Monday June 22 Crop Progress + Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 21, 2020, there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 8% very short, 30% short, 59% adequate, and 3% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 4% very short, 21% short, 72% adequate, and 3% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 21% fair, 56% good, and 18% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 19% fair, 61% good, and 16% excellent. Soybeans emerged was 96%, ahead of 82% last year, and near 92% for the five-year average. Blooming was 16%, ahead of 3% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3% very poor, 10% poor, 25% fair, 58% good, and 4% excellent. Winter wheat headed was 96%, ahead of 91% last year, but near 98% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 2% poor, 18% fair, 73% good, and 7% excellent. Sorghum headed was 2%, near 4% last year and 1% average.

Oats condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 31% fair, 57% good, and 7% excellent. Oats headed was 84%, well ahead of 50% last year, and ahead of 78% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 0% very poor, 0% poor, 23% fair, 67% good, and 10% excellent. Dry edible beans planted was 95%. Emerged was 82%.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 6% poor, 20% fair, 66% good, and 5% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT

Statewide there were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 21, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were several reports farmers found it difficult to spray their crops due to constant winds during the week. Fieldwork activities also included finishing up planting, harvesting hay and hauling grain.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 7% short, 83% adequate and 9% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 6% short, 86% adequate and 7% surplus.

There were only a few reports of corn beginning to silk in parts of the State. Corn condition rated 85% good to excellent.

Soybean emergence reached 96%, 16 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of the 5- year average. Soybean condition rated 84% good to excellent.

Oats headed progressed to 71%, 1 week ahead of last year but 1 day behind average. Oat condition rated 83% good to excellent.

Ninety-three percent of the first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed. A few farmers have begun their second cutting of alfalfa. Hay condition rated 75% good to excellent.

Pasture condition rated 70% good to excellent. No livestock issues were reported for the week.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress:  Good-to-Excellent Ratings at 72% for Corn, 70% for Soybeans

The condition of the nation's corn crop improved slightly last week while soybean conditions dropped slightly, USDA NASS said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.  NASS estimated that 72% of the corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, up 1 percentage point from 71% the previous week and well above 56% at the same time a year ago.  NASS estimated that 2% of corn was silking, slightly ahead of 1% last year and equal to the five-year average.

Soybean planting continued to inch toward completion last week, reaching 96% complete as of Sunday. That is 13 percentage points ahead of last year's pace and 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 93%.  Soybean emergence was estimated at 89% as of Sunday, 23 percentage points ahead of last year's 66% and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 85%. Soybeans blooming was estimated at 5%, equal to the five-year average.  NASS estimated national soybean crop condition at 70% good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from 72% the previous week but well above 54% at the same time last year.

Winter wheat was 96% headed at the end of last week compared to 93% last year at the same time and a five-year average of 97%. Winter wheat harvest continued to pick up speed, moving ahead 14 percentage points last week to reach 29% complete as of Sunday, 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 26%. Winter wheat condition was rated 52% good to excellent, up 2 percentage points from 50% the previous week.

Spring wheat headed was estimated at 12%, 10 percentage points behind the average of 22%. Spring wheat condition was estimated at 75% good to excellent, down 6 percentage points from 81% the previous week.

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Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding Court Action Upholding EPA Order Allowing Use of Dicamba Stocks

“Nebraska Farm Bureau welcomes the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision denying an emergency motion that would have effectively overturned EPA orders and stopped farmers from using existing stocks of XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan dicamba products. In response to a June 3, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling vacating the labels for these products, EPA provided regulatory relief to farmers by allowing them to use existing stocks of the products through July 31, 2020 as part of the agency’s cancellation orders. While we continue to review this ruling and other pending legal action related to these dicamba products, this is positive news, particularly for soybean farmers who fully expected to have the ability to use them for weed control this growing season.”



Statement on BASF Motion to Intervene Decision

BASF is pleased that the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted BASF’s emergency motion to intervene in the case vacating the registrations of three dicamba-based herbicides, including BASF’s Engenia® herbicide. We are also pleased that the court’s decision will permit the continued use of existing stocks pending further court proceedings.

The EPA’s order, issued on June 8, 2020, allows growers and commercial applicators to continue to apply Engenia in a way that is consistent with the previously approved label until July 31, 2020. The EPA’s decision to allow the use of existing stocks will help to save this year’s crops and save farmers’ millions of dollars in their investment in our product.

However, as the Engenia registration remains vacated as a result of the Court’s original decision, we seek a recall and stay of the Court’s mandate until BASF has the opportunity to challenge that decision. We are committed to pursue all legal remedies available to ensure farmers have access to the safe and effective crop protection solutions they have come to rely on, including Engenia herbicide. BASF will also continue to pursue EPA re-registration of Engenia for the coming seasons.



Judge Rules in Favor of the American Farmer Over California’s Prop 65 Labeling of Glyphosate

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), lead plaintiff of the national agriculture coalition fighting California’s false and misleading Prop 65 labeling requirement for glyphosate, welcomes today’s ruling by U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb for the Eastern District of California. Judge Shubb decided in favor of the Coalition by granting summary judgment and issuing a permanent injunction enjoining the warning requirement of Proposition 65 as to glyphosate. Memorandum and Order Regarding Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment, June 22, 2020 (“June 22, 2020 Order”).

Two years ago Judge Shubb recognized that “virtually all … government agencies and health organizations that have reviewed studies on [glyphosate] have found there was no evidence that it caused cancer,” and on that basis Judge Shubb found that it would be “misleading at best” to force parties to state on glyphosate-containing products that the products were “known to the state to cause cancer.”  Memorandum and Order Regarding Motion for Preliminary Injunction, February 26, 2018, pg. 14 (“February 26, 2018 Order”).

In today’s ruling, Judge Shubb cemented his ruling, noting that developments since then “do not change the court’s conclusion that the Proposition 65 warning requirement for glyphosate is misleading” and that therefore the First Amendment prohibits California from requiring glyphosate-containing products to be so labeled. June 22, 2020 Order, pg. 19.

“From the beginning we made our case based on facts and science and this is a great win for wheat growers and farmers across the United States,” said Dave Milligan, NAWG President and Cass City, Michigan wheat farmer. “Backed by more than forty years of safety data, glyphosate is one of the most studied and closely monitored herbicides in the world.

In his decision, Judge Shubb ruled that the Plaintiffs prevailed on their claim under the First Amendment because a compelled false warning label does not directly advance the state’s interest. This is because “misleading statements about glyphosate’s carcinogenicity . . . do not directly advance that interest [to protect citizens from truly cancerous materials].” June 22, 2020 Order, pg. 30. He concluded once again that “the heavy weight of evidence in the record is that glyphosate is not known to cause cancer.” June 22, 2020 Order, pg. 27.

“In recent years, we have seen a drastic increase in consumer interest around climate change and the public calling on agriculture to use more environmentally friendly practices,” continued Milligan. “Glyphosate is a tool which can help meet these goals. It has become very effective in protecting the soil from erosion, and also improves soil fertility and water quality from increased use of conservation tillage and no-till farming practices.”

Additional plaintiffs include the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, the Agricultural Retailers Association, Associated Industries of Missouri, Iowa Soybean Association, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CropLife America, Missouri Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Agri-Business Association and United States Durum Growers Association.



National Pollinator Week begins June 22

National Pollinator Week kicks off June 22 and runs through June 28. Since its unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate 13 years ago, the week is designated as a time to not only celebrate pollinators (such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles), but also a time to address what can be done to protect pollinators and their habitats.

The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) has a long history of promoting pollinator health. Through key partnerships with local and national organizations, American corn farmers understand the importance of pollinators and are taking active steps to ensure their survival. For example, through its investments with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), corn farmers across the country are adding milkweed and nectar plants in rural areas through the Farmers for Monarchs initiative. Farmers for Monarchs brings together farmers, ranchers, land owners, conservationists and businesses working along the agricultural supply chain to promote monarchs and their habitat. Additionally, through its investments with NCGA, several Nebraska corn farmers are proactive in implementing pro-pollinator best management practices by working with the Honey Bee Health Coalition and the Environmental Defense Fund.

“As farmers, we need to be good stewards of the land and maintain and promote our ecosystems,” said Brandon Hunnicutt, vice chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from Giltner. Brandon also serves as the chairman for Field to Market, a national organization designed to unite the food supply chain to deliver sustainable outcomes for agriculture.

“For the last several years on my farm, we’ve been experimenting with pollinator habitats on the borders of our fields. Corn doesn’t depend on bees for pollination like some crops do, but they’re still an important component of our overall ecosystem. We need to protect all of our ecosystems to ensure the sustainability of our land for years to come.”

Earlier this year, NCB partnered with the Renewable Fuels Association, Renewable Fuels Nebraska, Pheasants Forever and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association to expand pollinator habitats. The pilot program, in collaboration with Field to Market, brings together Nebraska’s ethanol plants and corn farmers with a goal of meeting global ethanol demand without sacrificing wildlife and pollinator habitats.



NEBRASKA EXTENSION WEBINAR ON MANAGING RISK IN THE HOG MARKET THIS THURSDAY

The current pandemic and ongoing trade-related issues are presenting challenges and new opportunities in the hog market. A University of Nebraska-Lincoln webinar will examine available risk management tools and programs that can be utilized to better position hog operations in the global market.

“Managing Risk in the Hog Market” will be held on Thursday at noon CDT. It is part of a weekly webinar series produced by Nebraska Extension’s Farm and Ranch Management team in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

The webinar will be presented by Tim Hughes, who leads the hog margin management team at Chicago-based risk management firm Commodity & Ingredient Hedging, LLC. Additional insight will be provided by moderator Elliott Dennis, assistant professor of livestock marketing and risk management in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

The webinar will be held live on Zoom for approximately one hour, including time for questions from participants. Registration is open to everyone at https://go.unl.edu/manage2020. Additional information, a schedule of other upcoming webinars and recordings of all sessions in the webinar series are available as well.



NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS

All layers in Nebraska during May 2020 totaled 8.43 million, down from 8.87 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during May totaled 166 million eggs, down from 223 million in 2019. May egg production per 100 layers was 1,970 eggs, compared to 2,516 eggs in 2019.

IOWA CHICKENS AND EGGS
Iowa egg production during May 2020 was 1.19 billion eggs, down 3% from last month and down 19% from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during May 2020 was 50.0 million, down 5% from last month and down 15% from last year. Eggs per 100 layers for May were 2,373, up 1% from last month but down 5% from last year.

May U.S. Egg Production Down 5 Percent
United States egg production totaled 9.10 billion during May 2020, down 5 percent from last year. Production included 7.86 billion table eggs, and 1.24 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.15 billion were broiler-type and 85.6 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during May 2020 totaled 386 million, down 4 percent from last year. May egg production per 100 layers was 2,357 eggs, down 2 percent from May 2019.
                                   
Total layers in the United States on June 1, 2020 totaled 384 million, down 3 percent from last year. The 384 million layers consisted of 320 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 60.9 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.16 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on June 1, 2020, averaged 75.6 eggs per 100 layers, down 3 percent from June 1, 2019.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Down 13 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during May 2020 totaled 52.8 million, down 13 percent from May 2019. Eggs in incubators totaled 49.7 million on June 1, 2020, down 4 percent from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 233 thousand during May 2020, up 8 percent from May 2019.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Down 6 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during May 2020 totaled 807 million, down 6 percent from May 2019. Eggs in incubators totaled 699 million on June 1, 2020, down 1 percent from a year ago. Leading breeders placed 8.19 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during May 2020, down 7 percent from May 2019.



Calving Season Benchmarks
Olivia Amundson – South Dakota State University Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist

Cows that calve on time are the number one indicator that cattle within that operation fit the managerial program. This happens simply from timely reproduction. Reproductive performance of an operation is important to the overall success and bottom line of that operation. Benchmarking may be beneficial as it can help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business. This year may provide opportunity to define an operations bottom line through outlining the calving season. 

Mature Cow Herd
Calving distribution is one way producers can evaluate their herd’s reproductive performance from the previous year. The North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software program (CHAPS) put out production benchmark data for calving distributions. According to CHAPS, 63% of the mature cow herd should calve within the first 21 days, 87% by 42 days, and 96% by 63 days of the calving season. If cows calving in the first 21 days is less than 60% and cows calving in the second 21 days of the calving season is greater than 25%, re-evaluation of the herd needs to occur.

First Calf Heifers
Heifers are traditionally bred to calve prior to the cowherd. Benchmarks related to first calf heifers include: 42% of heifers calving prior to their scheduled calving date, 76% of heifers by 21 days, and 88% of heifers by 42 days. The one group failing to meet these benchmarks are 3-year-old females. While every other age group has the largest percentage calving in the first 21 days, 3-year-olds have a larger percentage calving in the second 21-day period. 

Breeding back first calf heifers and 3-year-old females can be a challenge and can disrupt the bottom line if those females are open following the breeding season or calve late in the calving season. Correct management of heifers is imperative to maintaining herd longevity. Proper reproductive management of young females may include breeding 2-3 weeks prior to the mature herd to ensure adequate recovery time following calving. Others may challenge their heifers by allowing only a short (30-day) breeding period to push selection pressure on reproduction. Ultimately, young females are still growing and have higher nutrient requirements than mature cows following their first calving. Therefore, it is important to ensure they are receiving the adequate nutrition to meet their nutrient requirements to maintain reproductive success. Remember to separate young females from the mature herd during this time as nutrient requirement of cows is lower and overfeeding the mature herd can become costly.

Importance of Calving Distribution 
If a large majority of the herd fails to calve in the first 21 days of the calving season, those cows fall behind missing the opportunity to re-breed and subsequently, will fail to maintain a 365 day calving interval. Females that fall out of the desired calving window allow opportunity to consider managerial strategies to re-establish the desired calving distribution. It’s important to remain business minded when making decisions regarding the cow herd to ensure success.

So how can calving distribution effect the bottom line? Calf crops more uniform in size and age have market advantages and exceed returns over calves that lack uniformity in both age and weight. Therefore, more calves born earlier in the calving season wean more pounds of calf compared to calves born later in the calving season. At weaning, one day age difference can translate into 2.4lbs of weaning weight lost. If more than 25% of the herd is calving in the second or third calving window this leaves a large amount of pounds unpaid. Furthermore, research shows that females who calve in the first 21 days of the calving season remain in the herd longer.

Reaching Management Goals
Reproduction is the number one indicator of success on any operation. So how can some of these management goals be reached?
 1.    First, remain business minded. While we all have that favorite cow in the herd who may receive two or three breeding chances, it may be time to consider the financial implications she brings.
 2.    Second, set your goals. How do you want to see your herd perform? What benchmarks do you want to follow or set? How can you reach these goals and who can help you get there?
 3.    Third, make a plan. Decide which cows do not meet your production goals and disperse of them. Determine if the remaining females are in the calving benchmarks you desire. If those cows need to move up a cycle, consider using estrus synchronization to move those females back to the desired breeding season. If an estrus synchronization program will be implemented, consult your local Extension Specialist or Veterinarian to help set you up with an appropriate protocol and supplies.
 4.    Fourth, follow through with the plan. Ensure you have enough labor and resources to accomplish the job. Chose a breeding or bull let out day. If using a bull, ensure the amount of time the bull is out with the cows as well as bull/cow ratio is part of your management strategy and goals.
 5.    Fifth, confirm pregnancies in the herd. Once the cows are bred, have your veterinarian come and pregnancy check all the females to get an idea of the distribution you may have. Any females that are open allows that female to be sold as well as starts putting reproductive pressure on the herd.
 6.    Sixth, enjoy a shorter, more defined calving season.



Cattle on Feed Adjustments Continue
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The cattle feeding part of the industry has been in the midst of dramatic adjustments over the last couple of months, just like the rest of the industry. USDA released its June Cattle on Feed report on Friday, June 19th and it showed some more adjustments, but this time back in the direction of normal.

After 2 months of 20 percent or more year-over-year declines in placements, May placements were down about 1.3 percent from the year before. May is typically a larger month for placements due to cattle coming off wheat pasture and other small winter grains. Its worth remembering the USDA's Cattle inventory report in January indicated 290,000 fewer cattle on small grain pastures this year, compared to last year. Fewer wheat pasture cattle likely contributed to the ability to adjust. Feeder cattle sales did start to pick up as May went on, as cattle previously held back had to move, some drought conditions likely moved some feeders, and some opportunities to favorable place occurred.

Placement weights are also part of continued adjustments. Slightly more placements, 5,000 head, were reported in the lightest, under 600 pound category. Placements were up 31 percent in Colorado, and were higher in every weight category. The increase in Kansas placements were in the over 700 pound categories. USDA reported 10,000 fewer cattle were placed weighing over 1,000 pounds, but that category was 105,000 head.

Marketings reflected packing constraints and came in at 72.5 percent of a year ago. But, May had 2 fewer slaughter days in 2020 compared to 2019 (20 versus 22). As May progressed packing constraints loosened and daily slaughter moved closer to year ago speeds. June 2020 has 22 slaughter days compared to only 20 in June 2019, so the next report's marketings will likely show the dual impact of improving slaughter speeds and 10 percent more work days in the month.

While the report indicated some getting back to normal, there remains a backlog of cattle due to the packing logjam. The calculated number of cattle on feed longer than 120 days is 5.1 million compared to 4.2 million a year ago. Most of that increase in over 120 days on feed are cattle that have been on feed even longer as evidenced by the number of cattle on feed over 150 days. But, cattle on feed between 90 and 120 days totaled about 1.65 million versus 1.79 last year. So, there remains more adjustments to come to work through the impacts of corona virus in the cattle markets.



USDA Cold Storage May 2020 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on May 31, 2020 were down 18 percent from the previous month and down 13 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 13 percent from the previous month but up 2 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 24 percent from the previous month and down 26 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 27 percent from last month and down 8 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on May 31, 2020 were down 5 percent from the previous month and down 4 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 8 percent from the previous month but up 3 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 1 percent from last month but down 15 percent from May 31, 2019.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on May 31, 2020 were down 2 percent from the previous month but up 5 percent from May 31, 2019. Butter stocks were up 2 percent from last month and up 21 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on May 31, 2020 were up 1 percent from last month but down 3 percent from a year ago.  Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 9 percent from last month but up 1 percent from a year ago.



Farmers Challenged to Take Action Against Yield-Robbing Pests and Resistance

Farmers often face detrimental losses when it comes to yield-robbing pests, but the soy checkoff and its partners in the Take Action program released free tools to use this week to mitigate crop damage and stave off resistance. From June 22 through June 26, university experts, weed scientists and advocates will come together for PEST Week (Pest Elimination Strategies and Tactics) to break down the pesticide-resistance challenge into manageable and realistic steps for farmers.

“PEST Week is really a reminder to invest in best management practices now to protect our yields, so we don’t pay for it later at the elevator,” said Tom Oswald, a United Soybean Board (USB) farmer-leader from Cleghorn, Iowa. “The resources that the Take Action program provides are unbiased and backed by the experts across the country and give us, as farmers, the information we need to manage our pests and defend against increasing resistance. After a tough spring, it’s more important than ever to take this seriously.”

Take Action is an industrywide pesticide-resistance management initiative funded in part by the soy checkoff and other endorsing partners including commodity groups, academic institutions and the leading trait and agrochemical companies.

It’s crucial to conduct midseason steps now, such as in-field scouting and using a different site or mode of action from the previous application, to minimize weed competition, disease and insect damage. Pesticide resistance can be even more costly and stems largely from ineffective applications and management — which the Take Action program has vowed to correct.

“It’s getting to the point where if farmers don’t deal with resistance, they will see major losses,” said Christy Sprague, a Michigan State University professor and weed extension specialist for Take Action.

Take Action’s partners compiled all the latest information from weed, insect and disease experts into a ready-to-read kit that farmers can download from the Take Action website or reference on the go in the Take Action app. Every small step farmers take brings large rewards. Every day during PEST Week, a different step in effective and responsible pest management will be showcased across Take Action’s social channels, encouraging farmers to follow along and take the week to level up their management plan.

To get a head start, Take Action identified and included a profile on each of the “Big Four” weeds, highlighting why they can spell trouble along with best management practices farmers can implement this season:

- Waterhemp — Catching waterhemp early is a necessity. That’s why Take Action has a weed ID tool both online and in-app. After it germinates, it can grow over an inch a day and becomes much more difficult to control after reaching 6-8 inches tall. Waterhemp is a high-volume seed producer and can continue to produce into the summer. Being small and light, seeds can be carried by the wind, so dedicated attention to identification and elimination is incredibly important, especially midseason.

- Palmer Amaranth — Palmer amaranth, also called pigweed, presents similar issues to waterhemp, being a high-volume seed producer. Germinating the entire growing season, one Palmer amaranth plant can produce 250,000-500,000 seeds from early May to mid-August, making this weed a high priority to scout for and manage during the season. Effective herbicide application is critical to control this invasive species.

- Giant Ragweed — With a large seed and later germination than other weeds, it is incredibly important to follow up a pre-emergent herbicide with a post-emergent application and different site of action to limit yield loss from giant ragweed in your fields.

- Horseweed — Also called marestail, horseweed has two primary periods of emergence: late March through June, and late summer into fall. This weed competes with soybeans throughout the growing season, reducing yield and interfering with harvest. Like others, it can produce up to 200,000 seeds that are transportable by the wind, which can lead to big problems. Using herbicide treatments in fields where horseweed seedlings are observed or with a history of horseweed control problems is one potent way to manage this pest.

If farmers consistently see large weed populations or weed escapes — i.e., weeds that survive after herbicide applications — they may be managing them ineffectively, which can increase the spread of herbicide-resistant seeds and make matters even worse. Prevalent resistance directly threatens farmer profitability by posing economic challenges, decreasing land values, increasing crop losses and other challenges.

The Take Action program resources are segmented by the specific disease, insect or weed problem that farmers may be facing in addition to providing content on general best practices and common mistakes.

Get the Take Action kit through the website, IWillTakeAction.com/kit, as well as follow the daily steps and tips for responsible management on Take Action’s Facebook and Twitter pages.



DMI Dairy Market Report

The worst of the coronavirus-induced plunge in the dairy economy may be over.

The sharp drop in dairy product prices in April, prompted by the pandemic, has been followed by a strong recovery in cash market prices in May that is continuing into June. Cash cheese prices rebounded dramatically from $1.00 a pound in the first half of April to record levels in less than eight weeks. Cash butter prices, to a lesser extent, have also rebounded from April lows.

This market turnaround has been caused by actions and developments that have reduced milk supply and strengthened dairy product demand. Dairy cooperatives widely implemented temporary base-excess price plans, while dairy farmers changed their feeding and milking practices and culled some additional cows. Government purchases of dairy products expanded substantially as Congress provided billions of dollars in emergency relief to the Department of Agriculture. More recently, food service establishments resumed significant dairy purchases to replenish empty stocks in anticipation of staged reopenings. And retail sales of key dairy products have been above year-earlier levels throughout the pandemic episode, as consumers largely went back to the basics of grocery shopping and home cooking. Dairy-farmer income will also be boosted by federal direct payments of $6.20 per cwt. for first quarter milk production. These developments together have improved the financial outlook for the nation’s dairy farmers markedly from how it first appeared during March’s collapse driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to read the full report.... https://www.nmpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Dairy-Market-Report-June-2020-1.pdf. 



Holstein Association USA Virtual Meeting Slated for June 25

The National Holstein Association will host a Virtual Member Update Meeting on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) in lieu of the organization's annual convention, which was canceled because of COVID-19.  The online presentation will feature addresses from President Corey Geiger of Wisconsin and the CEO's State of the Association Address.

There will also be a review of the 2019 financial report and various committee updates.  Interested members can take part in the meeting by going to: www.holsteinusa.com.



EPA Administrator Signs Proclamation Marking National Pollinator Week

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a proclamation designating the week of June 22 as National Pollinator Week. Administrator Wheeler is the first EPA Administrator to sign such a proclamation – joining leadership from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), all 50 Governors and hundreds of governments and organizations around the world.

“Pollinators like bees and hummingbirds sustain nearly 80 percent of the food in our diets,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “I am proud to join Secretary Perdue, Secretary Bernhardt and our state and local partners in reaffirming our commitment to promoting pollinator health. By doing so, we are protecting human health, the environment and our nation’s food supply.”

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. Yet, pollinator populations are on the decline due to many stressors, including pests, poor nutrition due to loss of habitat, unnecessary pesticide exposure, pathogens and viruses.

EPA is leading several efforts to protect bees and other pollinators from pesticide exposure to ensure they can thrive in their habitats. In 2019, the agency updated its bee mortality data table to help farmers and beekeepers estimate how long a specific pesticide may remain toxic to bees and other insect pollinators following application to crops.

EPA is also focused on advancing public awareness of the importance of protecting pollinators. In March 2020, EPA launched a free webinar series highlighting ongoing work to promote pollinator health and habitat, which will continue through September 2020. This week the agency also renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit organization that facilitates actions that benefit pollinator habitats.

To learn more about what EPA is doing to protect pollinators and what you can do help protect them, visit www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection. More information is also available about how DOI and USDA are celebrating the week.



New Data Shows Significant COVID-19 Impact on Bison Marketplace

The economic disruption impacting nearly all sectors of the U.S. bison business far exceeds the threshold required to qualify bison producers for assistance being offered to agriculture through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), according to formal comments that the National Bison Association filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today.

Bison were among the agricultural products excluded from USDA’s first round of CFAP relief in May. At the time, the agency said that insufficient market information existed to demonstrate that bison producers had suffered at least a five percent drop in price and income from the period between mid-January and mid-April.

However, producers excluded from the first round of assistance have until today to submit information documenting losses exceeding five percent. USDA will use that information to determine which agricultural commodities will be eligible for an additional $637 million in assistance.

Based on information compiled from a series of surveys conducted by the bison association over the past month, prices for live bison weighing between 400 – 800 lbs. dropped 37 percent for bulls and 25 percent for heifers in the period between mid-January and mid-April. Producers responding to one on-line survey indicated that feeding costs have increased by 12 percent per animal per day during that same period.

In a separate survey, farm-direct marketers form 24 states echoed the impact cited by the ranchers selling into larger commercial markets. The farm-direct marketers reporting live animal sales as at least 10 percent of their business reported that prices have dropped significantly. Thirty eight percent reported declines between 20-49 percent, while 24 percent of the respondents reported price drops exceeding 50 percent.

The bottleneck in processing capacity is creating significant economic havoc for farm-direct marketers. Even though the survey did not ask about difficulties in getting animals scheduled for processing, nearly one-third of the respondents cited that as a critical factor harming their business.

Farm-direct marketers selling to restaurants and other foodservice outlets reported a sharp drop in sales, with half reporting sales declines exceeding 50 percent. And, 63 percent of the producers participating in farmers’ markets said that they anticipate 2020 sales to be down by more than 20 percent.

The association noted that the criteria established by USDA for determining eligibility for assistance was challenging because most economic activity in the bison business occurs outside the January-April time frame each year. While the producer surveys did provide information documenting a strong impact, “That information also serves as a type of canary in the coal mine, exposing the explosive impacts felt beyond mid-April,” the association’s comments note.