Fall Body Condition Scoring
Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator
Weather and calving date all affect Body Condition Score for our cows and this year is no different.
Often times we don’t really think about looking at the condition of our cows when they are at the end of pasture because they are typically consuming decent quality forage. We are pretty good at assessing our cows about 90 days before calving because that is a very crucial time and the last chance to economically put condition on our cows. But from now which is at weaning until about 90 days before calving is time to really think about how we can very cheaply get some good weight on our cattle.
To give some background, the body condition scoring scale is a nine point scale from 1 to 9 with 1 being extremely skinny and nine being extremely obese. Typically, we want our cattle at a body condition score of five on average. Now some may have a body condition of 6 or 4 but 5 is generally what we aim for in a typical cow calf system. This time of year, our cows are likely still nursing a calf that’s pretty large, depending on calving date, or have just stopped lactating. This typically means that the cow’s body condition score has been improving since peak lactation, but it’s also been dry this year in some areas.
Weaning or when cows get turned out to stalks is a crucial time to check body condition score because we can begin to see if our forage resources aren’t meeting the nutritional requirements of our cows. If we score our cattle as we wean or turn out to stalks, we can begin to make better management decisions before it’s too late. Maybe we need to consider weaning earlier, culling early, or look at our replacement females that may need some extra help this time of year.
We want our cows to be bred, give birth and raise a healthy calf. Without knowing the trend of our herd or individual cow, we have to wait until it’s too late to make good management decisions. Using a number as our own data point will allow us to evaluate our situation and likely allow us to be ahead of our competition in marketing, pasture condition, and a successful calf crop.
Body condition scoring takes practice to train our eyes to the score, but can also be a gut feeling.
Support For Senator Fischer’s Precision Agriculture Loan Act Continues to Grow
Several national agriculture and business organizations have announced their support for U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) Precision Agriculture Loan Act. Sen. Fischer, who is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the bipartisan legislation in September.
“Precision ag technologies are critical tools that help America’s farmers and ranchers maximize their yields and reduce their environmental footprint. However, the upfront costs to purchase new, cutting-edge equipment is often prohibitively expensive. We applaud Senators Fischer and Klobuchar for their bipartisan leadership on the Precision Agriculture Loan Act, which will facilitate the adoption of innovative, climate-smart technologies,” said the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA).
“Precision agriculture technology has been proven to increase yields, reduce land, water, chemical, and fuel use, and help sequester greenhouse gases in the soil—and we are seeing that this is just the exciting beginning of what precision ag can do for America’s family farms. Many farmers want to leverage this technology, but they are limited by the high cost of adoption. ASA supports federal efforts to expand voluntary adoption of precision agriculture technology by farmers, and we applaud Senators Fischer and Klobuchar for introducing the Precision Ag Loan Act to help deliver vital, climate-smart precision ag tech to farm gates across the country,” said Kevin Scott, president of the American Soybean Association and soy grower from South Dakota.
“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce commends Sens. Fischer and Klobuchar for introducing S. 2750, the bipartisan Precision Agriculture Loan Program Act of 2021. Broader access to precision agriculture technologies will enable America’s farmers to continue leading the world in innovation and offer another important tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water management, and optimize crop yields and global food security,” said Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability with the Chamber of Commerce.
Other organizations that have expressed support of the legislation include: Association of Equipment Manufacturers, American Sheep Industry, National Cotton Council, National Milk Producers Federation, USA Rice, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Ducks Unlimited, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, American Seed Trade Association, California Specialty Crops Council, Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology, CropLife America, FMC, Hop Growers of America, National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants, National Onion Association, AMVAC, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, the American Conservation Coalition, and the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
The Precision Agriculture Loan Act would establish the Precision Agriculture Loan program within USDA’s Farm Service Agency. The program would offer low-cost and long-term loans to agriculture producers who want to adopt precision agriculture technologies but can’t afford the initial costs through traditional financing.
This would be the first federal loan program dedicated entirely to precision agriculture. Instead of paying upwards of 5 percent in interest, producers would be eligible for interest rates lower than 2 percent through the new program, with loan terms from 3 to 12 years in length. These loans would cover any precision agriculture technology that improves efficiency or reduces inputs.
TRANSPORTING COWS TO STALKS
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator
When it comes to feeding cows during the winter, producers have a wide variety of forage and feed sources to choose from, with unique costs and benefits for each. How can you decide which option is best for your operation?
With dry conditions in the western U.S., typical winter feeds like grass hay have become increasingly expensive. To offset this cost, producers may turn to a lower cost grazing resource in crop residues. When available corn fields are local, the decision may be easy, but how far is too far to haul cattle to stalks?
Figuring out the true cost of grazing stalks or feeding hay can be done using the UNL Cornstalk Grazing Cow-Q-Lator and Feed Cost Cow-Q-Lator respectively. Both tools ask in depth questions like transportation distance and cost, number of grazing days, how often cattle are checked, feed loss, and storage and hauling fees to come up with an accurate cost of use. These tools will be combined into one easy to use tool, the Cow Transport Cow-Q-Lator, available soon. Just search UNL ag manager tools. It should be your top result.
Using this tool, Ag Econ Specialist Matt Stockton and Educator Randy Saner produced a table showing that corn stalks are often at a competitive advantage when it comes to cost of feed. For a herd of 105 cows being checked on weekly at a distance up to 200 miles away, brome hay would have to be below $33 per ton to be a more economical option than stalk grazing. For a 400 mile distance, hay must be below $74 per ton, and below $155 per ton if going 800 miles.
With hay prices as they stand now, even a long distance trip to grazeable corn residue may be worth consideration this year.
K-State researcher continues efforts to halt spread of African swine fever
Megan Niederwerder, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, will lead a new $513,000 research project to characterize African swine fever virus survival and transmission after introduction onto a farm. She will serve as the principal investigator on the two-year grant award from the National Pork Board and the state of Kansas National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Fund.
Niederwerder's research focuses on preventing the deadly swine virus from reaching the U.S. This includes determining the risk and mitigation of potential virus introduction routes, such as imported feed ingredients through which the virus could be transmitted to domestic pigs. The new grant award extends this work into virus preparedness. Data generated in her laboratory will help improve the response to virus detection in the U.S.
"While our primary goal is to prevent African swine fever virus introduction into the U.S., we have to be prepared for a swift and effective response should the virus ever enter our country," Niederwerder said. "Goals of the ongoing African swine fever virus research in my laboratory are not only to develop strategies for prevention, but to also broaden detection capacity and validate best practices for elimination."
Over the last decade, African swine fever virus has spread at an unprecedented rate to new countries and regions. In the last few months, the virus was detected in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, becoming the first confirmed cases of the virus in the Western Hemisphere in almost 40 years. As the virus spreads closer to the U.S., it is critical that the nation continues to invest in prevention and preparedness, Niederwerder said.
If African swine fever were to reach the country, Niederwerder and her team hope that their research will help U.S. pig farmers eliminate the virus as quickly as possible. To this end, they are seeking to identify new tools and protocols that can be implemented at the farm level.
"African swine fever virus is very stable under certain conditions and in certain materials, so decontaminating the environment is critical to reducing the time and spread of an outbreak," Niederwerder said. "If we can shorten the period from when the first infected animal is identified to the time when the farm is ready to repopulate and raise healthy pigs, this reduces the economic impact on pork producers."
Time will be of the essence if the virus enters the U.S. It is estimated the virus would cause losses to the pork industry between $15 billion to $50 billion, depending on the length and extent of the outbreak. Limiting animal and economic losses is why the country's main goal has to be controlling the virus's spread and eradicating it rapidly, Niederwerder said.
Because of the lack of a vaccine, African swine fever virus's impact on trade and exports is the most significant threat to global pork production.
NCGA Congratulates Robert Bonnie on Senate Confirmation
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today congratulated Robert Bonnie for receiving Senate confirmation to serve as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation with the Department of Agriculture. In response to the development, NCGA President Chris Edgington made the following statement:
“As production agriculture continues to face multiple challenges from climate to markets, Mr. Bonnie will play an important role in responding to farmer needs. Having previously served as the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, he has experience working with a variety of stakeholders and overseeing important USDA agencies. These experiences, his commitment to bipartisanship, along with his ongoing work with farmers, ranchers, and conservationists, are all reasons NCGA looks forward to working with Robert Bonnie in his new role.”
Registration & Housing Now Open for 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans
Registration and housing for the 2022 Commodity Classic is now open. America’s largest farmer-led agricultural and educational experience will be held Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12 in New Orleans, LA.
To register, reserve hotel rooms, sign up for email updates, and register for optional tours in and around New Orleans, visit CommodityClassic.com. A list of exhibiting companies, a map of the trade show floor, and the registration brochure can also be found online.
Early discounts on registration end Jan. 21, 2022.
Commodity Classic is excited to bring the agriculture industry together again in-person for the annual showcase of ag technology, crop production science, marketing intelligence, and farm innovation.
Commodity Classic features a robust schedule of over 50 educational sessions, a huge trade show with over 350 exhibitors featuring the latest technology, equipment and innovation, top-notch entertainment, inspiring speakers, unique tours, and the opportunity to network with thousands of farmers from across the nation.
“Commodity Classic is unlike any other agricultural event because every experience, educational session, and speaker is selected by farmers, for farmers,” said Gary Porter, a Missouri farmer and co-chair of the 2022 Commodity Classic. “You’ll be among the best farmers, education, technology, and innovation—all under one roof.”
A schedule of events is available at CommodityClassic.com. Make sure to follow Commodity Classic on Twitter at @ComClassic and on Facebook for continued updates.
Build Back Better Act Would Hurt Rural America
The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives today stating its opposition to the Build Back Better Act, also known as the reconciliation package. President Zippy Duvall commented on the Build Back Better Act.
“After watching months of contentious, partisan debate surrounding the Build Back Better Act, AFBF stands in opposition to the legislation.
“While some elements of the reconciliation package would benefit agriculture, the massive amount of spending and tax increases required to pay for the plan outweigh the gains we would see in rural America. We appreciate House efforts to protect farmers and ranchers by leaving key tax provisions untouched. Thousands of small businesses, however, would still be affected by tax increases, forcing them to pass increased costs to families across the nation.
“The economy is still recovering from the pandemic, supply chains are stressed, and inflation is putting pressure on America’s pocketbooks. Now is not the time to put an additional burden on families struggling to make ends meet. We urge lawmakers to find common ground and work in a bipartisan manner to address the challenges facing our nation.”
Skor Testifies on Biofuels & the Renewable Economy in Rural America
Today, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor participated in the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit hearing titled “A Look at the Renewable Economy in Rural America.” In her testimony, Skor spoke on the biofuel sector’s important role in driving economic growth and achieving our nation’s climate goals.
“Renewable fuels like ethanol remain the single most affordable and abundant source of low-carbon motor fuel on the planet – and are critical to meeting carbon reduction goals today,” Skor told lawmakers.
During her testimony, Skor emphasized the importance of swift action on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rulemaking on long-overdue annual Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“A strong RFS will reduce carbon emissions and provide a steady market for U.S. grain,” said Skor. “The annual blending requirements are woefully delayed, and in recent weeks, unsettling media reports indicate that EPA may turn its back on greater biofuel blending. It is critical for ethanol producers and suppliers that EPA immediately propose 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels for 2021 and 2022. The Biden Administration simply cannot meet its climate goals while rolling back low-carbon biofuel blending requirements,” noted Skor.
Moving forward, she urged the Biden administration and Congress to support a strong RFS, accelerated nationwide use of higher blends like E15, accurate carbon modeling of ethanol to better reflect the most current data, sustainable farming innovations, and carbon intensity reductions at our biorefineries, and incentives that provide producers with strong policy signals to further reduce biofuels’ carbon intensity and expand to new transportation markets.
RFA to White House: ‘Double Down’ on Ethanol to Cut Prices at the Pump
As the Biden administration continues to explore options for addressing high gas prices, the Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to the White House late Monday explaining that strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and expanded ethanol consumption would help keep pump prices in check.
RFA’s letter follows media reports that Biden administration officials may be considering lowering RFS volumes based on the mistaken belief that the program somehow is a factor contributing to current high gas prices.
“To be clear, lowering biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would not reduce the cost of gasoline for American households,” wrote RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper in a letter to National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. “In fact, cutting RFS volumes would most assuredly have the exact opposite effect on consumer gas prices. Reducing the domestic usage of low-cost renewable fuels like ethanol would increase demand for petroleum at a time when global oil inventories are already strained and prices are at seven-year highs.”
RFA noted that ethanol presently extends the U.S. gasoline supply by nearly 1.1 million barrels per day, equivalent to the combined crude oil production from Alaska, California, Utah, and Wyoming. According to a renowned economist and energy policy advisor to two former presidents, the use of roughly 1 million barrels per day of ethanol in the United States has lowered the average price of crude by $6 per barrel, thereby cutting the retail gasoline price by $0.22 per gallon.
The letter also pointed out that gasoline with just 10 percent ethanol (E10) is currently selling for 10-15 percent less (typically 35-50 cents per gallon) than “ethanol-free” gasoline (E0). Higher blends like E15 and E85 offer even greater savings.
“Rather than undermining the market for low-carbon renewable fuels, we encourage you to follow through on the President’s Day 1 pledge to ‘double down on the liquid fuels of the future,’” Cooper wrote. “This includes immediately proposing strong RFS volumes for 2021 and 2022, and taking swift regulatory action to facilitate the rapid expansion of E15 availability nationwide.”
NBB Submits Testimony on Value of Biodiesel in Rural Economies to House Ag Subcommittee
Today, National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen submitted written testimony to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit for the hearing, "A Look at the Renewable Economy in Rural America." The testimony outlines the contribution of the clean fuels industry in terms of jobs and value-added markets for agricultural as well as improved environmental health and reduced associated costs for both rural and urban communities.
Because our industry's clean fuels are made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources, they "add value to fats, oils and greases that might otherwise lead to costs for other sectors of the bioeconomy," Rehagen states in the testimony.
Moreover, "clean fuel production contributes to the bioeconomy by reducing the impacts and costs of carbon and particulate emissions," Rehagen writes. Biodiesel and renewable diesel immediately and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in difficult-to-decarbonize transportation. And, they significantly reduce criteria pollutants from diesel transportation and other end uses, which can have direct benefits for both rural and urban communities, according to the testimony.
Kurt Kovarik, NBB's Vice President of Federal Affairs, added, "NBB and its members appreciate the leadership of Representatives and Senators who are advocating a long-term extension of the biodiesel tax incentive and a ten-year authorization and funding of the biofuel infrastructure grant program in the Build Back Better Act."
The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13 percent of the value of each U.S. bushel of soybeans.
Vietnam Revises MFN Rates On Corn, Wheat, Frozen Pork For All Origins
Vietnamese government officials announced yesterday that it has revised its Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rates and, as of Dec. 30, 2021, it will reduce the import tax on corn from all origins to two percent from five percent and zero out the tax on wheat. The import tax on frozen pork will also be reduced from 15 to 10 percent beginning July 1, 2022.
“This is great news for U.S. products as it levels the playing field with our competitors from the Black Sea and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members,” said U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand.
“The Council’s work in Vietnam, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, has helped make this happen. We thank the Vietnamese government for taking these important steps to make trade freer and fairer there.”
The Council’s work in the effort culminated in September when it coordinated a meeting in New York City between T&T Group, a Vietnamese feed grain importer, and Council members, DeLong Company and Valero, where two memorandums of understanding were signed. At that meeting, LeGrand also spoke with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc about lowering corn and ethanol import tariffs.
The following day in Washington, D.C., the Council accelerated the relationship by hosting Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh, other MARD officials and a representative from Khai Anh Company, another large Vietnamese feed grain importer. The Council signed two MOUs with the groups – one with MARD and one with Khai Anh Company – to build Vietnam’s feed, livestock and aquaculture industries and secure U.S. corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) purchases, respectively.
According to the USDA, U.S. exports of corn, wheat and pork to Vietnam were valued at $228 million in 2020. Vietnamese purchases of U.S. DDGS increased in 2020/2021 totaling 1.7 million metric tons and placed the country as the second largest market.
“We look forward to building on our strengthened relationship with Vietnam as we find new homes for U.S. corn and related products for our members here at home,” LeGrand said.
Vietnam to Eliminate U.S. Wheat Import Tariff
Today’s announcement that Vietnam’s government will eliminate a 3 percent tariff on U.S. wheat imports effective December 30, 2021, is welcome news to producers at home and their customers and wheat food processors in Vietnam.
As we reported in August 2021, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) appreciate the efforts by the Biden Administration, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance toward eliminating this tariff, which follows a reduction from 5 percent to 3 percent in July 2020.
Vietnam imported more than 500,000 metric tons of U.S. hard red spring, soft white, hard red winter, and soft red winter wheat valued at $129 million in marketing year 2020/21, second in volume only to Australia. Vietnam imports an average of about 4 million metric tons of wheat per year.
“U.S. wheat exports to Vietnam’s growing market are much slower so far this year because of short supplies and rising prices, so eliminating this tariff is very important for growers like me,” said Darren Padget, USW Chairman and a soft white wheat grower from Grass Valley, Ore.
“With about half of the wheat we produce available for export each year, we depend on increasing access to markets like Vietnam,” said Dave Milligan, NAWG President and a wheat grower from Cass City, Mich. “Here at home, NAWG will continue advocating for trade policies that work toward positive opportunities for wheat growers and their customers.”
Midwest Farmland Values Surged 18% in Third Quarter
Agricultural land values for the Seventh Federal Reserve District surged 18 percent in the third quarter of 2021 from a year ago, according the the November 2021 Chicago Fed AgLetter released Monday, Nov. 15.
Moreover, values for “good” farmland in the District overall were 6 percent higher in the third quarter of 2021 than in the second quarter, according to the 151 bankers who responded to the October 1 survey.
Most survey respondents (68 percent) anticipated the District’s farmland values to go up again during the fourth quarter of 2021, while the rest anticipated stable District farmland values in the final quarter of this year (none anticipated them to go down).
The District’s agricultural credit conditions were better in the third quarter of 2021 than a year earlier.
Repayment rates for non-real-estate farm loans were higher relative to the same quarter of the previous year for the fourth con-secutive quarter (accompanied by lower loan renewals and extensions).
In the third quarter of this year, the availability of funds for lending by agricultural banks was again higher than a year ago, even as the demand for non-real-estate farm loans remained lower than a year earlier for the fifth consecutive quarter.
The average loan-to-deposit ratio for the District was 68.8 percent in the third quarter of 2021. Average interest rates on agricultural loans—in both nominal and real terms—kept falling during the third quarter of 2021.
Kinze Holding Contest to Find Oldest Running Grain Cart
Kinze Manufacturing is launching a contest to find the company's oldest grain cart that is still running, with prizes that include meeting the company's legendary founder.
Kinze's Oldest Grain Cart Contest through Dec. 31. Anyone with an operating Kinze grain cart who can provide the model number, serial number and a picture of the cart may enter. Kinze employees are not eligible for this contest.
"We're offering this contest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Kinze grain cart," said company president Susanne Kinzenbaw Veatch. "It's also a way to show appreciation for our customers and demonstrate the durability and longevity of Kinze products."
The owner who submits the oldest operating Kinze grain cart will win the grand prize - the opportunity to meet company founder Jon Kinzenbaw, who invented the industry's first grain cart in 1971. The grand prize also includes a signed copy of his book, "Fifty Years of Disruptive Innovation," a $250 Kinze Store gift card and tours of the Kinze Innovation Center, Kinze factory and Kinzenbaw's private tractor collection.
The contest, however, isn't just open to the oldest grain cart. Ten randomly drawn entries, regardless of the grain cart model year, will receive a 1:32 scale grain cart signed by Jon Kinzenbaw and a $25 Kinze Store gift card.
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