Seminar Educates Latin American Importers on Attributes of U.S. Beef and Pork
With funding support provided by the National Corn Growers Association, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) brought meat importers from Mexico and Central and South America to Nebraska for an extensive, hands-on education on the attributes and advantages of U.S. beef and pork.
A two-day seminar at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) covered a wide range of topics, including meat quality characteristics, processing techniques, the importance of proper freezing and thawing of meat products, and packaging methods for ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat items. UNL’s Loeffel Meat Laboratory offered importers the opportunity to experiment with cutting, flavoring and processing methods using U.S. pork loin and U.S. beef cuts from the round primal.
Following the seminar, pork and beef merchandising techniques were highlighted in visits to a specialty meat shop and supermarket. Importers also got a firsthand look at cattle feeding practices at Champion Feeders near Mead, Neb., and toured the Wholestone Farms pork plant near Fremont, Neb.
ECONOMIC GROWTH TO CONTINUE IN NEBRASKA THROUGH EARLY 2024, INDICATOR SUGGESTS
Nebraska’s leading economic indicator grew in July, according to the most recent report from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The indicator, designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, rose 0.89%.
“The solid increase in the leading indicator suggests economic growth will continue in Nebraska through the end of 2023 and into the first month of 2024,” said economist Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research, department chair and K.H. Nelson College Professor of Economics.
The six components of Nebraska’s leading economic indicator are business expectations, building permits for single-family homes, airline passenger counts, initial claims for unemployment insurance, the value of the U.S. dollar and manufacturing hours worked.
Five of the six components — all except airline passenger counts — improved in July.
“Respondents to the July business survey reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months,” Thompson said.
Manufacturing hours and building permits for single-family homes also rose during July.
“Nebraska home builders and food manufacturers benefit from high prices for their products," Thompson said.
There were signs of strength in Nebraska’s labor market as initial claims for unemployment insurance fell in the state.
The value of the U.S. dollar also fell in July.
“A lower value for the U.S. dollar benefits businesses that compete in international markets, including manufacturing and agricultural businesses,” Thompson said.
The full report and a technical report describing the indicators are available at the Bureau of Business Research website, https://bbr.unl.edu.
Four Titan Machinery Diesel Camps Expose Students to Career Opportunities
Titan Machinery with support of community and technical colleges in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota recently hosted nearly 140 9th and 10th grade students during Titan Machinery Diesel Camps. The camps are an innovative new program that provides students with hands-on experience in the field of diesel mechanics. Campers worked alongside certified diesel technology instructors, industry experts from Titan and current student technicians to problem-solve real-world mechanical issues, learn about the inner workings of machines and actively complete equipment repairs. They also drove equipment and toured the campuses.
“Through these camps, our goal is to increase awareness of and interest in career and technical education (CTE) programs and ensure students appreciate the income potential and lifestyle advantages of skilled trade careers,” said Sarah Kenz, talent acquisition manager at Titan Machinery, West Fargo, North Dakota.
The camps spanned two to four days each, providing attendees an understanding of shop safety, diesel technology basics (electrical, hydraulics, drivetrain/powertrain, engines and fuel systems) as well as a look at future technology in the equipment industry. They were held at these four schools:
Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Central Community College, Hastings, Nebraska
North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, N.D.
Lake Area Technical College, Watertown, S.D.
Positive student response sets stage for 2024 diesel camps
Due to the number of students participating and positive responses from students and parents, Titan and the instructors at each college have already begun planning for camps in 2024.
“The response was overwhelming,” Kenz said. “We’re already looking for dates May through July of 2024 and hope to host even more students through this program.” Kenz shared post-event survey feedback gathered from students and parents.
Students commented:
“My favorite part of camp was learning about engines and how to adjust the valves on an engine. I also liked learning about the new technology that will be used in the future.”
"Basically everything I loved. Working in the shop and getting my hands dirty.”
“My favorite part of the camp was talking to the diesel instructors and running the heavy equipment. I also enjoyed getting to see the Hastings campus.”
“Running the heavy machinery, welding and meeting new people.”
Parents also chimed in:
“It was a great opportunity to explore career opportunities. It also got him excited to get through high school onto the next step!!!”
“He had so much fun! What a great idea to have a camp like this!”
“Met new friends and had a great time.”
“The experience and learning he has control of his future were the most enjoyable aspects for my camper.”
“Hands-on activities and working on the equipment. Also enjoyed touring Case plant.”
“Jordan loved it so much that she is going back next year.”
Effort designed to change misconceptions, build for the future.
The Titan Machinery Diesel Camps program is unique in its approach to exposing young students to career options in the skilled trades and helping to change misconceptions about diesel mechanics. By providing a safe, fun and interesting learning environment, the camp aims to encourage more students to consider a career in this field. The program is also designed to change the perception of a diesel mechanic career that educators and parents may hold. By partnering with key program partners, Titan is helping to close the skilled trades gap and create a wider breadth of "people they know" for students to turn to for information and guidance about post-high school plans.
According to new data from Stanley Black & Decker, almost 80% of young people and their parents are worried about how they'll pay for college, making a career in the skilled trades an attractive option. The Stanley Black & Decker Inaugural Makers Index surveyed high schoolers, parents of high schoolers and skilled trade workers, and found that many young people hold outdated ideas about the trades, with about one in four disagreeing that skilled trades work with cutting-edge technology and one in five disagreeing that the work is in high demand.
Trades considered to be gender specific.
Additionally, the study shows there are discrepancies in knowledge, consideration and appeal between genders when it comes to skilled trades. Boys are more familiar with and likely to consider a career in a skilled trade than girls, and parents of boys are more likely to see a skilled trade career as a very appealing option for their child. The program aims to help solve this skilled talent shortage by driving more engagement with women and demonstrating how this career field in the equipment industry can be an opportunity for everyone.
Titan Machinery currently owns and operates a network of more than 90 full-service agricultural and construction dealerships in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Colorado offering products from Case IH, New Holland and others, in addition to having operations in eastern Europe. To learn more about Titan Machinery and the new Diesel Camps, visit www.titanmachinery.com/DieselCamps.
PF CROP TOUR WEST: Iowa Crops a "No-Meat Sandwich"
NAFB News Service
The western leg of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouted corn and soybean fields in Western Iowa during day three. Leader Chip Flory said they cover three districts in Western Iowa. The corn yield estimate in District 1 was 182.5 bushels an acre, almost even with last year. The Corn District 4 yield estimate reached 168.7 bushels an acre, down almost seven percent from 2022. The Corn District 7 yield estimate was 184.8 bushels, six percent above last year.
Flory talked about what they saw in Iowa cornfields… He says, “I saw a no-meat sandwich today. Really good stuff in the south and good stuff in the north, but we were missing stuff in the middle of the western part of the state. It was like a donut hole there in west central Iowa. Not a lot of good to talk about there. A lot of the problem was with grain length in Crop District 4. So, we were basically steady in northwest Iowa, down 6.7 percent in west central, and up 6.4 percent in the southwest part of the state.”
The soybean yield estimate in District 1 was 1,137.2 pods in a three-foot-by-three-foot square, a four percent increase from last year’s tour. The District 4 soybean estimate was 1,120.3 pods, down 11 percent from 2022. The District 7 estimate was 1,170.2 pods, down four percent from last year. Flory says soybeans followed a similar pattern to corn… “Yes, we had a 4.4 percent increase in the pods in Crop District 1. In Crop District 4, we were down 11 percent. And then we were down 4.4 percent in Crop District 7 on the pod counts. The white mold concerns me going forward. But as far as the moisture and the drought stress on the crop, I don’t feel like we were watching a bean crop die because of drought.”
Western leg crop scout Brent Judisch says Iowa corn fields were missing ear count and ear length. They didn’t find much in the way of pest or disease pressure on a very hot day. He did say, “We did run into some green snap here and there. In one field, we had 12 percent green snap. It wasn’t a big area, but we had a couple of fields, I guess. It wasn’t rampant, no. It wasn’t a major issue. We only got to 98 with a heat index of 106. Yesterday, we had 105 with a heat index of 113. But the only negative is I do corn all day, and it’s a lot warmer in that cornfield when you get inside, and there’s no breeze.”
Day four of the tour will finish on Thursday in Rochester, Minnesota.
Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/18/2023
According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending August 18, ethanol production declined 2.0% to 1.048 million b/d, equivalent to 44.02 million gallons daily. However, output was 6.2% more than the same week last year and 5.7% above the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate tapered 1.0% to 1.052 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.13 billion gallons (bg).
Ethanol stocks drew down 2.8% to a 6-week low of 22.8 million barrels. Stocks were 4.3% less than the same week last year but 2.2% above the five-year average. Inventories thinned across all regions.
The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, inched 0.7% higher to 8.91 million b/d (136.59 bg annualized). Demand was 5.6% more than a year ago but 5.1% below the five-year average.
Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol pared back 1.2% to a 4-week low of 915,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.03 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.4% less than the same week last year and 0.6% below the five-year average.
Ethanol exports were estimated at 94,000 b/d (3.9 million gallons per day), a 19.0% increase over the prior week. There were zero imports recorded for the 37th consecutive week.
UAN32, Anhydrous Lead Retail Fertilizer Prices Significantly Lower
Average retail prices for all eight major fertilizers were down again the second full week of August 2023, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. Prices for six of the eight major fertilizers saw a significant drop, which DTN designates as anything 5% or more.
Leading the way lower was UAN32. The nitrogen fertilizer was 13% lower compared to last month and had an average price of $399 per ton. This is the first time since the first week of May 2021 that UAN32's price has been under $400 per ton. That week, the average price was also $399/ton. Also, anhydrous was double digits lower -- down 12% compared to last month. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $630/ton.
Both DAP and potash were 8% lower compared to last month. DAP had an average price of $745/ton while potash was $558/ton. UAN28 was 7% less expensive than last month with an average price of $359/ton. MAP was 6% lower compared to last month and had an average price of $762/ton.
Two fertilizers were just slightly lower compared to the prior month. Urea had an average price of $573/ton while 10-34-0 was $705/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.62/lb.N, anhydrous $0.38/lb.N, UAN28 $0.64/lb.N and UAN32 $0.62/lb.N.
All fertilizers are now lower by double digits compared to one year ago: 10-34-0 by 20%, DAP 24%, MAP 26%, urea 29%, potash 37%, UAN28 38%, UAN32 41%, and anhydrous by 53%.
USDA Cold Storage July 2023 Highlights
Total red meat supplies in freezers on July 31, 2023 were down slightly from the previous month and down 14 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 2 percent from the previous month but down 18 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 3 percent from the previous month and down 10 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 26 percent from last month but up 21 percent from last year.
Total frozen poultry supplies on July 31, 2023 were down 1 percent from the previous month but up 4 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 1 percent from the previous month but up 4 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up slightly from last month and up 3 percent from July 31, 2022.
Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on July 31, 2023 were down 1 percent from the previous month and down 2 percent from July 31, 2022. Butter stocks were down 5 percent from last month but up 5 percent from a year ago.
Total frozen fruit stocks on July 31, 2023 were up 19 percent from last month and up 2 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 11 percent from last month and up 5 percent from a year ago.
Massachusetts delays Question 3 rules for transshipping pork
A group of four New England hospitality associations, along with the National Pork Producers Council and the Restaurant Law Center, challenged Question 3 last year, accusing it of disrupting interstate commerce. Almost all of the pork sold in Massachusetts is from other states, they argued.
The industry also says that Question 3 goes even further than California’s Prop 12 because it would ban a bevy of goods that enter Massachusetts and are then distributed throughout New England. According to the National Pork Producers Council, the law would compromise an estimated $2 billion of transshipment pork.
The settlement, reached with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, would revise Question 3 so the pork rules do not apply to goods not intended to be sold in Massachusetts. The transshipment portion of the rules will not be enforced when Question 3 goes into effect Aug. 24 while the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources completes its rulemaking process.
“This settlement is a significant, positive outcome...because it gives restaurant owners and their suppliers the time they need to avoid significant supply disruptions so they don’t disappoint diners,” Angelo Amador, executive director of the Restaurant Law Center, said in a statement.
Triumph Foods and a group of Midwest pork producers have challenged the constitutionality of Question 3 and others like it.
California pushed back implementation of Prop 12 until Jan. 1, 2024, for pork already in the supply chain following a Supreme Court ruling affirming the law.
NCGA: Atrazine Critical to Thousands of Farmers, EPA’s Decisions on Product Should be Guided by Science
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Tom Haag testified today before an Environmental Protection Agency Scientific Advisory Panel about the importance of atrazine to corn farmers.
“NCGA commends the scientific and risk-based analysis and conclusions of the EPA in this reevaluation of the 11 atrazine studies identified by the 2012 Scientific Advisory Panel as calling for further review to assess the effects to aquatic plant communities,” Haag noted in the testimony. “NCGA points to the conclusions in the white paper, which continue to affirm scientific evidence which supports the safe use of atrazine while protecting the vital aquatic plant communities and their related ecosystems.”
The purpose of the SAP is to seek feedback on the draft white paper, Examination of the Microcosm/Mesocosm Studies for Evaluating the Effects of Atrazine on Aquatic Plant Communities, which is being submitted to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act SAP for peer review.
During the hearing, Haag touched on the positive environmental benefits of using atrazine.
“Effective management of weeds and their resistance to herbicides is a constant challenge to corn farmers,” he said. “Access to atrazine puts an important tool in the hands of U.S. corn growers to effectively adopt conservation practices while managing destructive weeds and delivering an abundant and quality crop. NCGA advocated for EPA to hold this SAP because atrazine is critical to thousands of farmers and millions of acres, it is imperative that EPA fully reviews the complete library of science related to atrazine and the aquatic plant community.”
EPA expects to receive the SAP’s report in late November.
Dairy Market Report: Restrained Supply, Expanding Demand Offer Some Hope for Improved Milk Prices
A restrained supply and expanding demand are offering some hope that the current dire milk-price situation may improve, potentially offering a rapid recovery in dairy margins that are currently at punishing levels for dairy farmers.
The past year’s relatively modest increase in U.S. milk production that faltered in the spring came to a full stop in June, when production and U.S. dairy cow numbers were both essentially unchanged from a year earlier. In July, the recent bout of intense dairy product retail price inflation also came back to Earth, with retail prices of fluid milk, cheese and butter all lower than a year earlier and retail prices of all dairy products up an average of just 1.3 percent. With that, dairy futures markets have been signaling for some weeks now that milk prices will rapidly improve in the remaining months of 2023, as will the DMC margins, which hit a record low of $3.65/cwt in June. But a third key driver of milk prices, namely U.S. dairy exports, continues to languish relative to the last two years of consecutive record-setting export volumes, potentially limiting the upside of price recovery.
View the full report here.... https://www.nmpf.org/restrained-supply-expanding-demand-offer-some-hope-for-improved-milk-prices/
FMMO Hearing Heralds Farmer-Led Progress for Dairy, NMPF Says
The first day of USDA’s once-in-a-generation hearing on federal milk pricing represents a critical moment for dairy’s future, one in which the National Milk Producers Federation intends to lead, President and CEO Jim Mulhern said today.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of dairy farmers and their cooperatives, this industry is poised for progress as Federal Milk Marketing Order modernization is now in sight,” Mulhern said, as dairy experts and government officials gathered in Carmel, IN, for what’s expected to be five to seven weeks of testimony and discussion of proposals to update and improve the FMMO system, which last saw a major revision in 2000. “NMPF’s comprehensive proposal for improvements to the system forms the basis of this hearing, and through our members’ depth of expertise and unmatched team of dairy farmers and cooperative analysts, we are prepared to advance our industry’s need for these updates.”
Following USDA’s initial presentations, the hearing will then launch into discussions of specific issues placed within the scope of the hearing, including; milk composition; surveyed commodity products; Class III and Class IV formula factors; the Base Class I skim milk price; and Class I and Class II price differentials.
After the hearing’s conclusion, entities involved in the hearing then have a period of time to respond to the testimony, followed by a USDA draft decision, then more discussion, and ultimately a vote among dairy farmers on a final proposal, likely in the second half of 2024.
Because of the hearing’s complexity and the multi-step process of formulating and approving a final plan afterward, Mulhern noted that the hearing itself is far from the culmination of the process. Still, as the centerpiece of milk-pricing efforts, the next few weeks will be the most intense for public discussion of how to create a better milk-price system for dairy farmers – a moment NMPF has spent literally years waiting for.
“Though far from the final word, this national hearing stage is a critical phase that starts a foreseeable timeline for a new system to become real,” Mulhern said. “That’s exciting for our industry. It took a long time, and incredible effort, to get to where we are today. With the leadership I know our member cooperatives will provide, it can only lead to a brighter tomorrow.”
USDA Announces $72.9 Million in Grant Funding Awarded to Support U.S. Specialty Crop Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced $72.9 million awarded to 55 states and territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The grant program provides funding to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research.
“USDA is excited to announce that this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant awards marks over $1 billion invested in nearly 12,000 projects that support the U.S. specialty crop industry,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is a critical piece of USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support small and mid-sized producers and ensure Americans have sustained access to fresh, locally grown specialty crop products.”
Fiscal year 2023 SCBGP funding is awarded to the departments of agriculture in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Funding for SCBGP is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.
Nebraska
Through the SCBGP, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture will fund 13 projects. Among the department’s projects, is funding for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to partner with local farmers markets and specialty crops producers to host Local Food Showcases across the state to increase the knowledge and consumption of specialty crops. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as research on mitigating adverse effects of diseases in dry beans, evaluating the effectiveness of different varieties of tomatoes, and the development of new irrigation technology.
Iowa
Through the SCBGP, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship will fund 11 projects. Among Iowa’s grant projects is funding to help farmers get sweet corn to market earlier through the evaluation of cultivars, investigating seasonal growing strategies by trialing a multitude of season extension practices, monitoring pest and pesticide resistance, increasing wholesale markets for refugee specialty crop producers in Iowa, and launching a statewide celebration of specialty crop gardening at K-12 schools and early childhood education centers.
“With the launch of the Choose Iowa program and the strong consumer demand for local foods, including Iowa grown specialty crops, these grants will continue to build our state’s capacity to meet these growing markets,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Specialty Crop Block Grants are an important component of the Farm Bill because they enhance the diversity of Iowa agriculture, build markets, invest in education and assist with scientific research, all of which benefit consumers and growers in Iowa and beyond.”
States are encouraged to subaward funding to projects that address the needs of U.S. producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. Funded projects include investing in food safety, specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes, developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, and pest and disease control. Additional projects focus on increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; and improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems.
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