Wednesday January 1 Ag News - Happy New Year!

Inspired by Annie's Project Winter Class Series

Nebraska Extension is excited to offer four Annie’s inspired programs in Southeast Nebraska starting in January running through March.  Annie’s Project is a nationwide program dedicated in providing educational programs designed in strengthening women’s roles in their farming operation.  These programs give women the opportunity to learn from agricultural professionals and connect with other women in agriculture in a relaxed, fun and dynamic setting.  Participants will interact with the speaker and join in hands on activities. 

 “Beef 101” will provide a hands-on experience to learn about beef and forage sampling from a beef extension educator.  This educational program will focus on scoring the body condition of cows, cattle handling and sampling forages for analysis, and what does the testing report mean for your herd.  “Beef 101” will be held on Monday January 6th at the Ag Hall building located at the Polk County fairground, 12931 N Blvd, Osceola, NE. 

The second Annie’s inspired workshop will concentrate on Farm & Ranch Budgets and Financial Statements.  This class will walk you through the free Farm & Ranch budgets offered by the University of Nebraska.  An Ag Economist extension educator will address how to best utilize these budgets and how to fit them to your business.   Farm & Ranch Budgets and Financial Statements will be held Monday February 3rd at the Hruska Memorial Public Library, 399 N 5th St, David City, NE. 

Session three, Mental Health and Stress Management will address how to recognize stress in yourself and others, whys to cope with stress and tips in caring for your own mental health.  Tools and resources will be available to participate to help them and those they know care for their own mental health.  Please join us for the Mental Health and Stress Management class on Monday March 2nd at the Seward Civic Center, 616 Bradford St., Seward, NE. 

We will finish our Annie’s inspired series with a workshop on Crop Scouting.  This class will cover basic crop scouting techniques, pest identification, disease diagnostics, and integrated pest management strategies.  The Crop Scouting workshop will be held on March 16th at the York County Fairgrounds in the 4H building, 2345 N Nebraska Ave, York, NE.  

All classes are held on Monday evening, running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., beginning with a light meal and networking, followed by a presentation and hands-on activities.  The registration fee is $5 per person, per class, covering the meal, handouts and additional resource for the class.  Please RSVP one week prior to the class by contacting Butler County Extension office at 1-402-367-7410 or York County Extension office at 1-402-362-5508.  Questions can be directed to Melissa Bartels mbartels@unl.edu or Jenny Rees jrees2@unl.edu.  These courses are hosted by Nebraska Extension and are inspired by Annie’s Project.  Annie’s Project is supported by Farm Credit Service of American in Nebraska.



Seminars and Training at the 2020 Iowa Pork Congress

Midwest pig farmers who attend the 2020 Iowa Pork Congress on Jan. 22-23 will find a variety of educational seminar and training opportunities, along with more than 300 trade show exhibitors. All the events will take place at Hy-Vee Hall in the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines.

"The seminars and presenters that are lined up will provide producers with practical information that can be put in place immediately, as well as outlooks and ideas that can help guide future decision-making for both pig farmers and pork stakeholders," says the president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Trent Thiele of Elma.

There will be five seminars on Wednesday, Jan. 22:
-    9:30 a.m. - Nuisance case discussion with attorney Eldon McAfee of Brick Gentry Law Firm. McAfee has represented many Iowa livestock farmers in cases claiming nuisance. Moderator Drew Mogler will encourage those in the audience to ask questions they may have about this concern and what they might do proactively to head off similar lawsuits.
-    10:45 a.m. - Andy Curliss of the North Carolina Pork Council will provide both a deep and broad look - citing specific instances - at how significant, coordinated advocacy is threatening animal agriculture. He will offer an unprecedented look at the ongoing attacks against the livestock industry and provide attendees with insights on how these attacks are being executed in strategy and tactics.
-    12:45 p.m. - In late September 2019, the USDA conducted an on-the-ground functional exercise to see how the reaction system would work if African swine fever was diagnosed in the United States. There were three swine farms in Iowa that participated in the exercise. Moderator Dr. Pam Zaabel will talk with them about what they learned regarding their own preparedness to respond, and what changes they are making now to their farm operations. Panelists include Heidi Vittetoe of JWV Pork, Washington County; Dr. Pete Thomas, Iowa Select Farms, and Ian Levis - Seaboard.
-    2 p.m. - There are many different ventilation systems being used in today's swine barns. Moderator Dr. Jay Harmon of Iowa State University will discuss the types and their benefits with people who manage those decisions or make recommendations daily. Panelists include: Ray Foerster, Smithfield Hog Production; Fernando Gomez, PIC; and Doug Owens, Senior Service Manager at New Fashion Pork.
-    3:15 p.m. - The economic outlook session is always a popular one as pig farmers hear about the details of factors that may impact producer profitability for the coming year. Economists Steve Meyer and Joe Kerns, both of Kerns and Associates, will outline both livestock and crop issues that can make a difference in profitability.

Also on Wednesday, producers can choose to attend this certification training sessions:
-    10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Pork Quality Assurance Plus Certification

There are also five seminars scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23:
-    9:15 a.m. - Producers can learn more about what the foreign experience with African swine fever has been. Moderator Dr. Andrew Hennenfent, the Emergency Management Coordinator at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, will discuss the topic with Todd Thurman of SwineTex Consulting who has experience in China; Ilia Zubtsov, a PIC technical consultant with experience in Russia; and Gary Flory of the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality who has done carcass consulting with multiple countries.
-    10:30 a.m. - Risk management with contracts and insurance is a critical issue for producers whether they are faced with weather situations like floods or heavy snows, or disease threats. Moderator Colin Johnson of Iowa State University Extension will moderate a panel discussion on the tools you might use to protect yourself, your farm, and your pigs. Panelists include: Matt Berger, Gislason & Hunter LLP; Chris Pudenz - Iowa State University; and Marty Pippett of Mark Crop Insurance.
-    11:45 a.m. - For producers who want to explore alternatives to antibiotics, moderator Dr. Heather Fowler of the National Pork Board leads a discussion with researchers and veterinarians about options to use in swine production. Panelists include Dr. Nick Gabler, Iowa State University; Dr. Peter Schneider, Applegate; and a representative of Smithfield Hog Production.
-    1 p.m. - Managing margins in the futures and options markets may help farmers control financial risks. Tim Hughes of CIH will talk about those tools.
-    2 p.m. - If you are looking for ways to improve the longevity of pig buildings through maintenance, this session will provide information on how to get the most value and years from your building investment. Moderator Brian Blumhagen of New Modern Concepts leads a panel that includes John Boleyn, Hog Slat; Matt Cunningham, Premier Ag Systems; and a representative from Precision Structures.
-    3 p.m. - As interest in using cover crops continues, there is also interest in learning about the use of manure in fields where cover crops are planted. Dr. Dan Anderson, Iowa State University, discusses with two farmers their experiences. Those farmers are Steve Berger, Wellman, and Mark Schleisman, Lake City.

There will be one certification training session on Thursday:
    10 a.m. - Noon. - Confinement Site Manure Applicator Certification. Applicators should bring their manure applicator certification card to this session.

Registration
Pre-registration to attend the Iowa Pork Congress seminars and trade show is available through Jan. 9 at www.iowaporkcongress.org, or by using the form in the November issue of the Iowa Pork Producer magazine, or by calling (800) 372-7675.
-    IPPA members who pre-register can attend Iowa Pork Congress free.
-    Non-IPPA members can save $5 off the normal $10 admission cost by pre-registering by the Jan. 9 deadline.

Registrations will be accepted after the deadline, including through each day of the show. The cost will be $10.  For more information about events and registration, contact IPPA at (800) 372-7675 or visit www.iowaporkcongress.org.



As World Celebrates New Year, American Cattlemen Celebrate New Trade Deals

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston today issued the following statement regarding the new trade deals with Japan and the European Union (EU), which go into effect on New Years Day:

"As the clock struck midnight and revelers around the world popped champagne and toasted the new year, American cattle producers had two big reasons to celebrate. That’s because the New Year brings new opportunities and better access to two of our major export markets: Japan and the European Union.

"The new deal with Japan today immediately lowered the tariff on U.S. beef from 38.5 percent to 26.6 percent, and it will eventually drop to 9 percent. Most importantly, it keeps us at the same tariff rate as other international beef producers who export to Japan under the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"Our new deal with the EU today establishes a duty-free quota for high-quality U.S. beef from non-hormone treated cattle. Under the terms of this agreement, the U.S.-specific annual quota will increase from 18,500 metric tons in the first year to 35,000 metric tons in year seven. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative estimates that this quota will increase annual U.S. beef sales in Europe from $150 million to $420 million.

"NCBA is proud to have worked very hard to build support for the increased access to Japan and Europe that we celebrate today, and we're going to continue working hard to improve access to lucrative international markets like China - and to finalize approval of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as soon as possible in 2020. Happy New Year!



All Fertilizer Prices Lower Again
Retail fertilizer prices continued to move lower the fourth week of December 2019, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. This several-months-long trend appears set to continue into the new year.

All eight of the major fertilizers were lower in price from the month earlier, but once again, none were substantially lower. DTN designates a significant price move as 5% or more.

DAP had an average price of $443 per ton, MAP $454/ton, potash $377/ton, urea $378/ton, 10-34-0 $469/ton, anhydrous $488/ton, UAN28 $240/ton and UAN32 $276/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.41/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.43/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.

Retail fertilizers are mixed in price from a year ago. MAP is 15% lower, anhydrous is 14% less expensive, DAP is 13% lower, UAN28 is 10% less expensive, UAN32 is 9% lower, urea is 7% lower and potash is 1% less expensive from last year at this time. In addition, 10-34-0 is 3% higher compared to last year.