Monday November 22 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
 
For the week ending November 21, 2021, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 8% very short, 30% short, 61% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 11% very short, 38% short, 50% adequate, and 1% surplus.
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn harvested was 95%, near 98% last year and 94% for the five-year average.
 
Winter wheat condition rated 3% very poor, 10% poor, 24% fair, 52% good, and 11% excellent.  
 
Sorghum harvested was 95%, behind 100% last year, but near 94% average.
 
Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 13% very poor, 15% poor, 55% fair, 15% good, and 2% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Dry weather with only spotty light showers allowed Iowa’s farmers 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 21, 2021, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Field activities  included  harvesting,  baling  corn  stalks,  applying  fertilizer  and  anhydrous,  and  fall  tillage.    Cover crops are up and green in many areas.
 
Topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 14 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 6 percent very short, 27 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.   
 
Ninety-five  percent  of  Iowa’s corn  for  grain  has  been  harvested,  3  days  ahead  of  the  five-year  average.  Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was 16 percent.  Harvest progress for farmers in south central Iowa continues to lag behind the rest of the State as over 10 percent of their corn for grain remains to be harvested.
 
Livestock are doing well with cattle out on corn stalks.



USDA: 5% of Corn, Soybeans Left to Harvest

The U.S. row-crop harvest entered the homestretch last week with just 5% of both corn and soybeans left to harvest as of Sunday, Nov. 21, USDA NASS said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

The nation's corn harvest progressed 4 percentage points last week to reach 95% complete as of Sunday, NASS estimated. That is 2 percentage points behind last year's 97% but 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 92%.

Soybean harvest moved ahead 3 percentage points last week to reach 95% complete as of Sunday. That is 3 percentage points behind 98% at the same time last year and 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 96%.

Winter wheat planting inched ahead another 2 percentage points to reach 96% complete, 2 percentage points behind last year's pace and 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 97%.  Winter wheat emerged was estimated at 86%, 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 87%.  Winter wheat condition fell 2 percentage points last week to 44% good to excellent as of Sunday, 1 percentage point above last year's rating at the same time and tied for the third-lowest rating since 2010.

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Confronting Cropping Challenges  Program  to be Offered  in December  2021

Producers in northeast Nebraska will have an opportunity to learn from cropping issues that impacted the area during the 2021 growing season. The Confronting Cropping Challenges program will help producers make decisions for the 2022 growing season and they can renew their private pesticide applicator license. This is the fifth year for the Confronting Cropping Challenges program, and responses from previous years have been very positive. This year the program will be offered in five locations across northeast Nebraska in December. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.
Tuesday December 7th – Holt County Courthouse Annex - O’Neill
Wednesday December 8th – Club Room, Ag Park - Columbus
Thursday December 9th – Nielsen Community Center - West Point
Tuesday December 14th – City Auditorium - Randolph
Thursday December 16th – Boone County Fairgrounds - Albion

Topics to be covered include:
Fall Armyworms, will they be back?
Tar Spot a new disease confirmed in corn
Herbicide Selection
Private Pesticide Applicator  Recertification   

You can join us for just the first three informational sessions or if you need to renew your private pesticide applicator license in 2022, please attend the whole program. Even though this training is being offered in 2021, you will not lose a year of certification on your license.  Please note that this training will only offer recertification of private pesticide licenses, those needing initial training will need to attend one of the other trainings offered in early 2022. In addition to cropping info, the  four topics will cover important areas for pesticide applicators such as IPM, reading a label, resistance management, and minimizing environmental concerns. The program being offered in Albion will be more tailored to those producers with cattle.
 
The cost for the program is $10 if you are only attending the first three  sessions. If you are being recertified  for your private pesticide applicators license, the cost will be $60. The additional $50 is the same as you would pay to be recertified at a traditional private pesticide applicator training.   

Preregistration is appreciated but not required by going to http://go.unl.edu/2021_CCC  

For more information, contact your local Nebraska Extension office. 



Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo offers 2022 growing season information

The 2021 Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo on Thursday, Dec. 16 will assist soybean producers in planning for next year's growing season.

The expo, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 2:15 p.m., will be in the pavilion at the Saunders County Fairgrounds in Wahoo.  The event opens with coffee, donuts and the opportunity to view equipment and exhibitor booths. Speakers start at 9:10 a.m.

This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension, which is part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Nebraska Soybean Board, Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization and private industry.   

Presenters include university researchers and specialists, Nebraska Soybean Checkoff representatives, soybean growers and private industry representatives.

“Costs, Profits, and Pitfalls in the Volatile 2022 Market Environment” will be presented by Elaine Kub, market economist and commentator and author of  “Mastering the Grain Markets.” Kub believes inflation uncertainty works both ways for commodity producers – growers can sell grain at higher and hopefully profitable prices, but all the inputs going into the calculation are also skyrocketing. In a three-part presentation, Kub will put specific numbers to the challenges Nebraska farmers face going into the 2022 planting season, including a deep dive into the costs of production, global supply-and-demand and transportation influences that may sustain or threaten profitable grain prices, and tips to address common behavior patterns and optimize each marketing plan based on an individual’s risk appetite.

Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Nebraska Extension plant pathologist, will provide a soybean disease update.  She will provide the latest news on the most troubling soybean diseases and what can be done to reduce impacts on the bottom line for growers.  The presentation will include frogeye leaf spot, Phytophthora root and stem rot, white mold, and soybean cyst nematode.

Justin McMechan, Nebraska Extension crop protection and cropping systems specialist, will present “Soybean Gall Midge: Understanding Risk and Management Options.”  Gall midge is a relatively new pest in Nebraska, and the information and best practices evolve with each growing season. Get the latest from the 2021 season on the biology and management of soybean gall midge so you can make informed decisions next year.

Aaron Nygren, Nebraska Extension educator, will discuss what Extension has to offer.  Nebraska Extension reaches Nebraskans in all 93 counties. Learn how Nebraska Extension can impact your family, livelihood, and communities and how to access resources.

The expo also will include an update from the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Soybean Association.

Producers will be able to visit with representatives from seed, herbicide, fertilizer and equipment companies and view new farm equipment during a 30-minute break at 9:45 a.m.  

The Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization requests that each participant bring one or more cans of nonperishable food that will be donated to the local food pantry.

Complimentary noon lunch will be served.

Registration is available the day of the expo at the door. For more information about the program or exhibitor information, call 402-624-8030 or e-mail anygren2@unl.edu.  Vendor spots are available.  Information online at: https://enre.unl.edu/nebraskasoyexpo. There is no registration fee.



Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for December, January

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in December 2021 and January 2022. The clinics are one-on-one in-person meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Dates
    Thursday, Dec. 2 — Norfolk
    Friday, Dec. 3 — Valentine
    Tuesday, Dec. 7 — Fairbury
    Wednesday, Dec. 15 — Norfolk

    Thursday, Jan. 6 — Norfolk
    Monday, Jan. 10 — Fairbury
    Wednesday, Jan. 19 — Norfolk
    Thursday, Jan. 20 — Valentine

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS
 
All layers in Nebraska during October 2021 totaled 8.25 million, up from 8.23 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Nebraska egg production during October totaled 205 million eggs, down from 211 million in 2020. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,489 eggs, compared to 2,563 eggs in 2020.

IOWA: Iowa  egg  production  during  October  2021  was  1.29  billion eggs, up 4 percent from last month and up 3 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.  The average number of all layers on hand during October 2021 was 49.1 million, up 1 percent from last month and up 3 percent from  the  same  month  last  year.  Eggs  per  100  layers  for October  were  2,617,  up  3 percent  from  last  month  but  down slightly from last October.   

U.S. October Egg Production Up 1 Percent
United States egg production totaled 9.61 billion during October 2021, up 1 percent from last year. Production included 8.32 billion table eggs, and 1.29 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.21 billion were broiler-type and 73.8 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during October 2021 totaled 390 million, up 1 percent from last year. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,465 eggs, up slightly from October 2020.
                                    
Total layers in the United States on November 1, 2021 totaled 392 million, up 1 percent from last year. The 392 million layers consisted of 327 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 61.9 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.97 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on November 1, 2021, averaged 79.5 eggs per 100 layers, down slightly from November 1, 2020.



USDA Cold Storage October 2021 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on October 31, 2021 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 3 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 9 percent from the previous month but down 5 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 6 percent from the previous month and down 2 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 10 percent from last month and down 39 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on October 31, 2021 were down 8 percent from the previous month and down 18 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 3 percent from the previous month but down 17 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were down 27 percent from last month and down 19 percent from October 31, 2020.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on October 31, 2021 were down slightly from the previous month but up 8 percent from October 31, 2020. Butter stocks were down 13 percent from last month and down 6 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on October 31, 2021 were up 5 percent from last month but down 11 percent from a year ago.  Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 7 percent from last month but down 3 percent from a year ago.



Confinement Site Manure Applicator Workshops Scheduled for 2022

Confinement site manure applicators and anyone interested in learning about manure issues should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in January or February 2022. These workshops are offered in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Registration is required. No walk-ins allowed. There is no fee to attend the workshops, but applicators will need to pay certification fees and send the forms in to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to complete certification requirements.

“Iowa law requires confinement site manure applicators to attend two hours of continuing education each year of their three-year certification period or take and pass an exam once every three years,” said Dan Andersen, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and extension agriculture engineering specialist at Iowa State, and coordinator of the manure applicator certification program.

Manure application.A total of 64 counties will participate in the confinement site manure applicator workshops. In addition, a series of six dry/solid manure applicator certification meetings will be held in February. These meetings are tailored toward dry/solid manure for either Commercial or Confinement Site manure applicators. ISU Extension and Outreach county offices have a complete list of workshop dates and locations, or view a list at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/immag/confinement-site-applicators.

The workshops serve as initial certification for those applicators who are not currently certified, recertification for those renewing licenses and continuing education for those applicators in their second or third year of their license.

Due to uniform certification deadlines, applicators are encouraged to attend workshops prior to March 1 to avoid being assessed a late fee of $12.50 for those who are re-certifying. Those unable to attend one of the workshops need to schedule time with their ISU Extension and Outreach county office to watch the training video. Due to scheduling conflicts, extension offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these videos but do offer scheduled dates and times to provide this training.

If you can’t attend training during one of the scheduled reshow dates at your county extension office, you will be charged a $10 fee to view the training at your convenience. If attending the workshops or watching the two-hour training video is not convenient, confinement site manure applicators may contact their local Department of Natural Resources field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam to meet certification requirements.

Applicators also have another option, online certification; an applicator can take their training online at DNR MAC eLearning site at https://elearning-dnr.iowa.gov/. The applicator will need to sign-in and get an A&A account.

Contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office for more information about the Manure Applicator Certification Program or visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/immag/confinement-site-applicators.



Commercial Manure Applicator Training Set for Jan. 6

Commercial manure applicators can attend annual training to meet commercial manure applicator certification requirements on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will conduct Commercial Manure Applicator training from 9 a.m. to noon at 80 locations in Iowa and one in Minnesota. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.

There is no fee for the workshop. Pre-registration is required. No walk-ins allowed. Applicators must register by Dec. 30 with the ISU Extension and Outreach county office where they plan to attend. A complete list of workshop locations can be found at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/immag/commercial-manure-applicators.

Commercial manure applicators needing to recertify and those wanting to certify for the first time should attend. All currently certified commercial manure applicator licenses will expire on March 1, 2022. Those wanting to renew must complete training requirements and submit forms and fees to the Department of Natural Resources prior to March 1, to avoid paying late fees. The law requires all commercial manure applicators to attend three hours of training annually to meet certification requirements. Businesses that primarily truck or haul manure of any type or from any source are also required to meet certification requirements.

Those unable to attend the program on Jan. 6 need to schedule time with their ISU Extension and Outreach county office to watch the training Blu-rays. Due to scheduling conflicts, many extension offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these Blu-rays but do offer scheduled dates and times to provide this training.

If you can’t attend training during one of the scheduled reshow dates at your county extension office, you will be charged a $10 fee to view the training at your convenience. If attending the workshops or watching the three-hour Blu-rays is not convenient, commercial applicators may contact their local Department of Natural Resources field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam. Another option for commercial manure applicators is to take their training online at DNR MAC eLearning site at https://elearning-dnr.iowa.gov/. The applicator will need to sign in and get an A&A account.

In addition to the commercial manure applicator training offered on Jan. 6, ISU Extension and Outreach will also offer six dry/solid manure workshops for commercial manure applicators in February 2022. Information regarding these workshops and locations is also contained in the link to the brochure listed above. Program requirements are the same as the regular commercial training program, but this training program is geared more toward dry/solid manure issues.

For more information about the commercial manure applicator certification program, contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office or go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/immag/.



Thompson, Boozman Lead Bicameral Group of Republican Ag Committee Members in Calling on EPA to Rescind Chlorpyrifos Decision

U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA), Republican Leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Republian Leader of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, are leading a bicameral effort calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rescind its decision to revoke all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and ensure its future actions related to the registration or registration review of crop protection tools are consistent with the science-based, regulatory process required under EPA’s congressionally-mandated authorities.
 
In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the Republican Leaders and their colleagues point out how the agency ignored the safety findings of its own career scientists when making its decision on chlorpyrifos which has caused tremendous stress for producers, who are already struggling to navigate the supply chain crisis.
 
“EPA’s blatant disregard for the work of its career scientists and the significant confusion the Agency’s decision has created for producers, channels of trade, and our nation’s food supply has inserted further uncertainty and stress for producers attempting to navigate the nation’s growing supply-chain problems at a time when producers are making key planting and purchasing decisions on hundreds of millions of acres for the 2022 growing season. The significance of the supply chain problems and impacts to the producers and rural communities cannot be overstated. As such, we request EPA rescind its August 2021 final rule revoking food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and proceed with reviewing current uses under its ongoing registration review of this chemistry,” the members wrote.

The members’ concerns are not limited to this single chemistry, and in the letter, they suggest the EPA has taken a “dangerous posture” on the valuable tools stakeholders and producers rely upon every day to produce the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world.  
 
“Given these concerns, we seek your assurance that, going forward, EPA will not depart from its science-driven, risk-based, congressionally-mandated registration or registration review process of critical crop protection tools at a time when the supply chain is failing, availability of crop protection tools and other inputs is becoming more and more scarce, and record inflation is driving up the cost of production and, in turn, the cost of food for the consumer,” the members wrote.
 
Along with Republican Leader Thompson, the following House Agriculture Committee members signed the letter: Austin Scott (GA-08), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Rick Allen (GA-12), David Rouzer (NC-07), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), James Baird (IN-04), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Troy Balderson (OH-12), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-02), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Julia Letlow (LA-05).

The following Senate Agriculture Committee members joined Republican Leader Boozman in signing the letter: Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Thune (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Mike Braun (R-IN).



New Report Shines Light on Issues and Challenges in the U.S. Beef Market

Challenges in the cattle markets are not new, but the pandemic has herded these problems to the forefront with historic packer profits - a function of spreads between the prices ranchers are paid for their cattle and the prices people pay at the grocery store or other retail markets for beef.

In the wake of these unprecedented conditions, Congress commissioned a new report from the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) to examine fed cattle pricing, packing capacity, and related issues.

Dr. Bart Fischer, professor in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M and co-director of AFPC, was editor of the report titled, "U.S. Beef Supply Chain: Issues and Challenges." Fischer has a background in agricultural production and extensive experience on Capitol Hill serving as Chief Economist of the House Agriculture Committee from 2011 to 2019.

"The cattle markets are extraordinarily complex," Fischer said on the latest episode of Groundwork. "We saw this huge shift away from restaurants into grocery stores, which puts a huge strain on the supply chain. And the form of demand really shifted during the pandemic with all the disruption that comes with that."

Packing operations also contended with COVID-19 labor shortages.

"Even just at that segment of the supply chain, you see both of those things colliding at once," Fischer said.

Because of the extraordinary challenges and complexity of the market, lawmakers continue to struggle with how to ensure transparent markets promote growth and fairness from the producer through the supply chain to the consumer.

On November 10, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act was introduced to address the declining negotiated cash markets and ensure more accurate price information in cattle markets. The bipartisan legislation was introduced by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). A section by section summary of the bill is available here. While a step toward progress, the legislation still lacks complete support from all segments of the complex cattle supply chain.

At Farm Policy Facts, we believe "U.S. Beef Supply Chain Issues and Challenges" is required reading for anyone interested in understanding the complexity of this market – and certainly law and policy makers who are considering these issues. Our thanks to Dr. Fischer and all the beef market experts who contributed to this important work.



OCM opposes the Compromise Cattle Market Bill.

The Lincoln, NE-based Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has announced its opposition to  Senate Bill S.3229 known as the Compromise Cattle Market Bill.

OCM President, Vaughn Meyer said, “The mission of OCM is to work for transparent, fair and truly competitive agricultural and food markets and S.3229 is merely an extension of the current lack of market transparency which allows packer domination in the market place”.  

S.3229 introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R- Neb.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is a compromise attempt to combine S.949, the Spot Market Protection Bill, and S. 543, the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021.  Under this union, the bill crafters have neglected the dire need for the immediate market transparency measures necessary for independent cattle producer and feeder survival.  

Since the 2015 cattle market crash, precipitated by Congressional Country of Origin Labeling rejection, cattle producers have sought Congressional assistance in regaining their lost markets. One of the two key steps to rebuilding the cattle industry is establishing greater cash market transparency.    

S.3229 fails to include immediate mandatory negotiated cash market levels that were originally inclusive in S. 949.  Without immediate established cash purchase minimums, producers may have to endure two more years before any cash market reconstruction can occur, and then it will be subject to a lengthy USDA approval process.  Farmers and Ranchers desperately need immediate intervention to break the stranglehold of corporate consolidation in our food and agricultural economy.

In addition to no present cash market discovery for producers, S3229 precipitates regional scapegoats for differing cash market purchasing requirements whereby regions of higher transparency levels may be reduced by regions with lower 18-month cash market averages. This regionalized approach of S.3229 exempts more than half of the United States translating into a ”get home free card “ for many big four packing plants.  Differing industry regional requirements will only serve to create producer animosity, create transportation burdens and dictate processing facility locations.

OCM understands and appreciates the need for industry consensus to fix the ongoing monopsony market power which is depriving thousands of family producers and feeders of their livelihoods.  However, any consensus must have immediate and lasting solutions for the economic equality of all participants.

OCM, in keeping with our mission for transparent, fair, and truly competitive agricultural and food markets, supports only compromises with:
-    Immediate nationally mandated cash market discovery to restore market competition, ensure market access and establish a true market basis for all marketing agreements.
-    Provide equal terms and treatment toward all individuals, localities, and regions in accordance with the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act section 202 (7 U.S.C. 192) (b).
-    Provide equal access to all purchase agreements /contracts for all participants as set forth under the Packers and Stockyards Act.



R-CALF USA Calls New Cattle Market Reform Bill the Long Awaited “Silver Bullet”

R-CALF USA announced its strong endorsement of the cattle market reforms contained in a new bill announced today by Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). The Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act of 2021 (the new Act) would substantively reform the structure of the U.S. cattle market and is expected to be formally introduced next week.

The new Act prohibits today’s ubiquitous formula contract, which requires cattle sellers to commit cattle to a packer without knowing even the base price the packers would use for determining the value of their cattle. The Act accomplishes this by requiring any contract that requires delivery of cattle more than 7 days before slaughter to contain a base price that can be equated to a fixed dollar amount.

The new Act also:
-    Bans the nation’s largest packers from owning and feeding cattle more than 7 days before slaughter.
-    Requires each plant owned by the largest packers to purchase at least 50% of their cattle needs from the competitive cash market each day and to slaughter those cattle within 7 days.
-    Prohibits any conduct by the packers that adversely affects competition regardless of any business justification claimed by the packers.
-    Clarifies that a showing of harm to competition is not necessary for producers to protect themselves from anticompetitive conduct by the packers.
-    Restores mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef and pork and adds dairy products.
-    Empowers producers to defend the competitiveness of their industry by authorizing the recovery of attorney fees in successful cases filed under the Packers and Stockyards Act.

“This new Act is the ‘Silver Bullet’ we’ve been seeking to immediately fix the broken market and reverse the alarming contraction of the U.S. cattle industry,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.

The comprehensive new Act contains three titles: the first addresses reforms to protect meat and poultry processing workers; the second addresses the above stated cattle market reforms; and the third addresses reports required by the Government Accountability Office, including a report on the fragility of and national security concerns in meat and poultry food systems.

“This much needed, comprehensive overhaul of the systemically broken cattle market, along with its worker-related reforms, elevates the new Act to that of the 2021 version of the 100-year-old Packers and Stockyard’s Act, which is sorely needed by cattle producers, workers and consumers.

“We strongly encourage every cattle producer to carefully read the new Act and to support it as a preferred substitute for the recently compromised spot market protection bill, S.3229, which now fails completely to offer any meaningful market structure reforms,” concluded Bullard.       


AMPI cheesemakers tally five, first-place finishes
 
The cheesemakers of Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) are bringing home five, first-place and three, second-place finishes following the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Championship Cheese Contest. In addition, a Pasteurized Process American and Monterey Jack Cheese with Red Bell and Jalapeno Peppers loaf made at the cooperative’s plant in Portage, Wis., received the NMPF Reserve Chairman’s Award. A hand-crafted Parmesan made in Hoven, S.D., was named best of class in the Italian division.

“Making award-winning cheese is a team effort at AMPI,” said Mike Wolkow, AMPI senior vice president of operations. “The dedication of our dairy farm families and cheesemakers — at every step in the cheesemaking process — delivers a great bite, every time.”

AMPI cheesemakers are being recognized at the contest held in conjunction with NMPF’s joint annual meeting with the United Dairy Industry Association and National Dairy Promotion and Research Board in Las Vegas, Nev. Cheese made at AMPI plants received the following awards:
First, Processed American Flavored, Pasteurized Process American and Monterey Jack Cheese with Red Bell and Jalapeno Peppers loaf – Portage, Wis.
First, Hard Italian, Parmesan – Hoven, S.D.
First, Mild Cheddar – Blair, Wis.
First, Colby Jack – Jim Falls, Wis.
First, Pepper Jack – Jim Falls Wis.
Second, Colby – Sanborn, Iowa
Second, Medium Cheddar – Blair, Wis.
Second, Processed American Plain – Portage, Wis.

“While our cheese regularly places well in national contests, this collection of awards is a first for AMPI,” said Marshall Reece, AMPI senior vice president of sales and marketing. “The recognition reaffirms our Co-op Crafted promise — AMPI farm families care for their land and animals, and partner with skilled craftsmen to make award-winning dairy products for our customers to enjoy.”