Wednesday March 11 Ag News

 NEBRASKA AG LAND VALUES INCREASE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2014

Nebraska agricultural land values increased 3% over the last year to a statewide average of $2,650 per acre, according to preliminary results from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Farm Real Estate Market Survey. This marks the first year-to-year increase since land values in the state peaked at $3,315 per acre in 2014.

Survey participants reported that economic forces providing stability in the market included the limited supply of land for sale, strong demand for purchases, and disaster-assistance payments over the last year.

Estimated dryland cropland values in the state rose between 3% and 4%, while the values of gravity- and center-pivot-irrigated cropland rose 2% and 3%, respectively. However, the northwest and southwest districts saw declines between 2% and 5% for the two land classes.

Grazing land and hayland value estimates also rose between 2% and 5% over the last year, with slight declines in two districts. Major cow-calf pair regions, including the northwest, north and central districts, led the increase in market values, with growth between 6% and 8%.

The survey also revealed a high degree of concern between many landlords and tenants when working to agree on an equitable rental rate, generally attributed to landlords facing high property taxes and producers facing low commodity prices.

Value Change by District
East - All Land Average - $6,510 - +5%
Northeast - All Land Average - $5,375 - +3%

The Farm Real Estate Market Survey is an annual survey of land professionals, including appraisers, farm and ranch managers, and agricultural bankers. Results from the survey are divided by land class and agricultural statistic districts. Land values and rental rates presented in the report are averages of survey participants' responses by district. Actual land values and rental rates may vary depending upon the quality of the parcel and local market for an area. Preliminary land values and rental rates are subject to change as additional surveys are returned.

The preliminary report was released in the Department of Agricultural Economics’ weekly Cornhusker Economics newsletter and is available at https://agecon.unl.edu/realestate. Final results from the survey are expected to be published in early June.



Nebraska Cattlemen to host Stress Webinar
Nebraska Cattlemen along with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension will be hosting a free Stress Webinar on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 12:00 Noon, CDT sponsored by Allflex Livestock Intelligence. Everyone is welcome to join by going to: zoom.us/j/283190186. This webinar is free and open to everyone, no preregistration required.

Stress has become a fact of life for farm families. Many are facing financial problems, marketing uncertainties, farm transfer issues, weather, production challenges and more. Susan Harris, Assistant Extension Educator at West Central Research & Extension Center, will be covering the following topics during this webinar:
    Recognizing symptoms of stress in ourselves and others
    Understanding how chronic stress affects us and learning
    coping strategies
    Sleep Deprivation
    How to talk to someone experiencing chronic stress
    How to approach a conversation if you feel someone is
    considering suicide
    Where to turn for help

About the presenter:
Susan Harris serves Nebraska as the Rural Health, Wellness, and Safety Educator for Nebraska Extension.  Her education includes a bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences in Business, as well as a master's degree in Health and Human Performance - Gerontology.  She has a 14-year history of education, liaison, and administrative work in health, wellness, and safety.  She is certified in Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid, QPR, and the Michigan State University training program for Communicating with Farmers Under Stress, providing workshops across the state.  Susan also serves as staff member for AgrAbility, a partnership organization between UNL and Easterseals Nebraska, which provides information to producers and their families on assistive technology and site modifications that enable people with disabilities to remain involved in production agriculture.



Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center achieves top-level status

The Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center has achieved highest level status in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.

The diagnostic center is part of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The center was dedicated in 2017 on East Campus and is recognized nationally for the expertise of its faculty and staff in diagnosing diseases in cattle and other livestock. The center also provides disease surveillance and diagnostic services to veterinarians, livestock producers, pet owners and researchers.

Numerous entities including the Nebraska Cattlemen, worked to support the financing for construction, and purchase of instrumentation that boosted the center to the top tier.

As a top-tier laboratory, the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center meets high-level criteria related to the ability to respond by performing testing in the event of a foreign animal disease or high-consequence disease outbreak.

“The dedicated efforts of the highly capable faculty and staff along with the newly constructed Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center building allowed fulfillment of the requirements for this rise in status,” said Bruce Brodersen, Director of the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

The Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center is positioned to provide animal health diagnostic testing to detect biological threats to the nation’s food animals, thus protecting animal health, public health, the nation's food supply, and the agricultural economy. The center also has the capability to diagnose both endemic and high-consequence livestock pathogens in animals, food, and environmental samples and is likely to be a first-line laboratories for recognition of an intentionally or accidentally introduced agent in animals.

For more information about the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, visit https://vbms.unl.edu/nvdc.



Nebraska Beef Council Board Meeting March 24, 2020

The Nebraska Beef Council Board of Directors will have a zoom meeting at the NBC office in Kearney located at 1319 Central Ave. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 beginning at 12:00 p.m. CDT. The NBC Board of Directors will discuss strategic planning and foreign marketing.For more information, please contact Pam Esslinger at pam@nebeef.org.



Veterinary Medical and Biomedical Sciences Professor David Steffen honored with top industry award

Growing up on a farm near the small community in of Fordyce in Northeast Nebraska, David Steffen dreamed of one day becoming a country vet.

His family raised cows, sows and broilers, and he got to know the country veterinarians who tended to the livestock of his family and his neighbors. Their days seemed interesting and varied, Steffen said. Veterinarians helped both animals and the people who cared for them. All of these things appealed to Steffen.

He attended college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he studied animal science. After graduation, he went on to Iowa State University, where he got his DVM.

For a few years, he did become a country vet. But his wife, whose expertise was in computers, had a difficult time finding a job, and Steffen began looking for a position someplace where she could put her degree to work, too. He and his wife moved to Manhattan, Kan., where he began work on a doctoral degree at Kansas State University. This put him on track for an academic career, with a stop at North Dakota State University before he returned to Nebraska.

Today, he provides leadership in diagnostic pathology and as the quality control section head of the veterinary diagnostic center. And recently, he received the highest honor in the field of veterinary diagnostics -- the 2019 Dr. Edward P. Pope Memorial Award, presented by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.

The award was a huge honor and came as somewhat of a surprise to Steffen, whose favorite part of the job remains helping people.

On a recent morning in his office in the Veterinary Diagnostic Center, he looked at slides from feeder lambs that were succumbing to a mystery affliction, as well as from a Scottish terrier with a terrible looking liver. Steffen finds it rewarding to figure out a diagnosis for a livestock producer whose livelihood is affected by disease, or for a pet owner who wants to know why their pet is sick.

“It is a blessing to work using scientific knowledge to help others,” Steffen said in a story about the award in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. “Every day I am provided the opportunity to develop meaningful, productive relationships with clients and scientists as we partner to improve the economic vitality of animal agriculture, the emotional health of pet owners, and the general health of animal populations and all people.”

No two days are quite alike, and Steffen enjoys that, too.

“You get to see all kinds of weird, interesting stuff,” he said. “You get to be a detective.”

One particularly interesting mystery he encountered was a fatal type of dwarfism that showed up in several different breeds of calves. Steffen was able to pinpoint a genetic cause for the disease, which ultimately allowed for development of a test for breeders. Over his career, Steffen was able to identify seven different genetic disorders – all of which led to the development of tests that livestock producers can use to determine whether their animals are afflicted.

“With genomics now, we can go from recognizing a disease to having a test for it within a year,” he said.

Throughout his career, he has dedicated time and expertise to advance animal health and veterinary pathology at state and national levels, serving on the Nebraska Poultry Health Committee, the Nebraska State Lab Response Network, and the Johne’s Disease Committee. He has been a member of the American association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics since 1996, over the years serving as both vice president and president. He also served as an associate editor for the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. He has author or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications on topics including diagnostics, comparative medical sciences and many other issues and received numerous other awards.  He also served as an undergraduate advisor for more than a decade, and has kept in contact with many of his old students.

“Dave has made many significant contributions to animal health, livestock management, and veterinary pathology,” said Ron Yoder, Associate Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “We highly value his work here at the university, as do livestock producers across Nebraska and the country.”

Steffen didn’t imagine that his plan to be a country vet would have led him down the path it did. But the things that drew him into vet medicine in the first place – the variety, the opportunity to meet people and to help them – have remained central throughout his career. He’s more likely, though, to do so from his office than on a farm like the one where he grew up.

“My happy place is here at my microscope,” he said.



USDA to Open Signup March 16 for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands

Farmers and ranchers may apply to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup beginning March 16. The signup runs through May 15.

“Through this CRP Grasslands signup, farmers and ranchers can protect grasslands, rangelands and pastures, while maintaining the land as working grazing lands,” said Nebraska FSA State Executive Director Nancy Johner. “The program emphasizes support for grazing operations and plant and animal biodiversity, while protecting land under the greatest threat of conversion or development.”

Through CRP Grasslands, participants retain the right to conduct common grazing practices, such as haying, mowing or harvesting seed from the enrolled land. Timing of some activities may be restricted by the primary nesting season of birds.

Participants will receive an annual rental payment and may receive up to 50 percent cost-share for establishing approved conservation practices. The duration of the CRP contract is either 10 or 15 years. FSA will rank applications using a number of factors including existence of expiring CRP land, threat of conversion or development, existing grassland and predominance of native species cover, and cost.

The 2018 Farm Bill set aside 2 million acres for CRP Grassland enrollment. CRP is one of the largest conservation programs at USDA. CRP marks its 35-year anniversary in 2020 with 22 million acres currently enrolled nationwide.

For more information or to enroll in CRP Grasslands, contact your local FSA county office or visit fsa.usda.gov/crp.



ASA Corteva Young Leaders Explore Issues, Participate in Leadership Training

The 35th class of American Soybean Association (ASA) Corteva Agriscience™ Young Leaders completed their training Feb. 25 – 29, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show.

“The ASA Corteva Agriscience™ Young Leader Program helps provide the soybean industry and all of agriculture with strong and forward-thinking grower leaders,” ASA President Bill Gordon said. “The program focuses on leader development and emphasizes collaboration, providing us with growers who are working together to amplify the voice of the farmer. We are grateful to Corteva for their longstanding support of this program and for helping to secure the future of the soybean industry.”

While in San Antonio, the Young Leaders participated in training focused on leadership development, industry issue updates and outreach. The Young Leaders were also recognized at ASA’s annual awards banquet.

“Corteva has been a proud sponsor of the ASA Corteva Agriscience™ Young Leader Program for over 35 years. This program has a rich history of developing soybean growers from across the country and providing opportunities to strengthen their leadership skills and build their network in the agriculture industry,” U.S. Commercial Unit Leader Nate Miller said. “I have interacted with this year’s class of Young Leaders and am excited about the positive impact these leaders will make on agriculture for generations to come.”

The 2020 Young Leaders are: Caper & Alison Robinson (AR); Jesse Patrick (GA); Brady Holst (IL); James Ramsey (IN); Eric Schwenke (IN); Noah & Anna Fedders (IA); Ryan & Kristin Oberbroeckling (IA); Jeremy Olson (KS); Houston & Katy Howlett (KY); Nathan Engelhard (MI): Allison Morse (MI); Mike & Dawn Kunerth (MN); Ryan Mackenthun (MN); Garrett & Cara Riekhof (MO); Josh England (NE); Lucas & Becky Miller (NE); Trey & Rebecca Liverman (NC); Justin Sherlock (ND); Justin & Emily Esselburn (OH); Scott Ruck (OH); Jesse King (SD); Drew & Lauren Peterson (SD); Casey Youngerman (TN); Adam & Brittany Davis (VA); Matt Rehberg (WI); and Chris & Rachel Renwick (Canada).



Custom Farming Survey for Iowa Shows Slight Decline in Rates

Custom farming can provide an additional source of income for those with machinery and experience, or alleviate a farmer of a particular task that they do not wish to do on their own.

Whether the farmer is performing or receiving the custom work, the question always comes up over what to charge. And while rates vary from one operator to another, a new report by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach provides a look at projected averages for 2020.

The 2020 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey is available in the March edition of Ag Decision Maker, and provides custom prices for common farm tasks in Iowa, compiled from 106 respondents.

According to the report, there was a 3% decline across all categories, with complete harvesting and hauling declining by 4%, and bin and machinery rental increasing by 2.3%.

The average price for custom combining corn in Iowa in 2020 is $36.70 per acre, compared to $35.95 per acre in 2019. Spraying, per acre, is $6.70 in 2020, a slight decline from $7.25 per acre in 2019.

In addition to field activities, the report also includes prices for commodity storage, snow removal and farm maintenance, equipment rental and labor prices.

"Subdued commodity prices, lower fuel prices and another year of thin profit margins in crop production in the horizon are setting the tone for overall lower expected custom rates in 2020," said Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with ISU Extension and Outreach. "However, some tasks related to manure management might see some price increases, according to the survey respondents.”

Plastina said it’s important to remember the report is simply an opinion poll, and should only be used as a starting point in the process of determining custom rates.

“This report is not to be interpreted as Iowa State University’s opinion of what the custom rates are or should be, but rather what survey respondents report thinking the rates will be in 2020,” he said.

Still, he believes the data in the report are of value to farmers and ranchers who may be considering custom work this year to provide guidance in their projections.

Additional publications on machinery, including how to estimate specific machinery costs and historic days available for fieldwork can also be found through the Ag Decision Maker website, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/cdmachinery.html.



Despite Tough Times, Study Finds Ethanol and Biodiesel Production Continues to Power Iowa’s Economy

Today a new study finds despite challenges, Iowa biofuel production continues to have a significant impact on Iowa’s economy, supporting over 48,000 jobs and more than $2.4 billion in household income.

The study, authored by John Urbanchuk of ABF Economics and commissioned by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), also found that biofuels continue to account for over $5 billion of Iowa’s GDP, or about three percent.

The study looked at the many challenges the industry faced in 2019, including the lapsed biodiesel tax credit and the demand destruction caused by excessive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) refinery exemptions. The study found Iowa biofuels production could have supported over 4,000 more jobs and $200 million more in household income in 2019 had the exemptions not been granted.

“This study confirms two very important truths – that biofuels continue to play a crucial role in Iowa’s economy, and that role was significantly hampered by RFS exemptions,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “We are encouraged to see that despite the hard times and policy uncertainty Iowa producers faced in 2019, the economic benefits are still strong. It is, however, disheartening to know how much greater the benefits could have been to Iowa had EPA not granted over a billion gallons worth of demand-destroying RFS exemptions.”

Looking forward, the study concludes that growth of the biofuels sector “through new technologies and feedstocks” will only serve to enhance the economic impact of the industry, but “policy stability is essential to maximize these benefits. Uncertainty surrounding issues like RFS refinery exemptions, tax credit extensions, and trade with China, will impede the ability of the industry to provide these societal benefits.”



Weekly Ethanol Production for 3/6/2020

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending Mar. 6, ethanol production slowed, declining 3.2% or 35,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 1.044 million b/d—equivalent to 43.85 million gallons daily. However, the four-week average ethanol production rate increased 0.3% to 1.054 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.16 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks moderated to a five-week low of 24.3 million barrels, settling 2.5% below the prior week’s record. Inventories shifted lower across all regions except the West Coast (PADD 5), where stocks lifted 8.2%.

Imports of ethanol arriving into the West Coast were 9,000 b/d, or 2.65 million gallons for the week. This was the second time in three weeks that ethanol was imported. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of January 2020.)

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market rose 2.9% to 9.449 million b/d (396.86 million gallons per day, or 144.85 bg annualized), scaling up to the largest volume since October. Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol followed, increasing 2.5% to 919,000 b/d—equivalent to 14.09 bg annualized and an eleven-week high.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production decreased to 11.05%.



Half of Retail Fertilizer Price Move Higher, Other Half Heads Lower

Retail fertilizer prices are mixed, according to prices tracked by DTN in the first week of March, 2020.  For the first time in several months, prices split down the middle, with half coming in higher and half lower.

Four fertilizers were lower in price compared to last month but none were down a substantial amount, which DTN considers a price move of 5% or more. DAP had an average price of $409/ton, down $4; MAP $432/ton, down $3; potash $369/ton, down $4; and anhydrous $490/ton, down fractionally.

The other four fertilizers, meanwhile, had a slight price increase, looking back to last month. Urea had an average price of $369/ton, up $8; 10-34-0 $466/ton, up $2; UAN28 $235/ton and UAN32 $277/ton, both up fractionally.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.40/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 9% lower, potash is 4% less expensive and 10-34-0 is 1% lower from last year at this time.



DFA Postpones Annual Meeting Due to Coronavirus

The Dairy Farmers of America has postponed its annual meeting.  Farmer-members were planning to meet March 16-18 in Kansas City.  Company officials say the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” due to the coronavirus outbreak.



Dairy Farmers Descend on Senate to Demand Agriculture Labor Reform

Dairy farmers from National Milk Producers Federation member cooperatives and state dairy associations are visiting U.S. Senate offices today and tomorrow as part of a fly-in calling for an agricultural labor bill that could be reconciled with a plan the House approved last year, providing the stable, secure labor force U.S. dairy producers need.

U.S. dairy producers face labor shortages that are more intense than those felt in agriculture as a whole because they cannot use the H-2A farmworker program, which only provides for seasonal labor rather than the year-round workers dairy needs. With domestic workers in short supply and foreign labor difficult to employ under current policies, dairy farmers are urging lawmakers to find real solutions.

“The situation is dire,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, the biggest U.S. dairy-farmer organization. “Dairy farmers face labor shortages while they are forced to navigate the deeply uncertain and volatile realities undergirding agriculture labor in the U.S. Meanwhile, uncertainty on the farm harms individuals and rural communities that rely on those farms to generate jobs.”

The House of Representatives in December passed bipartisan legislation allowing for year-round visas in dairy as part of the first ag-labor bill to pass that chamber since 1986. NMPF supported the bill, noting that, although imperfect, its passage was a necessary step in moving toward a legislative solution addressing the ag labor crisis, with further work to be done in the Senate to improve upon the House measure.

The fly-in is taking place after the conclusion of NMPF’s March Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, Virginia. During the board meeting, NMPF officially expanded its membership with the addition of Cayuga Marketing, LLC based in Auburn, NY, adding an important upstate New York voice to NMPF’s work on behalf of all dairy producers. NMPF also endorsed dairy-sector sustainability efforts during its meeting, lauding industrywide plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero.



Slower growth in organic poultry could affect grains market

Organic poultry production is expected to grow through 2020, but Q1 numbers indicate that growth will be slow. If the trend continues, organic grain markets could suffer the consequences.

The Mercaris Monthly Update for March shows Sept.-Jan. broiler slaughter down 2% over the same period the previous year, due in part to shutdowns in processing during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Despite rebounding numbers in January, the current rate of production would put growth in meat production at under 1% for the 2019/20 market year.

“It will be critical to keep a watchful eye on organic broiler slaughter volumes over the coming months as the majority of organic grain in the U.S. is destined to supply the organic livestock industries with feed,” said Ryan Koory, Director of Economics at Mercaris.

This is not a new situation, Koory said. Broiler slaughter was below the previous year’s totals in five months of the 2018/19 market year.

“With organic poultry being a huge demand driver, this slower growth in organic broiler production volumes raises questions about implications for the rest of the grains market as the 19/20 market year progresses,” he said.

The March Monthly Market Update features major supply and demand factors for organic grains including organic livestock production and year-to-date import data for organic corn and soybeans.



Wilbur-Ellis Company launches unique surfactant EMBRECE-EA™

Wilbur-Ellis Company, a recognized leader in precision agriculture, crop protection, seed and nutritional products, announced today the launch of EMBRECE-EATM, a unique blend of surfactants designed to elevate the performance of fungicides, insecticides and miticides by increasing wetting and spreading of spray materials.

EMBRECE-EA's proprietary blend of nonionic surfactants (NIS) gives growers superior coverage and excellent wetting of their chosen spray material, meaning more product stays on the leaf surface, providing quicker absorption and improved control of the targeted pest. In addition to increased performance, EMBRECE-EA offers growers more safety and peace of mind while allowing for more application flexibility dependent on the crop grown. A lower use rate (1pt/100gal) is ideal for cover sprays, while higher use rates (1qt/100gal) provides more penetration – ideal for crops that have a thicker layer of wax on the leaf surface. The product also works well with difficult formulations, like soluble concentrates.

The product gives growers a safer alternative to similar adjuvants. "EMBRECE-EA can provide a high-performance option to organosilicone-containing adjuvants where there are concerns about phytotoxicity, spray mix run-off and toxicity to beneficial insects," said Wilbur-Ellis' Senior Formulation Chemist Jim Glatzhofer.

In reference to crop safety, Wilbur-Ellis Adjuvant Portfolio Manager Terry Abbott said, "EMBRECE-EA was designed with performance and crop safety in mind. In comparison to current commercial NIS adjuvants, it provides better, more consistent coverage of the spray material on the plant, giving the growers the level of protection they need for the crops they grow."

EMBRECE-EA is part of Wilbur-Ellis' ECO ADVANTAGE® line of products. ECO ADVANTAGE products feature cutting-edge technology and are built upon four key pillars to ensure growers get high-performing, eco-friendly adjuvants. Every ECO ADVANTAGE adjuvant boasts superior performance, is labeled for aquatic use, is made with ingredients for improved safety and handling and is Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPE) Free. EMBRECE-EA boasts lower phytotoxicity concerns than traditional adjuvants as well as lower toxicity concerns for humans and the environment.

This press release is intended for informational use only and cannot be used as a replacement for product label. Any products mentioned in this press release may only be sold in states where they are registered or where registration is not a factor. Please contact your local Wilbur-Ellis representative for more information.

Wilbur-Ellis offers a complete line of agricultural inputs, including crop protection chemicals, organic and sustainable options, fertilizer, seed and technology. It's been family-owned since the beginning, nearly 100 years, and its local expertise, unparalleled knowledge and innovation-driven approach to the agricultural industry gives every Wilbur-Ellis grower the advantage they need for higher yields and a bigger return on investment. For more information on Wilbur-Ellis products, visit ag.wilburellis.com.