Tuesday September 12 Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PRODUCTION REPORT

Based on September 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2017 corn crop is forecast at a record 1.72 billion bushels, up 1 percent from last year's production, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Area harvested for grain, at 9.50 million acres, is down 1 percent from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 181 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from last year.

Soybean production is forecast at a record 316 million bushels, up 1 percent from last year. Area for harvest, at 5.65 million acres, is up 10 percent from 2016. Yield is forecast at 56 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from a year ago.

Sorghum for grain production of 10.3 million bushels is down 42 percent from a year ago. Area for harvest, at 110,000 acres, is down 37 percent from 2016. Yield is forecast at 94 bushels per acre, down 8 bushels from last year.



IOWA CROP PRODUCTION REPORT

Iowa corn production is forecast at 2.45 billion bushels according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production report. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 187 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel per acre from the August 1 forecast, and down 16 bushels per acre from last year. If realized, this will be the third highest yield and production on record behind 2016 and 2015, respectively. Acres harvested for grain remain unchanged at 13.1 million acres.

Soybean production is forecast at 567 million bushels. If realized, this will be the second highest production on record behind last year’s 572 million bushels. The yield is forecast at 57.0 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel per acre from the August 1 forecast, but down 3.5 bushels per acres from 2016. If realized, this will be the second highest yield on record behind 2016. Area harvested remained unchanged at 9.95 million acres.

The forecasts in this report are based on September 1 conditions and do not reflect weather effects since that time. The next corn and soybean production forecasts, based on conditions as of October 1, will be released on October 12.



USDA:  Corn Production Up Less Than 1 Percent from August Forecast
Soybean Production Up 1 Percent
Cotton Production Up 6 Percent

Corn production is forecast at 14.2 billion bushels, down 6 percent from last year but up less than 1 percent from the August forecast. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 169.9 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushel from the August forecast but down 4.7 bushels from 2016. If realized, this will be the third highest yield and production on record for the United States. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 4 percent from 2016.

Soybean production is forecast at a record 4.43 billion bushels, up 1 percent from August and up 3 percent from last year. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 49.9 bushels per acre, up 0.5 bushel from last month but down 2.2 bushels from last year. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at a record high 88.7 million acres, unchanged from August but up 7 percent from 2016.



Ricketts Touts Nebraska’s Beef and Tourism on Second Day of Trade Mission to Japan

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts began the second day of the Nebraska Trade Mission to Japan with an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review, which is the world’s largest financial newspaper with a daily circulation exceeding three million.

The Governor and Nebraska trade delegation then attended the morning session for the last day of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Annual Conference before hosting a promotional lunch with the Nebraska Tourism commission. The purpose of the lunch was to provide those in the Japanese tourism industry an overview of what there is to see and do in Nebraska; provide sample itinerary lists of potential stops; and begin to build relationships within the Japanese tourism trade.

Following the lunch, members of the NE trade delegation met with State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Yosuke Isozaki about Nebraska’s beef trade with Japan.  Governor Ricketts then met with board members of the American Chamber of Commerce Japan and with executives of Kewpie Corporation, who owns Henningsen Food which employs 185 people in Nebraska. The Governor followed this meeting up with a meeting with the Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane while other members of the trade delegation toured the Kashima Grain Storage and Processing facility.

The Nebraska trade delegation wrapped up the day two of the Nebraska Trade Mission to Japan with dinner at Alexander’s Steak House where they were able to promote Nebraska beef to their Japanese guests. Governor Ricketts ended his night with a call back with Nebraska media.

The Governor and Nebraska trade delegation will begin day three of the trade mission with Embassy and agricultural market briefings.



GRAZE TO KEEP GRASS HEALTHY
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Pastures sometimes have lots of weeds remaining this time of year.  It’s tempting to graze hard enough to use those weeds, but is this actually good for the pasture?

               Many pasture weeds can provide satisfactory protein and energy for cattle when eaten, but cattle avoid them due to poor palatability.  That’s why they’re weeds!  If pressed hard enough, though, cattle will eat many of them when there is nothing else to eat.  While this gets rid of the weeds temporarily, if might not be healthy for the pasture.

               Every pasture has millions of weed seeds in the soil and the potential to become weedy.     Since some pastures stay relatively clean while other pastures become weedy, other factors undoubtedly influence the weed population.  Simply grazing or controlling weeds by spraying or cutting does little to prevent weeds from coming back again unless these other factors are changed to better support desirable plants.

               To control weeds, it is much more important to manage grazing to support healthy desirable plants than to weaken or remove unwanted weeds.  Grazing that allows sufficient leaf area to remain following grazing that supports rapid regrowth, allows good winterizing, and holds snow and rain moisture on the land rather than running off will benefit the desirable grasses and legumes.  Giving pasture plants adequate time to recover after grazing before grazing again is another way to improve or maintain pasture health and strengthen the competitive ability of desirable plants.

               Weeds in a pasture can indicate that the pasture itself and the desired plants in it are not in a healthy condition.  For improvement to occur, controlling weeds is not enough.  Changing management to strengthen desired grasses and legumes also is essential.



NE Grangers Meet in Columbus for Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Nebraska State Grange was held at the Ramada Rivers Edge Inn, Columbus, Nebraska, September 8-9-10. 2017.

Friday, at noon, Grangers met at Barcel Mill and Lumber Company. They took a tour of the shops and machines that cut, shred and other wise make the lumber useful. They use cottonwoods mostly, finding use for lumber that was once seen as worthless. They make pallets, mulch for both landscaping and playgrounds, and also find uses for beams and planks. The lumber mill is Mr. Barcel's business. He also uses his passion for making use of the unappreciated, by taking numerous foster children into his home, giving them a safe and warm place to be, and teaching them that they are important both in his eyes and God's, he is in the process of making a wonderful Tree House and other interesting attractions on his property, to give children a place where they can relax, play, and forget, for a while, the stress they have lived with. Those things are his gifts, no cost attached. He also has two Rottweiler dogs, trained as Therapy Dogs, that give the children comfort.

Resolutions endorsed by the delegates were 1, To keep commodity checkoffs subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); 2, To require that all Counties in Nebraska enforce noxious weed laws: 3. To make members of Congress and their staff participate in the same healthcare insurance as the general public; 4, To give each public school $1500 per year for each student enrolled K-12, and that each district is to offset their property tax by the same amount they receive in Foundation Aid; 5. To limit Congressional terms to 12 years, and that the current pension plan be identical to federal employee retirement plans; 6. Require voters to show personal identification to vote; 7. Continuing federal crop insurance at the at 2016-2017 levels. 8. To support legislation to require students attending Nebraska schools to be vaccinated for contagious diseases, except for legitimate medical reasons. 9. To limit the terms of US congress members to 12 continuous years, and that the congressional pension plan be identical to federal employee pensions. 10. To base tax on Agricultural land on production rather than valuation.

The National Representative this year was Amanda Brozana Rios, Director of Communications and Development. She is very energetic and enthusiastic person. Part of her message is that the purpose of Granges is to serve and care about their communities, help people learn basic skills so that they can do things for themselves, to look forward, seeing what will need to be done. There are so many opportunities to aid constructive projects, so we must find a need and try to fill it. We may disagree but we must find agreement to make a more Constructive America.

The Deaf Education Awareness Scholarship was presented by Shannon Cooksley, director, to Evangelina Ortiz, who has been hearing impaired since early childhood. She remembers hearing things for the first time when she was given hearing aids. She could hear rain hit the ground, the windshield wipers, and her Mother's voice. Things most of us take for granted.

Community Service Awards: honoring Granges for the number of hours members spent on projects to improve their communities. 1st place went to Riverview Grange, Blair NE., $100; 2nd place to Custer County Grange, Broken Bow NE, $75. 3rd place to Elkhorn VE Grange, $50. 4th place went to Geneva Grange, $25.

At he Annual Banquet, Dan Holtz provided the entertainment. His program is entitled, Nebraska Through Song and Story. He interweaves songs accompanied on guitar and harmonica with excerpts from works by Willa Cather, John Neihardt, Mari Sandoz and Bess Streeter Aldirch, in narratives from 1850 to 1904.

On Sunday morning a memorial service planned by State Grange Chaplin, Ricki Wulf, of Blair, honored Nebraska Grangers who passed on this year: Robert Smith, Broken Bow Ne., Dana Wolf, Blair, Ne., Irma Holstein, Blair, NE., Wilmer Dunkel, Broken Bow, Ne., Kay Kraus, Friend Ne., Mary Graf, Arapahoe, Ne., and Florence Lefever, Geneva, Ne.

Program Director, Darlene Janing, arranged for Jeanne K. Schieffer, from Nebraska Public Power, to give an interesting program about the history and growth of publicly owned power in our state. She had videos and pictures showing the many changes that have taken place since the beginning of Public Power.

Phyllis Tooker, from Ralston, Ne., Family Activities Committee Chairman, reported that 881 dictionaries were donated to 3rd graders in Nebraska, 92 blankets and 8 handmade toys, and caps for premature babies were donated this year. Phyllis is retiring, after serving for 15 years.



NPPC Seeks Waiver From ELD Mandate

The National Pork Producers Council today asked for a waiver and exemption for livestock haulers from U.S. Department of Transportation regulations that could have negative effects on animal well-being.

NPPC delivered to the office of DOT Sec. Elaine Chao a petition, which was filed on behalf of the U.S. pork industry and other livestock sectors, requesting the waiver and exemption because of concerns about the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Rule’s effects on animal well-being. It also asked the agency to address incompatibilities between the transportation of livestock and DOT’s Hours of Service rules. Those regulations limit truckers to 11 hours of driving daily, after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and restrict their on-duty time to 14 consecutive hours, which includes nondriving time.

“The ELD Rule presents some serious challenges for livestock haulers and the animals in their care,” said NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “We’re asking the secretary to exempt truckers transporting hogs, cattle and other livestock from this regulation because they have a moral obligation to care for the animals they’re hauling regardless of what some bureaucratic rule says.”

The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act, enacted as part of the 2012 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, mandated ELDs by Dec. 18, 2017, for commercial motor vehicles involved in interstate commerce, when operated by drivers who are required to keep records of duty status. ELDs, which can cost from $200 to $1,000, record driving time, monitor engine hours, vehicle movement and speed, miles driven and location information.

DOT did recently issue an interpretation intended to address shortcomings in its Hours of Service rules, exempting from the regulations and from any distance-logging requirements truckers hauling livestock within a 150 air-mile radius of the location at which animals were loaded.

NPPC and other livestock groups also are supporting language included in the transportation fiscal 2018 funding bill that would delay the ELD mandate for one year for livestock haulers.



NCBA and Livestock Groups Petition Department of Transportation for ELD Waiver

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today joined other livestock groups in hand delivering to Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao a petition for a waiver followed by a limited exemption from compliance with the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) rule. The petition also asks the Department of Transportation (DOT) to address livestock industry concerns that the current Hours of Service (HOS) rules are not compatible with the realities of the livestock industry. Under current regulations, ELD’s must be implemented starting on December 18, 2017.

“U.S. beef producers and livestock haulers are focused on protecting public safety and ensuring the health and well-being of cattle transported around the country,” said NCBA President Craig Uden, a fourth-generation beef producer from Elwood, Nebraska. “A limited exemption from ELDs will allow for our haulers to continue to safely transport livestock while providing the livestock industry time to continue working with DOT to find workable solutions within the HOS rules that take into account the unique needs of livestock haulers.”

Livestock haulers have a challenging task of ensuring motorist safety while also maximizing the health and welfare of transported animals. To meet these demands, a large number of livestock haulers participate in specialized training programs covering safe animal handling and transportation methods. Unfortunately, the upcoming ELD rule would decrease driver safety, jeopardize the well-being of hauled animals, and force small business owners out of the marketplace.

More time is needed to address livestock industry concerns and educate all stakeholders to avoid disruption in an industry that already has concerns with driver shortages. NCBA will continue to work with the DOT to find a workable solution that allows our drivers, our cattle, and others on the road to move safely around the country and get where they need to go.

Background: Specific Asks of NCBA and Livestock Industry Partners on ELD and HOS

NCBA is actively engaging with the Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Congress on the ELD and HOS rules. Echoing previous requests in meetings with FMCSA officials, and language currently found in the House Appropriations FY 18 Bill, NCBA continues to request:

    Delayed ELD Enforcement: The current ELD enforcement deadline should be delayed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for no less than one year. Additional time will allow industry concerns to be addressed and provide training/educational opportunities for impacted stakeholders.

    Increased Flexibility within HOS: Hours of Service (HOS) rules applying to livestock haulers must be made more flexible so that drivers can safely do their jobs while preserving the welfare of the animals.



Farm Bureau, Livestock Groups Request Waiver for Logging Device Mandate

Concerned about livestock haulers’ readiness to comply with a problematic electronic logging device mandate, as well as how the mandate will affect the transported animals’ well-being, the American Farm Bureau Federation and seven livestock organizations are asking the Department of Transportation for a waiver and exemption from the fast-approaching Dec. 18 ELD  implementation deadline.

Unless Congress or the administration acts, carriers and drivers who are subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ELD rule must install and use ELDs by Dec. 18. While most farmers and ranchers should be exempt because they can claim covered farm vehicle status, drivers who haul livestock, live fish and insects are likely to fall under the requirements.

Drivers who have to use ELDs would be limited to current hours of service rules, which restrict a driver to only 14 “on duty” hours, with no more than 11 active driving hours. Once a driver hits those maximum hour allotments, he must stop and rest for 10 consecutive hours, which would be problematic when transporting livestock and other live animals.

In their petition, the groups pointed out livestock haulers’ strong commitment to ensuring the safety of both the animals they’re transporting and the drivers they share the road with.  In addition, livestock haulers often receive specialized training beyond that required for their counterparts driving conventional commercial motor vehicles. The pork industry’s Transport Quality Assurance Program and the beef industry’s Master Cattle Transporter program provide detailed instruction on proper animal handling and transportation methods.

“As reflected in FMCSA’s data, the emphasis these programs place on animal welfare benefits driver safety as it encourages livestock haulers to slow down, be more aware of their surroundings and road conditions, and avoid rough-road situations that could result in animal injury,” the groups noted.

Another major roadblock to implementation for livestock haulers is their lack of awareness of the rule. Because the livestock hauling industry is small compared to the overall trucking industry, it isn’t well-represented before or strongly engaged by DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

As a result, livestock drivers who are aware of the program have had difficulty researching the ELD marketplace and identifying cost-effective solutions that are compatible with livestock hauling. In addition, as with the agriculture industry as a whole, livestock haulers are likely significantly older than the average American truck driver, making them less familiar with the use of ELD technology and in need of more training on ELD use.

In their petition, the groups also asked DOT to address the incompatibilities between FMCSA’s hours of service rules and the structure and realities of the U.S. livestock sector.

“For many drivers, there is concern that there are those, with no understanding of or concern for animal welfare or livestock hauling, who will arbitrarily penalize them for choosing the proper care of animals over stopping in excessive heat or cold because of an arbitrary HOS cutoff,” the groups said.

While FMCSA’s recent change to include livestock in its interpretation of the 150-air mile exemption for agricultural commodities is a positive development, it doesn’t fully address livestock haulers’ struggles.

The organizations are committed to working with industry and FMCSA to address the issues presented by the ELD mandate and hope that FMCSA will grant additional time and flexibility for haulers who have a responsibility to care for the animals they are transporting.