Thursday January 26 Ag News

DuPont Pioneer, Ag Processing, Nebraska Soybean Board Provide Additional Opportunities to Area Farmers

DuPont Pioneer, Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) and the Nebraska Soybean Board announced today that AGP is offering production contracts for Pioneer® brand Plenish® high oleic soybeans for 2017 in Nebraska. This is the second year AGP is contracting Plenish high oleic soybeans in the area, which supports expanded marketing opportunities for Nebraska soybean producers.
   
“Plenish high oleic soybeans bring the right combination of high soybean yield per acre for growers and a more healthful, functionally superior oil for our downstream customers,” said Mark Sandeen, AGP vice president of processing and marketing.

AGP is contracting with soybean growers around Hastings, Neb., to produce Pioneer brand Plenish high oleic soybeans for the 2017 growing season. Farmers have the opportunity to participate in a harvest delivery contract and receive a contract premium.

“Nebraska soybean farmers are pleased to be on the cutting edge of bringing this exciting innovation to the market,” said Victor Bohuslavsky, executive director, Nebraska Soybean Board. “Considering the market price challenges in the soybean industry, we are always searching for ways to partner with companies like AGP and DuPont Pioneer to add value for soybean producers.  Plenish high oleic soybeans are a great example of the right technology at the right time.”

The Nebraska market represents the most western production geography for Plenish high oleic soybeans and helps assure a reliable supply chain for food and industrial products customers in the United States and western population centers.

“Pioneer brand Plenish high oleic soybeans had outstanding yield and agronomic performance in the field in 2016, which is why we’re pleased to again work with AGP in bringing this value-added opportunity to Nebraska growers,” said Mark Deterding, DuPont Pioneer commercial unit lead. “For our customers, this contract program is an important step in expanding soybean market demand and increasing the return per acre they receive today and longer term.  We know that value-added opportunities start with downstream food companies and the consumer, and we appreciate all that AGP is doing to build demand with their oil customers.”

The development and commercialization of Plenish high oleic soybean oil is an example of how biotechnology can provide direct benefits to the food industry and consumers. The oil’s improved fatty acid profile provides a sustainable U.S.-grown, soy-based, trans-fat alternative for food companies and foodservice operators with the highest oxidative stability of any soybean oil being commercially produced.  The enhanced stability means longer fry life in restaurant applications in addition to less polymerized oil buildup on equipment and longer shelf life for packaged food products with a flavor profile that American consumers prefer.

Plenish high oleic soybean oil has 0g trans-fat per serving and 20 percent less saturated fat than commodity soybean oil, making it a more attractive ingredient for health-conscious consumers of food products.

Plenish high oleic soybean varieties are developed by DuPont Pioneer using its elite genetics.  Field testing has confirmed yields are on par with elite commercial products.

Pioneer has obtained regulatory approvals for Plenish high oleic soybeans in nearly all key U.S. soybean export markets and approvals are pending in remaining export markets. For more information on Plenish high oleic soybeans, visit www.plenish.com.



Anderson Recognized for Excellence in Teaching About Ag

Dr. DeEtta Anderson, a high school science teacher from Center Point, Iowa, is the recipient of the Iowa Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture award. Anderson competed against other elementary, middle and high school teachers to earn the honor. She was recognized at a ceremony at the Iowa Pork Congress held in Des Moines.

Anderson incorporates agriculture technology into her biology and physical science classes by engaging students in learning about land use, conservation, crop production, genetics, and the need for alternative fuels. She teaches about maintaining healthy livestock and her curriculum grows out of local issues. The awards program is a project of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and is supported through a grant from the CHS Foundation.

"In a solutions-oriented project, students made starch based plastics to examine alternatives to oil-based materials," said Anderson. "Not only did they have fun, they learned about the importance of corn for our future and its economic importance for Iowans."

Anderson will receive a $500 stipend to support her continued efforts of integrating agriculture into her classroom curriculum. She will also attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom conference to be held in Kansas City, Mo., in June.

Anderson is in her 9th year of teaching at Center Point Urbana High School where she also serves as the drama director. She earned her doctorate in education from Walden University in Minnesota. As an Iowa State University alumni she has strong ties to agricultural careers helping her students find a pathway toward future careers in agriculture science and technology.

By positioning her classroom as a community, Anderson channels the passion of her students into conversations and learning about agriculture issues. For nearly a semester her class focused on genetically modified organisms or GMOs by testing corn plant resistance to corn borer larva. They learned about the insect life cycle and how the genetically modified organism guards against the destructive insect. Anderson was also a recipient of a 2016 Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Supplement Grant and plans to continue to incorporate agriculture into her classroom activities.

"In my class, students to grow in an active, relevant, and enriching environment that is deeply rooted in the soil of Iowa," said Anderson. "We are out in the field testing and exploring. We learn from experts. We listen to local issues, learn, and design solutions. We debate and take stands."

Jane Dufoe, parent of one of Anderson's students, said, "DeEtta has an understanding of what it takes to capture the minds of the 'non-ag' kids as well as the knowledge to provide a depth of understanding for the students in her classroom that show a propensity for agriculture related topics. DeEtta's own natural curiosity, and intellect, allow her to teach her students in the way that each of them learns best."



IOWA PEST RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN TO BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, Iowa State University Associate Dean Dr. John Lawrence and Iowa farmer Larry Buss will announce the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan.

The announcement will take place on Monday, Jan. 30 at 1:30 p.m. in the Iowa Power Farming Show media room on the Ballroom level of Community Choice Convention Center (formerly Vets auditorium).

The Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan is an Iowa-specific plan to address pests — including weeds, insects and plant diseases — that can adapt and become resistant to chemical, genetic, and agronomic control practices. The Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan (IPRMP) outlines approaches for effective, integrated management solutions.



Officers Mission To South Korea, Japan Focuses On Corn Quality

Farmer leaders and key staff from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) traveled to South Korea and Japan last week to participate in the rollout of the Council’s 2016/2017 corn harvest quality report.

Participating in the mission included:
    Jim Stitzlein, Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., and the Council’s secretary/treasurer;
    Alan Tiemann, Nebraska Corn Board and the Council’s past chairman;
    Mark Seastrand, North Dakota Barley Council and the Council’s Barley Sector director;
    Dick Gallagher, director for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Council's Corn Sector director;
    Kimberly Atkins, vice president and COO; and
    Floyd Gaibler, director of trade policy and biotechnology.

In South Korea, the group met with the chief executives of feed industry buyers; participated in the Korea office’s annual corn quality conference; and had discussions with local USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) officials.

Team members also visited the Cargill Agri Purina Feed Mill, the world’s largest animal feed mill with a capacity of 870,000 tons per year, and Pyeongtaek Taeyoung Grain Terminal.

For decades, the Council’s programs have contributed to growth in the livestock and corn processing industries in South Korea, where the coarse grains import market has expanded to more than 12 MMT annually from less than half a million tons in the early 1970s.

"During these visits, it was clear that our customers very much appreciate the information we are able to provide and especially hearing directly from U.S. producers," Atkins said. "In turn, we appreciate the opportunity to continue to demonstrate that the United States is a reliable, transparent supplier of high-quality feed grains and how much we value these loyal and consistent buyers of U.S. corn and co-products."

Later, in Japan, the group participated in another conference rolling out the quality reports, with more than 140 local buyers and industry representatives in attendance. They offered details about the report’s findings and a full review of global corn supply and demand.

The delegation also met with officials at the local FAS office, JA Zennoh, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to exchange opinions and views on grain and ethanol trade.

Japan is a mature and stable market for U.S. feed grains that is driven in part by a high level of Council engagement with the local industry and government on issues including supply, quality, biotechnology and sustainability.

“Membership involvement in missions like this one is critical to the USGC’s efforts to bolster confidence in the United States as a reliable supplier and to encourage purchases from the U.S. versus other available origins,” Atkins said. “We benefit greatly from engaged members and leadership willing to visit these markets and forge meaningful relationships with our customers.”



Perdue Confirmation Hearing Expected in February

The confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Secretary nominee, Sonny Perdue, is expected toward the end of February. According to transition officials, it will take several weeks to thoroughly analyze Perdue’s paperwork, including financial disclosures, business holdings, debt and income, for any conflicts of interest. Meanwhile, Michael Young, the director of the USDA Office of Budget and Program Analysis, is serving as Acting Secretary.



Senate Agriculture Committee Announces First Farm Bill Hearing

Chairman Pat Roberts (KS) announced the first Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee farm bill hearing in preparation for the 2018 farm bill. The hearing will take place on February 23, 2017, at Kansas State University’s main campus in Manhattan. The announcement of a second hearing in Sen. Stabenow’s home state of Michigan is expected soon.



DYK Beef Shorts - Consumer Information

Did you know ... on Jan. 24, the beef checkoff hosted a free webinar for more than 800 health professionals? Participants earned continuing educational credits by learning more about beef nutrition. They also heard the latest scientific evidence about beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet. The webinar was led by Michael Davidson, M.D., clinical professor and director of preventive cardiology at the University of Chicago; and Jan Tilley, RD, a national leader in nutrition counseling. The presenters showed the dietitians, doctors and nurses how to translate the latest research into practical dietary approaches for treating elevated cholesterol levels. Pre- and post-survey data will be compared to measure attitude shifts resulting from the webinar. 

Did you know ... as a result of the beef checkoff’s sponsorship of the 2016 Progressive Grocer Grocerant Summit, more than 100 supermarket foodservice executives will receive beef-checkoff news and insights? New “Beef News Now” subscribers include supermarket retailers, suppliers and food manufacturers. The focus will be on growth of foodservice in retail. This further supports checkoff efforts for direct conversations with decision makers who influence new beef products and menu items, showcasing checkoff research and program initiatives to grow sales with premium, fresh beef products. 

Did you know ... the Annual Meat Conference, sponsored in part by the beef checkoff, targets retailers and retail influencers nationwide? The conference runs February 19 to 21 in Dallas. One panel session will feature beef producers talking about what ranchers and feedyard operators do every day. Beef industry experts will engage directly with retailers on topics like antibiotics and sustainability, for example. This outreach ensures that key influencers will get answers to beef questions directly from the producers who raise beef.

For more information about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.



International Grains Council Sees a Smaller 2017/18 Wheat Harvest
Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USWheat Assoc. Market Analyst

USDA will issue its first 2017/18 world wheat supply and demand estimates in May, but on Jan. 19 the International Grains Council (IGC) provided an early look ahead at the next marketing year. IGC pegged 2017/18 world wheat production at 735 million metric tons (MMT), down 2 percent from the estimated 752 MMT produced in 2016/17. If realized, it would still be the third largest wheat crop ever, but would be the first year over year decline in 5 years. For comparison, USDA estimates 2016/17 global wheat production at 753 MMT.

IGC expects just two of the major exporting countries, Russia and Ukraine, to harvest more wheat in 2017/18, even though their estimates are up only 1 percent and 2 percent, respectively. IGC predicts European Union harvested area will remain stable in 2017/18. Harvested area is forecasted to fall 3 percent in Argentina, Australia and Canada, while IGC expects farmers in the United States and Kazakhstan to harvest 8 percent and 10 percent less wheat, respectively.

Harvested area in Morocco is expected to rebound to a more normal level after widespread rain eased drought conditions that cut its 2016/17 harvested area by 26 percent in 2016/17 to just 5.19 million acres (2.1 million hectares). Projected increases in India, North Africa, Turkey, Iran and Egypt will offset the expected decreases in harvested area among the major exporters according to IGC data.

2017/18 carry-in stocks are estimated at a record large 235 MMT, up 6 percent year over year, if realized. However, the larger carry-in stocks are not anticipated to offset the forecasted decrease in production, and total world supply would decline 3 MMT to a projected 970 MMT. 

For the first time since 2012/13, IGC expects total consumption to be greater than total production. Total consumption is forecast at 737 MMT, down an estimated 1 MMT from 2016/17. Food use will climb over 500 MMT for the first time ever, partially offsetting an expected decrease in feed and residual use due to smaller production in Canada and the United States. 

IGC believes 2016/17 world wheat trade will shrink to 164 MMT, down 4 percent from the prior year, if realized. With consumption outpacing production, IGC expects carryout stocks to decrease marginally year over year to 234 MMT.