Wednesday January 16 Ag News

USDA to Reopen FSA Offices for Limited Services During Government Shutdown

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that many Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform certain limited services for farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices on Thursday, January 17 and Friday, January 18, in addition to Tuesday, January 22, during normal business hours. The offices will be closed for the federal Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 21.

In almost half of FSA locations, FSA staff will be available to assist agricultural producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service’s deadline.

Twenty-One offices in Nebraska will be open these three days, including:
·       Bloomfield Service Center: 111 No. Washington St, Bloomfield, NE 68718 | (402) 373-4914
·       Columbus Service Center: 3276 53rd Ave, Columbus, NE 68601 | (402) 564-0506
·       David City Service Center: 317 E. Street, David City, NE 68632 | (402) 367-3074
·       Fremont Service Center: 2450 Business Park Dr., Fremont, NE 68025 | (402) 721-8455
·       Hartington Service Center: 102 E. Elm, Hartington, NE 68739 | (402) 254-6855
·       O’Neill Service Center: 107 E. Hwy 20, Suite C, O’Neill, NE 68763 | (402) 336-3796
·       Syracuse Service Center: 988 11th Street, Ste A, Syracuse, NE 68446 | (402) 269-2361
·       Wayne County Service Center: 709 Providence Road, Wayne, NE 68787 | (402) 375-2453

Thirty-seven Iowa offices will be open during these 3 days, include:
  - Cass County Service Center, 503 W 7th St, Atlantic, IA 50022 - (712) 243-1377
  - Crawford Co. Service Center, 3707 Timberline Dr, Suite 2, Denison, IA 51442 - (712) 263-5018
  - Monona County Service Center, 211 Iowa Avenue, Onawa, IA 51040 - (712) 423-1311

“Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Perdue said.  “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans.  Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”

Staff members will be available at certain FSA offices to help producers with specific services, including:
-    Processing payments made on or before December 31, 2018.
-    Continuing expiring financing statements.
-    Opening mail to identify priority items.

Additionally, as an intermittent incidental duty, staff may release proceeds from the sale of loan security by signing checks jointly payable to FSA that are brought to the county office by producers.

Information on the locations of FSA offices to be open during this three-day window will be posted:
-    On the USDA website.
-    On Twitter at @SecretarySonny and @USDA.
-    On USDA’s Facebook.

While staff are available in person during this three-day window, most available services can be handled over the phone. Producers can begin contacting staff on January 17 here.  

Additionally, farmers who have loan deadlines during the lapse in funding do not need to make payments until the government shutdown ends.

Other FSA Programs and Services
Reopened FSA offices will only be able to provide the specifically identified services while open during this limited time. Services that will not be available include, but are not limited to:
-    New direct or facility loans.
-    New Farm loan guarantees.
-    New marketing assistance loans.
-    New applications for Market Facilitation Program (MFP).
-    Certification of 2018 production for MFP payments.
-    Dairy Margin Protection Program.
-    Disaster assistance programs, such as:
      +  Livestock Indemnity Program.
      +  Emergency Conservation Program.
      +  Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program.
      +  Livestock Forage Disaster Program.
      +  Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish.

While January 15, 2019 had been the original deadline for producers to apply for MFP, farmers have been unable to apply since December 28, 2018, when FSA offices closed because of the lapse in federal funding.  Secretary Perdue has extended the MFP application deadline for a period of time equal to the number of business days FSA offices end up being closed, once the government shutdown ends. These announced days of limited staff availability during the shutdown will not constitute days open in calculating the extension. Producers who already applied for MFP and certified their 2018 production by December 28, 2018 should have already received their payments.

More information on MFP is available at www.farmers.gov/manage/mfp.



NePPA Accepting Applications for Pork Leadership Program

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association wants you to be a part of the Nebraska Pork Leadership Program in 2019! If you are connected to agriculture and believe in the future of the pork industry, you are encouraged to apply. Applications are available online at www.nepork.org, under the youth tab. Applications are due January 25, 2019.

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association believes in, and is committed to helping develop agricultural leaders. The Pork Leadership Program serves as a resource for talented people who want to contribute to the future of Nebraska’s pork industry. The Pork Leadership Program will build awareness, interest, and involvement in the pork industry at the state level.

The year-long program runs from February to February. During that time Pork Leadership Program participants will participate in six seminars and activities where they will learn about and experience various aspects of the pork and agriculture industries. Program members will not be responsible for any expenses to participate in the program.

The Nebraska Pork Leadership Program is directed under Kyla Habrock, of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association. Habrock states, “The program was created out of necessity --- as a way to build awareness, interest, and involvement in the pork industry at the state level. Participants will develop their skills as leaders through these shared experiences and will naturally emerge as the next wave of active and engaged members of committees and board members.”



National Pork Industry Forum to Be Held March 6-8, 2019

Producer delegates from across the United States will gather in Orlando, March 6-8, for the annual National Pork Industry Forum. The 15 producers who serve as members of the National Pork Board and Pork Checkoff staff leadership will hear directly from Pork Act delegates appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The theme for the annual meeting of the Pork Act delegate body is Moving at the Speed of Business. The U.S. pork industry is on a path to reshape itself as a problem solver to meet and exceed the challenges it faces in a dynamic food production environment. Toward that end, the entire industry must be nimble and flexible, as well as to be able to quickly adapt to change.

Each year the delegates confer, vote on resolutions and advisements and provide valuable direction on the important issues facing pork producers and the industry. Delegates will learn about the work underway to grow consumer demand for pork domestically and worldwide, as well as the plans to share pork producers’ story of sustainability through adhering to the We Care® ethical principles.

“In today’s production environment, we must have a shared focus on sustainability and innovation,” said Steve Rommereim, president of the National Pork Board and a pig farmer from Alcester, South Dakota. “We are committed to the We Care® ethical principles. Those values – put on paper more than a decade ago – continue to drive the work of pork producers every day on their farms as well as our work at Pork Forum.”

At the meeting, Pork Act delegates will rank 10 candidates for the National Pork Board and submit the list to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for approval. The candidates, in alphabetical order, are:
    Bill Luckey – Nebraska
    Gene Noem – Iowa
    Dave Struthers – Iowa
    Larry Liepold – Minnesota
    Bill Kessler – Missouri
    Pat Albright – Michigan
    Russ Nugent – Arkansas
    Alicia Pedemonti – New Hampshire
    Michael Skahill – Virginia
    Stephen Williamson – North Carolina

Prior to the annual meeting, members of the National Pork Board also will convene their March board of directors meeting. The agenda will include updates on 2019 plans to enhance pork demand, increase market opportunities, improve pork production practices and invest in research priorities.

Included on the 2019 Pork Forum agenda will be opportunities for pork producers to become certified in the pork industry’s Pork Quality Assurance® Plus program, as well as learn more about other pork industry programs. The full agenda is available at www.porkindustryforum.com.



Second Annual Soil Health Summit Awards Honor Best in Soil Health

Five dedicated leaders in soil health received “Seeds of Change” awards at the 2019 Soil Health Partnership Summit, Jan. 15-16 in St. Louis. These awards highlight those participants in the Soil Health Partnership who go above and beyond to promote soil health throughout the year.

“The Soil Health Partnership’s strength has its roots in our committed and supportive partners—especially the farmers and agronomists who play an important role in our ability to support research-based practices,” said Dr. Shefali Mehta, executive director of the Soil Health Partnership. “These five individuals exemplify the very best of our dedicated partners, and we thank them for their great work.”

The five award recipients are:
    Super Sprout: Brian Ryberg, Buffalo Lake, Minnesota. As a first-year member of the partnership, Ryberg has jumped right into active involvement with activities that included holding a field day. Ryberg values collaboration, according to SHP staff, and has worked with other SHP growers to gain and share knowledge. He is an advocate of cover crops and continues to seek out practices that are best for his farm.
    
    Champion Communicator: Deb Gangwish, Springview, Nebraska. Gangwish recognizes that her story can make an impact, and in 2018, it did! Deb participated in a story (“Grassroots Movement for Health Soil Spreads Among Farmers”) with National Public Radio that helped propel the Soil Health Partnership into the national spotlight. This story played a pivotal role in SHP achieving 1 billion media impressions in Fiscal Year 2018. Gangwish has also placed articles in her local Nebraska newspaper, served as the first farmer-guest of the SHP’s new podcast series, and continues to make herself available for media interviews. She believes passionately that farmers must tell their story to show how they are feeding the world sustainably and thoughtfully caring for the land.
    
    Ace Agronomist: Bryce Kujawa, Mount Vernon, Illinois. Approachable and knowledgeable agronomists are a critical link between the Soil Health Partnership and farmers when it comes to implementing and collecting data on new farming techniques. Kujawa connected SHP with a pilot Associate Program site in southern Illinois and continues to support and share information about SHP’s efforts. An educator at heart, he takes the time to teach others and ask thought-provoking questions about soil health and cover crops.

    Data Dominator: Brian Martin, Centralia, Missouri. Good research contains powerful information, and Martin loves to dig into the data. He is diligent about following every protocol to collect robust data from his site, and he uses precision agriculture equipment, including drones and aerial imagery, to learn as much as he can from his fields. Understanding that soil health is a long-term process and commitment, Martin is quick to share ideas and learn from other growers in the partnership.
    
    Exceptional Educators: John and Joan Maxwell, Donahue, Iowa. The Maxwells take the initiative to tell the story of what’s happening on their farm to anyone and everyone, from local kindergarten students to visitors from Brazil. They love to share how a successful dairy and crop farm can sustainability feed the growing population while caring for the land. John is a strong advocate for the Soil Health Partnership and has been featured in print and television news.

An initiative of the National Corn Growers Association, the Soil Health Partnership is a data-driven program working to quantify the benefits of practices that support soil health from an economic as well as environmental standpoint.



Hatting Joins Iowa State as Extension Farm Management Specialist

Patrick Hatting has joined Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as a farm management specialist, working with farmers in southwest Iowa.

An experienced financial adviser, manager and insurance agent, Hatting will be housed at the Iowa State University Armstrong Research Farm near Lewis and will work with producers in Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Union, Clarke, Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold and Decatur counties.

“I am excited to be a part of the farm management team with ISU Extension and Outreach,” Hatting said. “I am looking forward to helping the hardworking farmers in the state of Iowa in my new career.”

The ISU Extension and Outreach farm management team provides Iowa farm owners and operators the latest in research-based information. The team educates Iowans on farm financial and risk management, instructs on government programs such as the farm bill and crop insurance, provides guidance on strategic and business planning, examines environmental management policies and informs on agricultural marketing tools and supply chains.

“Patrick is a great addition to the ISU Extension and Outreach farm management team,” said Chad Hart, associate professor and extension economist at Iowa State. “He has a wealth of experience in financial management, especially in risk management, insurance and thinking about how to transition effectively toward retirement. We talk a lot about helping farmers transition their farm from one generation to the next, and Patrick will be a great asset to farmers making that change.”

Hatting joins ISU Extension and Outreach after working for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company as a financial adviser, advising prospective and existing clients on insurance and financial solutions. He also has served as an adjunct instructor at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, teaching courses for insurance agent and certified financial planner continuing education credit.

Hatting also spent over 30 years as a member of the U.S. Air Force, Michigan and Iowa Air National Guard, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He has a degree in economics from the University of Iowa and finance from McMurry University. Hatting earned an MBA in management from Trident University.



Fertilizer Prices Continue to Rise as Nitrogen Price Spikes Taper Off

Average retail fertilizer prices continued to move higher the second week of January 2019, although none saw significant price jumps, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN. That brings a four-week price spike for three nitrogen fertilizers to an end.

As has been the case the last three consecutive weeks, prices for seven of the eight major fertilizers are higher, though none by a considerable amount, which DTN considers a price move of 5% or more.

DAP had an average price of $508 per ton, up $3; MAP $533/ton, up fractionally; potash $381/ton, up $6; 10-34-0 $461/ton, up $6; anhydrous $573/ton, up $21; UAN28 $267/ton, up $6; and UAN $304/ton, up $2.

The average urea price was fractionally lower than last month at $407 per ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.44/lb.N, anhydrous $0.35/lb.N, UAN28 $0.48/lb.N and UAN32 $0.47/lb.N.

All eight of the major fertilizers are now higher compared to last year with prices shifting higher. MAP is 9% more expensive, potash is 10% higher, DAP is 11% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 13% higher, urea is 17% more expensive, UAN32 is 18% higher, anhydrous is 20% more expensive and UAN28 is now 22% higher compared to last year.



Weekly Ethanol Production

Here is the weekly ethanol supply-and-demand data for the week ended 1/11/2019.

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production pressed 5.1% higher to the largest volume in 6 weeks at an average of 1.051 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 44.14 million gallons daily. The four-week average for ethanol production rose fractionally at 1.026 million b/d for an annualized rate of 15.73 billion gallons but was still 1.8% lower than the level a year ago.

Stocks have edged 0.1 million barrels higher for three straight weeks, settling most recently at 23.4 million barrels.

There were zero imports recorded for the ninth week in a row. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of October 2018.)

Average weekly gasoline supplied to the market pulled back 1.9% at 8.565 million b/d (359.7 million gallons per day), equivalent to 131.30 billion gallons annualized and the lowest level since February 2017. Refiner/blender input of ethanol rebounded 5.8% (up 47,000 b/d) at 862,000 b/d—equivalent to 13.21 billion gallons annualized.

Given the lackluster volume of gasoline supplied to the market, daily ethanol production increased to a 58-week high of 12.27% of daily gasoline supplied.



ACE commends Senators for confronting Acting EPA Administrator on ethanol during confirmation hearing

Today, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on the nomination of Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to lead the Agency. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings commended a handful of bipartisan Senators for demanding answers during the hearing to the biofuel industry’s priority issues with the following statement:

“ACE extends our gratitude to Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) for confronting Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler about the ethanol demand destruction created by an unprecedented number of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) small refinery exemptions (SREs) and how EPA intends to reallocate the waived gallons, as well as the need to issue a final rule to allow E15 use year-round in time for the 2019 summer driving season, regardless of the prolonged partial federal government shutdown.

“We appreciate that Acting Administrator Wheeler assured the senators that EPA is ‘still on schedule’ for issuing a final rule allowing year-round E15 sales in time for this summer’s driving season, but his caveat of if the government is back up and running in a “reasonable length of time’ is no excuse for a delay. It’s been more than three months since President Trump directed EPA to lift Reid vapor pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15, so why didn’t EPA set rulemaking wheels in motion in November, December, or January? Earlier this week, the president said that ‘we’re ensuring ethanol remains a vital part of America’s energy future with E15,’ it’s important EPA makes good on the president’s promise.

“It’s also critical EPA reallocate the SREs. It's insulting to farmers and ethanol producers suffering real economic harm that refiners enjoy record profits and are allowed to keep RINs through the waivers. With collapsed RIN and commodity markets, we need reallocation sooner rather than later.

“We encourage all U.S. Senators to help ensure former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s abuse of the law and broken promises are not repeated by Mr. Wheeler by insisting he provide them tangible evidence EPA will reallocate the blending obligations waived for small refiners and have a legally-defensible RVP relief rule for E15 finished by the 2019 summer driving season before voting to confirm him.”




RFA Statement on Senate Hearing to Consider Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to Head EPA

Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement:

“We were encouraged to hear Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler commit to completing the year-round E15 regulatory fix before the summer driving season begins, but we are disappointed that there was no commitment to repair the significant damage to the ethanol industry caused by his predecessor's issuance of RFS compliance bailouts to highly profitable oil refiners. America's ethanol producers and farmers continue to suffer as a consequence of former Administrator Pruitt's actions, and we remain hopeful that Mr. Wheeler will use far more restraint and judiciousness as he evaluates the 22 petitions for 2018 small refiner exemptions now before the agency.

"And despite Mr. Wheeler's assurance on the timing of the E15 rule, we remain concerned that the partial shutdown is compressing a timeline that was already very tight. We believe EPA would greatly improve its chances of getting the regulatory fix done before summer if it separated the year-round E15 provisions from so-called 'RIN reform' provisions that are also being considered as part of this rulemaking package."

Just yesterday, RFA launched an awareness campaign on E15, which includes advertising, an educational web site, and countdown clock to the summer driving season—which, as of today, is just 135 days away.



Did the USDA Just Deceive America?
Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA

On January 9, 2019, The Washington Post article titled “Trump farm bailout money will go to Brazilian-owned meatpacking firm, USDA says” reveals that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is deceiving the American public.

The Washington Post article stated that one of the biggest meatpacking firms in the world, Brazilian-owned JBS, will receive about $5 million of the $12 billion assistance program the USDA had earlier announced would go to help American farmers whose prices were depressed by retaliatory trade action by China and other countries.

The Washington Post went on to quote the USDA’s defense for using millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize the Brazilian behemoth rather than directly helping America’s farmers.

According to The Washington Post, the USDA stated that the products the USDA will buy are ‘100 [percent] American produced’ and that the ‘USDA only buys American commodities, produced on American farms by American farmers.’

To be polite, this is absolutely untrue.

Under the current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and now memorialized in the Trump Administration’s proposed NAFTA replacement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA, all the beef and pork derived from imported live cattle and hogs from Canada and Mexico that are slaughtered in the United States is deemed to be a product of the United States. This means the beef and pork from cattle and hogs that spent their entire lives in Canada and Mexico and then trucked into the Unites States for immediate slaughter is yet considered by the USDA as a product produced by the American farmer.

We’re talking about a very large volume of pork produced from imported Canadian hogs that meatpacking giants like JBS can falsely claim as American made. In 2017, for example, the U.S. imported 5.6 million Canadian hogs and in previous years over 10 million have been imported.

In fact, all of the 1.8 million pounds of pork that JBS now plans to sell for about $5 million to the USDA under the trade-related assistance program could well be derived solely from hogs imported from Canada.

The past Bush Administration corrected this fraudulent practice in 2002 by passing the Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law that reserved the product of USA label only for pork and beef that was exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. However, the Obama Administration repealed the COOL law for beef and pork in 2015.

Since COOL’s repeal, neither the USDA nor the public have a clue as to which meat was produced by American farmers versus which meat was produced by foreign farmers and then slaughtered in the United States by foreign meatpacking firms.

Consumer groups like Food & Water Watch and cattle groups like the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) continue to urge the Trump Administration to reinstate COOL for beef and pork to end the fraudulent practice of passing imported meat off to unsuspecting consumers as if it were produced under U.S. food safety laws by America’s farmers.

Unfortunately, the meatpacking lobby, particularly the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), which represent the interests of monolithic international meatpackers, has clearly courted favors from President Trump to keep consumers in the dark and the corporate subsidies flowing.



Vytelle Licenses Use of Reverse-Sort Technology from Sexing Technologies

Vytelle announced today a partnership with global livestock reproductive services innovator Sexing Technologies® (ST) for the use of ST’s proprietary reverse semen sorting technology. This partnership will allow beef and dairy producers to access gender-specific IVF embryos from Vytelle and its licensees.

Under the agreement, Vytelle will use the technology to sex sort bovine semen prior to the fertilization of eggs in the IVF embryo development process. This additional offering from Vytelle allows customers greater flexibility in next generation herd development.

“This is a great opportunity for Vytelle, our licensees and our customers to have access to the latest advancements in reproductive technology,” said Bruno Sanches, chief operating officer of Vytelle. “This new partnership further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to advancing genetics, life and business for commercial beef and dairy producers.”

The reverse-sort technology is available immediately from Vytelle’s licensee Hoofstock Genetics in Ranger, Texas. To learn more about Vytelle and redefining IVF, visit www.vytelle.com.



FMC Launches Lucento fungicide for 2019 Season to Manage Foliar Diseases and Fungicide Resistance

FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) introduces Lucento™ fungicide, a new tool that provides long-lasting preventive and curative activity for a wide range of foliar diseases and reduces dependence on strobilurns, for the 2019 growing season. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted registration for Lucento fungicide in corn, soybeans, peanuts, sugarbeets and wheat.

     Lucento fungicide encompasses two separate modes of action (flutriafol, FRAC Group 3, and bixafen, FRAC Group 7) to deliver broad-spectrum disease efficacy, fungicide resistance management, plant mobility and long-lasting residual control. Lucento fungicide is the only proven tank-mix of SDHI bixafen and FMC-patented flutriafol active ingredients (AI), offering novel disease control not previously available to U.S. row crop growers.

     “Lucento fungicide provides superior control especially under heavy disease pressure, which can be attributed to its good mobility in the plant. A highly systemic fungicide, it harnesses both acropetal and translaminar movement providing uniform leaf distribution and disease protection,” stated Nick Hustedde, technical sales representative for FMC. “Ultimately, this pairing of bixafen and flutriafol delivers excellent prevention in the newer plant growth where the disease could spread.” 

     Additionally, Lucento fungicide is very active on diseases that have developed resistance to strobilurins, like late leaf spot in peanuts and frogeye leaf spot in soybeans.

     “With Lucento fungicide, growers are able to rely less on strobilurins and stem future resistance risk. We’re seeing dual mode of action fungicides consisting of a strobilurin and another AI failing to control disease because the only effective piece in the product is the non-strobilurin component,” said Brent Jacobson, product development manager, fungicides for FMC. “Strobilurin resistance is growing, both in relevance and geography, and growers need new tools to counter this challenge and protect yield potential during the critical grain and pod fill stages.”

     Lucento fungicide controls a wide spectrum of diseases in corn, soybeans, peanuts, sugarbeets and wheat, including: gray leaf spot, white mold, leaf spot, frogeye leaf spot, Southern corn rust, septoria brown spot, common corn rust, cercospora leaf blight, Northern corn leaf blight, Southern corn leaf blight and others.