Wednesday February 26 Ag News

Area bank offers support for Northeast Community College’s Nexus project
Another area bank is throwing its financial support behind Northeast Community College’s plans to enlarge and enhance agriculture facilities on its Norfolk campus.

Rick Chochon, president of Great Plains State Bank, has announced that the bank would invest $25,000 in Northeast’s Nexus project.

“Agriculture will always be important in the state of Nebraska,” Chochon said, “and that’s never going to change. I think the innovation that Northeast Community College is coming up with is definitely going to help the ag sector moving forward. What they’re working toward with the Nexus project is well worth our investment.”

Great Plains State Bank was formed when an investment group headed by Chochon purchased the former Petersburg State Bank in 2016. Great Plains State now has facilities in Petersburg, O’Neill, Columbus and Omaha, with a new headquarters building under construction near 33rd Avenue and Lost Creek Parkway in Columbus.

“When building the Columbus facility, we have tried to use all local contractors. That’s why we’re here – to support local business,” Chochon said.

Agriculture loans are a major part of the portfolio of Great Plains State Bank, Chochon explained.

“We pride ourselves on the personal service other banks can only talk about.”

“We are pleased to welcome Great Plains State Bank as a partner in the Nexus project,” said Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs and executive director of the Northeast foundation. “Financial institutions in northeast Nebraska and elsewhere in the state recognize the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy and are investing in the future of agriculture through their contributions to the Nexus project.”

Funding for the $23 million Agriculture & Water Center for Excellence project is currently being solicited to enhance and expand the agriculture facilities at Northeast Community College. In addition to the College’s commitment of $10 million, Northeast is seeking at least $13 million in private funds to begin the initial phase of construction, which includes a new veterinary technology clinic and classrooms, a new farm site with a large animal handling facility and other farm structures for livestock operations, a farm office and storage. The new facilities will be located near the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex on E. Benjamin Ave. in Norfolk.

In August, the Acklie Charitable Foundation (ACF) announced a $5 million lead gift to the Nexus project. ACF was founded by the late Duane Acklie and Phyllis Acklie, both Madison County natives and graduates of Norfolk Junior College, a predecessor institution of Northeast Community College.



Koch One of First Nitrogenous Fertilizer Plants with ENERGY STAR

Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes two nitrogenous fertilizer plants as the first of their kind to earn EPA's ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance. Koch Fertilizer's plant in Beatrice, Neb., and Simplot's plant in Helm, Calif., both earned 2019 ENERGY STAR certification.

"I congratulate the owners of these ENERGY STAR-certified plants for demonstrating leadership in reducing the environmental impact of this growing sector and defining a new generation of efficient plants," said EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Anne Idsal. "These plant teams are showing that what makes sense for our environment also makes economic sense. We encourage all fertilizer plants in the U.S. to seek top energy performance."

"We are proud to be recognized among the most energy-efficient facilities of this kind in the U.S.," said Koch Fertilizer Beatrice Plant Manager Phil Tasset. "We recognize the financial and societal benefits from continuously improving our plant operations, including process improvements to reduce energy consumption. Our employees identify and pursue opportunities to create value for our customers, society, and the company."

"We are very pleased to receive this recognition as a reflection of the prioritization we place on energy efficiency. Our ongoing commitment to long-term, sustainable business practices is an important part of providing better service to our customers today and in future generations," said Simplot's Helm Facility Plant Manager Gilbert Rodriguez.

The U.S. fertilizer industry spends nearly half a billion dollars on energy each year. EPA believes the energy performance achievements of these two ENERGY STAR certified plants indicate that there are many opportunities for the industry to increase energy efficiency.

Manufacturing plants that are verified to be among the most energy efficient within their sector are eligible to earn EPA's ENERGY STAR certification. To measure energy efficiency, EPA worked with the fertilizer industry to develop an Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) for nitrogenous fertilizer plants. To qualify for ENERGY STAR certification, the plants used the EPI to benchmark their energy performance and received an ENERGY STAR energy performance score indicating these plants use energy more efficiently than 75 percent of similar nitrogenous plants in the U.S. This means the two plants spend less on energy and have lower energy-related environmental impacts than similar plants. Compared to industry averages, the two plants are preventing 86,688 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. All plants awarded with the ENERGY STAR must have their energy performance verified and be in good standing with federal environmental laws.



Women in Agriculture Conference to Be Held in Washington, Iowa

“Setting the Table for Success” is the theme for the fourth annual Women in Agriculture Conference, to be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Washington on March 28.

The event is being hosted by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Washington County office, along with the Washington County Women in Agriculture Advisory Board.

The goal of this year’s conference is to show women of all ages how they can set their table for success in agriculture by surrounding themselves with the right people and resources to make informed decisions.

The conference will feature four speakers: Scott Siepker, Iowa Nice Guy; Elaine Kub, grain market economist; Delaney Howell, host of Iowa Public Television’s “Market to Market,” and Kay Frances, a humorous and motivational speaker.

Siepker will kick off the conference with a little bit of humor, sharing his insights on how “Setting the Table for Success” starts with who should be around the table as well as how we can steal from the best and tell our story.

Kub and Howell will follow, expanding on how women can set their own table for success. Kub will examine the makeup and motivations of the grain market’s most influential players, as well as pinpoint some price opportunities for the grain markets in 2020.

Howell will expand on this and delve into the various aspects impacting the business of agriculture.

Finally, while agriculture and “Setting the Table for Success” may be stressful at times, the final speaker, Frances, will help attendees to see the “Funny Thing about Stress.” She’ll share some pointers about how to better manage stress, so it doesn’t manage us.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude around 2:30 p.m. with networking and socializing until 3 p.m., along with a wine tasting. Attendees must be 21 or older for the wine tasting.

The cost to attend the conference is $25, or $15 for students. A light breakfast and lunch will be included.

Pre-register by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach Washington County office at 319-653-4811, or online at https://tinyurl.com/womeninagconf2020. The pre-registration deadline is March 17. Late registrations and walk-in registrations will be accepted based on availability.

The conference is being made possible in large part thanks to: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the Azariah and Martha Foster Heritage Endowment, Hills Bank and other local sponsors.



Most Fertilizer Prices Still Lower Third Week of February

Retail fertilizers tracked by DTN for the third week of February 2020 show mostly lower prices, which has been the case in recent weeks.

A streak of five consecutive weeks of significantly lower fertilizer prices was broken. Five fertilizers were lower in price compared to last month but none were down any substantial amount. DAP had an average price of $410/ton, MAP $435/ton, potash $373/ton, 10-34-0 $464/ton and UAN28 $235/ton.

The remaining three fertilizers had a small price increase looking back to last month. Urea had an average price of $361/ton, anhydrous $490/ton and UAN32 $277/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.39/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.

Retail fertilizers are now all lower in price from a year ago. DAP is 20% lower, MAP is 19% less expensive, anhydrous is 18% lower, both UAN28 and UAN32 are 13% less expensive, urea is 11% lower, potash is 3% less expensive and 10-34-0 is 1% lower from last year at this time.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 2/21/2020

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending Feb. 21, ethanol production expanded by 1.3%, or 15,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 1.054 million b/d—equivalent to 44.27 million gallons daily. The four-week average ethanol production rate grew 0.7% to 1.052 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.13 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks ticked downward 0.3% to 24.7 million barrels. Inventories shifted lower across all regions except the Gulf Coast (PADD 3), where stocks lifted 5.4%.

Imports of ethanol arriving into the West Coast were 35,000 b/d, or 10.29 million gallons for the week. This is the first time in six weeks that imports were logged. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of December 2019.)

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market climbed 1.3% to 9.035 million b/d (379.47 million gallons per day, or 138.51 bg annualized). Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rose 0.7% to 902,000 b/d—equivalent to 13.83 bg annualized.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production increased to 11.67%.



USDA Announces Details of Risk Management Programs for Hemp Producers
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of two programs that protect hemp producers’ crops from natural disasters.  A pilot hemp insurance program through Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or Cannabidiol (CBD) oil and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage protects against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting where no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. Producers may apply now, and the deadline to sign up for both programs is March 16, 2020.  
 
“We are pleased to offer these coverages to hemp producers. Hemp offers new economic opportunities for our farmers, and they are anxious for a way to protect their product in the event of a natural disaster,” said Farm Production and Conservation Undersecretary Bill Northey.
 
Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Pilot Insurance Program
The MPCI pilot insurance is a new crop insurance option for hemp producers in select counties of 21 states for the 2020 crop year. The program is available for eligible producers in certain counties in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Information on eligible counties is accessible through the USDA Risk Management Agency’s Actuarial Information Browser.
 
Among other requirements, to be eligible for the pilot program, a hemp producer must have at least one year of history producing the crop and have a contract for the sale of the insured hemp. In addition, the minimum acreage requirement is 5 acres for CBD and 20 acres for grain and fiber. Hemp will not qualify for replant payments or prevented plant payments under MPCI.
 
This pilot insurance coverage is available to hemp growers in addition to revenue protection for hemp offered under the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection plan of insurance. Also, beginning with the 2021 crop year, hemp will be insurable under the Nursery crop insurance program and the Nursery Value Select pilot crop insurance program. Under both nursery programs, hemp will be insurable if grown in containers and in accordance with federal regulations, any applicable state or tribal laws and terms of the crop insurance policy.
 
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program
NAP provides coverage against loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain, seed or CBD for the 2020 crop year where no permanent federal crop insurance program is available.

NAP basic 50/55 coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Buy-up coverage is available in some cases. The 2018 Farm Bill allows for buy-up levels of NAP coverage from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Premiums apply for buy-up coverage.

For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.

Eligibility Requirements
Under a regulation authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and issued in October 2019, all growers must have a license to grow hemp and must comply with applicable state, tribal or federal regulations or operate under a state or university research pilot, as authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

Producers must report hemp acreage to FSA after planting to comply with federal and state law enforcement. The Farm Bill defines hemp as containing 0.3 percent or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis. Hemp having THC above the federal statutory compliance level of 0.3 percent is an uninsurable or ineligible cause of loss and will result in the hemp production being ineligible for production history purposes.
 
For more information on USDA risk management programs for hemp producers, visit farmers.gov/hemp to read the frequently asked questions.



Precision Ag Reviews Ranks Top Five Products According to Farmers

Precision Ag Reviews, an independent resource to help farmers make decisions about precision ag equipment, has ranked the top five products of 2019 according to thousands of reviews received by farmers.

"More than 3,000 reviews of precision farming products were submitted to Precision Ag Reviews online and in person at farm shows across the country in 2019," said Stacie McCracken, Precision Ag Reviews project manager. "For the first time, we are sharing the findings from aggregated data that showcases the precision farming products farmers collectively rated the highest."

For 2019, the top five products were determined by the highest overall ratings based on a five-star system that includes cost, ease of use, value and support. 
-    Ag Leader, InCommand Display
-    Climate, FieldView Drive
-    Precision Planting, 20l20 Display
-    Ag Leader, Integra Display
-    Trimble, TMX-2050 Display

The Ag Leader InCommand display topped the list in the categories of ease of use, overall value and technical support, while the Climate FieldView Drive had the highest ranking for cost. The product with the most reviews in 2019 was the John Deere Greenstar 3 2630 display.

"While in-cab displays dominated the highest rating list, Precision Ag Reviews includes nearly 300 precision farming products in the areas of hardware, imagery, software and drones," McCracken said. 

Farmers can quickly and easily leave a review or browse peers' reviews on Precision Ag Reviews at any time. In addition, there is a weekly blog with news, information and tips on precision farming topics.

Started in 2017, Precision Ag Reviews was underwritten by the Ohio Soybean Council and the soybean checkoff to provide a reliable, unbiased source of information about precision technology to U.S. farmers. 



CCFN Urges Trump Administration to Seek Stronger Commitments on Generic Names

In testimony today before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) urged the U.S. Administration to secure "firm and explicit commitments" with trading partners to assure the future use of specific generic food and beverage names targeted by EU monopolization efforts, and to reject the use of GIs as barriers to trade.

"There is a persistent push by the European Union and other European interests to dismantle competition and erect barriers to trade which must be more strongly combatted," said CCFN Senior Director Shawna Morris in her testimony. "Across all markets, but particularly those with which the United States has a free trade agreement or is in the process of pursuing a free trade agreement, we urge the Administration to secure explicit commitments from our trading partners that build upon the positive precedent established in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) whereby market access rights were clearly and definitively affirmed for a non-exhaustive list of common used product terms."

Morris expressed appreciation for the Administration's focus on tearing down trade barriers that hinder U.S. competitiveness, but said that without further commitments that reject illegitimate GIs, U.S. companies are likely to run into further obstacles. That's because EU governments and stakeholders continue to pursue an agenda to monopolize popular generic names with key trading partners.

Morris said the list of common terms in the USMCA was the type of tool that "should be carried forward aggressively by the Administration in order to safeguard our World Trade Organization and free trade agreement market access rights in the strongest manner possible."

CCFN provided written and oral testimony as the USTR prepares its annual review on the status of intellectual property rights protections in its trading relationships around the globe (Special 301 Report). The agency is expected to release the 2020 Special 301 Report this spring.