Monday August 14 Ag News

Check Soybean Fields for Evidence of Soybean Stem Borer
Robert Wright - NE Extension Entomologist

We are starting to see dead leaves caused by feeding of soybean stem borer larvae in southeastern and south central Nebraska soybeans. They continue to expand their range as a pest of soybeans in Nebraska and now can be found in several counties north of I-80. No control measures are appropriate at this time, but monitor fields and be aware that high populations of soybean stem borers may predispose the field to lodging and make harvest difficult. Fields with higher levels of injury by soybean stem borers should be harvested first to minimize lodging losses.

Soybean Stem Borer Description and Injury
Soybean stem borers are the immature stages of a long-horned beetle, Dectes texanus. The adults lay eggs in the upper leaf canopy, typically in the leaf petiole. Larvae feed by tunneling within the soybean plant. At this time of year larvae move from the leaf petiole into the main stem of the soybean plant, and at that time the leaf dies. These leaves are easily detached from the stem, and a circular tunnel can be seen where the leaf petiole was attached to the main stem.  As larvae grow larger, they continue to tunnel within the main stem, and by the end of the growing season they have tunneled to the base of the plant where they overwinter. In preparation for overwintering, they hollow out a cell at the base of the plant, which weakens the stem and makes it more susceptible to breakage.

For more information see the NebGuide, Soybean Stem Borers in Nebraska (G2082).



Property Taxes, Trade, Among Nebraska Farm Bureau List of Policy Priorities

Improving Nebraska’s tax system to reduce the overreliance on property taxes and expanding markets for Nebraska agricultural commodities through international trade are among the list of policy priorities adopted by the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s State Board of Directors during the organization’s board meeting held Aug. 8 in Norfolk.

“We deal with many issues today in agriculture, but it’s important we focus our time and resources on the issues that are key to helping the bottom line for our members and for agriculture as a whole,” said Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau president. “The recent board action updated our priorities to reflect the organization’s top five state and top five national issues.”

Included on the list of state issues is the need to address the high property tax burden on Nebraskans. According to Nelson, finding a solution to the property tax issue has consumed much of Farm Bureau’s time and efforts for the last several years and has continued since the close of the 2017 legislative session.

“We’re working with a wide array of partners, rural and urban, to identify the concepts and ideas that can generate real and meaningful property tax reforms. Nebraska doesn’t have to be a high property tax state. Working together, we can change that. We’re committed to doing so,” said Nelson.

The national list includes the need for expanded trade opportunities for Nebraska agricultural commodities and products.

“Today, roughly one-third of U.S. gross cash farm income is directly attributable to trade. The ability to move our Nebraska agricultural commodities into these markets is critical. Continuing to build upon our relationships with our international partners is a must,” said Nelson.

Nebraska Farm Bureau’s state priority list includes:
-    Improving Nebraska’s tax system to reduce the overreliance on property taxes.
-    Growing Nebraska’s livestock sector.
-    Expanding farm and ranch access to high quality broadband Internet service statewide.
-    Proactive engagement on both state water quality and quantity issues.
-    Working for sound infrastructure and agriculture transportation policies.

Nebraska Farm Bureau’s national priorities list includes:
-    Expanding markets for Nebraska agricultural commodities through International trade.
-    Reducing unnecessary regulations and working for regulatory reform.
-    Working to lower health care costs for farm and ranch families.
-    Improving the federal tax code through tax reform.
-    Developing a Farm Bill that provides a workable safety net for Nebraska’s farm and ranch families.

“Certainly, these aren’t the only issues that our organization is engaged in, but by focusing in these areas we can help improve the environment and create opportunities for our farm and ranch members to be successful,” said Nelson.



2017 Feeding Quality Forum - The Great Plains' premier feeding seminar

Aug. 29, 2017
Embassy Suites - Omaha-La Vista Hotel and Conference Center
12520 Westport Pkwy
La Vista, NE 68128
402-331-7400
   
Aug. 31, 2017
Clarion Inn
1911 E. Kansas Avenue
Garden City, KS 67846
620-275-7471

Don’t miss your chance to hear industry experts share current insight on market conditions, value-added programs, price discovery, and genetic value differences of feeder cattle and feed intake. It’s all part of the Great Plains’ premier feeding seminar.

Agenda
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. - Protein and Feedstuff Market Outlook – Dan Basse, President, AgResource Company (LaVista location)
Ben Buckner, AgResource Chief Grain Economist (Garden City Location)

10:45 - 11:30 a.m. - Value-Added Programs: Feeding for Market Opportunities – Doug Stanton, Vice President, Sales and Customer Development, IMI Global
   
11:30 - 12:15 p.m.  -  The Importance of Price Discovery – Ed Greiman, Superior Livestock Auction
   
12:15 - 12:30 p.m. - Presentation of the 2017 Industry Achievement Award to: Lee Borck, President, Innovative Livestock Services

12:30 - 1:45 p.m. - Lunch featuring Certified Angus Beef ® brand cuts

1:45 - 2:30 p.m. - Genetic Value Differences of Feeder Cattle: Illustration and Opportunities – Justin Sexten, Ph.D., Director, Supply Development, Certified Angus Beef LLC

2:25 p.m. - Feed Intake and Feedlot Cattle Performance – Richard Zinn, Ph.D., Professor, UC Davis Department of Animal Science

To register and get more information, click here.... http://www.cabpartners.com/news/events/FQF/. 



Irrigation Field – August 30th
Amy Timmerman – NE Extension Educator

Midplains Ag, UNL Extension and Nebraska Soybean Board are excited to have Ben Buckner of AgResource present “Change afoot in the world grain markets”.  

Ben has been with  AgResource since 2008, specializing in grains market research, and has been in commodity markets analysis since 2005. Ben began his career with the Research department at the Iowa Grain Company in 2007. Ben hails from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, with a degree in economics.

Come August 30 to Holdt Farms/Midplains Ag 3 south and 5.5 west of Elgin.   Hear Ben and several others present about markets, weather, irrigation and water management. Have lunch provided by Nebraska Soybean Board and meet with local ag vendors.   Cabin Realty will have free ice cream in their booth.   There will be demonstrations throughout the day.



SEMINAR PROGRAM AT NEBRASKA HELPS FOOD ENTREPRENEURS

Entrepreneurs looking to start a food business are encouraged to register for the National Food Entrepreneur Program offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Food Processing Center. The program, which began in 1989, helps people develop their products and businesses.

The program begins with a one-day Recipe to Reality seminar, which explores key issues in deciding to start a food business. Discussion includes business planning, labeling, product development and food safety, promotion, and costs and pricing.

"The seminar helps participants understand the basics of starting a food company, including the challenges they will need to overcome," said Jill Gifford, program manager. "This seminar allows attendees to understand and determine if starting a food business is the right choice for their situation."

Following the seminar, participants can choose to enter Product to Profit. This second phase of the program provides entrepreneurs with confidential and individualized assistance in starting their own food business and bringing their product idea to the market.

Suzi Broadwater, president of Wicked Lix, used the program to launch her company, which produces a variety of wine- and spirit-infused fruits.

"The Recipe to Reality seminar was just the beginning of the invaluable counseling our startup company received through the National Food Entrepreneur Program," she said. "We have continued to use their team as a resource on key decisions regarding every aspect of launching our new business in Nebraska. I highly recommend that any entrepreneur who is serious about their business explore the benefits of attending the seminar and leverage the program experts for ongoing crucial guidance.”

Recipe to Reality seminars are offered throughout the year. The last two seminars for 2017 are Aug. 19 and Oct. 28 at the Food Processing Center, 1901 N. 21st St. Pre-registration is required.

To register for a seminar or receive an information packet, contact Gifford at 402-472-2819 or jgifford1@unl.edu.

For more information, visit http://fpc.unl.edu/small_business.



Value-Added Investments Grow Agriculture
Governor Pete Ricketts

Investments in the area of value-added agriculture are helping to grow our state’s number one industry.  Many people think of traditional row crops when they think of agriculture, however, modern-day technology and innovations are helping the industry add value to Nebraska’s traditional commodities.  This is great news for all Nebraskans because it’s attracting new investments, creating jobs, and increasing local demand for raw commodities across our state.  Highly-respected national and international companies are putting down roots here with new value-added operations, and many well-known local firms are expanding their existing operations.

A recent investment from Costco is a great example of how value-added agriculture creates new opportunities for the next generation of farm families.  In June, Costco broke ground on their first-ever chicken processing plant, a $300 million investment which will create 800 new jobs in Fremont and opportunities for over 100 farmers through a poultry grower network.  The project is estimated to add $1.2 billion to Nebraska’s economy, and will impact more than simply the market for chicken.  Some of that value will also be realized through increased demand for locally grown corn and soybeans.

In Grand Island, Hendrix-ISA is building a chick hatchery, which begins operation this month.  This $40 million project will create over 40 new jobs.  Additionally, ten area farmers will be building feeder barns to serve the hatchery’s needs.  This will further increase the demand for locally produced crops, which the farms will need to feed the chickens.

The ethanol industry is another great example of value-added agriculture in Nebraska.  Nebraska is the second largest ethanol producing state in the nation.  In the past two years, ethanol plants in Jackson, Fairmont, Adams, Columbus, and Kearney have invested approximately $190 million in new technology as they increase capacity and diversify their products.  In addition to the billions of gallons of ethanol manufactured each year, these facilities also produce distillers’ grains, corn oil, corn syrup, dry starch, and specialty livestock feeds.  The billions of bushels of corn consumed by the state’s ethanol plants each year support demand for our quality Nebraska commodities.

While Nebraska’s ability to produce corn has not only attracted ethanol plants to the state, our ethanol plants, like Cargill in Blair, in turn have attracted bioscience companies such as Novozymes to Nebraska.  Novozymes produces enzymes for renewable fuels.  Recently, the Denmark-based company announced that it plans to invest $36 million to expand its facilities in Blair.  The Cargill campus in Blair also recently attracted a $200 million investment from Evonik, a German company that will produce omega-3 fatty acid oil, drawing on raw commodities in the area.

Meanwhile, Nebraska continues to lead the nation in commercial red meat production, one of our greatest valued-added ag success stories.  Cattle and hog operations across the state are the biggest consumers of Nebraska corn, soybeans, and other feed stocks, supporting commodity prices and creating thousands of jobs.  In turn, meat processors such as Cargill, Smithfield, and others are investing money in their facilities to produce and increase sales of Nebraska meat products and generate additional money to our state’s economy.

Growth in livestock hasn’t happened by accident – it’s been the product of support from both the industry and the state.   Through the Department of Agriculture, we have established a variety of programs that have helped support this kind of livestock expansion.  These include the Livestock Friendly County Program and the Livestock Siting Assessment Matrix, which help create greater predictability for producers looking to expand or add livestock to their operation.  While we have already had significant investments, there is still plenty of room for additional growth and expansion.

International trade missions are another key strategy my administration has been using to grow value-added ag.  Trade missions help cultivate investments in products from the crops and livestock we raise as well as attract companies to manufacture and process those products in Nebraska.  For example, the Novozymes investment I mentioned above came on the heels of a trade mission I led to Copenhagen to help make the case for expanding their Nebraska presence.  This year, I am leading trade missions to Canada and Japan, which will give us the opportunity to show our appreciation for two of our biggest trading partners, increase market access for our products, and pitch Nebraska as a great place to do business.

In the coming years, value-added agriculture will only continue to grow in importance as farming techniques, biotechnology, and science continue to advance.  These advances will continue to help create new jobs and provide an in-state market for Nebraska’s quality commodities and livestock.  It’s all helping grow Nebraska!  If you have thoughts on the subject of value-added agriculture or other thoughts you’d like to share, please contact my office by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or calling 402-471-2244.



CWT Assists with 1.6 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creamery, Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold). These cooperatives have contracts to sell 1.601 million pounds (726 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia and the Middle East. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from August through November 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 46.988 million pounds of American-type cheeses and 3.013 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) to 18 countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 501.485 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program in the long term helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



NMPF Statement on Comments from Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF

“In her speech to Parliament today, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland seems to want it both ways – free trade with the United States in areas where Canada is competitive, but high protectionist walls when it comes to keeping out U.S. dairy imports. Moreover, Minister Freeland’s comments Monday about the dairy trade elements of the upcoming NAFTA talks are completely misleading.

“For too long, Canada has relied on government controls on farm milk production to boost prices, while minimizing dairy imports to limit competition. By comparison, the United States has slashed its government involvement in dairy markets, and relies on exporting its products to global customers to a greater degree than ever before.

“That’s why the United States and other major dairy exporting nations, including Mexico and Argentina, are so upset with Canada’s latest Class 7 pricing scheme that is designed to undercut world market prices and unfairly dump Canada’s surplus milk at the expense of the United States and other exporters. Ironically, Canada’s so-called ‘supply management’ system is failing to manage supply. Despite having no domestic market for more milk solids, the government there has sharply increased farm level production quotas, resulting in an accompanying spike of almost 300 percent in Canadian milk powder exports in 2017 so far. These exports are only made possible because Canada manipulates domestic pricing through the Class 7 subsidy scheme.

“Canada cannot be allowed to maintain a system that establishes one of the highest milk prices in the world within its borders while using world markets as a dumping ground for a huge increase in its production. While it has the right to choose its own domestic farm policies, Canada doesn’t have the right to use those policy tools to manipulate global dairy markets to the benefit of Canada’s lucrative dairy industry, and the detriment of the rest of the world’s dairy exporters.

“Regarding Minister Freeland’s comment that the United States should be grateful that it sells more dairy products to Canada than it imports, this is hardly an example of a ‘good deal’ for farmers in the United States or consumers in Canada. Much of what the United States exports to Canada is ultimately shipped back out under Canadian import for re-export programs. Canada has been refusing to share details of imports and exports under those programs, but the reality is that much of the dairy the United States ships to Canada doesn’t stay in Canada.

“The Canadian supply management program was basically ignored in 1993 when NAFTA was first negotiated.  As the next generation of NAFTA arrives, here’s hoping that Canada is finally ready to have its dairy sector play by the same set of rules everyone else has been operating under for years.”