Thursday April 27 Ag News

Pocket Field Guide Available for Nebraska Soybean and Corn Growers

Nebraska farmers have a handy new resource to help them diagnose potential problems in their soybean and corn fields. The Nebraska Soybean & Corn Pocket Field Guide provides photos and facts to help farmers make an initial identification of problems they may encounter during the growing season. The guide was produced by a team of University of Nebraska researchers, and funded by the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB), Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and the United Soybean Board (USB).

The field guide is intended to be a resource farmers can carry with them when scouting crops. If they find signs of injury or disease they can quickly research potential causes of the damage. The guide also helps farmers identify unfamiliar weeds or pests. When problems are encountered, farmers are encouraged to confirm their initial diagnosis with their local extension agent or by sending samples to the UNL Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic. The guide also provides helpful information on crop management topics such as climate, soil, water use and crop development phases.

NSB Chairman Tony Johanson of Oakland spearheaded the effort to produce the field guide. Johanson is a master seed advisor for Central Valley Ag and has used a field guide from Purdue University for several years. He wanted a guide created specifically for Nebraska farmers. “I always felt funny giving farmers a field guide with information from Indiana,” said Johanson.

He says it’s also a way to demonstrate the value of the Soybean Checkoff. The Nebraska Soybean Board partners with the University of Nebraska on a number of research projects. UNL Professor Emeritus Jim Specht has conducted much of that research, and he co-authored the Nebraska Soybean & Corn Pocket Field Guide. “This is a way to put the University of Nebraska’s leading ag research into farmers’ hands, where it can help them in their fields,” said Johanson. “It’s valuable information specific to conditions faced by farmers in Nebraska.”

The Nebraska Soybean & Corn Pocket Field Guide is available free of charge by contacting NSB through their website, NebraskaSoybeans.org, or by calling 402-441-3240.



NRCS EXTENDS SIGN UP FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION FUNDING IN LOWER ELKHORN.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) entered into an agreement with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District to help farmers improve irrigation water management, reduce soil erosion and install conservation practices through the Lower Elkhorn Water and Soil Conservation Initiative. This Initiative is available through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

Producers in the northeast Nebraska 15-county Initiative area (see map) originally had until mid-October to apply, but the sign up has been extended to June 16, 2017. Producers should visit one of the NRCS offices located in the Initiative area to apply.

Robin Sutherland, District Conservationist in the Stanton NRCS field office said, “This Initiative is a great opportunity for farmers and ranchers to receive financial and technical assistance to make their operations more productive and sustainable.”

Through the Initiative, NRCS and the Lower Elkhorn NRD work together to provide financial and technical assistance to help farmers apply soil and water conservation practices like flow meters, irrigation water management, nutrient management, as well as adopt soil health practices like no-till and cover crops on eligible cropland.

For more information about the RCPP and other conservation programs available from NRCS, visit your local USDA Service center or www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.



Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding President Trump’s Action to Renegotiate, Not Withdraw, from NAFTA

“President Trump’s decision to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada, and Mexico versus completely withdrawing from the trade compact is clearly the right decision. Stepping away from a trade agreement that has a proven track record of creating jobs and generating billions of dollars for Nebraska agriculture and the state’s broader economy would be a mistake of epic proportions.”

“While we understand the President’s desire to work to secure better trade deals for America, it is imperative that new negotiations do not jeopardize arrangements within NAFTA that benefit Nebraska agriculture. Today, roughly 30 percent of farm income is generated from international trade, with NAFTA being a major contributor. We will watch these negotiations closely to make sure any renegotiations do not come at the expense of provisions that benefit Nebraska’s farm and ranch families.”



ASA Welcomes President Trump’s Decision to Focus on NAFTA Modernization

The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomed an announcement from President Donald Trump late Wednesday that the United States would remain a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The announcement came following reports that the White House was readying an executive order to withdraw from the agreement, prompting significant concern and swift action from ASA and other farm groups that recognize the importance of NAFTA and agreements like it. Instead, the White House announced that it will engage with Canada and Mexico in a renegotiation of the major trade pact, which has significantly benefitted soybean producers.

“We are relieved by the president’s decision that the United States will work on improving the NAFTA rather than withdrawing from it, and we will continue to closely monitor negotiations as they move forward,” said ASA President Ron Moore, a soybean farmer from Roseville, Ill. “When you’re talking about $3 billion in soybean exports a year, any threats to withdraw from agreements and walk away from markets makes farmers extremely nervous. We remain supportive of efforts to modernize NAFTA and further expand access for U.S. soy in Mexico and Canada, and we look forward to working with the administration to realize these goals.”

Moore used the situation to underscore the importance of having key administration personnel like Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in place, and called on the Senate to swiftly confirm Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative.

“It is clear that Secretary Perdue clearly sees the link between increased access to global markets and success for American farmers,” said Moore. “We are grateful that he was sworn in this week and had the opportunity to provide advice on the NAFTA decision. As we move forward, it is key Amb. Lighthizer be in place at USTR. We applaud the Senate Finance Committee for its approval of his nomination, and look to the full Senate to confirm him as quickly as possible.”



Farm Bureau Welcomes Decision to Improve NAFTA

The American Farm Bureau Federation thanked the Trump administration today for its decision to pursue renegotiation over withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement. The full text of the letter from AFBF President Zippy Duvall is below:

“Thank you for your recent decision to choose the path of renegotiation for the North American Free Trade Agreement, rather than withdrawal. Your leadership in reaching out to President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada began an important step to finding a path forward for updating this important agreement. There are compelling reasons to update and reform NAFTA from agriculture’s perspective, including improvements on biotechnology, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and geographic indicators. As you know, overall, NAFTA has been overwhelmingly beneficial for farmers, ranchers and associated businesses all across the United States, Canada and Mexico for decades. Walking away from those gains would have been a severe blow to the agricultural sector and we appreciate the path that will allow for reform and enhancement, rather than abandonment of past achievements.

“The NAFTA modernization effort should recognize and build upon the strong gains achieved by U.S. agriculture through tariff elimination, harmonization—or recognition of equivalency—of numerous regulatory issues, and development of integrated supply chains that have arisen due to the agreement. With NAFTA, U.S. farmers and ranchers across the nation have benefited from an increase in annual exports to Mexico and Canada, which have gone from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38 billion in 2016. We strongly caution against any actions that would lead to a re-imposition of tariffs or other barriers to agricultural trade with our NAFTA partners.

“Trade is critical to the livelihood of the U.S. agricultural sector because it spurs economic growth for our farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. Agriculture supports jobs in the food and agricultural industries and beyond. The fact is, 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the United States and over 20 percent of U.S. farm income is based on exports.

“Expanding opportunities for U.S. crop and livestock producers to access international markets will boost farm income in the United States. Just as important as expansion, we need your engagement on behalf of agriculture to protect our current access to foreign markets, which amounts to $134 billion annually.

“Existing trade agreements have proved successful in tearing down tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that hinder U.S. farmers’ and ranchers’ competitiveness and prevent us from taking advantage of consumer demand for high-quality U.S. food and agricultural products throughout the world.

“Trade agreements also provide the highest standard of trade rules, allowing the United States to lead in setting the foundation to establish market-driven and science-based terms of trade and dispute resolution that will directly benefit the U.S. food and agriculture industry. If we surrender the lead, we will fall behind as our competitors aggressively work to establish alternative trade agreements that give their agricultural interests an advantage over our own.

“There are numerous areas in agriculture alone where the agreement can be modernized, ranging from the handling of wheat to dairy issues, from animal health certifications to transparency on agricultural biotechnology. We look forward to working with the administration in developing the full list of topics for discussion.

“As farm income continues to fall to its lowest level since 2009, we urge your immediate attention both to securing and to maintaining solid and fair trade agreements that bring the benefits of agricultural trade to our struggling farm economy.”



New NAHMS Survey to Measure Antibiotic Use, Stewardship

Starting in May, the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) will ask pig farmers who have at least 1,000 pigs and farm in any of the top 13 pork-producing states about their on-farm antimicrobial use and their related stewardship practices. Those states include Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Dakota.

Specifically, the NAHMS Antimicrobial Use on U.S. Swine Operations 2017 study will:
-    Estimate the percentage of production sites using and the percentage of weaned market pigs receiving specific antimicrobials in feed and/or water by reasons for use.
-    Describe antimicrobial-use practices in feed and water on production sites.
-    Provide baseline data (historical) on antimicrobial-use practices in place before implementation of FDA policy changes (prior to 2017), which can be used for evaluating trends over time.
-    Describe antimicrobial stewardship practices on production sites with weaned market pigs or swine nursery and grower-finisher facilities.

“As an industry, we welcome this latest effort by USDA to get accurate information to the public about how America’s pig farmers actually use antibiotics,” said Jan Archer, National Pork Board president and a pig farmer in Goldsboro, North Carolina. “We’ve been good stewards of antibiotics over the years by working with our veterinarian partners and by following guidelines, such as those in the Pork Quality Assurance® Plus certification program. Also, this survey will provide benchmark data that can help our industry as we continue on our journey of continuous improvement.”

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers in the 13 states who have at least 1,000 pigs to ask for their participation in the study. Later this summer, those who agree to participate will meet with a veterinarian from the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, who will conduct the survey. Importantly, the NAHMS study will protect participants’ privacy by not revealing names or contact information associated with individual data.

“The industry stands to gain with reliable information and improved transparency to consumers and others about how we use antibiotics on our farms,” Archer said. “There’s too much misinformation out there today, and we see this as a way to provide a more accurate picture of how we are doing the right thing on our farms every day.”

For more information about the NAHMS study, contact: USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7 2150 Centre Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117. Phone: (970) 494-7000 Email: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov or visit NAHMS at: http://www.nahms.aphis.usda.gov. 



Study: Iowa pork industry remains important economic driver

A new study commissioned by the Iowa Pork Producers Association shows the state's pork industry continues to be a key contributor to the rural Iowa and the state economy.

The economic contribution study was conducted in late 2016 by Decision Innovation Solutions of Urbandale, which produced the results in accordance with methods prescribed and endorsed by the Minnesota IMPLAN Group. The research results are based on IMPLAN modeling data from 2015.
 
Economic Contributions
The industry contributed $36.7 billion in sales in 2015, with $13.1 billion, or 35.6 percent, from swine production; $18.3 billion, or 49.7 percent, from hog slaughtering; and $5.4 billion, or 14.7 percent, from pork processing.

The sales total included $12.2 billion in added value beyond the $24.5 billion cost of inputs. There were 141,813 jobs associated with the pork industry, or about the total combined populations of Ames, Ankeny and Coralville in 2015, with nearly 52 percent in production alone. One in nearly 12 working Iowans has a job tied to the pork industry.

The industry produced $8.3 billion in labor income, contributed $756.4 million in state and local taxes and $1.56 billion in federal taxes in 2015.

"Iowa has long been the nation's leader in swine production because of the proximity to abundant supplies of corn and soybeans, the primary components in swine feed," said IPPA President Curtis Meier of Clarinda. "We're proud of our ranking and are pleased that the industry is such a profound economic contributor to our local communities. The study shows what pork does for rural Iowa."
 
Select County Analysis
In addition to analyzing state level hog production and related economic activity, county level results for a cross section of 25 Iowa counties were estimated. These counties included some of the top producing counties (Hardin, Plymouth and Washington), as well as some of the lesser producing ones (Iowa, Marshall and Union).

The average hog inventory per county is 206,623 head, while the average number of hog farms per county is 63. This results in an average inventory per Iowa hog farm of 3,265 head.

The 25 focus counties selected for further analysis have inventories that account for 31 percent of Iowa hogs. Additionally, these counties represent 28 percent of the farms in Iowa, with an average inventory per hog farm of 3,671 head, 406 more than the statewide average head per farm.
 
Reliance on Feedstuffs
Iowa's pork industry relies heavily on the ability of corn and soybean farmers to produce abundant supplies to feed pigs and the study looked at how many acres of Iowa cropland is dedicated to feeding pigs in Iowa.

Hogs raised in Iowa consume grain raised on more than 5.7 million acres: 3.3 million acres of corn and Dried Distillers Grain with Solubles; and 2.4 million acres of soybeans. Overall, pigs eat 24.7 percent of the acres planted to corn and soybeans in the state: 24.5 percent of the corn acres and 25 percent of the acres planted to soybeans.

"Our association represents the best pig farmers in the nation and they are committed to humanely raising quality pork at the lowest cost possible," Meier said. "Farmers are the original environmentalists and work daily to preserve our natural resources for future generations by supporting the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, abiding by manure management plans developed for their farms and actively contributing to and supporting their local communities."
 
Local Economic Contributions
Decision Innovation Solutions also looked at what the construction and operations effects of a new, 2,400-head wean-to-finish hog barn in Iowa would be on the local and state economy. Employment, labor income, value added and sales are all common measures of economic activity. An Iowa hog farm relies on roughly 30 percent of its needs from local businesses.

Construction of a new hog farm requires purchases of steel, concrete and equipment. Once completed, the farm purchases feed, veterinary care and other professional services, and several more inputs to produce hogs for sale. One new barn would generate 14.6 jobs, provide more than $869,000 in labor income; $1.1 million in value added and $2.3 million in sales, according to the study.



Keep an Eye on Stored Grain this Planting Season

With the arrival of planting season, producers need to regularly check their stored grain in order to prevent spoilage. According to Charles Hurburgh, grain quality and handling specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, producers need to double the frequency they inspect their grain because this is a high risk year and the condition of stored grain could deteriorate quickly.

“Pay attention to dew point temperatures in the air,” said Hurburgh, who also serves as director of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative. “If we have a stretch of big storms, there will often be dry air afterward with dew points in the 30s and 40s. Run fans if the grain is warmer than that in order to keep gain cold as long as possible.”

Humid weather can cause grain storage problems and can become an issue if grain is not cooled. If the relative humidity is 65 percent or above, fungi and other spoilage organisms can develop. Aeration in storage bins is done to stay below 65 percent humidity in the grain mass, which helps prevent spoilage.

“If the corn is cold, occasionally water will condense on the top of the bins, so having a bin with a roof ventilator is a plus,” said Hurburgh. “If the water has condensed on the roof, take care of it right away with a roof fan and it won’t be necessary to aerate the whole bin with air warmer than it needs to be.”

Last fall was not a good cooling period, as temperatures were warm with relatively high dew points. More of the grain’s storage life was used up, which will mean higher risks this summer. The large carryover means that some of the 2016 crop will need to be in condition even into 2018.

Wet weather is delaying planting in some areas, but a higher moisture harvest is not currently being forecasted.

“A common misconception is if planting season is later, then harvest season will be later,” said Hurburgh. “It’s also a misconception that early planting means early harvest, but there is no real correlation between planting date and having wet corn in the fall. The planting date will have no predictable impact on harvest moisture, at least up to a time corn is likely to be switched out in preference to soybeans. It has everything to do with the weather in August and September.” 

For additional information the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative has developed online learning modules to help teach producers proper grain storage practices. The Iowa Grain Quality Aeration Module (CROP 3083B) and Iowa Grain Quality Fan Performance Module (CROP 3083C), produced in cooperation with the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative and Crop Advisor Institute, helps users understand the function of aeration in preventing grain spoilage and how fan performance helps to cool grain, as well as the requirement for fan selection.



Sheep Production Workshop Offered as Part of Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival

The 2017 Midwest Commercial Sheep Production Workshop will be offered during the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. The workshop will be held on Saturday, June 17 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames, Iowa.

The workshop will focus on the Let’s Grow goals and objectives campaign from the American Lamb Board aimed at increasing both the overall lamb crop and the quality and consumer satisfaction of the lamb that is produced.

“There is a great group of speakers coming in, as well as a producer panel that is focused on the sheep industry’s sustainability in Iowa,” said Dan Morrical, professor and sheep specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “The Iowa Sheep Industry Association has done a great job of putting together this educational programming to draw the interest of commercial producers.”

The following topics will be discussed:
-    Maximizing Resource Use by Extending the Lambing Season: Richard Ehrhardt, Michigan State University
-    Identifying Profitable Sheep: How to Grow Your Profits and Reduce Labor: Dan Persons, Rafter P Ranch and Shearwell
-    Evaluating Finish of Live Market Lambs: Brad Anderson, Mountain States Lamb; Mark Henry, Centralized Ultrasound Processors Lab; Dan Morrical, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
-    Evaluating Finish of Lamb Carcasses: Anderson and Morrical
-    Logistics of Grazing Cover Crops and Crop Stover: Ehrhardt
-    Producers Share Experiences with Integrating Livestock and Crop Production: A panel of producers will share and discuss how livestock production can complement row crop production
-    How the NSIP Can Benefit Sheep Flocks of Differing Sizes and Goals: Rusty Burgett, National Sheep Improvement Program

Cost of attendance is $35 and online registration is available from the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival website. A student discount is available.

A Shepherding 101 program also will be offered for the beginning shepherd or for those who want to review the basics of raising sheep.



USDA Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income 2016 Summary

Total 2016 production of cattle and calves and hogs and pigs for the United States totaled 78.3 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2015. Production increased 3 percent for cattle and calves and 2 percent for hogs and pigs.

Total 2016 cash receipts from marketings of meat animals decreased 16 percent to $82.8 billion. Cattle and calves accounted for 77 percent of this total and hogs and pigs accounted for 23 percent.

The 2016 gross income from cattle and calves and hogs and pigs for the United States totaled $83.3 billion, down 16 percent from 2015. Gross income decreased 18 percent for cattle and calves and 9 percent for hogs and pigs from previous year's gross income.

Cattle and Calves: Cash receipts from marketings of cattle and calves decreased 18 percent from $78.1 billion in 2015 to $63.9 billion in 2016. All cattle and calf marketings totaled 54.3 billion pounds in 2016, up 4 percent from 2015.

Hogs and Pigs: Cash receipts from hogs and pigs totaled $18.9 billion during 2016, down 9 percent from 2015. Marketings totaled 36.6 billion pounds in 2016, up 2 percent from 2015.



USDA Milk Production, Disposition, and Income 2016 Summary

Milk production increased 1.8 percent in 2016 to 212 billion pounds. The rate per cow, at 22,774 pounds, was 378 pounds above 2015. The annual average number of milk cows on farms was 9.33 million head, up 14,000 head from 2015.

Cash receipts from marketings of milk during 2016 totaled $34.5 billion, 3.3 percent lower than 2015. Producer returns averaged $16.34 per hundredweight, 5.1 percent below 2015. Marketings totaled 211.4 billion pounds, 1.8 percent above 2015. Marketings include whole milk sold to plants and dealers and milk sold directly to consumers.

An estimated 1.0 billion pounds of milk were used on farms where produced, 3.3 percent more than 2015. Calves were fed 91 percent of this milk, with the remainder consumed in producer households.



Five-State Animal Care and Welfare Webinars Offered

South Dakota livestock producers, industry professionals and 4-H youth are encouraged to tune in the first Wednesday of each month for webinars provided by SDSU Extension.

The Animal Care Wednesday Webinar series is made possible through a five-state partnership of university and extension staff from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

"These webinars are designed to provide a brief snapshot of animal welfare and care topics," said Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension Livestock Stewardship Associate.

Past webinar topics have included: antibiotic resistance and stewardship, show animal resources on the VFD (veterinary feed directive) changes, medication and remote delivery methods for cattle, equine welfare and neglect and understanding public perceptions of livestock practices.

"We see these webinars as a great way to provide information, while at the same time generating discussion on current animal care topics," Carroll explained.

The 30-minute webinars are held the first Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. CST. However, anyone is welcome to view the webinar once it has been aired at animalscience.unl.edu/animal-care-resources#tab2. 

"These webinars provide a flexible way to learn about current animal welfare and care topics that impact animal agriculture in the United States," Carroll said.

The May 3 webinar is titled "Cattle Transportation & Preparing for Emergencies". The webinar will be presented by Lisa Pederson, the North Dakota Beef Quality Assurance Specialist.



Conference Works To Increase Inclusion Of U.S. DDGS In South Korea

Ninety-six percent of feed millers in South Korea now include U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in their rations for the country’s livestock and poultry industries, thanks in part to work started by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in 2004 to introduce this feed ingredient.

How to continue growing this market with nearly 100 percent adoption? Increase average inclusion rates from the current 4.3 percent to the recommended level of 6 percent. To do so, the Council organized a DDGS conference in South Korea on April 25 to provide local millers with additional technical expertise and logistical support.

More than 100 South Korean DDGS buyers, feed formulators, research and development personnel as well as representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) attended the conference. It included one-on-one meetings between U.S. suppliers and South Korean buyers as well as a technical seminar on the nutritional and economic value of U.S. DDGS by Dr. Jerry Shurson from the University of Minnesota. Activities like this conference not only provide valuable education, but also help connect Korean importers and traders to reliable U.S. DDGS suppliers.

“The attendees from the feed industry gave us excellent feedback, reporting that this seminar was timely and very useful,” said Haksoo Kim, USGC Korea director. “Thanks to the Council’s efforts, they now understand the advantages of U.S. DDGS and will increase their inclusion rates.”

South Korea purchases of U.S. DDGS continue to grow. South Korea imported nearly 845,000 metric tons of U.S. DDGS in the 2015/2016 marketing year, up from about 621,000 metric tons the prior year. In the first six months of the 2016/2017 marketing year (Sep. 2016-Feb. 2017), South Korea imported nearly 516,000 metric tons of U.S. DDGS, up 31 percent from the same time period the previous year.

The Council projects that South Korea will continue to increase its imports of U.S. DDGS with the improvement of inclusion rates and more efficient supply systems between U.S. suppliers and South Korean buyers.



Farm Bureau Responds to President’s Tax Plan
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall

“Farmers and ranchers need a tax code that promotes the business of farming and ranching and recognizes the unique financial challenges we face. Farm Bureau welcomes a pro-business approach to tax reform, but any tax reform proposal must treat all businesses fairly. Most farm and ranch businesses don’t operate like large corporations: they are small, family-run businesses that depend on deductions and provisions that give them the flexibility they need to keep their businesses running in all seasons.

“Lower tax rates will go a long way in helping farmers and ranchers. But the future of other important provisions for agriculture—like immediate expensing, the deduction for interest expense, cash accounting and like-kind exchanges—is still unclear to us. Farmers run their businesses in a world of uncertainty—from unpredictable markets to uncertain weather and disease outbreaks. The tax code should not add to the challenges of growing our nation’s food, fuel and fiber. We are ready to work with the administration and Congress to address all of agriculture’s needs in the tax code.

“Farm Bureau is pleased to see President Trump’s plan will immediately take on one of our top concerns, the estate tax. Eliminating the estate tax will free farmers to invest in the future of their family businesses rather than selling off their land and legacy when a family member dies. Farmers and ranchers have already benefitted from congressional action to reduce this burden, and we’re ready to bury the death tax once and for all.”



National FFA Organization Awards More Than $2.7 Million in Scholarships

The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships to 1,884 recipients. This was made possible thanks to the generosity of 115 sponsors.

More than 8,300 students applied online for the scholarships, with many of the applicants being considered for multiple awards. Approximately one in every four students who applied was awarded a scholarship. The scholarships were available to students pursuing two-year or four-year degrees or vocational programs. The average recipient had a GPA of 3.76 on a 4.0 scale and were in the top 16 percent of their class.

This year marks the 33rd year for the scholarship program, which began in 1984 with 16 scholarships offered. Since then, more than $47 million has been awarded in scholarship funds through the National FFA Organization.

The selection process takes into account the whole student, including FFA involvement, work experience, supervised agricultural experience, community service, leadership skills and academics.

A list of recipients is available on the scholarship results page on FFA.org. Recipients are listed first by the state in which their high school is located then alphabetically by student last name.



National Dairy FARM Program Releases Stockmanship Training Video with BQA

The National Dairy FARM Program announced today the release of a stockmanship training video as part of the program’s partnership with the National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program.

The 27-minute video is divided into several chapters, including “Point of Balance,” “Understanding the Flight Zone” and “Utilizing Tools to Effectively Move Cattle.” Each segment contains reminder points and multiple choice questions to test viewers on the content. The video can serve as a training resource to satisfy the FARM Animal Care Version 3.0 requirement for annual employee training.

The video, directed by Dr. Robert Hagevoort of New Mexico State and the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium, is available on the FARM Program website and YouTube page in both English and Spanish.

“We are more than happy to develop and provide a tool for farmers and employees that will help them better understand why cows behave the way they do, and as a result become more careful and more efficient animal caretakers,” said Hagevoort.

The FARM Program, created by NMPF in 2009, believes the dairy industry has a great story to tell when it comes to producing safe, abundant and affordable milk and dairy beef. Beef Quality Assurance is a nationally coordinated, state-implemented program that informs U.S. beef producers and consumers about common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge that can help raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. FARM’s partnership with BQA demonstrates that U.S. milk producers are committed to providing the best in animal care, residue prevention and environmental stewardship.



USDA Dairy Products 2016 Production Summary
Total cheese production, excluding cottage cheeses, was 12.2 billion pounds, 2.8 percent above 2015 production. Wisconsin was the leading State with 26.6 percent of the production.

Italian varieties, with 5.29 billion pounds were 4.1 percent above 2015 production and accounted for 43.5 percent of total cheese in 2016. Mozzarella accounted for 77.7 percent of the Italian production followed by Provolone with 7.6 percent and Parmesan with 7.6 percent. Wisconsin was the leading State in Italian cheese production with 30.8 percent of the production.

American type cheese production was 4.76 billion pounds, 1.3 percent above 2015 and accounted for 39.1 percent of total cheese in 2016. Wisconsin was the leading State in American type cheese production with 20.1 percent of the production.

Butter production in the United States during 2016 totaled 1.84 billion pounds, 0.6 percent below 2015. California accounted for 30.6 percent of the production.

Dry milk powders (2016 United States production, comparisons with 2015)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 1.75 billion pounds, down 3.8 percent.
Skim milk powders - 559 million pounds, up 25.3 percent.

Whey products (2016 United States production, comparisons with 2015)
Dry whey, total - 955 million pounds, down 2.3 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 1.10 billion pounds, up 4.7 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 468 million pounds, down 5.1 percent.

Frozen products (2016 United States production, comparisons with 2015)
Ice cream, Regular (total) - 919 million gallons, up 2.4 percent.
Ice cream, Lowfat (total) - 435 million gallons, down 0.8 percent.
Sherbet (total) - 41.2 million gallons, down 7.9 percent.
Frozen Yogurt (total) - 66.9 million gallons, down 9.8 percent.



Bipartisan Congressional Letter Voices Support for Tackling of Canada’s Protectionist Dairy Practices

Adding to the groundswell of recognition that Canada’s protectionist dairy policies are harmful to U.S. dairy exports, a bipartisan group of 68 members of the House of Representatives wrote to President Donald Trump yesterday urging him to insist that Canada comply with its dairy trade commitments, including those under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

At a time when questions are arising about the future of the U.S. role in NAFTA, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said the 25-year-old pact is a critically important agreement that needs to be modernized, not withdrawn from, as they praised the congressional letter’s focus on ways to improve upon the existing NAFTA trade relationship.

The congressional letter to President Trump followed a call Tuesday between him and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during which dairy exports were among the key topics discussed. The letter was spearheaded by Reps. Chris Collins (R-NY), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Ron Kind (D-WI), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Peter Welch (D-VT).

“We very much appreciate the bipartisan support from Members of Congress on this important issue. As the U.S. reviews the value of NAFTA, it’s essential that our trade negotiators focus on preserving dairy trade with Mexico and other key markets, while challenging barriers such as Canada’s systematic abuse of trade rules and tools,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.  He said that Canada’s new pricing policy uses a government-administered system to hurt the U.S. dairy industry, “undercutting our farmers’ exports and threatening to cause great damage to world dairy prices by dumping Canada’s surplus on the world market.”

“U.S. dairy companies and the workers they employ across rural America compete in global markets on a daily basis. They should reasonably be able to expect that others are also going to play by the rules,” said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of USDEC. “When our trading partners hold up their end of the bargain – as we have seen Mexico do for dairy – trade benefits our farmers, workers and companies. But to preserve that positive impact, it’s essential that we hold countries accountable when they walk the other direction, too – as Canada has chosen to do on dairy.”

“We appreciate the efforts of each member of Congress who signed the letter, recognizing the importance of our exports to Mexico while noting that Canadian dairy policies are directly hurting American exports,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “As we conveyed to our Mexican partners in our visit there earlier this year, NAFTA is very important to both our countries and has yielded strong benefits for agriculture. To build upon that track record, we need to address unfinished business such as the remaining tariff and nontariff trade barriers that Canada has pursued.”

The letter cited the importance of exports to the U.S. dairy industry, noting that approximately 15 percent of U.S. milk production amounting to roughly $5 billion a year leaves the country. As the letter stated, “the U.S. dairy sector relies on its exports to survive,” making Canada’s latest policy aimed at upending both bilateral and global dairy trade particularly harmful. In addition, the letter noted that “U.S. exports helped the dairy sector maintain roughly 110,000 U.S. jobs in farming and manufacturing.”



IGC Raises Global Output Forecasts for 2016-17 and 2017-18

The International Grains Council said Thursday that it still expects global grain production to break the 2.1 billion metric ton mark to reach the highest ever volume, largely thanks to strong maize production in the southern hemisphere.

The IGC upped its monthly output forecast for 2016-17 to 2,111 million tons from its adjusted estimate of 2,106 million tons given at the end of March. This represents a 5% year-on-year increase.

The grains body also released updated estimates for global grain production in 2017-18, inching its forecast up to 2,054 million tons from 2,050 million tons. Despite the increase, this would still constitute a 3% year-on-year drop.

Forecasts of huge harvests across several grain-producing regions has seen the IGC raise its production forecast in 11 of its last 12 reports.

Of the expected 36 million ton production increase on-the-year, the IGC says wheat and maize will account for 17 million tons and 18 million tons of that increase, respectively.

The IGC upgraded its corn production forecast to 1,059 million tons from 1,053 million tons and its soybean forecast to 345 million tons. The body forecast wheat production at 753 million tons, also maintaining its expectation of a 1 million ton increase in rice production to 483 million tons.

Strong soy bean production in Brazil is one of the drivers behind the IGC's production forecast hike.

Robust wheat buying in India also keeps pressure on global trade demand.

The council said the upward revision in expected production slightly outstrips a hike in its consumption forecast. As a result, its forecast for year-end global grain inventories was raised by 3 million tons to 516 million tons.



Arysta LifeScience Granted EPA Approval for New Plant Growth Stimulant

Following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval, Arysta LifeScience North America recently announced the launch of RIO™, a plant growth stimulant that activates endogenous natural plant hormone activity for enhanced plant reproductive growth.

RIO is the newest brand in the company’s BioSolutions portfolio. The product is labeled for various specialty and row crops.

“At Arysta LifeScience, we understand the growing interest and demand for plant growth stimulants, as they allow growers to enhance their crops’ genetic expressions and reach their genetic potential. Plant growth stimulants is just one area in which Arysta LifeScience is providing our customers with more choices and more ways to improve the quality of their crops and the boost to their yields,” said Royce Schulte, BioSolutions Business Manager, Arysta LifeScience. “RIO is derived from natural plant sources and encourages plants to reach their full potential.”

How RIO Works
RIO boosts natural plant hormone activity that allows plants to develop more effectively, including mineral uptake, cell division (for roots, stems and leaves), chlorophyll and photosynthesis activity, fruit set and growth, and nutrient and carbohydrate translocation to the growing fruit. This efficacy – in turn – can result in higher yields and improved crop quality.

“The active ingredients in RIO work similarly to the way plant growth regulators work, but the product stimulates natural plant hormone activity,’ Schulte explained.

The mode of action in RIO also activates metabolic pathways and influences root development, which leads to increased foliar area, formation of more vigorous floral buds, high flower/fruit sets and increased size/consistency of fruit.

“With RIO, growers should see increased yields and improved quality of various specialty and row crops,” Schulte concluded.

For additional information on RIO or the BioSolutions portfolio of products, ask your retailer or local Arysta LifeScience sales representative, or visit www.arysta-na.com.