Monday April 13 Crop Progress & Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending April 12, 2020, there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 8 short, 84 adequate, and 7 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 7 short, 85 adequate, and 7 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 18 fair, 69 good, and 6 excellent.

Oats planted was 33 percent, well ahead of 11 last year, but behind 43 for the five-year average. Emerged was 4 percent, near 1 last year and 8 average.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

 Fields began to dry for most of Iowa early in the week ending April 12, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, northwest Iowa saw accumulating snow on Sunday, April 12 with rain falling over much of the rest of the State. Statewide there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Field activities for the week included applying anhydrous and dry fertilizer, spreading manure, and tilling fields. In addition to planting oats, there were reports of corn and soybeans being planted.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus.

Twenty-nine percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 5 days ahead of last year and 1 day ahead of the 5-year average. There were scattered reports of oats emerged.

Pastures and hay continue to green. Calving continues with very few health problems reported.



First Corn Planting Report of Season Shows 3% of Crop Planted Nationwide

In its first corn planting report of the season, USDA NASS estimated 3% of the nation's crop had been planted as of Sunday, April 12.

So far, at least, that matches last year's progress at the same time and is near the five-year average of 4%. 

In another first-of-the-season report, NASS estimated 6% of winter wheat was headed, slightly ahead of 5% last year and slightly behind the five-year average of 7%.  Winter wheat's good-to-excellent condition rating, meanwhile, remained unchanged from the previous week at 62%. However, the crop's poor-to-very-poor rating was up 1 percentage point from 9% the previous week to 10% last week.

Spring wheat was just 5% planted compared to a five-year average of 9%. The bulk of plantings were in Idaho and Washington.

Sorghum was 18% planted, compared to 15% last year and a 17% five-year average. Oats were 32% planted as of April 12, compared to 29% last year and a 36% average. Oats emergence was at 24%, compared to 26% last year and a 27% average.

National topsoil and subsoil adequate-to-surplus ratings were 90% and 91%, respectively.



Lincoln Premium Poultry Announces First Case of COVID-19

Lincoln Premium Poultry announced their first case of COVID-19 today.

“The employee worked in what we refer to as the ‘2nd processing’ part of the building and was on 2nd shift, which runs in the evening and has fewer employees at this time.  The person did not engage with many employees the last day they were in our facility, which was last Wednesday, April 8.  We have arranged a deep clean of all areas of our facility and work will continue as scheduled.” said Jessica Kolterman, Director of Corporate and External Affairs.

I had a chance to speak with Kolterman over the phone and she says Lincoln Premium Poultry had previously started precautionary efforts to limited visitors to the facility, and implemented additional cleaning measures including disinfecting door knobs, timeclocks, and other high traffic areas.  She says they also significantly increased the employee break areas to encourage social distancing, and is taking the temperature of everyone entering their facilities.  Kolterman says the company has provided masks for employees, and about half have chosen to use the masks.  This virus is not foodborne and cannot be transmitted through food or potable water.

“Our thoughts are with our employee as they go through this, and we wish them a speedy recovery.  They are self-isolating at home with pay.  The two team members who were potentially exposed are also self-isolating at home with pay.  We are very proud of our employees who are working on the front lines of this virus each day to keep food on the table for American families and will continue to do everything we can to protect them.” said Kolterman.

Kolterman says the company is in the midst of a ramp up in production on the 2nd shift.  Right now, she says one production line is running during that shift, and she expects the 2nd shift will be at full production with three lines running by the end of this summer.  Because of that plan, Kolterman does not expect there to be any disruptions to the farmers currently raising chickens for the plant. 

Lincoln Premium Poultry was founded in 2016 in Fremont, Nebraska and began operations on September 9, 2019.  



NDA Eases Restrictions on Some Pesticide Training Amid COVID-19

Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Steve Wellman has issued an order easing restrictions on pesticide applicators whose licenses are up for renewal. During Monday's COVID-19 update, Gov. Pete Ricketts said NDA is temporarily postponing certain training requirements outlined in the Nebraska Pesticide Act and extending valid pesticide applicators’ licenses, if conditions are met. According to the order, people with valid commercial, non-commercial and private applicator licenses which expire on April 15, 2020, must notify NDA of their intent to renew their license and pay the required fees to NDA by May 15, 2020.  Upon receipt of payment, NDA will allow the applicator to defer required training for license renewals until April 15, 2021. Visit www.nda.nebraska.gov/COVID-19 for more information.



How Previous Year's Soybean Herbicides Can Affect Planting of Corn, Sweet Corn, and Popcorn
Amit Jhala - NE Extension Weed Management Specialist

2019 was challenging year for Nebraska agriculture. Several areas in south-central and central Nebraska encountered severe rain last year in June/July. Rainfall reported ranged from 3 inches to 10+ inches overnight. Therefore, corn and soybean planting was very late last year or replanted in several fields. Corn-soybean is the most common cropping system in eastern Nebraska. While corn growers are getting ready for planting in 2020, it is important to pay attention to the planting interval of corn to herbicides applied the previous year in soybean.

Certain soybean herbicides have relatively longer planting intervals for corn, especially if they are applied post-emergence in soybean. This is particularly important because soybean planting was late last year in much of Nebraska due to early season flood and continuous rains. This caused pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides to be applied later in the season than they might normally be, making it important that you pay attention to the planting interval.

For example, herbicides with fomesafen (Flexstar/Flexstar GT/Marvel/Reflex/Rumble) have 10 months of planting interval for most corn types. When herbicide tank-mixture is applied, consider the longest planting interval mentioned for any tank-mix partner.

Popcorn and sweet corn are more sensitive to herbicides compared to field corn; therefore, certain herbicides have a longer planting interval for popcorn/sweet corn. For example, Pursuit has a planting interval of 8.5 months for field corn and seed corn, but 18 months for popcorn and sweet corn.



USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Thoene selected to represent Nebraska on USDA’s team

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers.

“More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”

To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).

Jami Thoene with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has been selected as the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator for USDA in Nebraska. Thoene is a beginning farmer herself. Her work as a Resource Conservationist at the USDA Service Center in Wahoo, Neb., has given her the opportunity to work directly with beginning and longtime farmers alike.

“I applied for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator position with a purpose to encourage others who truly have a passion for agriculture and conservation. I hope to assist those who may be struggling to figure out where to turn. I’m excited to continue this journey ahead with NRCS and all of our great partners,” Thoene said.

Each state coordinator will receive training and develop beginning farmer outreach plans tailored for their state. Coordinators will help USDA employees better reach and serve beginning farmers and ranchers. Coordinators will also be available to assist beginning farmers who need help navigating the variety of resources USDA has to offer.

Sarah Campbell was selected as the national coordinator to lead USDA’s efforts. Campbell is also a beginning farmer and held previous positions with USDA. In her new role, she will work closely with the state coordinators to develop goals and create plans to increase beginning farmer participation and access to programs while coordinating nationwide efforts on beginning farmers and ranchers.

“We know starting a new farm business is extremely challenging, and we know our customers value and benefit from being able to work directly with our field employees, especially beginning farmers,” Campbell said. “These new coordinators will be a key resource at the local level and will help beginning farmers get the support they need. I look forward to working with them.”

More on Beginning Farmers
Twenty seven percent of farmers were categorized as new and beginning producers, with 10 years or less of experience in agriculture, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

USDA offers a variety of farm loan, risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs to support farmers, including beginning farmers and ranchers. Additionally, a number of these programs have provisions specifically for beginning farmers, including targeted funding for loans and conservation programs as well as waivers and exemptions.

More Information
Learn more about USDA’s resources for beginning farmers as well as more information on the national and state-level coordinators at newfarmers.usda.gov and farmers.gov.



Considerations for Successful Estrus Synchronization Programs 
Sydney O'Daniel - Nebraska Extension Beef Educator

With spring calving in full swing, it is a good time to start thinking about if your cows are prepared for breeding season. Making sure your cows are in a good body condition score prior to calving is one of the most important steps to ensuring your cows stay on track to rebreed whether you plan to turn bulls out, synchronize, AI, or a combination. If you plan to utilize synchronization to tighten your breeding season, there are a few things you should consider.

Good Year-Round Nutrition and Adequate Body Condition Score (BCS)
One of the biggest impacts on rebreeding success is BCS at the time of calving. Traditionally, it is recommended that cows should be at a BCS of 5 (1st calf heifers should be at a BCS of 6) at calving for optimal reproductive performance. While postpartum interval has been shown to shorten with increasing BCS, it is not economical to feed beef females to a BCS of 7 prior to calving. A review of multiple studies evaluating BCS on postpartum interval found that a cow in a BCS of 5 or 6 can return to cyclicity 10 – 18 days sooner than a cow in a BCS of 4 and 29 – 37 days sooner than a BCS of 3. However, in some cases, cows can be capable of rebreeding at a BCS lower than 5 due to individual variation. This can largely be attributed to the direction of weight gain or loss after calving. Studies have found that thin cows, that are on an increasing plane of nutrition and gaining weight, can have equivalent pregnancy rates as cows in moderate condition that are maintaining their body weight. However, thin cows that are determined to be losing condition can have a reduction in pregnancy rates up to 30%. It can be difficult to improve body condition on thin cows after calving because their nutrient requirements are the highest that they’ll be all year. Sorting cows into groups by BCS 90 days prior the calving season can help provide extra supplementation as well as utilizing estrus synchronization protocols to help thin cows return to estrus. More information can be found on this topic in “Body Condition Score and Getting Thin Cows to Rebreed.”

Good Record Keeping
Anyone who has used an estrus synchronization protocol knows that timing is critical and keeping track of dates of injections can be the difference between success or a lot of wasted money. Even if the weather is not ideal, giving injections or breeding on time is key. Synchronization protocols are very time sensitive and may be less effective or fail if not followed correctly. UNL has many resources listed on the Beef Reproduction website such as the “Estrus Synchronization Planner” that has been developed and maintained by Iowa State University to help plan and schedule protocols as well as UNL’s own “Breeding Cost Cow-Q-Later” to help make financial decisions on the most economical protocol for your herd.

Bull Management
As with most segments of the cattle industry, implementing health programs is key to maximizing animal performance. It is important to note that when utilizing an estrus synchronization program with natural service, the breeding pressure on the bull increases. A low performing bull that has been sneaking by can cause a synchronization protocol to fall apart. It is important to have annual breeding soundness exams performed on bulls 60 days prior to the breeding season to ensure that they are at peak performance. Unfortunately, breeding soundness exams do not evaluate libido so utilizing a bull with proven breeding drive is wise when synchronizing cows as they will have more ground to cover in a shorter amount of time. Evaluating bull BCS 90 days prior to the breeding season is also recommended as bulls are expected to lose between 100-200 lb during the breeding season which could be equivalent to 1-2 BCS. If utilizing AI make sure that semen is collected or purchased from a Certified Semen Services lab.

Skilled Labor
Variation in pregnancy rates between AI technicians can be up to 20% or more according to a review by Kansas State University. Keeping records on individual technicians can help you identify problems. Heat detection also requires a skilled eye and having experienced and reliable labor identifying females in estrus can determine the success of synchronization with AI. Heat detection is simply observing for changes in behavior such as cows/heifers standing to be mounted by a bull or another female. However, knowledge of secondary signs of standing estrus such as mounting other females, clear mucus discharge, or swollen vulva are important in identifying females approaching standing estrus. Checking for heat 30 minutes, twice a day is considered a minimum for Bos taurus cattle. Increasing the frequency of heat detection may help identify less expressive females. The use of heat detection aids such as tail chalking or heat-mount patches are also useful tools which will aid in estrus detection.

Calving Distribution
Multiple studies have shown that cows calving in the first 21 days of the calving season are more likely to respond to synchronization and AI. Although some synchronization protocols help induce estrus and ovulation in non-cycling cows, cows that calved at less than 20 days just before the breeding season will not respond to synchronization. While CIDRs are labeled for use at a minimum of 20 days post-partum, uterine involution (recovery from calving) takes approximately 30 days so synchronization response earlier than that may be low. However, utilizing CIDRs on your late calving cows may help them catch up. Annual synchronization programs help gradually increase the proportion of cows that calve in the first 30 days of calving and eventually increase pregnancy rates to AI. For a first time synchronization, consider starting with heifers and early calving cows. A good protocol to begin implementing estrus synchronization is the one shot prostaglandin with natural service to start tightening your herds breeding season.

Other Considerations
Other factors that may impact the success of an estrus synchronization program are cow age (first calf heifers tend to take approximately 20 days longer than mature cows to resume estrus), good low-stress facilities, effective vaccine and health program (some combinations of synchronization protocols with routine vaccination has shown to reduce pregnancy rates), utilizing the correct protocol (some protocols are recommended for heifers vs mature cows) and, of course, attention to detail.



Thanks to Schuyler, families have food on their tables during the COVID-19 pandemic

As people face the challenges and uncertainty caused by the spread of COVID-19, heroic work is happening around the clock to keep food on family tables and store shelves. That work is happening right here in Schuyler, thanks to local employees and businesses, including more than 2,200 Cargill employees, who show up every day to nourish people.

Communities like Schuyler are the heart of our food system. Local farmers and ranchers, retail workers, manufacturing and foodservice companies, food shelves and those who transport food are working every day to keep people and animals fed.

Local employers are also investing to focus on safety and keep facilities operating during the COVID-19 crisis. Cargill has implemented safety measures like temperature testing, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, prohibiting visitors and offering staggered breaks and shift flexibility. Employees are provided with, and encouraged to use, face coverings as a supplement to the many social distancing practices already put into place.

Food manufacturing has been deemed an essential service, which puts employees on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. To recognize this contribution, Cargill has provided its employees temporary pay incentives and waived co-pays for COVID-19 testing.

“We’re working every day to keep people safe and dinner on the table,” said Sammy Renteria, Cargill’s Schuyler general manager. “That means keeping our plant open, giving back to the community and making sure our local economy stays strong.”

Nonprofit partners, including Action for Healthy Kids, the American Farmland Trust – Farmer Relief Fund, and the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, as well as local foodbanks and social organizations, are also playing a critical role in helping to lift up the local economy and make sure no one goes hungry. Cargill is supporting them with both food donations and monetary contributions.

“We are inspired by the tireless work of Schuyler’s doctors, nurses, first responders, workers and those in agriculture who are making sure people and animals are cared for and no one goes hungry,” said Renteria. “Together we are going to overcome this crisis and come out of this even more connected.”



NCBA Responds to News of Beef Packing Plant Closure Due to COVID-19

NCBA CEO Colin Woodall released the following statement regarding today's announcement that JBS will shutter its Greeley, Colo., beef processing plant in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“NCBA is concerned about the closure of the JBS-owned beef packing plant in Greeley, Colo. The company reports the plant is closing for a two-week period after several employees fell ill. Beef producers mourn the loss of the two employees who died as a result of the virus and we empathize with plant workers who are being affected by the outbreak. We also support President Trump’s ongoing effort to keep America’s food supply chain operational.

“The closure of packing plants during this crisis will have an impact on cattle and beef prices. Plant closures or slow-downs have significant regional and national implications that will ripple through the marketplace at a time when cattle producers are already suffering from market uncertainty and economic hardship. Every member of the beef supply chain relies on processing plants operating daily to keep product moving. America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen are hopeful that any beef processing plants which have been slowed or closed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak return to full operation as quickly as possible.

“Currently, there is no shortage of beef and consumers can continue to be confident about the safety and wholesomeness of the products they are purchasing during this crisis. There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. However, it is always important to follow good hygiene practices when handling or preparing foods.”

More information about USDA’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is keeping the food supply chain intact is available on USDA’s website here: https://www.usda.gov/coronavirus. Information about food safety and proper handling practices for food products is available on the CDC website at: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/index.html. 



Livestock Marketing Association Encourages Investigation of Beef Packers

The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is encouraged to see Secretary Sonny Perdue’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be extending its oversight to determine the causes of divergence between boxed and live beef prices, beginning with the Holcomb, Kansas beef processing plant fire and now incorporating the COVID-19 pandemic.

LMA calls for the investigation of beef packers to be comprehensive and expeditious. It should consider all potential anticompetitive and oligopolistic issues. This investigation should also include Department of Justice (DOJ) participation.

From the beginning, LMA has supported USDA’s investigation into beef pricing margins, which was opened in August 2019 following a beef processing plant fire. At that time, LMA wrote to USDA encouraging the agency to conduct a thorough investigation of all facets of this issue and underlying forces. LMA urged that if unfair trade practices, price manipulation, collusion, or other violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act or antitrust laws were found, rapid enforcement actions had to follow.

LMA went on to point out that the market volatility following the Holcomb plant fire was “only one illustration of long-standing concerns regarding pricing and competition.” The LMA letter urged USDA’s investigation to analyze issues related to competition in a larger context than the fire, including looking at issues experienced due to lack of competition in the entire live cattle marketing complex.

Unfortunately, less than a year later, we still await the results of the initial investigation and the structural concerns are proving true once again. The cattle market in the wake of COVID-19 has responded similarly to how it did after the Holcomb plant fire. Once federal, state, and local authorities began instituting recommended and mandatory economic shutdowns in early March 2020, the cattle industry experienced a sharp decline in fed cattle and feeder cattle prices. At the same time, boxed beef prices skyrocketed. Consumers spoke volumes as evidenced by empty meat cases and high prices paid because they view our beef as essential for survival in this pandemic. The combination of these factors resulted in significant packer profit margins. All the while, livestock producers continue to receive a shrinking portion of the retail beef dollar paid by the American consumer. Additionally, a dramatically depressed futures market only worsens the pain by removing opportunities to manage price risk.

LMA is the national trade organization representing more than 75 percent of the regularly selling fixed facility livestock auction markets in the U.S. LMA also represents online and video marketing entities, and professional buyers: livestock dealers and order buyers. Our more than 800 livestock marketing business members each work with hundreds and even thousands of producers to utilize competitive markets to bring them the best prices for their animals. This adds up to hundreds of thousands of cattle producers served by markets.

Our industry needs producers, feeders, markets, and packers. It is critical that each of these sectors have a reasonable opportunity to make a profit during the business cycle, ensuring a healthy and sustainable industry. However, if anti-competitive practices are at play in one segment, it risks pushing participants in other segments out of business. The cattle industry needs answers regarding what is behind the dramatic spread between live cattle and boxed beef prices and if there is any illegal activity involved. LMA believes that coordination between the USDA and DOJ in conducting an investigation is one step closer to market transparency and participant confidence.



Get a Quick Crash Course in Tar Spot Disease Management
   
National Corn Growers Association’s research partner on Tar Spot disease Dr. Nathan Kleczewski has posted a brief educational webinar to help you prepare to identify this emerging - and potentially yield killing - fungus in corn.

Kleczewski, an assistant professor and Extension Field Crop Pathologist at the University of Illinois, offers suggestions such as identification, management and treatment of the pathogen.

National Corn Growers Association, with the support of state corn checkoff dollars and an FFAR grant, is working to begin assessing germplasm for potential sources of resistance, identify and better understand what management practices work and ultimately control this pathogen.
  
If you are looking for some resources, go to:
http://cropdisease.cropsciences.illinois.edu
http://cropprotectionnetwork.org
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic



EPA Proposes Money-Saving Updates to Existing Gasoline, Diesel, Other Fuels Regulations

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an action intended to streamline and modernize EPA's existing fuels regulations by eliminating costly and unnecessary duplication. Fuel standards will remain just as stringent, but the action will update EPA's existing gasoline, diesel, and other fuels regulations to help reduce compliance costs, while improving overall compliance assurance and removing approximately 800 pages of redundant regulatory text.

This action does not propose to change the stringency of the existing fuel quality standards nor does it propose to remove any statutory requirement for fuels specified by the Clean Air Act. Rather, it will help ensure consistency in how parties comply with EPA’s regulatory requirements and report information to the Agency.

“Ensuring compliant fuel that protects air quality and public health is among the highest priorities for the EPA,” said EPA Principal Deputy Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation Anne Idsal. “Under the Trump Administration, we are focused on reducing unnecessary and duplicative regulations that increase costs to the American people. Our goal is to start the 2021 compliance period with a set of streamlined fuel regulations that save industry, government, and the U.S. economy millions of dollars annually without sacrificing any environmental protection.”

In this action, EPA proposes to streamline existing fuels regulations by deleting expired provisions, eliminating redundant compliance provisions, and removing unnecessary and out-of-date requirements. The proposal will replace them with a single set of provisions and definitions that will apply across all gasoline, diesel, and other fuels programs.

EPA estimates $32.9 million annually in administrative cost savings to industry. These savings would largely arise from the reduction of the administrative costs on both regulated parties and EPA in complying with and implementing the existing fuel quality standards. Other potentially significant savings are expected to occur by improving the ability to efficiently deliver compliant fuel through the system and by providing greater flexibility for fuel production and distribution.

EPA is proposing the regulations would replace the existing regulations on January 1, 2021. The Agency believes having an implementation date at the beginning of a new compliance period will provide for a smooth transition to new regulatory requirements.

Once published in the Federal Register, there will be a 60-day public comment period.

For more information: https://www.epa.gov/diesel-fuel-standards/notice-proposed-rulemaking-streamlining-and-consolidating-existing-gasoline. 



Latest Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Shows Long-Term Reductions, with Annual Variation

The 2020 edition of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) comprehensive annual report on nationwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, released today, shows that since 2005, national greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 10%, and power sector emissions have fallen by 27% -- even as our economy grew by 25%.

“This report highlights declining emissions trends since 2005, showing that the U.S. is reducing GHG emissions while still being able to grow a robust economy,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “While there was a small rise in emissions due to weather and increased energy demand from the prior year in this report, based on preliminary data, we expect next year’s report to show that the long-term downward trend will continue.”

The United States is a world leader in protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. From 2005 to 2018, total U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 12%.

In contrast, global energy-related emissions increased nearly 24% from 2005 to 2018.

Annual trends are responsive to weather variability and economic conditions. Year-over-year, national greenhouse gas emissions were 3% higher in 2018 than the prior year, due to multiple factors, including increased energy consumption from greater heating and cooling needs due to a colder winter and hotter summer in 2018 compared to 2017. The Inventory results are comparable with other EPA and Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) emission estimates for fossil fuel combustion and electric power sector. While the current Inventory does not include 2019, preliminary energy data available now for 2019 from EIA projects that fossil fuel-CO2 emissions decreased by approximately 3% from 2018 to 2019.

Background
EPA’s annual report, the “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018,” provides comprehensive look at U.S. emissions and removals by source, economic sector and GHG.

The gases covered by this inventory include: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon and storage in forests, vegetation and soils.

This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with numerous experts from other federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Agriculture; state government authorities; research and academic institutions; and industry associations.

More information is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sink.