Friday August 24 Cattle on Feed Report + Ag News

NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 8 PERCENT

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.33 million cattle on feed on August 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 8 percent from last year. Placements during July totaled 400,000 head, up 4 percent from 2017. Fed cattle marketings for the month of July totaled 460,000 head, up 3 percent from last year. Other disappearance during July totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.



IOWA CATTLE ON FEED REPORT

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 700,000 head on August 1, 2018, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 1 percent from July 1, 2018, but up 8 percent from August 1, 2017. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 470,000 head on feed, down 6 percent from last month but unchanged from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,170,000 head, down 3 percent from last month but up 4 percent from last year.

Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during July totaled 66,000 head, down 14 percent from last month but up 10 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 47,000 head, up 2 percent from last month and up 18 percent from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 113,000 head, down 8 percent from last month but up 13 percent from last year.

Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during July totaled 74,000 head, down 13 percent from last month and down 6 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 75,000 head, up 1 percent from last month but down 3 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 149,000 head, down 6 percent from last month and down 4 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.



United States Cattle on Feed Up 5 Percent
   
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on August 1, 2018. The inventory was 5 percent above August 1, 2017. This is the highest August 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.

On Feed - By State (mil. hd - % Aug 1 '17)
Colorado .......:               890          101           
Iowa .............:                700          108           
Kansas ..........:              2,230          102         
Nebraska ......:              2,330          108         
Oklahoma .....:                315          100          
Texas ............:              2,720          103      

Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.74 million head, 8 percent above 2017. Net placements were 1.68 million head. During July, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 410,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 290,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 415,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 367,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 175,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 85,000 head.

Placements by State (mil. hd - % July '17)
Colorado .......:                 140           122             
Iowa .............:                   66           110            
Kansas ..........:                  465           108         
Nebraska ......:                  400           104          
Oklahoma .....:                    45           110                
Texas ............:                  385           101              

Marketings of fed cattle during July totaled 1.87 million head, 5 percent above 2017.  Other disappearance totaled 63,000 head during July, 31 percent above 2017.

Marketings by State  (mil. hd - % July '17)
Colorado .......:                  170           106            
Iowa .............:                    74            94              
Kansas ..........:                  465           108           
Nebraska ......:                  460           103          
Oklahoma .....:                    43            86        
Texas ............:                  390           100         



LENRD approves a lower tax levy for fiscal year 2019

The 2019 fiscal year budget for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) once again calls for a lower tax levy.

The operating budget was approved by the board of directors at their August 23rd meeting with a tax request of $4,272,728.  The budget of all expenditures shows a 6.39% decrease of $451,300 from last year.

The estimated levy, based on the property tax request, is 2.314 cents per $100 of valuation, which is a slight decrease from the fiscal year 2018 levy of 2.327 cents per $100 of valuation.  For example, if a person owns a $100,000 house, the taxes owed to the LENRD would have been $23.27 in 2018, and will be approximately $23.14 in 2019.

LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “It’s becoming more difficult to continue decreasing the tax levy year after year.  This is the 7th year in a row for a decrease in property tax asking.  Last year, we reached a historic low with the lowest tax levy in 45 years.  Even with the 0% increase this year, we are expanding our public awareness of our 12 responsibilities and have more projects and programs on the table to meet the challenges of natural resources management head on.”

The funds received by the LENRD are returned to the citizens of the district, through projects, programs, and studies across all or parts of 15-counties in northeast Nebraska.  Some of these conservation benefits include:  water quality and quantity programs such as groundwater management, flood control, and nitrate management; as well as erosion control, cost-share to landowners who apply for conservation practices, recreation areas and trails, urban recreation and community forestry programs, and many other benefits that protect our natural resources.  A copy of the budget documents can be found at:  www.lenrd.org/funding-budget/.  



Survey of Orange Gall Midge in Nebraska: A Potential Pest of Soybeans
Justin McMechan - NE Extension Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist

Since late June, orange gall midge (also known as soybean gall midge) has shown up in a number of soybean fields in eastern Nebraska. This insect was first reported in Nebraska in 2011 and has was initially considered as a secondary pest of soybeans, occurring on previously damaged or disease-comprised soybean plants. This year it showed up much earlier than in previous years. The field distribution of plant damage, number of maggot per soybean plant, and absence of disease in some cases has raised concerns about its status as a pest.

Over the past few weeks, scattered reports have come in from fields in a number of counties in eastern Nebraska. As a result, a survey was initiated to determine the distribution and extent of symptomology in soybean fields. Fields were sampled at random approximately every 10 miles in counties with no reports of field issues. If a field showed symptoms of dead or dying plants, it was investigated for the presence of the maggot.

Counties where the orange gall midge were confirmed present in this summer's survey include Cedar, Dixon, Pierce, Wayne, Cuming, Boone, Colfax, Dodge, Washington, Saunders, Sarpy, Lancaster, Cass, Otoe, Nemaha, and Richardson. 

A number of observations were made through the survey. In many cases, heavily damaged fields were adjacent to corn fields that had been planted to soybeans the previous year. Distribution of damage from the field edge was also commonly associated with uncut bromegrass. Bromegrass may serve as a suitable mating site for the adults. Such information is purely observational, and research is underway to understand what factors might increase the risk of orange gall midge infestation and damage to soybean.

Most of the soybean crops in Nebraska are in the late R5 to R6 stage. As we near harvest, we recommend growers prioritize harvest of damaged fields due to the increased risk of lodging because of weakened stems.



Cover Crop, Adaptive Grazing Program Sept. 5 

Allen Williams, a sixth generation family farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Beef and Grass Fed Insights, will lead a program on Grazing for Soil Health  Sept. 5 in Fullerton. The program is free, but registrations are required by Aug. 30.

The program will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Loup River Inn at 26646 S. 555th St. Doors will open at 8 a.m.

Williams will address the integration of cover crops, adaptive grazing, how to build soil health in five years, pastured protein production, and pastured genetics and epigenetics.

Refreshments and lunch are included. Register online at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/boone-nance or by calling 308-536-2691 or 308-536-2456 extension 3.

The event is sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nebraska Extension, Lower Loup Natural Resources District, Central Platte Natural Resources District, and the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District.



Nebraska Corn offers flex fuel infrastructure grants, urges EPA to maintain RFS commitment

The Nebraska Corn Board is committed to expanding corn markets for farmers and offering motorists a greater selection of clean-burning, home-grown fuel options. The Board recently allocated funds in its 2018-2019 fiscal year budget to help further develop the renewable fuel infrastructure in the state.

Through this grant program, fuel retailers have access to funds up to $50,000 to be applied towards the installation of flex fuel pumps. Flex fuel pumps, also known as blender pumps, make it easier for retailers to offer higher blends of American Ethanol, which are locally produced, less expensive, cleaner burning and provide higher octane ratings to consumers. The grants can be used on the costs of the pumps themselves or other necessary equipment or hardware needed to offer higher blends of ethanol fuel. By offering increased ethanol blends, fueling stations have a competitive advantage in the marketplace and are able to better serve the growing number of motorists driving flex fuel vehicles.

Currently, E-15 (a 15 percent ethanol blend) can be used in flex fuel vehicles year-round and in vehicles model year 2001 and newer between September 16 to May 31. These vehicles include cars, light-duty trucks and SUVs. Higher blends of ethanol, such as E-30 (up to 30 percent ethanol) or E-85 (up to 85 percent ethanol), are approved for flex fuel vehicles only.

“Over 240,000 Nebraskans drive flex fuel vehicles and more than 90 percent of vehicles on the road are 2001 models and newer,” said Tim Scheer, Nebraska Corn Board director and farmer from St. Paul. “These motorists have access to over 100 stations across the state that offer higher blends of ethanol, and we want to see this number grow. Through our grant program, we’re offering funds to retailers to help improve flex fuel infrastructure across the state.”

Grants dollars are available on a first come, first served basis. Once funding is exhausted, retailers will be placed on a waiting list and considered for future projects, should additional funding become available.

“Nebraska is the second largest ethanol producer in the country, and it makes sense to use a locally-produced product that’s environmentally friendly and saves consumers money,” said Roger Berry, director of market development with the Nebraska Corn Board. “We look forward to working with fuel retailers to help improve their infrastructure to offer more options to motorists.”

In addition to helping local retailers, the Nebraska corn industry is working to maintain and enhance ethanol policy nationally. On August 17, the Nebraska Corn Board and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demanding a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and encouraged growth in cellulosic, advanced and total renewable fuel volumes for 2019.

The EPA has proposed 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels, mainly corn ethanol, to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, which is equal to the 2018 RFS mandate and consistent with the volume requirement intended by Congress. Additionally, the EPA proposed growth in the cellulosic, advanced and total renewable fuel volumes. While these projected numbers are encouraging to Nebraska’s corn farmers, recent actions by the EPA have led to skepticism.

“When Congress expanded the RFS in 2007, our nation’s corn farmers responded to the growing market for locally-produced ethanol and have increased production efficiency to meet the RFS goals of moving the U.S. towards greater energy independence and security,” said Berry. “However, after the EPA granted extensive retroactive exceptions to 48 refineries for 2016 and 2017 obligations, 2.25 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons were lost. That’s substantial when we’re on pace for another record corn crop. Our farmers are doing their part to produce a cleaner-burning, domestic fuel. We’re also helping with retail infrastructure to make renewable fuels more available to consumers. We expect the EPA to live up to their end of the deal.”

For more information on the Nebraska Corn Board’s flex fuel pump infrastructure program, or to request an application, contact Berry at roger.berry@nebraska.gov or 402-471-CORN.



USDA Extends Deadline for Comments

The Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska organization are supporting the decision of the USDA to extend the public comment period for a recent petition to stop imported meat from being mislabeled ‘Product of the USA’ after moving through USDA-inspected processing plants.

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and the American Grassfed Association (AGA) filed the petition on June 12, 2018, which would reinstate the original Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) definition of ‘Product of the USA’. This definition is based on the origin of the ingredients being labeled.

When mandatory Country of Origin labeling was repealed in 2015, meatpacking corporations from around the world began abusing the label by branding meat and meat products from foreign countries as ‘Product of USA’ after moving them through USDA-inspected processing plants.

This policy change received mostly positive comments from as many as 2,000 farm and food-based organizations, including National Farmers Union, National Family Farm Coalition, and U.S. Cattlemen’s Association; more than 50 members of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, including Farm Aid and Union of Concerned Scientists; policy and community organizations, including the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Western Organization of Resource Councils; United Food and Commercial Workers, a leading labor organization; The Humane Society of the United States, a leading animal welfare organization, and businesses including Natural Grocers and Strauss Brands.

Positive comments have also been received from individual farmers and consumers.

A few negative comments have been received from multinational meatpacking corporations which profit from misusing the label by misbranding meat and meat products from foreign countries as ‘Product of USA’.

In a video posted on OCM’s Facebook page, consumers display disappointment over the mislabeling of the origin of meat as they are told the ‘Product of USA’ label does not necessarily mean the meat products are USA products.

ICON joins with the OCM to encourage everyone to file comments before the September 17, 2018 deadline. OCM is a national organization working for open and competitive markets and fair trade in America’s food and agricultural sectors.



Fifth Graders Get Up-Close Look at Agriculture at Ag Festival

More than 400 fifth graders from 18 classrooms in Northeast Nebraska gained firsthand experience on where their food, fiber, and fuel come from by attending the Growing Potential Ag Festival in Wisner, Neb., on August 22 and 23.

The annual festival is put together by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation and the Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers Association, with more than 25 sponsors coming together to help put on the successful event. The Wisner-Pilger FFA Chapter also volunteered at the event.

“With both of our organizations having an interest in agriculture and our next generation of leaders, we were excited to offer this event for a second year and for local kids to learn about Nebraska’s number one industry,” said Courtney Schaardt, director of education outreach.

Students made their way around nine learning stations that covered different aspects of agriculture. At one station, the fifth graders discovered the process of irrigation and how important water conservation is to farmers and ranchers. Other activities included learning about the different careers in agriculture, exploring the machinery farmers use to plant and harvest corn, how farmers care for the land, along with the importance of ethanol in Nebraska.

“Agriculture means everything to Nebraska and is a staple in our community,” Chet Beckmann, fifth-grade teacher from Wisner-Pilger Public School, said. “It’s great to have a field trip where the kids are always moving and engaging with the different speakers and stations. The kids are able to ask questions and learn about subjects that they don’t know about.”

The festival expanded to two days in order to accommodate more students. Schools participated from towns across Northeast Nebraska including West Point, Wayne, Wisner, Hartington, Ponca, Pender, and South Sioux City.

“We are excited that this is the second year that we can provide this opportunity to Northeast Nebraska schools,” said Taylor Nelson, a member of the Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “It was great to see all of these agriculture groups join together to teach their communities about all of the aspects of agriculture. We thank them for sharing their time and their resources.”

Sponsors include Premier Sponsor: Kaup Seed and Fertilizer; Gold Sponsors: Albers, Feedlot, Charter West Bank, Citizens State Bank, Dekalb, Farmers Coop, Keiser Ag & Irrigation, Pender Implement, Pioneer, Siouxland Ethanol, Stine, Summit Ag, Zoetis; Silver Sponsors: Allegiant Seed, Channel, Croplan, Farm Credit Services of America, Fontanelle, Golden Harvest, Hefty Seeds, Hogemeyer, LG Seed, Mycogen, Pinnacle Bank; Bronze Sponsors: Midwest Bank, Seitec. Volunteers for the event included Nebraska Farm Bureau, Lindsay Corporation, American Coalition for Ethanol, Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers, and KTIC (Rural Radio Network).

The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit www.nefbfoundation.org. 




Farm Finance and Ag Law Clinics this September 

Openings are available for one-on-one, confidential farm finance and ag law consultations being conducted across the state each month. An experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor will be available to address farm and ranch issues related to financial planning, estate and transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, water rights, and other relevant matters. The clinics offer an opportunity to seek an experienced outside opinion on issues affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Sites and Dates
    Norfolk — Tuesday, September 4
    Grand Island - Thursday, September 6
    North Platte — Thursday, September 13
    Fairbury — Friday, September 14
    Norfolk — Tuesday, September 18
    Lexington — Thursday, September 20

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska sponsor these clinics.



Watershed planning assistance available for four watersheds

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is seeking four watersheds to participate in a watershed planning project. The goal of the project is to assist Iowa HUC-12 (Hydrologic Unit Code) watersheds in creating watershed plans for improved water and soil quality. Each plan will build readiness for implementation of conservation farming practices that improve soil and water quality in the watersheds. 

“Watershed planning helps guide stakeholders and farmers through a collaborative process at the watershed scale,” said Karl Gesch, watershed coordinator and resource management specialist at ISA. “The planning includes individual on-farm conservation assessments to identify opportunities for conservation practices like cover crops, bioreactors, saturated buffers and more.”

The watershed planning process begins with establishment of a watershed advisory group who will provide local input and feedback over the duration of the process. ISA staff will conduct watershed and individual on-farm assessments, as well as gather and input data to determine opportunities for soil and water improvement within the watershed. The information gathered will lay the foundation for long-term implementation of the right conservation practices in the best locations.

“This is a great opportunity for farmers, landowners and other stakeholders to begin working towards improving local water quality and soil health in a coordinated way,” said Gesch. “Watershed planning often leads to increased funding for additional conservation practices that farmers and landowners can adopt such as cover crops, reduced tillage or bioreactors.”

Watersheds should be no larger than one HUC-12, which is typically around 20,000 acres. To qualify, there should be some level of local interest in improving water quality through the implementation of conservation practices. Watersheds that have completed watershed plans may be more likely to receive funding for conservation practices.

An example of this is the Eagle Creek watershed in Wright County. Tim Smith is a farmer and landowner in the watershed and was involved in the watershed planning process.

“The watershed approach is important because it involves farmers and gives farmers ownership of the outcomes,” said Smith. “Because funding isn’t always available, watershed planning allows farmers to use what funding is available and apply it to places where it will do the most good.”

To nominate a watershed, contact Karl Gesch at kgesch@iasoybeans.com or 515-334-1047 by September 30, 2018. Watershed plans will be completed by the summer of 2020. This project and the watershed assessment and planning activities are supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under number agreement NR186114XXXXC004.



 Pro Farmer Pegs Nat'l Corn Estimate At 177.3 BPA, Soybeans At 53 BPA

After examining more than 2,800 corn and soybean samples, Pro Farmer analysts are estimating national corn yield will reach 177.3 bu. per acre and soybean yield at 53.0 bu. per acre. They put corn just below USDA’s Aug. 1 estimate of 178.4 bu. per acre and soybeans 1.4 bu. above USDA’s 51.6 bu. per acre estimate.

Pro Farmer gives a range for their estimates, plus or minus 1% on corn and plus or minus 2% on soybeans. That puts corn at 175.5 to 179.1 bu. per acre range and soybeans at 51.9 to 54.1 bu. per acre range.

“The 178.4 that USDA delivered as of Aug. 1 is inside of the range that Pro Farmer estimated,” says Pro Farmer's Chip Flory. “[USDA has] soybeans at 51.6, which is three-tenths of a bushel below the low end of the range Pro Farmer estimated.”

If Pro Farmer’s estimates of 177.3 bu. per acre and 53 bu. per acre prove correct, it puts total U.S. corn production at 14.501 billion bu. and soybean production at 4.683 billion bu. That’s a about 500 million bu. fewer of corn, and 90 million more bu. of soybeans than USDA predicted on Aug. 1. Note, Pro Farmer assumes a 500,000-acre reduction in soybeans versus the June acreage report.

Throughout this past week, Pro Farmer scout visited Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. Most states showed mature crops with little room for yield growth or loss, parts of Iowa and much of Minnesota did show less maturity—likely due to delayed planting. When establishing its estimates, Pro Farmer assumes normal weather through the remainder of the growing season.

“The big difference between this year and last year is that there’s no new growth out there,” Flory says. “There’s no blooms, or very few blooms. We’re not going to continuously add to this bean crop this year like we did last year. I think that story is even more true on corn.”

“Throughout the first three days of Crop Tour, we saw average to above average kernel depth. If we finish the crop strong, [fields with limited stress] will hold together and have a positive opportunity for good test weights,” says Emily Carolan, Pioneer territory sales representative in Wisconsin and data analyst for the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour. However, when she got into Minnesota corn kernel depth was lacking.

“One comment I would make about the whole tour is we normally find storm damages throughout our routes [but] this year was different,” Carolan says. “The storms were widespread and frequently causing (sic.) a lot of green snap and hail damage. We always see damage in in Nebraska, but to see the damages in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota, it will take a toll on yield in those states.”

While it might not have a huge effect on yield, she says they had to take weather damages into account when calculating final yield. Find more in-depth discussion about what leaders saw throughout the tour here at ProFarmer.com/crop-tour.



NPPC PUSHES FOR ACTION TO PREVENT U.S. AFRICAN SWINE FEVER OUTBREAK

With a fourth case of African Swine Fever (ASF) confirmed this week in China, the U.S. pork industry is taking steps to protect America’s pork producers. ASF is a highly contagious disease affecting only pigs and has a high mortality rate. It is endemic in many parts of the world. It’s presence in China is of particular concern because of the high volume of trade that country does with the United States and because it exports to America several goods that can harbor the ASF virus, such as amino acids, minerals, vitamins and soybean cakes.

If the United States were to get the disease, U.S. pork export markets would close immediately. Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes estimates ASF would cost the pork industry $8 billion in the first year of an outbreak.

The National Pork Producers Council is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspections, to communicate the risks to livestock feed importers and to prevent the virus from entering the country via Chinese feed products. To help in those efforts, NPPC is asking as part of the 2018 Farm Bill for $30 million for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which does animal disease diagnostics, and $70 million in block grants for state animal-health agencies for efforts to prevent diseases, in addition to $150 million for a Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank.



FMCSA SEEKING COMMENT ON HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULES

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week announced it is seeking public comment on revising current Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules for commercial truck drivers. The FMCSA request comes in response to congressional, industry and public concerns about the incompatibility of current HOS rules for industry-specific truck drivers, including livestock haulers. The public comment period will be open for 30 days.

The four specific areas under consideration for revision are: expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty; extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions; revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after eight hours of continuous driving; and reinstating the option for splitting the required 10-hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating trucks that are equipped with a sleeper-berth compartment.

NPPC continues to seek a limited exemption for livestock haulers from the DOT’s Dec. 18, 2017, Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. A fiscal 2018 federal spending law delayed the ELD mandate for livestock truckers until Oct. 1, 2018. The DOT is considering NPPC’s request for an exemption while also developing additional regulatory options for livestock haulers, which would provide increased flexibility within the rules to address highway safety and the specific animal welfare requirements of livestock haulers.