NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 6 PERCENT
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.43 million cattle on feed on October 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 6 percent from last year. Placements during September totaled 520,000 head, down 9 percent from 2017. Fed cattle marketings for the month of September totaled 410,000 head, down 2 percent from last year. Other disappearance during September 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 690,000 head on October 1, 2018, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was up 1 percent from September 1, 2018, and up 6 percent from October 1, 2017. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 400,000 head on feed, down 6 percent from last month and down 10 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,090,000 head, down 1 percent from last month and down marginally from last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September totaled 89,000 head, up 9 percent from last month but down 16 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 27,000 head, down 10 percent from last month and down 61 percent from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 116,000 head, up 4 percent from last month but down 34 percent from last year.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September totaled 75,000 head, down 25 percent from last month and down 21 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 50,000 head, down 32 percent from last month and last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 125,000 head, down 28 percent from last month and down 26 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 6,000 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 11.4 million head on October 1, 2018. The inventory was 5 percent above October 1, 2017. This is the highest October 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. The inventory included 7.09 million steers and steer calves, up 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.31 million head, up 11 percent from 2017.
Cattle on Feed - Oct 1 2018
by State (1,000 hd - % Oct 1 '17)
Colorado ......: 980 104
Iowa .............: 690 106
Kansas ..........: 2,370 105
Nebraska ......: 2,430 106
Texas ............: 2,660 102
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.05 million head, 5 percent below 2017. Net placements were 1.99 million head. During September, placementsof cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 425,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 330,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 430,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 466,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 280,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 120,000 head.
Placements - Sept 2018
by State (1,000 hd - % Sept '17)
Colorado ......: 235 94
Iowa .............: 89 84
Kansas ..........: 445 102
Nebraska ......: 520 91
Texas ............: 395 90
Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.72 million head, 4 percent below 2017. Other disappearance totaled 57,000 head during September, 2 percent below 2017.
Marketings - Sept 2018
by State (1,000 hd - % Sept '17)
Colorado ......: 150 91
Iowa .............: 75 79
Kansas ..........: 375 96
Nebraska ......: 410 98
Texas ............: 405 98
NEBRASKA Q3 MILK PRODUCTION
Milk production in Nebraska during the July-September 2018 quarter totaled 353 million pounds, down 2 percent from the July-September quarter last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 59,000 head, 1,000 head less than the same period last year.
Q3 U.S. Milk Production up 0.9 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the July - September quarter totaled 54.0 billion pounds, up 0.9 percent from the July - September quarter last year.
The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.38 million head, 27,000 head less than the April - June quarter, and 27,000 head less than the same period last year.
IOWA SEPT. MILK PRODUCTION REPORT
Milk production in Iowa during September 2018 totaled 417 million pounds, down slightly from the previous September according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during September, at 220,000 head, was unchanged from last month, but 1,000 more than last year. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,895 pounds, down 20 pounds from last September.
September U.S. Milk Production up 1.5 Percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during September totaled 16.4 billion pounds, up 1.5 percent from September 2017. August revised production at 17.2 billion pounds, was up 1.3 percent from August 2017. The August revision represented a decrease of 10 million pounds or 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,880 pounds for September, 30 pounds above September 2017. This is the highest production per cow for the month of September since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.72 million head, 13,000 head less than September 2017, and 12,000 head less than August 2018.
Northeast Community College to host annual cover crop field day
Producers and members of the public are welcome to join agriculture students at Northeast during the College’s annual Cover Crop Field Day.
“This is a day that is designed to showcase the benefits of using cover crops with featured speakers addressing best practices in using them in an operation,” said Tara Smydra, associate dean of agriculture, math and science at Northeast. “We will also hear from some of our students on what they have learned on the use of cover crops as forage.”
The field day will take place on Wednesday, October 31, from 9-10:30 a.m., on the Northeast Community College farm on land located between the institution’s Utility Line building at 1601 E. Benjamin Avenue and the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex at 2301 E. Benjamin Avenue in Norfolk. Refreshments will be served.
Smydra said session topics will include organic matter and cover crops, cover crop species for northeast Nebraska, carbon sequestration with cover crops, recovery of nutrients below root level, and grazing or haying cover crops.
Featured speaker will be Tyler Burkey, of Milford. Burkey is well versed in the daily practice of cover cropping for forage and rotational grazing and has shared his expertise at a number of conferences across the Midwest.
Smydra said, “This is a great way to see how cover crops can be incorporated into any operation while networking and hearing from experts in the field.
Iowa Water Summary Update: Last Year has Been Wetter, Warmer
The last year has been overall wetter and a bit warmer, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 is known as the "water year," as snow accumulation after Oct. 1 serves as the primary source of runoff to streams during the following calendar year in many parts of the country. The 2018 Water Year (ending Sept. 30, 2018) brought a statewide precipitation average of 42.38 inches, or 7.11 inches more than normal, while temperatures averaged 48.1 degrees, about average.
This places 2018 as the sixth wettest and 45th warmest water year among 145 years of records.
Regionally, however, it was not wet across all of the state. Southern Iowa saw very dry conditions for much of the summer, with fall rains finally improving drought conditions. The resulting shallow groundwater conditions have improved across the entire state.
At least once in the 2018 WY, 87 U.S. Geological Survey stream gauges exceeded the National Weather Service flood stage. Record streamflows were recorded at several locations including on the Little Sioux and Floyd Rivers and Fourmile Creek.
For a thorough review of Iowa's water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.
Options for Confined Livestock Hard-Pressed by Wet Weather
Animal producers are faced with no good choices for fall manure application. Manure storage structures are full or nearly full. Harvest is delayed by saturated soils and wet weather. That leaves few crop fields available for manure application. Producers who land apply to saturated soils risk losing valuable crop-producing nutrients and degrading water quality.
Despite these dire circumstances, the Iowa DNR has some specific options https://bit.ly/2P4QCwN for confinement site producers and commercial applicators to consider as they work to protect water quality and keep storage from overflowing.
Producers with totally roofed facilities (confinements) must retain all manure between periods of application. First, and the most important, tip: call the DNR field office to discuss site-specific alternatives.
Such options might include partially emptying basins, hand-picking application fields, adjusting manure management plans for surface application or reducing rates until fields dry out. Discuss possibilities with the manure applicator. Overall, watch the weather and avoid applying before it rains or snows.
Severe weather across the U.S. resulting in high risk for mycotoxins
Each growing season can present its own unique challenges, from hot temperatures and drought to excess rainfall and flooding. Extreme weather conditions can not only reduce yield but also delay harvest, increase plant stress and lead to future issues for the crop, including molds and mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are a concern for livestock producers, as they influence feed quality and animal safety. They are produced by certain species of molds and can have toxic properties that impact animal health and performance. Harvest samples from across the U.S. are currently being submitted to the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory, and the analysis is showing high levels of mycotoxins, as in past years, of DON, fusaric acid and fumonisin, as well as HT-2 this year.
“The extreme weather events that we’ve seen across the U.S. this year present different challenges, different types of molds and different types of mycotoxins,” said Dr. Max Hawkins, nutritionist with the Alltech® Mycotoxin Management team. “And we monitor those risks with our harvest analysis through the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin tests to evaluate risk to livestock health and performance.”
Mycotoxins are seldom found in isolation, and when multiple mycotoxins are consumed, they may have additive, or even synergistic, interactions that increase the overall risk to performance and health. As a result, an animal may have a stronger response than what would be expected if it was only experiencing a single mycotoxin challenge. In 2017, 95 percent of samples submitted tested positive for at least five mycotoxins.
Testing feedstuffs and finished feeds is important to understand the risk of mycotoxins, so Alltech is currently offering a free 37+® mycotoxin test to producers. Visit knowmycotoxins.com/freetest for more information.
USDA Suspends Polish Pork Imports Over ASF Concerns
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has suspended entry of imports of fresh and frozen pork and pork products from Poland while it completes a review of that country's export protocols. Due to cases of African Swine Fever (ASF), Poland has established control, or restricted, zones and only facilities located in certain zones are allowed to export fresh and frozen pork to the U.S. Our preliminary assessment is that there is minimal animal health risk posed by any pork products imported recently into the U.S. from Poland. There is no human health risk, as humans are not susceptible to ASF.
As part of a routine review of ongoing operations, it came to our attention that one Polish facility exporting pork to the U.S. has done so in contravention of the stringent requirements in place to prevent the spread of serious diseases of livestock, like ASF. We are also reviewing the protocols for a second Polish facility at this time. In order to give us time to ensure all Polish facilities that export pork and pork products to the U.S. are acting in accordance with our import requirements, we have suspended entry for all fresh and frozen pork from Poland until our review is completed.
The goal of our review is to ensure consistency with the stringent, longstanding safeguards in place that protect U.S. animal health from ASF. USDA uses a strong series of interlocking protections against the entry of animal diseases like ASF, including restricting the entry of pork and pork products from ASF-affected countries or regions.
USDA is also working with Customs and Border Protection staff to enhance screening of passenger baggage coming from Poland to ensure restricted products are not brought into the U.S.
ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral (wild) pigs in all age groups. It is spread by contact with the body fluids of infected animals. It can also be spread by ticks that feed on infected animals.
3Q Grain Inspections Reach Second Highest Level
Third quarter 2018 inspections of grain (wheat, corn, and soybeans) for export from all U.S. ports reached 32 million metric tons (mmt), up 14 percent from the same time last year and were 25 percent above the 5- year average. They were also the second highest on record for the third quarter, behind 2016.
Total third quarter corn inspections increased in each of the major export regions, with Interior inspections reaching a record high. Corn and soybean inspections increased from last year, but wheat inspections decreased as shipments to Asia and Latin America receded.
Pacific Northwest grain inspections rebounded from last year during the quarter, with higher corn and soybean inspections, but total U.S. Gulf grain inspections (wheat, corn, and soybeans) decreased slightly.
Grain inspections in the Gulf, however, were 9 percent above the 5-year average. At 52 percent, the U.S. Gulf’s share of total grain exports was below the same time last year, as other regional shares increased.
Third quarter rail deliveries of grain, to the U.S. Gulf ports, were down 34 percent from last year.
Floods Still Impacting Barge Traffic on Upper Mississippi River
Rain in the central U.S. caused flooding that closed 7 locks on the upper Mississippi River. The closure affects a 184- mile stretch, from Muscatine, IA, to Clarksville, MO. Down-bound grain traffic continues on the open sections of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas Rivers. However, barge grain tonnages are down 22 percent for the first two weeks of October, compared to the 3-year average for the same period.
While weather conditions have slowed traffic, barge operators say the reduction in tonnage is mainly due to reduced demand for soybeans. During the first half of October, soybean barge tonnages are down 59 percent, compared to the 3-year average. Corn barge shippers are using barge capacity normally used by soybean shippers. Corn barge tonnages during the first half of October are up 52 percent compared to the 3-year average.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate a complete reopening of the river may occur sometime during the week of October 22.
First Ever No-Till Farming History Book Released
Think back to a time before there were drones, genetically modified crops and black soils turned over by plows. Fast-forward to today and no-till (farming without disturbing the soil) represents 100 million acres in the U.S. alone, conserving soil while reducing costs and labor. The history of no-till has been a long time coming.
From Maverick to Mainstream is a chronicling of the personal history that Frank Lessiter saw from the near-beginnings, as the first and only editor of No-Till Farmer since 1972. The concept of no-till farming was still in its infancy at that time, just 10 years after one "crazy" farmer in Kentucky, Harry M. Young, tried it out on less than 1 acre.
Harry's son, John Young, remembers, "I was 11 years old then, and didn't recognize the huge changes that were about to take place in farming. Back in the early days, Frank flew down to our western Kentucky farm on more than one occasion to visit with my late father. He was a keen enthusiast for no-till from the beginning, and remains so today."
From Maverick to Mainstream: A History of No-Till Farming contains numerous short items "from the archives" of No-Till Farmer issues and 56 chapters including:
- Notching the No-Till Milestones Through the Years
- Meeting the No-Till Legends
- Plowing is a Practice from the Past
- More Earthworms Liven Up No-Till Fields
Lessiter's life work is much more than just a history book. "It covers the people and their trials and successes," says his son, Mike, president of Lessiter Media Inc. "It will interest everyone in agriculture, but also anyone who enjoys celebrating the early adopters and underdogs who changed the world. The book serves as a lasting reminder of how innovations, and their determined personal champions like those profiled in the book, can still make a difference — through grit, learning and sharing, and the encouragement and support of others."
With 45-plus years of archival articles, photos, comic strips, ads and infographics, this stunning collection is the perfect gift for any admirer of American innovation. Details on From Maverick to Mainstream: A History of No-Till Farming can be found at No-TillFarmer.com/Maverick.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
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