Friday, according to agricultural consultancy Safras & Mercado. That's ahead of the 48% on the same date last year, Safras says. Brazil's mild winters allow the country's farmers to plant two corn crops a year. Planting in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which grows Brazil's biggest summer corn crop, was 82% done, down from 88% on the same date last year, and in Minas Gerais state, which grows the country's second-biggest summer corn crop, 27% was finished, ahead of the 15% on the same date last year. Bad weather in corn-growing areas earlier this year slammed Brazil's winter corn crop, leading to shortages and higher prices in some areas of the country.



Managing Cattle and Forage Production Risk Workshop Scheduled for November 1, 2016

Nebraska Extension will host a managing cattle and forage production risk workshop for producers on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in O’Neill at the Holt County Extension Office. Producers will learn how to reduce risk exposure in cattle marketing and forage production to achieve a more profitable outcome in uncertain times of price or weather volatility.

Topics covered during the workshop will include marketing tools to protect against livestock price declines, insurance programs to guard against weather related forage losses, and determining a producer’s cost of production. Specific topics covered during the workshop include strategies for reducing price volatility in marketing of cattle, insurance options, and disaster programs available to cattle producers. The workshop does not have a cost for attending and a meal will be provided; however registration is required to ensure an accurate meal count. For more information and to pre-register please call the Nebraska Extension Office in Holt County at 402-336-2760.



Managing Cattle and Forage Production Risk Workshop Scheduled for November 2, 2016

Nebraska Extension will host a managing cattle and forage production risk workshop for producers on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Norfolk at the Madison County Extension Office. Producers will learn how to reduce risk exposure in cattle marketing and forage production to achieve a more profitable outcome in uncertain times of price or weather volatility.

Topics covered during the workshop will include marketing tools to protect against livestock price declines, insurance programs to guard against weather related forage losses, and determining a producer’s cost of production. Specific topics covered during the workshop include strategies for reducing price volatility in marketing of cattle, insurance options, and disaster programs available to cattle producers. The workshop does not have a cost for attending and a meal will be provided; however registration is required to ensure an accurate meal count. For more information and to pre-register please call the Nebraska Extension Office in Madison County at 402-370-4040.



NOV. 9 CROP INSURANCE WORKSHOP TO FOCUS ON RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Professionals, including growers and ranchers, who wish to enhance their knowledge of risk management and their ability to design an appropriate risk management plan are encouraged to register for a crop insurance workshop hosted by Nebraska Extension on Nov. 9 at the Heartland Events Center, 700 E. Stolley Park Rd., Grand Island.

This year’s workshop will focus on farm survival, outlook and risk management strategies. Topics discussed during the workshop include where to consider cutting costs, whole-farm crop insurance, current crop insurance policy issues, and a market outlook provided by Jeff Stolle of the Nebraska Cattlemen and Cory Walters of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

In addition, the workshop will feature a panel on decision making in the current financial condition of agriculture. The panel will include:

·       Roy Smith, retired producer and grain marketer, will discuss how to survive economic downturns

·       Tina Barrett, director of Nebraska Farm Business Inc., will provide an up to date Nebraska producer financial picture and survival strategies

·       Jerry Catlett, senior vice president of Bruning State Bank, will talk about how to handle unfortunate financial news

·       Matt Habrock, assistant director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will discuss the Nebraska Farm Financial Health Survey

“We feel that the content in this years workshop will be quite useful to farmers and lenders, in addition to crop insurance agents,” said Nebraska Extension Specialist, Cory Walters. “The workshop will help improve participants understanding of how to navigate  the current economic environment.”

The workshop is held in conjunction with workshops hosted by Colorado State University Extension, Kansas State University Research and Extension and Oklahoma State University Extension.

Continuing education credits have been applied for in Nebraska.

The cost to attend the workshop is $110 until Nov. 3 and $120 after. To register, visit http://cropinsure.unl.edu.

For more information, contact Cory Walters at 402-472-0366 or cwalters7@unl.edu.



Nebraska FFA heads to Indianapolis for National FFA Convention this week
Stacey Agnew, NE FFA Foundation Executive Director

Many students and advisors will be loading the bus to National FFA Convention this week where they'll be celebrating their accomplishments and finding inspiration for their next. They'll participate in competitive events, meet with industry leaders, volunteer in the Indianapolis community and learn new skills they can take back to their home FFA chapter.

I love to see the excitement of students at National Convention. Many of these FFA members will be wearing their new FFA jackets for the first time. Some of them even received jackets as part of the Nebraska FFA Foundation's Blue Jackets. Bright Futures. program. They will truly witness the camaraderie of the FFA organization and quickly learn where that jacket can take them.

Nebraska FFA has many students and chapters competing in events at National FFA Convention October 19-22 in Indianapolis.

147 American Degrees will be awarded to Nebraska FFA members.

Jordan Paine of the Southern Valley FFA Chapter is an American Star Finalist in Agriscience.

Seth Janssen of the Waverly FFA Chapter is an Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Entrepreneurship Proficiency Finalist.

Brent Miller of the Lyons- Decatur FFA Chapter is an Agriscience Research- Integrated Systems Proficiency Finalist.

15 Nebraska FFA Chapters will be awarded with Star National Chapter Awards.



Nutrient-Rich Pork…Delicious Part of Healthy Eating Patterns
“Have you met the “new” pork? If you think you know pork, think again! Seven cuts of pork- from tenderloin to a rib eye pork chop meet the USDA guidelines for lean,” asks Jane Stone, Domestic Marketing Director for the Nebraska Pork Producers Association.  “In fact, pork tenderloin is just as lean as a skinless chicken breast and many cuts of pork from the loin are leaner than a skinless chicken thigh.”

Seven common cuts of pork are, on average, 16% leaner than 20 years ago. The pork industry has responded to the consumer’s desire for lean pork products through efforts in feeding and management practices by pork farmers.

Over the past two decades, America’s pig farmers have worked closely with their swine nutritionists, veterinarians, and swine geneticists to make changes in what pigs eat, how they are raised and bred to develop a leaner, quality pork product that is desired and preferred by our customers, according to pork producer Russ Vering of Howells, President of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association.

In the market place today, lean, nutrient-rich pork is versatile, affordable and accessible for many Americans. Pork has many beneficial qualities to make pork easy to incorporate into any healthy and balanced diet according to Vering.

Source of Key Nutrients: Pork is both a good source of protein and also provides several important vitamins and minerals. A 3-ounce serving of pork is an “excellent” source of thiamin, selenium, protein, niacin, vitamin B6 and phosphorus, and a “good” source of riboflavin, zinc, and potassium.
Lean Protein: Today’s pork is 16% leaner and 27% lower in saturated fat compared to 20 years ago. Seven cuts of pork meet the USDA guidelines for “lean” by containing less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams of meat.   Popular pork tenderloin has the same amount of fat as a skinless chicken breast.

Heart-Healthy:  Pork is naturally low in sodium and a “good” source of potassium – two nutrients that, when coupled, can help regulate blood pressure.   Pork tenderloin is certified as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association with its heart-check mark, indicating that it contains less than 6.5 grams of fat, 1 gram or less of saturated fat (and 15% or less calories from saturated fat) and 480 milligrams or less of sodium per label serving, among other criteria.

One final tip when looking for lean…  Think “Loin” and “Chop.” One of the easiest ways to remember lean cuts of pork is to look for the word “loin” in the name, such as pork tenderloin. Any kind of pork chop is also a lean choice, from sirloin chop to porterhouse chop.



Researchers earn grant to assist farmers and ranchers with economic decision-making
calculator

Researchers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have been awarded a one-year, $443,561 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture focused on improving long-term profitability and producer risk management decisions by developing farm financial analysis while also contributing to the National Farm Financial Benchmarking Database.

“Access to benchmarking data is vital to farmers and ranchers who are working to control costs and improve profitability. This is especially important in the current economic environment,” said Cory Walters, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and the principal investigator on the project. “Identifying financial position is a requirement to make an informed management decision, very likely leading to improved profitability and greater chance of farm success.”

Walters, along with Simanti Banerjee and Brad Lubben, assistant professors in the Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL, will partner with farm business management programs from five states, including Nebraska, to expand collaborative partnerships with producer associations to improve the farm management knowledge skills of producers and to increase data sharing for the national database. Farm business management programs participating are:
    Nebraska Farm Business, Inc.
    North Dakota Farm Business Management Education Program
    South Dakota Center for Farm/Ranch Management at the Mitchell Technical Institute
    Utah Center for Farm Business Management at Snow College
    Fox Valley Farm Management Association in Wisconsin.

Operations can benefit from benchmarking data because they can identify opportunities to save money, increase return on investment and identify enterprises making and losing money. However, participating in a farm financial analysis requires a significant effort by the producer to provide necessary documentation needed to produce a quality financial analysis.

According to Tina Barrett, Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., this hard work pays off by giving producers information to make sound management decisions from a place of knowledge, not just experience.

“Producers face unique situations so it is important that operations know their own financial situation, not working off of averages,” Barrett said.

The participating farm business management programs currently work with over 1,600 farms and are committed to expanding their organizations. The collaborating partners will work to increase the number of farms, specifically small- and medium- sized farms to contribute their data.

“Farm financial analysis provides the building blocks to help farms and ranches compete with more efficient operations,” said Walters.

Nebraska Farm Business, Inc. will work to increase awareness of its programming in Nebraska by working with lenders and educators from Nebraska Extension to promote the benefits of participation in a financial management program.  Beginning producers new to the program receive a discounted analysis.

University researchers will develop a research program focusing on improving producer profitability and risk management decision-making by relating farm-specific risk, risk management tools, risk preference and farm financial standing. 

This project is a continuation of a partnership between the five farm business management associations and UNL.



Fourth and Fifth Graders Experience First Hand What Happens During Harvest

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation offered corn virtual field trips to fourth and fifth grade classrooms participating in the Ag Pen Pal program this year. These live field trips featured corn harvest in Nebraska and brought the front seat of a combine directly into the classroom using mobile technology.

Fourth and fifth graders from Lincoln and Omaha got an exciting opportunity to “ride-along” with a farmer harvesting crops.

“This was a fun opportunity to provide an actual harvest experience to urban students,” said Brad Frerichs, a corn and soybean farmer from Virginia, Nebraska. “Being able to share what we do and the importance of agriculture in our state is invaluable.”

More than 350 students participated in the virtual field trip including schools in Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, and Newman Grove.

Using an iPad in the field and computers in the classrooms, students were able learn many different aspects of farming -- from the parts of the corn stalk to seeing what a combine looks like close up and how it harvests the corn.

“I want my class to experience part of what all students used to experience before our area was populated.” Jane Gundvaldson, a fourth grade teacher from Thomas Elementary in Gretna said. “Fewer and fewer students have any connection to a farm, and I want my class to know what it is truly like to raise crops to feed the world.”

Students were given the opportunity to submit questions prior the field trip. Farmer Brad was asked questions like: How long does harvest last? How much of the corn that you grow, do you keep for yourself and your family? Why don’t you use your hands to harvest? Do scarecrows really work?

“These questions are a great example of why agriculture education in our classrooms is so important,” said Courtney Schaardt, director of outreach education. “If we can teach these students the importance of agriculture to our state, they will understand how vital agriculture is in the lives of all Nebraskans”

These virtual field trips were sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board.



LEADING FARM ORGANIZATIONS CHALLENGE DANNON AND OTHER FOOD COMPANIES ON RETREAT FROM SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

Leaders of the nation’s top farming organizations joined together today in urging food companies to recognize that their sustainability goals, intended to reduce the use of natural resources, cannot be achieved without the use of modern agricultural practices, despite any misleading assertions to the contrary.

This focus on deceptive food company marketing claims is in response to Dannon’s recent pledge to eliminate the use of safe and proven crop technology to feed the dairy cows that supply milk for its yogurt products. Dannon is one of several prominent food manufacturers and retailers that in recent years has taken steps to eliminate genetically-modified ingredients from its supply, claiming that such a move improves the sustainability of its products.

In a letter sent today to Mariano Lozano, head of Dannon’s U.S. operations, the farm groups said that the company’s strategy to eliminate GMOs “is the exact opposite of the sustainable agriculture that you claim to be seeking.  Your pledge would force farmers to abandon safe, sustainable farming practices that have enhanced farm productivity over the last 20 years while greatly reducing the carbon footprint of American agriculture.”

“This is just marketing puffery, not any true innovation that improves the actual product offered to consumers,” said Randy Mooney, chairman of the National Milk Producers Federation, and a dairy farmer from Rogersville, Missouri. “What’s worse is that removing GMOs from the equation is harmful to the environment –  the opposite of what these companies claim to be attempting to achieve.”

The letter was cosigned by the farmer leaders of the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. Collectively, the six organizations represent hundreds of thousands of farmers and food producers across the U.S.

The groups agree that biotechnology plays an important role in reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture, and challenged as disingenuous the assertion that sustainability is enhanced by stopping the use of GMO processes.

During the last 20 years, advancements in agricultural technology have allowed farmers to use less pesticides and herbicides, fossil fuels, and water, and prevent the loss of soil to erosion. Taking away this technology is akin to turning back the clock and using outdated 20th century technology to run a business.

“Farming organizations are standing up for the technology that supports continuous improvement in farm sustainability. Farmers and ranchers have grown GMO crops over the past 20 years precisely because biotechnology helps farmers preserve resources for the future,” said Nancy Kavazanjian, chairwoman of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), and a corn, soybean and wheat farmer in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. “When food companies are making sourcing decisions, farm groups encourage them to recognize that modern, conventional agriculture is sustainable.”

Numerous, conclusive studies have come out over the last 20 years proving the safety of GMO food and the environmental benefits of growing GM crops. Most recently, 109 Nobel laureates announced their support of GMO technology, citing a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine saying, “the study committee found no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between current commercially available genetically engineered (GE) crops and conventionally bred crops, nor did it find conclusive cause-and-effect evidence of environmental problems from the GE crops.”

“Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the safety GMO crops and their benefits to the environment, marketers of some major food brands, such as Dannon, have aligned themselves against biotechnology,” said Wesley Spurlock, President of the National Corn Growers Association. “Farming organizations believe in open and honest communication with consumers, and allowing people to make informed choices in the market.  But we cannot sit by while certain food companies spread misinformation under the guise of a marketing campaign.”

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance CEO Randy Krotz also adds, “When food companies directly mislead consumers, as has been done in this example with Dannon, individual farmers as well as farm organizations will continue to assertively defend our critical technologies.”



Soybean Growers Challenge Dannon on Retreat from Sustainable Agricultural Practices

The American Soybean Association as part of the larger U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance sent a letter this morning to leadership at Dannon in response to the company’s recent pledge to eliminate the use of safe and proven agricultural biotechnology to feed the dairy cows that supply milk for its yogurt products.

Together with fellow USFRA members, ASA in the letter urged Dannon and other food companies to recognize that their sustainability goals, intended to reduce the use of natural resources, cannot be achieved without the use of modern agricultural practices, despite any misleading assertions to the contrary. Dannon is one of several prominent food manufacturers and retailers that in recent years has taken steps to eliminate genetically-modified ingredients from its supply, claiming that such a move improves the sustainability of its products.

In the letter, the groups argued that Dannon’s strategy to eliminate GMOs “is the exact opposite of the sustainable agriculture that [Dannon] claim[s] to be seeking. [Dannon’s] pledge would force farmers to abandon safe, sustainable farming practices that have enhanced farm productivity over the last 20 years while greatly reducing the carbon footprint of American agriculture.”

“Just as every one of our farmers believes strongly in sustainable biotechnology, we also believe in the competition of a free market,” said ASA President Richard Wilkins, a farmer from Greenwood, Del. “But Dannon isn’t competing in good faith; Dannon is making false marketing claims to boost the sale of its products. We can’t afford to stand by and allow this technology to be further denigrated by untruthful claims like Dannon’s.”

During the last 20 years, advancements in agricultural technology have allowed farmers to use less pesticides and herbicides, fossil fuels, and water, and prevent the loss of soil to erosion. Taking away this technology is akin to turning back the clock and using outdated technology to run a business. Additionally, numerous studies over the last 20 years prove the safety of GMO food and the environmental benefits of growing GM crops, and most recently, 109 Nobel laureates announced their support of GMO technology.



CWT Assists with 3.2 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 23 requests for export assistance from Foremost Farms, Dairy Farmers of America, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association. These member cooperatives have contracts to sell 859,803 pounds (390 metric tons) of butter and 2.308 million pounds (1,047 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania the product has been contracted for delivery in the period from October 2016 through January 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 42.260 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 9.453 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 19.096 million pounds of whole milk powder to twenty-three countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 742.170 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.

The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.