Thursday March 3 Ag News

NDA ADVISES POULTRY OWNERS TO WATCH FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is advising poultry owners to protect their flocks against avian influenza by closely monitoring their birds for signs of the disease and by maintaining strict biosecurity practices. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is very contagious and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in domestic birds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed HPAI in commercial and/or backyard flocks in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York and Virginia. To date, the virus has not been found in Nebraska.

“While we have not seen HPAI in Nebraska since 2015, protecting the health of poultry in the state is a top priority,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. “It’s important for poultry owners to know about this disease, take the necessary steps to help prevent its spread, and protect Nebraska’s poultry industry.”

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, NDA is working alongside federal and state partners to monitor for the disease in commercial poultry operations, backyard poultry flocks, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

Symptoms of HPAI in poultry include: a decrease in water consumption; lack of energy and appetite; decreased egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. HPAI can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing any other symptoms. HPAI can survive for weeks in contaminated environments. Dudley is asking Nebraska poultry producers, large and small, to monitor their flocks for symptoms of HPAI, review and maintain their biosecurity activities, and notify NDA immediately if they suspect any problems. Bird owners should report unusual bird deaths or sick birds to NDA at 800-831-0550 or 402-471-2351, or through USDA at 866-536-7593.

Enhanced biosecurity helps prevent the introduction and spread of viruses and diseases including HPAI. NDA and USDA have resources available to help poultry owners step up their biosecurity efforts.
• Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases like HPAI. Be on the lookout for unusual signs of behavior, severe illness and/or sudden deaths.
• Restrict access to your property and poultry.
• Keep it clean. Wear clean clothes, scrub boots/shoes with disinfectant and wash hands thoroughly before and after contact with your flock.
• If you, your employees or family have been on other farms, or other places where there is livestock and/or poultry, clean and disinfect your vehicle tires and equipment before returning home.
• Don’t share equipment, tools, or other supplies with other livestock or poultry owners.
• In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, making sure wild birds cannot access domestic poultry’s feed and water sources.
• Report sick birds immediately to: NDA at 800-831-0550 or 402-471-2351; the USDA at 866-536-7593; or your veterinarian. Early detection is important to prevent the spread of disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to people getting HPAI infections from birds is low. No human cases of avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.

All poultry entering Nebraska must be accompanied by a VS form 9-3 or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI, or health certificate). If you are considering moving an animal into Nebraska from an affected state, please call 402-471-2351 to learn more. Nebraska poultry owners wanting to ship poultry out of state should consult the state veterinarians of the destination states for import requirements.

For more information about avian influenza, visit NDA’s website at https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/index.html or the USDA’s website https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.



United States and Canadian Cattle Inventory Down 2 Percent

All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 103 million head on January 1, 2022, down 2 percent from the 105 million head on January 1, 2021. All cows and heifers that have calved inventory at 44.0 million head, down 2 percent from a year ago.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2022 totaled 91.9 million head, down 2 percent from the 93.8 million head on January 1, 2021. All cows and heifers that have calved inventory at 39.5 million head, down  2 percent from a year ago.

All cattle and calves in Canada as of January 1, 2022 totaled 11.1 million head, down 1 percent from the 11.2 million on January 1, 2021. All cows and heifers that have calved inventory at 4.48 million, down 1 percent from a year ago.



United States and Canadian Hog Inventory Down 3 Percent

United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for December 2021 was 88.3 million head. This was down 3 percent from December 2020 and down 3 percent from December 2019. The breeding inventory, at 7.44 million head, was up slightly from a year ago, but down 5 percent from 2019. Market hog inventory, at 80.9 million head, was down 4 percent from last year and down 3 percent from 2019. The semi-annual pig crop, at 82.5 million head, was down 4 percent from 2020 and down 2 percent from 2019. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 7.31 million head, down 5 percent from last year and down 3 percent from 2019.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2021 was 74.2 million head. This was down 4 percent from December 1, 2020 and down 1 percent from September 1, 2021. The 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. The pig crop, at 33.7 million head, was down 4 percent from 2020, but up slightly from 2019. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.01 million head, down 5 percent from 2020 and down 1 percent from 2019.  

Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on January 1, 2022 was 14.1 million head. This was up 1 percent from January 1, 2021 and up 1 percent from January 1, 2020. The breeding inventory, at 1.26 million head, was up slightly from last year and up 1 percent from 2020. Market hog inventory, at 12.8 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and up 1 percent from 2020. The semi-annual pig crop, at 14.9 million head, was down slightly from 2021, but up 5 percent from 2020. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 1.25 million head, down 1 percent from last year, but up 2 percent from 2020.



United States and Canadian Sheep Inventory Down 1 Percent

All sheep and lambs in the United States and Canada combined totaled 5.89 million head on January 1, 2022, down 1 percent from the 5.96 million on January 1, 2021. Breeding sheep inventory at 4.31 million head, down 1 percent from a year ago. Market sheep and lambs totaled 1.58 million head, down 1 percent from last year.

All sheep and lambs in the United States as of January 1, 2022 totaled 5.07 million head, 2 percent below the 5.17 million head on January 1, 2021. Breeding sheep inventory at 3.71 million head, down 2 percent from a year ago. Market sheep and lambs totaled 1.36 million head, down 3 percent from last year.

All sheep and lambs in Canada as of January 1, 2022 totaled 822,000 head, up 4 percent from last year's number of 791,300 head. Breeding sheep inventory at 599,900 head, up 2 percent from last year. Market sheep and lambs totaled 222,100 head, up 8 percent from a year ago.



Ethanol Producers, 16 States Challenge EPA U.S. Vehicle Rules

A group of 16 U.S. states, a number of corn and soybean growers associations, the American Fuel And Petrochemical Manufacturers, and others are challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) tougher vehicle emission rules.

The corn growers, a Valero Energy (VLO.N) subsidiary, and other ethanol producers said the new EPA rules revising emission requirements through 2026 "effectively mandate the production and sale of electric cars rather than cars powered by internal combustion engines."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a challenge joined by Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

The state of Arizona filed a separate legal challenge, reports Reuters.

An EPA spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing the petitions and declined further comment.

The EPA rules, which take effect in the 2023 model year and require a 28.3% reduction in vehicle emissions through 2026, reverse former President Donald Trump's rollback of car pollution cuts and aim to speed a U.S. shift to more electric vehicles.

If expressed in miles per gallon (mpg) requirements, the EPA rules would result in a fleetwide real-world average of about 40 mpg in 2026, versus 38 mpg under the initial Biden administration proposal and 32 mpg under the Trump rules.

Biden wants 50% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to be EV or plug-in hybrid models but has not endorsed California's plan to phase out new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

In March 2020, Trump's Republican administration rolled back President Barack Obama's standards and required only 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026.



NMPF and USDEC Slam Canadian Proposal on USMCA Dairy Market Access

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) rejected a proposal issued late yesterday by Global Affairs Canada that outlines the Canadian “changes” to their current scheme for allocating U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dairy tariff-rate-quotas (TRQ).

In January the United States Trade Representative’s office announced that it had won USMCA’s first-ever dispute settlement panel by prevailing in its case against Canada regarding how Canada’s USMCA dairy TRQ allocation process violated the agreement. Ambassador Tai noted at the time that, “This historic win will help eliminate unjustified trade restrictions on American dairy products and will ensure that the U.S. dairy industry and its workers get the full benefit of the USMCA to market and sell U.S. products to Canadian consumers.”

“Enough is enough. U.S. dairy producers are sick and tired of Canada’s game playing on dairy market access. From their irrelevant celebration that the panel upheld Canada’s right to retain a supply management system, a fact that no one has challenged and was not at issue in the USMCA case, to the continual efforts to undermine established trade commitments in order to favor Canadian dairy farmers, this pattern of behavior has gone on too long. All that American dairy farmers want is fair and good-faith implementation of USMCA’s dairy provisions. That doesn’t seem like a high bar, yet it appears to be insurmountable for Canada based on yesterday’s proposed dairy TRQ scheme changes,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We urge the administration to demand that Canada go back to the drawing board until it can genuinely deliver on providing the U.S. dairy industry the full benefit of USMCA.”  

“U.S. dairy farmers and manufacturers have only limited access to the Canadian market under USMCA. That makes it essential that Canada abide by its original commitments under that agreement,” said Krysta Harden, president & CEO of USDEC. “Canada’s recent dairy TRQ proposal will not lead to that result. While it’s not surprising that Canada is trying to see just how little will be demanded of them, it’s essential that the U.S. government insist on real reforms.”

As the first case brought and decided under USMCA, the U.S.-Canada dairy TRQ panel is a test-case for whether or not the USMCA dispute settlement process can provide effective enforcement and deliver genuine compliance with the agreement. NMPF and USDEC will continue to work with the Biden administration and Congress to seek to ensure that the process provides the type of strong precedent needed for future USMCA disputes as well.



Surging Milk Price Boosts DMC Margin
NMPF Newsletter

The January margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program rose just over $2/cwt to $11.54/cwt, fueled by the third-highest ever jump in the U.S. average all-milk price.

A spectacular $2.40 per hundredweight one-month jump in the U.S. average all-milk price in January overpowered a DMC feed-cost calculation that rose only 39 cents in the same period. The monthly milk price gain has only been surpassed in April 2004, when it rose by $2.60/cwt, and June 2020, when it leaped by $4.50 /cwt as part of a price sharp recovery from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That jump returned the price to barely higher than it had been just three months earlier; by contrast, the recent spike capped a series of gains that have pushed the price up by $6.50/cwt over five months.

January’s all-milk price has only been surpassed in five months, all in 2014. Late February dairy and grain futures indicate that feed costs will tend to track milk prices over the next several months to keep the margin from rising much above its January level.

As of February 28, the 2021 DMC program has seen record payments of nearly $1.2 billion to 18,952 enrolled operations, an average of $62,773 per enrolled operation. NMPF urges all dairy farmers who haven’t yet joined DMC to do so. The deadline to sign up for the 2022 DMC program has been extended to March 25. NMPF has a page of resources here for those who may have questions about the program.



February CWT-Assisted Dairy Export Sales Continue Strong Start to 2022

CWT member cooperatives secured 105 contracts in February, adding 14.9 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 12.2 million pounds of whole milk powder and 1.4 million pounds of cream cheese to CWT-assisted sales in 2022. These products will go customers in Asia, Central America, Middle East-North Africa, Oceania and South America, and will be shipped from February through August 2022.

CWT-assisted 2022 dairy product sales contracts year-to-date total 29.9 million pounds of American-type cheese, 3.1 million pounds of cream cheese and 14.1 million pounds of whole milk powder. This brings the total milk equivalent for the year to 402 million pounds on a milkfat basis. Over the last 12 months, CWT assisted sales are the equivalent of 1.483 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Exporting dairy products is critical to the viability of dairy farmers and their cooperatives across the country. Whether or not a cooperative is actively engaged in exporting cheese, butter, anhydrous milkfat, cream cheese, or whole milk powder, moving products into world markets is essential. CWT provides a means to move domestic dairy products to overseas markets by helping to overcome U.S. dairy’s trade disadvantages.



2022 Ag Safety Awareness Program Week: ‘Prepare. Prevent. Protect.’
 
Farm Bureaus across the nation are preparing for Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week, March 7-11. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting ag safety this week with the theme “Prepare. Prevent. Protect.”

Farm Bureau and U.S. Ag Centers will focus on sharing information about a different safety area each day of ASAP Week:
Monday, March 7 – Livestock
Tuesday, March 8 – Cost of Safety-Finances
Wednesday, March 9 – Disaster Preparedness
Thursday, March 10 – Youth Safety
Friday, March 11 – Equipment Safety

“The safety of everyone on the farm is our top priority,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “We encourage farmers and ranchers to take advantage of all the resources available during Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week and make safety a priority year-round,” he said.

The Agricultural Safety Awareness Program is a part of the Farm Bureau Health and Safety Network of professionals who share an interest in identifying and decreasing safety and health risks. For more information and resources, visit the ASAP Facebook page.

Visit the Ag Centers’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters) for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

Join the movement to keep farms safe and share your own safety messages on social media using these hashtags:
#KeepFarmsSafe
#ASAP22
#USAgCenters

The 11 U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers (www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html) are funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.



 Canada Ranks As Third-Largest Export Market For GIAF

Just behind Mexico and China, Canada has recently moved into third place for export markets for grains in all forms (GIAF). From September to December 2021, corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) exports have played a role in this move from the fourth to third-largest market.

An opportunity was created for U.S. corn and DDGS when a drought in western Canada last summer significantly reduced the country’s barley and wheat supply, creating an ingredient deficit for cattle and swine feed. With those commodities less available, Canada has purchased 3,478,200 metric tons (136,929,777 bushels) of U.S. corn and 352,111 metric tons of DDGS so far in the marketing year.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has conducted programs and educational opportunities in Canada since 2006. The organization works closely with Gowans Feed Consulting in Canada to provide programming and the most up-to-date information to potential customers there, allowing them to make the best purchasing decisions for their operations.

Neil Campbell and Tom Dowler of Gowans Feed Consulting serve as the Council’s consultants in Canada. In their roles, Campbell and Dowler provide market insight and assist in strategy and program development for the Council’s feed grains promotion in the Canadian market. Via Gowans Feed Consulting, the Council also provides monthly pricing updates that demonstrate the value of DDGS in hog and cattle rations across various provinces to its Canadian partners, buyers and end-users in the country.

“Gowans Feed Consulting’s expertise in animal nutrition and production management has led to the development of strong relationships within the Canadian feed and livestock industries, making them a valuable partner for the U.S. Grains Council in this important market,” said Emily Byron, USGC manager of global programs.

In September 2021, the two groups partnered to conduct two feed webinars focused on beef and swine production. The cattle-focused webinar replaced the Council’s annual Corn & DDGS Roadshow in Alberta, while the swine-focused webinar was the Council’s second engagement with Western Canadian swine producers, including the Hutterite community. The Hutterites in Canada live communally in village-like settlements centered around their farming operations.

The webinars, which were designed to address the opportunity for U.S. corn and DDGS given the drought situation, offered participants the latest market and nutrition information on U.S. corn and corn co-products, while also helping participants gain a better understanding of how to identify buying opportunities.

“The Council’s programming in this market has alleviated concerns about the quality of U.S. corn and DDGS, confirmed our commitment to transparent and reliable cross-border trade with our northern neighbor and introduced new end users to the nutritional and economic benefits of U.S. feed grains,” Byron said.

As the Canadian market continues to grow and change in the current marketing year, the Council and it associates in Canada look forward to providing more programming and education opportunities for buyers and end-users there.



Commodity Classic announces relaxed COVID-19 guidelines City of New Orleans lifts indoor mask mandate, keeps testing requirements

2022 Commodity Classic is pleased to announce that attendees at the March 10-12 event in New Orleans will not be required to wear masks indoors at the convention center or in convention hotels, according to new guidelines announced by the City of New Orleans yesterday afternoon.

The 2022 Commodity Classic is being held March 10-12 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Per City of New Orleans mandates in effect during Commodity Classic, attendees are still required to show proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 or a recent negative COVID test in order to attend the trade show and events at the convention center, to attend events in hotel ballrooms and meeting spaces, and to enter restaurants and bars in New Orleans.

“We are excited to learn that it will be even easier for producers, exhibitors and agribusinesses to join us for our live, in-person event next week,” said Gary Porter, a Missouri farmer and co-chair of the 2022 Commodity Classic. “I encourage growers to join us for this great opportunity to network and learn from each other face-to-face for the first time in a while. It’s not too late to register and attend.”

Gerry Hayden, 2022 Commodity Classic co-chair who produces corn and soybeans in Kentucky, said the trade show is sold out and features several first-time exhibitors. “It’s going to be great to walk the floor again and check out the newest equipment and innovative farming technologies. And we’re thrilled to have more than 6,700 registered attendees from all over the country.”

The new guidelines relaxing indoor mask requirements went into effect at 6 a.m. this morning, Thursday, March 3. Masks are still required for everyone ages 2 and up on public transportation, including airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, buses, taxis, rideshares and the corresponding transportation hubs in New Orleans. Masks are not required on the hotel shuttle buses for Commodity Classic.

More than 50 sessions of industry-leading education are scheduled, with the theme of “The Future is in Your Hands,” while the trade show floor offers nearly 400 exhibitors and 200,000 square feet of exhibits. The three-day event also includes a welcome reception, ASA and NCGA banquets, and the Saturday night Evening of Entertainment with country music entertainer Sara Evans. The full schedule of events is available at CommodityClassic.com/2022-schedule.

Online Commodity Classic full and single-day registration is available in advance through March 8 at CommodityClassic.com; attendees also can register on-site beginning March 9 and throughout the event. Hotel reservations also can be made through the 2022 Registration & Housing link on the website.

Commodity Classic is committed to ensuring that this year’s show will be a fun and safe event that complies with current Covid-19 guidelines and protects the health and safety of attendees. That includes cleaning facilities between sessions, providing hand sanitizer stations and a limited number of masks for those who wish to wear them. Onsite rapid testing for COVID-19 will be available. Visit CommodityClassic.com/health-safety for the latest health and safety updates.