Thursday October 6 Ag News

Svoboda named director of National Drought Mitigation Center

Mark Svoboda, climatologist and internationally known expert on drought monitoring and early warning, is the new director of the National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska officials announced Oct. 4. Svoboda was one of the center’s original employees at its founding in 1995. The NDMC is based at UNL’s School of Natural Resources.

“The deans of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources are very pleased to welcome Dr. Svoboda to this director role for NDMC,” said Archie Clutter, dean of the Agricultural Research Division at the University of Nebraska. “Mark is recognized locally, nationally and internationally for his expertise in climate science and drought mitigation, has contributed significantly to the science and operations of the center for more than two decades, and now will provide important leadership as the team plans the trajectory and integrated impacts of NDMC into the future.”

Svoboda, who has led the drought center’s monitoring program area since 2006, says monitoring drought is the relatively easy part. “The U.S. Drought Monitor map gets people’s attention, and that leads to the question, ‘What should we do about it?’” he said. “Our mission is to help people reduce the risk of drought.” In addition to conducting research on drought monitoring for different scales and purposes, the center works with drought planners at all levels, from individual ranches to countries, to take action that reduces vulnerability to the next drought. The drought center works closely with the National Integrated Drought Information System, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and many other federal, state and international agencies.

As co-founder of the U.S. Drought Monitor in 1999, Svoboda was part of the team of scientists in federal agencies and universities around the country that created the process that uses a combination of data and expert judgment to map the location and intensity of drought each week. Having become the country’s state-of-the-art drought assessment product, the Drought Monitor has helped focus attention on drought as a hazard and also has become the mechanism for triggering certain federal agricultural relief funds.

Svoboda also serves on drought monitoring, assessment and prediction committees at state, regional and national levels, and has worked with drought, water and climate researchers in more than 50 countries and international organizations. A native Nebraskan, Svoboda earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and rarely misses a home football game.

Donald A. Wilhite founded the NDMC in 1995 and served as director until 2006, when Michael J. Hayes, an agricultural meteorologist and an original NDMC employee, became the director. Hayes helped build the center through major grant and contract awards, and led it through a large-scale drought in 2012 that brought a new degree of focus to the issue. Hayes announced that he would relinquish his leadership of the center to focus more on research and teaching as a faculty member in the Applied Climate Science program of the School of Natural Resources.

Svoboda expressed appreciation for the efforts of administrators at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the School of Natural Resources who have been involved in the center’s leadership transition.

“I am grateful and excited about the opportunity to lead and grow such an outstanding center and staff into the future,” Svoboda said. “Having been with the center from the beginning, it is a real honor and privilege.”



Upcoming Hearing of Agriculture Committee at Unicameral of Interest for Cattlemen

            The Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) organization encourage Cattle Producers in Nebraska to link in to an upcoming hearing of the Agriculture Committee.

            On Friday, October 14, the Ag Committee will ‘examine any issues within the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee of the Legislature.’ The hearing will begin at 10 am on Friday and can be streamed live on laptops, desktops, pad and phones, which have Internet capabilities. The live video link is available on the right side of the Nebraska Unicameral home page: http://nebraskalegislature.gov/.

            One key issue to be addressed during the Ag Committee hearing will be the audit of the Nebraska Brand Committee. ICON is very concerned with audit results and how they will be handled.

ICON is also concerned with recent action by the Nebraska Brand Committee to approve a proposal for changes to the wording of current state statutes of the Brand Program dealing with feedlots and the brand inspection process as it affects them.

The Brand Committee recently appointed a task force, largely made up of members of the Nebraska Cattlemens' Association to evaluate changing statutory language to permit a modification of fees for feedlots participating in the Registered Feedlot Program. The task force included two members of the Brand Committee; the current Executive Director, Shawn Harvey; the current chairman of the Nebraska Cattleman's Brand Committee; Nebraska Cattleman employee, Melody Benjamin; two individuals who are feedlot owners, including the region's largest feedlot operation, and one ICON representative. The task force voted to support the legislative change, with two opposition votes. 

This follows a motion to change the fee structure for Registered Feedlots last winter. At that time the Brand Committee asked the Attorney General for an opinion about the legality of setting a separate fee structure. The Attorney General found that this was not permitted under state statute.

Feedlot operations may opt into the registered feedlot program and therefore will receive significant discounts from the committee. Modifying the fee structure to favor the Registered Feedlot program will result in significant fee increases at the Sale Barn, on the Ranch and at non-registered feedlots, and will hasten the demise of a program which has always been highly valued by Nebraska's ranching community.     The brand committee met October 5th, but have declined to release the minutes of that meeting (at which they adopted the recommendation of the task force).

“This scheme is no more than a tax exemption and no one likes tax exemptions,” ICON president Dave Wright said

 ICON realizes these changes will affect various sectors of cattle production in Nebraska which will result in unfair markets. At last year’s Annual Meeting, ICON passed two resolutions supporting the current Brand Program process re-enforcing a fair system.

The first Resolution supports an equal and fair fee structure for the Brand Area and the second reiterates total equality in the Brand Inspection program and for the fee assessment as necessary for a successful and fair marketplace.

The wording will change the word inspection to audit in the state statutes as follows, “The brand committee shall set the inspection/audit fee per one thousand head capacity or average annual inventory.” The wording for the changes can be viewed at: http://www.independentcattlemen.com/

Comments can also be directed to the members of the Agriculture Committee: Sen. Jerry Johnson, Chairperson; Sen. Dave Bloomfield; Sen. Ernie Chambers; Sen. Burke Harr; Sen. Mark Kolterman; Sen. Tyson Larson; Sen. Merv Riepe and; Sen. Ken Schilz.



Taxpayers Unite, Announce “Vote No 369” Coalition Opposing $369 Million Southeast Community College Bond Measure

An array of interests representing taxpayers across the Southeast Community College’s (SCC) 15 county service area have come together to oppose SCC’s $369 million bond issue targeted for renovations, construction, and acquisition of facilities across the SCC system. State lawmakers, businesses, and farm groups joined forces announcing the “Vote No 369” coalition, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016.

“This group of individuals and organizations have come together to share a common voice for taxpayers across the 15 county SCC area. Collectively, our members and constituents have made it clear that this bond proposal does not meet the needs of taxpayers in the SCC district who, if this measure passes, will see their property tax burdens further skyrocket as they underwrite this massive bond measure. “Vote No 369’s” purpose is to make sure that message is broadly shared with voters,” said Tim Hruza, legal counsel for the Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA).

The “Vote No 369” coalition partners include former Gov. Dave Heineman, State Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete, State Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo, State Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse, the Lincoln Independent Business Association, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Cattlemen, and the Nebraska Soybean Association.

“Property taxes are too high in Nebraska. The economy is sluggish. Commodity prices and cattle prices are down. Southeast Community College is a good school but now is not the time for a $369 million increase in property taxes on Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and homeowners,” said former Gov. Heineman in a statement announcing the coalition.

Nebraska State Sen. Laura Ebke, who joined the group in a news event at the State Capitol pointed to the overriding concerns the coalition has with the $369 million measure.

“All of our coalition partners have an appreciation for the important role community colleges and SCC play in helping grow and prepare Nebraska’s labor force. However, this specific measure asks too much of taxpayers, will expose taxpayers to higher taxes for too long, and is just too risky in that it leaves the door open for SCC to raise taxes even further, because even if this measure is approved, SCC has additional state-granted levy authority for construction projects,” said Sen. Ebke.

Terry Keebler, a farmer from Sterling and member the Nebraska Farm Bureau Board of Directors indicated the measure presents major challenges not just for homeowners and businesses, but area farmers as well.

“Property taxes are one of the largest costs of doing business for farmers and now rival the costs of inputs like seed and fertilizer,” said Keebler. “If this bond passes, an average sized farm operation in the 15 county SCC area could see an increase in property taxes of $38,000 over the estimated 25-year life of the bond. That’s real money that won’t be available for families to reinvest in their operations at a time when the ag economy is struggling,” said Keebler. “As a voter and a taxpayer you can be a supporter of SCC and still vote no on this measure. We’re simply asking SCC to be responsible when asking to take money out of the pockets of taxpayers.”

Several of the partnering organizations had previously announced their opposition to the measure citing not only the overall costs, which would top one-half of a billion dollars in new property taxes once interest was applied, but also concerns about the lack of specific details about how, where, and when the monies would be spent. The groups will now work collectively in their efforts to focus on bringing awareness about the realities of the proposal to voters in the district heading toward the Nov. 8 election.

Statements from Coalition Partners:

“Nebraska’s community colleges are a point of pride, but SCC has raised property taxes by 103% over the last 10 years. We aren’t trying to stop SCC from making necessary improvements. What we’re saying is that this proposal is too much, especially at a time when Nebraskans are demanding property tax relief. If SCC cares about the sustainability of our communities and wants to move forward together on a more manageable plan, we’ll be at the table. It’s critical we establish that there is a difference between wants and needs.”
-          State Senator Jerry Johnson

"Education is very important to Nebraska Cattlemen. We know there is a need for improvements on some of the campuses in the SCC system, but we cannot support a $369 million bond that will continue to increase property taxes for our members while we are still searching for overall tax relief. This proposal lacks clarity as it asks too much of Nebraska property tax payers."
-  Dick Hollman of Hallam, Nebraska Cattlemen’s board of directors

“We have heard from producers in the area that already pay a substantial amount in property taxes that are not in favor of the project due to the proposed property tax increases. The "shoot for the moon" broad approach of their project proposed is concerning for ag producers and all tax payers. We fully support and understand the important role our community colleges play in preparing the workforce that will someday be a part of our rural communities and the next generation of ag producers in these communities. The proposal needs to look at their current taxing authority and prioritize these projects and look at other avenues for raising the funds.”
- Dennis Fujan, Nebraska Soybean Association president, Saunders county

Vote No 369 is a coalition of taxpayer interests opposed to the passage of the Southeast Community College’s proposed $369 million bond measure. Coalition partners include former Gov. Dave Heineman, State Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete, State Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo, State Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse, the Lincoln Independent Business Association, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Cattlemen, and the Nebraska Soybean Association. For more information or to learn more about the VoteNo369 coalition visit www.voteno369.com or follow the coalition on Facebook or Twitter.



Tips for Managing and Minimizing Post-Harvest Field Ruts

More often than not, harvest will yield field ruts in addition to grain, especially after Iowa's record-setting September rains. Before managing these ruts with tillage, farmers should consider several factors, said State Agronomist Barb Stewart of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Des Moines.

Before performing any tillage, first double check if this operation would still meet highly erodible land conservation compliance requirements. "When in doubt, please visit your local NRCS office," said Stewart.

Second, wait as long as possible to start tillage operations, so the soil can dry out as much as possible. Perform tillage operations when the soil at or just above the tillage operating depth is dry enough to prevent soil smearing and compaction. Iowa State University Agricultural Engineer Mark Hanna recommends the following for assessing soil moisture conditions:

-- Collect a handful of soil from an area between ruts and 2 inches above the operating depth of the tillage tool and form it into a ball. Then throw the ball of soil as if throwing a runner out at first base. If the ball stays mostly intact until it hits the ground, the soil is too wet to till.

-- Take a similar soil sample in your hand and squeeze the soil in your fist and use your thumb and forefinger to form a ribbon of soil. If the ribbon extends beyond 2-3 inches before breaking off, the soil is too wet to till.

Third, consider tillage depth, said Stewart. "Deeper tillage and more aggressive operations are likely to damage soil structure, ultimately leaving soil susceptible to further compaction," she said. On sandier soils, tillage should be 6 to 8 inches deep to fill in the ruts. On heavier soils, tillage should be as shallow as possible.

Fourth, target your tillage. If ruts are uniformly distributed across the whole field, some type of tillage may need to be done on the whole field. In many cases, however, ruts are localized and only need localized repair.

Last, but not least, consider planting cover crops after tillage. "The living root of the cover crop will start rebuilding soil structure," said Stewart. "This will help you get a head start on preventing future issues with compaction."

While fall tillage can help alleviate the negative impacts of field ruts, the best defense is building soil health and soil aggregate stability. Soil can better resist compaction by eliminating tillage, increasing organic matter content, and maintaining a living root system in the soil for as much time as possible.

For more information about fighting compaction with improved soil health or planting cover crops, please go to www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov, or visit your local NRCS field office.



US Consumption of Beef and Pork Projected to Rise Through 2025

USDA projections show that production of beef and pork will expand steadily between 2016 and 2025 and result in lower prices, which in turn is expected to increase per capita consumption of both meats, according to the Economic Research Service (ERS).

As a result of greater production, beef prices are projected to drop 10.6% and pork prices are projected to drop 11.6% between 2016 and 2025. Cheaper prices will help reverse a multiyear decline in meat consumption in the United States.

Per capita consumption of beef is also forecast to increase 2.7% by 2025, outpacing growth in consumption of broilers (2.3%) and pork (1.7%). USDA expects this will increase the total amount of meat consumed per person in the U.S. from 211 pounds in 2015 to nearly 219 pounds by 2025.



Beef and Pork Exports Strong in August, as Values Reach 2016 Highs

August was a strong month for U.S. red meat exports as beef export volume was the largest in nearly two years and both beef and pork exports posted the highest monthly values of 2016, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

August beef export volume climbed 27 percent from a year ago to 106,818 metric tons (mt) – the highest since October 2014, breaking the 100,000 mt mark for the first time this year. Export value was $566.8 million, up 14 percent. For January through August, export volume was up 6 percent to 747,706 mt, while value was down 7 percent to just over $4 billion.

Exports accounted for 13.5 percent of total beef production in August and 10 percent for muscle cuts only – each up about 1 percentage point from a year ago. For January through August, these ratios were roughly steady with last year at 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Export value per head of fed slaughter was $256.73 in August, down 4 percent from a year ago, and $252.50 for January through August, down 12 percent.

Pork exports were up 16 percent from a year ago to 186,689 mt, the largest volume ever posted in August. Export value was up 19 percent to $512.76 million. For January through August, pork export volume was 1.48 million mt, up 5 percent from the same period last year. Export value moved 1 percent ahead of last year’s pace at $3.78 billion.

With August pork production at the largest level so far this year and record-large for the month of August, exports accounted for 24 percent of total production and 20 percent for muscle cuts only – up slightly from a year ago. For January through August, exports accounted for 25 percent of total pork production and 21 percent for muscle cuts, roughly steady with last year. Export value per head slaughtered was $49.36 in August, up 7 percent from a year ago and exceeding last year’s average for the third consecutive month. For the first eight months of the year, per-head value averaged $49.37, down 1 percent.

Variety meat exports provided a strong boost to the August totals for both beef and pork. Beef variety meat exports were up 25 percent from a year ago in volume (to 31,582 mt) and 28 percent in value (to $85.8 million). Pork variety meat exports were 44,563 mt valued at $88.2 million – up 44 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

“U.S. livestock producers deserve some good news in what has been a tough year, and this upward trend in exports is very encouraging,” said Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO. “Currently U.S. beef and pork are very competitive, as the production of our key competitors – Australia and the European Union – has moderated and prices have jumped. As U.S. competitiveness continues to improve, we remain optimistic that exports will maintain positive momentum through the end of this year and into 2017.”

Beef exports record-large to Korea, Taiwan
August beef exports exceeded year-ago levels in most major markets, setting new monthly records in South Korea (17,454 mt, up 61 percent from a year ago) and Taiwan (4,965 mt, up 23 percent). For January through August, market-specific highlights for U.S. beef included:

-    Japan was the leading market in both volume (170,665 mt, up 16 percent from a year ago) and value ($984.2 million, up 9 percent), including strong growth for high-value chilled muscle cuts and beef tongues.

-    Despite the persistently weak peso, exports to Mexico increased 8 percent from a year ago in volume (154,376) while falling 9 percent in value ($649.6 million), led by larger volumes of shoulder clods and rounds.

-    In Korea, the increasing popularity of U.S. steaks – especially at retail – helped drive exports up 28 percent from a year ago in volume (107,855 mt) and 11 percent in value ($628.8 million).

-    U.S. beef holds more than two-thirds of the chilled beef market in Taiwan, where exports increased 6 percent in volume (25,872 mt) while falling 3 percent in value ($213.5 million).

-    Expanded access has created new opportunities for U.S. beef in Indonesia, where exports grew four-fold in volume (4,278 mt) and more than doubled in value to $18.6 million. Along with solid growth in Vietnam, these results drove exports to the ASEAN region 11 percent higher in volume (15,160 mt) while value fell 9 percent to $83.8 million.

Pork exports rebound in Mexico and Japan; volumes stay strong to China/Hong Kong
Pork exports to Mexico continued to show improvement in August, easily reaching 2016 highs in both volume (64,620 mt, up 8 percent from a year ago) and value ($129.3 million, up 17 percent). For January through August, exports to Mexico were still down 6 percent in volume (444,170 mt) and 2 percent in value ($808.3 million), but gained ground on last year’s pace.

Chilled pork exports to Japan have been on a record pace all year (up 14 percent year-over-year to 147,000 mt) but a slump in frozen volumes has held back overall results. With chilled pork continuing to perform well in August and frozen exports rebounding, exports to Japan climbed 25 percent from a year ago in volume (35,154 mt) and 27 percent in value ($151.2 million). Through August, exports to Japan were down 8 percent in volume (258,495 mt) and 6 percent in value ($1.03 billion).

Other January-August export results for U.S. pork included:
-    Exports to China/Hong Kong remained well ahead of their 2015 pace, with export volume up 76 percent in volume (370,238 mt) and 61 percent in value ($711.8 million). China/Hong Kong’s pork imports from all suppliers remain higher year-over-year, but have slowed from the peak levels seen earlier this year. Imports are expected to continue to moderate this fall but there are indications that buying could trend upward again prior to Chinese New Year.

-    While pork exports to Korea remain down from last year’s large totals in both volume (87,739 mt, down 28 percent) and value ($231.7 million, down 35 percent), exports trended strongly upward in August and are well-positioned for a strong finish in 2016.

-    Led by mainstay markets Honduras and Guatemala and strong growth in Nicaragua, U.S. pork continues to have a big year in Central America, with volume up 18 percent from a year ago to 41,947 mt. Export value was 11 percent higher at $99 million.

-    Exports to Canada remained slightly ahead of last year, up 2 percent in volume (131,104 mt) and 1 percent in value ($522.9 million).

August lamb exports higher in volume; value steady
August exports of U.S. lamb totaled 768 mt, up 31 percent from last year’s low volume, while export value was steady at $1.4 million. August exports were higher than a year ago to Mexico and the Middle East, but declined to the Caribbean and Canada. For January through August, lamb exports were 5 percent below last year’s pace in volume (5,780 mt) and down 10 percent in value ($11.7 million).



DYK Beef Checkoff Audio Shorts - Foreign Marketing

Did you know ... the checkoff helped fund a strong U.S. beef presence at the Mexican Cattle Feeders’ Association (AMEG) International Meat Congress? Among 17 technical presentations, economist Erin Borror of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, a contractor to the beef checkoff, pointed out to some 800 producers and processors in attendance that Asia’s influence on world beef trade is increasing. She further explained that the herd expansion in the U.S. comes just as Australia’s beef production is returning to more normal levels after three years of drought-induced herd liquidation. 

Did you know ... a checkoff-funded campaign at South Korea’s Homeplus supermarket chain centers on two-week-long U.S. beef “pop-up stores” at each branch during the next year? The checkoff-funded strategy in Korea is to focus on the positive attributes of U.S. beef through “World Class Beef” messaging, simultaneously highlighting its safety and quality, especially to younger consumers/families. During a recent campaign promotion, U.S. Under Secretary Jonathan Cordone served beef to Korean consumers. 

Did you know ... the beef checkoff strategy in Europe is to focus on primary markets Germany, Italy and the UK, with secondary markets in France, Spain and Sweden? The 2016 Salon de Gourmets Food Show in Madrid, Spain was an economical way of reaching Spanish chefs and buyers. In the current economic climate, many European restaurants are using price to compete, while others are instead using techniques, such as dry aging, to add value and differentiate high-quality beef. Exhibiting at such an important trade show allows a great many chefs to sample U.S. beef being cooked in a variety of ways.

To learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.



Baseline Update for U.S. Farm Income and Government Outlays
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, University of Missouri

Net farm income is expected to decline for the third straight year in 2016 and is likely to remain well
below recent peaks for the next several years.  Here are a few highlights:

· Sharply lower cattle and egg prices contribute to a $23 billion reduction in projected livestock
sector receipts in 2016. Crop receipts also decline slightly, as lower prices for corn, wheat and
other crops offset the impact of increased production.

· Projected net farm income declines by $10 billion in 2016, as the drop in receipts outweighs
reductions in production costs.

· Net farm income increases slightly between 2017 and 2019, in part because of a modest recovery
in crop prices and cash receipts. Even in 2019, however, nominal net farm income remains below
the 2015 level, and inflation‐corrected real net farm income is well below the 2003‐2012 average.

· These projections show significantly higher net farm income than reported in the March 2016
FAPRI‐MU baseline outlook. In 2016, for example, projected net farm income is $15 billion above
the March estimates.

· Most of the difference can be explained by historical data revisions. USDA reduced its estimates
of 2015 production expenses by more than $21 billion from previous estimates, with reduced
capital consumption accounting for almost half the change. Using the revised 2015 costs as a new
point of reference results in lower estimates of production expenses and higher net farm income.

· August USDA reports indicated cropland rental rates and average farm real estate values
declined in 2016 after years of sharp increases. Additional declines are projected for 2017‐2019 in
response to sharp reductions in crop returns relative to recent peak levels.

· With reduced asset values, the projected ratio of farm debts to assets increases from 12 percent in
2015 to 14 percent in 2019.

· Government farm program outlays peak in fiscal year 2018, when many payments associated
with the 2016/17 marketing year are made.

· Projected outlays decline sharply in fiscal year 2019. Under the agricultural risk coverage (ARC)
program, the level of revenues that will trigger payments will decline sharply in many counties
because of program formulas tied to moving averages of market prices.

The figures reported here are point estimates, based on a particular set of projected market outcomes.

This contrasts with the projections reported in the baseline outlook published in March 2016, which
represented averages of 500 stochastic outcomes. This distinction is particularly important in the case of farm program outlays, where the average of stochastic outcomes would likely be greater, especially in fiscal year 2019, than the figures reported here.



National FFA Organization Announces Record Student Membership of Nearly 650,000

The National FFA Organization is answering the need for more highly skilled graduates to fill job openings in the field of agriculture, and nowhere is this more evident than in the organization’s growing membership.

Today, the organization announced a record-high student membership of 649,355, up from 629,367 in 2015 and an increase of 3 percent. The number of FFA chapters grew from 7,757 to 7,859. The top six student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio and Missouri. Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow, as membership continues to increase.

“FFA continues to grow leaders, build communities and strengthen agriculture, and our membership growth reflects continued enthusiasm for agriculture,” National FFA Organization CEO Mark Poeschl said. “Through agricultural education, FFA is preparing our members for careers in agriculture and is working to ensure the security of our country's food, fiber and natural resources systems for years to come. Through real-world experiences, agriculture educators are helping students develop the technical knowledge, skills and problem-solving capabilities to be the industry's leaders of tomorrow.”

Student membership was not the organization’s only growth opportunity in 2016. National FFA Alumni membership exploded with 225,891 members, growing from 62,705 in 2015. This year, graduating high school seniors automatically received alumni membership, which the growth numbers reflect. FFA Alumni play an important role in keeping agricultural education and FFA programs in local schools by providing both volunteers and financial support to local teachers.



Apply for Ag Scholarships, Grow Future for Farmers

The National Corn Growers Association and BASF Corporation are currently accepting applications for five $1,000 scholarships to be awarded to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in an agriculture-related field during the 2017-18 school year. While these scholarships are open to any NCGA members and their children or legal guardians, all submissions must be postmarked on or before December 2, 2016 for consideration.

"Building the leaders of tomorrow is essential to NCGA's work to a build a productive, sustainable and profitable corn industry," said Paul Taylor, chair of the Engaging Members Committee. "Our partnership with BASF helps ease the financial pressures these students face in pursuing their degree and, in doing so, helps ensure the brightest minds remain engaged in agriculture."

Applicants for the NCGA William C. Berg Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program must be entering at least their second undergraduate year or any year of graduate study, and they or a parent or legal guardian must be an NCGA member. Scholarship applications must be postmarked on or before December 2, 2016.

Scholarship recipients will be selected in early 2017. Recipients and a parent or guardian will enjoy travel and lodging to attend the 2017 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas to be recognized at the NCGA Banquet and have the opportunity to learn more about modern agriculture.

This is the tenth year for the partnership between BASF and NCGA. The complete rules and application can be found on our website at http://www.ncga.com/scholarships. 



Conab: Brazil New Crop Increases

Brazilian farmers will increase the size of their soybean crop in the recently started 2016-2017 growing season as productivity and the area planted with the oilseed increase from 2015-2016, according to the country's crop agency Conab.

Brazil's corn harvest will leap higher in the new season, as production rebounds from bad weather in 2015-2016, Conab said.

Brazil will produce from 101.9 million metric tons to 104 million tons of soybeans in 2016-2017, an increase of 6.7% to 9% from the 95.4 million tons grown in 2015-2016, according to Conab. The area planted with soybeans will increase 0.6% to 2.7% and productivity will grow 6.1%, Conab said.

Brazil is the world's second-biggest soybean producer, after the U.S., and the South American country's production of the oilseeds would reach a record for output in 2016-2017 if Conab's forecast is accurate.

Brazil's corn harvest in 2016-2017 will be from 82.3 million metric tons to 83.8 million tons, a jump of 23.5% to 25.7% from the 66.7 million tons grown in 2015-2016, Conab said. The area planted will be little changed, ranging from a decrease of 0.4% to an increase of 1.4%, according to the agency. Productivity will soar by 24%, Conab said.



New Lab and Company Realignment Strengthen Nufarm’s Position to Serve Seed Treatment Market

As part of its "One Nufarm" strategy, Nufarm is realigning and uniting resources to further enhance the focus on its broad seed treatment portfolio in North America. The Nufarm seed treatment and crop protection teams will join forces to expand their footprint with distribution and seed company partners.

”Nufarm will utilize a specialized team of seed treatment experts to supplement its broader crop protection sales team and multiply its efforts in the field,” explains Tim Birkel, vice president of seed treatment.

Also Nufarm recently opened doors to its newly constructed seed treatment formulations lab in Alsip, Illinois. The formulations lab will stand alongside Nufarm’s manufacturing facility, which was constructed in 2012. Led by seed treatment formulations chemist Mark Zhen, Ph.D., Nufarm scientists will work toward delivering industry-leading formulations for its customers.

Over the last 10 years, Nufarm has invested in an array of technical and unique end-use seed treatment registrations, building the foundation for a strong and vibrant business segment. Today Nufarm has a broad portfolio of necessary single active ingredient seed treatment formulations, as well as proprietary combination products needed for down-stream seed treatment of cereals and soybeans.

Already six new seed treatment brands are slated for launch in time for the 2017 treatment season. The new products include the introduction of the Spirato lineup of registered custom blend soybean seed treatments, two more unique Sativa cereal combination products, and the introduction of the Salient brand of difenoconazole fungicide.

The new lab facility also offers the opportunity for customers to design their own “fixed” custom blends of seed treatments utilizing Nufarm’s complete lineup of proven active ingredients.

“Nufarm will continue to innovate and bring unique customer-focused solutions to market. Bringing the seed treatment and crop production sides together was the next crucial step the company needed to take to create ‘One Nufarm’ and better serve our customers,” said Andrew Seitz, vice president of customer brand and marketing for Nufarm Americas.



USDA Announces Increased Support to Expand and Diversify the U.S. Agriculture Workforce

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced increased federal and private-sector support to expand and diversify the U.S. agricultural workforce by increasing opportunities in education, research and outreach. The announcement is part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Rural Council initiative, America the Bountiful, a collaboration with federal agencies and private-sector stakeholders to meet the growing demand for a skilled, diverse workforce in the rapidly evolving agricultural landscape.

"The face of American agriculture is changing," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Nearly 10 percent of U.S. jobs are related to agriculture and the increasingly complex nature of production requires more training and education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics—the STEM fields—to stay competitive and meet the needs of a growing world for food, fuel and fiber. A report by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Purdue University projects that over 22 thousand jobs in agriculture related fields may go unfilled every year through at least 2020. This is a great opportunity for smart, young people to start careers in a field that addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges."

OSTP convened scientists, educators, advocates and industry representatives to examine future workforce and food security challenges. Two fundamental goals have emerged: increase the number and diversity of skilled agricultural workers at all levels of education and expand research and training opportunities in areas that are experiencing particularly serious workforce shortages and are central to meeting future food needs.

During an event at USDA headquarters today, OSTP used the America the Bountiful Fact Sheet to outline financial and other assistance by USDA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Science and Technology Council to support these goals. USDA's commitments to the initiative include:

    USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will continue investing in graduate and post-graduate fellowships for food and agriculture research and agriculture curriculum development.
    The U.S. Forest Service (FS), in collaboration with the Americas for Conservation and the Arts, a Latina-founded and operated non-profit organization, and the Green Amigos Latino Legacy, expand the Woodsy Owl Conservation Corps to promote public awareness of opportunities for conservation and land stewardship through educational programming and service learning efforts, focusing primarily on underserved, urban youth with a strong emphasis on Latino youth.
    USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) will continue to invest in the Ag Econ Scholars program that introduces talented Master's and Ph.D students to careers in applied agricultural economics through hands-on learning opportunities at USDA in commodity market analysis, agricultural finance and other applied fields of economics.
    USDA's Agriculture Research Service (ARS), in October, will launch a new Student and Outreach Database to identify the number of students and post-doctoral fellows training at and visiting any of ARS's over 90 agriculture research facilities.
    The USDA Science Council will coordinate with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create opportunities for NSF-funded Ph.D. students at USDA research facilities through a new Graduate Research Internships Program.
    USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will continue to invest in the AgDiscovery Program, a free summer outreach program to help teenagers explore careers in plant and animal science, wildlife management and agribusiness at an increasing number of participating colleges and universities.
    USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) will add to USDA's online resources for teachers and students with the launch of a new FSA Kids Educational Site in 2017 to provide educators, children and teens with inspiring agriculture educational resources.

The Fact Sheet also includes additional commitments by NSF and more than 70 state, nonprofit and private sector businesses to help expand and diversify the agriculture workforce.

During the event, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Catherine Woteki also announced an investment of $382,650 in four universities through NIFA's Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS) from FY2016 funds. These projects help increase the number and diversity of students entering food and agriculture-related STEM disciplines that help feed the world and contribute to the economic viability of rural communities.

Awards include:
    The Level Playing Field Institute, Oakland, Calif., $100,000
    Universidad del Este, Carolina, Puerto Rico, $100,000
    Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $92,538
    University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $90,112

Diverse experiences, background and education are vital to a healthy agricultural sector that continues to meet the challenges of a changing world and the demands of markets at home and abroad. USDA partners with land-grant universities, Tribal colleges, Tribes, states, nonprofits and other community-based organizations to grow the next generation of agricultural innovators and entrepreneurs that keep American agriculture the most productive anywhere. Engaging young people in these fields now is an investment in the future of America's economic health and security.