Thursday September 07 Ag News

Two Decades of Developing Leaders in Beef: The Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium

For almost two decades, the Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) has been molding young minds and fostering a deeper understanding of the beef industry. The program has evolved significantly since its inception in 2004, and is held annually at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus.

NYBLS is open to 10th through 12th graders and any student with an interest in the beef industry. Over the years, the program has transformed from focusing solely on production-oriented lessons to incorporating leadership development, consumer engagement, and career opportunities within the beef industry.

Alli Raymond, Admissions Coordinator for the UNL Animal Science Department, has been a coordinator of the program for 13 years. Dr. Bryan Reilling has been involved for 7 years, and many other volunteers help make up their committee.

Dr. Reilling said of the program's transformation, "Over the last 10 years, it's become more focused on both the product and consumers of that product, while also enhancing leadership components for our youth."

Each year, applicants are required to answer a unique essay question related to the beef industry; this year's question pertains to the utilization of beef checkoff dollars. A large part of the program focuses on creating a unique beef-based meal, and can accommodate three groups of five students each working in the facilities kitchen at one time, allowing for a total of 45 students to attend.

 "The program is a real honor to be involved with. Everyone who's been here has been passionate about the beef industry," affirms Ali Raymond.

This year's event is centered on consumer engagement and strengths, with rotating themes each year to ensure returning students experience something new. Some students return multiple times, allowing for up to three years of participation. There are plans to create a cookbook to preserve the delicious recipes developed during the program starting this year.

"The program has three primary learning objectives: helping students understand themselves as leaders, teaching them how to collaborate effectively with others, and fostering a deeper appreciation for the beef industry and its consumers," said Dr. Reilling.

NYBLS has been significantly supported by the Nebraska Beef Council over the years, playing a vital role in enhancing recruitment and knowledge among students. Students come from across Nebraska, and sometimes other states. Up to 10 students come from Kentucky as the Kentucky Beef Council partners with the program also.

Mitch Rippe and Adam Wegner from the Nebraska Beef Council attend a session each year to explain how the beef checkoff program functions and contributes to funding part of NYBLS.

Applications for this year's NYBLS close on October 1st, with the program scheduled to run from November 17th to 19th. More information and the application for this year's symposium can be found at animalscience.unl.edu/nebraska-youth-beef-leadership-symposium.



Highboy Cover Crop Interseeding Demonstration Near Cedar Bluffs next Thursday, September 14th, 11:00 a.m.

If you would like to learn more about interseeding cover crops with a highboy, please plan to join us next Thursday, September 14th from 11 to 11:30 a.m. for a interseeding demonstration.  

The demo will be held at Tim Shanahan’s farm, which is located at County Road W and 14 Road, 2 miles east and 1 mile south from Cedar Bluffs.

Staff from the Lower Platte North NRD and Nebraska Extension will be on hand to give a short program overview and then run the a field demonstration of the machine seeding a rye cover crop.

Can’t make it next week but want to learn more about this program? Visit go.unl.edu/highboycovercrops.



Darrin Frey named Iowa Farm Bureau Federation finance and accounting director

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation has named Darrin Frey as its director of finance and accounting. Frey begins this role on Sept. 5 after a 28-year career at FBL Financial Group, Inc.

During his tenure, Frey moved through the ranks from senior positions in accounting and auditing to being named corporate planning manager, director of financial analysis and most recently corporate treasury director. During this time, he was responsible for long-term financial planning, creating more efficient reporting systems and evaluating procedures to ensure company compliance amid changing regulations.  

“Working for the Federation brings me back to my roots of growing up on a family farm and allows me to continue supporting agriculture,” says Frey. “While I’m excited to apply my skills, I’m most of all eager to form new relationships and join the organization’s commitment to the people, progress and pride of Iowa.”

In addition to his life-long service in finance, Frey has been involved with the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb fundraiser and volunteers with the United Way and Habitat for Humanity. In 2023, he assisted FBL’s finance team in winning the 2023 Month of Service Community Impact Award from the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants.  

“Not only does Darrin come to us with a proven record of collaboration and a wide range of accounting and finance expertise,” says Marty Schwager, Iowa Farm Bureau’s executive director, “but he is also community-minded, which is something our organization values.”

Frey is a Simpson College graduate. He resides northwest of Des Moines with his wife, Jill, and the couple have two college-aged children.



July Pork Exports Continue Above Year-Ago; Slow Month for Beef Exports

Building on a robust first-half performance, July exports of U.S. pork continued to outpace year-ago levels, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports took a step back in July, posting the lowest volume since January, but export value per head of fed slaughter again exceeded $400.

Western Hemisphere markets bolster July pork exports
July pork exports totaled 219,014 metric tons (mt), up 5% year-over-year, while export value increased 1% to $628.7 million. Exports to leading market Mexico continued on a record pace, while July shipments also increased significantly year-over-year to Central America, Taiwan, Oceania, the ASEAN region and Canada.

Through the first seven months of 2023, pork exports were 13% above last year’s pace at 1.69 million mt, valued at $4.67 billion (up 10%). This included record-large shipments of pork variety meat, which totaled 345,070 mt, up 28% from a year ago, valued at $812.7 million (up 19%).

“Market diversification has been the top priority for the U.S. pork industry and those efforts are certainly reflected again in these results,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “In July, exports trended lower to China/Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, but our Western Hemisphere markets and other destinations in the Asia-Pacific continued to shine. This is exactly the type of broad international footprint the industry needs to maintain consistent export growth.”

July beef exports climb to Mexico and Taiwan but most markets trend lower
July beef exports totaled 103,167 mt, down 18% from a year ago and the lowest in six months. Export value was $810.4 million, down 19% and the lowest since February. Exports posted year-over-year gains in July to Mexico, Taiwan, Canada, Hong Kong and Africa and increased sharply to Peru and Honduras. But July exports to the top three destinations for U.S. beef – South Korea, Japan and China – were well below last year’s large totals.

For January through July, beef exports trailed last year’s record pace by 11% in volume (772,343 mt) and 19% in value ($5.81 billion).

“It’s definitely a challenging environment on the beef side, due in part to limited supplies but also persistent headwinds in our key Asian markets,” Halstrom explained. “Though it’s taking longer than anticipated, we still expect a broader foodservice rebound in Asia. And some bright spots for U.S. beef include sustained demand in Taiwan, especially for alternative beef cuts, and the continued momentum in Mexico. It’s also encouraging to see per-head export value maintaining a high level. This is an important metric for gauging the returns delivered by the international markets, even when our production is trending lower.”

Lamb export volume rebounds in July
Following a slow second quarter, July exports of U.S. lamb muscle cuts showed signs of a rebound. July export volume was 197 mt, up 22% from a year ago and the highest since March. Export value was $928,000, down 2% year-over-year but the highest since April. For January through July, lamb exports were 1% below last year’s pace at 1,264 mt, while value fell 6% to $7.3 million. Markets trending higher included Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands Antilles, Panama and Guatemala.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 9/1/2023

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending September 1, ethanol production climbed 0.5% to 1.012 million b/d, equivalent to 42.50 million gallons daily. Output was 2.3% more than the same week last year and 3.3% above the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate slipped 0.3% to 1.034 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.85 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks were fractionally higher at 21.6 million barrels. Stocks were 6.6% less than the same week last year and 0.7% below the five-year average. Inventories built in the West Coast (PADD 5) but thinned across the other regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, scaled up 2.8% to a 9-week high of 9.32 million b/d (142.89 bg annualized). Demand was 6.8% more than a year ago and 0.9% above the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol declined 1.5% to 906,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.89 bg annualized. However, net inputs were 0.1% more than the same week last year and 0.9% above the five-year average.

Ethanol exports were estimated at 82,000 b/d (3.4 million gallons/day), an 18.8% increase from the prior week. Imports of ethanol arriving into the West Coast were 22,000 b/d (924,000 gallons/day). This marks the first imports since the first week of December 2022.



Corn Grower Leaders Call on Biden Administration to Tie U.S. Tax Decisions on Aviation Biofuels to Government’s Emissions Model

Asserting that U.S. tax policy should be tied to the best standards the government has to offer, 17 of the nation’s top corn grower leaders sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen today encouraging her to adopt an emissions model developed by the Department of Energy as her agency works with the Internal Revenue Service to determine which biofuels lower greenhouse gas emissions enough to qualify for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The letter, which was signed by the president of the National Corn Growers Association and the leaders from state grower groups across the country, calls on Treasury to use an emissions standard referred to as the GREET model, which was developed by the DOE, rather than a less comprehensive international standard preferred by some groups.

“GREET is the federal government’s most robust and updated model or methodology for transportation lifecycle assessment,” the letter says. “It is used globally to measure lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and the DOE has the best resources, expertise, and current ability within federal government agencies to assess lifecycle emissions accurately and scientifically.”

Unlike other models, GREET considers the full environmental picture, the corn growers noted.

“The GREET model accurately accounts for on-farm carbon reduction activities and feedstock yield increases and the improved agriculture production practices that farmers have adopted over the last twenty years,” the letter says. “This further solidifies GREET as the methodology Treasury and the IRS should use to determine tax credits for SAF under the IRA.”

The letter comes as corn ethanol, which has been used for years to lower greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks while saving consumers money at the pump, is being considered for use in the aviation arena where experts say the biofuel would do for airplanes what it has done for autos.

But as corn grower leaders point out, the tax credit from the IRA will be crucial to ensuring ethanol is quickly made available in the aviation sector. A decision on that tax credit could come down to which emissions model is used to determine greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Citing a recent speech in which President Biden said farmers will lead the way on aviation biofuels, the letter notes, “If we are going to make the president’s promise a reality, we are going to have to have a reliable model in place and one that bases U.S. tax policy on the best information and instruments the U.S. government has to offer.”

Yellen is expected to make a final announcement on the tax credits this month.



Japanese Team Meets Biotech Regulators In U.S.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, recently organized a team of Japanese regulators involved in the food, feed and environmental approvals of biotech corn events in Japan.

The team traveled to the U.S. to meet with U.S. government regulators, seed companies and industry organizations, in addition to U.S. corn growers and companies involved in the production, distribution and exports of U.S. corn to Japan.

While stateside, the team gained a broader understanding of regulatory agencies in this country, as well as additional future biotech events being proposed and how to ensure smooth corn trade between the two countries.

“The team learned about the robust new corn and soybean seed developments by the seed developers using state-of-the-art technologies including genetic engineering and gene editing. They also learned about the strict quality control and safety assurance of seeds and testing for qualities of corn by U.S. exporters,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan.

The team had the opportunity to meet with groups in Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois. Highlights included meetings with U.S. government entities, farm visits in both Maryland and Wisconsin and agribusiness discussions with biotech seed developers and grain exporters.

A Japanese biotech regulator team has visited the U.S. every year since 2007. The team visits have contributed to their timely safety approvals of biotechnology products, which has played a factor in having no trade disruptions between the two countries due to biotechnology.

“Biotechnology, both gene engineering and gene editing, are vital tools to achieve sustainable grain production. The Japan office will continue to be engaged with government regulators to ensure their understanding of the benefits of biotechnology and timely safety approvals,” Hamamoto said.

In the last five decades, U.S. corn producers have met the global challenge of growing more food with fewer resources. Continued advancements in corn production have allowed for substantially higher volumes of corn produced without a proportional increase in land use; reductions in herbicide and insecticide volumes; and the implementation of conservation tilling, which reduces soil erosion and carbon emissions.



CFTC Charges Texas Firm and Head Trader with Spoofing and Engaging in a Manipulative and Deceptive Scheme and Violating a Prior CFTC Order

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Logista Advisors LLC and Andrew Serotta, charging them with spoofing, engaging in a manipulative and deceptive scheme, failing to supervise, and for violating a prior CFTC order.

The scheme involved crude oil and natural gas futures contracts–specifically, calendar spread contracts–traded on CME and ICE Futures Europe. Serotta is the founder, principal, head trader, and a registered associated person of Logista, a registered commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor.

In the complaint, the CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties, restitution, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, registration and trading bans, and a permanent injunction against further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, as charged.

“Six years ago, Logista accepted the CFTC’s entry of an order against it for supervision failures relating to an employee’s spoofing. Here we are again. As alleged, Logista and its principal engaged in additional spoofing, and manipulative and deceptive conduct. The CFTC will continue to vigorously prosecute such conduct—particularly by repeat offenders,” said Director of Enforcement Ian McGinley.

Case Background
The complaint alleges Serotta was spoofing (bidding or offering with the intent to cancel the bid or offer before execution) from approximately January 2020 through April 2020. According to the complaint, he would place hundreds of large orders for crude oil and natural gas futures–specifically, calendar spreads–he intended to cancel before execution (spoof orders), while placing orders on the opposite side of the same futures markets (genuine orders) that would benefit from market participants’ reactions to his spoof orders.

By placing the spoof orders, Serotta allegedly deceived other traders about supply and demand, misleading market participants about the likely direction of the commodity’s price, which made Serotta’s genuine orders appear more attractive to market participants and allowed Serotta to execute his genuine orders in larger quantities and at better prices than he would have without the spoof orders. The complaint further alleges that, by this conduct, Serotta and Logista failed to diligently supervise the fund’s trading and violated a 2017 CFTC order that found a supervision failure stemming from prior instances of spoofing at Logista. [See CFTC Press Release No. 7623-17]

The CFTC thanks the CME Group for its assistance in this matter.



At the Africa Food Systems Forum, USDA Announces Major Partnerships in Africa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt announced new partnerships to enhance plant and animal health at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Tanzania this week. Under Secretary Moffitt’s engagements underscored USDA’s strong partnership in Africa through delivering real solutions.

While there, Under Secretary Moffitt announced that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), working in close partnership with the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH), is helping to bolster animal health infrastructure, including partnerships in Africa building off longstanding work with the African Union.

The WOAH projects include creating tools for the early detection of emerging zoonotic infections in wildlife, harmonizing animal health processes, standardizing methods for managing sensitive trade issues, and minimizing food supply chain disruptions.

Under Secretary Moffitt also announced USDA’s partnership with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Plant Protection Convention and the African Union to establish the Africa Phytosanitary Program to provide Africa with advanced tools to prevent, detect, and manage significant plant pests and diseases.

“The connections between plant pests, crop losses and food shortages are evident in Africa,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Moffitt. “With plant pests undermining crop production and causing losses between 30-60 percent annually, the need for effective pest management strategies that address the detrimental effects of plant pests and plant and animal diseases is critical.”

The Africa Phytosanitary Program will equip national plant protection organizations with advanced, science-based approaches to prevent, detect, and manage significant plant pests and diseases that threaten food security and economic growth. APHIS has invested $750,000 in financial and in-kind expertise and time to develop pest surveillance protocols, electronic data collection and reporting tools, training materials, and to conduct training for 11 countries during this first year pilot phase. The goal is to include all 54 countries by 2026.