Thursday July 6 Ag News

2017 U.S. SOY Global Trade Exchange & Midwest Specialty Grains Conference Coming to Omaha

All eyes in the global soy and grain industry will be on Omaha, Nebraska in August. The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and Midwest Shippers Association (MSA) today announced that the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Midwest Specialty Grains Conference and Trade Show will be held at Omaha's CenturyLink convention center and the Hilton Omaha hotel on August 15, 16, and 17, 2017.

USSEC and the Midwest Shippers Association (MSA) are once again teaming up to host their signature event known for its value as well as its exclusive access to qualified international buyers. This year, more than 250 international soy buyers and traders are again expected to join more than 500 U.S. agriculture industry attendees in Omaha. Over 750 attendees from more than 55 countries took part in last year's event in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The three-day event will provide soy and grain industry exporters, buyers, shippers, government leaders and industry technical experts an opportunity to network with key decision-makers from around the world. In the past, more than 400,000 metric tons in soybean trade transactions have commenced at this joint event through buyer/seller meetings organized by USSEC.

"The U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange is a unique networking event for the U.S. Soy industry, providing a fantastic opportunity for the buyers of U.S. Soy to view U.S. agriculture and meet with our exporters and producers face to face," said Jim Sutter, Chief Executive Officer of USSEC. "The state of Nebraska is an important one for our industry, ranking fifth in production of U.S. Soy last year. In 2016, Nebraska soybean farmers harvested 305.7 million bushels on 5.3 million acres, worth $2.6 billion."

"Omaha offers a superb location for what will be our fifth year for this combined global event. Several leading U.S. food and agriculture companies are headquartered here in the heart of U.S. soybean and grain production. We have a strong program in the works, and we look forward to hosting our international customers here in the Midwest again," said Bruce Abbe, MSA executive director.

For more information, to register, and to follow event developments, please visit www.grainconference.org.



NE Extension/NSDA Hosts Dairy Robotics Workshop
Robots seem to be the wave of the future.  Dairy producers are considering milking robots, automatic calf feeders, feeding robots, manure pushers and more.  If you are considering robots for your farm, this workshop is right for you.  Learn from the experts about the economics of milking robots, changes in management with robots, how nutrition of the cow changes, considerations with automatic calf feeders and tour the first dairy in Nebraska to install milking robots.

Date: July 18, 2017
Location: St. Paul Parish Social Hall, 203 E. Park Ave, Plainview, NE 68769
Time: 10:00 am
Registration is only $50 per person.  http://dairy.unl.edu/dairy-robotics-workshop-0

Agenda
10:00 am - Welcome
10:15 am - 11:00 am, Finances and returns for robotic dairies; Jim Salfer, University of Minnesota
11:00 am - 11: 45 am , Nutritional considerations in robotic herds; Victor Cabrera, UW-Madison
11: 45 am - 12:15 pm - Break
12:15 pm - 12:45 pm - Lunch
12:45 pm - 1:30 pm - Changes in management strategies with milking robots; Salfer
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm - Automatic calf feeders: What you should know; Jim Fisher, Foerster-Technik
2:15 pm - 2:45 pm - Break
2:45 pm - 3: 45 pm - Producer Panel: Hear from dairy producers that have installed milking robots
4:00 pm - Tour Demerath Dairy



DARCI VETTER NAMED YEUTTER INSTITUTE DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE

Ambassador Darci Vetter, former chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has been named diplomat in residence at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In her new role, Vetter will work with leadership from the university's College of Law, College of Business and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources to launch the Clayton K. Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance.

"The vision of the Yeutter Institute is to educate people on international markets and trade, a space where Nebraska is a major player due to its agricultural contributions," said IANR Harlan Vice Chancellor Mike Boehm. "Darci Vetter is one of the world's foremost experts in trade and we look forward to her visionary input in facilitating conversations surrounding economic vitality related to international trade and the role Nebraska plays."

As chief agricultural negotiator from 2014 to 2017, Vetter led bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture, including negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement’s agricultural package. Vetter also brings experience at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and on Capitol Hill to her new role. She oversaw the USDA's export promotion and international development programs as deputy under secretary and advised the Senate Finance Committee on trade issues related to agriculture, the environment and labor. She began her trade policy career as a civil servant at the Office of the U.S Trade Representative, covering agriculture and environmental issues. Vetter received her Master of Public Affairs degree and a certificate in science, technology and environmental policy from Princeton University and her undergraduate degree from Drake University in Des Moines. Vetter grew up in Nebraska on a family farm, and she said she looks forward to returning to her home state to help shape the Yeutter Institute. 

"Clayton Yeutter's work formed the foundation that guides the way we negotiate in a global marketplace," Vetter said. "The Yeutter Institute provides a tremendous opportunity to shape the next generation of leaders in international trade and global finance, and I look forward to using the lessons I learned from Clayton to help launch it."

The university and the University of Nebraska Foundation have been conducting private fundraising for the planned institute, which is pending Board of Regents approval. A renowned trade expert and Nebraska alumnus, Yeutter made a $2.5 million leadership gift through outright and planned gifts to establish the Clayton K. Yeutter International Trade Program Fund at the foundation.

Yeutter, who died in March at 86, held three cabinet-level posts for two U.S. presidents. He was counselor for domestic policy and secretary of agriculture for President George H.W. Bush and U.S. trade representative for President Ronald Reagan. Most recently, Yeutter was senior adviser of international trade for Hogan Lovells, LLP, in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's oldest and largest law firms. He was born in Eustis and spent 18 years operating a 2,500-acre farm, ranch and cattle-feeding enterprise in central Nebraska.

"Clayton Yeutter had a profound influence on his alma mater, the state of Nebraska, our nation and the world through his leadership in trade and agriculture," Chancellor Ronnie Green said. "His legacy will live on for years to come as the Yeutter Institute produces graduates uniquely prepared to provide leadership in the global marketplace immediately upon receiving a degree from Nebraska."

Last fall, the university announced three endowed chairs will be established as the foundation of the Yeutter Institute. The Duane Acklie Chair will be in the College of Business; the Michael Yanney Chair will be in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and the Clayton Yeutter Chair will be in the College of Law.



NPPC:  EU Strikes Trade Deal With Japan; U.S. Must Do Likewise

Following today’s announcement by the European Union and Japan that they have reached agreement in principle on a trade pact, the National Pork Producers Council renewed its request that the Trump administration begin negotiations on a free trade agreement with Japan.

“The United States must quickly finalize a trade deal with Japan if it wants to maintain that important market,” said NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “We can’t stand by while countries around the world negotiate agreements that give them a competitive advantage over American products.

“We urge President Trump to make America great again by expanding our market access to Japan – an economically and strategically important ally – through an FTA.”

Japan is the highest value market for U.S. pork exports. In 2016, Japanese consumers purchased almost $1.6 billion of U.S. pork products. Demand in Japan for U.S. pork is very strong despite tariffs and other import measures that limit market access for it.

NPPC has urged the administration to get a Trans-Pacific Partnership-type deal with Japan. Under that trade agreement, which the pork organization strongly supported, Japan’s tariffs on pork, which are determined through a so-called gate price system, would have been nearly eliminated. Economist Dermot Hayes of Iowa State University estimated that U.S. pork exports to Japan would have increased exponentially under TPP, creating more than 5,000 new U.S. jobs.

With an EU-Japan trade pact in place, U.S. pork producers are concerned they will lose market share in the island nation.

“Producers are very dependent on exports,” Maschhoff said. “Last year, were exported 26 percent of our total production, and those exports added more than $50 – representing 36 percent of the $140 average value of a hog in 2016 – to the price we received for each animal marketed. We can’t afford to lose exports in our No. 1 market.”



Fertilizer Prices Continue to Hold Steady

Continuing a trend seen over the past several weeks, average retail fertilizer prices showed little movement in either direction the fourth week of June 2017, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN.

Of the eight major fertilizers, prices for all but one were slightly lower compared to a month prior. DAP had an average price of $437 per ton, MAP $470/ton, urea $333/ton, 10-34-0 $435/ton, anhydrous $484/ton, UAN28 $238/ton and UAN32 $268/ton.

The remaining fertilizer, potash, was just slightly higher compared to the previous month. Potash had an average price of $340/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.36/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.43/lb.N and UAN32 $0.42/lb.N.

Prices for all retail fertilizers are lower compared to a year earlier. Half of the eight major fertilizers are still double digits lower.

10-34-0 is 22% lower from a year ago while anhydrous is 14% less expensive, UAN32 is 12% lower and UAN28 10% less expensive. Urea is 9% lower, DAP is 6% less expensive and both MAP and potash are both 5% lower.



EIA: Ethanol Stocks, Blending Demand and Production Declined

The Energy Information Administration issued a report Thursday showing another weekly decline for domestic fuel ethanol inventories, with plant production and blending demand also down during the week-ended June 30.  The EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report showed ethanol inventories fell 200,000 bbl, or 0.9% to 21.6 million bbl last week, eliminating a year-over-year surplus.

Domestic plant production declined 1,000 bpd to 1.014 million bpd during the week reviewed, while up 30,000 bpd or 3.0% year-on-year. For the four weeks ended last week, fuel ethanol production averaged 1.006 million bpd, up 16,000 bpd or 1.6%.

Net refiner and blender inputs -- a gauge for ethanol demand -- fell 16,000 bpd or 1.7% to 945,000 bpd. Blending demand eased 12,000 bpd or 1.3% year-on-year. For the four-week period ended June 30, blending demand were up 5,000 bpd or 0.5%.



May Ethanol Exports Up From Year Ago
The U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday that U.S. exports of goods and services totaled $192.0 billion in May, up $0.9 billion from April, revised. Imports totaled $238.5 billion, down $0.2 billion from April. USDA later provided more details for exports of ethanol, biodiesel and distillers grains.

USDA said that U.S. exports of ethanol totaled 119.2 million gallons in May, up 75% from a year ago. Even though Brazil is harvesting its second crop of corn, Brazil was the top destination for May's exports, accounting for 54% of the total and followed by Canada at 26%. Using USDA's revised figures, U.S. ethanol exports were up 23% in the first five months of 2017 from a year ago. 

U.S. exports of biodiesel totaled 33,725 metric tons in May, down 29% from a year ago. Canada was the dominant destination for U.S. biodiesel exports in May, taking 92% of the total. In the first five months of 2017, U.S. biodiesel exports were down 16% from a year ago. 

U.S. exports of distillers grains totaled 742,043 metric tons in May, down 28% from a year ago. Mexico was the top export destination in May, accounting for 18% of the total while Turkey followed with 14%. China was sixth on the list, taking just 5% of the total. In the first five months of 2017, exports of U.S. distillers grains were up 8% from a year ago. 



Cuban Embargo Will Hurt Grain Trade Despite Continued Engagement

Recent moves to again harden the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba will block near-term sales of U.S. feed grains as well as stymie long-term market development. Despite these factors, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) plans to continue its long-time work in Cuba, driven by members’ core belief that trade is critical for improving U.S.-Cuba relations and the welfare of the Cuban people.

Historically, Cuba is a 900,000 metric ton (35.4 million bushels) market for corn. Based on recent export sales, capturing this demand would make Cuba the 11th largest customer for U.S. corn. In addition, free flow of grain to Cuba would help capture sales to the Dominican Republic and even Puerto Rico, worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

Instead of a predominant U.S. market share, Argentina and Brazil provide the needed financing to the island nation, allowing these competitors to dominate this nearby market despite added transit time, higher freights and additional pest control costs.

Even in the face of these challenges, though, U.S. corn is sold to Cuba. So far this marketing year, Cuba has purchased about 30 percent of its total corn demand from the United States, totaling more than 280,301 tons (11.03 million bushels).

“Corn sales to Cuba this year show that Cubans want our product when its competitive to other origins and that we have significant room for growth given the right policy environment,” said Tom Sleight, USGC President and CEO, in a June statement on changes to Cuba policy. “In the past two years, our work in Cuba and with Cuban grain buyers has shown us that the only hindrance to progress there is U.S. policy.”

The brief opening of U.S.-Cuba relations prompted new Council programs, including several market assessments and hosting an Alimport officials’ team to the United States last year. With changes again making this work more challenging, USGC staff headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Panama continue work to serve participants in the Cuban market and seek openings for programming that will lead to sales.



Conaway, Peterson Announce Additional Farm Bill Listening Sessions

Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-7) announced three additional committee listening sessions, “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,” to gather input from farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across the country. Upon announcement of the additional listening sessions, the chairman and ranking member made the following remarks:

“With the farm economy in its worst slide since the Great Depression, producers in every region of the country have important perspectives about what is and isn’t working in agricultural policy. I’m looking forward to taking what we heard in Florida and adding new perspectives as we travel across the country to ensure we craft the strong farm bill our country deserves,” said Chairman Conaway.

“These listening sessions are a continuation of the Committee’s review of farm bill programs and I’m looking forward to hearing directly from farmers and others impacted by the farm bill. Real world examples of what is, and maybe isn’t, working will help better inform Committee members when we begin the task of writing a new farm bill,” said Ranking Member Peterson.

Listening Session Schedule:
July 31, 2017, San Angelo, Texas
Aug. 3, 2017, Morgan, Minn.
Aug. 5, 2017, Modesto, Calf.

Further details related to the listening sessions will be forthcoming.



USDA Dairy Products Production May 2017 Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.05 billion pounds, 4.0 percent above May 2016 and 0.8 percent above April 2017.  Italian type cheese production totaled 451 million pounds, 1.2 percent above May 2016 and 0.6 percent above April 2017.  American type cheese production totaled 425 million pounds, 5.7 percent above May 2016 and 0.4 percent above April 2017.  Butter production was 164 million pounds, 1.5 percent below May 2016 but 0.6 percent above April 2017.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with May 2016)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 168 million pounds, up 1.2 percent.
Skim milk powders - 51.0 million pounds, up slightly.

Whey products (comparisons with May 2016)
Dry whey, total - 82.8 million pounds, up 0.5 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 94.8 million pounds, up 1.8 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 41.7 million pounds, up 6.1 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with May 2016)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 72.6 million gallons, down slightly.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 42.5 million gallons, up 5.3 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.40 million gallons, down 4.1 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 6.23 million gallons, down 1.4 percent.



Create a Legend on the Colored Shavings – WDE Entries Open

World Dairy Expo® is now accepting entries for the 2017 Dairy Cattle Show, October 3-7, in Madison, Wis. Online and paper entry forms are due August 31 at 11:59 p.m. (CST). Late entries may be submitted online through September 10, and paper entries will be honored until the day of the show, both for an increased fee.

To be eligible to show, all animals must have an official USDA AIN or Canadian CCIA RFID number listed on the entry form at the time of submission. Animals lacking this number – or with a pending identification status – will not be accepted. For exhibitors residing within the United States and needing tags with USDA AIN numbers, Datamars, Inc. is generously providing up to ten 840-series RFID tag sets per exhibitor. More information regarding identification requirements is included in the Premium Book.

Entry forms, the schedule of events, rules and other updates can also be found in the Premium Book – mailed to recent dairy cattle exhibitors on July 1, or available online at www.worlddairyexpo.com. New exhibitors may request a copy of the Premium Book by contacting Laurie Breuch, Dairy Cattle Show Coordinator, at lbreuch@wdexpo.com or Ann Marie Magnochi, Dairy Cattle Show Manager, at amagnochi@wdexpo.com.

For over five decades, the global dairy industry has been meeting in Madison, Wis. for World Dairy Expo. Crowds of nearly 75,000 people from more than 100 countries attended the annual event in 2016. WDE will return Oct. 3-7, 2017 as attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to “Discover New Dairy Worlds.” Visit worlddairyexpo.com.



Several States Sue Over EPA's Decision to Keep Chlorpyrifos on Market

(AP) -- Several states are seeking to join a legal challenge to a Trump administration decision to keep a widely used pesticide on the market despite studies showing it can harm children's brains.

Led by New York, the coalition filed a motion Wednesday to intervene in a legal fight over the continued spraying of chlorpyrifos on food. Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia are also seeking to join the suit pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

The states claim that Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt violated the law by ending his agency's effort to ban the pesticide sold by Dow Chemical after federal scientists concluded it can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants. Federal law requires EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption --- especially by children, who studies show are typically far more sensitive to negative effects from pesticides.

"Job No. 1 for the EPA should be protecting Americans' wellbeing, especially that of our children," said Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, in announcing the legal action. "Yet the administration is jeopardizing our kids' health, allowing the use of a toxic pesticide for which it can't even identify a safe level."

The EPA said Thursday it was reviewing the lawsuit.

Pruitt told Congress last month his decision was based on "meaningful data and meaningful science." Despite repeated requests, EPA has thus far not provided The Associated Press with copies of any scientific studies Pruitt consulted in determining the pesticide is safe.

Public-health advocates have been pushing for years to ban chlorpyrifos, which is commonly sprayed on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops. Lawyers for Dow and the makers of two other organophosphate pesticides also asked the Trump administration "to set aside" the results of government studies showing they pose a risk to nearly every federally protected endangered species.

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics also urged EPA to ban chlorpyrifos. The group representing more than 66,000 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons said it is "deeply alarmed" by Pruitt's decision to allow the pesticide's continued use.

Dow, which sells chlorpyrifos through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences, did not immediately comment Thursday. In the past, the company has said it helps American farmers feed the world "with full respect for human health and the environment."

Spending more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, Dow has long wielded substantial political power in Washington. Dow CEO Andrew Liveris is a close adviser to President Donald Trump and the company gave $1 million for Trump's inaugural activities.

Similar to a chemical spray developed as a weapon prior to World War II, Dow has been selling chlorpyrifos for use on farms since the 1960s. It is now among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with about 5 million pounds sold domestically each year.

As a result, traces of the chemical are commonly found in sources of drinking water. A 2012 study at the University of California at Berkeley found that 87 percent of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of chlorpyrifos.

Under pressure from federal regulators over safety concerns, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. EPA also placed "no-spray" buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012. But a coalition of advocacy groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network said those proposals don't go far enough and filed a federal lawsuit seeking a national ban on the pesticide.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning the pesticide's use on food. A risk assessment memo issued in November by nine EPA scientists concluded: "There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos."