What do I do if I’ve lost livestock in high a temperature, high humidity weather event?
NE Farm Bureau
Due to heat conditions Nebraska Farm Bureau is reminding livestock producers of resources to help monitor and manage these high temperature, high humidity weather events. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help Nebraska livestock producers. Producers impacted by these events should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from livestock losses and damages. You can find the full list of resources available here https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Nebraska/news-releases/2022/4_21_22_usda-offers-disaster-assistance-to-nebraska-farmers-and-livestock-producers-impacted-by-drought-and-wildfire?fbclid=IwAR0jJ6EFwlcrlhC-yKBKPRkqilUDkg0O5ohRYBFMvuQLAyYxEYv7DAfbPPo.
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): LIP financially assists producers when they suffer loss of livestock due to adverse weather. To learn more about LIP, please click here https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/2022/fsa_lip_livestockimdemnityprogram_factsheet_2022.pdf.
A Few Things to Remember
This program is designed to help producers who lost livestock, however, please know it isn’t designed to make producers financially “whole.”
Livestock that have died or been injured due to natural disaster are eligible for payments.
Producers looking to utilize LIP must file a “Notice of Loss” with your local FSA office within 30 days of when the loss was first apparent.
USDA Programs generally require documentation in order to utilize the program. Please be sure to maintain records of losses and contact your local FSA office so you know exactly the type of records you will need to turn into the office with your paperwork.
What do I do with dead livestock?
If utilizing on-site burial, the animal must be placed at least four feet below the surface of the ground. The utilization of burning and composting are also allowed under certain conditions. For more information, contact the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) Waste Management Section: 402-471-4210 or click here for a factsheet detailing the regulations on livestock carcass disposal http://dee.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/Pages/06-201.
How can I be proactive to help livestock beat the heat?
If you are interested in potential funding to help purchase new heat mitigation technology for your livestock facility, please consider looking into the Livestock Modernization Act.
Japanese Beetles Emerging; Scout Corn and Soybean Fields
Justin McMechan - Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist
Japanese beetle adults are emerging in Nebraska. Their distribution has been increasing in Nebraska the last few years and they are being seen in corn and soybeans more frequently, in addition to feeding on landscape trees and shrubs. They will continue to emerge for the next few weeks. First identified in counties along the state's eastern border several years ago, the beetles were found as far west as Scottsbluff County in 2019.
Japanese beetles have one generation per year. They often feed in clusters due to an attraction to the female sex pheromone and an attraction to volatile chemicals produced by damaged plants.
Japanese beetles can contribute to defoliation in soybeans, along with a complex of other insects, such as bean leaf beetles, grasshoppers and several caterpillar species. They feed by skeletonizing the leaves, leaving only the leaf veins. They feed primarily in the upper canopy, making the damage very visible. In soybeans insecticide treatment is recommended when insects are present and damage is expected to exceed 30% defoliation in vegetative stage and 20% in reproductive stage soybeans. For more information see Managing Soybean Defoliators, NebGuide G2259.
Similar to corn rootworm beetles, Japanese beetles will scrape off the green surface tissue on corn leaves before silks emerge, but prefer silks once they are available. Japanese beetles feed on corn silks, and may interfere with pollination if abundant enough to severely clip silks before pollination. University of Illinois Extension recommends: "An insecticidal treatment should be considered during the silking period if:
There are three or more Japanese beetles per ear,
Silks have been clipped to less than ½ inch, AND
Pollination is less than 50% complete.
Be aware that Japanese beetle numbers are often highest on field margins, so scout across the whole field before making a treatment decision. Japanese beetle adults are about ½ inch long and have a metallic green head and thorax. A key characteristic is a series of white tufts of hair on each side of the abdomen.
A variety of insecticides labeled on corn and soybeans would be expected to provide control of Japanese beetles. For more information, see product labels or the "Insecticides for Field Crops" section from Nebraska Extension EC130 for rates and restrictions.
In some cases people have mistaken the Japanese beetle for its look-alike, the false Japanese beetle, or sand chafer, Strigoderma arboricola, which is a native Nebraska insect found across most of the state. Sand chafers are commonly found along the Platte River valley and other river valleys in Nebraska. False Japanese beetle adults are about the same size as Japanese beetles, but do not have a metallic green head. They may vary in color from coppery brown to black. They may have some white hairs on the side of the abdomen but they are not organized into tufts of hair.
Sand chafers are often noticed because they have a habit of landing on people and seem to be attracted to people wearing light-colored clothing. They have not been reported to cause economic damage to crops as adults, although the immature white grub has been reported to cause damage to potato tubers.
STORING SILAGE
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator
Corn silage harvest may seem like a long way off, but preparation for a successful harvest begins now. Improper silage storage and fermentation can result in losses up to 20% prior to feeding. Plan your storage now to keep excessive storage losses from happening to you.
Preventing oxygen from entering your silage should be a top priority when considering silage storage. Bagged silage is a versatile option that allows the storage location to move year to year and comes with a build in oxygen barrier but can carry a high price tag and may not be appropriate for large harvest amounts. Placing the silage in a bunker is another that can increase oxygen exclusion, but make sure to check these structures for cracks and repair any that are found to maintain their integrity. If silage is a feedstuff on your operation, the reduction in losses that a permanent structure paired with covering the pile provides can offset the costs when spread out over several years.
Silage piles are the more traditional approach and can allow for greater volumes of silage to be stored in a smaller area without the cost and permanent nature of bunkers. Oxygen exclusion in piles that lack a permanent structure can be enhanced with some planning. Before harvesting, line the sides with bales and place oxygen-limiting plastic down the sides and for several feet under the bottom to seal the sides of the pile. At a minimum, placing plastic on top of the pile is an investment worth the time, labor, and money. By covering the pile, we can reduce oxygen from moving into the pile from the top and reduce precipitation exposure.
Corn silage is a valuable feed resource and keeping oxygen out of your silage requires planning now. Pick an appropriate location for harvest and feed out success and store correctly to minimize feed losses.
Kristen Hassebrook named chief university lobbyist
University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter announced today that he has named Kristen Hassebrook, a Nebraska attorney with more than a decade of experience in advocacy and policy at the local, state and federal levels, as NU’s new chief lobbyist and associate vice president for government relations.
Hassebrook, currently an associate at Mueller Robak LLC, a lobbying and government relations firm in Lincoln, will begin her university role on Aug. 16. As associate vice president, Hassebrook will report to Carter and will oversee engagement with local, state and federal officials in the Office of the President and across the NU system’s four campuses.
“Kristen will be a fantastic addition to our team. As a native Nebraskan and Husker alum, she knows our state and university well, and she has spent her career building strong and trusted relationships with leaders in government, agriculture, business and education,” Carter said. “Kristen is exactly the right person to share stories of the university’s work and impact with elected leaders and other officials, both in Nebraska and Washington, whose partnership is so vital to our success. I can’t wait to have her on board.”
Hassebrook said: “The University of Nebraska is a symbol of leadership in education, research and economic advancement for the entire state. The chance to help chart the path forward for my alma mater, which has done so much for me and my family, is the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m excited to join President Carter and the team and continue to advocate for strong workforce growth and a prosperous future for Nebraska.”
A native of Laurel, Hassebrook earned bachelor’s and law degrees, both with distinction, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has been admitted to practice law in Nebraska since 2011.
Before joining Mueller Robak, Hassebrook was executive vice president for legislation and policy for the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she lobbied on behalf of Nebraska businesses, gaining expertise in issues related to taxation, business incentives, labor and employment law, and manufacturing. She also served as vice president for legal and regulatory affairs for the Nebraska Cattlemen, where she lobbied policy stakeholders on issues of importance to beef producers.
Hassebrook is a former development director for the University of Nebraska Foundation, where she helped raise philanthropic support for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She also lectured at UNL in agriculture and natural resources ethics. Hassebrook was also executive director of the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska, where she developed strategies to grow livestock opportunities across the state and lobbied on livestock issues.
Hassebrook lives with her husband and two daughters in Raymond, where they raise livestock.
2022 FARM PRODUCTION EXPENDITURES UP 16%
Farm and ranch production expenditures for Nebraska totaled $28.5 billion in 2022, up 16% from a year earlier, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Livestock expenses, the largest expenditure category, at $6.70 billion, increased 3% from 2021. Feed, the next largest expense category, at $4.50 billion, increased 52% from 2021. Farm Services, the third largest total expense category at $2.34 billion, increased 15% from 2021.
Livestock expenses accounted for 24% of Nebraska's total production expenditures. Feed accounted for 16, rent 10, and farm services 8%.
The total expenditures per farm or ranch in Nebraska averaged $644,018 in 2022, up 18 from 2021. The Livestock expense category was the leading expenditure, at $151,242 per operation, 6.61 times the national average. Feed expenditure, at $101,580, was 2.42 times the national average. The average rent expenditures, at $65,914 per operation, were 4.07 times the national average. Farm services expenditures per operation, at $52,822, were 2.16 times the national average.
These results are based on data from Nebraska farmers and ranchers who participated in the Agricultural Resource Management Survey conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers were contacted in January through April to collect 2022 farm and ranch expenses.
IOWA: Iowa farm production expenditures totaled $35.7 billion in 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Production Expenditures 2022 Summary report. This was $1.70 billion above the 2021 total expenditures. Feed expense increased slightly to $7.90 billion and represented the largest single production expense in Iowa in 2022, accounting for 22 percent of the total. Livestock, Poultry, and Related Purchases, up slightly to $5.30 billion, was the second largest expense and accounted for 15 percent of total expenditures. Rent expense was up 8 percent to $4.05 billion and accounted for 11 percent of the total. The largest percentage increases from last year were for Miscellaneous Capital Expenses (up 78 percent), Farm Improvement and Construction Expenses (up 33 percent), and Fertilizers (up 30 percent). The largest percentage decreases from last year were for Interest (down 22 percent), Farm Services (down 15 percent), and Tractors and Self-Propelled Farm Machinery (down 9 percent).
2022 United States Total Farm Production Expenditure Highlights
Farm production expenditures in the United States are estimated at $452.7 billion for 2022, up from $392.9 billion in 2021. The 2022 total farm production expenditures are up 15.2 percent compared with 2021 total farm production expenditures. All 17-line items showed an increase from the previous year.
The four largest expenditures at the United States level total $219.6 billion and account for 48.5 percent of total expenditures in 2022. These include feed, 18.5 percent, farm services, 10.8 percent, livestock, poultry, and related expenses, 10.1 percent, and labor, 9.2 percent.
In 2022, the United States total farm expenditure average per farm is $226,986, up 15.8 percent from $196,087 in 2021. On average, United States farm operations spent $41,917 on feed, $22,864 on livestock, poultry, and related expenses, $24,469 on farm services, and $20,858 on labor. For 2021, United States farms spent an average of $32,540 on feed, $22,458 on farm services, $21,161 on livestock, poultry, and related expenses, and $18,366 on labor.
Total fuel expense is $17.4 billion. Diesel, the largest sub-component, is $11.4 billion, accounting for 65.5 percent. Diesel expenditures are up 35.4 percent from the previous year. Gasoline is $3.0 billion, up 22.2 percent. LP gas is $2.0 billion, up 41.0 percent. Other fuel is $1,000 million, up 63.9 percent.
The United States economic sales class contributing most to the 2022 United States total expenditures is the $1,000,000 $4,999,999 class, with expenses of $149.1 billion, 32.9 percent of the United States total, up 22.1 percent from the 2021 level of $122.1 billion. The next highest is the $5,000,000 and over class with $130.8 billion, up 11.8 percent from $116.9 billion in 2021.
In 2022, crop farms expenditures increased to $233.8 billion, up 12.6 percent, while livestock farms expenditures increased to $218.9 billion, up 18.1 percent. The largest expenditures for crop farms are fertilizer, lime, and soil conditioners at $31.9 billion (13.6 percent), labor at $29.0 billon (12.4 percent), farm services at $28.6 billion (12.2 percent), and rent at $26.7 billion (11.4 percent). Combined crop inputs (chemicals, fertilizers, and seeds) are $73.4 billion, accounting for 31.4 percent of crop farms total expenses. The largest expenditures for livestock farms are feed at $81.0 billion (37.0 percent of total), livestock, poultry, and related expenses at $43.2 billion (19.7 percent), and farm services at $20.2 billion (9.2 percent). Together, these line items account for 66.0 percent of livestock farms total expenses. The average total expenditure for a crop farm is $259,246 compared to $200,359 per livestock farm.
The Midwest region contributed the most to United States total expenditures with expenses of $141.6 billion (31.4 percent), up from $124.9 billion in 2021. Other regions, ranked by total expenditures, are the Plains at $112.1 billion (24.8 percent), West at $98.0 billion (21.7 percent), Atlantic at $54.0 billion (11.9 percent), and South at $47.0 billion (10.4 percent).
Combined total expenditures for the 15 estimate states is $302.5 billion in 2022 (66.8 percent of the United States total expenditures) and $266.4 billion in 2021 (67.8 percent). California contributed most to the 2022 United States total expenditures, with expenses of $46.0 billion, (10.2 percent). California expenditures are up 9.2 percent from the 2021 estimate of $42.2 billion. Iowa, the next leading state, has $35.7 billion in expenses, (7.9 percent). Other states with more than $24 billion in total expenditures are Texas with $29.0 billion, Nebraska with $28.5 billion, and Kansas with $24.7 billion.
Grassley, Brown Introduce Bill to Target Farm Payments Where Needed Most
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), joined by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), today introduced bipartisan legislation to rein in abuse of the farm payment system and ensure taxpayer support is targeted to those actively engaged in farming. The Farm Program Integrity Act would create a hard cap of $250,000 in total commodity support for any one farm operation and require beneficiaries of the system spend at least 50 percent of each year engaged in farm labor or management. Currently, just 10 percent of farm operations receive 70 percent of all yearly farm payment subsidies.
“It isn’t right to send bloated farm payments to people who are more familiar with an office chair than a tractor seat,” Grassley said. “This bill brings honesty to the farm payment system and prioritizes farming families over mega farms. Hard-earned tax dollars should only be sent to hard-working farmers – those with calluses on their hands and dirt under their fingernails.”
“For years we’ve seen big farms get bigger while small and mid-sized family farmers in Ohio get squeezed,” Brown said. “Too often, farm program payments have gone to producers who do not need the support, or to people who aren’t even involved in farming. With this commonsense bill we can ensure assistance is directed toward working Ohio farmers.”
The Farm Program Integrity Act is supported by Taxpayers for Common Sense, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, R Street Institute, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, National Taxpayer Union, Environmental Working Group, Farm Action Fund, Regenerate America, Kiss the Ground and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.
Vote on House Agriculture Spending Bill Delayed to September
NPPC
The House agriculture spending bill now won’t be considered until September, after Congress returns from a month-long summer recess. House Republicans were trying to vote this week on the fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies. But deep spending cuts and dozens of controversial – and non-agricultural – amendments included in it stalled action on the bill that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FDA, and their programs.
The Senate is working on its own agricultural appropriations legislation that has spending levels higher than the House and none of the amendments. (House GOP members also included contentious amendments in the military construction and veterans’ affairs spending bill.)
The annual agriculture appropriations law funds federal programs that support farmers, including farm loans, agricultural research, and foreign animal disease (FAD) prevention. The current measure expires Sept. 30, and failure to pass a fiscal 2024 appropriations bill could lead to a partial government shutdown.
NCBA Welcomes House Passage of Two ESA Resolutions
Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the passage of two congressional resolutions that nullify the Biden administration’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings of the lesser prairie chicken and northern long-eared bat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of these two species undermines on-the-ground, voluntary conservation work and hugely overextends the footprint of the federal government on cattle operations.
“The Biden administration’s listing of the lesser prairie chicken and northern long-eared bat create numerous challenges for cattle producers and fail to consider all of their critical conservation work,” said NCBA President Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer. “We appreciate Congress taking bipartisan, bicameral action to nullify these two listings and I thank the House for passing these two joint resolutions.”
S.J. Res. 9 would nullify the lesser prairie chicken listing. This listing is extremely concerning because it grants non-government third-parties the ability to review cattle producers’ grazing management plans. The lesser prairie chicken also only survives due to producers’ conservation investments, and this rule fails to consider how livestock production supports the birds’ habitat.
S.J. Res. 24 would nullify the northern long-eared bat listing. The northern long-eared bat is declining due to White Nose Syndrome, a naturally occurring disease that is not caused by human activity. This listing disrupts cattle producers’ ability to effectively manage their land.
Both resolutions have already passed the Senate and now go to the President for signature.
NASS: June Prices Received Index Up 0.4 Percent
The June Prices Received Index 2011 Base (Agricultural Production), at 127.7, increased 0.4 percent from May but decreased 5.3 percent from June 2022. At 120.8, the Crop Production Index was up 0.2 percent from last month but down 4.1 percent from the previous year. The Livestock Production Index, at 135.1, increased 1.0 percent from May, but decreased 6.5 percent from June last year. Producers received higher prices during June for cattle, hogs, market eggs, and oranges but lower prices for milk, broilers, lettuce, and cotton. In addition to prices, the volume change of commodities marketed also influences the indexes. In June, there was increased monthly movement for wheat, hay, grapes, and peaches and decreased marketing of cattle, oranges, strawberries, and broilers.
June Prices Received by Farmers
Crop production: The June index, at 120.8, is 0.2 percent higher than May but 4.1 percent lower than June 2022. The fruit & tree nut, vegetable & melon, and other crop index increases more than offset the grain & oilseed index decreases.
Grain and oilseed: The June index, at 109.4, is down 2.0 percent from May and 13 percent from June 2022.
Feed grain: The June index, at 108.1, decreased 0.7 percent from last month and 12 percent from a year ago. The corn price, at $6.49 per bushel, is down 5 cents from last month and 89 cents from June 2022.
Food grain: At 108.0, the index for June decreased 8.3 percent from the previous month and 17 percent from a year ago. The June price for all wheat, at $7.67 per bushel, is 40 cents lower than May and $1.94 lower than June 2022. The June price for rice, at $19.90 per cwt, is $1.00 higher than May and $2.10 higher than June 2022.
Oilseed: At 112.8, the index for June decreased 1.6 percent from May and 14 percent from June 2022. The soybean price, at $14.20 per bushel, is 20 cents lower than May and $2.20 lower than June a year earlier.
Other crop: The June index, at 124.8, is up 0.9 percent from the previous month and 4.9 percent from June 2022. The all hay price, at $234.00 cents per ton, is $13.00 lower than May but $22.00 higher than June 2022. At 75.0 cents per pound, the price for upland cotton is 10.3 cents lower than May and 23.3 cents lower than June 2022.
Livestock production: The index for June, at 135.1, increased 1.0 percent from the previous month but decreased 6.5 percent from June a year earlier. Meat animal index increases more than offset the lower dairy and poultry & egg index.
Meat animal: At 142.1, the June index increased 5.3 percent from the previous month and 17 percent from a year earlier. The June beef cattle price of $181.00 per cwt is $8.00 higher than the previous month and $41.00 higher than June 2022. At $64.60 per cwt, the June hog price is $5.80 higher than May but $14.10 lower than a year earlier.
Dairy: The index for June, at 89.1, is down 7.2 percent from the previous month and 33 percent from June a year ago. The June all milk price of $17.90 per cwt is $1.40 lower than May and $8.80 lower than June 2022.
Poultry and egg: At 165.9, the June index decreased 1.5 percent from May and 22 percent from June 2022. The June broiler price, at 82.2 cents per pound, is 4.2 cents lower than May and 22.3 cents lower than a year ago. At $1.02 per pound, the June turkey price is 4.0 cents lower than the previous month and 3.0 cents lower than June 2022. The June market egg price, at 97.4 cents per dozen, is 23.0 cents higher than May but 92.6 cents lower than June 2022.
June Prices Paid Index Up 0.1 Percent
The June Prices Paid Index for Commodities and Services, Interest, Taxes, and Farm Wage Rates (PPITW), at 139.2, is up 0.1 percent from May 2023 and 0.8 percent from June 2022. Higher prices in June for feeder cattle, other services, other machinery, and herbicides than more offset lower prices for complete feeds, hay & forages, feeder pigs, and concentrates.
Boydston Elected U.S. Grains Council Chairman During Annual Summer Meeting
The delegates of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) elected Brent Boydston, corn, cereal grains, digital agriculture and carbon lead at Bayer Crop Science, as chairman of its Board of Directors at its 63rd Annual Board of Delegates Meeting held in Calgary, Canada.
“Planting corn, sorghum and barley has several things in common with developing beneficial relationships with overseas end users – both take time and preparation, and both are long games,” Boydston said during his opening remarks on Friday. “Crops must be tended throughout the growing season and our work with our trading partners is also constant. We cannot put seeds in the ground and open offices around the world and just hope for the best.”
Boydston grew up in a family farming operation near Centerville, Kansas, that raised cattle, corn and soybeans. He assumed his current position with Bayer Crop Science in 2016 and has been on the Council’s Board of Directors ever since.
Previously, Boydston served as vice president of public policy at the Colorado Farm Bureau and spent more than seven years working on Capitol Hill.
In addition to Boydston, Verity Ulibarri of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program was nominated as vice chairwoman and Mark Wilson of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board was elected secretary-treasurer. Jim Reed of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Jim O’Connor of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council were also elected as at-large directors.
The USGC Board of Directors now includes:
Brent Boydston, Bayer Crop Science: Chairman
Verity Ulibarri, United Sorghum Checkoff Program: Vice Chairwoman
Mark Wilson, Illinois Corn Marketing Board: Secretary-Treasurer
Joshua Miller, Indiana Corn Marketing Council: Past Chairman
Gail Lierer, Ohio Corn Marketing Program: At-Large Director
Curt Mether, Iowa Corn Growers Association: At-Large Director
Jim Reed, Illinois Corn Marketing Board: At-Large Director
Jim O’Connor, Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council: At-Large Director
Greg Hibner, J.D. Heiskell: Agribusiness Sector Director
Craig Willis, Eco-Energy: Agribusiness Ethanol and Co-Products Sector Director
Jay Fischer, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council: Corn Sector Director
Jim Massey, United Sorghum Checkoff Program: Sorghum Sector Director
Jean Henning, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council: State Checkoff Sector Director
Nathan Boll, North Dakota Barley Council: Barley Sector Director
Ryan LeGrand, U.S. Grains Council: President and CEO
Boydston shared his goals for the year and unveiled his theme for the year, Growing the Future, during his incoming remarks.
“It takes deep effort and consistency to maintain markets for U.S. corn, sorghum, barley and co-products. But that effort and hard work now also paves the way for the generations that will come after us,” Boydston said. “That trading stability will grow our global markets for our future, so that is why I’m so proud to be able to help lead this organization and help make a difference for this generation and generations to come, and to keep the flame burning brightly into a future for all of us long after I’m gone.
More from the meeting is available on social media using the hashtag #Grains23 or through the website www.grains.org/event/calgary/.
Zoetis introduces Valcor, the first and only combination endectocide for cattle, in the United States
For cattle producers and veterinarians concerned about the efficacy of their parasite control programs, Zoetis introduces Valcor™ (doramectin and levamisole injection), the first and only combination endectocide in the United States designed for use against internal and external parasites in cattle.
“Valcor offers the unique combination of doramectin and levamisole,” said Mark Alley, DVM, MBA, Diplomate, American College of Animal Welfare, and managing veterinarian with Zoetis beef technical services. “In a research study with more than 1,500 head of heifers, Valcor reduced fecal egg count numbers by 99.9% compared to ivermectin at 85%, and the heifers treated with Valcor gained 9.3 pounds more than the ivermectin-treated heifers over 56 days. That additional weight gain adds up to more dollars per head.”
Valcor is a prescription injectable product. Valcor has the strength of two active ingredients to treat and control adult stage and L4 stage of Haemonchus placei, Cooperia spp., and Ostertagia ostertagi (including inhibited L4), as well as the adult stage of Nematodirus helvetianus. It is also indicated for the treatment and control of lungworms, eyeworms, grubs, mange mites and sucking lice.
Valcor combines doramectin from the macrocyclic lactone class of dewormers with levamisole from the imidazothiazole class. “The two active ingredients in one product offers convenience to veterinarians and producers who may have had the need to use two products concurrently in the past,” said Dr. Alley. “Valcor™ provides two active ingredients in a single product and can help save labor and improve efficiency at the chute.”
Valcor will be available to veterinarians and cattle producers on August 1, 2023. For more information about this latest innovation from Zoetis, visit ValcorTough.com.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not treat cattle with Valcor within 15 days of slaughter. Not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, including dry dairy cows; not for use in beef calves less than 2 months of age, dairy calves, and veal calves. Safety has not been evaluated in breeding bulls. Use with caution in cattle treated with cholinesterase inhibitors. This product is likely to cause injection site swelling; tissue damage (including granulomas and necrosis) may occur. These reactions have resolved without treatment. See full Prescribing Information at ValcorTough.com/pi.
Farmers and Ranchers Storm Capitol Hill in Fierce Opposition to Controversial Marshall-Hinson EATS Act
As the U.S. Congress approaches its August recess, farmers and ranchers from the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), Competitive Markets Action (CMA), and members of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Kansas Cattlemen’s Association, National Dairy Producers Organization, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, and others, visited Washington, D.C., in attendance at OCM and CMA’s Farm Bill Fly-In and Summit.
Members of the groups came in staunch opposition to the so-called Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, determined to prevent the measure from marginalizing American family farmers and opening the floodgates to China’s takeover of American agriculture alongside conservative groups like FreedomWorks.
In more than 85 in-person meetings on Capitol Hill, farmers and ranchers not only advocated for the rejection of the EATS Act, but also advocated for the enactment of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249/S. 557, led by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rand Paul, R-Ky., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Dina Titus, D-Nev. The measure that would reform and bring transparency to the USDA’s scandal-ridden Commodity Checkoff Programs brought to light by The Daily Caller, Politico, and others.
OCM led the charge in the farming and ranching space to defeat a previous iteration of the EATS Act led by former Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, from being included in the 2018 Farm Bill led by former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and current Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
“We’re committee to utilizing every resource OCM has at our disposal to prevent the EATS Act from becoming law and preventing the Chinese from taking over American food production,” said Taylor Haynes, President at the Organization for Competitive Markets and a cattle rancher from Laramie, Wyoming. “Food safety and security should be every Member of Congress’ top priority in 2023, and defeating the EATS Act as well as achieving checkoff reform are at the top of the list to ensure it.”
“If EATS is included in the upcoming Farm Bill, it’ll mark the end of American family farming as we know it,” said Deborah Mills, Chairwoman of the National Dairy Producers Organization and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “We must fight this hostile takeover with everything we have – it’s clear from China Weekly’s recent commentary that the Hinson-Marshall EATS Act is China’s baby.”
“We’ve only just begun our campaign and have so much more to come – the Chinese, Smithfield, and so-called National Pork Producers Council better get ready,” said Marty Irby, President at Competitive Markets Action and Board Secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “The nullification of laws enacted by State Legislatures in all fifty states and ballot measures enacted by the will of American voters is a terrible assault on states’ rights and the American family farmers who have spent millions of dollars complying with the law.”
“It’s a damn shame to see my Senator Roger Marshall sell out Kansans to help increase profits for Chinese-owned corporations like Smithfield,” said Mike Schultz, founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association, and Vice-President at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “Our elected officials and their staff need to remember they work for us – the American taxpayer – and not the other way around. I was disappointed to have been met with such resistance by Marshall’s staff in our recent meeting on Capitol Hill. If Marshall won’t back down on EATS I do hope he’ll at least do something for Kansas farmers and cosponsor the OFF Act to achieve checkoff reform.”
“I’m grateful my elected officials from Alabama and their team members took the time to hear our concerns, and treat us with such great respect during our visit,” said Jonathan Buttram, President of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association and Board Treasurer at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “Farmers in the Yellowhammer State are the backbone of our economy and must be protected from the China-backed EATS Act’s hostile takeover of our industry.”
“Producers across the nation are rallying against the EATS Act, and we will continue to stand strong on the front lines in the war the leaders of EATS have launched against American family farmers,” said Mike Weaver, Past President of the Contract Poultry Growers of the Virginias, and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “We must continue to work to enact the OFF Act and achieve checkoff reform – it is critical to our survival and one of the key reasons OCM was started back in the 1990’s.”
In June, OCM and CMA launched a campaign against the EATS Act that centers the opposition of family poultry, pork, and dairy farms as well as independent cattle ranchers. Specifically, it highlights their concern that Chinese interests are not solely focused on land rights; they are aggressively acquiring entire agricultural companies, posing a significant threat to our farming sovereignty.
The campaign has to date included ad buys in Politico Morning and Weekly Ag for three full weeks in June and one full week in July, as well as ad buys that included a takeover of The Daily Caller’s homepage five times as well as radio ads in key Congressional Districts, and a billboard truck on Capitol Hill, the last half of July that’ll be returning for the full month of September and beyond. The ads encourage voters to contact their elected officials and ask them to vote no on any Farm Bill that contains the EATS Act. OCM and CMA plan to continue the ad campaign throughout the course of 2023 until the Farm Bill is finalized and enacted.
Enacting the Hinson/Marshall Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act via the Farm Bill would eliminate hundreds of state agricultural laws, effectively paving the way for even more foreign intrusion without guardrails. This absence of rules, particularly those that support American family farmers and ranchers, would create an environment in which large Chinese corporations like Smithfield Foods and others can easily expand across all 50 states without having to comply with state laws that protect rural communities, American farming families, and consumers.
The OFF Act, first introduced prior to the 2018 Farm Bill would create a system of checks and balances within USDA’s Commodity Checkoff Programs, prohibit checkoffs from utilizing tax-payer dollars to lobby against farmers’ best interests, and prohibit disparagement of one product of another – a practice that’s long-allowed the federal government to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.
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