Tuesday September 11 Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending September 9, 2018, there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 11 short, 77 adequate, and 11 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 15 short, 78 adequate, and 6 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 12 fair, 53 good, and 29 excellent. Corn dented was 86 percent, near 83 last year, and ahead of 80 for the five-year average. Mature was 22 percent, ahead of 17 both last year and average. Harvested was 1 percent, near 2 last year, and equal to average.

Soybean condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 11 fair, 56 good, and 26 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 31 percent, ahead of 25 last year and 22 average.

Winter wheat planted was 4 percent, near 6 last year, and behind 11 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 14 fair, 58 good, and 26 excellent. Sorghum coloring was 83 percent, near 81 both last year and average. Mature was 13 percent, near 14 last year and 9 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 16 fair, 60 good, and 18 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

With another week of widespread rainfall, Iowa farmers had just 2.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 9, 2018, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included harvesting seed corn, chopping corn silage and moving grain.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 3 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 31 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 7 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 24 percent surplus. Drought concerns in south central and southeast Iowa were eased after recent storms lifted adequate to surplus topsoil moisture ratings to 75 percent or greater.

Ninety-eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage or beyond with 87 percent dented or beyond, a week ahead of the 5-year average. Twenty-eight percent of the corn crop was mature, also one week ahead of average. Corn condition rated 73 percent good to excellent.

Fifty-eight percent of the soybean crop was coloring with 17 percent dropping leaves, 5 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 72 percent good to excellent. In spite of limited days suitable for fieldwork, there were a few reports of both corn for grain and soybeans being harvested.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 83 percent complete, more than a week behind the previous year as weather conditions continued to slow progress.

Pasture conditions improved to 50 percent good to excellent. Heavy rains made feedlot conditions challenging for cattle producers.



US Corn Harvest at 5%, Slightly Ahead of Average

In its first corn harvest report of the season, USDA's National Ag Statistics Service estimated that 5% of the U.S. crop was harvested as of Sunday, Sept. 9, slightly ahead of the five-year average, according to the agency's weekly Crop Progress report released Tuesday. The report is normally released on Mondays but was delayed this week due to technical issues.

This year's corn harvest is equal to last year's pace, but 2 percentage points ahead of the average of 3%. The crop continued to mature ahead of normal with 35% of corn estimated as mature as of Sunday, 14 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 21%. Corn condition, at 68% good to excellent, was up 1 percentage point from 67% last week.

Soybeans also continued to mature ahead of the average pace with 31% of the crop estimated to be dropping leaves as of Sunday, 22 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 19%. The condition of the crop rose 2 percentage points, from 66% good to excellent the previous week to 68% last week.

NASS also reported winter wheat planting progress for the first time this season, estimating that 5% of the crop was planted as of Sunday, equal to both last year's pace and the five-year average.

Spring wheat harvest was 93% complete as of Sunday, near last year's 94% but ahead of the five-year average of 85%.

Sorghum coloring was 79%, ahead of the five-year average of 74%. Sorghum mature was estimated at 34%, equal to last year at the same time but behind the five-year average of 38%. Twenty-four percent of the sorghum crop was harvested as of Sunday, slightly behind the average pace of 26%.

Barley was 92% harvested as of Sunday, behind 95% last year but equal to the average. Oats were 96% harvested as of Sunday, near 95% last year and equal to the five-year average.

Forty percent of rice was harvested as of Sunday, near last year's 41% but ahead of the five-year average of 36%. Thirty-nine percent of cotton had bolls opening, ahead of the average of 35%.



Ricketts Presides over 50th Annual  Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference Closing Ceremonies

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts was joined by 400 U.S. and Japanese delegates for the third and final day of the 50th Annual Conference of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association (MWJA) in Omaha.  The Governor presided over closing ceremonies this afternoon.

“It’s been an honor to host the 50th annual anniversary of this important conference, which helps us strengthen the ties between the Midwest U.S. and Japan,” said Governor Ricketts.  “Midwestern states provide a great opportunity for Japanese companies to be able to invest and grow, and while doing so create great-paying jobs.  We’re grateful for the business and cultural relationships we share, and look forward to creating new opportunities and partnerships, while continuing to build upon our bilateral trade going further into the future.”

The MWJA conference is considered to be the pinnacle forum for discussion on strengthening business and trade relationships between Japan and the Midwestern states.  Omaha was selected to host this year’s special 50th anniversary.  The longstanding and important economic ties between Japan and the United States have been a focal point of the event, the theme of which is “Growing Together in a Global Economy.”

Featured speakers at today’s closing session included Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer; Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner; Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker; Shizuoka Prefecture Vice Governor Akihito Yoshibayashi; MWJA Japan Conference Chairman Yuzaburo Mogi, MWJA U.S. Conference Honorary Chairman Gordon Dobie; and the Honorable Mitsuhiro Wada, Consul General of Japan in Detroit.

During the ceremonies, Governor Ricketts presented a token of appreciation to Koji Nagasaka—Director of Nebraska Center Japan, a division of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) devoted to Nebraska-Japanese economic relations—for his service.  The Governor also presented Consul General Wada with a gift on behalf of the State of Nebraska.

The conference kicked off Sunday at Anthony’s Steakhouse before a welcoming event at Kaneko gallery.  On Monday, daily proceedings commenced at the downtown Hilton.  Monday night, the Governor hosted the delegates for MWJA’s 50th Anniversary Gala at the Durham Museum, sponsored by Union Pacific (UP) and Kawasaki.  UP Chairman, President, and CEO Lance Fritz and Kawasaki President Yoshinori Kanehana joined Governor Ricketts on stage for keynote remarks.  The evening closed with music by Omaha’s own Mannheim Steamroller.

Today’s slate began with a breakfast featuring keynote speaker Ted McKinney, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.  Governor Ricketts presented Under Secretary McKinney with a Sandhill Crane painting in appreciation of his advocacy for the Midwest and Nebraska agriculture.

Breakfast was followed by a plenary session that highlighted success stories on trade and investment between Japan and the Midwest.  Featured private sector participants included J.P. Morgan and Co., Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd, Nebraska-based Preferred Popcorn, Marubeni Corporation, and Keizai Doyukai.  The session was moderated by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Chairman and CEO Hiroyuki Ishige.

Nebraska and Japan share their own success story, with Japan being the second-largest importer of Nebraska products outside of North America and third-largest agricultural export market overall. Nebraska’s exports to Japan topped $1.03 billion in 2016, while beef and pork exports to Japan increased by 26 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

Governor Ricketts also met one-on-one today for an interview with the financial publication Nikkei, followed by a meeting with Shizuoka Prefecture Vice Governor Akihito Yoshibayashi, in which the leaders discussed the decades-long friendship between Nebraska and Shizuoka.  Omaha and Shizuoka, the prefecture’s capital city, have had a sister city relationship since 1965.

The delegates wrapped up the conference this afternoon with a tour of Kawasaki’s facilities in Lincoln.  Kawasaki USA, a subsidiary of Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries, has been investing in Lincoln since 1974, and recently expanded with a first-in-the-U.S. aerostructures division.  The company employs over 2,000 Nebraskans.

More information about the conference proceedings can be found at midwest-japan.org.



ICGA Announces 60-Day Harvest Weight Proclamation Starting Sept 15

To help haul in this year’s harvest, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed today a proclamation granting a temporary 60-day weight limit exemption for trucks operating on Iowa roads, and the proclamation will be effective as of Saturday, September 15. The 2018 Harvest Weight Proclamation specifically increases the weight allowable for shipment of corn, soybeans, hay, straw, and stover, by 12.5 percent per axle (up to a maximum of 90,000 pounds) without the need for an oversize/overweight permit.

The 2018 proclamation again applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the federal interstate system. Trucks cannot exceed the truck’s regular maximum by more than 12.5 percent per axle and must obey the posted limits on all roads and bridges.

“On behalf of Iowa farmers, we sincerely thank Governor Reynolds for this proclamation as it provides a tremendous help to us as we work to efficiently haul in this year’s crop,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association President Curt Mether, a farmer from Logan. “We appreciate Governor Reynolds’ efforts knowing that the harvest weight proclamation is not a right by law, but a petition we as corn farmers make to the Governor who at her sole discretion may choose to grant the increased harvest weight tolerance.”

ICGA made the request to Governor Reynolds in August and worked with the Governor’s office to ensure the Proclamation moved forward to benefit Iowa’s farmers. The proclamation directs the Iowa Department of Transportation to monitor the operation of the proclamation, assure the public’s safety by facilitating the movement of the trucks involved. Farmers who are transporting grain are also required to follow their vehicle safety standards on axle weights.

The exemption will be granted for 60 days beginning, September 15, 2018.



Conab Trims Corn Harvest

Brazilian agriculture agency Conab cut its estimate for the corn harvest in the 2017-2018 season, as productivity declined.  Conab estimated a total corn crop of 81.4 million metric tons in the season, down from the 82.2 million tons in its previous forecast in August. Brazil's corn harvest in the 2016-2017 season was 97.8 million tons.

Brazilian farmers take advantage of the country's mild winters to plant two crops each year, often soybeans then corn. The harvest of the winter crop of corn is almost complete, and productivity was lower than last year because some of it was planted later than is ideal, Conab said.

The country's farmers produced 119.3 million tons of soybeans in the season, up from the 119 million tons it forecast in August, and an increase from the 114.1 million tons produced in the 2016-2017 season, according to Conab.



Ram Launches New 2019 Harvest Edition Chassis Cab Trucks

Ram is celebrating its agricultural bonds with a new edition designed specifically for America's farm families.

The 2018 Ram Chassis Cab Harvest Edition is an agricultural market-specific truck and is visually distinguished by two limited-availability colors: Case IH Red and New Holland Blue (Brilliant Black and Bright White also available).

"Addressing a direct request from farmers, Ram is the only manufacturer to offer Chassis Cab commercial trucks in colors that match two of the most popular lines of farm equipment in the nation," said Jim Morrison, Head of Ram Brand – FCA North America. "The Ram Harvest Edition Chassis Cab delivers high capability and gives farming families a way to show their agricultural brand loyalty."

In August 2017, Ram launched 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup versions of the Harvest Edition.

Case IH and New Holland farm tractors and other agricultural equipment are manufactured by subsidiaries of CNH Industrial. CNH Industrial N.V. shares a common ancestry with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. 

The Harvest Edition will be available across the Ram 3500 (SRW and DRW), 4500 and 5500 (DRW, 60-inch and 80-inch cab-to-axle lengths) Chassis Cab lineup, in all four-door Crew Cab and two-door Regular Cab configurations. Optional powertrains include 4x4 versions of the 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 or 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel.

Harvest Edition Chassis Cab trucks are loaded with functional features that are designed to work, including large front tow hooks, a transfer-case skid plate, side steps, fog lamps and a rear back-up camera.

The Harvest Edition comes standard with technology farmers are looking for, including an optional 8.4-inch Uconnect 4C touchscreen radio with navigation, 4G Wifi capability, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which gives buyers seamless connectivity, fingertip access to smartphone map mirroring, and Sirius Weather with up-to-the minute weather maps and forecasts customizable to any location in the nation. A large 7-inch reconfigurable cluster allows operators to monitor selected systems, such as filter life, engine hours and operating temperatures. The interior also includes an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering-wheel audio controls and power-sliding rear window (Crew Cab).

The Harvest Edition features a premium exterior appearance packed with chrome highlights, including the grille, side-steps, door handles and mirrors. Polished aluminum wheels enhance all four corners (18-inch on 3500 models, 19.5-inch on 4500 and 5500 models).

The Harvest package also includes body-color (or Bright Silver) wheel flares and upper fascia (3500). In addition to Case Red and New Holland Blue, Harvest Edition Ram trucks are also available in Bright White or Brilliant Black.

Ram Harvest Edition trucks were unveiled today at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, Nebraska, and go on sale in the third quarter of 2018.



 Launch of 32 new hybrids further enhances NK® corn lineup from Syngenta

Syngenta today announced the release of 32 new NK® corn hybrids for the 2019 growing season, further revitalizing the brand’s corn product lineup to support farmers.

Developed from one of the industry’s largest and most diverse germplasm pools, the hybrids continue a near-decade of genetic gain for NK corn that has outpaced key competitors. In pre-launch trials, the 2019 new hybrids outyielded Pioneer® and DeKalb® brand hybrids by an average of 5.4 bushels per acre (bu/A) and 4.4 bu/A, respectively.

“The 2019 NK corn lineup is easily our best yet, with consistently high yields that will go a long way toward helping farmers maximize their potential return on investment,” said Joe Bollman, NK corn product manager. “Innovative new hybrids like NK0821 Artesian™ aren’t just winners in select geographies – they’re outperforming key competitors on a national level.”

Broadly adapted genetics are critical to the new hybrids’ performance. So is the ability of NK to leverage the vast research and development capabilities of Syngenta.

Every year, breeders produce and test more than 1 million corn genotypes, using their award-winning system of data analytics to pinpoint the characteristics most likely to help maximize yields. They do all this with a farmer-driven focus, centering their efforts on specific opportunities.

For example, as Goss’s Wilt became a growing threat on farms, NK breeders, scientists and agronomists conducted extensive lab- and field-based disease screenings to identify products with the highest Goss’s Wilt ratings. As a result, NK corn now boasts some of the strongest Goss’s Wilt ratings in the industry, outperforming key competitors for three consecutive years.2

“Superior product performance starts with having one of the deepest and most diverse germplasm pools in the industry,” said Chad Geater, senior project lead with Syngenta. “Depth of germplasm only takes you so far, though. It’s what we’ve been able to do with those genetics because of our drive to keep innovating that’s pushing our corn hybrids’ potential forward.”

Maximizing ROI
NK is committed to delivering a better seeds experience, offering a range of additional benefits to ensure farmers get the most value out of their genetics while minimizing risk.

All of the new hybrids are available with industry-leading Agrisure® traits. Trait stacks such as Agrisure Duracade® 5222A E-Z Refuge® – the ultimate trait stack for premium above- and below-ground insect control, choice, simplicity and water optimization – protect NK corn’s genetic potential from the start.

All NK hybrids have been extensively tested against key competitive products for years. To ensure strong performance continues, NK increased internal trialing by almost a third over the past year, securing more data in niche environments. Plus, by being sold through retail, all NK corn is tested in local plots – one more test before ever being sold to farmers.

“Thorough testing allows us to know our products through and through, enabling us to tell farmers exactly which hybrids will work in which of their fields,” Bollman said. “That way, they can feel confident planting NK without first having to test it on their farms.”

NK retailers in select locations also will offer an expanded Enogen® corn lineup, with seven new hybrids for 2019 that feature an in-seed innovation that benefits growers marketing grain to ethanol plants and those producing grain or silage for livestock feed. In the ethanol market, Enogen grain enhances the ethanol production process by improving efficiency, while the same technology helps increase the value of corn as feed for dairy or beef cattle due to improved digestibility.

“With market conditions being what they are, our goal with NK corn is to help farmers maximize their ROI potential through focused innovations that add real value,” Bollman said. “NK may not make sense to plant in every field, but for the performance and opportunities it provides, we do think it deserves to be on every farm.”

Additionally, farmers may benefit from a 0% financing offer available for NK seed for the 2019 growing season.



Case IH Opens 'Experience Center' Museum in Racine

Fans of Farmall, International and Case IH tractors can now take a trip back in time at the all new Racine Experience Center. The museum is located at the Case IH headquarters in Racine, which gives visitors a chance to learn about the company's history, as well as new innovations in agricultural products and technology.

The experience includes a video presentation, tours of the Case IH factory, and a stop in the all new 20,000-square-foot showroom that features a collection of heritage pieces instrumental to the development of today's farming equipment.

One of the displays is a first-generation Magnum 7100 tractor, which shares the space with three different configurations of midrange and large-frame Magnum 380 tractors.

Meanwhile, visitors can commemorate their tour with apparel and accessories at the Case IH fan shop, including items exclusive to the Racine Experience Center.

For tour information or to schedule a visit, call the Racine Experience Center at 262-636-7273.