Thursday August 29 Ag News

Thirty Nebraskans Selected for Nebraska LEAD Class 43

The Nebraska Leadership Education/Action Development (LEAD) Program is pleased to announce the selection of 30 outstanding individuals who will join the program as Fellows of Nebraska LEAD Class 43. These fellows were selected based on their demonstrated leadership potential, commitment to agriculture and dedication to their communities.

Nebraska LEAD Class 43 Fellows represent a diverse group of professionals from across the state, bringing with them a wealth of experience and expertise in various sectors of Nebraska’s agricultural industry. Over the next two years, they will participate in a rigorous curriculum designed to enhance their leadership skills, broaden their understanding of domestic and global agricultural issues, and prepare them for greater roles in their communities and industries.

“I’m excited to work alongside this talented group of LEAD Fellows committed to the future of agriculture in the state,” said Kurtis Harms, Director of the Nebraska LEAD Program. “The selection process was challenging this year, as we had many quality applicants. This serves a testament to the passionate, well-qualified people who will be serving our industry for many years to come. Keep an eye out for these individuals, as these are names we’ll be seeing a lot more of down the road.”

The Nebraska LEAD Program, which began in 1981, continues its legacy of developing leaders who are equipped to address the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in Nebraska and beyond. Through seminars, study travel and hands-on experiences, LEAD 43 Fellows will gain insights into the complex issues shaping the future of agriculture and rural communities.

Nebraska LEAD 43 Fellows by city/town are:
CALLAWAY: Lucy Kimball
CARLETON: Troy Kane
DENTON: Payton Schaneman
EDISON: Amy Warner
ERICSON: Neleigh Gehl
FREMONT: Chandler Maly
GOTHENBURG: MiKinley Harm
GRETNA: Brennan Costello
HASTINGS: Lily Ziehmer
HAY SPRINGS: Austin Weyers
HOWELLS: Tyler Morton
HUMPHREY: Eric Wemhoff
KEARNEY: Anthony Finke, Dustin Rohde, Trevor Spath
LINCOLN: Luke Baldridge, Jared Stauffer, Sally Welsh
LONG PINE: Spencer Shifflet
LOUP CITY: Cale Harrington
MINATARE: Austin Kniss
MULLEN: Kyle Phillips
NEHAWKA: Sophia Svanda
NORFOLK: Courtney Nelson, Jake Judge
ORD: Ben Edwards
OSCEOLA: Anthony Mestl
SUPERIOR: John Sullivan
WAYNE: Bobby Reifenrath
WAHOO: Jacobi Swanson

The mission of the Nebraska LEAD Program is “to prepare and motivate men and women in agriculture for more effective leadership.” For more information on the program or its mission, visit lead.unl.edu.



COVER CROPS FOLLOWING CORN SILAGE
- Jerry Volesky, Pasture & Range Specialist, Nebraska Extension

Following corn silage harvest, your ground can lay bare for seven to nine months.  Instead, let’s plant some crops to grow and cover it until next season.

After silage harvest, bare ground has three things working against it.  One is exposure to wind and water erosion.  Secondly, bare soils lack growing roots which are needed to feed the living soil building microbes.  Finally, bare soils represent a missed opportunity to grow cover crops that might help you overcome all these problems.

But what should you plant?  If you are hoping for some feed this fall, then oats, spring triticale and barley, annual ryegrass, and turnips might be a good choice because these plants have the greatest forage yield potential yet this fall.  Spring oats, triticale, and barleys also will die over winter so they won’t interfere with next year’s crop.  However, getting these non-winter hardy annuals seeded as early as possible in September is needed to have time to grow an adequate amount of fall forage.

Winter rye is the most common choice among the cereals.  And cereal rye can provide abundant grazable growth early next spring to get cows off of hay sooner.  Wheat and triticale also can be good cover crops.  Of course, wheat then can be harvested later for grain while triticale makes very good late spring forage.  The seeding date window for the winter cereals can extend well into October, but earlier seeding will allow for more fall growth.  Legumes like hairy vetch or winter peas could also be planted as part of a mixture with the winter annual cereals.

Cover crops can preserve or even improve your soil and can be useful forages as well.  Consider them following your early harvests.  



Nebraska Farm Bureau Endorses 17 Additional Candidates for Election to the Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general agriculture organization, has announced an additional list of endorsements for candidates seeking election to the Nebraska Legislature. Endorsements made by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Political Action Committee (NEFB-PAC) are based on the candidate’s positions on agricultural and rural issues and recommendations from district evaluation committees made up of farmer and rancher members.

“We are pleased to announce our endorsement for several candidates aspiring to serve in the Nebraska Legislature. Recognizing the vital contribution of farmers and ranchers in food production, as well as the significant impact of agriculture on our state's overall economy, it is essential that we elect leaders who possess a deep appreciation for and comprehension of these sectors.” said Katie Olson of Atkinson, chair of NEFB-PAC and first vice president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.

NEFB-PAC endorsed candidates seeking election to the Legislature:
    District 3 – Felix Ungerman of Papillion
    District 5 – Gilbert Ayala of Omaha
    District 7 – Tim C. Pendrell of Omaha
    District 13 – Nick Batter of Omaha
    District 19 – Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk and Jeanne M. Reigle of Madison
    District 21 – Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln
    District 25 – Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln
    District 27 – Dawn Liphardt of Lincoln and Jason Prokop of Lincoln
    District 31 – Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha
    District 33 – Dan Lonowski of Hastings
    District 35 – Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island
    District 39 – Tony Sorrentino of Elkhorn
    District 41 – Daniel D. McKeon of Amherst
    District 45 – Rita Sanders of Bellevue
    District 49 – Bob Andersen of Omaha

NEFB-PAC earlier endorsed candidates seeking election to the Legislature:
    District 1 – Dennis Schaardt of Steinauer
    District 15 – Roxie Kracl of Fremont
    District 17 – Mike Albrecht of Thurston and Glen Meyer of Pender
    District 23 – Dennis Fujan of Prague
    District 37 – Stanley Clouse of Kearney
    District 43 – Tanya Storer of Whitman
    District 47 – Paul Strommen of Sidney

“We look forward to supporting this slate of candidates in their election efforts. Each candidate brings unique leadership qualities and is committed to tackling Nebraska's property tax challenges and fostering economic growth in rural areas. We have confidence that the candidates vying for office in these races possess unique abilities to guide our state towards a prosperous future,” said Olson.



Insider’s Guide to 2024 Husker Harvest Days

Growers and producers are gearing up to network, connect and experience the latest farm technology when Husker Harvest Days reconvenes Sept. 10-12, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Over 10,000 attendees have preregistered for the event, with an average of 2,000 acres farmed per attendee.

Exhibitors are also enthusiastic about the world’s largest irrigated outdoor farm show, selling out nearly every single lot. Select spaces are still available in the BEEF Building at the time of publication. Potential exhibitors are encouraged to contact Farm Progress immediately if they would like to reserve a booth.

With hundreds of exhibitors, this year’s show will allow farmers to engage with cutting-edge agriculture products, equipment and ideas. They’ll also get to meet the people who design and develop them.

Here are FIVE must-sees for Husker Harvest Days 2024:

Field Demos: Gain priceless operational insights and see technology in action at field demos, including harvesting, haying and tillage. Get up close and personal with the latest and greatest the ag industry has to offer.

BEEF Showcase: Producers can find everything beef-related, including exhibitors, live cattle-handling demos, educational seminars and more in the BEEF Showcase, located in the Northwest Quadrant.

Autonomy Showcase: The Autonomy Showcase provides a "hands-off" demonstration experience beyond auto-steering. At least two autonomous machines will be operating each day of the show.

The Husker Harvest Days Stage: Take a seat by the Husker Harvest Days Stage, where industry experts share their insights. From Farm Futures market updates to question-and-answer sessions with Nebraska government officials, these speakers delve into the latest trends and innovations.

Women in the Field:  Visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Vice Chancellor’s Tent on lot 827 for a special programming series presented by Farm Progress in partnership with UNL The series will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and will feature an inspiring line-up of speakers.

Other exciting daily events include:
    Horse Training demonstrations
    Canine Stars
    Ride and Drive opportunities
    And much more! View the full schedule of events online here.

To register for complimentary three-day admission and more information, visit the official website at www.HuskerHarvestDays.com.



Legacy Beef Co-op Successfully Completes and Fills First Round of Available Co-op Units

After successfully completing and filling its first round of available units (i.e. shackle spaces), Legacy Beef Co-op announces the opening of its second round of unit availability in the co-op—inviting cattle producers to increase their share of the retail beef dollar.

“The completion of this first round, and the kick-off of the second round, reaffirms the demand and desire cattle producers have for a co-op based on a Boxed Beef Cutout pricing model—providing opportunity for a fair share of profits to go back to the cattle producer,” says Chad Tentinger, founder of the Legacy Beef Co-op. “We’re allowing producers to take more control over their market participation through a more favorable pricing model, including being awarded for carcass quality and having ownership stake in the processing side of the business.”

With the initial round closed on the first 60,000 units at $125 per unit, the next 60,000 units are available to second round producers at $150 per unit. At the close of round two, the cost of entry will increase to $175 per unit. Each unit corresponds to the delivery obligation of one head of cattle. Co-op ownership benefits including:
    Stable pricing model based on the Boxed Beef Cutout Price
    $25 delivery bonus per head
    Ownership stake in Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company

There will be a total of five rounds. The price-per-unit will increase with each proceeding round.

“Legacy Beef Co-op model is revolutionary; it’s founded on the idea that cattle producers are always better when we work together,” adds Tentinger. “Through the partnership between Legacy Beef Co-op and Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company, we can improve this industry and build a more sustainable future for cattle producers.”

All Legacy Beef Co-op producer-owners will have an ownership stake in the new Cattlemen’s Heritage processing plant, located near Council Bluffs, Iowa. The processing plant will source cattle from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota and is designed to process 2,000 cattle daily, totaling 525,000 annually. In addition to supporting family cattle producers, it will stimulate the local economy by creating 800 direct jobs and 3,400 indirect jobs.  

For more information and co-op inquiries, visit legacybeefcoop.com or call 712-229-8141.



Landus Expands its Service Offerings with the Acquisition of Wickman Chemical

Landus, an Iowa-based agriculture solutions company, today announced the purchase of Wickman Chemical, an independent Iowa-based agricultural chemicals provider, to expand its chemical products and services offerings. Wickman Chemical has been a reliable and trusted supplier of chemicals for farmers in the Southwest Iowa and Kansas regions for many years. Landus’ acquisition of this company represents its continued commitment to delivering innovation to the farm and empowering our farmers with the tools they need to succeed.

“Our purchase of Wickman Chemical reinforces our business strategy to bring the tools and innovation farmer-owners need to thrive,” said Matt Carstens, President & CEO of Landus and Conduit. “Erich and Tammy Wickman have built a tremendous operation that, like Landus, keeps the farmer in the center. We welcome both their team and customers from across Iowa and Kansas to Landus and look forward to building upon the great reputation of service Erich and Tammy established.”

Wickman Chemical, founded by Erich and Tammy Wickman in 1998, started from humble beginnings on a dirt floor machine shed and grew into one of the region’s prominent agricultural chemical suppliers. The company’s focus on building relationships with farmers and providing personalized service is what makes their operation unique. Their team consists of professionals with backgrounds in agronomy, sales, accounting, and technology, all dedicated to helping customers find the right chemicals for their farms.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and many years to build this company alongside my wife Tammy, and we knew we didn’t want to sell our life’s work to just any company,” said Erich Wickman, Founder and CEO of Wickman Chemical. “When we met Matt Carstens and the Landus team, we could see this was a company that shares our focus on making farmers more economically productive. They understand the importance of building relationships with and serving the unique needs of farmers, making Landus the best choice for our team and customers into the future.”

The purchase agreement will go into effect on October 1, 2024, with Erich Wickman remaining with the company as a Chemical Marketing Specialist, while Tammy Wickman will exit to focus on family and the farm. Wickman Chemical employees will remain in their roles to continue providing premium service to farmers, only now as Landus employees. The company will experience no major operational changes other than Wickman Chemical customers having access to all services provided by Landus.



Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Farmers to Expand Innovative Domestic Fertilizer Production

At the annual Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that USDA is partnering with American business owners to expand innovative domestic fertilizer production, creating jobs in rural communities and strengthening local economies. The Department is awarding $35 million for seven projects in seven states through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), which is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation. This program provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more. This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up.

“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make innovative investments that bolster rural communities and support farmers, ranchers and small business owners,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced today will increase domestic fertilizer production and strengthen our supply chain, while creating good-paying jobs to benefit all Americans.”

To date, USDA has invested $286.6 million in 64 projects across 32 states through FPEP. These projects have created 768 new jobs in communities across the country and will increase domestic fertilizer production by over 5.6 million tons.

These investments will boost domestic fertilizer production and lower costs for U.S. farmers. For example:
    Dramm Corp. in Wisconsin will use a $776,000 grant to increase their production capacity and expand their network of customers and farmers while reducing their carbon footprint and increasing employee safety. Using fish offal collected from commercial and sport fishermen, Dramm produces a liquid fish fertilizer suitable for organic and traditional farming while keeping millions of pounds of waste out of landfills and fresh waterways.
    In Virginia, AdvanSix, an ammonium sulfate producer, will expand a facility with an almost $12 million grant. The company currently provides 31,400 ag producers with ammonium sulfate on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Through this project, AdvanSix will expand their operational capacity by 195,000 tons per year, increasing total production to more than 36,000 producers.

USDA is also making awards to facilities in California, Iowa, New York, Oregon and Tennessee.

Iowa - Quality Flow Environmental LLC - $4,669,600
This Rural Development investment will be used to construct a new thermochemical manufacturing facility for production of a fertilizer product made from dairy waste. Located in Maquoketa, Iowa, Quality Flow Environmental LLC, a leader in water quality and treatment, utilizes waste generated from a contiguous dairy into a carbon product through a thermochemical process called torrefaction. The process yields a high quality, viable fertilizer product from animal waste feedstock. This facility is expected to generate 540,66 tons of solid carbon-ready product annually which will be made available to local producers in the region

President Biden and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors such as war in Ukraine and a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry. The Administration committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corporation for FPEP. Funding supports long-term investments that will strengthen supply chains, create new economic opportunities for American businesses, and support climate-smart innovation.

FPEP is part of a broader effort to help producers boost production and address global food insecurity. It is also one of many ways the Administration is promoting fair competition, innovation and resiliency across food and agriculture while combating the climate crisis.



IRFA Congratulates Verbio on Start of Commercial Ethanol Production in Iowa

Verbio’s Nevada, Iowa Biorefinery recently announced production has begun at its corn ethanol biorefinery. The 60-million-gallon corn ethanol plant utilizes assets acquired by Verbio when they bought the former DuPont location. Verbio has been producing renewable natural gas (RNG) from corn stover at the location since 2021.

“Verbio continues its unique innovations with combing digesters to produce RNG with more traditional ethanol production,” stated Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “It’s been amazing to watch them utilize every part of the preexisting facility while incorporating their novel RNG technology. Their Nevada location is truly a biorefinery adding value to every part of the corn plant.”

“The start of ethanol production, in addition to our RNG operations, is another important milestone for us,” said Greg Faith, Verbio Nevada plant President and General Manager. “At Verbio we see ourselves as innovators with a strong focus on our sustainable business model. Transitioning towards renewable and clean energy is essential to the economy. We are committed to contributing to this path by providing bioenergy for transportation fuels, as well as for industrial and commercial uses.”

Operating as a full biorefinery, Verbio combines both bioethanol and associated biomethane production from corn stillage, a by-product from ethanol production. The interaction of RNG and ethanol production incorporates advanced technology developed and successfully used for more than a decade at the company`s facilities in Germany.

To secure feedstock for RNG and ethanol production, Verbio collaborates with local growers in the region. By buying not only their ag residues, but as of now, also their corn, the company is able to provide Iowa growers with additional revenue streams for their businesses.

“Our goal is to bring added value to the region. The sustainable production cycle we use at Verbio allows us to sell back high-quality co-products from our production, such as humus, ammonia sulfate fertilizer, NPK fertilizer, and corn oil,” said Faith.

Verbio was the first RNG member of IRFA and sits on IRFA’s board of directors.



United States and Canadian Hog Inventory Up 1 Percent

United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2024 was 88.4 million head. This was up 1 percent from June 2023 and up 2 percent from June 2022. The breeding inventory, at 7.24 million head, was down 3 percent from a year ago, and down 3 percent from 2022. Market hog inventory, at 81.2 million head, was up 2 percent from last year and up 3 percent from 2022. The semi-annual pig crop, at 82.1 million head, was up 1 percent from 2023 and up 3 percent from 2022. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 7.06 million head, down 1 percent from last year and down 1 percent from 2022.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2024 was 74.5 million head. This was up 1 percent from June 1, 2023 and up slightly from March 1, 2024. The breeding inventory, at 6.01 million head, was down 3 percent from last year, and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 68.5 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, and up slightly from last quarter. The pig crop, at 34.0 million head, was up 2 percent from 2023 and up 4 percent from 2022. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.94 million head, up slightly from 2023 but down 1 percent from 2022.  

Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on July 1, 2024 was 14.0 million head. This was up 1 percent from July 1, 2023 and up 1 percent from July 1, 2022. The breeding inventory, at 1.23 million head, was down 1 percent from last year and down 1 percent from 2022. Market hog inventory, at 12.8 million head, was up 2 percent from last year and up 1 percent from 2022. The semi-annual pig crop, at 14.9 million head, was down 1 percent from 2023, but up slightly from 2022. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 1.24 million head, down 1 percent from last year and down slightly from 2022.

This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the total hogs, breeding, market hogs, sows farrowed, and pig crop for both countries within one publication. This information was requested by the United States hog industry to provide producers additional information about potential hog supplies. United States inventory numbers were previously released on June 27, 2024. Canadian inventory numbers were released on August 23, 2024.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/23/2024

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending August 23, ethanol production declined 2.5% to 1.07 million b/d, equivalent to 44.98 million gallons daily. Still, output was 6.4% more than the same week last year and 11.2% above the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate eased 0.9% to 1.08 million b/d, which is equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.56 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks were essentially unchanged from the prior week at 23.6 million barrels. Stocks were 9.1% more than the same week last year and 6.2% above the five-year average. Inventories built in the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) and West Coast (PADD 5) but decreased in other regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, strengthened 1.2% to 9.31 million b/d (143.07 bg annualized). Demand was 2.6% more than a year ago and 2.3% above the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rose 0.7% to 925,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.22 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.5% more than year-ago levels and 1.3% above the five-year average.

Ethanol exports increased to 145,000 b/d (6.1 million gallons/day), 77% more than the prior week. For the 49th consecutive week, no ethanol was imported.



Retail Fertilizer Prices Continue Slightly Lower

Retail fertilizer prices continue to be mostly lower, according to prices tracked by DTN for the third full week of August 2024. One fertilizer was slightly higher compared to a month ago. For the fifth week in a row, no fertilizer price showed a substantial move in either direction. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

Seven of the eight major fertilizers were slightly lower compared to last month. MAP had an average price of $816/ton, potash $493/ton, urea $492/ton, 10-34-0 $639/ton, anhydrous $668/ton, UAN28 $330/ton and UAN32 $373/ton. Potash dropped below the $500/ton level for the first time since the first week of July 2021 when the price was $491/ton. Meanwhile, urea was also sub-$500/ton for the first time since the fourth week of March 2021 when the price was $499/ton.

One fertilizer was slightly higher looking back to last month. DAP had an average price of $745/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.54/lb.N, anhydrous $0.41/lb.N, UAN28 $0.59/lb.N and UAN32 $0.58/lb.N.

All fertilizers but three are lower in price compared to one year ago. DAP is 1% higher and both MAP and anhydrous are 7% higher looking back to last year. The remaining five fertilizers are lower. Both UAN28 and UAN32 are 7% lower, 10-34-0 is 9% less expensive, potash is 12% lower and urea is 14% less expensive in price compared to a year prior.



New vaccine protects cattle from deadly tick-borne disease  

University of Missouri researchers are working to develop the first-ever vaccine proven to protect cattle from a devastating tick-borne cattle disease known as bovine anaplasmosis. The research is vital to the state’s economy as it aims to protect Missouri’s $1.6 billion cattle industry.

Bovine anaplasmosis infects the red blood cells of cattle and causes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses nationwide each year and nearly $1 billion in losses worldwide, primarily due to reduced cattle production, treatment costs and deaths.

Roman Ganta, a McKee endowed professor in Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a Bond Life Sciences Center researcher, led the study that created the new vaccine. The work involved genetically modifying the pathogen Anaplasma marginale — which causes bovine anaplasmosis — in a lab. By deleting a specific gene and then injecting the modified pathogen into cattle, the vaccinated cattle were successfully immunized against the disease.

“I often receive calls from cattle producers who are excited about our research and want to know how soon they can get the vaccine,” Ganta said. “There is currently no effective, widely available, vaccine for the disease, and cattle farmers are very worried about the disease harming or killing their cattle. We want to help farmers in Missouri and around the world and are working hard to come up with a viable solution.”



USDA Releases Updated Guideline to Strengthen Substantiation of Animal-Raising and Environment-Related Claims on Meat and Poultry Labels

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday the availability of an updated guideline that makes recommendations to strengthen the documentation that supports animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat or poultry product labeling. Today’s action builds on the significant work USDA has already undertaken to protect consumers from false and misleading labels and to implement President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American economy.

“USDA continues to deliver on its commitment to fairness and choice for both farmers and consumers, and that means supporting transparency and high-quality standards,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These updates will help to level the playing field for businesses who are truthfully using these claims and ensure people can trust the labels when they purchase meat and poultry products.”

Animal-raising claims, such as “Raised Without Antibiotics,” “Grass-Fed” and “Free-Range,” and environment-related claims, such as “Raised using Regenerative Agriculture Practices” and “Climate-Friendly,” are voluntary marketing claims that highlight certain aspects of how the source animals for meat and poultry products are raised or how the producer maintains or improves the land or otherwise implements environmentally sustainable practices. The documentation submitted by companies to support these claims is reviewed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the claims can only be included on the labels of meat and poultry products sold to consumers after they are approved by the agency.

FSIS last updated its guideline on these claims in 2019.

In the updated guideline, FSIS strongly encourages the use of third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising or environment-related claims. Third-party certification of animal-raising or environment-related claims helps ensure that such claims are truthful and not misleading by having an independent organization verify that their standards are being met on the farm for the raising of animals and for environmental stewardship. The revised guideline also emphasizes more robust documentation for environment-related and animal-raising claims.

Additionally, the updated guideline recommends that establishments using “negative” antibiotic claims (e.g., “Raised Without Antibiotics” or “No Antibiotics Ever”) implement routine sampling and testing programs to detect antibiotic use in animals prior to slaughter or obtain third-party certification that includes testing. The revisions were informed by sampling data, petitions, public comments to those petitions and feedback received from a wide range of stakeholders.

In light of concerns about negative antibiotic claims, FSIS announced last year that the agency would be conducting a study in partnership with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to assess the veracity of these claims. FSIS collected liver and kidney samples from 196 eligible cattle at 84 slaughter establishments in 34 states, and ARS analyzed the samples using a method that targeted more than 180 veterinary drugs including various major classes of antibiotics. The study found antibiotic residues in approximately 20% of samples tested from the “Raised Without Antibiotics” market.

The action FSIS is taking through the publishing of this guidance today addresses these concerning findings and makes clear that FSIS will take enforcement action against any establishments found to be making false or misleading negative antibiotic claims. Additionally, FSIS has informed the establishments with positive results from the ARS-FSIS study and advised them to conduct a root cause analysis and implement corrective actions. FSIS has also advised these establishments to determine how antibiotics were introduced into the animal and to take appropriate measures to ensure that future products are not misbranded. Further information on the study can be found in the Federal Register Notice announcing the availability of the updated guideline.

FSIS and ARS will be publishing a peer-reviewed paper with complete results from the study in the near future. The study findings underscore the need for more rigorous substantiation of such claims. These sampling results may lead to additional testing by the agency. FSIS has the authority to collect samples any time it believes a product is mislabeled with any claim covered by the guidance. Moreover, FSIS may consider future additional actions, including random sampling and rulemaking, to further strengthen the substantiation of animal-raising and environment-related claims.

USDA is committed to ongoing stakeholder engagement. For more information, please view the Federal Register notice. The updated guideline will be open for public comment for 60 days after publishing in the Federal Register.



Clean Fuels: CARB proposal will raise fuel prices, thwart decarbonization progress

A proposed cap on soy- and canola-based biodiesel and renewable diesel could raise prices of fuel and goods for California consumers and set back decarbonization efforts by years, said Clean Fuels Alliance America and the California Advanced Biofuels Alliance (CABA) in comments submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The recently proposed amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) would put a 20% cap on credits for vegetable-oil-based fuel, without sufficient scientific evidence to support such limitations.

In the comments, Clean Fuels Director of State Regulatory Affairs Cory-Ann Wind stated, “Substantially constraining the lowest cost feedstocks for these petroleum diesel replacements can raise the price of diesel fuel, increasing consumer prices of both the fuel and goods transported by trucking.”

Biodiesel and renewable diesel have displaced nearly 75% of all diesel sold in the state and are responsible for 45% of California’s progress under the LCFS so far. Capping the use of vegetable oils to power trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles will slow down California’s effort to decarbonize them.

Clean Fuels, CABA and other stakeholders are urging CARB to reconsider the proposed caps on vegetable oils in the LCFS in part because it will delay decarbonization and increase the cost to comply with California’s lofty greenhouse gas reduction goals. For every 5 years of delay, 13 times more emissions reductions will be required to have the same climate impact.

“Instead of penalizing fuels, CARB should be focusing on improving the robustness of the models and encouraging sustainable practices through targeted incentives that might provide a more effective balance between environmental protection, food security, and the promotion of renewable energy,” Wind said.



RFA Urges California to Adopt E15, Drop Unneeded LCFS Feedstock Tracking Requirements

The Renewable Fuels Association this week called on California to allow the lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol, as part of its efforts to enhance the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

“E15 is a critical near-term strategy for decarbonizing liquid fuels, which will continue to dominate transportation in California for years, if not decades, to come,” wrote RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman in comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). “From a consumer perspective, E15 offers a unique opportunity to lower the cost of gasoline while cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants.”

Richman cited a recent study indicating that E15 could shave 20 cents off the cost of a gallon of gasoline in California, which has the nation’s highest average fuel prices. This would equate to total statewide annual savings of $2.7 billion.

In the comments, submitted in response to modifications CARB proposed to California’s LCFS on August 12, RFA also pushed back on expanded feedstock tracking requirements as both unnecessary and overly burdensome.

These requirements were initially proposed primarily in response to the potential for rapid expansion of biomass-based diesel (BBD). However, Richman noted, in the changes to the proposed LCFS amendments issued on August 12, CARB “capped the generation of credits for BBD from ‘virgin soybean oil and canola oil’ at 20% of annual BBD volumes on a company-wide basis. Yet, CARB did not remove the sustainability requirements, even though they were intended to accomplish the same objective. Instead, CARB doubled down by making the requirements more onerous.”

RFA detailed the burdensome nature of these requirements, such as the need to maintain boundary coordinates of farms from which feedstocks are sourced, sign attestations about the specific land on which the feedstock was produced, and meet comprehensive chain-of-custody obligations. Instead, Richman wrote, “if California moves ahead with any feedstock certification program, there should be a provision to designate all U.S.-produced ethanol as already in compliance, so long as aggregate cropland area does not expand beyond a 2007 baseline. This would be consistent with the EPA’s approach under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.”



Clean Fuels Urges Treasury to Immediately Issue §45Z Guidance and Safe Harbors

Yesterday, Clean Fuels Alliance America sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging the agency to issue guidance, including safe harbors, to the §45Z Clean Fuels Production Credit by September 1. The new producer credit becomes available on January 1, 2025, as the existing blender credit expires. Clean Fuels’ letter emphasizes the difficulties that farmers, producers, and fuel marketers are facing in making the transition without guidance on the rules.

“We appreciate that Treasury understands the importance of having guidance for the section 45Z Clean Fuel Production credit well in advance of January 1, 2025, so farmers, producers and fuel customers have the certainty to continue to produce, sell, and use low-carbon biomass-based diesel,” Clean Fuels writes. “U.S. biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producers are facing difficulties finalizing feedstock contracts, securing capital flows, and meeting project deadlines without knowing the value of the credit. The need for policy certainty is urgent.”

Clean Fuels is requesting Treasury issue safe harbor provisions allowing taxpayers to rely on existing carbon life-cycle assessments – from the most recent R&D GREET model, or the federal RFS, or California’s LCFS – to calculate the §45Z credit until a final rule is in effect. Clean Fuels also asks for clarity on multiple issues, including climate smart ag practices and clean fuels used in home heating.

Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels Vice President of Federal Affairs, added, “Farmers, fuel producers, and marketers need to know the new tax policy rules now to successfully navigate the transition at the start of the year. The industry must negotiate feedstock contracts and fuel offtake agreements at least a quarter year in advance. By September, the entire industry could come to a standstill without the ability to reliably calculate the tax credit value. Ongoing delays could undermine production of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, sacrificing jobs, economic opportunities for farmers, and near-term carbon reductions.”