Friday May 30 Ag News

 Rep. Flood Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Supporting Ag Research

Recently, U.S. Congressman Flood led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, emphasizing the importance of agricultural research at land-grant universities across the country. He was joined by three Senators and 26 Representatives.

“Agriculture research is one of my top priorities. It’s critical that we continue to invest in the next generation of leaders to continue feeding and fueling a growing world. Agriculture research not only bolsters our nation’s farmers and ranchers, but also provides for food and national security,” said Congressman Flood.

“Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that public investment in agricultural research has resulted in annual rates of return between 20 and 50 percent,” the letter reads. “These are real economic benefits felt on the farm and across communities large and small. Research, education, and Extension activities through NIFA’s Capacity programs… are crucial to the long-term success of American farmers, ranchers, and foresters.”

Congressman Flood is a member of the Agriculture Research Caucus and serves as Chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.



Nebraska Soybean Board Engages Fire Departments on Soy-Based Firefighting Foam at Nebraska State Fire School

The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) participated in the Nebraska State Fire School expo in Grand Island earlier this month, collaborating with Cross Plains Solutions to inform fire departments about SoyFoam™ TF 1122, a soy-based firefighting foam. NSB distributed 15 sample pails at the expo to fire departments statewide and plans to provide additional samples to more departments later this year.

SoyFoam™ TF 1122 is designed to suppress fires effectively while prioritizing firefighter safety. It is 100% free of intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and fluorinated chemicals, which are commonly found in traditional firefighting foams. Made from soy meal and flour, byproducts of the soybean crush process, the foam is certified as 84% biobased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture BioPreferred® program and is also certified ready biodegradable.

“With support from NSB, we had the chance to engage firefighters across Nebraska and explain how soybeans can help put out fires while keeping first responders and our communities safe,” said Dave Garlie, chief technology officer for Cross Plains Solutions. “We are working to replace firefighting foams that contain PFAS, known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not biodegrade and accumulate in the environment, causing health issues like low birth weights, liver disease and cancer. First responders face a 72% higher risk of cancer than the general population due to chemicals like PFAS in their work environment.”

The foam operates as a wetting and smothering agent, capable of extinguishing both Class A (ordinary combustibles) and Class B (flammable liquids) fires. It works with existing firefighting equipment and requires no changes to standard procedures or additional training. The foam has demonstrated vapor suppression on various fuels and meets the National Fire Protection Association’s standard for wetting agents (NFPA 18). SoyFoam is also the only GreenScreen Certified GOLD™ firefighting foam in the world.

“It’s really great to see the results of the research behind this soy-based firefighting foam,” said Greg Greving, a United Soybean Board farmer-leader from Chapman, Nebraska. “Not only is it safe and environmentally friendly, but it is also renewable and sustainable. It doesn’t get any better than that. It was encouraging to see so much interest in the foam, especially knowing that 90 percent of Nebraska’s fire departments are volunteer-based and often include farmers. It was a powerful way to show how soybean checkoff dollars are being invested back into rural communities.”

For more information about SoyFoam™ TF 1122, visit crossplainssolutions.com/soyfoam-info.



SMALL GRAIN FORAGE HARVEST
- Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

As we work our way through spring, many small grains are maturing fast and nearing harvest windows. Are you ready to make the most out of these forage options?

Producers seeking hay should consider the animal being fed and feeding method before harvesting.  For young growing cattle, small grain hay should be cut in the boot stage or as soon as possible following heading to ensure higher protein and energy content. Mature cow and feedlot managers may consider delaying their forage harvest until the hard dough development stage to increase forage quantity; since these cattle can utilize lower quality forage than younger beef animals. Small grains with awns like rye, triticale, and wheat can be a concern at later maturities.  Grinding the hay, feeding in ration with additional moisture, or using an awnless (beardless) variety can reduce this risk.

No matter how you harvest, delaying can mean higher productivity. Nebraska studies have shown an 8 ton as harvested feed per acre increase between harvest at boot stage and soft dough on irrigated fields. The trade-off for delaying forage harvest was an 8% drop in crude protein content.

Another concern for silage harvesters is proper moisture when packing.  A statewide study looking at 17 Nebraska producers found the biggest loss of small grain silage quality was packing too wet despite almost all producers having wilted the crop before packing. Silage packed too wet had almost 3 times the energy loss that those packed at proper moisture content Shoot for 70-72% moisture for proper packing. Study survey data showed producers who harvested at boot, heading, or pollination stage and wilted for 16 to 24 hours appeared more likely to achieve target moisture levels.  




Free Financial, Legal Consultations for Nebraska Producers in June

Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform.

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in June. The clinics are one-on-one in-person meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Dates
    Wednesday, June 4 — Norfolk
    Wednesday, June 4 — Fairbury
    Friday, June 27 — Norfolk

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



Forage Webinar Series Continues June 18

The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association Forage Webinar Series continues on June 18 from 7 to 8:30 pm with a variety of forage topics including a spring forage outlook, a forage market outlook and a discussion on Safety when using round bales.

Presenters include.
Amber Friedrichsen editor of Hay & Forage Grower will give an overview of alfalfa growing conditions, harvest conditions, and forage test results so far this year.

Friedrichsen grew up on a farm in eastern Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University in 2023 with degrees in agricultural communications and agronomy. While in college, Friedrichsen served as the editorial intern for Hay & Forage Grower for two summers and was an associate editor before assuming her current position.

Fred Hall, Northwest Iowa Extension dairy specialist will share his insights on where the hay market is headed including exports, prices, profit margins, hay stocks and predicted usage.

Phil Kaatz is a Michigan State University Extension Forage and Field Crops educator and his presentation will be centered on farm safety when working with round balers. Safety is always appropriate for anyone that uses or is around a baler. He will tie the cost of a used baler replacement into the societal cost of a farm accident.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at: https://go.iastate.edu/JUNE182025FORAGE.

 For more information contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Sara Bauder, 605-995-7378; or in Nebraska Ben Beckman, 402-254-6821.



Iowa Leaders Celebrate New B99 High-Blend Biodiesel Pump for Fleets

Thursday, Pilot Travel Centers LLC, PepsiCo, and Optimus Technologies held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of a new B99 biodiesel pump at Pilot's Urbandale travel center. Optimus Technologies has developed a fuel system to run on B99 versus standard #2 diesel to help large transportation companies, such as PepsiCo, meet their low-carbon goals. PepsiCo has converted roughly 20 semi-trucks to the new engine technology from Optimus and plans to use the Urbandale Pilot Truck location to refuel the fleet. B99 is a blend of 99 percent biodiesel and 1 percent diesel.

“The launch of this B99 pump is a major step forward in making cleaner fuels a reality for commercial fleets,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Marketing Director Lisa Coffelt. “This project supports Iowa's farmers, strengthens our biofuels industry, and helps companies take meaningful steps toward their sustainability goals.”

The Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Biodiesel Board also contributed to the project. This location will be the first above-ground B99 installation in the United States. This effort showcases the practical, scalable adoption of high-blend biodiesel in real-world fleet operations. With Iowa leading the way as the first state to implement an incentive for B30 and higher blends, the launch of this pump demonstrates bold progress in renewable fuels and a model for other states to follow.



Secretary Naig Announces 33 Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Grants for Schools

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced 33 schools or school districts have received grants to participate in the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Program for Schools. The one-year pilot program connects Iowa schools with Choose Iowa members to encourage school food service programs to purchase and serve more ingredients and products sourced from local farmers and small businesses.

The pilot program was authorized during the 2024 legislative session and is an initiative of Choose Iowa, the state’s branding and marketing program that identifies and promotes Iowa grown, made, and raised food, beverages and ag products.

“This Choose Iowa pilot program is yet another way we’re connecting Iowa farmers and small businesses with schools to provide fresh, local, and nutritious food to our students. This one-year pilot program saw strong demand from interested schools that far exceeded the available program budget,” said Secretary Naig. “As Choose Iowa continues to expand, we will work to open even more opportunities to connect local producers and school food programs. Choose Iowa’s membership is growing quickly and is already demonstrating how it can be a powerful tool for strengthening and growing our rural communities.”

The school pilot program has a total budget of $70,000, and each school was eligible to apply for up to $1,000 per school building. Both public and private schools were encouraged to apply. Selected schools are required to provide a minimum one-to-one (1:1) financial match. For example, a school receiving $1,000 must provide at least $1,000 from other sources for a total of $2,000 spent on local foods through the pilot program. Choose Iowa received applications from 61 schools or school districts totaling $158,249, an overall request far exceeding available funding.

The following schools are a sample of those received grants:
Harrison: Missouri Valley Community School District
Ida: OABCIG Community School District
Plymouth: Hinton Community School District
Pottawattamie: Council Bluffs Community School District
Woodbury: Westwood Community School District

Eligible products that can be purchased include meat and poultry, dairy products (other than milk), eggs, honey and produce. Funding for milk is available through a different federal program. To be eligible for funding through the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program, schools must purchase food from a Choose Iowa member. If selected schools wish to purchase from specific Iowa farmers, they should encourage those farmers or businesses to apply to become a Choose Iowa member. Food hubs that are Choose Iowa members are also eligible for food purchases within the program. Products purchased through food hubs must come from Iowa producers.

Additional details on the school pilot program can be found on the Choose Iowa website. The school program accompanies the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Choose Iowa’s Food Purchasing Pilot Program for Food Banks, which launched last summer to connect food banks with Choose Iowa members to help alleviate hunger within our communities.



Urea Leads Major Fertilizer Prices Higher

Average retail prices for three fertilizers again led prices for seven of the major fertilizers higher for the third week of May, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. Average retail prices for seven of the eight major fertilizers were higher compared to last month. Prices for three of those were significantly higher, which DTN designates as anything 5% or more.

Leading the way higher again for prices was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer was up 13% from last month with an average price of $652 per ton. Both UAN28 and UAN32 were more expensive compared to last month, with UAN28 by 9%, while UAN32 was by 10%. UAN28 had an average price of $414/ton while UAN32 is $494/ton.

Four fertilizers had slightly higher prices. DAP had an average price of $798/ton, MAP $827/ton, potash $470/ton and 10-34-0 $666/ton.

One fertilizer was slightly lower compared to the prior month. Anhydrous had an average price of $779/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.71/lb.N, anhydrous $0.48/lb.N, UAN28 $0.74/lb.N and UAN32 $0.77/lb.N.

Five fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier: DAP by 2%, 10-34-0 by 4%, UAN28 by 15% and urea and UAN32 by 18%. The remaining three fertilizers are lower. MAP and anhydrous are both 1% less expensive while potash is 8% lower compared to last year.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 5/23/2025

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending May 23, ethanol production expanded 1.9% to an 8-week high of 1.06 million b/d, equivalent to 44.35 million gallons daily. Output was 1.1% lower than the same week last year but 0.8% above the three-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate increased 0.3% to 1.03 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.77 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks dipped 2.7% to 24.3 million barrels, the lowest weekly volume this year. Yet, stocks were 4.6% more than the same week last year and 6.3% above the three-year average. Inventories thinned across all regions except the Midwest (PADD 2).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, accelerated by 9.3% to a 33-week high of 9.45 million b/d (145.30 bg annualized). Demand was 3.3% more than a year ago and 4.2% above the three-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol climbed 2.2% to 939,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.43 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.2% more than year-ago levels and 1.1% above the three-year average.

Ethanol exports decreased 29.8% to an estimated 66,000 b/d (2.8 million gallons/day). It has been more than a year since EIA indicated ethanol was imported.



USDA to Provide $1 Billion to Livestock Producers Impacted by Drought or Wildfire in 2023 and 2024

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the release of Congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events in 2023 and/or 2024. Secretary Rollins committed on May 7 to release these emergency payments by May 30, and today she is delivering on that commitment ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief. Emergency relief payments are automatically issued for producers who have an approved LFP application on file for 2023 and/or 2024, and do not have to contact USDA to receive payments.

“The Department of Agriculture is stepping up to support livestock producers by expediting disaster payments when drought and wildfires strike. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has the backs of ranchers, and that’s why we are delivering much-needed emergency relief ahead of schedule,” said Secretary Rollins.

The American Relief Act, 2025, provided funds for emergency relief payments. This program is the first of two programs authorized to assist with eligible losses suffered by livestock producers. FSA will announce additional ELRP assistance for other losses authorized by the Act, including flooding, later this summer. FSA expects demand for this first program to be great so the ELRP payments will be factored at 35%. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.

Supplemental Disaster Assistance Timeline
USDA is fully committed to expediting remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act, 2025. On May 7, we launched our 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant rollout timeline can be tracked. The page is updated regularly and accessible through fsa.usda.gov.

The Act also authorized $10 billion in economic loss assistance to producers of covered commodities based on 2024 planted and prevented planted acres. To date, USDA has delivered more than $7.7 billion to producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP). The ECAP deadline is Aug. 15, 2025. Contact your local FSA county office for information.



Cattlemen Thank USDA for Prioritizing Disaster Recovery

Thursday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) thanked Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins following an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the agency would quickly be sending Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to cattle producers who suffered losses from drought and wildfire.

“Cattlemen and cattlewomen across the country have faced heartbreaking losses from drought and wildfires. We are so grateful that Secretary Rollins understands the devastation caused by these natural disasters and is working to make cattle producers whole again,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman. “We appreciate USDA standing with farmers and ranchers, and being invested in their success.”
 
The ELRP payments will be delivered to impacted cattle producers without requiring a separate application. Instead, data already on file with USDA will be used to identify which producers are eligible for payments. This removes bureaucratic red tape and ensures payments are issued quickly. Questions regarding eligibility should be directed to your local Farm Service Agency office.



New pork campaign and market conditions poised to revive domestic demand

The U.S. pork industry is charting a new course to engage with American consumers and boost domestic demand as trade policy and global market dynamics threaten the pace of export sales. Pork producers have relied heavily on global demand in recent years. Nearly one-quarter of all U.S. pork was sold to international buyers in 2024. Continued success in the export market hangs in the balance as China trims imports of U.S. goods and trade conflicts curb global sales among other key buyers.

While global pork consumption has edged upward, U.S. per capita consumption has been flat for more than 50 years at 50 lbs. on average, according to the USDA. That trails annual beef and chicken consumption, which exceeds 60 lbs. and 100 lbs., respectively. The pork industry is aiming to gain ground with a new consumer marketing program, “Taste What Pork Can Do.” Focusing on flavor and featuring a wide variety of recipes and convenient cooking techniques, the campaign encourages U.S. consumers to reimagine the possibilities of pork for at-home meals.

According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the campaign represents the beginning of what could be a “new pork” on U.S. consumers’ plates. The next opportunity could be reevaluating hog genetics in an effort to match the campaign’s emphasis on flavor. Taste continues to be one of the top drivers influencing consumer meat purchases, as evidenced by sales of the most popular pork product, bacon.

“If the U.S. consumer is to truly reimagine pork, some fairly significant changes may be required over time,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist with CoBank. “Recalibrating the genetic hog makeup and showcasing different cuts at retail and through food service could be in order. Utilizing pork in a new way could help find the pork equivalent of a beef T-bone or rib-eye for a richly flavored, premium-priced offering.”

The industry’s consolidation era twenty years ago sent the U.S. hog sector down a path of value, efficiency and appeasing comparisons to “other categories” of meat. The lean hog formulation adopted by the broad bulk of U.S. producers has largely influenced the pork U.S. consumers see today. However, consumers’ views regarding fat content have evolved and health concerns about fat have subsided. A refreshed approach to hog genetics that focuses on fat content, flavor and consumer preferences over production efficiencies may be necessary to meaningfully grow domestic demand.

Bacon has been the most popular pork item in the U.S. for the last 10 years, with strong demand supporting higher pricing. Sausage-type items and pizza toppings like pepperoni have also gained strong consumer demand. Values for pork trim used in sausage making have climbed accordingly. Historically, averaging less than $40 per cwt., pork trim for sausage surged to more than $80 per cwt. for the first time in 2022.

Unlike chicken breasts and beef burgers, U.S. consumers frequently find it difficult to cook “the perfect pork chop.” While pork loins and hams offer exceptional value, they lack the benefit of convenience compared to smaller pork cuts. New pork product variations that offer both convenience and enhanced flavor may be key to helping consumers reimagine pork.

Despite the challenges associated with broadening pork’s appeal with domestic consumers, Earnest said the industry is in a strong position. “With supplies ample and wallets tight, pork has never been in a better position to grow its market share with U.S. consumers. Pork is on a new path and it’s an exciting time for the industry.”