Thursday January 19 Ag News

Record Red Meat and Pork Production for December

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.40 billion pounds in December, up 3 percent from the 4.27 billion pounds produced in December 2015.

Beef production, at 2.17 billion pounds, was 6 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.61 million head, up 7 percent from December 2015. The average live weight was down 7 pounds from the previous year, at 1,381 pounds.

Veal production totaled 6.8 million pounds, 13 percent below December a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 48,800 head, up 8 percent from December 2015. The average live weight was down 55 pounds from last year, at 240 pounds.

Pork production totaled 2.21 billion pounds, up slightly from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 10.5 million head, up 1 percent from December 2015. The average live weight was down 2 pounds from the previous year, at 283 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 13.1 million pounds, was down 1 percent from December 2015. Sheep slaughter totaled 197,100 head, 2 percent below last year. The average live weight was 133 pounds, up 1 pound from December a year ago.

Dec '16 Production by State
                         (million lbs.  -  % of Dec '15)
Nebraska ........:     680.4            101      
Iowa ...............:     620.8            102      
Kansas ............:     468.7            111      

January to December 2016 commercial red meat production was 50.4 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2015. Accumulated beef production was up 6 percent from last year, veal was down 9 percent, pork was up 2 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was down slightly.



Iowa Learning Farms to Host Winter Cover Crop Workshops

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, will host cover crop workshops this winter in Floyd, Linn, Marion, Sioux and Hardin counties. The workshops are free, open to the public, and include a complimentary meal.

Cover crops continue to grow in popularity in Iowa due to their many benefits, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies, increased soil organic matter and reduced soil erosion. Fall 2016 was another good season for cover crop establishment and growth, with adequate moisture and warm growing temperatures. Great fall growth can help protect the soil during the heavy rain events, and equipped with a good termination plan and equipment adjustments, farmers can minimize any potential yield impacts.

At the beginning of each workshop, facilitators will invite questions and concerns from the participants. For the remainder of the workshop, Matt Helmers, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Mark Licht, assistant professor of agronomy, will address the topics and questions raised by the participating farmers and landowners.

They will also be prepared to discuss herbicide recommendations for termination and establishment, planter settings to handle higher amounts of biomass, cover crop seed selection, impacts on crop yields and soil health and more.

“These workshops will allow participants to discuss topics of importance with peers. In doing so, the educational program can be tailored to the needs of the audience,” said Helmers on beginning the workshops with questions and discussion. “As an extension specialist my time is my clients’ and this allows us to make sure we are addressing client and stakeholder questions.”

Iowa workshop dates and locations
-    Feb. 22, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Borlaug Learning Center, ISU NE Research Farm, 3327 290th St, Nashua
-    Feb. 23, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Central City American Legion Post 421, 6 Central City Rd, Central City
-    Feb. 28, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Marion County Extension Office, 210 N Iowa St, Knoxville
-    March 8, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Dordt College Commons Dining Hall, 498 4th Ave NE, Sioux Center
-    March 9, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: St. Paul Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 1105 Washington St, Eldora

Workshops are free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Contact Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or email ilf@iastate.edu.  For details on the workshops, and for more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit: www.iowalearningfarms.org.



Weekly Ethanol Production At A New All-Time High

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production averaged 1.054 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 44.27 million gallons daily. That is up 5,000 b/d from the week before and a new all-time high. This marks the third straight week of record production. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 1.044 million b/d for an annualized rate of 16.00 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 21.1 million barrels. That is a significant 5.5% increase from last week, and a 26-week high.

Imports of ethanol were nonexistent for the 21st week in a row.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged 338.9 million gallons (8.069 million barrels) daily, the lowest in nearly three years (2/14/2014). Refiner/blender input of ethanol averaged 840,000 b/d, meaning gasoline contained an average of 10.41% ethanol—an all-time high.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 13.06%—the largest percentage ever recorded.



Proposed Rule on Biotech a Progressive Step for Plant Breeding Innovation

The American Soybean Association (ASA) responded positively today to a notice of proposed rulemaking from USDA on the regulatory framework for plant breeding innovation. ASA welcomed the proposed rule, which continues to require pre-market approval by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of plants derived through transgenic biotechnology while excluding products from new breeding innovations, such as gene editing. ASA President Ron Moore, a farmer from Roseville, Ill., issued the following statement on the proposed rule.

“ASA is pleased to see this common-sense rule put forward by USDA. The innovations in plant breeding we’re seeing right now are precision tools that work within a species, and shouldn’t be subject to the same regulatory hurdles as first-generation transgenic biotechnology. USDA’s proposed rule acknowledges this distinction, and we look forward to working with the incoming Administration to ensure that this key aspect of the rule remains throughout the process.

“Practical regulation is critical to encouraging continued innovation in the agriculture industry,” Moore continued. Farmers face a range of challenges and require a complementary range of solutions to remain competitive. As the seed technology within our industry evolves, the regulatory framework must evolve with it. Today’s announcement is a great step forward for USDA.”



USGC Releases Corn, Sorghum Harvest Reports, Begins Global Rollouts

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently published the first two of its annual reports on corn and sorghum harvest quality, offering grain buyers updated, detailed information about these U.S. commodities as the global market becomes increasingly competitive.

In 2016, U.S. farmers produced a corn crop estimated at 387 million metric tons (15.24 billion bushels) and a sorghum crop of approximately 12 million metric tons (472.42 million bushels). The U.S. exports corn and sorghum to more than 70 countries, making the producers of these crops cornerstones of global food security.

The 2016/2017 Corn Harvest Quality and the Sorghum Harvest Quality reports continue a series started in 2011 for corn and last year for sorghum. Covering grade factors, chemical composition and physical factors, they are powerful tools for USGC’s outreach to customers looking at price, quality and supplier reliability when they make their buying choices.

This past production year, a warm, dry vegetative period, followed by a warm and wet grain-filling period and harvest produced superior quality for corn. The good sorghum quality is the result of favorable growing and harvest conditions, which also resulted in high yields.

Highlights of the 2016/2017 reports are as follows:

Corn
The corn report is based on 624 yellow commodity corn samples taken from defined areas within 12 of the top-producing and exporting states. The report shows that 87.9 percent of U.S. corn samples were rated U.S. grade No. 2 or better. The following are highlights of the corn report:
-    Average test weight of the samples was 58.3 pounds per bushel (75.0 kilograms per hectoliter), indicating good kernel filling and maturation.
-    No observed heat damage was noted in the samples.
-    More than 96 percent of the samples were within the range for U.S. No. 1 grade for broken corn and foreign material (BCFM), meaning little cleaning will be required.
-    Average elevator moisture of 16 percent shows slightly more samples required drying than in 2015, but less than 2014.
-    Average protein concentration was 8.6 percent on dry basis, higher than 2015.
-    Average oil concentration of 4.0 percent on a dry basis was higher than the 2015 crop and the five-year average.
-    Average starch concentration was 72.5 percent on a dry basis.

A second, complimentary report covering the condition of corn ready for export will be released later this year.

Sorghum
This report is based on 254 commodity sorghum samples taken from defined areas in nine top-producing states. The sorghum samples showed the following characteristics:
-    Average test weight of the samples was 59.1 pounds per bushel (76.1 kilograms per hectoliter), which indicates good kernel filling and maturation.
-    More than 86 percent of the samples were at or below the limit for U.S. No. 1 grade for broken kernels and foreign material (BCFM), signaling little cleaning will be required.
-    Neither tannis nor heat damage were observed in the sample.
-    Average protein concentration was 8.5 percent on a dry basis, lower than 2015.
-    Average starch concentration and oil concentration (on a dry basis) were 72.6 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively.

The Council will highlight the results of each report through its overseas missions and international programs with rollouts over the next several months.

As quality of grain remains an important characteristic sought by buyers and demand for U.S. commodities increases, the Council looks forward to engaging with global partners to promote and develop markets for U.S. feed grains in the coming year.



NPPC Endorses Pruitt For EPA Administrator

Calling him a champion for American agriculture and a strong advocate for sound science and the rule of law, the National Pork Producers Council today endorsed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pruitt, who as Oklahoma’s top law enforcement officer sued the EPA over its controversial Waters of the United States rule and investigated the fund-raising practices of the Humane Society of the United States, last month was nominated for the EPA post by President-elect Donald Trump.

“As Oklahoma attorney general, Scott Pruitt has struck a balance between protecting the environment and protecting the livelihoods of farmers and business owners,” said NPPC President John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa. “Everyone, particularly farmers, wants to have clean air and water and to preserve and protect our natural resources. But you don’t achieve those by piling regulation upon regulation on the very people who are the stewards of the land, air and water. General Pruitt understands that, and that will serve him well as administrator of EPA.”

Among his efforts to protect farmers, Pruitt most recently helped craft a 2016 Oklahoma ballot initiative that would have made it easier to challenge environmental and animal-rights regulations in state court. The “right-to-farm” initiative, which was rejected by voters, would have required the state’s courts to overturn any agricultural or livestock regulations unless there was a “compelling state interest” to uphold them.

The attorney general also joined a lawsuit related to California’s 2008 Proposition 2 initiative, which banned certain housing methods for egg-laying hens, pigs and veal calves. The California Legislature subsequently approved a law that prohibits the sale in the state of eggs, pork and veal from animals raised in the banned housing outside of California. In late 2014, Pruitt and five other state attorneys general filed suit over the law, claiming it restrains interstate trade, a violation of the Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

In 2015, Pruitt sued EPA over the Waters of the United States rule, saying the regulation appeared to be “another attempt by federal agencies to implement an agenda through regulations to affect land-use decisions that should be left to the states and private property owners.”

“NPPC strongly endorses General Pruitt for EPA administrator,” Weber said. “He’s a champion for American agriculture who will rely on science and support the rule of law in advancing common sense regulations that will protect our environment without overburdening farmers.”



EPA Finalizes Neonicotinoid Policy, Finds Most Uses ‘Do Not Pose Significant Risks’

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs finalized its “Policy to Mitigate the Acute Risk to Bees from Pesticide Products,” which is aimed at protecting bees from neonicotinoid exposure.

The preliminary risk assessments looked at three neonicotinoid pesticides: clothianidin, thiamethoxam and dinotefuran. The EPA found that “spray applications to a few crops, such as cucumbers, berries, and cotton may pose risks to bees that come in direct contact with residue.” However, they concluded that most approved uses “do not pose significant risks.”

For certain crops that use bees for pollination services when grown for seed, including soybeans, “the EPA will generally permit modification of the label restriction for crops that utilize commercial pollination services and have an indeterminate blooming period.”

Neonicotinoid pesticide application to soybeans and other crops in this category will be allowed during specified time windows or under certain temperature conditions. This includes from two hours before sunset until sunrise, or when the temperature is below 50°. Application is also allowed if state or local health agencies determine it to be in the interest of public or animal health.



Supporting Organic Integrity with Clear Livestock, Poultry Standards
Elanor Starmer, Ag Marketing Service Administrator

The mission of the National Organic Program, part of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is to protect the integrity of organic products in the U.S. and around the world. This means creating clear and enforceable standards that protect the organic integrity of products from farm to table. Consumers trust and look for the USDA organic seal because they know that USDA stands behind the standards that it represents.

Today, USDA announced a final rule regarding organic livestock and poultry production practices. The rule strengthens the organic standards, and ensures that all organic animals live in pasture based systems utilizing production practices that support their well-being and natural behavior. It's an important step that will strengthen consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal and ensure that organic agriculture continues to provide economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and businesses across the country.

The rule clarifies how organic producers and handlers must treat their animals, brings clarity to the existing USDA organic regulations, and adds new requirements for organic livestock and poultry living conditions, transport, and slaughter practices. For example, the rule establishes minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for organic chickens, clarifies that outdoor spaces must include soil and vegetation, adds humane handling requirements, and clarifies humane slaughter requirements.

The final rule is based on extensive input from the organic community and stakeholders. It's consistent with direction from Congress in the Organic Foods Production Act, which provides USDA the authority to develop regulations to ensure consumers that organic products meet a consistent standard. This includes developing detailed standards for organic livestock and poultry production. The rule supports this core goal of the OFPA. The regulations that created the National Organic Program also explained that USDA would develop species-specific guidelines and space requirements for organic animals. Additionally, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a 15-member advisory committee that represents all sectors of the organic community, made a number of recommendations that were vital to the development of the rule.

There are three stages to implementing the rule. Within one year, all provisions -- except for outdoor access requirements for layers and indoor space requirements for broilers -- must be implemented. Within three years, organic broiler operations must comply with the indoor space requirements. Within five years, all organic poultry operations must comply with the outdoor access requirements.

Most organic livestock and poultry producers already comply with the new requirements. In fact, many producers use multiple certifications to demonstrate their animal health and welfare practices to consumers. This rule could make additional animal health and welfare certifications unnecessary, reducing the burden on organic producers.

USDA offers assistance programs and services to assist producers who need to modify their operations in response to these changes. From conservation financial and technical assistance from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to loans for equipment and purchases from USDA's Farm Service Agency, we are here to help. For a comprehensive list of resources available, visit Technical and Financial Assistance for Organic Producers. You may also visit www.usda.gov/organic to learn more about USDA's programs and services tailored to meet the needs of the organic sector.

USDA is committed to supporting the continued growth of the organic livestock and poultry sector, and ensuring consumer confidence in the organic market, which in 2015 was worth over $43 billion in the U.S. alone. To build on this support, it has been a top priority to strengthen standards for organic livestock and poultry, ensuring that we meet consumer expectations and maintain the integrity of the USDA organic seal. You can learn more about the final rule on our website.



Study Measures Effectiveness of NFL PLAY 60 on Youth Fitness

The National Football League (NFL) Foundation has invested heavily in its NFL PLAY 60 initiative to promote fitness and health among youth over the past decade. Its impact on childhood fitness and obesity levels, however, has lacked scientific evaluation -- until now.

A new study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that NFL PLAY 60 programming significantly improved both aerobic capacity and body mass index among a large percentage of the approximately 100,000 students who participated in the program between 2011 and 2015. The study, funded by the NFL, was conducted by The Cooper Institute and led by lead author Yang Bai, assistant professor in rehabilitation and movement sciences at the University of Vermont.

The study focused on the impact of the two most popular NFL PLAY 60 programs: Fuel Up to PLAY 60 coordinated by the National Dairy Council; and NFL PLAY 60 Challenge developed with the American Heart Association. Among the 95 programming schools, researchers found larger gains in the percentage of youth that achieved national health standards for aerobic fitness between 2012 and 2015. The percentage of youth classified as overweight or obese also declined during the same time period.

Overall, schools that implemented the programs had better health and fitness profiles than schools that chose not choose to implement them or only did so partially. Students from the schools that did not implement the programs remained at almost the same level of aerobic capacity and weight status. The study also showed that schools that implemented the programming for four years tended to have greater fitness improvements compared to schools that participated for just two or three years. Approximately 500 schools were involved in the study at varying levels.

"Our research shows that NFL PLAY 60 programs actually work in reality based on data collected over the past four-to-five years," says Bai, adding that the NFL plans to provide additional funding for five schools in each of the its 32 host cities that agree to fully implement the program. "It's rare to see such a large-scale program involving around 1,000 schools over multiple years. It's different from conventional intervention programs in that teachers and staff along with parents and community members are the key players in promoting healthy eating and a physically active environment for kids. The program cannot be sustained over time without those motivated and hardworking teachers. We are eager to see how this additional funding and support might help local teachers and their students."

The Fuel Up program focuses on how students can fuel up properly by eating healthy, local, nutritious foods. The PLAY 60 Challenge is focused more on how to get 60 minutes of activity every day including interactive games, dancing, running, biking and other activities. Most of the programs offer a variety of options and are easy to modify by local schools and communities.

The NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Partnership Project was used to evaluate student progress as recorded by teachers at participating schools who received training on how to use of the FitnessGram program by staff from The Cooper Institute, a non-profit agency that coordinated the study, and study author Greg Welk, professor at Iowa State University and Scientific Director of FitnessGram. Teachers were trained to assess their student's fitness each year and to enter it through the web-based software.



Presidential Inaugural Parade to Highlight Agriculture

In its continuing effort to “reconnect city with country,” RFD-TV has organized the Rural Tractor Brigade which has been added to the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Parade, themed “We The People:  Our American Journey.”  RFD-TV invited every tractor manufacturer to participate and those confirmed include Case IH, Challenger, John Deere, Kioti, Kubota, Mahindra, Massey-Ferguson, and New Holland who will showcase tractors used in modern agriculture production.  The parade will be broadcast LIVE on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC at 3 p.m. EST.

Members of the National FFA, the world’s premiere youth organization, will carry the banner for the Rural Tractor Brigade and lead this contingent of colorful tractors that help make America’s farmers and ranchers the most efficient food and fiber producers in the world.  RFD-TV and Rural Radio, channel 147 on SiriusXM will carry updates throughout the week on “Market Day Report” and “Rural Evening News.” On Inauguration Day, RFD-TV and Rural Radio will have live updates beginning at 9 a.m. EST and continue through the course of the day, with complete highlights on the “Rural Evening News” at 11:30 p.m. EST.

“RFD-TV is on a mission to reconnect city with country again,” stated Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of RFD-TV.  "The invitation from the Inaugural Parade to include agriculture in this celebration with tractors going down Pennsylvania Avenue is confirmation that progress is being made.  We are proud to have the Rural Tractor Brigade represent agriculture in Washington D.C. on this historic day and hope that this kicks off a year where there is a new appreciation for the importance of working together is recognized and embraced by all in this great country.”

Several leaders of agriculture associations will be representing their members by driving a tractor in the parade.  Those leaders include Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation and their 5.9 million members; Ron Moore, president of the American Soybean Association and his wife Deb; Randy Krotz, CEO of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance; John Weber, president of the National Pork Producers Council; and Jim Odle, co-founder of Superior Livestock Auction.  Also driving to represent rural media include National Association of Farm Broadcasting past and current presidents Mark Oppold and Max Armstrong, Duncan Smith of Sinclair Broadcasting, and Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of RFD-TV and RURAL RADIO on SiriusXM.

The Inaugural Parade, generally held on the afternoon of the swearing-in ceremony, is a popular part of the inaugural festivities.  After the President and Vice-President have been sworn in (and after the inaugural luncheon), they typically travel down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where they remain while they review the rest of the parade as it passes by.  The tradition of the inaugural parade goes back to the first inauguration of George Washington, though it has changed in a variety of ways over the centuries.  The event is currently coordinated by the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee in conjunction with the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC).



AGREN AND THE LAND O'LAKES SUSTAIN® BUSINESS PARTNER ON PRECISION CONSERVATION

Central Iowa-based small business, Agren, Inc. has partnered with Land O'Lakes, Inc. one of America's premier agribusiness and food companies, to use emerging precision conservation technology to help farmers improve soil and water quality.

The Land O'Lakes SUSTAINbusiness unit will use Agren's technology platform to deliver scalable, geo-spatial tools that are designed to identify highly-erodible spots in a farmer's field and plan practical, effective, in-field best practices to protect soils from erosion and improve water quality. Branded as SoilVantage®, Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN will be the first to deliver precision conservation tools and services to farmers across the US.

"When coupled with other agronomy tools and insights, we are helping farmers drive productivity and sustainability, making them more efficient," said Matt Carstens, Senior Vice President of Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN in a recent interview. "Then, the next step is enhancing dialogue between farmers and their customers. It's really about helping farmers communicate how they are achieving continuous improvement in on-farm sustainability to their customers, who ultimately supply retailers such as Wal-Mart."

"We are very excited by the commitment shown by the Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN® business," said Jamie Ridgely, Agren's President. "They have shown a real desire to help farmers confront sustainability and water quality issues head-on. We are extremely proud to be part of this partnership."

Agren is a leading provider of sustainability solutions to agriculture. With 20 years of experience in agricultural and environmental consulting, Agren is uniting ag technology with proven soil and water management practices to meet the rising demand for sustainably-sourced commodities. The company is an integral part of Central Iowa's Cultivation Corridor, an initiative led by public and private partners focused on supporting and sustaining the science that feeds the world.