Monday December 30 Ag News

Report says Phase One Trade Deal Signing May Happen This Weekend

Reports surfaced early on Monday that the Chinese Vice Premier will lead a delegation to Washington, D.C., to sign the Phase One trade deal. A source close to the situation tells the South China Morning Post that Liu (Lou) He will fly to Washington on Saturday to sign the agreement. The source said the U.S. extended the invitation and Liu has accepted. Beijing and Washington haven’t confirmed the trip yet.

China is already buying larger amounts of U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans, which was a big part of the agreement for U.S President Donald Trump. The possibility of making the deal official this weekend will mean increased purchases by China, as well as a partial end to the trade war that’s dominated headlines for the past 18 months. China’s soybean imports from the U.S. recently hit a 20-month high at 2.6 million tons, the highest number since March of 2018, when the trade war between the world’s largest economies began to pick up steam. Reports of higher food prices in China will likely mean a need for increased imports of U.S. agricultural goods in the months ahead to bring down those prices.



Iowa Farmers Using Cover Crops Can Sign Up for Crop Insurance Discounts until Jan. 15, 2020

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reminds farmers who planted fall cover crops that the deadline to sign up for a $5 per acre reduction on their 2020 crop insurance premiums is quickly approaching. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will accept applications until Jan. 15, 2020.

Farmers and landowners can sign up online at apply.cleanwateriowa.org. Fall 2019 cover crop acres enrolled in other state or federal cover crop cost-share programs are not eligible. Farmers who received prevent plant payments in 2019 are still eligible for the discounted insurance premiums.

“Cover crops offer multiple benefits to farmers and landowners; they are proven to reduce nutrient loads, improve soil health and can be used for livestock grazing,” said Secretary Naig. “This program is just one of many options farmers can use to implement innovative conservation practices on their land.”

The insurance premium reductions will be available for fall-planted cover crops with a spring-planted cash crop. Some insurance policies may be excluded, like Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, or those covered through written agreements. Participants must follow all existing farming practices required by their policy and work with their insurance agent to maintain eligibility.

This is a joint, three-year demonstration project administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) to increase the use of cover crops in Iowa. More than 1,200 farmers have applied for this program and planted 300,000 acres of cover crops in the past two years.

Farmers are encouraged to visit their local USDA service center offices to learn about other funding available to support the implementation of conservation practices.



U.S. Soy Leads the Way in Sustainable Global Aquaculture

What do U.S. soybean farmers and global aquaculture have in common? Quite a bit, actually, especially in helping to make fish farming more sustainable and scalable.

Working towards Sustainability in Global Fish Farming
For nearly 30 years, the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) aquaculture program, funded by the soybean checkoff, has provided critical training and technical knowledge for global aquaculture — ranging from small family fish farms in Asia to large international operations that provide fish for your local supermarket and large global retailers like Costco and Walmart.

Beginning in the 1990s, the program worked to transition Chinese fish farms from manure-based feed to formulated pellet feed, and over the years has provided training to improve feed and farming methods that improve food safety and sustainability, while lessening environmental impact.

Four Areas of Focus Help to Shape Sustainable Aquaculture
In aquaculture, USSEC focuses on four areas: feed, technology advancements, aquaculture investment, and sustainability. USSEC works to optimize and demonstrate the value of U.S. Soy through all of these efforts. Let’s take a look at each.

Feed: USSEC’s technical experts work with feed mills and farmers to develop feed formulations, feed demonstrations, and best feed practices. USSEC’s partnership with business and academia on the International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database provides valuable training for feed formulators. And aquafeed formulation research made possible by soy industry support is archived for public use.

Technology Advancements:  Hatchery improvements, genetic/breeding advancements, and the In-pond Raceway System (IPRS) technology transfer ensure better fish health and safety, water conservation, less environmental impact and higher yields. USSEC holds educational field trips and seminars to share best practices of successful farms.

Aquaculture Investment:  U.S. Soy’s renowned Aquaculture Investment Workshops promote investment in aquaculture infrastructure in Latin America so that industry can expand to meet global demand.

Sustainability:  All of the U.S. Soy aquaculture program’s initiatives are based on making global aquaculture more sustainable. The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) allows for soy feed ingredients to be certified sustainable, and USSEC works closely with aquaculture sustainability certification programs such as BAP and ASC so that the SSAP is accepted as a standard for sustainable soy.

U.S. Soy: A Sustainable Alternative
High quality U.S. soybeans help to increase the affordability and sustainability of the world’s supply of healthy, farm-raised seafood and can replace much of the fishmeal in feeds for many farmed species, thus reducing the pressure on wild fish resources.



U.S. Farm Exports to Philippines Hit Record

The United States has seen a lot of benefits from the Philippines’ growing demand for imported agricultural products. The USDA’s Foreign Ag Service says agricultural exports to the Philippines will reach a record of $3 billion by the end of this year as shipments continue to arrive. The U.S. currently commands 28 percent of market share in the nation, making it the largest supplier of agricultural products. Last year, the Philippines was the 11th-largest market for U.S. ag exports. The top five products included soybean meal, wheat, dairy products, pork and pork products, as well as poultry.

Last year, ag exports to the Southeast Asian nation reached a record of $2.9 billion. U.S. soybean meal was the highest-value export, worth $884 million in 2018. USDA data shows that “While sales were down four percent from January to October year-on-year, Manilla officials still expect a record $3 billion as shipments picked up ahead of the holiday season.” U.S. food and beverage products alone will reach a record $1.2 billion by the end of 2019, which amounts to more than 29,000 container trucks.



EPA Receives 16 Requests for 2019 Small-Refinery Exemptions
Todd Neeley, DTN

Just as the biofuels industry in the United States continues to lament the EPA's latest Renewable Fuel Standard action that by most accounts falls short of industry expectations when accounting for small-refinery exemptions, the agency has received additional waiver requests for 2019.

According to the latest numbers on EPA's RFS dashboard, the agency has received 16 SRE requests for 2019. Those requests come at a time when the price of renewable identification numbers, or RINs, continue to be low. One of the major reasons cited by refiners for making exemption requests, is the exorbitant costs of compliance with the RFS.

From 2016 to 2018, the EPA has granted an average of 28 small-refinery exemptions per year and received an average of 33.

One of the major concerns the biofuels industry has is the retroactive nature in which the EPA has granted small-refinery exemption -- requests for a given year typically are made at the close of that compliance year.

In the most recent finalized RFS proposal the agency opted to use the U.S. Department of Energy's estimate for SREs of about 700 million gallons per year, in attempt to account for exemptions in 2020.

The industry thought it had a deal with the White House that would have used a three-year rolling average of actual gallons exempted in 2016 to 2018, or about 1.35 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons.



USB Sets Goals for 2020

United Soybean Board CEO Polly Ruhland recently announced her group’s priorities for the year ahead. 2020 goals will include improving farmer profitability by focusing in on meal, oil, and sustainability. One of the things they’re researching this year is to prove the amino acid profile, as well as how valuable it can be to livestock producers that feed soy to their animals. That’s why they’re looking further into both their meal and protein quality improvements in the soybean.

Another area of focus for USB is enhancing and communicating the sustainability of soy. Improvements in technology over the years have allowed soybean farmers to grow more soybeans and use fewer acres of land to do it. They want the public to know that the sustainability of soy can help the planet and put profit into a farmer’s operation at the same time. Another 2020 objective is to focus their research on the benefits of soybean oil, more specifically in high oleic soybean oil. The objectives were highlighted this month during the United Soybean Board meeting in December.



Jim Beam Fined for Bourbon Spill

(AP) -- Jim Beam was fined $600,000 earlier this month after a July warehouse fire sent a nearly 23-mile plume of alcohol into the Kentucky and Ohio rivers, killing fish.

The distiller agreed to the fine in a Dec. 6 order from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, The Courier-Journal reports. Jim Beam will also reimburse the state agency $112,000.

The July 3 fire was started when lightning struck a massive barrel warehouse near the Woodford-Franklin County line. The blaze sent flames shooting into the night sky that could be seen for miles and generated so much heat that firetruck lights melted. About 40,000 barrels of aging whiskey were destroyed, with the runoff pouring into nearby Glenns Creek and then downstream into the rivers.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources found dead fish along 62 miles (100 kilometers) of Glenns Creek and the Kentucky River. There were also dead fish in the Ohio River, but Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesman John Mura has described the impact there as "negligible."

In a Friday comment to the newspaper, Beam Suntory, the Chicago-based spirits company that owns Jim Beam, said, "While we were able to minimize impacts to the surrounding environment and wildlife ... we recognize the regrettable and unavoidable impacts of the incident and have been committed to doing what we can to restore the environment. That includes making payments to the state to compensate for time spent, resources utilized and costs to supplement the local fish population."



Syngenta celebrates 40 years of Seedcare innovation

Growers rely on seed treatments to prepare for each season’s unique challenges. In an effort to meet this need, Syngenta and its legacy companies have been at the forefront of seed treatment research for 40 years. Since the introduction of Concep®, the first sorghum seed safener, in 1979, the company has developed novel active ingredients and crop-specific seed treatment recipes across all major crops.

“Helping growers protect their seed investment has always been one of our core goals,” said Ross Weikel, head of Syngenta Seedcare. “Each year, we look for new, innovative ways to help crops get a healthy start. And with four decades of experience, we’re never short on thoughtful solutions.”

This year, that history of innovation has continued with the EPA registration of Saltro® fungicide seed treatment, which offers protection against sudden death syndrome and nematodes. It is the latest in a long line of research-driven solutions. In 1982, Apron®, the first seed treatment fungicide to offer protection against downy mildew, entered the market. Eleven years later, the company introduced Maxim® seed treatment fungicide, the first seed treatment to be labeled “reduced-risk” by the EPA. Syngenta also developed Avicta®, the first seed treatment nematicide, in 2006. The company is not showing any signs of stopping either.

“Even in times of lower commodity prices, seed treatments still have a high potential return on investment, especially with early planting,” Weikel said. “From diseases and insect pests to unpredictable weather, growers don’t know what challenges they’re going to face during the growing season. We’re providing solutions that can help, no matter the situation.”

With its industry-leading portfolio, product development and support capabilities, Syngenta Seedcare always puts customers first. “We offer a three-pillar approach around product, application and service,” said Ravi Ramachandran, Ph.D., head of the Syngenta North America Seedcare Institute in Stanton, Minnesota. “We’re the only company offering this level of service to our customers.”



ASPCA Invites Public to Detox from Factory-Farmed Food for One Week
ASPCA News Release

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) announces its second Factory Farm Detox, a week-long consumer challenge to eliminate factory-farmed foods and replace them with more humane and sustainable alternatives including those with a meaningful welfare certification and plant-based products. This January, consumers are encouraged to participate in a Monday-through-Sunday detox during the week of their choosing—joining a community of advocates who are fed up with the animal cruelty, pollution and injustices occurring on factory farms.

The Factory Farm Detox was created to raise awareness about the negative impacts of the industrial operations that raise over 95 percent of farm animals across the U.S. in unacceptable conditions not aligned with consumers' values. Often referred to as concentrated or confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), factory farms are industrial facilities on which large numbers of animals are confined in unnatural conditions that prioritize the production of meat, eggs or dairy at the expense of animals' welfare, the environment, workers, consumers, rural communities and farmers.

"Every food purchase is a vote for how animals should be raised, and consumers have the power to show that there is no market for farm animal cruelty," said Kara Shannon, Senior Manager, ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare Department. "The Factory Farm Detox provides consumers with the tools to make informed purchases, cutting through misleading claims and helping people support farmers who are actually raising animals in more humane systems."

Participating in the Factory Farm Detox is as simple as not buying meat, eggs or dairy from factory farms where animals are caged, crowded and lacking access to environmental enrichments. During the Detox, participants can opt for products bearing meaningful animal welfare certifications, including Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World, Certified Humane, and Global Animal Partnership (GAP) 2+ or plant-based products.

Factory Farm Detox participants will receive everything they need to succeed including:
-    A text-based helpline staffed by animal welfare experts to help you find more humane food
-    Label guides for meat, eggs and dairy and a list of welfare-certified brands
-    Encouraging emails with guidance along the way
-    Discussion starters, shopping tips and help for dining out
-    Inspirational advice from former New York Times' food writer Mark Bittman and chefs including Bill Telepan, Naama Tamir and more

Over the past year, the ASPCA has worked with small farmers, large producers, independent businesses and large corporations to help them pursue more humane animal husbandry practices and source from higher welfare farms and ranches, making it even easier for consumers to shop responsibly. Among these, Whole30® became the first dietary program to commit to comprehensive animal welfare standards with additional new commitments from Chop't Creative Salad Co., ButcherBox, Serenity Kids, and more.