Tuesday January 21 Ag News

 Decades of Ingenuity: Growth and Progress over 60 Years

Back in December the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced the winners of the 2024 Yield Contest. Participants delivered outstanding yields, once again showcasing the ingenuity and resilience that define U.S. agriculture.

In its 60th year, the Yield Contest saw nearly 7,800 entries from farmers in 45 states. Entrants across the 10 production categories had verified yields averaging 284 bushels per acre. The highest yield for the year came out of Charles City, Virginia – 490.6276 bushels per acre in Class H (strip-till irrigated) for David Hula.

Local Winners - Nebraska
A: Conventional Non-Irrigated
1. Michael G. Heldt, Yutan - DEKALB DKC68-35RIB - 304.8463 bu/acre
2. Kevin Steffensmeier, Howells - DEKALB DKC62-89RIB - 292.0156 bu/acre

C: No-Till Non-Irrigated
1. Jeff Baker, Pender - DEKALB DKC63-91RIB - 308.2341 bu/acre
2. Zach Wacker,  Wayne - DEKALB DKC59-82RIB - 294.9491 bu/acre

Other winners from Nebraska were from Amherst, Brock, Plattsmouth, Hiawatha, Sterling, Kearney, Waco, Ord, Dorchester, Cairo, and Bertrand. Full yield results can be seen here: https://www.ncga.com/get-involved/national-corn-yield-contest.

Looking back to its modest beginnings in 1965, NCGA’s Yield Contest launched with just 20 entries across four states--Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. The winning corn yield that inaugural year was 218.9 bushels per acre. By 1968, the Yield Contest grew to 412 entries spanning 34 states. Growth and progress continued to follow. Contest winners produced an average 246.69 bushels per acre in 1987 with more than 2,500 growers from 45 states.

"The Yield Contest continues to set the standard across the ag industry,” said Illinois grower and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman, Jr. “This contest not only challenges farmers to showcase their expertise and innovation in growing successful corn crops, but it also generates invaluable agronomic data that drives continuous improvement and future success across agriculture."

The 27 national, 535 state and 3 Class J winners will be honored by NCGA at Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, March 2 – March 4, 2025.  



FY25 Act Now for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced it will be utilizing the Act Now authority, which offers additional flexibilities for eligible Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applicants interested in applying certain Climate-smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) activities on their cropland or grasslands. The eligible activities for Act Now include most non-ground disturbing activities such as seeding of cover crops, conservation cover, forage and biomass plantings, and filter strips. Nutrient management, conversion from irrigation to dryland, and no-till planting are also included. Prescribed grazing and herbaceous weed control is included on grasslands.

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to address natural resource concerns and to deliver environmental benefits, such as improved water and air quality, conserve ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved soil health and plant condition, and improved or created wildlife habitat.

Through Act Now, NRCS Nebraska can now pre-approve applications when they meet or exceed the pre-determined minimum ranking score and meet the planning requirements as defined within each project. This allows producers to start conservation projects earlier instead of waiting long periods to know if a project will be funded.

“Under the Act Now authority, eligible applicants receive automatic approval to proceed in the process, eliminating the need to wait for all applications to be ranked and preapproved within a given timeframe,” said NRCS Nebraska State Conservationist, Robert Lawson, adding that this authority allows for applications to have a much shorter turnaround time, with contracts developed in just a few weeks.

Producers do not apply separately for Act Now and will be considered for priority funding when applying for an eligible practice. Program applications are accepted on a continuous basis; however, to be considered during the Fiscal Year 2025 Act Now funding cycle applications must be submitted by May 16, 2025. NRCS Nebraska will begin funding eligible applications in January and continue making funding decisions regularly as funds are available.

Applications are ranked and scored according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide, and the needs of applicants. When the available funding limit through Act Now has been reached, remaining applications will be rolled over to the next funding cycle.

For more information, potential applicants with eligible land(s) and producers with applications currently on file are encouraged to “act now” by contacting your local USDA Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center.

For more information on EQIP or other NRCS programs, please visit the NRCS Nebraska website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/ne.



Foreign Footprints: Trends in U.S. Agricultural Land Ownership
Daniel Munch, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation

Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, which includes timberland, remains a widely debated and often controversial topic, fueled by concerns about the implications of foreign investments — especially those from nations viewed as adversarial to the U.S. Since our previous analysis, Foreign Investment in U.S. Ag Land – The Latest Numbers, two additional years of data — 2022 and 2023 — have become available.

This article updates the trends in foreign ownership, revealing a 1.58-million-acre increase in foreign-held agricultural land between 2022 and 2023, driven primarily by investments linked to renewable energy projects. At the same time, the data shows a decrease in acreage owned by Chinese-based entities, reflecting shifting patterns in foreign land acquisition.

Summary of Data
According to USDA’s latest AFIDA report, 45.85 million acres of U.S. agricultural land were held by foreign investors in 2023, which represents 3.61% of total privately held agricultural land in the United States. This marks a 1.58-million-acre (3.6%) increase from 2022 and a 5-million-acre (12.2%) rise since our prior analysis based on 2021 data. Canadian investors own the largest portion of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land with 33.5% (15.35 million acres) of the total and 1.21% of all U.S. agricultural land. Following Canada, investors from the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany own 0.41% (5.2 million acres), 0.22% (2.7 million acres), 0.11% (2.6 million acres) and 0.20% (2.5 million acres) of U.S. agricultural land, respectively.

Since 2010, reported foreign-held agricultural land in the U.S. has grown by 21 million acres — an 85% increase — averaging an annual gain of 1.62 million acres. This expansion, equivalent to an area larger than the state of South Carolina, has raised foreign ownership from 2% to 3.6% of all privately held agricultural land in the country. In 2023, 48% (21.9 million acres) of reported foreign-held agricultural land was forestland, 29% (13.2 million acres) was cropland, 17% (7.7 million acres) was pastureland and 6% (2.9 million acres) was other agricultural land and non-ag land, which accounts for factors like owner or worker housing and rural roads. Over the past five years (between 2018 and 2023), foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land have seen growth across all categories: a 101% increase in cropland, 28% in forestland, 15% in pastureland and 38% in other agricultural land. This reveals heightened interest by foreign investors in cropland as opposed to other land categories.

By state, Texas has the largest quantity of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land at 5.7 million acres making up 3.6% of the state’s 158 million acres of privately held agricultural land. Maine has the second-largest quantity of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land at 3.5 million acres but leads for highest proportion of foreign-held ag acreage with over 21% of the state’s 16.5 million acres of ag land being held by foreign investors. In both Texas and Maine, foreign ownership is primarily driven by forest products and timber companies. Hawai’i also has a significant share of foreign-owned agricultural land, with 17% (283,000 of its 1.6 million agricultural acres) largely tied to renewable energy investments.

By State - Acres owned by foreign investor
Nebraska - 49,348 more acres in 2023 vs. 2022
Iowa - 703 fewer acres in 2023 vs. 2022

Read more here, including thoughts on why foreign investors find it attractive to purchase U.S. land and some of the security concerns... https://www.fb.org/market-intel/foreign-footprints-trends-in-u-s-agricultural-land-ownership.  

Conclusion
Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land continues to be a complex and closely watched issue. The latest AFIDA data highlights an increase in foreign-held acreage, driven largely by renewable energy investments from European entities, while also reflecting declines in ownership by investors from nations like China, Iran and Russia. The data reaffirms the majority of land is owned by investors from nations considered friendly to the U.S., though previously discussed data reporting limitations prevent us from accessing a precise breakdown.

These trends underscore the importance of robust oversight mechanisms, such as AFIDA and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., in maintaining transparency and safeguarding national interests. As foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land continues to grow and diversify, improving analysis and enforcement will remain critical to ensuring both economic and security considerations are effectively addressed.



IFBF announces Rural Veterinarian Loan Incentive Repayment Program

To help address a critical shortage of rural veterinarians identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) has established a Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program to attract and retain veterinarians in rural Iowa.   

The Iowa Farm Bureau Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program will award four individuals who practice, or will practice, veterinary medicine in Iowa up to $25,000 in loan repayment incentives.  IFBF will begin accepting applications in March 2025.  

In 2020, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law to create the Rural Iowa Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program to address the critical veterinarian shortages in rural Iowa communities.  IFBF was one of several partners who led the push for the legislation.  Since its inception, the state’s loan repayment program has been met with enthusiasm and a growing number of applications.   However, with intensified veterinary shortages and the strong demand for existing veterinarian loan repayment programs, additional support and stability for Iowa farmers are necessary.  

“Veterinarians are valuable partners for Iowa’s livestock farmers who prioritize the health and wellbeing of their animals,” says Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson.   “IFBF’s establishment of the Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program will assist in addressing the veterinarian shortages in Iowa and guaranteeing future funding incentives, while also advancing the mission of Iowa Farm Bureau to support farm families and rural communities.”  

Due to specific veterinarian shortages identified in Iowa by USDA, and to best align with IFBF’s charitable giving priorities, preference would be given to applicants who are: in their final year of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program; large animal veterinarians and/or those in a shortage area as identified by the UDSA; graduates from an Iowa high school, technical school, college, university and/or institution; and individuals with demonstrated leadership skills, community involvement and/or a commitment to rural Iowa.  

To learn more about IFBF’s Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program or to apply, visit Iowa Farm Bureau Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Incentive Program https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Member-Benefits/Iowa-Farm-Bureau-Rural-Veterinarian-Loan-Repayment-Incentive-Program.



Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding Presidential Inauguration

“Nebraska’s farm and ranch families congratulate President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their families on this historic Inauguration Day. We also want to thank Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer for her service on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and representing our great state. The challenges our nation faces may be great, but Nebraska Farm Bureau and our over 56,000 member families stand ready to work with the new administration on policies to better the economic future of our state, nation, and its citizens. Today, let us all celebrate the most American of traditions, the peaceful transfer of power, but tomorrow, let’s get to work!”



NCGA Congratulates President Trump

President Donald J. Trump was sworn into office today as the 47th president of the United States. In response, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Kenneth Hartman Jr. released the following statement:

“I want to congratulate President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on their inauguration. We know the new president is a staunch ally of the American farmer and second to none when it comes to his negotiation acumen. We look forward to working with him to advance issues of importance to the nation’s corn growers.”



Growth Energy Welcomes Executive Order Urging EPA Action on E15

Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, issued the following statement today in response to President Trump’s Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency, which, in Section 2(b), orders the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “consider issuing emergency fuel waivers to allow the year-round sale of E15 gasoline to meet any projected temporary shortfalls in the supply of gasoline across the Nation.”

“President Trump is already taking steps to make E15 available year-round,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Put simply, E15 saves consumers money, drives investment in America’s rural communities, and decreases our dependence on foreign energy resources. We’re glad to see that homegrown biofuels are a part of President Trump’s efforts to unleash American energy dominance, and we urge Congress to follow the President’s lead by swiftly approving legislation to permanently allow the year-round, nationwide sale of E15. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration to make this more-affordable fuel option available to all Americans."



NMPF Congratulates President Trump, Agricultural Leadership as Government Takes Shape

The National Milk Producers Federation congratulates President Donald Trump and the leaders of the new Congress and administration and is ready and eager to work on a wide range of challenging issues as the new government takes shape.

“Congratulations to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as a new administration begins,” said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud. “As the nation’s representative of dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own, we will work with our nation’s leaders on the Trump-Vance team and in Congress to help America prosper and for its world-leading dairy industry to grow and thrive.”

Doud also congratulated the agriculture leaders of the recently sworn-in 119th Congress. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA, continues as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, while Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman takes over the Senate’s farm panel. Both committee ranking Democrats, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Angie Craig, come from Minnesota.

“U.S. agriculture is blessed with strong, bipartisan leadership on its agricultural committees,” Doud said. “We are grateful for GT Thompson’s leadership on whole milk legislation and his successful advocacy on the “higher of,” as well drafting an overall strong farm bill that met dairy needs and his work on the Dairy Margin Coverage Program,” Doud said. “Meanwhile, Rep. Craig has been a strong supporter on many dairy issues, an active voice on agricultural trade, and a co-leader on bipartisan feed legislation to support innovation in dairy.

“In the Senate, Sen. Boozman also released a strong farm bill framework that included numerous key dairy items, and we are grateful for his advocacy on agricultural tax issues among other dairy priorities,” Doud said. “And Sen. Klobuchar as the new ranking member has been a tireless champion of dairy through her work on Dairy Margin Coverage, her sponsorship of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, her attention to Canada trade issues, and her support for whole milk.

Doud also called for swift confirmation of Brooke Rollins to become the next Agriculture Secretary, and noted the many key issues that await her, the administration and the new Congress over the next few months. Just a few of them include:’
    Passing a five-year farm bill
    Meeting agricultural workforce needs
    Creating new trade opportunities
    Bringing whole milk into school lunches
    Building an FDA that enforces its own standards of identity
    Ensuring a fair tax system that allows dairy producers and cooperatives to thrive.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our government’s leadership as 2025 begins,” Doud said.



Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative Congratulates President Donald J. Trump on Inauguration

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, the nation’s third-largest milk cooperative by volume, congratulates President Donald J. Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.

The dairy industry plays a vital role in the strength of America’s economy and the well-being of its citizens. As an organization representing dairy farmers and their partners across the country, Edge looks forward to collaborating with the Trump administration to implement policies that will strengthen and sustain the U.S. dairy industry.

“We extend our congratulations to President Trump on this historic day and are eager to work with his administration to address critical issues facing our dairy farmers,” said Tim Trotter, Edge CEO. “From ensuring access to fair trade markets to addressing workforce challenges and fostering innovation, we are optimistic that the new administration will prioritize policies that allow America’s dairy farmers to thrive.”

Edge remains committed to advocating for forward-thinking solutions that enhance the livelihoods of its members while supporting the broader agricultural community.

Edge looks forward to engaging with the administration on key priorities, including:

Rural Workforce for Rural Prosperity
The dairy industry faces significant labor shortages, particularly in rural areas, making workforce accessibility and reliability a top policy priority.

Trade and Supply Chain
The Upper Midwest is a powerhouse for cheese production. Ensuring opportunities for dairy through existing, expanding or emerging markets is essential to healthy growth.

Climate and Environmental Sustainability
Clean water and resilient farms can go hand-in-hand. Edge stands with our farmers in their commitment to seek effective and financially viable ways to protect and improve the environment, water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Farm Bill Priorities
Federal dairy programs can greatly affect our farmers’ ability to earn a living. Farmers want to utilize the tools our government provides for success, but it is important these programs are judicious with our farmers’ and the nation’s resources.

As we welcome this new administration, Edge remains steadfast in its commitment to representing the voices of dairy farmers across the nation and working collaboratively to shape a prosperous future for agriculture.



MetaFarms Announces Groundbreaking Integration of Sow Platform and SwineTech’s PigFlow

MetaFarms announces the successful integration of its industry-leading Sow platform with SwineTech’s PigFlow, a point-of-care-platform for pigs. This collaboration addresses a key challenge in the swine industry by creating a seamless flow of information, unifying systems, and improving efficiency for everyone involved.

“Our customers have been looking for a more integrated solution to manage their sow farm data,” said Brian Parker, MetaFarms chief operating officer and ag platform president. “The frustration of dealing with dual data entry and disconnected systems has been a common challenge. By partnering with SwineTech, we’re providing pork producers with a seamless solution that simplifies their operations, saves time, and enhances the way they manage their farms.”

The integration seamlessly connects PigFlow’s point of care and workflow management capabilities with MetaFarms’ powerful reporting and analytics. With PigFlow’s seamless integration into MetaFarms, barn teams now have the tools to turn insights into action—streamlining workflows, improving task accuracy, and ensuring every pig receives the care it needs. This data is then seamlessly transferred to the MetaFarms platform, providing a comprehensive and real-time view of sow performance and farm operations.

"MetaFarms is renowned for its expertise in records and data management systems, while SwineTech's PigFlow stands out as a premier point-of-care solution for farm teams," said Matthew Rooda, co-founder and CEO of SwineTech.

The MetaFarms/SwineTech partnership, driven by customer demand, is the first of its kind.

“This integration is a significant milestone for the swine industry,” Parker continued. “It demonstrates our commitment to customer success by addressing their pain points and providing a more efficient and effective solution for managing their sow farms.”

This collaboration highlights MetaFarms’ focus on customer needs and its commitment to continuous innovation. By integrating with best-in-class partners like SwineTech, MetaFarms is creating a more connected and efficient ecosystem for swine producers.



Smithfield Foods Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

Smithfield Foods, Inc., an American food company and an industry leader in value-added packaged meats and fresh pork, today announced that the Company has commenced the roadshow for an underwritten initial public offering of 34,800,000 shares of its common stock. The initial public offering price is expected to be between $23.00 and $27.00 per share. The offering consists of 17,400,000 shares of common stock to be sold by the Company and 17,400,000 shares of common stock to be sold by the Company’s existing shareholder identified in the registration statement. In addition, the underwriters of the offering will be granted a 30-day option to purchase from the selling shareholder up to 5,220,000 additional shares of the Company’s common stock at the initial offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling shareholder.

The Company has applied to list its shares of common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “SFD.”

Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. Barclays and Citigroup are acting as joint book-running managers. BNP PARIBAS, HSBC, Rabo Securities and BTIG are also acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering.

The proposed offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus related to this offering, when available, may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; BofA Securities, NC1-022-02-25, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC, 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone: 1-866-471-2526 or by email at Prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.