Thursday December 23 Cattle on Feed, Hogs & Pigs, & more Ag News

NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 2%
 
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.58 million cattle on feed on December 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2% from last year. Placements during November totaled 490,000 head, up 7% from 2020. Fed cattle marketings for the month of November totaled 455,000 head, up 10% from last year. Other disappearance during November totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.



IOWA CATTLE ON FEED REMAINS UNCHANGED

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 610,000 head on December 1, 2021, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service  - Cattle on Feed report. This was unchanged from November and  unchanged from December 1, 2020. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 475,000 head on feed, up 1 percent from last month but down 12 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,085,000 head, up slightly from last month but down 6 percent from last year.  
 
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during November totaled 94,000 head, down  19 percent  from  October  but up  15 percent  from last  year.  Feedlots with a  capacity of  less  than  1,000 head placed 62,000 head, down 9 percent from October and down 33 percent from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 156,000 head, down 15 percent from October and down 10 percent from last year.  
 
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during November totaled 92,000 head, down 12 percent from October but up 2 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 55,000 head, up 8 percent from October and up 10 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 147,000 head, down 5 percent from October but up 5 percent from last year.



United States Cattle on Feed Down Slightly

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.0 million head on December 1, 2021. The inventory was slightly below December 1, 2020.

On Feed, by State (1,000 hd  -  % Dec 1 '20)
Colorado .......:               1,140          101                  
Iowa .............:                 610            100                  
Kansas ..........:               2,480            99                  
Nebraska ......:               2,580           102               
Texas ............:               2,880           99                 

Placements in feedlots during November totaled 1.97 million head, 4 percent above 2020. Net placements were 1.91 million head. During November, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 565,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 485,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 405,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 296,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 130,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head.

Placements by State  (1,000 hd - % Nov '20)
Colorado .......:                     160            97             
Iowa .............:                        94           115                
Kansas ..........:                      435           105                 
Nebraska ......:                      490           107                   
Texas ............:                      445           110                   

Marketings of fed cattle during November totaled 1.87 million head, 5 percent above 2020. Marketings were the highest for November since the series began in 1996. November 2021 included one additional day of slaughter compared to last year. Other disappearance totaled 61,000 head during November, unchanged from 2020.

Marketings by State  (1,000 hd - % Nov '20)
Colorado .......:                   165           110              
Iowa .............:                    92            102                   
Kansas ..........:                   455           107                 
Nebraska ......:                   455           110                  
Texas ............:                   400           100               



NEBRASKA HOG INVENTORY DOWN 5%
 
LINCOLN, Neb. December 23, 2021 - Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2021, was 3.60 million head, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was down 5% from December 1, 2020, and down 1% from September 1, 2021.  
 
Breeding hog inventory, at 440,000 head, was up 7% from December 1, 2020, but down 4% from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 3.16 million head, was down 7% from last year, and down 1% from last quarter.  
 
The September - November 2021 Nebraska pig crop, at 2.28 million head, was up 3% from 2020. Sows farrowed during the period totaled 195,000 head, up 3% from last year. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.70 for the September - November period, compared to 11.70 last year.  
 
Nebraska hog producers intend to farrow 190,000 sows during the December 2021 - February 2022 quarter, up 6% from the actual farrowings during the same period a year ago. Intended farrowings for March - May 2022 are 195,000 sows, up 3% from the actual farrowings during the same period a year ago.



IOWA HOGS & PIGS REPORT: INVENTORY DOWN 1 PERCENT

On  December  1,  2021,  there  were  23.8  million  hogs  and  pigs  on  Iowa  farms,  according  to  the  latest  USDA,  National Agricultural Statistics Service - Hogs and Pigs report. Inventory was down 1 percent from the previous quarter and down 3 percent from the previous year.  
 
The September-November 2021 quarterly pig crop was 5.95 million head, up 3 percent from the previous quarter but down 6 percent from last year. A total of 520,000 sows farrowed during this quarter. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.45 for the quarter and a record high.  
 
As of December 1, producers planned to farrow 490,000 sows and gilts in the December 2021-February 2022 quarter and 500,000 head during the March-May 2022 quarter.



United States Hog Inventory Down 4 Percent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2021 was 74.2 million head. This was down 4 percent fromDecember 1, 2020, and down 1 percent from September 1, 2021.   Breeding inventory, at 6.18 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down slightly from the previous quarter.  Market hog inventory, at 68.0 million head, was down 4 percent from last year, and down 1 percent from last quarter.

Pig Inventory
by State                     (1,000 hd  -  % Dec 1 '20)
Iowa .................:      23,800.0       97   
Minnesota ........:       8,900.0        95   
North Carolina ..:       8,000.0        91   
Illinois ..............:       5,350.0        98   
Indiana .............:       4,350.0        98
Missouri ...........:       3,450.0        92   

The September-November 2021 pig crop, at 33.7 million head, was down 4 percent from 2020. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.01 million head, down 5 percent from 2020. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.19 for the September-November period, compared to 11.05 last year.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.94 million sows farrow during the December 2021-February 2022 quarter, up slightly from the actual farrowings during the same period one year earlier, but down 8 percent from the same period two years earlier. Intended farrowings for March-May 2022, at 3.01 million sows, are down 1 percent from the same period one year earlier, and down 4 percent from the same period two years earlier.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 47 percent of the total United States hog inventory, down 1 percent from the previous year.



Record High Total Red Meat and Beef Production in November

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.80 billion pounds in November, up 2 percent from the 4.69 billion pounds produced in November 2020.

Beef production, at 2.38 billion pounds, was 5 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.86 million head, up 6 percent from November 2020. The average live weight was down 5 pounds from the previous year, at 1,382 pounds.

Veal production totaled 4.6 million pounds, 5 percent below November a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 33,000 head, down 6 percent from November 2020. The average live weight was up 1 pound from last year, at 242 pounds.

Pork production totaled 2.41 billion pounds, up slightly from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 11.1 million head, up 1 percent from November 2020. The average live weight was down 3 pounds from the previous year, at 291 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 12.0 million pounds, was up 12 percent from November 2020. Sheep slaughter totaled 195,100 head, 8 percent above last year. The average live weight was 122 pounds, up 4 pounds from November a year ago.

By State:  (million lbs.  -  % Nov '20)
Iowa ..............:     790.6            104       
Kansas ...........:     537.4            106       
Nebraska .......:     686.2            102       

January to November 2021 commercial red meat production was 51.0 billion pounds, up slightly from 2020. Accumulated beef production was up 3 percent from last year, veal was down 18 percent, pork was down 2 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was down slightly.



NePPA Schedules Secure Pork Supply Planning Meetings

Wanting to have a better understanding standing of what the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) is and help to write your SPS plan. Join the Nebraska Pork Producers Association for one of the meetings. Each meeting will start with an overview of SPS and the importance of it, the rest of the day is to help producers with their biosecurity plans for the SPS plan. Feel free to come when you can to get some one on one help.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
Coleridge Community Center
Coleridge, NE

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
Nielsen Community Center
200 Anna Stalp Ave, West Point, NE 68788

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
Holthus Convention Center
3130 Holen Ave, York, NE 68467

You can register ahead of time by filling in the registration at the NePPA web site... found here: https://www.nepork.org/secure-pork-supply-planning-meetings/.  



Woodbury County farmer Greg Jochum elected to represent District 4 on Iowa Farm Bureau State Board of Directors

Greg Jochum of Salix was elected to serve as an Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) board member, replacing Brent Johnson of Calhoun County, who was recently elected IFBF president. Jochum was elected to a three-year term to represent District 4, comprised of 11 counties in west central Iowa: Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon and Guthrie.

Jochum grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and as a trained agronomist, is heavily involved in conservation efforts, working with other farmers to plant and maintain conservation reserve program (CRP) land and seeding cover crops.  Jochum previously held several positions with the Woodbury County Farm Bureau and recently completed a term on the statewide resolutions committee.  Jochum has been an active leader with Farm Bureau, previously serving as IFBF’s Young Farmer Committee chair and on the Legacy Planning Committee, a statewide taskforce that shaped IFBF’s strategic plan including a new mission statement and core values.    

“Farm Bureau is the strongest farm organization in Iowa, and it’s my honor to serve the members of District 4," says Jochum. "I look forward to helping carry out its mission and serving farmers in my district."

Jochum is a graduate of South Dakota State University, and he and his wife, Krista, have three daughters and a son.  



Iowa Corn Crop Fair Series Presents ISU Extension Marketing Seminar

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and ISU Extension & Outreach-Page County will host a Marketing Seminar as part of the Iowa Corn, Crop Fair series in Clarinda, Iowa on Wednesday, January 12 at the Ice House Restaurant beginning at 6 p.m.

“Crop fairs give ICGA members access to information they might not get elsewhere,” explained Adam Bierbaum, District 7 ICGA Director who chairs the Grassroots Network, Membership & Checkoff (GNMC) Committee. “Each crop fair is customized to include topics to fit each region of the state, with opportunities for farmer-to-farmer learning and a chance to interact with subject area experts on a variety of topics including legislative policy, conservation, market development and risk management.”

Supper will be provided to attendees starting at 6 p.m. with the program to follow at 6:30 p.m. Speaker Tim Christensen, Farm Management Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will cover increased input costs impacting production, building a pre-harvest marketing plan, market outlook and livestock risk protection (LRP) for cattle producers.

“With higher input and land costs, it is more important than ever that producers understand the marketing tools available to help protect their investments. This meeting will highlight tools and strategies for grain and cattle producers to reduce market risk,” shared Christensen.

RSVP by Monday, January 10, 2022 to Dee Dino, ISU Extension-Page County at 712-542-5171 or Kristen Akers, Iowa Corn at 515-229-9981.



Congress Preps for 2022 WRDA Reauthorization

 Now that the bipartisan infrastructure package has been signed by President Biden, ag and transportation groups are shifting focus to next year’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

Both the U.S. House and Senate are beginning to gather requests for the 2022 WRDA. To inform the process, bipartisan stakeholder meetings related to proposals that may be submitted to members of Congress have begun. On Dec. 16, the American Soybean Association participated in one of the first stakeholder meetings to provide input for the 2022 reauthorization. The organization was very involved in the reauthorization of the 2020 WRDA Bill, as the soy community relies on the U.S. inland waterway system to maintain competitiveness with Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of soybeans. Learn more about ASA’s WRDA priorities here https://soygrowers.com/key-issues-initiatives/key-issues/transportation/.



National Corn Growers Association Voices Support for Sen. Chuck Grassley

As a leading advocate for corn growers in Iowa and nationwide, Brooke Appleton of the National Corn Growers Association today voiced her support for Senator Chuck Grassley, a lifelong family farmer, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and fierce fighter for Iowa's farmers and biofuels producers.

"Senator Grassley has been a tireless champion for policies important to corn growers. From the Renewable Fuel Standard, to farm bills, to tax issues, and trade priorities – we remain grateful for the Senator’s support and leadership," said Brooke Appleton, NCGA’s Vice President, Public Policy.

"Iowa is the number one corn-producing state in the nation, so the support of our corn growers is very important to me. Agriculture is the beating heart of Iowa's economy. From ethanol to distillers grain and other value-added products, corn growers help feed and fuel the world. As a family farmer, being the voice of Iowa agriculture in the United States Senate is a personal passion of mine," said Senator Chuck Grassley.

The Grassley farm in New Hartford, Iowa grows corn and soybeans. Grassley has championed Iowa agriculture at every turn, from the farm bill safety net to expanding access to and production of corn ethanol. Recently, Grassley led the effort to support biofuel producers who had to shut down production during the pandemic. USDA just announced it would make $800 million available to the industry.



CGB and MN Soybean Processors Announce Plans to Build State-of-the-Art Soybean Processing Plant in North Dakota

CGB Enterprises, Inc. Minnesota Soybean Processors have announced a joint venture for the construction of a state-of-the-art soybean processing plant near Casselton, North Dakota. North Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC, jointly owned by CGB and MnSP, will own and operate the new facility, which is expected to crush 42.5 million bushels of soybeans in the first year, providing a more competitive and viable market within North Dakota for production that previously left the state.

“This is an exciting project that has been in the works since 2019,” said Steve O’Nan, Senior Vice President, CGB Soybean Processing. “This state-of-the-art soybean processing plant is a commitment to North Dakota agriculture. Its strategic location will produce soybean meal for the livestock industry and food grade soybean oil to service the rising demand of food users and also the renewable fuel industry.”

“We are pleased to partner with CGB to build this facility that will complement our current operations in Brewster, MN. The combination of these assets well positions us to meet demand, domestically and globally, for meal and oil, while providing a consistent, competitive market for locally grown soybeans for local farmers,” said Jeramie Weller, General Manager, Minnesota Soybean Processors.

“This soybean crushing facility is another landmark investment in North Dakota agriculture, one that will add tremendous value for our soybean growers, create quality jobs and benefit all North Dakotans through greater economic activity and tax revenue that supports essential services and critical infrastructure,” Gov. Doug Burgum said. “Investments like this put more money in the pockets of our farmers by expanding local markets while also building connections between our ag and energy industries for further value-added activity. We’re grateful to our highly productive soybean growers, North Dakota Soybean Processors, the North Dakota Department of Commerce, North Dakota Department of Transportation, City of Casselton, Casselton Economic Development, Cass County Commission, The Harvest Group, Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC and everyone whose dedication and hard work on this project made today’s announcement possible.”

Groundbreaking on the soybean processing plant is slated for this spring, with plans to have the facility fully operational in 2024, subject to various federal, state, and local permitting, infrastructure, and incentive approvals. The project is expected to create 50 to 60 new jobs once fully operational.

“This is an exciting day for North Dakota agriculture with the announcement of intent to build a state-of-the-art soybean processing plant near Casselton,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “It is a unique opportunity to add value right here, provide a local market for North Dakota soybeans and boost economic growth in our state.”

“This is not only an important project for Cass County and the community of Casselton, but the economic ripple effect of this soybean facility will resonate throughout the agriculture community, bringing new market options to growers throughout the Red River Valley”, said Cass County Commission Chair, Chad Peterson.  “For this reason, the County is committed to partnering to improve roads and critical infrastructure which provides the foundation for significant private investment. A plant of this size will become a huge revenue producer and employer and will provide a significant ROI for County taxpayers.”

CGB has an existing Soybean Processing plant in Mt. Vernon, IN that was built in 1997 and recently underwent a significant expansion to increase its soybean processing capabilities in Southwest Indiana. The company has additional grain elevator assets strategically located throughout the U.S. with access to rail, truck and barge transportation, as well as other complementary businesses within the agriculture and transportation industries.

MnSP has an existing Soybean Processing facility located in Brewster, MN that started crushing soybeans in 2003 and added a Biodiesel refining facility in 2005. MnSP’s goal, along with the assistance of its members, is to provide a high quality feed product for America’s producers as well as providing a high quality renewable fuel source.