Thursday February 21 Ag News

TRANSPORTATION BQA CERTIFICATION

Tuesday, March 5
5:30 pm meal
6:00 pm training
Beemer Ballroom, Beemer, NE

Please share this information with the trucking companies that you work with and invite them to attend this upcoming training.

There is no cost to get TBQA certified.  Meeting and meal sponsored by Cuming County Feeders

Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT) Certification trains transportation handlers/drivers in Best Management Practices (BMP) to reduce stress, bruising, and potential injury in transit and to ensure the wellbeing of the animals in their care. These practices include handling, trip planning, load densities, biosecurity, managing weather extremes, and general driver safety.

BQA Transportation Certification will be a requirement for drivers hauling animals into major beef packers starting January 2020.

They will also discuss the Livestock haulers handling and transportation checklist developed by the Nebraska State Patrol

If you can't make the training; you can get certified online.  (allow 90 minutes to complete the online training).  For more information  https://www.bqa.org/programs/bqa-transportation. Link to online training   https://bqatransportation.beeflearningcenter.org/.



New Farm & Ranch Succession Planning Workshop Coming to West Point on March 7

A new workshop designed to help farmers and ranchers prepare to transition their family farm or ranch to the next generation is coming to West Point on Thursday, March 7, 2019. The Changing Hands – Your Legacy, Their Future workshop presented by Farm Bureau Financial Services will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Pizza Ranch in West Point. The workshop aims to help farmers and ranchers map out a strategy to protect their legacy for future generations and ensure a successful transition. Free and open to the public, the workshop is part of Farm Bureau Financial Services efforts to help prepare area farmers and ranchers to make business succession decisions.

Nearly all farms in the U.S. – about 99 percent¹ - are owned by families, and 70 percent of U.S. farmland will likely transfer in the next two decades.² The Changing Hands – Your Legacy, Their Future workshop will help guide farmers and ranchers through important questions such as “How can I treat all my heirs fairly?” or “How can I protect my assets?” The workshop also aims to help address the complexities of, financial, emotional, and family dynamics.

“Farm Bureau Financial Services has a long history of serving farmers and ranchers, and we are proud to continue that service with our new Farm & Ranch Succession Workshops,” said Nancy Wiles, Marketing Communications Vice President with Farm Bureau Financial Services. “This workshop is a great opportunity for farmers and ranchers to start thinking about the transition process. It’s not something people like to think about, but it’s an important step to take in ensuring the continuation of their life’s work.”

The workshop is free and open to the public. Registration is required for attendance. To learn more and to register, visit fbfs.com/changing-hands or contact Stan McAfee at (402) 287-2784.



Rural Mainstreet Index Falls for February: Almost Two-Thirds of Banks Raised Farm Loan Collateral Requirements

The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for February fell, but remained above growth neutral, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.    

Overall: The overall index sank to 50.2 from January’s 51.5. This was the 11th time in the past 12 months the index has remained above growth neutral. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with 50.0 representing growth neutral.

“Our surveys over the last several months indicate the Rural Mainstreet economy is expanding outside of agriculture. However, the negative impacts of tariffs and low agriculture commodity prices continue to weaken the farm sector,” said Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. 

Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for January increased to 42.2 from 37.9 in January. This is the 63rd straight month the index has fallen below growth neutral 50.0. 

The January farm equipment-sales index slumped to 32.8 from January’s 40.9. This marks the 66th consecutive month that the reading has remained below growth neutral 50.0.

Bankers were asked to estimate the change in agriculture equipment sales in their area for the next year. On average, bankers expect another 6.1 percent decline in farm equipment sales over the next year. This is an improvement from last year at this time when a 6.9 percent decline was expected.

This month bankers were asked to identify their bank’s response to weak farm income. Almost two-thirds, or 62.6 percent, indicated collateral requirements have been raised on farm loans. This compares to 45.2 percent for February 2018.

Almost one-third, or 30.3 percent of bankers, reported that a higher percentage of farm loan applications had been rejected. This compares to 21.4 percent of banks in February 2018 that reported they had rejected a higher percentage of farm loans. 

Below are the state reports:
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for February sank to 49.4 from January’s 50.9. The state’s farmland-price index slumped to 42.0 from last month’s 47.8. Nebraska’s new-hiring index climbed to 56.2 from January’s 53.4. Over the past 12 months, Nebraska’s Rural Mainstreet economy added jobs at a 0.8 percent pace, while urban areas in the state increased jobs by 1.5 percent. 

Iowa: The February RMI for Iowa sank to 49.3 from January’s 54.2. Iowa’s farmland-price index increased to 41.9 from January’s 37.8. Iowa’s new-hiring index for February expanded to 55.9 from 53.4 in January. Over the past 12 months, Iowa’s Rural Mainstreet economy added jobs at a 0.0 percent pace, while urban areas in the state increased jobs by 1.8 percent. 

Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included.  

This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.



Nebraska Farmers Union Co-Sponsors College Students' Attendance to College Conference on Cooperatives

15 agricultural students and their professors from 3 different Nebraska Colleges traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota February 14-17 to learn about cooperatives under the guidance of Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU).  The participating colleges included Northeast Community College at Norfolk, Southeast Community College at Beatrice, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis.  71 students from across the nation attended the College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC).

The CCOC participants learned about different types of cooperatives from consumer and producer driven co-ops to senior living co-ops. “Nebraska cooperatives create nearly 14,000 jobs while contributing $2.2 billion in annual economic impact through sales and investments. The CCOC engages tomorrow’s leaders through a unique platform that teaches them about cooperative business principles and the opportunities available through the cooperative model,” said NeFU President John Hansen.

Students heard from cooperative leaders, farmers and government experts who explained current challenges they face. Presenters ranged from members, directors, employees and managers of traditional and value-added agricultural cooperatives to representatives of housing and worker-owned co-ops. “I have never attended a conference like the CCOC before and I had no idea that tons of other co-ops existed outside of the typical grain co-ops. I’m glad I went out of my comfort zone and attended the CCOC” said McKenna Lauenroth a Southeast Community College student from Crete, NE.

All of the Nebraska attendees are from rural areas and towns. “Attending the CCOC was an amazing opportunity and greatly expanded my knowledge about cooperatives,” said Morgan Curran, a student attending Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis.

NeFU CCOC Representative Camdyn Kavan concluded “The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive. From the tour of the Mill City Museum to the general surprise that co-ops are so much more than just places to buy feed and fertilizer or sell grain. These students learned about how cooperatives can be used to improve lives and serve society everywhere as well as serving rural communities.”

The annual College Cooperative Conference is co-sponsored by the CHS Foundation in cooperation with the National Farmers Union Foundation.  Nebraska Farmers Union was awarded a grant from the National Farmers Union Foundation to help defray the attendance costs for the Nebraska participants.



Regional Aquaculture Conference March 22-23 in Iowa

The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers (CSIF) is hosting the 2019 Aquaculture Conference on March 22 and 23 to provide farmers information about Iowa's newest emerging livestock industry. The event, co-sponsored by Iowa State University and the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC), will be held at the Quality Inn & Suites in Ames from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

"Aquaculture is a way for farmers to diversify and grow, especially at a time when commodity prices are low and acquiring land can be cost prohibitive," said CSIF's Executive Director Brian Waddingham. "We are continuing to receive calls from young farmers interested in raising fish and shrimp. There are some really exciting opportunities here in Iowa, but because it's so new, it's important to learn as much as possible before diving in. That's the goal of this conference."

The NCRAC is one of the five Regional Aquaculture Centers established by Congress that are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. NCRAC is an administrative unit that serves the 12 states in the North Central Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The event will include a wide range of important topics for farmers to consider such as the opportunities and economics of aquaculture, rules and regulations for fish farms, permits needed to buy and sell fish and shrimp, marketing, production systems, water chemistry, fish health and shrimp culture.

The CSIF Aquaculture conference includes a dynamic line-up of speakers such as Carole Engle, with Engle-Stone Aquatic$, LLC.; Matt Smith, Ohio State University; Brian Tapp, Iowa State University; Scott Platt, Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals; Brian Waddingham, Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers; and Joe Morris from Iowa State University.

Registration, including a complimentary lunch, is free if completed by March 15. A $20 fee will be charged for registrations after March 15. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/2T90PtZ or call 800-932-2436. Space is limited.



GENE EDITING DEVELOPMENT STALLED; NPPC RENEWS CALL FOR USDA OVERSIGHT

Development of an emerging technology promising major animal health and environmental benefits is currently stalled at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, prompting the National Pork Producers Council to renew its call for U.S. Department of Agriculture regulatory oversight of gene editing for livestock.

“The pace of FDA’s process to develop a regulatory framework for this important innovation only reinforces our belief that the USDA is best equipped to oversee gene editing for livestock production,” said Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio and president of the National Pork Producers Council. “U.S. agriculture is one our nation’s most successful export products; we can’t afford to cede leadership of gene editing to other countries.”

Gene editing accelerates genetic improvements that could be realized over long periods of time through breeding. It allows for simple changes in a pig’s native genetic structure without introducing genes from another species. Emerging applications include raising pigs resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, a highly contagious swine disease that causes significant animal suffering and costs pork producers worldwide billions of dollars.

Dr. Dan Kovich, NPPC director of science and technology, will advocate today for USDA oversight of gene editing at an Innovations in Agriculture panel moderated by USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach during the agency’s 95th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. According to Kovich, “In addition to dramatic animal health gains and reduced financial risk for farmers, gene editing’s promise includes less need to use antibiotics to care for livestock and reduced environmental impact from more efficient farm operations.”       

Despite no statutory requirement, the FDA currently holds regulatory authority over gene editing in food-producing animals. FDA oversight will treat any gene edited animal as a living animal drug – and every farm raising them a drug manufacturing facility – undermining U.S. agricultural competitiveness relative to other countries with more progressive gene editing regulatory policies.



CBP Newark Kicks Off Chinese Lunar Year Seizing Prohibited Animal Products
U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists from the Port of New York/Newark rang in the Chinese Lunar Year by intercepting twenty-three shipments, which contained over 10,000 kilograms of prohibited animal products from China, attempting to make entry into the United States via containerized sea cargo.

“CBP Agriculture Specialists made critical interceptions of these prohibited animal products and stopped them from entering the United States before they could potentially cause grave damage to our agricultural and economic vitality,” said Troy Miller, Director, Field Operations, New York Field Office.

Animal disease outbreaks are a threat to the United States that can adversely impact public health, cause global trade halts, and destabilize the economy and our nation’s food supply.  In China, growing outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious swine viral disease that affects pigs, have prompted stricter US import requirements and increased vigilance from CBP.



Crop Insurance Program Integrity Continues to Improve

Crop insurance’s already-low improper payment rate — a closely-watched standardized measure of waste and efficiency – improved again in 2018.

Martin Barbre, Administrator of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), delivered the good news this week while addressing the crop insurance industry’s annual convention.

The FY2018 rate of 1.81 percent marked the fourth consecutive year it declined, falling from 2017’s 1.96 percent and 2.02 percent and 2.20 percent in 2016 and 2015. The USDA and private-sector insurers made program integrity improvement a top priority following an improper payment rate of more than 5 percent in 2014.

“RMA has continued to improve program integrity for federal crop insurance through an effective public-private partnership with our Approved Insurance Providers,” Barbre said.

Improper payments occur when funds go to the wrong recipient; when the correct recipient receives too little or too much; or when the recipient uses funds in an improper manner. Many errors are simply rooted in data entry and reporting mistakes.

The government closely monitors improper payments for all major federal spending programs, and the last time a government-wide figure was posted, it was twice as high as crop insurance’s rate.

Tom Zacharias, the president of National Crop Insurance Services, which sponsored this week’s meetings, said the news illustrates the power of the crop insurance system’s unique public-private partnership and is a testament to investments made in recent years.

“Crop insurers enjoy a tremendous partnership with the USDA, and we work closely together to ensure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars and are constantly improving efficiencies for America’s farmers and ranchers,” he said.

Zacharias noted that the partnership fosters investment in data collection, education and training, monitoring and new research and technology to continually improve.

“In addition to the USDA’s hard work, the private sector is spending millions every year to maximize program integrity,” he concluded. “This new data is proof that crop insurance is a highly efficient, well-run public-private partnership.”



Members of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Announced

To ensure America’s dietary guidance reflects the latest science, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar today announced the appointment of 20 nationally recognized scientists to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The independent advisory committee will review scientific evidence on topics and questions identified by the departments and will provide a report on their findings to the secretaries. Their review, along with public and agency comments, will help inform USDA and HHS’ development of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).

“USDA is committed to ensuring everything we do is data-driven and based in scientific facts, which is why this expert committee’s work in objectively evaluating the science is of the utmost importance to the departments and to this process,” said Secretary Perdue. “The committee will evaluate existing research and develop a report objectively, with an open mind.”

“The scientists we selected to serve on the committee are national leaders in the areas of nutrition and health,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “HHS, USDA, and all Americans will benefit from the collective experience and expertise of the committee, which will conduct a rigorous examination of the scientific evidence on several diet-related health outcomes, including the prevention of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which are three of the leading causes of death in the United States.”

The list of members appointed to the expert committee can be found at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

The committee’s work will kick off at a public meeting to be announced in the coming weeks. The committee will review scientific evidence on specific nutrition and health related topics and scientific questions (PDF, 477 KB) that, for the first time, reflect both public comments and federal agency input. Throughout their deliberations, the public and other stakeholders will be encouraged to provide comments and feedback.

“In our continuing commitment to transparency and customer service, we invite the American public to engage in this process,” said Secretary Perdue. “We want to hear from everyone and all viewpoints. I encourage everyone with an interest to attend public meetings and to send comments through the Federal Register once the committee begins their work.”

The next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will continue to focus on dietary patterns of what Americans eat and drink as a whole, on average and over time, to help prevent disease and keep people healthy. Additionally, the review process will take a life-stage approach and will, for the first time, include pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies, providing food-based recommendations to help prevent diet-related chronic diseases and promote overall health.



NCBA Responds to Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) Appointments

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston today issued the following statement regarding the appointment of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC):

"Cattle producers applaud the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s commitment to ensuring the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) process is firmly grounded in the best available science and will ultimately result in nutritional policy that can measurably improve the health of Americans.

"Members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are leading experts in their fields who are tasked with evaluating the latest scientific evidence and then use that to make recommendations on what constitutes a healthy diet. Beef is a high-quality protein with essential nutrients like iron, zinc and B vitamins, and overwhelming scientific evidence consistently shows balanced diets with beef nourish and sustain good health. Cattle and beef producers are committed to providing a wholesome, nutritious food and communicating accurate information about beef, and we look forward to contributing to a transparent, public process."



NCGA USMEF Study Highlights the Value to Corn Producers through Red Meat Exports
   
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) partnered with the U.S. Meat Export Federation to update a study on the value of red meat exports to domestic U.S. corn growers. The original study was conducted in 2015. In 2018, the study showed beef and pork exports used a combined total of 14.9 million tons of corn and DDGS, which equates to an additional 459.7 million bushels of corn produced – an increase of 29 percent over the 2015 projections.

Other highlights from the updated study:
-    Since 2015, one in every four bushels of added feed demand for corn is due to beef and pork exports.
-    About 11 percent of the price of corn this year will be derived from red meat exports.
-    Red meat exports’ impact on corn price is 39 cents per bushel (based on the annual average price of $3.53 per bushel).
-    There would be a loss of $5.7 billion in corn value without red meat exports.

“It’s important to continue to foster these types of relationships to continue to grow demand for red meat worldwide,” said Dan Wesely, Chairman of the Feed, Food, and Industrial Action Team. “The animal ag industry is the largest user of U.S. corn and utilizing studies that show what that impact is to the corn producer is extremely beneficial as we continue to help these markets expand.”



Weekly Ethanol Production for 2/15/2019

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production slid to an average of 996,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 41.83 million gallons daily. This was down 33,000 b/d (-3.2%) from the previous week and 72,000 b/d lower than a year ago. The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 0.9% to a 70-week low of 1.001 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.35 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol rose for the first time in three weeks, increasing 1.7% to 23.9 million barrels. Builds occurred mainly in the East Coast and Gulf Coast regions.

There were no imports for the fourteenth week in a row. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of November 2018.)

Average weekly gasoline supplied to the market rebounded by 1.8% to 8.800 million b/d (369.6 million gallons per day, or 134.90 billion gallons annualized) after slumping the previous week. The four-week average of 9.021 million b/d is 0.4% lower than the year-ago level, while the year-to-date average of 8.907 million b/d is fractionally (0.1%) lower than last year. Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol increased 1.6% to 887,000 b/d—equivalent to 13.60 billion gallons annualized.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production declined slightly to 11.32%.



RFA Releases Three Videos Aimed at Educating Consumers

The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce the release of three new educational videos that will help the public learn more about the advantages of using more renewable fuels like ethanol. The videos, released last week at RFA’s 24th annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, focus on the ethanol production process, facts about the industry and the benefits of renewable fuels, and testimonials about ethanol-blended fuels from avid motorcycle riders.

The Ethanol Process video gives consumers and students an inside look at how fuel ethanol is produced, with a virtual tour of sophisticated biorefineries that use state-of-the-art technologies to convert grains, beverage and food waste, cellulosic biomass and other feedstocks into clean, renewable fuel.

Using updated data, the Ethanol Facts video highlights basic facts about today’s industry and underscores ethanol’s significant economic, energy independence, and environmental benefits. For example, last year the U.S. ethanol industry supported nearly 366,000 American jobs, while displacing an amount of gasoline that would have required the refining of 594 million barrels of imported crude oil.

Finally, the Ethanol & Motorcycles video unveiled last week offers first-hand accounts from bikers who share their experience with ethanol-blended fuels. They discuss the high quality of ethanol and the increased engine performance they get when using gasoline blends with 10% ethanol to fuel their bikes. The video also features comments by Paul Teutul Jr., who highlights what he learned about ethanol while working on the custom-built RFA motorcycle, which was featured on the hit TV show “American Chopper.”

“These new videos provide insight and education about ethanol’s many benefits in an entertaining and creative way,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The renewable fuels industry has a great story to tell and RFA continues to find interesting new ways to share that story with consumers, policymakers, the media, and others. We encourage anyone interested in renewable fuels to view these videos and share them with others.”

The videos are now available on the RFA website... https://ethanolrfa.org/media/videos/. 



Growth Energy, USGC, and RFA Submit Joint Comments on Canadian Clean Fuel Standard

Growth Energy, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), and Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) jointly submitted comments to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) supporting their goal of reducing the carbon intensity of Canada's fuel stream through the Clean Fuel Standard. The comments offered recommendations on how biofuels, like ethanol, can help reach the ECCC Regulatory Design Paper's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23 megatons by 2030.

"While there are several details that are yet to be determined, we support the laudable and achievable goal to reduce the carbon intensity of the liquid fuel stream by 11 percent, ultimately leading to a 23-megaton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. We believe that by using low carbon biofuels such as ethanol, Canada can succeed in its own greenhouse gas reduction goals."

The comments suggested expanding the current minimum blending requirement for biofuels from 5 percent to 10 percent nationwide. They also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the biofuels regulations put in place focus on promoting economic growth and securing a pathway to meeting Canada's climate goals. These include improving upstream fossil fuel protocols on exports, limiting abuse of compliance flexibility, and allowing public comment and review of carbon intensity models.



Fifty-Plus Groups Indicate Their Support for Estate Tax Repeal Bills

Repeal is the most effective way to protect family-run businesses from the estate tax, the American Farm Bureau Federation and more than 50 other organizations wrote in a letter to Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), who introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act (S. 215, H.R. 218) in their respective chambers.

In its letter, the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition noted it had supported legislation in 2012 that included a $5 million estate tax exemption, indexed for inflation, permanent lower tax rates and provisions for spousal transfer and stepped-up basis. In addition, the coalition backed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s temporary doubling of the estate tax exemption to $11.2 million and indexing of future increases for inflation through 2025.

“These changes represent significant relief to family-owned businesses from the estate tax. However, without further congressional action, the temporary increase in the exemption amount will expire at the end of 2025, increasing uncertainty and planning costs. While the FBETC supports making the estate tax provisions of TCJA permanent, the FBETC continues to believe that repeal is the best solution to protect all family-owned businesses from the estate tax,” the coalition said in the letter.



NMPF “Road Map” Petition to FDA Outlines Next Steps in Dairy-Labeling Rules

The National Milk Producers Federation today filed a citizen petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, outlining a labeling solution to the use of dairy terms on non-dairy products as the agency considers public input from a recently concluded comment period.

The petition reinforces current FDA labeling regulations, with some additional clarification, to show how marketplace transparency can be enhanced and consumer harm from confusion over nutritional content can be reduced. It also addresses several specious arguments raised by marketers of vegan foods as part of the ongoing debate on dairy labeling, such as the false idea that creating consistent, clear labeling of non-dairy products would somehow limit the use of dairy terms on products that clearly aren’t marketed as dairy substitutes, such as peanut butter.

“The FDA comment docket gave us the chance to explain why there is a compelling need to resolve this labeling issue to address consumer confusion over nutritional content,” said National Milk Producers Federation Executive Vice President Tom Balmer. “This petition lays out a constructive solution to the false and misleading labeling practices existing in the marketplace today, and provides clear, truthful and understandable labeling options for marketers of plant-based imitation dairy products.”

In its petition, NMPF urges FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to “Take prompt enforcement action against misbranded non-dairy foods that substitute for and resemble reference standardized dairy food(s) (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter), yet are nutritionally inferior to such reference standardized dairy foods.” Under existing FDA rules, such foods are required to use the word “imitation” if they reference a standardized dairy food but do not have the same nutritional value. The petition also points to long-standing rules that provide for using the words “substitute” or “alternative” in conjunction with a dairy term when such products are deemed nutritionally equivalent to the dairy products they reference.

“Marketers of plant-based foods that are designed to resemble standardized dairy foods actually have several labeling options under current FDA regulations, as we point out in this petition,” Balmer said. “The unfortunate reality today is that many of them are playing fast and loose with the labeling rules to mask their nutritional inferiority to real dairy products.”

The NMPF petition notes that any manufacturer not wishing to use modifiers such as “imitation,” “substitute” or “alternative” may simply eschew the use of dairy terms altogether – an approach that’s already common in the rest of the world and practiced by some companies in the U.S. including Chobani, Trader Joe’s and Quaker.

NMPF also addresses First Amendment arguments that have been raised by opponents, via a thorough discussion of relevant case law on commercial speech rights. Beginning with the landmark Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission and running through more recent decisions such as Zauderer and American Meat Institute vs. USDA, the petition explains how NMPF’s proposed solutions focus on disclosure requirements narrowly tailored to improving labeling transparency and promoting informed consumer choice – and are emphatically not a “ban” on the use of dairy terms by plant-based products.

“Our approach does not advocate for any so-called “bans,” Balmer said. “It simply relies on proper disclosures that allow for appropriate, truthful, non-misleading messaging. In the end, products that are ‘milk-like’ or ‘yogurt-like’ are not actual milk or yogurt – and the nutritional distinctions are critical to informed consumer decision-making. That’s what our petition is all about.”



IGC Raises Global Grain Production Estimate

The International Grains Council said Thursday that it has increased its estimates for global grain production for this season.

The IGC's fresh monthly estimation raised expected 2018-19 production by 32 million metric tons to 2,121 million tons, although that figure would still constitute the lowest production in three seasons. The body also upped estimated 2017-18 production by 40 million tons to 2,142 million tons.

The 2018-19 change represents an increase of 1.5% on the grain body's figures from its last report in January.

The IGC's release has been eagerly anticipated by the market, providing rare global grains data in a period of disruption following the longest ever U.S. government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been releasing its data from the period of the shutdown on a delay.

In its predictions for the 2018-19 production season, the IGC cut its expected wheat production by 2 million tons to 735 million tons. That was accompanied by a cut of 5 million tons to soybeans forecasts, down to 358 million tons.

Driving the majority of the IGC's increase was a bump in corn production forecasts, up 33 million tons to 1,109 million tons, while the IGC also raised its forecast for rice production by 7 million tons to 495 million tons.

Higher production estimates for China and the U.S. drove the increase in corn prices, the IGC said.



Bunge Earnings Down on Reduced Soybean Inventories

Bunge Ltd. reported a slightly steeper quarterly loss as the agribusiness was hurt by a reduction in soybean inventories.

The White Plains, N.Y.-based company posted a loss of $65 million, or 51 cents a share, compared with a loss of $60 million, or 48 cents a share, a year before. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 8 cents a share. Analysts polled by Refinitiv expected earnings of 20 cents a share on both a reported and adjusted basis.

The agribusiness, which is Bunge's largest segment by profit and sales, was impacted by a reduction in Bunge's soybean inventories.

Revenue declined 0.53% to $11.54 billion from a year earlier. Analysts expected the company to make $11.75 billion in sales.

The company had warned investors last month that it had anticipated lower-than-anticipated profits in the fourth quarter. Bunge had also named Gregory Heckman, a grain industry executive who joined Bunge's board in October, as its new acting chief executive, to succeed departing CEO Soren Schroder.

As part of a settlement in October with activist investors Continental Grain Co. and DE Shaw & Co., Bunge added four new directors and set up a strategic review committee of its board, which has included Mr. Heckman.



Stine Seed Company Offers Extensive Lineup of Enlist E3 Soybeans for 2019

Stine® Seed Company is pleased to offer growers a full lineup of Stine Enlist E3™ soybeans for the 2019 growing season. Enlist E3 soybeans are approved for cultivation in the U.S., Canada and Brazil and have received import authorization in importing countries, including China and the Philippines. The Enlist E3 trait is the only commercially available trait that confers tolerance to a new 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate in a three-gene molecular stack. Stine has 37 Enlist E3 soybean options for growers to choose from in 2019.

“Stine Enlist E3 soybeans offer an advanced herbicide-tolerant technology that will bring growers high yields and exceptional performance,” says Myron Stine, president of Stine Seed Company. “The commercial launch of this trait marks a positive step forward for the soybean industry and growers who have struggled to find a good alternative mode of action for weed control.”

Developed by MS Technologies™ and Corteva Agriscience™, agriculture division of DowDuPont, the Enlist E3 soybean system will benefit growers by providing maximum flexibility and convenience, along with the ability to use multiple modes of action for exceptional weed control. Enlist Duo® herbicide with Colex-D® is labeled for use over the top of Enlist E3 soybeans and contains a proprietary blend of glyphosate and a new 2,4-D choline. This results in unrivaled weed control designed to land and stay on target.