Monday July 30 Ag News

Youth Learn, Compete in Crop Scouting Contest 

Four teams honed their crop scouting skills while vying for top honors in the fifth annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska Youth Thursday at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead. Teams of students who had completed 5-12th grades completed a written knowledge test and seven crop scouting exercises in field plots.

The contest is to help students learn crop scouting and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans in Nebraska, to obtain knowledge and skills that will be helpful in future careers, and to demonstrate newer crop scouting technologies.

Winners were:
First place – Colfax County 4-H (Logan Nelson, Brad Kratochvil, Austin Steffensmeier and Korbin Kudera)

Second place – Kornhusker Kids 4-H Club of Cuming County (Payton and Levi Schiller, Matthew and James Rolf and Kaleb Hasenkamp)

Third place – Humphrey FFA Team No. 2 (Mikayla Martensen, Bryce Classen, Jacob Brandl, and Wyatt Wegener)

The top-scoring teams won prizes of $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. The top two teams will represent Nebraska at the regional competition held in Nebraska in late August.

Also participating was the Fillmore Central FFA with Carson and Brock Tatro, KayLynn Sieber, Kaylea Geiser and Gunner Gewecke.

Teams were expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields, including crop staging; patterns of crop injury; and disease, insect and weed seedling identification.

More information about the crop scouting competition is available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth under the link for "Crop Scouting Competition.”

This program was sponsored by DuPont Pioneer, the Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, and Farm Credit Services of America in collaboration with Nebraska Extension. If you or a company you know would be interested in sponsoring the 2019 program, please contact brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.



Ricketts Announces Rural Broadband Task Force Members

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced representatives to serve on the Rural Broadband Task Force.  The task force will review issues related to availability, adoption, and affordability of broadband services in rural areas of Nebraska and make recommendations to the Legislature. 

“While Nebraska has rightly earned a reputation as the Silicon Prairie, we have more work to do to ensure that every part of the state has access to broadband to grow businesses, support smart farming, and to improve access to health care and educational opportunities,” said Governor Ricketts.

Governor Ricketts has appointed the following members to the task force:
·     Andrew Buker, Omaha, Executive Director of Infrastructure Services, Information Technology Services, University of Nebraska (representing Nebraska postsecondary educational institutions)
·     Ron Cone, Kearney, Director of Network Information Services, ESU 10 (representing rural schools offering kindergarten through grade twelve)
·     Isaiah Graham, St. Paul, Vice President, Homestead Bank (representing the Nebraska business community)
·     Zachary Hunnicutt, Giltner, corn, popcorn, and soybean farmer, Hunnicutt Farms (representing agribusiness)
·     Timothy Lindahl, Sidney, CEO/General Manager, Wheat Belt Public Power District (representing the public power industry)
·     Tom Shoemaker, Cambridge, President, Pinpoint Communications, Inc. (representing the regulated wireline telecommunications industry)
·     Daniel Spray, Norfolk, Owner, Precision Technology, Inc. (representing the wireless telecommunications industry)
·     Anna Turman, Hay Springs, CEO, Chadron Community Hospital and Health Services (representing health care providers)

Other members of the 14-member task force include Ed Toner, Chief Information Officer for the State of Nebraska and Chair of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, who will act as Chair of the Rural Broadband Task Force; Mary Ridder, Chair, Nebraska Public Service Commission; Dave Rippe, Director, Nebraska Department of Economic Development; Steve Wellman, Director, Nebraska Department of Agriculture; Senator Curt Friesen, District 34, Chair, Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, Nebraska Legislature; and Senator Bruce Bostelman, District 23, Nebraska Legislature.

“With broadband available to 89 percent of Nebraskans, but only 66 percent of rural Nebraskans, Nebraska is facing a rural-urban digital divide,” said Toner.  “I welcome the opportunity to work with key stakeholders on the Rural Broadband Task Force to improve broadband availability in Nebraska.”

The task force was created by LB 994, which was passed 48-0-1 by the Legislature and signed by Governor Ricketts on April 17.  The bill was introduced by Senator Curt Friesen, chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.  The task force will submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by Nov. 1, 2019.



Christensen Joins ISU Extension and Outreach as Farm Management Specialist

Tim Christensen has joined Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as a farm management specialist.

Christensen, who has worked at Iowa State as an agricultural specialist since 2015, will cover the counties of Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon and Guthrie for ISU Extension and Outreach.

“I am very excited to be working with a talented team of farm management specialists,” Christensen said. “I am looking forward to getting out and meeting and working with people in the ag industry in west central Iowa.”

Christensen joins a team of eight farm management specialists located throughout Iowa who deliver the latest in research-based information on farm financial and risk management, instructions on government programs such as the farm bill and crop insurance, guidance on strategic and business planning and information on agricultural marketing tools and supply chains to farm owners and operators.

“Tim is perfectly suited for this job because he has a background that has touched on all the major agricultural markets within Iowa,” said Chad Hart, associate professor and extension economist at Iowa State. “He has worked within the co-op system, helping corn and soybean producers market their crops. He also has extensive experience in the livestock community, which is a major part of the ag industry in west central Iowa where he will be based. He has a great background of knowledge and skills to bring to the table and can help address a wide variety of producer needs.”

Prior to joining ISU Extension and Outreach Christensen was as an agriculture specialist for Iowa State University, working to monitor the health and wellbeing of Iowa State’s animals, maintaining detailed herd health records and training students and staff on animal welfare protocols.

Christensen also has experience as a location manager for Farmers Cooperative and as a group leader of vet services at Boehringer Ingelheim in Fort Dodge.

He holds a degree in animal science with a minor in commercial agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University.



Registration Open for Borlaug Dialogue Conference

Registration for the 2018 Borlaug Dialogue is open! Register now for the event in Des Moines, Iowa on October 17-19 as they convene a diverse array of scientific experts, policy leaders, business executives, development researchers and farmers to address the most critical issues in global food security.

This year's Borlaug Dialogue theme, "Rise to the Challenge," refers to the challenge of sustainably and nutritiously feeding the more than nine billion people who will be on our planet by 2050. The 2018 Laureates, Drs. Lawrence Haddad and David Nabarro, have risen to the challenge by championing maternal and child nutrition.

Registration for our 2018 events includes access to engaging Symposium plenary sessions, two Symposium luncheons and a breakfast, the Borlaug Field Award Presentation and Reception at the spectacular Hall of Laureates, informative exhibits, networking opportunities and more. The Symposium culminates with the 2018 World Food Prize Laureate Luncheon honoring Drs. Lawrence Haddad and David Nabarro as the 2018 Laureates.



U.S. Grains Council Hosts 58th Annual Board Of Delegates Meeting In Denver

Members, delegates and global staff from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) have gathered in Denver for the organization's 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting, starting Monday and running through Wednesday.

“We gather at this meeting to discuss the dynamic and developing environment for global grains trade as well as demand opportunities for feed grains and their co-products around the world,” said Deb Keller, USGC chairman and farmer from Iowa. “Our goal is always to better understand agriculture’s role in world trade and how to maintain good working relationships with our international trading partners while we explore new export frontiers.”

Ambassador Carla Hills, former U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and now head of a trade-focused consulting firm, will address the group during the first general session on Monday. She will be joined by Zhenglin Wei, counselor for Agricultural, Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China; Dan Pearson, former chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission; and Erich Kuss, director of USDA’s Agricultural Trade Office in Mexico City. Farmers for Free Trade Executive Director Brian Kuehl will also speak Monday on building the American consensus for trade.

USGC Advisory Teams will also meet on Monday, and commodity sectors will meet on Tuesday, to discuss issues of importance in their areas of focus. Tuesday's general sessions will highlight the organization’s work in Middle East markets and the growing world market for ethanol. The Council will hold its business meeting on Wednesday.

“Our theme – Friends and Frontiers – is timely, as we discuss how to strengthen relationships with key international trading partners while addressing challenges that have come before agriculture markets in recent months,” Keller said.

“This meeting highlights the critical trade efforts the Council is engaging in around the world as we better understand what must be done to continue building global demand for our products.”

More from the meeting will be available on social media, using the hashtag #grains18.



In Argentina, Perdue Welcomes U.S. Pork Back to Market

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today celebrated the reintroduction of American pork products to the Argentine market after more than 20 years by slicing a ten pound honey baked ham.

“The U.S. is the world’s third largest pork producer and a top exporter,” Secretary Perdue said. “This new market is a big victory for American farmers and ranchers. I am confident that once the people of Argentina get a taste of American pork products, they will only want more. This is a great day for our agriculture community and an example of how the Trump Administration is committed to supporting our producers by opening new markets for their products.”

The return of U.S. pork products to Argentina was sealed during Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Buenos Aires. Technical staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative have been working with Argentina’s Ministry  on the terms of the agreement that are practical, science-based and consistent with relevant international animal health standards.

As President Trump and President Macri agreed in a Joint Statement in April 2017 in Washington, both countries are committed to further expansion of agricultural trade between the United States and Argentina.



CWT Assists with 15.4 Million Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture contracts to sell 908,305 pounds (412 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese and 14.495 million pounds (6,575 metric tons) of whole milk powder going to customers in Asia and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from August through December 2018.

CWT-assisted member cooperative 2018 export sales total 45.446 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 12.085 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 27.106 million pounds of whole milk powder to 29 countries on five continents. These sales are the equivalent of 889.245 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Totals have been adjusted due to cancellations.

This activity reflects CWT management beginning the process of implementing the strategic plan approved by the CWT Committee in March. The changes will enhance the effectiveness of the program and facilitate member export opportunities.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program in the long term helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



U.S. Grain Exports Up at St. Lawrence Seaway

United States grain exports via the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 32.1 percent this season compared to 2017.

Construction materials were also heavily influential in the latest results with a nearly 38 percent increase in asphalt from the same time last year, as well as increases in cement and stone.

"Summer is the season for construction projects and ships have been delivering materials for major building projects across the region," says Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. "U.S. grain exports are also up this season and illustrate the importance of marine transportation to so many of America's economic sectors.

"This was underlined by a new study released last week showing Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping supports 147,500 jobs and $25.6 billion in economic activity in United States."

Overall cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway between March 29 and June 30 totaled 12.1 million metric tons, down by 2 percent compared to the same period in 2017.

The slight decrease is due to the later and slower start of the season and a decline in salt shipments.

Year-to-date U.S. grain shipments via the Seaway (between March 29 and June 30) totaled 681,000 metric tons, up 32.1 percent compared to the same period in 2017.

Liquid bulk shipments, which include petroleum and asphalt products among others, totaled 1.8 million metric tons.