Thursday August 23 Ag News

Nebraska Delegation Complete Successful Trade Mission to Mexico

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts and his trade delegation completed a successful, three-day trade mission to Mexico City.  Members of the 25-person trade delegation represented Nebraska agriculture, agribusinesses, higher education, and economic development.  During the trade mission, the delegation thanked Mexico for trade in the past, expressed hope for a new trade deal in the near future, and explored opportunities to expand exports of both agricultural and manufacturing products from the United States and Nebraska.

“Mexico is Nebraska’s second-largest agricultural export market, so it presents tremendous opportunities for producers and businesses in the state,” said Governor Ricketts.  “This trade mission was focused on promoting our brand, identifying new business opportunities, and strengthening relationships with our existing customers.  The mission gave us a big step up in expanding Nebraska’s brand in this important market as well as a great opportunity to say thank you to our neighbor and one of our best customers.”

Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Steve Wellman, who accompanied Governor Ricketts on the trade mission, stressed the importance of growing agricultural trade opportunities in Mexico.

“This trade mission was designed to promote Nebraska agriculture, and the delegation represented key commodity groups in the state,” said Director Wellman.  “When state leaders and commodity groups come together like this, it shows the world that Nebraska values agriculture, recognizes the importance of trade, and is a great place to do business.”

Upon arriving in Mexico City, the delegation met with several business leaders at a luncheon hosted by Eugenio Madero, CEO of Rassini, a major manufacturing company.  Following the luncheon, the U.S. Embassy hosted a staff briefing and reception giving the Nebraska delegates an opportunity to discuss issues with Embassy staff.

On day two of the trade mission, the delegation toured the Preferred Popcorn-owned facility outside of Mexico City and attended meetings with the Governor of the State of Mexico and other government officials.  The U.S. Grains Council hosted a briefing and luncheon for the delegation that was attended by representatives from all the major associations who are current customers that are purchasing agricultural products from Nebraska.

In the evening, Governor Ricketts and the delegation attended a reception at the U.S. Embassy’s Residence with more than 100 Mexican industry and government representatives in attendance.

Day three included a tour of SENASICA (the National Service for Agroalimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality and counterpart of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).  The delegation had a breakfast meeting with SENASICA officials and lunch with U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) members and Comecarne Mexican meat industry members and importers.

“Nebraska is an agricultural state, so expanding export opportunities and new international partnerships is key to future growth,” said Governor Ricketts.  “My Council for International Relations released a plan recently which named Mexico as one of several countries that Nebraska is focusing on to increase exports and identify new business opportunities.  This trade mission was a key step in putting that plan into action.”

“Nebraska agricultural products are known around the world for quality and competitive prices, and we want to continue to bolster the success of the state’s biggest industry by expanding opportunities in growing markets like Mexico,” said Director Wellman.  “In 2016, total agricultural exports from Nebraska to Mexico equaled an estimated $956 million out of a total agriculture export value of $6.4 billion.” 

The delegation included the following organizations: Nebraska Governor’s Office, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Soybean Association, Nebraska Beef Council, Nebraska Sorghum Board, Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, Nebraska Pork Producers, Nebraska Wheat Board, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Preferred Popcorn, New Alliance Bean Co-op, Bruckman Rubber, Innovative Prosthetics, and the University of Nebraska–Omaha.



AFAN, Sand County Foundation and Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery Program to Host “Conservation in Agriculture Day” Programs August 29

Nebraska agriculture’s conservation practices and how they impact wildlife take the stage on “Conservation in Agriculture Day” Wednesday, August 29 at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.

The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) is partnering with the Sand County Foundation (SCF) and Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery program to help educate Fair goers about the Nebraska agriculture industry’s commitment to farmland stewardship and how wildlife, particularly birds, benefits from this endeavor.

“The purpose of this joint effort is to stress the importance of the relationship between good farming practices and sustainable soils as they relate to Nebraska’s wildlife,” said Kristen Hassebroook, executive director of AFAN.

The Sustainability Pavilion’s stage will feature on-the-hour presentations by Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery Project, entitled ”Raptor Recovery and Conservation in Agriculture Go Hand in Talon.” Several of the Project’s birds will be on site, including the red-tailed hawk, eastern screech owl and barn owl.

“Birds of prey such as these play an important role in our ecosystem,” says Denise Lewis, director of the  Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery Program. “It’s vital that we work closely with Nebraska’s farmers to ensure that we maintain healthy soils, so these birds can thrive into the future.”

Along with a diverse group of partners, AFAN and SCF will be co-hosting five informative tables in the Sustainability Pavilion’s Activities Tent. The participating organizations include the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Pheasants Forever, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, UNL Extension service, and Audubon Nebraska.

Craig Utter, Coordinator of Sand County Foundation’s Nebraska Leopold Award, urges Fair goers to “explore the beneficial relationship between agriculture and Nebraska’s diverse bird population,” said Craig Utter, Sand County Foundation’s coordinator of the Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award. “Join us at the interactive displays on healthy soils, water, wildlife, partnerships and stewardship.”

The Stewardship table will be staffed by Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award (NE LCA) recipients, SCF and AFAN personnel. Utter says the annual Leopold Conservation Award “recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation by private landowners.”  Two past NE LCA recipients will be present at the table to answer questions about their commitment to conservation. The 2018 NE LCA recipients Jim and Lora O’Rourke, owners and operators of the RuJoDen Ranch in Chadron, and 2012 NE LCA recipients Homer and Darla Buell, owners and operators of the Shovel Dot Ranch in Rose, near Basset, will be present at the event.



UAS WORKSHOP, DIGITAL AG MEETING PLANNED FOR SEPT. 20-21

Students, academics, industry professionals and anyone interested in digital agriculture are encouraged to attend a workshop on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on Sept. 20 and a digital agriculture all hands meeting on Sept. 21.

With growing volumes of data across the agricultural industry, the potential is vast for improved understanding of plant and animal food systems and their potential impact on the economy, environment and society. Several ongoing projects among biologists, engineers, computer scientists and allies encompass UAS systems, plant sciences and the future of education in how data is used.

The one-day UAS workshop will focus on the use of UAS systems and basic data acquisition and processing. This event will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead.

The digital agriculture all hands meeting will focus on the methodologies and technologies that enable digital agriculture, the associated data challenges, and the resulting insights into complex agricultural and agroecological systems. The meeting will be held in the Great Plains Room of the Nebraska East Union on East Campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The costs to attend the events vary by participant. Limited travel awards are available for faculty and students presenting posters at the meeting. Space is limited. To register, visit https://bigdata.unl.edu/midwest-big-data-hub-digital-ag-all-hands-meeting.

The events are being organized by the Midwest Big Data Hub Digital Agriculture Community, which is a growing network devoted to building partnerships and resources that will address emerging issues in precision agriculture, ecosystem management and services, biosciences, socio-economic impacts and data-related issues in the agricultural ecosystem. The Hub was established by the National Science Foundation in 2015.

Both events are hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Additional organizers include Iowa State University, Kansas State University, PepsiCo, PrecisionHawk, the University of Arkansas, University of North Dakota and the United States Department of Agriculture.



Record High Pork Production for July

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.24 billion pounds in July, up 6 percent from the 3.99 billion pounds produced in July 2017.

Beef production, at 2.23 billion pounds, was 6 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.77 million head, up 6 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was down 3 pounds from the previous year, at 1,330 pounds.

Veal production totaled 6.1 million pounds, 8 percent above July a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 47,800 head, up 22 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was down 27 pounds from last year, at 223 pounds.

Pork production totaled 1.99 billion pounds, up 6 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.60 million head, up 6 percent from July 2017. The average live weight was unchanged from the previous year, at 277 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 12.1 million pounds, was up 10 percent from July 2017. Sheep slaughter totaled 178,900 head, 7 percent above last year. The average live weight was 135 pounds, up 3 pounds from July a year ago.

Production by State  (million lbs - % July '17)
Nebraska ..............:           654.9            103      
Iowa .....................:           571.3            108      
Kansas ..................:           500.1            105      

January to July 2018 commercial red meat production was 30.5 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2017. Accumulated beef production was up 4 percent from last year, veal was up 1 percent, pork was up 4 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up 6 percent.



Publication Shows Benefits of End-of-Season Nitrogen Testing

Using nitrogen fertilizer and manure for corn production is a typical practice that can produce optimal yield and increased profitability. As harvest draws near and farmers begin to turn their thoughts to the next planting season, measuring the amount of nitrogen in corn stalks after maturity (black layer) can help assess the current year and help with decisions about nitrogen management in future years.

Understanding this type of nitrogen test for corn is the focus of a newly revised publication, “Use of the End-of-Season Corn Stalk Nitrate Test in Iowa Corn Production” (CROP 3154) available through the ISU Extension Store. The publication is written by John Sawyer and Antonio Mallarino, professors and extension specialists in agronomy at Iowa State University.

“This publication provides updated research on the corn stalk nitrate test to help readers understand what the research is telling us and to update the interpretations we can draw from testing,” Sawyer said. Detailed graphs in the publication provide data on the relationship between the CSNT and relative corn yield response to nitrogen.

Conducting this type of plant testing can provide valuable guidance when determining application rates and management for future corn crops.

“This test works best by indicating when there was too much available nitrogen in the soil system during the current corn crop,” Sawyer said. “It’s important for farmers to understand if they have a system that is supplying more nitrogen than needed.”

There are three categories of interpretation discussed in the publication – high, sufficient and low. Research conducted at Iowa State and in other Midwestern states has consistently shown test concentrations greater than 2,000 ppm of nitrate-nitrogen to be in the high category, and that changes can be made to application rates. Test results in the 250-2,000 ppm range indicate a sufficient nitrogen supply, while results less than 250 ppm indicate a deficient supply.

The test should be conducted for several years before making major changes to application rates or management practices. In no case does the test indicate exactly how much to change an application rate.

“Our goal in this publication is to provide updated research information on the CSNT, which will hopefully enhance use of the test,” Sawyer said.

The publication also provides clear instructions for how to sample corn stalks for the CSNT, as well as recommendations for preserving the sample and sending it to a testing lab.



Free Webinar: Turning Data into Action within Soybean Production

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and the United Soybean Board (USB) are pleased to present the final installation in a series of webinars designed to help soybean farmers understand how new technology and effective data management can help improve the sustainability of their operations.

On Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. Central Time, learn more about pairing a solid plan for managing data with the use of existing and emerging technology tools from planting, fertility and crop protection all the way to harvest from The Ohio State University’s Dr. John Fulton.

From improved input efficiency and crop production, to better stewardship, best practices in soybean production must start with valid and usable data sets. A solid plan for managing data must be paired with the use of existing and emerging tech tools from planting all the way to harvest. Fulton leads a discussion of these tools and techniques, providing farmers with ideas for moving forward with a solid data action plan.

Click here to learn more about the webinar and register to participate (https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1203472&tp_key=d557d445d2). If you are unable to participate in the live version of the webinar, a recording of this presentation will also be available for farmers to download here after the event (https://soygrowers.com/webinars/). Find the whole series of technology webinars on ASA's website under the "Learn" tab.



Biotech Working Group Talks Trade, Market Acceptance Challenges

The American Soybean Association (ASA) Biotech Working Group met in Boston earlier this week to discuss issues impacting the biotech industry and farming.

The Biotech Working Group includes representatives from industry biotech trait providers, along with farmer-leaders and staff from ASA, the United Soybean Board (USB) and U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).

The meeting began with remarks from Ashley Allen, sustainability senior manager for climate and land with Mars, Inc., and Autumn Price, vice president of government affairs with Land O’ Lakes, Inc.  The two guest speakers shared their company’s perspectives on GMOs, new plant breeding innovations, biotech labeling concerns, consumer demands and sustainability.

Following their presentation, Renee Munasifi, from ASA’s Washington office, provided an update on the Bioengineered Food Disclosure law. ASA Washington representative Hanna Abou-El-Seoud and USSEC representative Roz Leeck reported on trade concerns and international market approvals.

The meeting concluded with a short discussion of current efforts underway by ASA, USB and USSEC to address the future of plant breeding innovations, which hold great potential for the development of new varieties that address environmental challenges and meet the changing needs of farmers and consumers.

The Biotech Working Group will gather again for a meeting this winter.



Army Corps of Engineers Backs Plan to Deepen Lower Mississippi River

A long-discussed plan to deepen the lower Mississippi River by another 5 feet to accommodate larger ships has won a critical endorsement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which foresees nearly $110 million in annual net economic benefits to the project. In signing off on the $238 million project, James Dalton, the Corps' civil works director, said the project is "economically justified and environmentally sustainable." He recommended that Congress move ahead with funding. Dalton signed the recommendation Aug. 3.

The deep-draft navigation project would benefit four Louisiana ports that are among the nation’s 15 largest by annual tonnage: the Port of New Orleans; the Port of Greater Baton Rouge; the Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District; and the Port of South Louisiana, which is centered in LaPlace but extends 54 miles along the river between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, reports The Advocate.com.

Together, the ports and commercial facilities within their jurisdictions move more than 500 million tons of cargo a year, including 60 percent of the nation’s grain, and are connected to 14,500 miles of inland navigable waterways.

Funding for the project will require congressional approval, which is uncertain.

Under the Corps' recommendation, roughly half of the project's price tag would be picked up by the federal government, with the state's Department of Transportation and Development responsible for the rest. In addition to construction costs, the state's share includes expenses, such as relocating underwater pipelines and cables that cross the river at spots that would be impacted by dredging.

With cargo ships getting larger and the Panama Canal getting wider, the Corps has spent years studying the costs and benefits of the project, which would provide a draft of 50 feet from the Gulf of Mexico upriver to Baton Rouge - nearly 260 miles.

Big-bulk shippers of products like petroleum and grain would likely benefit the most, though an increase in container traffic also would be expected. Trade experts predict that a deeper channel would boost imports of crude oil, iron and gasoline, and exports of corn, soybeans and coal.



IGC Raises 2018-19 Grain Production Forecast, Despite Wheat Slip

The International Grains Council said Thursday that it has slightly raised its forecast for global grain production for both this season and the next.

The IGC's fresh monthly forecasts boost expected 2017-18 production by 2 million metric tons to 2,092 million tons, and expected 2018/2019 production by 4 million tons to 2,063 million metric tons.

Those changes represent increases of 0.1% and 0.2% on the grain body's figures from last month's report.

In its predictions for the 2018/2019 production season, the IGC sharply raised its expected corn production to 1,064 million tons from 1,052 million tons. Combined with a 7 million-ton increase to expected soybean production--bringing that forecast total to 366 million tons--that outweighed a 7 million-ton cut to the wheat production forecast, at 716 million tons.

The IGC's raise in expected soybean production will do little to help futures prices, which have in recent months been rocked by trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with soybeans one of the casualties of the tit-for-tat tariffs Beijing and Washington have imposed upon one another.

Global wheat prices have jumped in recent weeks, with hot, dry weather across Europe, the Black Sea region, and Australia among other places, jeopardizing the health of this year's crop.

Expected rice production was flat at 491 million tons.



Ongoing Trade Talks With Key Grains Partners Keep Washington Busy
USGC Newsletter

As Washington, D.C., confronts the peak of its infamous August weather, trade talks have also heated up, with officials from Mexico, China and the European Union in town this week to meet with their counterparts.

The modernization talks for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are facing key political deadlines with new Congresses set to be seated shortly in both Mexico, this fall, and the United States, early next year.

Mexican negotiators have been in Washington regularly over the past several weeks, with word that there could be a breakthrough this week resulting in a "handshake" agreement between the United States and Mexico. Such an agreement would be a vital step forward and allow Canada to reengage in talks that could lead to a final, trilateral agreement.

At press time, there had not been any formal announcements.

Also this week, U.S. officials and Chinese diplomats met in Washington, attempting to reignite a dialogue between those two countries. While a step in the right direction for a tenuous relationship with massive global consequences, there was no word on outcomes or further negotiating plans.

Meanwhile, tariffs on Chinese goods worth an additional $16 billion went into effect early Thursday morning Washington time as scheduled, prompting retaliation in kind from China.

Talks were also on the schedule for U.S. and European Union officials early this week, following a successful meeting between President Donald Trump and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in June. Still the top trading partner with the U.S., the EU is a key focus of the Administration’s trade policy work, particularly related to manufactured goods like automobiles.

All three regions - NAFTA, China and the European Union - are critical to the ongoing success of the U.S. grains industry and areas in which trade policy can drive - or hinder - the U.S. Grains Council’s market development work with customers.

NAFTA is the most successful trading bloc on the globe and clearly the most important trade agreement for U.S. agriculture. Mexico is the top buyer of U.S. corn and distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as well as a critical buyer of U.S. barley, malt and sorghum; Canada is a major ethanol and DDGS buyer.

China, which has the largest population in the world, is an enormous and growing consumer of feed grains and fuel. While U.S. grains products like corn, DDGS and ethanol have been largely shut out of the country due to trade policy problems, Council programs with local officials and industry continue to mitigate the effects of these challenges on all sides.

The European Union is also a large potential market for U.S. grains challenged by policy issues, particularly those related to modern breeding technology. However, there remains potential for sales, including solid corn sales this marketing year prior to new tariffs going into effect and several purchases of distressed cargoes of U.S. sorghum following policy challenges with China.

The Council, its members and sister organizations will continue to actively engage in the ongoing policy discussions and provide updates as available.