Monday April 6 First Crop Progress Report of the Season.... plus more Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending April 5, 2020, there were 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 4 short, 86 adequate, and 9 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 7 short, 84 adequate, and 8 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 17 fair, 67 good, and 10 excellent.

Oats planted was 14 percent, ahead of 6 last year, but behind 25 for the five-year average. Emerged was 2 percent, near 1 average.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Fields remained wet across most of Iowa during the week ending April 5, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Wet conditions slowed field work activities; however, there were reports of producers applying anhydrous, spreading manure and planting oats.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus.

Eight percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 5 days ahead of last year but 2 days behind the 5-year average.

Pastures and hay have started to green. Livestock conditions were generally good with calving going well for most cattle operations.



First Crop Progress Report of Season Shows Winter Wheat Conditions Above Last Year

U.S. winter wheat is starting off the 2020 growing season with a good-to-excellent condition rating slightly above last year, according to USDA's first weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

For the week ended April 5, 2020, winter wheat was rated 62% in good-to-excellent condition, up slightly from 60% at the same time last year. Nine percent of the crop was rated poor to very poor, the same as last year. Oats were 26% planted as of April 5, compared to 26% last year and a 29% average. Emergence was at 24%, compared to 25% last year and a 25% average.

For the other crops USDA included in its report this week, planting was progressing at a near- to above-average pace. Sorghum was 15% planted, compared to 14% last year and a 13% five-year average. Cotton planting was 7% complete, compared to 5% last year and a 5% average. Rice was 17% planted, compared to 17% last year and a 19% average. 



RRN to host “Beef Producer Challenges and Opportunities Post COVID-19” webinar

The Rural Radio Network will be hosting and airing a webinar to help cattle producers understand the challenges and opportunities following the coronavirus pandemic.

Beef industry experts will be part of a panel discussion, with the goal of assisting producers during these challenging times. The panelists will share their insights and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the beef industry, markets, beef demand, restaurants, and actions producers can take to mitigate risk.

The webinar is organized by Callaway, Nebraska rancher Jim Jenkins.  “The inspiration was simply the desire to help my fellow beef producers better navigate the COVID-19 crisis by providing the most current information available on important topics,” said Jenkins.  “That includes the government stimulus program; beef market fundamentals, consumer demand, risk management and international trade.”

The hour-and-a-half event is free to attend and is organized specifically for members of the beef industry. The session will begin at 6:00 pm CST on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The panel will be hosted by Rural Radio Network Farm Director Susan Littlefield.

In addition to the online stream, the webinar will be aired live on KRVN and on KTIC (840 AM 98.3 FM [West Point] and 98.7 FM [Norfolk]).

Registrants will also receive all of the session recordings, allowing the greater beef community to participate and learn even if they’re not able to attend live.

Panelists:
Derrell Peel is an Agricultural Economist at Oklahoma State University and a leading commentator on the beef industry. Peel’s expertise includes beef industry economics, risk management and international trade.

Tom Henning is the Chairman and CEO of Cash Wa. Distributing based in Kearney, Nebraska. Henning is also a cattle rancher and is a board member of the Kansas City Federal Reserve.

Mike Moroney is the head of the beef margin management team at Commodity Ingredient Hedging in Chicago. Moroney has a long career trading commodities, including working on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Get registered and share the summit with beef industry colleagues today.  https://www.beabetterguide.com/beef.



Burndown and Pre-emergence Herbicides for Weed Control in Corn and Soybean
Amit Jhala - Extension Weed Management Specialist

Common winter annual weeds that emerge early spring in Nebraska fields are common chickweed, dandelion, downey brome, field pennycress, henbit, marestail, tansy mustard, Virginia pepperweed, etc. Profitable crop production starts with a weed control program that includes pre-plant and/or pre-emergence herbicides to deliver long-lasting, residual weed control. A spring burndown program in corn and soybean provides effective weed control to prepare for planting and helps to decrease the seedbank during the season.

Few summer annual weeds in Nebraska emerge early in the season, prior to planting corn and soybean, and need to be controlled before they grow too large. Of particular concern are kochia, giant ragweed, and marestail. There are numerous populations of these species in Nebraska that cannot be controlled by glyphosate as they have evolved resistance to glyphosate.

Kochia, giant ragweed, and marestail emerge in the fields at this time of the year, particularly this year when temperature is favorable and plenty of moisture is available in the soil. If you have had difficulty controlling these weeds in the last few years, make every effort to control them with an effective burndown application or tillage prior to planting.

Based on observations in our giant ragweed research studies, we had success controlling glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed with any herbicide program containing 2,4-D or dicamba as a component of a burndown application. If you apply 2,4-D or dicamba prior to planting, be sure to adhere to the planting interval specified on the label. Depending on the product, 7 to 21 days of planting interval is needed for soybean or corn. If Roundup Ready 2Xtend soybean is to be planted this spring, low volatile dicamba products (Engenia, FeXapan, Tavium, XtendiMax) can be applied and soybean can be planted any time without planting interval.

Burndown Herbicides - Among the herbicides registered for spring burndown weed control are:
Corn: 2,4-D*, Acuron, Aim, atrazine, Balance Flexx, Corvus, dicamba, DiFlexx DUO, Fierce, glyphosate, Landmaster II, Sharpen, Verdict, etc.
Soybean: 2,4-D*, Authority First, dicamba**, glyphosate, Gramoxone, Liberty, Pursuit, Sharpen, Valor, etc.
*If 2,4-D is applied at 16 fl oz/acre in a burndown program, the preplanting interval is seven days for corn and soybean; if 2,4-D is applied at a rate above 16 fl oz/acre in a burndown program, the planting interval should be 14 days for corn and 30 days for soybean.
**dicamba should be used in burndown application ONLY if Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean is to be planted.

Pre-emergence Herbicides
The pre-emergence (residual) herbicide protects the crop with early, effective, and lasting weed control to help maximize yields, regardless of the production system. In addition, including pre-emergence herbicides can minimize the post-emergence herbicide applications and protect against early-season weed competition when weather or busy schedules prohibit a timely post-emergence application. Among the herbicides registered for pre-emergence weed control are:
Corn: Acuron, Balance Flexx, Corvus, Degree Extra, Lumax EZ, Outlook, Surestart, Tripleflex, and Zemax
Soybean: Authority Edge, Boundry, Enlite, Fierce MTZ, Panther PRO, Sonic, Trivence, Valor XLT, Warrant, Zidua PRO

Rainfast Period
Herbicide labels include recommendations on how much time must elapse between herbicide application and subsequent rainfall to ensure good herbicide performance. This is known as the rainfast period.

Generally, herbicide rainfast ratings are based on good growing conditions. Poor conditions may require a longer interval between application and any rainfall to ensure adequate herbicide translocation within the weed before the herbicide is washed off. For many herbicides, any amount of rainfall soon after spraying has the potential to reduce absorption, translocation, and subsequent weed control. If you apply herbicide and it rains before it's rainfast, herbicide performance will be reduced.

Temperature and Herbicide Performance
Wide temperature fluctuations in the last couple of weeks have led to questions about possible effects on performance of burndown herbicides. The likelihood of decreased weed control due to cool temperatures will vary, depending upon the target weed, herbicide, and rate applied. For example, glyphosate usually performs well under a wide range of temperatures. Best performance usually occurs when the temperature is 60-75°F at application and remains there for a few hours afterward.

When the temperature is lower than 60°F, weed growth slows, resulting in slower herbicide uptake and translocation. This increases the required rainfast period and slows the onset of symptoms and herbicide efficacy. If the temperature is below 40°F, avoid applying glyphosate-based herbicides. If a severe frost is predicted immediately following an intended application, it may be advisable to avoid spraying. If weeds are damaged or under stress before herbicide has properly translocated, control may be reduced.

The ideal solution is to wait for better weather conditions. However, if weed size or other situations dictate that the field be treated now, select a herbicide with excellent efficacy on the target species. Reduced herbicide rate treatments are less likely to provide acceptable control under adverse conditions than when plants are actively growing.

For More Information:
For a list of all registered burndown and pre-emergence herbicides, purchase 2020 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska (EC130) published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln.



Weather Ready Farms Pilot Program
Tyler Williams - NE Cropping Systems Extension Educator
Ashley Mueller - NE Extension Educator and Disaster Education Coordinator

The Nebraska Extension Weather Ready Farms (WRF) program team created a self-assessment checklist to provide producers with cropping system-related recommendations for practices that reduce the risk of losses on farms from weather events. We are looking for producers to complete the self-assessment checklist as part of the pilot test for our program.

This initial self-assessment is designed to provide producers a snapshot in time of current practices or plans in place, in order to gauge the "weather-readiness" of their farms. This is our second pilot test of these practices. After some modifications to the self-assessment checklist, we want to evaluate our efforts to further develop the Weather Ready Farms program and to determine a farms’ weather-readiness with this checklist. There are three phases or levels to the self-assessment checklist. The phases encourage participation at each level and allow for continuous improvement on the farm; however, the management and difficulty of practices and planning increase exponentially with each phase.

The mission of our Weather Ready Farms program is to provide certifications to farms who are at lower risk to losses from extreme weather. We are working to align our program with other government and non-governmental agencies to reduce the duplication of reporting activities like farm management practices and to reward or recognize farms who are at a lower risk to losses.
Weather Ready Farms, a Nebraska Extension initiative.

For Weather Ready Farms program information and to complete the Weather Ready Farms (WRF) Self-Assessment, visit the Weather Ready Farms website... https://weather-ready.unl.edu/farms.

Completing the self-assessment checklist is simply the first step of the WRF program. Other steps will include an educational component that focuses on new or expanding practices, a farm visit and discussion with someone from the WRF team about the farm’s unique circumstances, and WRF verification and certification once weather-readiness practices are accomplished.

We encourage any interested producer to complete the online form for the initial self-assessment checklist. Producers who complete the self-assessment checklist will receive an email once the checklist is submitted, so they can return to the form and make any edits or finish the assessment. We will communicate with producers as they work through the self-assessment checklist.

We are happy to discuss further our vision for the WRF program. Please let us know what questions you have. We certainly appreciate your time in helping us with this program.



Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Publishes Results of 2019 Farmer-conducted Research Online

Farmers across Nebraska participated in more than 100 research studies in 2019 as part of Nebraska Extension’s On-Farm Research Network. Results from the 2019 studies, as well as from studies from previous years, are now available online.

Producers, agronomists and anyone else interested in the results may access results at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/farmresearch/resultshome. Results are presented in both a PDF booklet and in a searchable format. The 2019 projects include studies focused on cover crops, row spacing, planting population, and starter fertilizer, as well as evaluation of technologies such as drones and sensors for nitrogen management, and variable-rate seeding technology.

“Our goal is to continue to provide valuable research data that farmers and agronomists can rely on as they make management decisions,” said Laura Thompson, Nebraska Extension educator. “On-farm research is a great way to generate local and relevant agronomic information. There were a lot of excellent on-farm research studies completed in 2019, and we look forward to working with more producers to conduct on-farm research in 2020.”

The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network is open to farmers across the state and welcomes new participants. Nebraska Extension educators can provide technical expertise to set up robust research studies and analyze and evaluate research results. New research projects are posted online at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/farmresearch/extensionprotocols, or custom protocols can be developed to address questions that are relevant to a specific operation.

To get involved with on-farm research, contact a member of the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network.

The on-farm research network is a collaborative partnership that includes Nebraska Extension, the Nebraska Corn Board, the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff, and the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.



Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program announces 2020-21 scholarship recipients

The Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has announced the recipients of scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year. The awards include renewable and one-time scholarships to 72 students totaling $202,000 for the ensuing academic year.

The Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program was established in 2010 by a gift from the Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation. The mission of the program is to embolden people on the courageous pursuit of their purpose through the art and practice of entrepreneurship. The program offers an academic minor while serving as an intersection in which students from a diverse array of majors and business interests can come together in pursuit of the American Dream.

Incoming Freshman Scholarship Winners:
Alliance: Madison Adam
Aurora: Sydney May
Bridgman, MI: Emma Schmidt
Bristol, WI:  Shelby Serritella
Canova, SD:  Katelyn Winberg
Clarinda, IA:  Morgan Rope
Cedar Rapids: Emily Groeteke
Columbus: Carsten Loseke
Firth: Cagney Ehlers, Dan Oldemeyer
Fordyce: Chase Lammers
Fullerton:  James Wetovick
Gilbert, AZ: Rachel Clarkson
Gordon: Aspen Rittgarn
Herman: Jadyn Fleischman
Hickman: Carter Rohrer
Hooper:  Taylor Ann Ruwe
Maryville, MO: Trenton Shell
Mead:  Abby Miller
Minden:  Jacob Wendell
North Platte:  Rachel Abbott
Omaha:  Sarah Hytrek, Melissa Yost
Osmond:  Landon Stelling
Pierce:  Dalton Freeman
Richland:  Colby Pieper
Stockton, KS:  Caleigh Iwanski
Sunbury, OH:  Caleb Durheim
Tipton, IA:  Jesse Lieser
Wymore:  Ashtyn Humphreys, Lauren Trauernicht

Continuing Student Scholarship Winners:
Ainsworth: Maria Harthoorn, junior; Sam Wilkins, sophomore
Albion: Sydney Wynn, senior
Alliance: Tyler Quick, junior
Alma: Kaleb Kindler, junior
Callaway: Lucy Kimball, junior
Clarkson: Korbin Kudera, junior
Cordova:  Luke Petersen, sophomore
Firth: Adam Oldemeyer, senior
Fullerton: Emily Frenzen, senior
Genoa: Jessica Weeder, senior
Gothenburg: Jessica Rudolph, senior
Harvard:  Dustin Stone, sophomore
Hayes Center:  Rebel Sjeklocha, sophomore
Howells:  Hailey Coufal, senior
Kearney: Eli Wolfe, senior
Jefferson, SD:  Karl Schenk, senior
La Habra, CA:  Isabella Jacobsen, junior
Long Pine:  Jacy Hafer, sophomore
Madison: Michayla Goedeken, senior
Monticello, WI:  Kate Krebs, junior
Newman Grove:  Andy King, junior
Newport: Rachel Stewart, senior
Oakland:  Layne Miller, sophomore
Ogallala: Amanda Most, sophomore
Omaha: Brytany Gama, junior
Ord: Shelby Kittle, junior
Paris, KY: Nelson Paul, junior
Paxton:  Ben Schow, sophomore
Ravenna: John Vacek, sophomore
Sammamish, WA:  Grave Weaver, sophomore
Spencer:  Kelli Mashino, senior
Steele, ND: Shaye Koester, junior
Sterling: Sarah Buehler, senior
Sumner: Mekenzie Beattie, junior
Sutton:  Megan Fehr, sophomore
Wallace: Hannah Nelson, junior
Wauneta: Wesley Wach, junior
Waverly:  Brianna Gable, sophomore
Wayne:  Josie Thompson, sophomore
Woodstock, IL: Daniel Serdar, junior
Yutan:  Miranda Mueller, junior

For more information, contact program director Tom Field at 402-472-5643 or tfield2@unl.edu.



Nebraska farmers markets, farm stores, and roadside stands should remain open

Across the U.S., local and state governments, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are recommending farmers markets to be categorized as essential businesses; therefore, keeping them open with other critical infrastructure, such as grocery stores.

The Nebraska Food Council, with support from the Lincoln-Lancaster Food Council, is aligning with the CDC and other states’ recommendations to ensure Nebraska farmers markets, farm stores, and roadside stands remain open amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Farmers markets in Nebraska are a vital part of our local food system, providing access to affordable, fresh, local produce,” said Justin Carter, project associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “They are also essential for the hundreds of small farmers and producers who rely on them for their businesses to succeed.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no evidence the virus is spread through food, food packaging, or as a foodborne illness.

“We believe, based on this information, that farmers markets should be open as scheduled, and can safely do so through the implementation of already existing and widely used sanitation practices, along with the addition of other research-based best practices,” Carter said.

Best practices to ensure safety of consumers and the general public include:
    suspending sampling;
    offering only pre-packaged and whole, fresh produce sales;
    ensuring all vendors wear gloves;
    asking customers to not touch produce;
    implementing pre-ordering and pick-up if possible;
    adding hand sanitizing stations throughout the market;
    asking that only one person handle money; and
    maintaining social distancing guidelines for customers, as well as customer density.

“Our goal is to provide the public with the assurance that food is safe through implementing research-based best practices for managers, producers, vendors, and consumers,” said Carter. “The safety and health of Nebraskans is of our utmost concern. The opening of our farmers markets can occur responsibly while ensuring access to fresh, local foods.”



Iowa Beef Center Offers Four-Part Breeding Management Webinar Series

To help producers optimize the success of getting more females bred earlier, the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University will be hosting a webinar series focused on management preparations to ensure a successful breeding season.

The series will address how best management practices can impact overall reproductive success and kick off with a discussion on the benefits of crossbreeding. Other topics discussed include implementing reproductive technology when using artificial insemination or natural service, managing bulls and the importance of passing a breeding soundness exam, and ensuring the producer’s nutrition program is in check.

The 60 days prior to the breeding season sets the tone for what the 2021 calving season will look like.

In order to maintain a 365-day calving internal, there are approximately 80 days to ensure that each cow recovers from calving and is ready to conceive again. Additionally, research consistently shows that calves born earlier in the season are more profitable.

Each webinar begins at noon Central time and will conclude within 60 minutes. The following dates and topics will be presented:
    Tuesday, April 14 – Nutrition’s Role in Reproduction; Beth Reynolds and Erika Lundy; program coordinator and beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
    Thursday, April 16 – Using Reproductive Technology to Move Up the Breeding Season; Taylor Grussing, Vytelle.
    Tuesday, April 21 – Focusing on Bull Power; Tyler Dohlman, assistant professor at Iowa State University, in the department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine.
    Thursday, April 23  – Heterosis: Capturing the Benefit; Patrick Wall, beef specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

To register for any of these free webinars, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org/BreedingManagementSeries.html.

Each webinar will also be recorded and available for viewing later at www.iowabeefcenter.org. For questions or for more information on the series, contact beefcenter@iastate.edu.



National Pork Board Webinar Related to COVID-19

The National Pork Board will host a free webinar on April 7 at 1:30 p.m. CDT related to COVID-19.

Steve Elmore, chief economist with Corteva Agriscience, and Scott Brown, economist with the University of Missouri, will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the global agriculture system and the U.S. pork industry specifically.

Angie Krieger, vice president of domestic marketing for the National Pork Board, will discuss how COVID-19 is impacting consumer behavior and buying patterns and what the Checkoff is doing to address that change.

A representative from the National Pork Producers Council and Bill Even, CEO for the National Pork Board will provide comments on the impact that COVID-19 is having on the industry.

Producers are invited to participate, register in advance by clicking this link.

As a reminder, the Pork Checkoff has digital resources available for producers regarding the current situation, emergency management best practices and communication tools. Visit pork.org/COVID-19.



Ag Industry Adjusts to COVID-19: Dicamba Training Offered Exclusively Online

With most states following ‘stay at home’ mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adjustments are being made to accommodate the ag industry where possible. Dicamba applicator certification is following suit. Mandatory annual training and certification for Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology and other dicamba herbicides is being offered exclusively online this year. Upon completion of the relevant dicamba herbicide training course, applicators will receive a printable certificate of completion that will serve as proof of training for recordkeeping purposes as required by law.

Tavium applicator training can be found here: https://syngentaus.docebosaas.com/dicamba/learn.



NMPF Coronavirus Page Adds Resources for Dairy Employers, Veterinarians

The National Milk Producers Federation’s coronavirus webpage has added new information for farm employers and employees, as well as guidance for veterinarians, to help the dairy community keep up with evolving government and marketplace responses to coronavirus.

Key new documents include:
-    An NMPF/FARM Program-created guidance for farmers if an employee tests positive for COVID-19;
-    NMPF’s two-page "What Farm Employers Need to Know about Sick Leave Requirements" document;
-    Temporary guidance for veterinarians and producers regarding telemedicine and the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, created by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; and
-    And a guide for Wisconsin farmers on the emergency disposal of milk.

NMPF’s coronavirus page, which debuted March 6, has emerged as a go-to resource for all of dairy, featuring information for farmers, employers and processors and offering rich materials on topics from animal health to workforce management in both English and Spanish.



Farmer Input Sought for 2020 National Cover Crop Survey

Many farmers have seen past results from previous national farmer cover crop surveys funded by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and carried out by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). The American Seed Trade Association has also provided financial support of the survey in the last few iterations. These surveys have provided valuable information about the use of cover crops and their impact on crop production and soil health including information that helped frame policy with the USDA agencies NRCS and FSA.

After taking a break from doing the survey the last two years, SARE is once again sending out a national cover crop survey to farmers. The survey questions are primarily geared to grain farmers but there are some questions specific to horticulture producers and a fair number of questions that any type of crop producer would find relevant. The survey seeks answers not just from long-time cover crop fans, but also from new users and farmers who have not planted cover crops at all. This is a great opportunity to hear farmers' voices on cover crops.

Farmers are being asked to complete the online survey by April 12th at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CC_Survey_2019-2020. CTIC is providing VISA gift cards on a random basis to farmers who complete the survey.





NGFA urges states to issue new CDLs during pandemic 

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) urged U.S. governors to adopt measures to allow the issuance of new commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) during shutdowns or reduced operations of state motor vehicle offices in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are concerned that if driver’s license agencies continue to not issue new CDLs or limit service, trucking capacity may be inadequate to ensure continuity of operations for human and animal food supply participants,” noted NGFA’s April 6 letter. 

Seasonal CDLs, restricted agricultural CDLs and CDL endorsements for new hires are particularly important during the busy spring planting season, NGFA said, because the agricultural industry hires seasonal drivers to help in the timely delivery of farm supplies to farmers and ranchers.

“The agricultural industry depends on a steady flow of new (CDL) drivers to maintain its supply chain,” NGFA noted. “Often, the agricultural industry serves as a pathway for many of the nation’s full-time truck drivers, thus the loss of a process to issue new CDLs may impact the food and agricultural industry disproportionately hard.”

NGFA urged governors — if they have not already done so — to create alternative online or appointment-only processes to issue new CDLs, or to issue an emergency and temporary alternative process to enable new drivers to obtain licenses, if necessary.



NGFA, ag supply chain groups urge administration to curtail unfair fees on shipping containers hauling U.S. ag products

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and 79 other associations representing the U.S. food and agriculture supply chain requested urgent engagement from Trump administration officials to ensure the competitive, fluid movement of shipping containers to international markets.

In an April 3 letter to National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the groups requested their “urgent intervention” to encourage the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to adopt a rule that would address “the ongoing unconscionable imposition of millions of dollars of unfair detention and demurrage penalties on U.S. agriculture by ocean carriers and marine terminal operators during the coronavirus crisis.”

Ocean carriers and terminal operators are imposing detention and demurrage charges when ocean freight containers cannot be returned or picked up within a short “free time” window, even when the delay is caused by the ocean carriers or terminals themselves, the groups explained.

“These fundamentally unfair fees are frequently exorbitant in nature, even exceeding the negotiated freight rates in some cases, and render U.S. agriculture exports less competitive in the global markets,” the letter said.

The FMC investigated the fees over the course of three years and unanimously voted in August 2019 to publish a proposed rule to curtail these abusive detention and demurrage practices. The groups urged Kudlow and Perdue to work with the FMC to expeditiously adopt and finalize the rule.

“The ongoing injury to U.S. agriculture and forestry industries as a result of these unjustified penalties is very real, especially with the challenges posed by the coronavirus,” the groups said. “There is great concern about detention and demurrage fees being assessed when there are equipment issues beyond the control of the shipper or motor carrier as a result of the pandemic.”



Syngenta now accepting entries for seventh annual #RootedinAg Contest

Applications for the seventh annual Thrive #RootedinAg Contest are now open online at www.syngentathrive.com/contest. Syngenta will award three contest finalists with mini touch-screen tablets and one grand prizewinner with a $500 gift card, plus the opportunity to tell his or her story in Thrive magazine, complete with a professional photo shoot with the winner's ag mentor. In addition, the company will make a $1,000 donation to the winner's favorite local charity or civic organization.

"In the ag community we regularly push each other to do a better job of telling 'our story'," said Pam Caraway, communications lead at Syngenta. "The #RootedinAg Contest gives people in our industry the opportunity to tell their story – and see it amplified in our communities and across our country. You have a good story to tell. Share it."

To enter this year's contest, interested candidates can visit the contest website and fill out the brief online entry form, which asks them to describe their ag mentor in one of two ways:
-    Write a paragraph or two (about 200 words) and submit a photograph that visually supports their written entry, or
-    Create a short video (from 1 to 3 minutes).

Simple instructions on how to upload photographs and videos to the website are on the entry form.

The deadline to enter is June 30, 2020. Shortly after this date, a panel of judges will select three finalists. Syngenta will then post all finalists' entries on the Thrive website and ask visitors to help choose the grand prizewinner by voting for their favorite. These votes along with the judges' scores will determine the winner. Online voting ends on Sept. 15, 2020, with Syngenta announcing the grand prizewinner in October.

To apply, learn more or see previous contest winners, go to www.SyngentaThrive.com.



Covantis launches as legal entity, announces CEO and executive appointments

Covantis, the industry initiative that aims to modernize global trade operations, announced today it has received all required regulatory approvals and has incorporated as a legal entity in Geneva, Switzerland, as Covantis SA. The company is co-owned by its founding members: ADM (NYSE: ADM), Bunge (NYSE: BG), Cargill, COFCO, Louis Dreyfus Company and Glencore Agriculture.

Covantis also announced its governance structure and executive appointments. “After a thorough search process, we are very pleased to appoint Petya Sechanova as the company’s CEO,” said Stefano Rettore, an independent advisor to the organization. “Petya brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Covantis and has been fundamental in shaping the initiative since its inception in 2018.”

Sechanova has more than 20 years of experience in multinational companies, including 11 years with Cargill, during which she has served in a series of leadership positions, including, most recently, trade operations leader. Stefano Rettore will continue in his role as an independent advisor to the board until June, after which his successor will be announced.

“We’re excited to create Covantis as a company. This paves the way toward launching the first release of our industry-changing digital solution, focusing initially on grains and oilseeds post-trade execution processes,” Sechanova said. “In conversations with stakeholders around the world and up and down the value chain, we’ve heard time and again how critical it is for our entire industry to modernize our outdated global grain trading operations. Now that we’ve received regulatory approvals and incorporated Covantis as a legal entity, we focus on the preparation of the 2020 launch of the new platform.”

A Board of Directors consisting of one member from each of the six co-founders will oversee the company and help to guide its evolution. The Board will be chaired by one of the Directors and will rotate annually. The Director appointed by Louis Dreyfus Company will act as Chair for the first 12 months.

“We’re particularly pleased to announce that we are locating the company in Switzerland,” Sechanova added. “Switzerland is a thriving technology innovation hub, with access to tremendous talent and expertise in blockchain solutions. Geneva’s central location makes it ideal to continue our work with stakeholders across our value chain, as we build our new digital platform for the industry, by the industry.”

Earlier this year, the initiative announced the selection of ConsenSys, a market-leading Ethereum blockchain technology company, as the lead technology partner to develop its transformative set of digital solutions. ConsenSys will leverage its enterprise-ready blockchain products and services, including, Codify, PegaSys Orchestrate, Kaleido, and MythX to build the blockchain network on Ethereum.

Interested parties can learn more about the initiative by visiting www.covantis.io.



Cargill Skips Release of 3rd Quarter Financials

Cargill announced it will forgo the release of its third-quarter financial results. Food Business News reported that this makes Cargill the first major U.S. companies to make such a decision as the nation battles the growing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Cargill is a privately held company and therefore is not subject to the same financial disclosure as publicly traded companies. But the company typically issues a press release with income and sales figures, as well as individual business unit updates.

The company was scheduled to issue third-quarter results on March 31.

"As we work to keep our employees healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic -- and prioritize all 160,000 Cargill employees on the work that needs to be done to deliver on our purpose and produce the ingredients, feed and food to nourish people and animals -- we have decided to forgo our Q3 public earnings release," Cargill said. "We are working around the clock with farmers and our customers -- the nation's food retailers, service providers and restaurant chains -- to feed the world safely and responsibly during this unprecedented time. Our eye is on making the right day-to-day decisions to keep the food system moving during the pandemic -- and looking to the future to ensure the food system stays viable around the world."

Cargill's fiscal year runs June 1 to May 31.