Tuesday June 12 Ag News

Grazing Summer Annual Forages
Larry Howard, NE Extension Educator, Cuming County

Grazing summer annual grasses is a great way to add flexibility to an operation, but in order to make it worth your time and money some management decisions are required. Your goals and your location will determine what type of summer annual you should plant.

The most common summer annuals for grazing are sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass, pearl millet, foxtail millet, and teff. The sorghums and sudangrasses can be grazed slightly earlier and should only be planted when the soil temperature is above 60 degrees F.  For millets and teff, the soil temperature needs to be 65-70 degrees F before planting. Planting into soil that maintains a lower temperature can cause stunted growth and reduce forage yield. Planting mid- to late June and into July should give good results with enough water. The millets and teff are fairly drought tolerant, and more tolerant to drought than the sudangrasses and sorghums.

Another consideration for planting is forage availability. A good rule to follow is that forage will be ready to graze 6-8 weeks after planting. To reduce the chance of forage getting ahead of the cattle, stagger plantings of a forage type by two weeks. By staggering planting, rotational grazing can be implemented and the forage will be grazed more efficiently. For example, sorghum-sudangrass is planted on a portion of the field. Two weeks later on the next portion of the field, sorghum-sudangrass or a different annual such as pearl millet is planted as long as temperature requirements are met.

Maximizing the harvest efficiency while grazing annual forages is a significant factor when planning the annual type and planting date. However, issues can occur when cattle moves are not managed properly. Use a short, rotational system for grazing. Fields should have a minimum of three paddocks to allow for regrowth after the first rotation. A goal should be to graze the paddocks for about 7-10 days and allowing regrowth for at least 14-20 days.

Sudangrass, foxtail and pearl millet, can be grazed once they reach 15-20 inches in height. Another guideline is to graze all these summer annuals leaving about 6-8 inches of stubble during that 7-10 day rotation. If choosing between leaving cattle on a paddock for a longer or shorter time, just remember that retaining some leaf area will cause more photosynthesis and ultimately a faster regrowth.

A significant concern for grazing some summer annuals is prussic acid poisoning, also known as cyanide poisoning. The regrowth and young leaves of the sorghums, sudangrasses, and sorghum-sudangrasses produce prussic acid and can be deadly if cattle consume a high concentration. Graze when the plants have reached an appropriate height (18-24 inches) and time the grazing periods appropriately. Turning cattle out full and with plenty of water will reduce the chance of prussic acid poisoning. Nitrates in grazing situations are generally not a concern if the forage isn’t grazed too low because the lower one-third of the plant will contain the highest nitrate concentration. Nitrates are something to watch when grazing any summer annual grass.



NEBRASKA CROP PRODUCTION REPORT

Based on June 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2018 winter wheat crop is forecast at 44.6 million bushels, down 5 percent from last year's crop, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average yield is forecast at 45 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from last year.

Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 990 thousand acres, down 30 thousand acres from last year. This would be 93 percent of the planted acres, compared with last year's 91 percent harvested.

U.S. Winter Wheat Production Up 1 Percent from May Forecast
Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the May 1 forecast but down 6 percent from 2017. As of June 1, the United States yield is forecast at 48.4 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushel from last month but down 1.8 bushels from last year's average yield of 50.2 bushels per acre.

Hard Red Winter production, at 650 million bushels, is up 1 percent from last month. Soft Red Winter, at 316 million bushels, is up slightly from the May forecast. White Winter, at 232 million bushels, is up 2 percent from last month. Of the White Winter production, 21.8 million bushels are Hard White and 210 million bushels are Soft White.



USDA Trims Ending Stocks for Corn and Soybeans

USDA trimmed both 2017-18 (old-crop) and 2018-19 (new-crop) corn and soybean ending stocks in its release of June Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) this month.

New-crop soybean ending stocks, in particular, came in below pre-report analyst expectations, at 385 million bushels, down 30 million bushels from the May report. Old-crop corn ending stocks also came in lower than expected, at 2.1 billion bushels, down 80 million bushels from May.

USDA actually increased the U.S. winter wheat production estimate above the average pre-report analyst projection. The agency expects growers to produce 1.198 billion bushels of winter wheat in 2018-19, up 1% from the May report, with an average yield of 48.4 bushels per acre, up from 48.1 bpa in May.

The agency left production and yield estimates for 2018-19 corn and soybean crop untouched from the May report.

CORN
Corn production for 2018-19 remained at 14.040 billion bushels, with an average yield of 174 bpa.

New-crop (2018-19) corn ending stocks were 1.577 billion bushels, down 105 million bushels from May, based mostly on increased use for food, seed and ethanol.

USDA pegged the average farmgate price for corn at $3.40 per bushel.

In South America, Brazil's corn production was trimmed 2 million metric tons (mmt) from the May report to 85 mmt (3.3 billion bushels). Argentina's corn production stayed the same at 33 mmt (1.3 billion bushels).

Global new-crop ending stocks for corn were trimmed to 154.7 mmt, and old-crop ending stocks also dropped to 192.7 mmt.

SOYBEANS
Soybean production and yield remained the same, at 4.280 billion bushels and 48.5 bpa.

Domestic old-crop soybean ending stocks were 505 million bushels, down 25 million bushels from the May report.

The average soybean farmgate price was pegged at $8.75 per bushel.

In South America, Brazil's soybean production was bumped up 2 mmt, to 119 mmt (4.4 billion bushels). Argentina's soybean production was trimmed 2 mmt, to 37 mmt (1.4 billion bushels).

Globally, soybean new-crop ending stocks were increased slightly to 87 mmt, and old-crop ending stocks also increased marginally to 92.5 mmt.

WHEAT
USDA expects U.S. farmers to grow 1.827 billion bushels of wheat in 2018-19. Of that, 1.2 billion bushels are expected to be winter wheat, down 6% from last year. The agency pegged average yield at 48.4 bpa, down from 50.2 bpa last year.

Hard red winter production was estimated to reach 650 million bushels, also above the pre-report average estimate, but down 100 million bushels from 2017. Soft red winter production was pegged at 316 million bushels, up slightly from May.

White winter wheat is expected to reach 232 million bushels, up 2% from May. Of those bushels, 21.8 million are hard white and 210 million bushels are soft white.

The average farmgate price for wheat was pegged at $4.60 per bushel.



Brazil Raises Soybean Harvest Estimate, Cuts Corn Crop Forecast

Brazilian agriculture agency Conab raised its estimate for the country's soybean harvest, helped by a record crop in the major producing state of Mato Grosso, and cut its forecast for the corn harvest.

Brazilian farmers produced 118 million metric tons of soybeans in the season, Conab said Tuesday, also a record, and up from its forecast of 117 million tons in May. Brazil produced 114.1 million tons of soybeans in the 2016-2017 season, the previous record.

The soybean harvest for this year in Brazil is finished except for a few small areas in some states, Conab said.

Conab forecast a total corn crop of 85 million metric tons in the 2017-2018 season, down from the 89.2 million metric tons the agency forecast in May.

Brazil's mild winters allow the country's farmers to plant two crops each year, and farmers often plant a soy crop in the summer and a corn crop in the winter. If planting of the soy crop begins late, as it did in the 2017-2018 season, that shortens the window for planting corn for the second crop and can reduce the size of the second crop, Conab said.



Top Five Answers Scott Pruitt Owes Farmers & Biofuel Workers

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor offered up tough questions to greet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt during his expected travel through farm communities in Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

Pruitt is not expected to appear before the media, but local agricultural stakeholders may be able to question the regulator about the EPA’s efforts to undercut U.S. biofuel consumption, a key source of demand for grain amid the five-year plunge in farm income. As recently as last week, the administrator sought to advance regulatory changes targeting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) – changes the president rejected. In the spirit of opening a candid dialogue about the concerns of rural communities, Skor suggested the following questions:

1)    Administrator Pruitt, President Trump committed to lifting EPA rules against year-round sales of E15, and you told him that you had the authority to make it happen. This change would reduce Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices, promote rural growth, and lower fuel costs for drivers. Why didn’t the EPA provide relief this summer, leaving consumers without affordable fuel options with gas prices on the rise?

2)    Administrator Pruitt, an estimated 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol demand have been destroyed by your EPA’s ‘small’ refinery waivers – including some to the world’s largest oil companies. As required by law, how do you ensure 15 billion gallons of blending despite the incredible increase in waivers granted by your EPA?

3)    How will you commit to protecting total biofuel targets from now on, including 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol, against any future waivers that undercut statutory goals that President Trump promised to uphold?

4)    Farm income has plunged 52 percent, while refinery profits are surging. How much more income must farmers lose before the EPA acts on the president’s E15 pledge and sets aside other efforts to destroy biofuel demand?

5)    U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, along with Midwest lawmakers, farm groups, and rural champions across the heartland said your export scheme would destroy demand for billions of gallons of ethanol -- dispelling misinformation from refiners. Why did you ignore Secretary Perdue and force the president to kill the proposal?

On Tuesday, June 12, Skor also will deliver the keynote address at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW), the “largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world” in Omaha, Nebraska. Thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibitors will be on hand to hear Skor outline the biofuel industry’s efforts to increase U.S. ethanol consumption, create rural jobs, and protect farmers from hostile regulation.

“Administrator Pruitt has been working behind-the-scenes to dismantle the RFS by handing out secret waivers, allowing oil giants to replace U.S. ethanol with petroleum products and destroying more than a billion gallons of domestic demand – taking us back to 2013 blending levels,” says Skor, according to prepared remarks she will deliver at FEW. “Even USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has agreed with us that this is nothing more than demand destruction, and it must stop.”

“Americans deserve year-round access to high-octane biofuels – now,” adds Skor. 



Pork Checkoff Seeks 2018 #RealPigFarming Student Social Forces

The National Pork Board is searching for the next student social forces team, with applications open now through June 28 at Pork.org/socialforces. The social forces team will be expected to advocate for pig farming using their social media accounts and #RealPigFarming. Selected students who meet defined milestones will be eligible for a $500 scholarship.

The Checkoff’s #RealPigFarming gives pig farmers, academics, youth, veterinarians and allied industry members an opportunity to discuss today’s pork production across social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 “Last year the team generated over 670 positive posts for pig farming in a five-month period,” said Claire Masker, public relations director for the National Pork Board. “This year we anticipate more discussion about pig farming while the students expand their professional network.”

Interested students are encouraged to apply. They should be 18 to 23 years old, involved in the pork industry, understand the importance of pork production and have strong communication skills. The team is expected to be active from July through December 2018.

The social forces team will gather at National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa in September for a #RealPigFarming student social forces meeting. Topics will include an update from the Pork Checkoff, team expectations and a networking dinner all while building relationships with fellow team members.

 “The student social forces team serves as another resource for consumers to ask questions about food safety, sustainability and more,” Masker said. “These students play a key role in helping pork producers share their farms to answer consumer questions.”



Bill Sets Up Group To Study Trucking Regulations

The National Pork Producers Council hailed today’s introduction by Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., of legislation to revise existing trucking regulations to make them more flexible for drivers hauling livestock.

The “Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act” would establish a working group at the Department of Transportation (DOT) to examine the federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules and the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) regulations. The HOS rules limit commercial truckers to 11 hours of driving time and 14 consecutive hours of on-duty time in any 24-hour period. Once drivers reach that limit, they must pull over and wait 10 hours before driving again. ELDs record driving time, engine hours, vehicle movement and speed, miles driven and location information, electronically reporting the data to federal and state inspectors to help enforce the HOS rules.

“NPPC strongly supports the Hoeven-Bennet bill as a reasonable solution for developing Hours of Service regulations that protect highway safety while allowing livestock haulers to transport animals in a safe and humane way,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio, whose operation also includes a trucking company.

The legislation would require the Secretary of Transportation to establish the working group within 120 days of enactment of the bill. The group would be charged with identifying obstacles to the “safe, humane, and market-efficient transport of livestock, insects, and other perishable agricultural commodities” and developing guidelines and recommending regulatory or legislative action to improve the transportation of those commodities. One year after it is established, the group must submit its findings to the DOT secretary, who must propose regulatory changes to the HOS and ELD regulations within 120 days.

“Pulling together all stakeholders with an interest in livestock hauling will ensure that DOT has the tools necessary to ensure Hours of Service regulations address the realities of transporting animals in a practical, common sense manner,” Heimerl said. “As we’ve pointed out, a trucker hauling livestock can’t just pull over and go ‘off-duty,’ leaving animals unattended. The incompatibility between the Hours of Service regulations and livestock hauling must be addressed.”

The bill also would suspend the ELD regulation for commercial motor vehicles hauling livestock, insects or perishable agricultural commodities until the date on which the DOT secretary proposes the regulatory changes.



NCBA Statement on the Introduction of the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Kevin Kester today issued the following statement in response to the introduction of the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act in the U.S. Senate:

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the producers we represent are glad to see another bipartisan effort designed to provide much-needed relief for livestock haulers. The Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act requires the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to establish a working group to address the implementation of electronic logging devices and the overly-restrictive hours of service rules that livestock haulers face today. We look forward to continuing our work with members of Congress, industry groups, and the Department of Transportation as we work to find solutions to our current transportation concerns.”

Background
The Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) The bill would establish a working group at the Department of Transportation to identify obstacles facing livestock haulers and develop guidelines for regulatory or legislative action to improve livestock transporation. Enforcement of the electronic logging device rule would be delayed until the working group outcomes are formally proposed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.



USDA Extends Application Deadline for Dairy Margin Protection Program to June 22

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced the re-enrollment deadline for the Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy will be extended until June 22, 2018. The new and improved program protects participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below levels of protection selected by the applicant. USDA has already issued more than $89 million for margins triggered in February, March, and April, and USDA offices are continuing to process remaining payments daily.

“Last week we re-opened enrollment to offer producers preoccupied with field work an additional opportunity to come into their local office to sign-up. We did get more than 500 new operations enrolled but want to continue to provide an opportunity for folks to participate before the next margin is announced,” said Secretary Perdue. “More than 21,000 American dairies have gone into our 2,200 FSA offices to sign-up for 2018 MPP coverage but I am certain we can do better with this extra week and a half.”

The re-enrollment deadline was previously extended through June 8, 2018. The deadline is being extended a second time to ensure that dairy producers are given every opportunity to make a calculated decision and enroll in the program if they choose. This will be the last opportunity for producers to take advantage of key adjustments Congress made to provisions of the MPP program under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to strengthen its support of dairy producers. USDA encourages producers contemplating enrollment to use the online web resource at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool to calculate the best levels of coverage for their dairy operation.

The next margin under MPP, for May 2018, will be published on June 28, 2018. Therefore, all coverage elections on form CCC-782 and the $100 administrative fee, unless exempt, must be submitted to the County FSA Office no later than June 22, 2018. No registers will be utilized, so producers are encouraged to have their enrollment for 2018 completed by COB June 22, 2018.

All dairy operations must make new coverage elections for 2018 during the re-enrollment period, even if the operation was enrolled during the previous 2018 signup. Coverage elections made for 2018 will be retroactive to January 1, 2018. MPP payments will be sequestered at a rate of 6.6 percent.



U.S., Canadian Farm Groups Support Strong Trading Partnership

The leaders of the U.S. National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) in a joint statement today urged Canadian and U.S. officials to preserve the strong, longstanding trade relationship between the two countries.

CFA President Ron Bonnett and NFU President Roger Johnson issued the following statement:

“American and Canadian farmers and ranchers have long enjoyed a positive and rewarding trading relationship based on mutual respect and economic cooperation. Our nations trade more than $40 billion USD in agricultural products each year, and that number continues to climb as new opportunities arise between our markets.

“Given the global food and on-farm challenges we are facing and will face in the future, American and Canadian farmers need the certainty that the Canada-U.S. trading relationship has provided for our farm products. To disrupt this relationship would be detrimental for farmers on both sides of the border, as our agricultural sectors are heavily integrated and, to a large extent, rely upon one another for each other’s success.

“No heated rhetoric nor inflammatory remark could possibly represent the positive sentiment that American and Canadian farmers share for each other’s nation. We urge our respective officials to engage in positive discourse that protects the strong trade ties that benefit American and Canadian farmers alike.”



NFU Highlights Positives of Senate Ag Farm Bill, Makes Recommendations on Amendments at Committee Level

In advance of Wednesday’s Senate Agriculture Committee markup of the 2018 Farm Bill, National Farmers Union (NFU) highlighted positives in the current draft of the bill and sent vote recommendations on amendments to members of the committee.

“Farmers Union appreciates the hard work that Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Stabenow, members of the committee and their staff put into creating this farm bill,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “This bill has many encouraging provisions that promote good stewardship, farm sustainability, and diverse markets in agriculture. As the bill progresses, we’ll work to ensure family farmers have the support they need to weather these turbulent times in agriculture.”

Johnson highlighted aspects of the legislation that promote the long-term sustainability of family farms and ranches. The current version of the bill preserves total funding for the conservation title and the Rural Energy for America Program, which are critical to many farm operations.

“Sustainability is critical for family farm productivity and the health of rural communities now and for generations to come,” said Johnson. “While we’re disappointed in funding cuts to EQIP and CSP, we’re encouraged by reforms that will make it easier for farmers to access these critical programs while also maximizing their environmental benefits.”

Johnson applauded the committee’s work to support diverse markets for family farmers. The bill provides mandatory funding for local and value-added programs, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer programs, organic programs, and trade promotion programs that had previously been subject to farm bill expiration.

“The increased investments in these programs and the certainty that comes with them will help farmers and ranchers access new markets that help them diversify their operations, improve their profitability and meet consumer demands,” he said.

Johnson said NFU also appreciates several other provisions that help support farmers through the current economic and socioeconomic difficulties, including authorization of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, support for community-based responses to the opioid epidemic, and an additional $100 million investment in the dairy safety net.

NFU’s recommendations to members of the Senate Agriculture Committee focused on amendments that will be considered during Wednesday’s committee markup of the bill. The family farm organization would also like to see significant investment in the farm safety net consistent with the significant decline in farm prices and the farm economy since the last farm bill was passed.

“We urge the committee to explore the possibility of securing additional resources to cope with negative impacts of these ongoing trade disputes,” wrote Johnson.

Farmers and farm advocates interested in advocating a strong farm bill are encouraged to visit 2018FarmBill.org to learn more about the farm bill and information on how to contact members of Congress.



Fed Heifer Marketings Surge over Last 6 Weeks
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Cattle slaughter surged over the last 6 weeks with weekly slaughter over 650,000 head every week since the first of May, except the Memorial Day shortened week. Total cattle slaughter is up about 9 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Much of the year-over-year increase in slaughter is from heifers.

Fed heifer slaughter is up about 17 percent over the last six weeks, using the daily slaughter data and estimating the first two weeks of June. Going back to the first of April fed heifer slaughter is up about 16 percent compared to a year ago. Weekly slaughter levels were the largest since May 2013.

Steer, heifer, beef cow, and dairy cow slaughter tend to have their own different seasonal pattern. These depend, in large part, on seasonal production patterns. Beef cow culling tends to climb in late Spring-early Summer then peaks in Fall. Dairy cow culling bottoms out in summer. Looking at the last few years, heifer slaughter tended to be at it's seasonal low from about May-July at the same time steer slaughter hit it's seasonal high.

Summer seasonal lows in heifer slaughter over the last few years reflects cow herd expansion. Fewer heifer calves were sent to feedlots as they were kept to enter the herd. The seasonality of heifer slaughter is likely changing as the herd size has recovered from the drought and expansion is slowing. More heifer calves and feeders are available to go to feedlots because more were born and fewer are needed for herd replacement.

The Cattle on Feed report each quarter includes a breakout estimate of the number of steers and heifers on feed. The April Cattle on Feed report indicated that there were 14 percent more heifers on feed than the year before. That estimate is not far off the growth in heifer slaughter, year-over-year in the April-early June period. While the number of heifers on feed has been very large compared to the last few years, it is about the same as the number on feed, on average, over the 2007-2012 period before the drought and during the herd adjustments to ethanol fueled feed costs. The July Cattle on Feed report will provide the next estimate of the number of heifers in feedlots.

In the face of surging heifer and all cattle slaughter, fed cattle prices rebounded last week, up from about $110 to about $114 per cwt. Exports continue to boom while some market refueling from the Memorial Day holiday weekend is moving beef in the domestic market.



Enogen® corn from Syngenta has agreements with 30+ plants with combined capacity of 3 billion gallons

Syngenta today announced that, it has agreements in place with more than 30 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of approximately 3 billion gallons. As new plants come on board, Syngenta expects ethanol produced with Enogen® corn enzyme technology to be approximately 2.5 billion gallons during 2018 alone.

Enogen corn is an in-seed innovation available exclusively from Syngenta and features the first biotech corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production. Enogen corn is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance because of the value it delivers to ethanol producers and the opportunity it provides corn growers to be enzyme suppliers for their local ethanol plants.

“Enogen corn is adding value for ethanol plants, corn growers and rural communities,” said Jeff Oestmann, head, Bio-fuels Operations – Enogen at Syngenta. “Across a growing number of ethanol plants, Enogen corn is helping to fuel enzyme innovation.”

The robust alpha amylase enzyme in Enogen grain significantly reduces the viscosity of corn mash and eliminates the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme. This breakthrough reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield potential, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, electricity and water usage. Enogen corn also enables ethanol plants to gain corn market knowledge from mid-year corn estimates.

Farmers who grow Enogen corn are eligible to earn an additional premium per Enogen bushel. During 2018, Enogen corn is expected to generate approximately $28.5 million of additional revenue for local growers contracting with plants using Enogen grain through per-bushel premiums. Numerous trials have shown that Enogen hybrids perform equal to or better than other high-performing corn hybrids.

“Syngenta is committed to the success of the U.S. ethanol industry and to helping ethanol plants adopt the best enzyme strategy,” Oestmann added. “We are proud to have made a significant investment to bring this game-changing technology to market. Enogen corn is helping to make ethanol more sustainable and is helping ethanol producers to differentiate their offerings while supporting their local communities by keeping enzyme dollars local.”