Friday February 15 Ag News

Colfax Dodge County Corn Growers Scholarship

The Colfax Dodge County Corn Growers Association is please to announce that applications are now available for the 2019 scholarship. The intent of this scholarship is to help young people pursuing a future in agriculture with additional financial support. It is the hope of the Colfax-Dodge County Corn Growers Association that youth will continue to find their future in agriculture.

The scholarship is open to any graduating senior, who is the son/daughter of an active Colfax-Dodge County Corn Growers Association and is pursuing a post-secondary education at any two or four-year College, University, or Trade school.

The local association will be awarding one $500 recipient in the Colfax county school system and one $500 dollar recipient in the Dodge county school system. All applications must be post-marked by Friday, March 22, 2019. Dodge County applicants should send their applications to Dodge County Extension office. Colfax County applicants should send their applications to Colfax County Extension office.



Dodge County Cattlemen Meeting
Date:  February 26
Time:  6:30 pm
Venue:  Z’s Bar and Grill, Scribner, NE



2019 Corn and Soy Ambassadors Announced

This year, nine University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, as part of the 2019 Corn and Soy Collegiate Ambassador Program, are getting the chance to learn more about the corn and soybean industries.

The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association launched the Corn and Soy Ambassador Program to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industries. The program’s goals are to educate the students about state and federal policy issues affecting agriculture, and opportunities available to them from supporting organizations like the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Following the completion of the program students will be recognized at the annual meetings of the corn and soybean associations, and each will be presented a $500 scholarship to help them with school expenses. Funding for portions of the program is being provided by the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.

The nine members of the 2019 class are:
    Hailey Walmsley, Norfolk
    Jacob Griess, Grafton
    James McArtor, Grant
    Jessica Weeder, Genoa
    Krystin Oborny, Garland
    Lily Woitaszewski, Wood River
    Madison Jones, Papillion
    Morgan Leefers, Otoe
    Nicole Laue, Dennison, MN

During the year the ambassadors will take part in four seminars. The first seminar covers state and federal policies affecting the corn and soybean industries. The second seminar will focus on the role of checkoff programs in promoting corn and soybeans.

During the summer students will partake in an ag industry bus tour. Stops will include different facets of the ag industry including manufacturing, production, and processing. These stops will hopefully give students more insight into potential jobs and internships in the industry.

During the course of the program students are asked to spend time to promoting the state’s corn and soybean grower associations and checkoffs at promotional events such as Husker Harvest Day and Soybean Management Field Days. Following the events, they are required to report on their experiences and what they’ve learned.

The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association would like to congratulate the recently graduated seven members of the 2018 Corn and Soy Ambassador class on a successful year. For more information on the program, contact Morgan Wrich, Nebraska Corn Growers Association at 402-438-6459 (mwrich@necga.com) or Lori Luebbe, Nebraska Soybean Association at 402-441-3239 (lori@nebraskasoybeans.org).



USDA TO SURVEY FARMERS’ PLANTING INTENTIONS FOR 2019

As the 2019 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

“Each year, the agriculture industry eagerly awaits USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, which provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for the year,” said NASS’ Northern Plains Deputy Director Patrick Boyle. “The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that underpins these projections, making it one of the most important surveys we conduct each year.”

NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2019, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of grain and oilseed stored on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond online or by mail. Those producers who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone or personal interview.

NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

Survey results will be published in the Prospective Plantings and quarterly Grain Stocks report to be released on March 29, 2019. These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information call the NASS Nebraska Field Office at 800-582-6443.



USDA CONDUCTS MARCH HOGS AND PIGS SURVEY

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is contacting producers for the March Hogs and Pigs Survey. The agency will survey pork producers for detailed information on market hog and breeding stock inventories as well as pig crop and farrowing intentions in every state.

“According to the most recent Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report in December, there were 74.6 million hogs and pigs in the United States,” said Nicholas Streff, Deputy Director of the NASS Northern Plains Regional Office. “The March survey and resulting report will continue to provide important indicators for the industry of what changes are occurring – if any.”

NASS will mail the questionnaires to all producers selected for the survey in late February. To ensure all survey participants have an opportunity to respond, NASS interviewers will contact producers who do not respond by mail or online to conduct telephone and personal interviews.

The data gathered in this survey allow NASS to accurately measure and report conditions and trends in the U.S. pork industry over the course of the year. The information is used by all sectors of the industry, including producers themselves, to help make sound and timely business decisions.

NASS will publish the survey results in the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on March 28. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Northern Plains Regional Office at (800)582-6443.



Fischer Encourages Nebraskans to Submit Comments on New Definition of WOTUS

The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have published a rule changing the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS). U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a strong opponent of the Obama administration’s WOTUS rule, released the following statement:

“The administration is now seeking comment on their new definition of WOTUS. Common-sense rule-making involves input from the people the regulations will impact on a daily basis. I encourage all Nebraskans to review the rule and submit their thoughts and concerns over the next 60 days.”

The official 60-day comment period will end on April 15, 2019. Nebraskans can submit their comments here.... https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/14/2019-00791/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states. 

Senator Fischer sponsored multiple legislative to stop the Obama administration’s WOTUS rule. In March 2015, she chaired a field hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in Lincoln, Nebraska, to hear firsthand from Nebraskans about the negative effects of the Obama-era WOTUS rule.



Lancaster Co Ext. Hosts Landlord Tenant Farmland Rent Meeting

From 9:30 a.m. -3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14 at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, Nebraska Extension will offer a workshop for landlords and tenants on topics such as:
- Equitable rental rates
- Lease communication
- Proper lease terms
- Current land values
- Soil types and productivity
- Soil tests
- Pasture lease provisions
- Stocking rates for pasture

This program is offered FREE and open to the public with funding provided by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under award number 2015-49200-24226. Lunch is free thanks to our sponsor United Farm and Ranch Management (UFARM). Call 402-441-7180 to pre-register- this ensures there are meals for everyone.



New Mobile iGrow Beef Display Gets Seen... a Lot!

With the support of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Foundation, there’s a new Mobile iGrow beef display! Mobile iGrow Educational Displays are hands-on, traveling displays, visiting schools across the state, as well as community events and fairs.

Mobile iGrow educational displays are designed to reach elementary-aged youth and increase their knowledge of where our food comes from, careers, and how agriculture is important in our everyday lives. Included with the display is a teaching guide for teachers when classrooms “Go Mobile” to the display, and engaging hands-on activities. Students receive a corresponding activity worksheet to reinforce the concepts.

One teacher described the Mobile iGrow display program as a “mini-field trip at their school."  Another teacher commented: “They loved it! Hands-on and authentic learning in action” and “This is a great model/display to help students who have no agriculture background.”

For more information about the beef display, contact 4-H staff at the Hall County Extension Office at 308-385-5088 or Hall-County@unl.edu. Interested people can also visit the Mobile iGrow beef display at the Cattlemen’s Classic in Kearney. 



Barreras to receive Center for Rural Affairs award

The Center for Rural Affairs has chosen Anthony and Mariel Barreras, of Blair, Nebraska, to receive its 2018 Citizenship Award. They will be recognized at an award ceremony on March 8 in York, Nebraska.

The Citizenship Award is given to an individual or individuals who actively participate in the civic process for creating public policy, and who work closely with the Center for Rural Affairs to advance public policies that strengthen family farms, ranches, and rural communities.

“Together, Anthony and Mariel have supported policy priorities at the state and federal levels,” said Cora Fox, policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs.

Anthony and Mariel co-own and co-operate Barreras Family Farm. Anthony currently serves in the U.S. Army.

In March 2018, Mariel participated in a farmer fly-in to Washington, D.C., to discuss training and educational resources for veteran farmers. In Nebraska, in both 2018 and 2019, Mariel has provided testimony in favor of the Beginning Veteran Farmer Tax Credit.

“Collaboration with local leaders such as Anthony and Mariel is essential to our work at the Center for Rural Affairs,” Fox said. “They have helped us advance key priorities through their thoughtful, unwavering, and effective advocacy.”

The couple were featured speakers at the second annual Veteran Farmer Conference sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs and Legal Aid of Nebraska. They hosted a farm tour for beginning veteran farmers in May 2018.

Anthony and Mariel have eight children, who also contribute to the family farm.



CONGRESS PASSES, PRESIDENT SIGNS SPENDING BILL
NPPC Newsletter

Congress on Thursday passed a massive spending deal just ahead of Friday’s government shutdown deadline. The bill, which the president signed into law on Friday, directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to formalize a joint framework for regulating cell-based protein production within 60 days of enactment of the funding measure.

The National Pork Producers Association strongly supports USDA regulatory oversight of laboratory-produced cultured protein (L-PCP). The organization wants L-PCP to be inspected—and have any label claims approved—by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS has the expertise and capability to provide continuous inspection to facilities producing L-PCP and to make sure that the product names and label claims are transparent, fact-based and appropriate.

Additionally, the spending bill renewed Congress’ exemption for livestock haulers from the requirement to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their trucks. As part of the 2012 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act mandated that drivers of commercial motor vehicles replace by Dec. 18, 2017, their paper logs with ELDs, which record driving time, engine hours, vehicle movement and speed, miles driven and location information.

NPPC requested – and secured– on behalf of the U.S. pork industry and other livestock sectors an initial waiver from the regulation, citing the incompatibility between transporting livestock and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Hours of Service rules. Those regulations limit truckers to 11 hours of driving daily, after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and restrict their on-duty time to 14 consecutive hours, which includes nondriving time.

Further ELD Information from Nebraska Cattlemen
The spending agreement [passed by Congress and signed by the President] DOES contain our ELD delay policy rider! This means that livestock haulers are exempt from the ELD mandate through September 30, 2019. Please have haulers print and place this documentation in their trucks as proof of this ELD exemption.... https://files.constantcontact.com/a2fd32c5501/204b39a9-b748-45eb-9fb4-a2aef183e08d.pdf. 

This further delay is great news for Nebraska’s livestock industry! However, we must continue working on our long-term solution to fix federal hours-of-service regulations for livestock haulers. While we continue pressing Congress to pass legislation such as Senator Sasse’s Transporting Livestock Across America Act, it is imperative that we continue commenting on the NCBA-led petition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Comment here..... https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FMCSA-2018-0334-0002. 



Perdue Statement on President Trump’s Signing of Appropriations Bill & Declaration of National Emergency

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump’s signing of legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and declaration of a national emergency at the southern border:

“I am pleased that Congress has passed, and President Trump has signed, funding for USDA for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019. We will be moving at full speed on all of our responsibilities, making good on our motto by doing right and feeding everyone. Since Congress did not act to protect our southern border, the President has also declared a national emergency, which helps him fulfill a clear promise to protect our national security interests. He is exercising his Constitutional authority, as presidents from both parties have done many times in the past.

“Even with the passage of the appropriations bill, Congress still has unfinished business in areas of great concern for USDA and the customers we serve. Farmers and ranchers were battered last year by a series of monumental storms, robbing them of their livelihoods and inflicting damage well beyond the financial risks they normally assume in their operations. These are the men and women who dedicate their lives to feeding, fueling, and clothing this nation, and we cannot turn our backs on them when they need assistance. Just as importantly, another devastating wildfire season left our Forest Service badly in need of replenished funds to fight fires, remove excess fuels, and conduct necessary forest management. Without these resources, we risk falling behind in forest maintenance and inviting even more severe seasons in the future. I will continue to work with the President and the Congress to address these critical issues.”



MillerCoors and Iowa Corn Toast to Farmers

The Iowa Corn Growers Association® (ICGA), Iowa Corn Promotion Board® (ICPB) and the MillerCoors Company celebrated and thanked farmers for providing quality ingredients for their products on February 15, 2019.  The MillerCoors Company set out to recognize the hard-working farmers across the nation who make beer possible with sustainable farming production by starting the social media campaign #ToastToFarmers.

To kick off the social campaign MillerCoors Company CEO, Gavin Hattersley, traveled to Iowa to #ToastToFarmers with Iowa corn farmers. ICGA, ICPB and MillerCoors made three stops along the Des Moines metro including the Hitchin Post (Bevington, IA), 1908 Draught House (Johnston, IA), and West Towne Pub (Ames, IA). Iowa Corn thanks the MillerCoors Company for their support of our Iowa corn farmers.

Follow the social media campaign at #ToastToFarmers. 



IDALS Laboratory Bureau Recognized as ISO Accredited

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Laboratory Bureau has received ISO 17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

“Our laboratory team has a strong history of producing quality work. This certification will allow us to build upon that reputation of providing accurate and reliable testing,” said Naig. “Results from accredited labs tend to be more readily accepted by other laboratories, federal agencies and the courts which will save taxpayer time and resources.”

ISO 17025 is the highest recognized quality standard in the world for calibration and testing laboratories. For an organization to be accredited in ISO 17025, its laboratory must be able to consistently produce precise and accurate results and have implemented a rigorous quality management system.

A2LA is a third-party accreditation body that offers internationally-recognized accreditation services to testing laboratories. A2LA has been offering accreditation services to environmental testing laboratories for more than thirty years.

The Laboratory Bureau tests the guaranteed content of animal feeds, fertilizers, as well as pesticide concentrates and residues. The lab also tests meat, poultry, and milk in regards to food safety.

The additional expense of establishing an accredited laboratory was provided through the support of an FDA cooperative agreement.



The 2019 NAWG/USW Winter Conference Concludes with Wheat Growers Leaving Their Mark on Capitol Hill

The National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates held its annual winter conference from February 11-15, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Conducting meetings with Members from wheat states as well as the House and Senate Agriculture Committee and their staff, wheat growers focused their discussions on implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, challenges facing the wheat industry, and trade. Additionally, NAWG’s Committees covered a range of topics including the farm bill implementation, U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement and other trade issues, and wheat research needs.

“The 2018 NAWG/USW Winter Conference was notably busy this year as NAWG really focused on meeting with freshmen Members of Congress as well as staff from the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture,” stated NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “Our priority is to get the farm bill implemented as Congress intended and to educate freshman Members on who is NAWG and the role wheat farmers, and all growers, play as the backbone of the agriculture economy.”

The 2019 NAWG/USW Winter Conference would not have been made possible without the help of NAWG’s Industry Partners Council. A special thank you WestBred for supporting the Wheat Lounge, BNSF Railway for partnering with us on Wheat 103, Indigo Ag for speaking to our Wheat Breeding Innovation Committee, and FMC for providing Friday’s lunch and workshop.

“On Thursday, February 14th, the National Wheat Foundation held a well-attended educational event for the Administration, Congressional Members and their staff in the Russell Senate Building,” continued Goule. “The event had twenty-three representatives from the wheat value chain and showcased how the wheat industry is truly expansive.”



United States Issues WTO Counter Notification Concerning India’s Market Price Support for Various Pulses

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that the United States, together with Canada, submitted a counter notification in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Agriculture (COA) on India’s market price support for five pulses: chickpeas, pigeon peas, black matpe, mung beans, and lentils.

Based on United States/Canadian calculations, it appears that India has substantially underreported its market price support for chickpeas, pigeon peas, black matpe, mung beans, and lentils. When calculated according to WTO Agreement on Agriculture methodology, India’s market price support for each of these pulses far exceeded its allowable levels of trade-distorting domestic support. The United States expects a robust discussion on how India implements and notifies its policies at the next COA meeting, which is scheduled for February 26-27, 2019.

Background:
On February 12, 2019, the United States submitted a counter notification, co-sponsored by Canada, in the WTO Committee on Agriculture on India’s market price support for chickpeas, pigeon peas, black matpe, mung beans, and lentils – based on publicly available information. The United States has identified several areas of potential concern with India’s notification of its market price support for chickpeas, pigeon peas, black matpe, mung beans, and lentils. These include issues with the quantity of production used in market price support calculations, exclusion from India’s notification of information on the total value of production for each category of pulse (information necessary to assess compliance with WTO commitments), issues with currency conversions, and issues regarding the prices used in India’s calculations.

This is the third U.S. COA counter notification regarding another country’s measures.  Previous U.S. counter notifications have addressed India’s market price support for cotton, rice and wheat.  Australia has submitted a counter notification regarding India’s market price support for sugarcane.