Friday March 27 Ag News

 Former Northeast ag dean’s widow supports college’s Nexus project

Linda Pohlman is using retirement funds to make a donation to construct new agriculture facilities at Northeast Community College in memory of her late husband, Chuck Pohlman, who served as the institution’s first dean of agriculture.

Chuck Pohlman began working at Northeast in 1972, and created the first agriculture program at any community college in Nebraska. He retired 40 years later, and the ag complex on the Norfolk campus he helped design and for which he raised funds bears his name. Pohlman died in May 2018.

Linda Pohlman said she knew she wanted to make a significant donation to the Nexus project in her husband’s memory, and talked with her tax accountant about using retirement funds for that purpose.

“He said instead of the money going into my account and having me declare it as income that year, the money can go directly to the college with no tax disadvantage to myself,” she said.

Pohlman, of Hadar, said her husband would have approved of this use of their retirement funds.

“This is something so close to his heart,” she said of the plan to build a new veterinary technology clinic and classroom and move the college farm to a new site. “He really wanted to see this accomplished. The college has affected so many lives in northeast Nebraska. We’ve had students from South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and other states, too, so it’s really affected a large part of the United States in agriculture.”

It wasn’t just Chuck Pohlman who worked with agriculture students, Linda Pohlman explained.

“With Chuck full time at the college, he made a lot of the management decisions for the family farm, but with the help of college students I carried out his decisions. We would have two students who worked on our farm Monday, Wednesday, and up to noon on Friday, and then somebody else on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“And when they worked, they would sit around the kitchen table as part of our family,” she continued. “That was a fringe benefit. I always made supper for them. It was fun getting to know about their families and their hopes and dreams. They were a wonderful influence on our children.”

Linda Pohlman said the student workers included several sons who followed in their fathers’ footsteps, like Garret and Tom Ruskamp, Cody and Perry Schultz, and Jared and Dave Tomjack. She said the Pohlman farm near Hadar was the scene of several graduation parties during the early years of the Northeast agriculture program, and she remembers several student softball games in their pasture.

“We share Linda’s desire to honor Chuck with these new facilities,” said Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs and executive director of the Northeast Foundation. “He pioneered agriculture at the community college level in Nebraska and grew our program from the original three students to an enrollment of about 350 today. It was Chuck’s work and vision that set the stage for all of the innovation in agriculture that takes place every day on the Northeast campus.”

Kruse continued, “We invite all of those touched by Chuck Pohlman to join his family and make a donation to the Nexus project in his memory. What better way to remember and honor Chuck than to help complete his dream of state-of-the art agricultural facilities for Northeast students?”

The initial phase of construction of the project 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. Site work is expected to begin in April and should be completed by the Fall of 2021.

The funding for the agriculture facilities will come from the College’s commitment of $10 million, as well as external fundraising to fill the gap. With a total project cost is $22.3 million, the College has raised enough funds to begin construction; however, fundraising for the Nexus campaign will continue, as more is needed for equipment, technology and furnishings.

In August 2019, 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.

For more information on the Nexus Campaign, contact Kruse, at tracyk@northeast.edu, or call (402) 844-7056. Online donations may be made through agwaternexus.com.



 Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for April

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers at seven sites across the state in April 2020. The clinics are one-on-one meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

COVID-19: Due to the one-on-one nature of these session, organizers plan on continuing to provide this service, however, they will take necessary precautions and adjust plans as conditions change.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Sites and Dates
    Grand Island – Thursday, April 2nd
    Norfolk – Thursday, April 2nd
    Fairbury – Wednesday, April 8th
    North Platte – Thursday, April 9th
    Lexington – Thursday, April 16th
    Norfolk – Thursday, April 23rd
    Valentine – Friday, April 24th

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258. Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



What to Do During a Distillers Grains Shortage
Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management

The Domino Effect
The current economic situation has resulted in lower crude oil prices, followed by increased difficulty for ethanol plants to produce competitive fuel sources. In turn, many ethanol plants are planning to shut down until the economy stabilizes. The domino effect is that cattle producers may find themselves without distillers grains, hopefully for only a short period of time. A previously written article, So What if I Can’t Get Distillers Grains, on how to handle tight distillers grains supply may be helpful at this time as well. Unfortunately, if ethanol plants are not producing ethanol at all, the supply of distillers grains becomes unavailable.

Feeding Calves for a Slower Rate of Gain
Backgrounding producers, also impacted by the downturn in the cattle market, may choose to continue to feed calves at a slower rate of gain to wait for a market upturn as well as to reduce the need for distillers grains. An example diet (as is basis) might include 11.25 pounds of corn silage, 4 pounds of alfalfa, 2.5 pounds of corn, and 5.5 pounds of hay millet for a 600 pound calf to gain 1.5 pounds/day.

Providing a Nitrogen Source for the Rumen Microbes
For many years now, cattle producers in Nebraska have fed distillers grains to pregnant beef cows because it has been an economical source of protein. However, a source of nitrogen for the rumen microbes to enable them to digest poor quality forages is sufficient. This can be supplied by alfalfa or by urea based supplements, field peas, or other rumen degradable sources of protein.

Lactating cows need a source of energy as well as protein. Providing 7 pounds (as is) of alfalfa along with 28 pounds of good quality meadow hay would be an option for 1300 pound cows until grass is ready to be grazed. However, hay samples should be tested for quality because the total digestible nutrients (TDN) of the base hay is critical for this to work.

Alternative Sources of Protein
Determining what to use as an alternative source of protein is dependent on availability, commodity price, and transportation costs. Sources that may be available in eastern Nebraska may be cost prohibitive to transport to western Nebraska. Therefore, transportation costs, storage capacity, and handling ability are all important factors to evaluate.

Calculating Supplement Cost per Unit of Protein
If a commodity is $250/ton with transportation costs included, the dry matter content is 85%, and the protein content is 25%, then 250/.85 = $294.12/ton of dry matter of the commodity. $294.12/.25 = $1176.47/dry ton of crude protein. If an alternative commodity is $400/ton, the dry matter is 88%, and the crude protein is 40%, then $400/.88 = $454.55/ton of dry matter and $454.55/.40 = $1136.36/dry ton of crude protein. This calculation allows producers to compare the prices of the actual protein being delivered on an equal basis. These two hypothetical commodities were similar in crude protein price so other factors should be considered. How much of the protein is rumen undegradable? Is that important or is a nitrogen source for the rumen sufficient? Is handling and storage an issue for one of the commodities?

Predicting Performance and Meeting Requirements
Although we are all practicing social distancing right now, Nebraska Extension personnel will be happy to answer phone calls and emails to assist producers with modified feeding plans. Contact local extension personnel for assistance.



A Note from Cattlemen's Ball

Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 virus, it’s longevity and lasting effects on our state, a decision has been made by the Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska Advisory Board to postpone the 2020 Cattlemen's Ball until June 4th and 5th, 2021 and will remain in Columbus, NE. Kevin Rasmussen, Chairman of the Advisory Board, stated, "It is with great disappointment and with much discussion of the Advisory Board that it was decided to postpone the Ball to next year. The health of all attending comes first. Let's look forward to 2021, knowing the Columbus group will pick up where they left off and make it even better than it would have been if held this year.”

Scott and Pat Mueller, host family for the 2020 Ball, shared, “While it is disappointing that the 2020 ball is being postponed, our commitment must be to the health and wellness of all the attendees and to what is best for our local community. Our local co-chairs and committees remain committed to hosting the Ball in 2021 and supporting our focus on "Funding Cancer Research & Finding a Cure".

Ticket purchasers for the 2020 Ball or Art and General Store Vendors will have the option to roll their payments to the 2021 Ball or request a refund. No action is required if they are wanting to maintain their spot for the 2021 Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska in Columbus. All proceeds will be distributed in 2021 to the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and to the local health and wellness initiatives. The 2020 Cattlemen’s Ball Planning Committee wishes to thank the donors, chairs, committees and volunteers from across the state for their continued support.



Nebraska Firm Helping Develop Swine Fever Field Tests

As the coronavirus sweeps across the globe sickening humans, scientists are making progress on developing tests that could help combat a different deadly disease: African swine fever, which has been ravaging hog herds.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has taken an interest in the disease, which kills 99% of hogs it infects, as it spread in Asia last year and caused protein shortages. If it landed on American soil, it could harm the more than 100 million hogs on U.S. farms, ultimately threatening food supplies.

For now, there are no vaccines or field detection devices that could help combat the virus, but the agency said this week it had successfully evaluated a genetic test that detects the virus and returns results in a matter of hours. It's the first product of its kind that the agency has scrutinized.

As governments around the world are discovering with COVID-19, testing can be crucial to slowing a viral outbreak. Rapid testing can be "a game-changer," said John Neilan, science director in the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology division.

To figure out where the virus is at, "you have to have a detection system and the most rapid ones you can get makes a difference on how fast you can react," he said.

While the virus isn't in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security is looking at new technologies because "you don't want to start research when it is in the U.S.," said Michael Puckette, a microbiologist at the department.

The test can be used on raw pork imports, as well as on live pigs. It was developed by Lincoln, Neb.-based Materials and Machines Corp., which makes diagnostic systems. The company is making the device and test available immediately overseas, but still needs to go through a regulatory process in the U.S., through the Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. raises more than 115 million hogs valued at $24 billion a year. The Swine Disease Global Surveillance Project estimates that an U.S. outbreak of swine fever could wreak as much as $10 billion in damages in a year.



NITROGEN AND SULFUR AND CHLORIDE OH MY!  OZ YOU READY?
Nathan Mueller, NE Cropping Systems Extension Educator

   As winter wheat has started to greenup, it is now time to finalize plans for topdress fertilizer applications so you are ready to apply once the soil is dry enough. Even though the acres of wheat are much lower than they once were, wheat still ranks as the fourth most planted crop following corn, soybean, and alfalfa in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties with over 8,000 acres harvested in 2019. Nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and chloride (Cl) are plant essential nutrients that wheat in southeast Nebraska may need to be fertilized with because the soil may not be able to provide a sufficient amount throughout the growing season.

   For yield goals over 80 bushels/acre, I suggest a total of 90 to 120 lbs N/ac be applied for the growing season. Nitrogen management programs for winter wheat vary in the area, but include four potential times: Fall, early spring after greenup, mid-spring prior to jointing, and at flag leaf. The best two times for including both the sulfur and chloride fertilizer with the nitrogen are during fall and early spring after greenup.

   Over the past decade, sulfur deficiency in wheat has become more common on no-till fine-textured soils in north-central and northeast Kansas along with southeast Nebraska. Many growers have noticed this and are already including sulfur on a regular basis. Because of the need for quickly available forms of sulfur, sulfate (dry) and thiosulfate (liquid) fertilizers are recommended for fall and early spring applications in wheat. I would suggest using application rates of 10 to 15 lbs S/acre as a starting point, and making future adjustments based on observations and tissue testing. This equates to 40 to 60 lbs of ammonium sulfate per acre or 3.5 to 5.2 gallons per acre of ammonium thiosulfate. Please remember to account for the nitrogen value in these fertilizers or pounds of N applied towards your total N goal.

   Chloride fertilizer application is something that you may benefit from. Recent analysis in Kansas, by K-State’s Soil Fertility Extension Specialist, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, performed across multiple years and locations suggest an average yield response of 8% to chloride fertilization. Additional chloride uptake in wheat has been shown to suppress several wheat diseases including take-all root rot, stripe and leaf rust, and Septoria. Research has shown equal performance from both fall and spring topdress fertilizer applications. Utilizing K-State soil test recommendations, I have found that numerous wheat fields in east-central Nebraska were determined to be low in soil test chloride. As a result, I recommended to those producers to apply 20 lbs Cl/acre that equates to 44 lbs of potash fertilizer per acre be applied with their spring topdress application of nitrogen.

   In summary, though not as frightening as lions and tigers and bears, we do need to evaluate our nutrient management plans for winter wheat with nitrogen and sulfur and chloride in mind. To learn more about winter wheat management in eastern Nebraska, contact me (nathan.mueller@unl.edu, 402-821-2151, http://croptechcafe.org/winterwheat/) to subscribe to my weekly email called “What’s up this Wheat?” that provides weekly highlights and resources. Know your crop, know your tech, know your bottom line.



Last Push to Submit 2020 Custom Rates Surveys
Glennis McClure - NE Extension Farm and Ranch Management Analyst

Data from the 2020 Custom Rates Survey for Nebraska will be collected until mid-April. Every two years a survey of Nebraska custom operators is conducted to determine the current rates for specific machinery operations and agricultural services. There are fifteen main categories of custom work noted in the survey ranging from tillage and planting operations, harvesting, haying, hauling, fencing, waste handling, and custom contract farming as examples.

Printed surveys were mailed out in February and online survey links were provided to operators that provided their email contact. If you provide custom hire services in Nebraska, and have not completed the 2020 custom rates survey, please complete the following form online and the survey link will be sent to you. The survey will be open until mid-April.

Register to Take the Custom Rates Survey... https://agecon.unl.edu/custom-rate-participants.

The custom rates report generated from this market rate survey is widely used by custom operators and producers seeking current pricing for services. The survey is only completed every other year so it is important that we capture current information from survey participants now. The custom rates report will be published by the middle of 2020. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln only reports district and state rate averages and ranges. Individual data is kept confidential.  



Cattle Feeders Should Stay Flexible, Seek Advice amid COVID-19

Disruptions caused by COVID-19 grow each day. Volatility in the cattle market was one of the first disruptions, and now with ethanol plants slowing production or shutting down, local availability of corn co-products may be limited.

Dan Loy, director of the Iowa Beef Center and extension beef specialist at Iowa State University, said making plans now based on current and potential input availability will help producers determine their next steps.

“This situation is very local, continuously changing, and will vary from producer to producer and community to community,” Loy said. "Supply disruptions could potentially affect other inputs such as feed additives, implants and trace nutrients. Hopefully these disruptions will be short-lived."

Here are three tips to help cattle feeders manage the current challenges for their operation.

    In feedlot diets, soybean meal or urea based supplements (dry or liquid) can replace all of the protein from corn co-products.

    However, remember that smaller calves, calves with lower feed intake or those on growing diets may not be able to utilize all of the protein from urea. loading distillers grains.Formulating on the basis of metabolizable protein accounts for this. The high solubility of urea also comes with limits. Consider these limits for the safety of beef cows and backgrounding cattle.

    Other potential protein sources that may be available include whole soybean. At 40% protein soybean can be a good protein source for beef cattle. The fat content (20%) limits the amount that can be fed. Also, cereal rye, harvested at the boot stage, can be as high as 20% protein or higher.
    
    When substituting a higher protein supplement for distillers grains, you will likely be substituting corn for distillers as a source of energy, adding more starch to the diet.

    Be sure to use an adjustment period and consider adding more fiber to the diet and managing feed bunks more closely.
    
    Lean on your nutritionist and other advisers.

    In Iowa, your regional extension beef specialist is a good resource for advice on options available. Find your specialist on the ISU Extension and Outreach website. If adjustments need to be made to implant or supplementation strategies, base your decision on the options available and research-based information.

For more information on changes and updates, visit the Iowa Beef Center’s COVID-19 web page. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.



Hoppes Named Iowa Beef Industry Council Executive Director

Rex Hoppes has been named Executive Director of the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC). A livestock farmer near Van Meter, Iowa, Hoppes has a successful background working for Iowa agricultural organizations, including the Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. In addition, he has significant experience in beef cow/calf and swine farrow-to-finish production systems.

“We’re thrilled to get someone with Rex’s experience and talent to lead the staff at IBIC,” says Janine Moore, a beef producer from What Cheer, Iowa, and IBIC chair. “Our team of volunteer leaders and professional staff at IBIC work with purpose and passion to support the beef industry in Iowa, which is more than 25,000 operations strong and contributes over $6 billion in economic activity to the state. With Rex at the helm we will continue our mission to not only produce the country’s finest beef but do it as stewards of a vibrant, sustainable environment.”

Hoppes says he is honored to take on this opportunity to build on IBIC’s tremendous momentum. “Producing quality beef and building consumer trust is everyone's responsibility. At IBIC we have strong partnerships with a wide range of groups that have an impact on the success of our industry, including consumers, educators, health and nutrition professionals, purveyors, retailers and academia,” he says. “We will continue to build those relationships to benefit those who enjoy and those who raise beef.”

Growing up on a livestock and grain farm in Ohio, Hoppes earned a degree in agriculture from Black Hawk East College and one in animal science from Iowa State University. He is a partner in Advanced Beef Genetics, LLC in Van Meter and Wiota, Iowa. Hoppes and his wife Joyce have two grown sons.



State Beef Councils Win Major Legal Victory

The Beef Checkoff program and fifteen grassroots-led state beef councils won a major court victory today when the United States District Court of Montana ruled in favor of USDA and the Montana Beef Council in the matter of R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue and USDA.

NCBA praised the court’s decision, which ends a legal battle that has spanned more than three years and interrupted beef promotion functions in Montana. The case had threatened local input and promotion efforts at the state level across the country.

“The foundation of the Beef Checkoff has always been state beef councils that collect checkoff funds and determine how those investments are used for research, marketing and promotion efforts in individual states. Those efforts are directed by the same cattlemen and cattlewomen who pay the checkoff, so this victory goes a long way toward ensuring they continue to direct those investments,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.

Woodall emphasized that NCBA will continue to stand with state beef councils whose work is crucial to maintaining beef demand throughout the nation.



Smith Supports CARES ACT Providing Relief to Americans

Congressman Adrian Smith released the following statement after supporting Phase III of the COVID-19 assistance negotiated by the Trump administration, known as the CARES Act:

“This package is aimed at providing assistance for Americans with tax relief, benefits for those who need it, and helping our businesses stay afloat so we can resume a strong economy when the pandemic subsides. I worked to ensure rural America was not left behind, and am pleased this bill addresses the funding needs of Critical Access Hospitals, expands telehealth access for Medicare beneficiaries, and provides funding to address dropping agricultural prices. Although I have concerns about the price tag of this bill, the consequences of doing nothing are too great. We must act for the American people.”



 Nebraska Cattlemen Applauds the Passage of the CARES Act

Nebraska Cattlemen applauds the Senate passage of the CARES act with a vote of 96-0. We extend our sincerest thank you to our Nebraska congressional delegation for their work in the passage of this act and their vocal support to the beef industry.

Nebraska Cattlemen will ask USDA to utilize funds dedicated to livestock producers in the CARES act to issue one-time payments to producers who experienced loss exposure resulting from the COVID 19 disruption, as well as modify and subsidize producer risk protection programs.

The CARES act addresses short-term priority relief to our cattlemen and women through this pandemic. While we are grateful for a win on these short-term priorities for Nebraska Cattlemen, our focus intensifies on our long-term agenda. These items include:
-   Exploring modifications to existing risk mitigation programs like the Livestock Risk Protection program (LRP) or others to incentivize participation by cattlemen.
-    Exploring ideas to incentivize more cattle to be marketed on the cash market, thereby increasing true price discovery and transparency in the marketplace. NC policy encourages cash negotiated trade levels reach 50% of fed cattle marketed.

“These are unprecedented times and our industry, among others, is hurting. Cattlemen are resilient but appreciate the short-term relief the CARES act that will provide to our industry. This is a short-term fix and Nebraska Cattlemen has a big agenda for the long-term. We will continue working hard for our members through this time and beyond.” Ken Herz – Nebraska Cattlemen President.



Secretary Perdue Statement on Coronavirus Rescue Package

 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed the CARES Act:

“The passage of the Coronavirus response legislation will provide much needed relief to Americans across this country, especially workers and small-business owners who have been impacted by COVID-19. President Trump has made the safety and security of the American people a top priority during this national emergency, and this bill will help make Americans more financially secure. At USDA we will deliver relief assistance to farmers and ranchers as quickly as possible,” said Secretary Perdue. “Americans across the nation are stepping up to the challenges facing them during these uncertain times. At USDA we are doing our part to ensure those who need help will get it, whether it’s through nutrition assistance, ensuring the food supply chain is safe and secure, or through new flexibilities with our Rural Development loan programs.”
 
Background:
The CARES Act contains $9.5 billion in assistance for agriculture producers who have been impacted by COVID-19 along with a $14 billion replenishment to the Commodity Credit Corporation. In addition, the legislation includes $100 million in ReConnect grants to expand access to broadband in rural America for educational purposes, business, and access to critical telehealth services.



ARA Commends Congress on CARES Act Passage

Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President and CEO Daren Coppock released the following statement following both chambers of U.S. Congress passing a historic stimulus package as a result of the novel Coronavirus pandemic:

"We recognize that the health and safety of all people is a priority at this time. ARA is grateful that Congress is taking swift action to remedy the current situation in our country through passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

"Ag retailers and their farmer customers, as always, are committed to continuing their businesses so that they can deliver the safe, healthy, and abundant food supply that is in demand now and required for the future.

"We are pleased with the support that Congress has included for the agriculture industry in this bill, and encourage the president to sign it so that we can have certainty moving forward."



NCBA Sends Letter to Ag Secretary Perdue Urging Aid for American Cattle Producers

Following final passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today sent a letter urging United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to “take immediate action to provide much-needed relief to cattle producers who have been negatively impacted due to the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”

“We applaud those House members who rose above party politics to deliver this much-needed relief to American families, especially those in cattle country,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “It is now incumbent upon Secretary Perdue and his team at USDA to make sure the relief made available by this legislation is speedily delivered to cattlemen and women nationwide. As the largest and oldest national organization representing cattle producers, NCBA stands ready to assist USDA to ensure this happens as quickly and equitably as possible.”

The full letter, signed by NCBA and 45 affiliate organizations, can be viewed here.

The CARES Act was passed this afternoon by the U.S. House of Representatives on a voice vote. The Senate passed companion legislation earlier this week and the bill now goes to the White House for President Trump’s signature. Once enacted, the bill will replenish USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing authority at the $30 billion level. Those funds can then be used to offset adverse economic effects related to COVID-19 for cattle producers across the supply chain.



NMPF Statement on President Trump’s Signing of Coronavirus Legislation

In response to President Donald Trump’s signing of the CARES Act addressing the coronavirus crisis, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:

“We thank President Trump for quickly signing this measure into law. It will provide much-needed help to dairy producers, who are experiencing steep drops in milk and dairy-product prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the CARES Act now law, we look forward to working with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on several important initiatives, including the need for a significant purchase of multiple dairy products. These efforts will be important to address sales lost because of COVID-19, lift farm milk prices and send a critical signal to disrupted dairy markets. Government dairy-product purchases will provide our food banks with an important, nutritious and popular staple item that will help feed families in need.”



U.S. PORK INDUSTRY DEVELOPS FARM CRISIS OPERATIONS PLANNING TOOL

The National Pork Producers Council, the Swine Health Information Center, the National Pork Board, and American Association of Swine Veterinarians jointly developed this week a farm crisis operations planning tool to ensure the U.S. pork industry is prepared for any emergency event. "Emergency events such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, public health emergencies or market disruptions can lead to reduced or suspended access to resources needed to manage and care for pigs. This can force farmers to deviate from their daily standard operating procedures. "

In preparation for these emergency events, it is important for farmers to work with their production team, including their herd veterinarian, to establish site- or operation-specific crisis operating plans that help contribute to business continuity. This tool highlights key resources and supplies that may be affected during various states of emergency. It can also be used to facilitate discussion and planning for how to anticipate and implement emergency operation plans before the next state of emergency."

To view a copy of the planning tool, click here... https://library.pork.org/media/?mediaId=039D5802-DB5C-448E-9A37774AE5A98786.  



EPA Announces Steps to Protect the Availability of Gasoline during COVID-19 Pandemic

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced several steps the Agency is taking to protect the Nation’s gasoline supply in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA intends to provide additional flexibility to the marketplace to transition from winter-grade, high volatility gasoline to summer-grade low vapor pressure gasoline. Due to the steep fall-off in gasoline demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, gasoline storage capacity is limited and more time is needed to transition the distribution system in order to come into compliance for the summer driving season. EPA will temporarily waive the summer low volatility requirements and blending limitations for gasoline.

Without a waiver of the summer gasoline requirements, parties upstream of retailers and wholesale purchasers would be required to stop selling the winter gasoline sitting in their storage tanks on May 1, 2020, which would prevent them from loading summer gasoline into the storage tanks, resulting in a shortage of gasoline. By waiving the low volatility and blending limitations through May 20, 2020, EPA will ensure a steady supply of gasoline. EPA will continue to monitor the adequacy of gasoline supplies and, should conditions warrant, may modify or extend this waiver at a later date.

Additionally, EPA does not intend to unilaterally revisit or rescind any previously granted small refinery exemptions issued for prior compliance years. As noted in the temporary policy on COVID-19 Implications for EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program, issued yesterday, EPA is focused on protecting our employees and ensuring continued protection of public health and the environment from acute or imminent threats during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, investigating and initiating enforcement actions against small refineries that were previously subject to an exemption is a low priority for the agency. EPA intends to develop an appropriate implementation and enforcement response to the Tenth Circuit’s decision in RFA v. EPA once appeals have been resolved and the court’s mandate has been issued.

Finally, in a forthcoming action, EPA intends to extend the RFS compliance date for small refineries to provide them with additional flexibility. 



RFA: EPA Stall Tactic on Tenth Circuit Just Delays the Inevitable

As part of a package intended to “protect the nation’s gasoline supply in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it intends to wait until “appeals have been resolved and the court’s mandate has been issued” before developing “an appropriate implementation and enforcement response to the Tenth Circuit’s decision in RFA v. EPA.” On Tuesday, two refiners asked the Tenth Circuit for a rehearing en banc of the RFA v. EPA decision, in which the court struck down three small refinery exemptions and determined EPA had vastly exceeded its statutory authority. Notably, EPA did not ask the court to rehear the case. In response to today’s announcement, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper released the following statement:

“EPA’s attempt to kick the can on nationwide application of the Tenth Circuit Court decision has nothing to do with COVID-19 and everything to do with politics. There is absolutely no reasonable justification for delaying implementation of the court’s decision. The court has already ‘issued a mandate’ and remanded three improperly granted exemptions back to the agency to resolve. EPA correctly chose not to seek a rehearing of the Tenth Circuit decision this week, signaling that it will abide by the decision and move swiftly to implement it. What are they waiting for? There is no rationale for EPA to wait for the courts to respond to the refiners’ hollow request for a rehearing before moving forward with adoption of the decision. In any event, given the unanimous and thoughtful decision by the Tenth Circuit panel that heard the case, we are confident that the ruling is going to be upheld. As ethanol plants are shutting down across the country and farmers are experiencing substantial demand losses, now is not the time for EPA to slow-walk implementation of a court order that would begin to restore integrity to the RFS program.”