NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending June 9, 2013, drier conditions allowed producers time to accomplish fieldwork ranging from planting to bailing hay and applying chemicals, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Soybean planting is nearly complete while dry bean, proso millet, and sunflower seeding were active in the west. The first fields of wheat are turning color with southern counties expecting to begin harvest the first week of July. Temperatures ranged from 2 to 8 degrees below normal across the state with portions of eastern and central Nebraska receiving up to an inch of rain. Statewide, producers had 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 21 short, 69 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 23 percent very short, 35 short, 41 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 23 fair, 65 good, 10 excellent. The crop was 91 percent emerged, behind last year’s 100 and 97 average.
Soybean conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 23 fair, 67 good, 8 excellent. Soybeans were 94 percent planted, behind last year’s 100 and same as 94 average. Emerged was 71 percent, well behind last year’s 96 and 81 average.
Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 32 fair, 49 good, 12 excellent. Sorghum planted was 84 percent, behind 92 last year but ahead of 81 average. Emerged was 50 percent, behind last year’s 76 and 55 average.
Wheat conditions rated 22 percent very poor, 28 poor, 36 fair, 13 good, and 1 excellent. Wheat jointed was 95 percent, behind last year’s 100 and 98 average. Wheat headed was 61 percent, well behind 100 last year and over one week behind 83 average. Wheat turning color was 1 percent, behind 78 last year and 20 average.
Proso millet was 41 percent planted, behind last year at 69 but ahead of 28 average.
Oat conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 13 poor, 32 fair, 48 good, and 4 excellent. Oats headed were 19 percent, behind last year’s 76 and 42 average.
Dry beans planted were 62 percent, behind last year’s 71 but ahead of 57 average. Emerged was 13 percent, compared to 27 last year and 18 average.
Alfalfa conditions was 3 percent very poor, 14 poor, 34 fair, 44 good, and 5 excellent. Alfalfa first cutting was 30 percent complete, behind last year’s 91 and 56 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Stock water supplies rated 3 percent very short, 11 short, 84 adequate, and 2 surplus.
Pasture and range condition was 15 percent very poor, 31 poor, 36 fair, 16 good, and 2 excellent. Hay and forage supplies rated 34 percent very short, 39 short, 27 adequate, and 0 surplus.
Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg//2010s/2013/CropProg-06-10-2013.txt.
Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/index.php?action=update_region&state=NE®ion=HPRCC
Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_state.htm?NE,HP.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT
Rainfall continued to limit fieldwork for Iowa farmers during the week ending June 9, 2013, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fields already wet from the previous week, did not dry enough between rain events to allow significant planting progress to be made. Farmers commented warmth and sun would benefit the growing corn and soybean crops.
Statewide there was an average of 1.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. East Central Iowa, with 2.5, had the most days suitable for fieldwork during the week. North Central Iowa, with 0.9, had the least days suitable. Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 0 percent short, 42 percent adequate and 58 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 60 percent adequate and 38 percent surplus. The surplus subsoil rating is the highest since August 2010.
Ninety-two percent of Iowa’s corn crop was in the ground, 4 percentage points higher than last week, and still lagging behind the five-year average of 99 percent. Eighty-one percent of the corn crop has emerged, behind the normal 96 percent. Corn condition was reported at 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 44 percent good and 8 percent excellent. Farmers have planted 60 percent of the soybean crop, an advancement of 16 percentage points from last week, but still much lower than the normal 95 percent. Soybean emergence was 39 percent complete; well behind both last year’s 93 percent, and the five-year average of 83 percent. Both the planting and emergence for soybeans were the latest since 1993. Sixteen percent of the oat crop was headed, and the crop condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 58 percent good and 12 percent excellent.
The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 10 percent complete, well behind last year’s 96 percent. Many farmers were delaying cutting alfalfa until dry weather to avoid rain damage. The first hay condition rating of the year reflected 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 53 percent good and 15 percent excellent. Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 45 percent good and 23 percent excellent.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Unseasonably cool weather prevailed throughout the past reporting week. Temperatures were below normal every day at all locations in the state with daytime highs mostly in the 60’s to low 70’s. Temperature extremes varied from a Monday (3rd) morning low of 37 degrees at Elkader to a Saturday (8th) afternoon high of 79 degrees at Keokuk. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 6.1 degrees below normal. The temperature has yet to reach 80 degrees anywhere in Iowa thus far in June while Elkader’s 37 degree reading was the lowest recorded in Iowa for so late in the season since 1998. Rainfall amounts were mostly on the light side of normal over southeastern portions of the state and above normal over the northwest. Welcome dry weather prevailed in most areas on Sunday (2nd), Monday (3rd), Thursday (6th) and Friday (7th) Rain was widespread on Tuesday (4th) with locally heavy rain scattered over the north and west. Light to moderate rain fell over eastern Iowa on Wednesday (5th). Finally, rain was widespread over the west on Saturday (8th) and slowly spread to eastern areas on Sunday (9th). Weekly totals varied from only 0.05 inches at Burlington to 3.10 inches at Underwood (Pottawattamie Co.) and 3.11 inches at Rock Valley (Sioux Co.). The statewide average precipitation was 1.11 inches or just under the weekly normal of 1.18 inches.
Corn Planted - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 92% of the 2012 corn acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 9, : June 2, : June 9, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado .......: 100 94 100 99
Illinois ...........: 100 91 96 98
Indiana ..........: 100 94 98 95
Iowa ..............: 100 88 92 99
Kansas ..........: 100 96 98 100
Kentucky .......: 100 91 96 98
Michigan ........: 100 94 98 97
Minnesota ......: 100 87 90 99
Missouri .........: 100 86 93 97
Nebraska .......: 100 99 100 100
North Carolina : 100 100 100 100
North Dakota .: 100 84 89 98
Ohio .............: 100 98 100 95
Pennsylvania .: 94 93 97 92
South Dakota : 100 96 99 98
Tennessee ....: 100 97 98 99
Texas ...........: 99 97 98 99
Wisconsin .....: 100 74 81 98
18 States ......: 100 91 95 98
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Corn Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 92% of the 2012 corn acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 9, : June 2, : June 9, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado ........: 95 65 80 89
Illinois ............: 100 81 89 92
Indiana ...........: 100 77 90 85
Iowa ...............: 100 73 81 96
Kansas ...........: 100 77 91 96
Kentucky ........: 100 70 84 93
Michigan .........: 99 79 91 89
Minnesota .......: 100 65 78 95
Missouri ..........: 100 72 82 90
Nebraska ........: 100 84 91 97
North Carolina .: 100 99 100 100
North Dakota ..: 99 56 67 83
Ohio ..............: 99 75 94 83
Pennsylvania ..: 75 60 78 75
South Dakota .: 99 77 91 85
Tennessee .....: 100 84 94 97
Texas ............: 94 91 96 96
Wisconsin ......: 95 44 60 88
18 States .......: 99 74 85 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Corn Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 9, 2013
[National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2012
planted acreage]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado .......: 9 9 29 47 6
Illinois ...........: 3 10 29 47 11
Indiana ..........: - 2 21 60 17
Iowa ..............: 3 11 34 44 8
Kansas ..........: 3 5 32 54 6
Kentucky .......: 1 3 18 57 21
Michigan ........: 1 3 25 63 8
Minnesota ......: 2 6 37 50 5
Missouri .........: 2 9 42 41 6
Nebraska ........: - 2 23 65 10
North Carolina .: - 5 31 57 7
North Dakota ...: 2 3 26 55 14
Ohio ...............: - 2 16 63 19
Pennsylvania ...: - 1 15 71 13
South Dakota ..: 1 4 21 63 11
Tennessee ......: 1 5 19 58 17
Texas .............: 2 7 39 38 14
Wisconsin ......: 2 8 35 46 9
18 States ........: 2 6 29 53 10
Previous week .: 2 5 30 52 11
Previous year ..: 2 6 26 54 12
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Represents zero.
Soybeans Planted - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 9, : June 2, : June 9, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 96 58 67 78
Illinois ...........: 99 49 62 80
Indiana ..........: 99 76 87 79
Iowa ..............: 100 44 60 95
Kansas ..........: 90 51 66 77
Kentucky .......: 89 30 48 67
Louisiana .......: 97 81 88 94
Michigan ........: 98 78 90 87
Minnesota ......: 99 55 72 95
Mississippi .....: 99 74 88 96
Missouri .........: 92 36 48 67
Nebraska ........: 100 81 94 94
North Carolina .: 60 39 46 61
North Dakota ..: 99 51 69 89
Ohio ..............: 100 89 94 83
South Dakota .: 98 63 82 85
Tennessee .....: 88 36 47 67
Wisconsin .....: 97 43 55 91
18 States ......: 97 57 71 84
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Soybeans Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 9, : June 2, : June 9, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 90 45 57 64
Illinois ...........: 95 32 43 63
Indiana ..........: 93 48 70 62
Iowa ..............: 93 23 39 83
Kansas ..........: 78 22 43 59
Kentucky .......: 77 13 30 50
Louisiana .......: 92 73 81 87
Michigan ........: 90 57 73 69
Minnesota ......: 92 18 38 78
Mississippi .....: 96 48 70 91
Missouri .........: 74 21 31 49
Nebraska ........: 96 47 71 81
North Carolina .: 43 26 35 47
North Dakota ..: 91 12 25 61
Ohio ..............: 93 58 75 63
South Dakota .: 86 27 47 53
Tennessee .....: 68 17 29 48
Wisconsin .....: 80 15 28 66
18 States ......: 88 31 48 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Maximizing Alfalfa Tonnage
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
When will you take your first cutting of alfalfa for hay? With so little carryover available, getting maximum tonnage may be extra important this year.
The typical recommendation is to harvest at early or one-tenth bloom because that often gives the best balance between yield and quality.
This year, though, yield might be way more important than quality. If you need extra tonnage, wait until your alfalfa is at the full bloom stage of growth before taking the first cut. This occurs about 10 days after first blooms appear and can add about one-half ton to your first cut yield. If moisture is short, maximizing tonnage at first harvest is especially important because moisture is used more efficiently to produce yield during first growth than at any other time. If your alfalfa receives enough moisture to support regrowth through the year, harvesting three cuts at full bloom should give you about 10% more total yield than taking four cuts at first bloom.
Be sure to check fields closely when waiting to harvest alfalfa at a more mature growth stage. Walk through fields and look for new shoots beginning growth from the crown. Also watch for spring blackstem, a disease that can cause lower leaves to fall to the ground. If you find major occurrences of either of these issues, start harvest regardless of the amount of bloom on your alfalfa.
Mature alfalfa hay usually contains less protein than younger hay but still should be plenty adequate for wintering beef cows. For yearlings and heifers, though, higher quality hay might be preferred.
Managing Temptations and Avoiding Shortcuts
Weather has raised havoc with the timing of much field work and coping with this situation can be a real challenge. Record prices for crops, uncertain planting acreages, historically high hay prices, and unheard of costs for fuel and other inputs make this an exciting, and challenging, time for all farmers and ranchers. Add weather damage and weather delays to all that and we have a lot of pressure and uncertainty.
During these situations, it’s easy to rush to do tasks that should be done but may not be the most important job or which might actually result in long-term damage. One example is cutting hay when the ground is wet and soft. We need to get that hay cut, but doing it too soon will cause soil compaction, field ruts, and a problem field for every future cutting. When you are in this situation, stop to think. Can you wait one day for the ground to firm up? If not, what fields will be hurt the least by cutting early. Most likely it’s a field ready to rotate to a different crop next year.
Other examples of when rushing can lead to losses include:
- grazing pastures before they are ready which reduces yield yearlong,
- planting into wet soils and getting a spotty stand, or
- baling hay before it’s dry and getting mold and heat damage.
Don’t forget those tried and true management practices when you get in a rush. Think, then act, so you don’t regret your actions.
Preservatives Allow for Wetter Hay Harvest
The moisture content of hay when it is baled influences yield, quality, and storability of the hay. Preservatives can help us get it right.
When hay is baled too dry, leaves fall off, reducing quality and yield. Unfortunately, hay baled too wet can get moldy, overheat, or even catch fire. So we have a narrow moisture range that results in good hay that keeps well.
One way to extend your options is to apply a preservative like propionic acid when baling hay that's still a bit wetter than usual. To get good results from preservatives, though, it helps to know how it works and what it can and can not do.
Baled hay naturally contains millions of bacteria and mold fungi. As they consume hay nutrients, these microbes produce heat. The duration and intensity of this heat determines the amount of damage the hay receives. This heat also forces moisture out of the bale, something we often call “going through a sweat.” Usually, hay gets dry enough that the microbes soon die or go dormant. But when too much moisture is present, heating becomes excessive and/or mold develops.
Preservatives kill many of the microbes so less heat is produced. This gives hay time to dry out naturally, without the “sweat.” As the hay dries, the preservative vaporizes and disappears. If we stack bales tightly into storage soon after baling or fail to allow drying to occur in other ways, the remaining microbes eventually will produce the mold and heat we wanted to avoid.
Problems also can develop if rain, high humidity, or other sources moisten the hay later. Since the preservative lasts only a short time, the added moisture can favor the redevelopment of microbial activity.
Preservatives can help make good hay at higher moisture levels, but correct management is needed to keep that hay in good condition.
NCTA offers Vet Tech Pre-exam Prep
Training for veterinary technicians who intend to take the National Veterinary Technician Exam this summer can brush up during a “crash course” in late July, says Barbara Berg of Curtis. Vet techs must register by June 15th for the national exam which makes the timing of the “crash course” ideal.
Berg and Judy Bowmaster-Cole, both licensed veterinary technician instructors at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis, will teach a two-day preparatory course in North Platte on July 20 and 21.
“Come prepare yourself for the National Veterinary Technician licensing exam,” Berg urges individuals who have completed their academic training requirements, yet need to take the national examination to be able to become a licensed veterinary technician in Nebraska.
Individuals are eligible to work in private veterinary practices as veterinary assistants but cannot become licensed veterinary technicians and perform certain medical procedures without first successfully passing the national exam. The next testing period is July 15-August 15, 2013.
Berg and Bowmaster-Cole teach animal health, equine health, companion animal and veterinary technology classes. The NCTA vet tech program has been in place nearly 45 years, and was one of the first in the United States to be accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association in the early ‘70s.
The Saturday-Sunday, July 20-21 course will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Class registration information is available from NCTA at (308) 367-5222, or e-mail to chauptman4@unl.edu. Individuals previously taking the course may return at no charge. The course fee is $150, of which $50 is non-refundable. Class size is limited to 12 individuals.
RECENT HEAVY RAINS DEMONSTRATE VALUE OF CONSERVATION PRACTICES
Part of the state saw significant rainfall last week, with some areas receiving over nine inches in just a few hours. Although the moisture was welcomed in most areas, some areas experienced damages like flooding and soil erosion.
According to State Conservationist Craig Derickson with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), erosion problems have been high in fields that have recently been broken out for cropland production, or fields that lack structural conservation practices like terraces and waterways.
“High prices driven by a strong demand for our commodities are boosting farm income but are putting enormous pressure on our land and water resources. We’re seeing more land broken out to farm and fewer conservation practices like terraces and waterways, which can result in more soil erosion,” Derickson said.
This became apparent following last week’s heavy rainfall. On some farms, when heavy rains came, conservation practices were not in place to help prevent soil from washing away.
Derickson said, “Our staff is seeing erosion issues on cropland across the state. In draws where trees were recently removed and then planted through, the newly planted crop has been washed away and there are deep gullies. This is creating concern among NRCS staff as we conduct field visits to do conservation compliance checks.”
As part of the 1985 Farm Bill, conservation compliance was enacted. This created a partnership between farmers and ranchers and the USDA. In exchange for farm program benefits, farmers agreed to adopt land management practices to reduce soil erosion, conserve water, create wildlife habitat and protect wetlands. According to USDA, this resulted in soil erosion being cut by 40 percent on 140 million acres of cropland.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) partners with NRCS in the conservation compliance process. “Farmers and landowners certify their compliance by completing a Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Certification” explained FSA State Director Dan Steinkruger. “We ask farmers to work with the NRCS to evaluate the conservation planning and assistance needed on their farms.”
For landowners to remain in compliance with USDA, a conservation plan is required on highly erodible land. NRCS works with landowners to develop conservation plans, and Farm Bill programs provide incentive payments to assist with the installation and maintenance of conservation practices.
“The key to a successful conservation plan is for farmers and ranchers to work closely with USDA. If a producer wants to break out new land, alter a wetland, or remove any conservation practices like terraces and waterways, they need to first visit their local USDA Service Center. USDA employees can work with landowners to ensure any land changes don’t put the producer at risk of being out of compliance with their conservation plan,” Derickson said.
NRCS works with landowners to develop a conservation plan to apply conservation practices on their property. Conservation practices work to lessen the negative impact of the extreme dry conditions Nebraska experienced last year as well as the recent heavy rainfall events.
“Nebraska is a place of extremes that can quickly move from drought to flooding. Conservation practices can help farmers and ranchers endure these extremes. Conservation practices work, but they only work if installed and maintained properly.
“America’s farmers produce more than food and fiber – they also produce clean water and air, open spaces and habitat for wildlife. A conservation plan helps landowners achieve these goals that benefit all Nebraskans,” Derickson said.
For more information on conservation compliance and installing conservation practices on your land, contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office. Information is also available online at www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.
IFB Helps Farmers Plan for Ag Profit 'Bubble Burst'
Iowa and national economists and ag market experts agree; many key indicators point towards a bursting of the ag sector profit bubble in the next two years so Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state's largest grassroots farm organization, is bringing the nation's leading experts in finance, marketing, policy and economics to Ames July 22-23, to help farmers plan how to weather the evolving economic times.
"We are going through many of the same cycles that our farmers saw in the 1970's land cycle, high commodity prices, skyrocketing land prices and strong trade markets. At this stage into the 70s land cycle, farmers were boosting capital expenditures by 80 percent. This time, we're only up about 40 percent, so we are being more conservative, but a turning point is coming and being aware can help you manage and anticipate what's likely to happen, avoiding the kind of devastation we saw nationwide in the 1980's Farm Crisis," says IFBF President Craig Hill. "Back then, too many farmers ignored the signs of a bubble burst and it put them on the path to economic doom, from which many never recovered. This time around there are new challenges; our production costs have doubled and now our weather seems to bring its own set of problems, from drought one year to excessive rainfall and flooding the next."
IFBF economist Dave Miller agrees.
"We're in the fourth or fifth year of robust earnings in the ag sector and we expect capital expenditures to remain relatively strong through the rest of this year. But, there's a persistency factor: farmers don't run out and spend because this year was good. They also don't quit spending just because one year was bad. I would suggest that the drought of 2012 was severe enough that farmers did cut back, but they may see it as just a 'blip.' In reality, it is the persistency and failure to recognize a general 'turn' in the ag sector that boosts debt levels to where it's unsustainable and we want to do what we can, to prevent that from happening," said Miller.
Helping Iowa farmers manage market risks like these and discussing farm policy challenges is the focus of the 2013 IFBF Economic Summit, "Grain, Gridlock and Globalization: Meeting the Economic Challenges in Today's Agriculture", which will be held July 22 and 23 at the ISU Scheman Building in Ames.
The two-day summit brings nationally-known experts on crop and livestock market trends, exports and commodity price experts. Experts ranging from economists Allen Featherstone of Kansas State University, Michael Boehlje from Purdue, export and policy analyst Ross Korves and Ag Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor are among many nationally-recognized monetary, policy, trade and economic experts tapped for the July IFBF Economic Summit.
For a complete listing of the panelists and schedule, click www.iowafarmbureau.com.
The price of the two-day summit is $50 for Iowa Farm Bureau members and $150 for non-members. Information about the summit, lodging and online registration forms can be found at www.iowafarmbureau.com.
Japanese Convenience Stores Upgrade Image with U.S. Beef
Across the globe, the stereotypical customer at a convenience store is a young man who is not concerned with nutrition or a balanced diet. Family Mart, a prominent Japanese convenience store chain with more than 9,500 outlets, is looking to change that image with the help of creative new dishes featuring U.S. beef.
More than 50,000 convenience stores dot the Japanese landscape, and store operators like Family Mart – the third-largest chain in the country – are looking to convince women shoppers that their food offerings are wholesome and nutritious meal options. And since the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) also is focused on women shoppers, the two organizations found a natural synergy in partnering to revamp Family Mart’s menu with high-quality U.S. beef.
With checkoff funding from the Texas Beef Council, Oklahoma Beef Council and the Beef Checkoff Program as well as support from the USDA Market Access Program, USMEF and Family Mart created a 10-item U.S. beef menu that includes a bento (lunch) box, rice bowl, salad, sandwich, soba noodle, sushi and soup. The new menu is being actively promoted this month via in-store point-of-sale materials and on Family Mart’s website, which has 200,000 followers, as well as to Family Mart’s 90,000 Twitter followers.
To ensure that targeted female shoppers get the message, USMEF and Family Mart recently hosted an event for a group of 11 influential “power bloggers,” women in their late 20s and early 30s who reach an average of 20,000 readers each per day. The bloggers were given samples of the new menu items as well as background information on U.S. beef. Positive coverage of the event already is turning up on several blogs:
- http://ameblo.jp/miwa-pinkberry/entry-11536683541.html
- http://ameblo.jp/awawamama/entry-11536830462.html
- http://ameblo.jp/chisato0930/entry-11537271511.html
“Before access for U.S. beef to Japan was expanded on Feb. 1, the supply of beef was not consistent enough for convenience store companies to hold large-scale promotions,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, senior marketing director for USMEF-Japan.
Yamashoji noted that although the economy of Japan has been depressed in recent years, the number of convenience store outlets has increased annually, making them a very desirable outlet for U.S. red meat exports.
The support of reputable retailers like Family Mart has contributed to the growing acceptance of and appreciation for U.S. beef in Japan. Family Mart felt that the positive image of U.S. beef is such a plus with its audience that it asked to use the USMEF “We Care” logo on its packaging as well as on its press release announcing the promotion and detailing the quality characteristics of U.S. beef.
“We really appreciate the promotional support from the Texas Beef Council and the Oklahoma Beef Council as well as the Beef Checkoff Program and other support provided through USMEF,” said Ms. Takaaki Ikezawa, buyer for Family Mart. “As a buyer, I’ve had many chances to taste and compare various beef products. Regarding tastiness, I think American beef is the best. With well-balanced lean parts and fat, you can enjoy the original taste and flavor of beef itself.”
Ikezawa noted that when she led the USMEF Family Mart team to the United States to investigate potential suppliers for this promotional program, she confirmed her interest in U.S. beef.
“When I visited the U.S. to prepare for this campaign, I happened to stop at a small restaurant in a small town,” she said. “I was so impressed with the juiciness and tenderness of the beef steak I had there. I want to convey that taste to Japanese customers through this campaign.”
Going forward, USMEF is looking to expand visibility for the Family Mart promotion by working with Ozmall (http://www.ozmall.co.jp/), a popular information website for female office workers with more than 600,000 readers. USMEF and Ozmall have developed a special webpage to explain the attributes of American beef and to introduce the Family Mart campaign and promotional menus targeted to working women who have limited time for cooking.
“USMEF has supported many convenience store promotions, but this one with Family Mart is quite remarkable for the Japanese convenience store industry,” Yamashoji said. “We expect it will inspire other Japanese companies who want to actively reach out to this market niche.”
Through the first four months of 2013, U.S. beef exports to Japan are up 49 percent in volume and 44 percent in value over 2012 levels to 59,969 metric tons (132.2 million pounds) valued at $382.3 million, making it the top market for U.S. beef for the first time since 2003.
National Biodiesel Board Launches New Ad Campaign, Interactive Website
Making the point that consumers and taxpayers are better protected by a diverse supply of transportation fuels, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) unveiled a new television advertising campaign this week. The thirty-second commercial is airing on national television networks and on Washington, D.C., broadcast and cable news outlets.
"Biofuels are helping to diversify America's transportation fuels, which protects consumers by freeing the market from the instability of a single liquid energy source" said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. "And because it is diesel engines that move the freight that drives the economy, it begins a positive ripple effect for the prices of just about everything we buy."
Baltimore residents may recognize at least one scene in the commercial filmed at the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University. Produced by Northern Virginia-based PCI, a leading provider of creative communications services for Fortune 500 corporations, national associations, and federal agencies, the ad shows what it would be like to be in a world lacking in options as the narrator intones, "Without choice, we're at the mercy of chance. Why chance our future on only one transportation fuel?" The voice is provided by Will Lyman, best known for his work as the narrator of the PBS series "Frontline."
NBB also re-launched the AmericasAdvancedBiofuel.org website as part of the campaign. The newly re-designed site offers basic information on biodiesel, highlights issues of importance to the industry, and features a documentary expounding on the themes and concepts in the ads. The site also provides links to NBB's current and past advertising campaigns.
The campaign is scheduled to run into the fall. In addition to the television commercial, the campaign includes print, digital and radio advertising incorporating the importance of transportation fuel diversity.
"We have many sources of fuel for power plants: coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, geothermal, wind, solar, and more," said Jobe. "Because no single source dominates, we have had stable and affordable electricity. Why would it make sense to rely only on petroleum for our cars, trucks, tractors, trains, planes, barges and buses?"
Funding for the campaign is provided by the United Soybean Board, State Soybean Checkoff Boards, U.S. Canola Association, the Northern Canola Growers Association and the National Biodiesel Board.
Consumer-Facing Movement Receives National Recognition for Online Program
Since 2011, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) has been working diligently to heighten consumer trust in today’s food production system by leading an open dialogue regarding the most pressing topics about food and agriculture. A key element of this work pertains to creating digital spaces for consumers and influencers to connect with farmers and ranchers. The success of these efforts is now receiving national recognition.
Recently, USFRA’s consumer digital and social media campaigns received a Gold SABRE Award, one of the highest honors in public relations. To date, the organization’s Facebook page has more than 208,000 likes. The Food Dialogues.com website has received more than one million unique visitors and notably The Food DialoguesSM events have consistently trended on Twitter.
“USFRA’s long-term, consumer-facing movement is centered on reaching online consumers who are searching for answers and shaping opinions about food and food production,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Our results show the organization is making a great impact, but we still have significant opportunity ahead of us.”
Other online and social media achievements include:
Social Media: USFRA Facebook engagement soared to 24 percent in 2012 while other personalities and brands receive a much lower engagement average; the average brand with 0.5 percent; non-profits: 2.2 percent. (Engagement is calculated by the number of people who have ‘liked’ something on the page and then return to comment, post, share and/or ‘like’ additional content.) Via two tweet-chats, USFRA garnered 25.3 million twitter impressions; both nearly doubled the average number of impressions for a tweet-chat.
Grow What You Know: When unfair or inaccurate articles surface in the media, they often go unanswered. That’s why USFRA built the FARM Team community that allows farmers and ranchers to submit false, misleading or unfair information or articles to the “Grow What You Know” system on FoodDialogues.com. When USFRA is alerted to an article, communications go out to the more than 440 farmers and ranchers who have signed up to serve as rapid responders, these individuals then comment on the article, using their own “real-life” examples to help clarify inaccuracies or simply create dialogue. Farmers and ranchers responded to 32 articles in 2012 that were posted to “Grow What You Know” system.
FoodSource: The custom-created site on FoodDialogues.com was built around a series of unique sections covering the nine hottest food issues in food production today: everything from Animal Welfare to Antibiotics and GMOs. Each section featured detailed answers to the ten most frequently asked consumer questions, links to original third-party sources, and relevant infographics and farmer and ranchers videos. FoodSource, a one-stop-shop for all food production questions saw 58,748 unique visitors since its launch in Fall 2012, with each visitor spending an average 2:38 minutes on the site. A typical “time on page” is usually between 30 to 60 seconds.
Purdue's College of Agriculture Ranked 6th Worldwide
A British company that specializes in information about higher education and careers has ranked the Purdue College of Agriculture sixth among agricultural institutions worldwide.
Quacquarelli Symonds ranks learning institutions across the globe in 31 categories based on several metrics. The group selected the University of California, Davis, as the top school in the agriculture and forestry category for 2013.
"This ranking is testimony to the hard work of College of Agriculture faculty, staff and students and the support we receive from the University, stakeholders, partners, and alumni," said Jay Akridge, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University. "We are committed to providing an exceptional education for our students and to high-impact discovery and engagement that addresses society's most important challenges. Recognitions such as this QS ranking illustrate the impact our people have."
Universities are ranked based on four main criteria: the number of times research publications from the institution were cited by other researchers in professional journals; the opinions of other academics in the field; the opinions of employers in the field; and the "H-index," a quantitative and qualitative measurement of research paper output.
Purdue's College of Agriculture placed behind the University of California, Davis, Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin and Texas A&M University.
Other U.S. universities that made the top 25 include Oregon State (8), Penn State (9), Iowa State (10), North Carolina State (14), Michigan State (16), Illinois (17), Florida (23) and Colorado State (24).
Study Shows Agricultural Export Promotion Investment is an International Priority
U.S. farmers and ranchers are competing in a very active international agri-food trade environment with many countries that invest significant public and private funds through a variety of programs to develop markets and promote their products. That is a primary conclusion of a major study just completed on behalf of several U.S. agri-food export market development organizations by Agralytica Consulting, Alexandria, Va.
“This is the first study to take an in-depth look at both competing export market development programs as well as the source and amount of funding,” said Shannon Schlecht, vice president of policy at U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), Arlington, Va. “Exports are vital to U.S. agricultural producers with 95 percent of consumers living outside our borders. The analysis was designed to give organizations like ours strategic, competitive information we can use to help make our export promotion plans more effective for the farmers, ranchers and small businesses we represent.”
USW led a team of USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) cooperator organizations that directed the study. Funding came from a portion of the FAS Market Access Program (MAP) to encourage multi-market, cross-commodity projects that address common challenges and opportunities.
These organizations and Agralytica selected 12 countries and the European Union (EU) central government programs for in-depth study including desk research, in-person interviews and consultation with U.S. Agricultural Trade Offices in the target countries. The study provided new information about competing export development activities, program structure, funding and evaluation methods. Key insights include:
· Together in 2011 the 12 countries and the EU central government spent an estimated $1.8 billion, including $700 million in public funds and $1.1 billion in private funds, on export promotion for agri-food products. For comparison, in 2011 the United States spent an estimated $650 million, including $256 million in public funds and $394 million in private investment, on agri-food export promotion.
· The EU 27 central government alone allocated an estimated total of $360 million of public funds in 2011 to Member States for export promotion; the additional public investment by governments in France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands brought that total to $460 million. The research indicates that promotion funds are budgeted to increase significantly in the EU 2014 to 2020 budget.
· Trade shows are universally recognized as effective and essential activities requiring government support.
· Public support to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is a key objective of competitor programs.
· Trade missions, both inward and outward, are viewed as effective and used by most of our competitors.
· Focus on market access is growing. In general, monitoring trade policies and securing market access are seen as essential components of market development.
· In contrast to U.S. federal rules for export development programs, some counties allow more flexibility in eligibility while others limit it based on product sectors and/or target markets. Some countries allow for multi-year funding of export promotion programs.
“The analysis clearly indicates that agricultural producers everywhere recognize the importance of competing in international markets,” Schlecht said. “Now we have evidence that competitors are likely to keep increasing their investment in export development and promotion.”
The study also makes comparisons between competing programs and U.S. market development programs administered by FAS, including MAP and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program. The summary report states that U.S. programs “provide an effective solution to many issues faced by competitors.” The study did not examine such other programs as export finance, tax policy or farm support programs.
NCBA Accepting Applications for Public Policy Internship
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) government affairs office in Washington, D.C., is accepting applications for a fall 2013 public policy internship. The deadline to submit an application for this opportunity is July 8, 2013.
“NCBA’s public policy internship gives college students a one-of-a-kind view into the policy making process in Washington, D.C., while helping them prepare to transition from college to career,” said NCBA Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts. “We are looking for college students with an interest in the beef industry, public policy and communications to help NCBA represent cattlemen and cattlewomen in Washington, D.C. The internship is designed to work closely with the lobbying team on Capitol Hill and assist with NCBA’s regulatory efforts.”
The full-time internship will begin Sept. 9, 2013, and end Dec. 13, 2013. To apply, interested college juniors, seniors or graduate students should submit the application, a college transcript, two letters of recommendation and a resume to internship@beef.org. More information and the internship application are available on NCBA’s website.
“This isn’t a ‘check-the-box’ style of internship. NCBA’s public policy interns work alongside NCBA staff on critical issues ranging from agriculture policy to trade, the environment and more.” Butts said. “If you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.”
New enzyme technology saves up to 5% corn in ethanol
Novozymes today announced the launch of new enzyme technology that can increase ethanol yield from corn by up to 5%. The technology also increases corn oil extraction by 13%, while saving 8% energy.
The efficiency improvements can be achieved when two new enzymes, Spirizyme® Achieve and Olexa®, are used together with another Novozymes enzyme, Avantec®.
“These new enzyme innovations offer strong benefits to ethanol producers,” says Andrew Fordyce, Executive Vice President for Business Operations at Novozymes. “It allows our customers to make more from less and substantially improve their profit margins”.
A typical U.S. ethanol plant uses around 36 million bushels (900,000 tons) of feed-grade corn per year to produce 100 million gallons of fuel ethanol, 300,000 tons of animal feed (DDGS) and 8,500 tons of corn oil. By using Avantec, Olexa and Spirizyme Achieve, such a plant can save up to 1.8 million bushels (45,000 tons) of corn while maintaining the same ethanol output, increasing corn oil extraction, and generating up to $5 million in additional profit.
High yield, low risk
Avantec was introduced in October 2012 and has been well received in the U.S. ethanol industry.
“Our customers demand risk-free options that do not require major investments,” says Andrew Fordyce. “That is exactly what our enzymes offer. We are the first to market this full package and are looking forward to implementing it together with our customers, trialing the technology at their plants, and getting the solutions out there. It’s a competitive industry and only via innovation like this can Novozymes continue to be the leading supplier of enzymes to the ethanol industry”.
Corn is the key raw material in biofuel production in the U.S. and by far the biggest cost component for an ethanol plant. After the corn is harvested, the kernels are ground into corn meal and water added to make a mash. Enzymes convert the starch in the mash to sugar, which can then be fermented to ethanol. Avantec and Spirizyme Achieve convert starch to sugar more efficiently than any other enzyme product on the market, while Olexa works by freeing up oil bound in the corn germ.
Corn oil is used in the production of animal feed, biodiesel and soaps, and has become an increasingly important revenue stream for ethanol producers. Extensive implementation of extraction technology from 2008 to 2012 has seen the industry record a nearly five-fold increase in corn oil production, according to a study by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Novozymes estimates that approximately 80% of the operating ethanol capacity in the U.S. will have incorporated oil extraction into their plants by end 2013.
The U.S. is the world’s biggest biofuels producer, and ethanol today accounts for approximately 10% of gasoline consumption in the U.S. transportation sector.
DuPont Pioneer Introduces Pioneer® Field360™ Select Software
DuPont Pioneer is bringing the next generation of powerful Web-based field management tools to growers with the introduction of Pioneer® Field360™ Select software. This new subscription service combines field-by-field data with real-time agronomic and weather information to help growers make informed management decisions.
“Pioneer Field360 Select software guides growers to better use the field data they have collected, currently and in prior years, to increase farm productivity and profitability,” says Justin Heath, DuPont Pioneer new services manager.
With a subscription to Pioneer Field360 Select software, growers can transform farm data into timely and actionable information. Multiple digital tools for monitoring and predicting field progress and growth stage, plus interactive field maps come together in the Pioneer Field360 Select software offering.
“This 360-degree field-by-field management strategy and Pioneer Field360 Select tools have evolved over the last decade with input from growers,” Heath says.
Pioneer Field360 Select software can provide growers substantial information about a field without the grower ever setting foot on the ground. This program is backed by soil, weather and precipitation data spanning many decades. It is also supported by Pioneer Agronomy Sciences data trials to determine growth stages of Pioneer® brand corn hybrids.
“Pioneer Field360 Select software allows a grower to access their farm data from just about anywhere and record inputs, scouting information and access timely weather and agronomic information on the go,” Heath says.
When used with the compatible Pioneer Field360 Notes app, a grower can take notes and photos with GPS tags to track field-by-field agronomic status. The app gives growers the option to confidentially share information in real time with DuPont Pioneer agronomists and Pioneer sales professionals.
The Pioneer Field360 Select software runs on any Web-accessible electronic device and is compatible with data cards from most planting and harvest monitor systems.
CNH-Fiat Announce New Company Name
Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and CNH Global N.V. announced that the name of the Fiat Industrial subsidiary, FI CBM Holdings N.V., into which Fiat Industrial and CNH are proposed to be merged, will be changed to CNH Industrial N.V.
If the mergers are approved by the requisite votes of the Fiat Industrial shareholders and the CNH shareholders, Fiat Industrial and CNH will each be merged into CNH Industrial. CNH Industrial's shares will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and shortly after the closing of the merger on the Mercato Telematico Azionario managed by Borsa Italiana.
The merger agreement contains customary representations and warranties and the mergers are subject to customary closing conditions, including a condition capping the exercise of withdrawal rights by Fiat Industrial shareholders and opposition rights by Fiat Industrial creditors, at EUR 325 million in the aggregate.
The mergers are also subject to approval by the shareholders of each of Fiat Industrial and CNH. Fiat Industrial, as 87% shareholder of CNH, has agreed to vote its CNH shares in favor of the merger at the CNH shareholders' meeting.
The merger is expected to close during the third quarter of 2013.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
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