NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED DOWN 4%
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.27 million cattle on feed on September 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was down 4% from last year. Placements during August totaled 510,000 head, down 11% from 2022. Fed cattle marketings for the month of August totaled 510,000 head, unchanged from last year. Other disappearance during August totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED REPORT
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 620,000 head on September 1, 2023, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was unchanged from August but up 2 percent from September 1, 2022. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 445,000 head on feed, down 6 percent from last month and down 7 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,065,000 head, down 3 percent from last month and down 2 percent from last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during August 2023 totaled 75,000 head, up 47 percent from July but down 8 percent from August 2022. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 48,000 head, up 78 percent from July and up 26 percent from August 2022. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 123,000 head, up 58 percent from July and up 3 percent from August 2022.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during August 2023 totaled 74,000 head, up 25 percent from July but down 8 percent from August 2022. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 75,000 head, unchanged from July but up 70 percent from August 2022. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 149,000 head, up 11 percent from July and up 20 percent from August 2022. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Down 2 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on September 1, 2023. The inventory was 2 percent below September 1, 2022.
By State (1,000 hd - % Sept 1 '22)
Colorado ......: 950 92
Iowa .............: 620 102
Kansas ..........: 2,410 101
Nebraska ......: 2,270 96
Texas ............: 2,740 97
Placements in feedlots during August totaled 2.00 million head, 5 percent below 2022. Net placements were 1.95 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 420,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 305,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 455,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 488,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 245,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head.
Placements by State (1,000 hd - % Aug '22)
Colorado ......: 125 71
Iowa .............: 75 93
Kansas ..........: 550 103
Nebraska ......: 510 89
Texas ............: 440 102
Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.88 million head, 6 percent below 2022. Other disappearance totaled 55,000 head during August, 4 percent above 2022.
Marketings by State (1,000 hd - % Aug '22)
Colorado ......: 150 83
Iowa .............: 74 93
Kansas ..........: 480 99
Nebraska ......: 510 100
Texas ............: 405 90
Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District Recognizes Individuals for Conservation Efforts
As we get closer to harvest season, the Lower Elkhorn NRD (LENRD) would like to recognize a couple of individuals in our district for their conservation efforts. At their Awards Banquet this year, the LENRD Board of Directors presented awards to Junior Pfanstiel, McLean, and Allen Gehring, P.E., Lincoln.
Junior and his family were honored as the recipients of the 2022 Sustainable Agriculture Award. The Sustainable Agriculture Award is presented every two years to individuals within our district who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the conservation of soil and groundwater. Junior is a graduate of Randolph High School and received higher education at Northeast Community College and Northwest Missouri State University, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree.
Junior focuses on soil health minded practices and started implementing his own conservation farming practices in 2015 with no till. In 2018, he added cover crops and in 2020 he added small grains followed by rotationally grazed cover crops. Currently, he grows corn, soybeans, and winter wheat. This year, he added elbon rye for seed, buckwheat, and non-GMO white corn to his list. He also owns his own company – Outside the Box Agronomy LLC.
He led the Farmer to Farmer discussion at the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) winter meeting and brought his new High Boy to show. His Hagie sprayer has been converted into an interseeder, allowing him the capability of applying cover crops during the growing season in an established standing row crop. He saw there was a need for this practice by observing and understanding that the timing of planting was an issue.
Junior is always looking for opportunities to try new things. He is currently enrolled in “Soil Food Web” classes. The program was founded by Dr. Elaine Ingham who is widely recognized as the world’s foremost soil biologist. She’s passionate about empowering ordinary people to bring the soils in the community back to life. (www.soilfoodweb.com/about)
The LENRD works with various agencies and partners each year as we strive to improve the quality of life for the citizens within our district. The Outstanding Partnership Award, presented to Allen Gehring, P.E., recognizes excellence in community outreach efforts that highlight our mission of protecting our natural resources for future generations.
Allen is a State Conservation Engineer for the Nebraska Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In his role, Allen has been integral in administering and developing Watershed & Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) projects in the LENRD. His efforts have been instrumental to acquire millions of dollars for planning and potential funding of WFPO water shed projects such as Maple Creek and Battle Creek. In addition, Allen also plans an important role in assessing existing dam structures.
He began his position on March 6, 2016 and is located at the NRCS State Office in Lincoln, Nebraska. Allen was born and raised on his family’s farm in Platte Center, Nebraska. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering.
He began working fulltime with NRCS in 1992. He has held many positions with NRCS in Nebraska, Illinois, and Iowa – including serving as the State Conservation Engineer for Iowa NRCS. His current duties primarily include managing the Nebraska NRCS engineering division, which designs and inspects several watershed projects and conservation practices across Nebraska.
To learn more about the 12 responsibilities of the Nebraska’s NRDs and how your local district can work with you and your community to protect your natural resources, visit www.lenrd.org and sign up for our monthly emails.
Nebraska Pork Producers provide swine simulators for Northeast
Thanks to a partnership with the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Northeast Community College veterinary technology and animal science students will now use two swine simulators to provide more hands-on experience working with swine.
The partnership began during the Nexus campaign to build new farm facilities at Northeast and has grown since then. When the Pork Producers toured the new Acklie Family College Farm, discussions began about how to enhance swine education at Northeast.
Northeast Vet Tech Instructor Dr. Kassie Wessendorf suggested the use of swine simulators.
Northeast has swine on site for part of each semester, Wessendorf explained, but not year-round.
“Swine have a huge biosecurity protocol,” said Wessendorf. “It’s shower in, shower out. Getting students out to area confinement facilities is extremely difficult because of the biosecurity risk. We don’t want those pigs to get sick or for us to accidently bring something in.”
The Pork Producers understood and agreed to provide funding for two simulators at a cost of $5,653. The simulators were ordered from Realityworks in Eau Claire, Wis., and arrived in time for classes this fall.
“Partnering with institutions of higher education, such as Northeast Community College, is a key pillar of our ongoing strategic plan at the Nebraska Pork Producers Association,” said Mark Wright, president of the Association. “Such institutions are educating the youth who will lead the next generation of Nebraska agriculture.”
Wessendorf said the simulators give students the opportunity to practice and become comfortable with procedures before working on live animals. “If you are trying to teach someone for the first time,” she said, “and they have a piglet that is squirming and screaming, it’s very intimidating.”
Wessendorf said one of the simulators is a swine litter processing kit that includes four piglets with interchangeable parts.
“We can clip eye teeth,” she explained. “We can clip or dock tails and notch ears. We can actually castrate these little piglets. Students learn on a cooperative patient before having to deal with a squirming, squealing piglet.”
The other simulator is a swine breeder artificial insemination unit. Wessendorf said it is just the back end of a sow with two interchangeable reproductive tracks.
One track helps students learn to AI – artificially inseminate. “This is fantastic,” Wessendorf said. “When we practice on our gilts – young sows that haven’t had a litter – they are loud and they move a bit. This is a great way for students to learn technique and get comfortable with the procedure before they actually go out and do this on live animals.”
The other track mimics birth, allowing students to practice assisting with a difficult birth, something they might have to do if they are working in a swine facility.
“The models are extremely lifelike,” Wessendorf said. “Realityworks uses a lot of silicone so the models have the feel and look of real skin.”
“This is a great way for students to get their feet wet and get interested in swine without having to risk the health of the other animals,” Wessendorf said. “The simulators will be used by students in the vet tech, animal science, and other programs and be available for producer education, too.”
The swine simulators join a growing group of animal models available for Northeast vet tech and animal science students. Other simulators include a calf, cow OB, bovine head and neck, equine head and neck, several CPR dogs, and Diesel, a robotic mannequin dog that breaths, barks, bloats and bleeds. Students also use multiple artificial limbs for radiographs and there is an artificial horse leg for wrapping.
“We really want to thank the Nebraska Pork Producers for their generous donation,” said Dr. Tracy Kruse, Northeast vice president of development and external affairs and executive director of the Northeast Foundation. “Their contribution has provided cutting edge technology to train the employees needed by the pork industry.”
For more information on how you, your company or organization can partner with Northeast to provide learning opportunities for students, email foundation@northeast.edu or call 402-844-7240.
East Campus Tailgate for NCTA and CASNR alums!
Aggie and Husker alums are invited for some festive food, football, and fun at the East Campus Union on Saturday, September 30th starting 4 hours prior to kick-off. The Huskers host the Michigan Wolverines for a classic Big 10 matchup. Although we may not know the start time until the Monday prior to the game, we assure you the Aggies and Husker alumni will be there!
Free parking will be available on East Campus, with shuttles available before and after the game.
Bring a donation item for the Husker Pantry and receive a clear Nebraska tote bag. No registration necessary. Find all the details at https://ianr.unl.edu/tailgate.
NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS
Nebraska egg production during August totaled 212 million eggs, up from 146 million in 2022. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,684 eggs, compared to 2,454 eggs in 2022. All layers in Nebraska during August 2023 totaled 7.91 million, up from 5.93 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
IOWA: Iowa egg production during August 2023 was 1.17 billion eggs, up 19 percent from the previous August, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during August 2023 was 45.2 million, up 19 percent from last year. Eggs per 100 layers for August 2023 was 2,582, up slightly from a year ago.
August Egg Production Up 2 Percent
United States egg production totaled 9.38 billion during August 2023, up 2 percent from last year. Production included 8.06 billion table eggs, and 1.32 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.23 billion were broiler-type and 94.9 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during August 2023 totaled 384 million, up 3 percent from last year. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,440 eggs, down slightly from August 2022.
Total layers in the United States on September 1, 2023 totaled 386 million, up 3 percent from last year. The 386 million layers consisted of 318 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 63.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.75 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on September 1, 2023, averaged 78.4 eggs per 100 layers, down 1 percent from September 1, 2022.
Iowa Farm Bureau launches grain price comparison tool
Today, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation launched an online grain markets tool that allows farmers to see cash bids, on a 10-minute delay, for corn and soybeans within 60 miles of a selected zip code.
“Farmers often have to navigate between multiple websites or apps to see what markets and cash bids look like in their area,” says Zach Brummer, Iowa Farm Bureau’s farmer education program manager. “With this resource, they can easily scroll through various bids and locations to find the best market for their grain that day.”
The tool also includes historical charts of cash bids and basis levels to provide farmers with a snapshot of seasonal trends at their local co-ops, ethanol plants and feed mills.
“Farmers have a lot of decisions to make throughout the year from seed selection, cash rent negotiations, conservation planning and, of course, how to best market what they grow,” says Brummer. “By offering a one-stop shop, unbiased look at current and historical cash and basis data, we’re taking some legwork out of the equation.”
Available exclusively to Iowa Farm Bureau members, the tool draws data from approximately 200 grain facilities and is the first of its kind in Iowa. Members can log on and see their local cash bids at IowaFarmBureau.com/CashBidSearch.
NPPC Team Attends Leman Swine Conference
National Pork Producers Council Vice President of International Affairs Maria C. Zieba, Director of Food Policy Dr. Ashley Johnson, Chief Legal Strategist Michael Formica and Director of Industry Resource Development Julie Schwalbe this week attended the 2023 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, hosted by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The conference highlights science-driven solutions to the complex challenges facing the swine industry.
Veterinarians attending the conference heard updates on the progress the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making in preparing for African swine fever (ASF), as well as discussions on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, disease diagnostics, secure food systems, the cost of production, gene editing and many other issues facing the pork industry. Additionally, there were multiple workshops on various topics, including diagnostic collection, ASF detection and surveillance, and Porcine Endemic Diarrhea virus control and elimination. They also heard an update on the current status of implementing California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3 and congressional efforts to address it.
As part of a workshop on ASF and foreign animal diseases, Zieba met with government officials from the Philippines and Vietnam to discuss a program launched last year by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and the University of Minnesota – and endorsed by NPPC – to build capacity for risk assessments to support safe international trade of U.S. pork products with countries battling ASF. Also attending the workshop were veterinarians from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Japan, who offered their experiences with foreign animal diseases.
Also at the conference, Randy Spronk, a pork producer from Minnesota and NPPC past president, presented on the importance of exports to the swine industry and about export opportunities.
NPPC’s Michael Formica participated in a breakout session that focused on the latest legal and legislative updates on California Proposition 12.
K-State launches next-gen Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics
Kansas State University is setting the stage as a national leader in digital agriculture with the launch of the interdisciplinary Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics.
The institute is a people-centered interdisciplinary collective transforming learning, research and outreach around digital technologies and advanced analytical methods to enhance agricultural, environmental and socioeconomic decision making.
Work done at the institute will include developing and integrating analytical methods and digital technologies — like sensors, automation and robots — that enhance food production and inform decision making for sustainable and resilient systems.
"A next-generation land-grant university is an innovative university, and that's exactly what we're doing with our new Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics," said K-State President Richard Linton. "Through this new institute, Kansas State University is working across disciplines to solve global agricultural problems and build the economic prosperity of Kansas and one of our state's key industries."
Harnessing expertise from the College of Agriculture, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, and K-State Research and Extension, the institute will advance research and learning in the digital agriculture and advanced analytics realm.
The institute's core administrative team consists of Ignacio Ciampitti, professor of agronomy; Brian McCornack, professor and department head of entomology; Ajay Sharda, professor of biological and agricultural engineering; Trevor Hefley, associate professor of statistics; Shawn Hutchinson, professor of geography and geospatial sciences; Pascal Hitzler, professor of computer science and director of the center for artificial intelligence and data science; and Susan Metzger, director of both the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment and the Kansas Water Resources Institute.
"The interdisciplinary structure of the institute will give faculty and students the opportunity to experience firsthand how professionals in different disciplines approach and solve problems," said Hutchinson. "These perspectives and deep technological expertise will enrich agricultural research and outreach efforts and strengthen degree programs producing our next-generation agricultural practitioners, researchers and policymakers."
The innovation of the institute won't be isolated to just the university; in fact, public-private partnerships with industry experts and collaboration with Kansas communities are key components of the institute's success.
"The goal is to expand our digital footprint to rural communities to facilitate innovative and entrepreneurial ideas with research-driven expertise as it pertains to digital ag," said Ciampitti. "Our team has faculty with K-State Research and Extension appointments facilitating the translation of our science from the research and classroom to every county in Kansas."
The institute will directly align with the interdisciplinary areas of focus outlined in the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan that comprise the K-State Opportunity Agenda: community health and well-being, sustainability, global food security and biosecurity, and enabling technologies.
"The current challenges our producers are facing and the technology innovation needed to bridge those gaps are interdisciplinary," said Sharda. "Developing technological and digital agriculture solutions that are easy to use through interdisciplinary teams that are accessible and robust is one of the foundational goals and core missions of the institute."
The culmination of this collaborative effort will ensure that K-State is positioned as a leader in digital agriculture with an effective foundation to develop programs that sustain the long-term competitiveness of agriculture in Kansas.
"Our team is ready to develop and expand the digital ag capacity at K-State to enhance the lives of Kansans, now and into the future," said Metzger. "We will not only help train the next generations of thinkers using existing university personnel and programs, but we feel this cooperation will help us prepare the new workforce for the future of our state while developing a universitywide road map on these critical topics in research, teaching and extension."
No comments:
Post a Comment