Wednesday June 10 Ag News

Soybean Gall Midge Adults Emerge in Cass County
soybeangallmidge.org

On June 10th, 2020 three soybean gall midge adults were collected south of Louisville in Cass County, Nebraska. This was the only site in the network with soybean gall midge adult activity.

For soybean growers that are near the site with adult activity and that have had issues with soybean gall midge, they can consider making an application in the next week if their soybean fields have reached the V2 stage. Based on last year’s data, soybean plants prior to the V2  stage generally lack the presence of cracks or fissures at the base of the stem. Plants without fissures are not considered to be susceptible to soybean gall midge infestation. If growers have fields at VC or V1, we recommend waiting until V2 to make an application if they are in a high-risk area and have adult activity occurring.

Soybean Gall Midge: Should I Spray Checklist
  - Soybean gall midge adults have emerged in my area
  - My soybean field is at the V2 stage
  - Soybean gall midge injury was noticeable in the adjacent field last year

In 2019, pyrethroid insecticides applied at different timings relative to adult emergence showed a significant yield response in Nebraska when applied up to 10 days after the first adult emergence was detected. It’s important to note that none of those treatments provided complete control of soybean gall midge. In addition, the study was conducted on a field that was planted to soybean the previous year. Since soybean gall midge is a field edge infesting pest, growers may only need to treat the first 60 to 120 feet of a field edge that is directly adjacent to a field that was injured the previous year.



NeFB: Nebraska Agriculture’s COVID-19 Losses Could Approach $3.7 Billion

Analysis conducted by the Nebraska Farm Bureau indicates Nebraska’s agricultural economy could face nearly $3.7 billion in losses due to COVID-19 in 2020 if economic conditions do not improve. The estimate is based on a “snapshot” of revenue losses projected for 2020 commodities that make up the bulk of the state’s agricultural economy including corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle, and pork production, as well as dairy and ethanol. 

“To provide some perspective, $3.7 billion is more than 80 percent of the state of Nebraska’s entire budget. We are talking about the potential for major losses. And while the analysis does not account for any financial assistance farmers and ranchers may receive through state and federal COVID-19 relief programs, it clearly demonstrates the magnitude of the financial challenges currently facing farm and ranch families and the potential impacts that could be felt across the broader rural economy,” said Jay Rempe, Nebraska Farm Bureau  senior economist and author of the report.

The analysis shows potential estimated losses in the beef cattle sector alone could reach nearly $1 billion in 2020, with corn and soybean losses combining for another $1.17 billion. Potential losses for the ethanol sector could reach $1.3 billion according to the report, assuming Nebraska’s ethanol plants are unable to run at more than 75 percent of capacity for the remainder of the year. The analysis further pegs potential losses in the pork sector at $166 million, with dairy losses near $66 million, and $8.7 million in COVID-19 related losses for wheat growers.

“As we reach the halfway point of the year, we’re hopeful things will improve between now and December, but this analysis clearly shows how damaging COVID-19 has been to our agricultural economy and what we could be facing moving forward,” said Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau president. “We greatly appreciate the fact that our elected leaders have understood the importance and need for financial assistance programs so farmers and ranchers can continue to ensure the food supply for the people of our state, our country, and the world.”

The “COVID-19 and Nebraska Agriculture Potential Estimated Losses” analysis is available on the Nebraska Farm Bureau COVID-19 webpage at www.nefb.org/covid-19.



Rebecca Funk to serve as interim Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator

Dr. Rebecca Funk, an assistant professor of practice in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s school of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences will serve as the interim Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator. The role was formerly held by Rob Eirich, who has moved into a new position as an engagement zone coordinator for Nebraska Extension. 

The position is a partnership among UNL, Nebraska Cattlemen, and the Nebraska Beef Council. The Beef Quality Assurance Program provides information and resources to beef producers and consumers related to practices throughout the production process, mainly related to animal health, food safety and product quality.

Funk, who is based at the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center in Clay Center, teaches elective veterinary student rotations. She also fulfills statewide extension duties in which she works with both producers and veterinarians to utilize sound science-based information to make decisions about animal health programs, husbandry and management protocols, and nutrition. Prior to joining the UNL faculty, Funk was a practicing veterinarian in Rushville.

“Dr. Funk was trained by one of the best bovine health teams in the world,” said Clinton Krehbiel, head of UNL’s department of animal science. “She brings excellent clinical and production experience to this role, and we are excited and very appreciative of her willingness to fill this mission-critical gap.”

Funk will step into the interim beef quality assurance coordinator role effective immediately and may be reached via email at rfunk2@unl.edu. For more information on the Beef Quality Assurance program, visit bqa.unl.edu.



UNL Dairy Store Reopens with Summer Hours

The UNL Dairy Store is open and serving its famous ice cream on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus.

The Dairy Store, located on the north side of the Food Industry Complex, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store offers dine-in service that adheres to social distancing guidelines, as well as curbside pick-up for phone and online orders.

An East Campus mainstay for over 100 years, the UNL Dairy Store sells ice cream, as well as locally made meats, cheese, coffee and more. It temporarily closed to the public amid growing concerns of the spread of COVID-19 on March 20.

For more information about the Dairy Store, to view available flavors or to place an online order, visit dairystore.unl.edu.



IowaBio and Bio Nebraska Announce Virtual Animal Health in the Heartland Symposium

Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio) and Bio Nebraska announced today that their Animal Health in the Heartland symposium will be hosted virtually on Wed., Aug. 18 and Thurs., Aug. 19. The symposium will be held via a Zoom format that will allow attendees to visit Tracks featuring presentations that support the symposium’s focus on whole animal health.

“To ensure the health and safety of our attendees during this time, we are grateful to have the opportunity to host our symposium completely virtually,” said Jessica Hyland, executive director of IowaBio. “While we may not be able to meet in person, the virtual format allowed us to add even more great presenters to our speaker lineup than we have in years past, allowing greater depth to the topic of whole animal health.” 

Animal Health in the Heartland Presentation Tracks:
    Vaccines: Collaborative Development, Manufacturing Strategies and Effective Uses
    Technology on Today's Smart Farm
    Advancements in Probiotics and Animal Feed
    Overcoming Challenges: Regulatory Pathways, Facing Pandemics, and Making Rapid Decisions

Presentation Tracks will be available each morning and attendees can attend presentations from a single track or pick and choose between the various presentation options. In the afternoon of each day, attendees will be invited back to virtually meet with presenters, where they can pose questions and continue discussions of the presentation topics.

“There are extremely important and timely conversations happening in the animal health industry today and we are proud to be working with IowaBio to bring those conversations together in a two-day, virtual event,” said Rob Owen, executive director of Bio Nebraska. “We have included in our line-up a list of exceptional presenters who represent the definition of ‘whole animal health’.”

To get more information or to register for Animal Health in the Heartland, you can visit the event website here... http://www.iowabio.org/index.cfm?NodeID=95701. 



Iowa 4-H Events to Be Determined after State Fair Postponed

As COVID-19 safety considerations have led to the postponement of the 2020 Iowa State Fair, a decision on 4-H youth learning exhibits is still underway.

“We understand this difficult decision was made to protect the health of everyone, including our youth and families,” said Debbie Nistler, Iowa 4-H state program leader. “We thank the Iowa State Fair Board for their continued support and look forward to continuing to partner with them for many years to come."

4-H staff are currently working with the Iowa State Fair Board on opportunities for youth exhibits and shows and will be releasing more information in the coming weeks.

“4-H gives youth the opportunity to feel physically and emotionally safe while actively engaging in activities,” said Nistler. “This year, safety is especially important to consider as we implement our positive youth development programs.”

For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program, please contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office or visit the Iowa 4-H website at www.extension.iastate.edu/4h.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 6/5/2020

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending June 5, ethanol production jumped 9.4%, or 72,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 837,000 b/d—equivalent to 35.15 million gallons daily and a ten-week high. However, production remains tempered due to COVID-19 disruptions, coming in 23.6% below the same week in 2019. The four-week average ethanol production rate increased 7.9% to 747,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 11.45 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks drew down by 3.0% to 21.8 million barrels, the lowest reserves this year and even with year-ago volumes. Inventories tightened across all regions except the Midwest (PADD 2).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, built by 4.6% to 7.900 million b/d (121.11 bg annualized). Gasoline demand remained 20.0% lower than a year ago.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol stepped up 6.3% to 765,000 b/d, equivalent to 11.73 bg annualized but 19.7% below the year-earlier level.

There were no imports of ethanol recorded for the thirteenth consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of April 2020.)



Analysis Projects $89 per Acre Losses for 2020 Corn Crop due to COVID-19

New analysis released by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today projects a drastic drop in 2020 revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with impacts persisting into 2021.

The latest analysis projects a $59 per acre average revenue decline for the 2019 corn crop and an $89 per acre average revenue decline for 2020, compared to pre-COVID-19 projections. If realized, the 2020 crop year revenue would be the lowest corn revenues since 2006. Residual impacts from COVID-19 on corn prices are very likely to persist into 2021 and possibly beyond.

The analysis was conducted by Dr. Gary Schnitkey of the University of Illinois using projections for 2019, 2020, and 2021 for pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios. It follows previous analysis built on market numbers to date, along with estimates of state-level impacts, conducted as part of NCGA’s efforts to better understand the economic impact of the global pandemic on the corn industry and work to create solutions to help corn farmers and their customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.

NCGA President Kevin Ross today shared the analysis with Congressional leaders and urged they use it to aid in the development of future legislative efforts to mitigate the pandemic’s impact and help farmers and their customers recover.

You can learn more about NCGA’s efforts surrounding COVID-19 at ncga.com/covid-19.



Most Retail Fertilizer Prices Lower First Week of June

Average retail fertilizer prices were mostly lower the first week of June 2020, according to retailers surveyed by DTN. However, no prices moved substantially, which DTN designates as 5% in either direction.

Prices for seven fertilizers were slightly lower compared to last month. DAP had an average price of $407 per ton, MAP $431/ton, potash $364/ton, urea $373/ton, anhydrous $475/ton, UAN28 $236/ton and UAN32 $276/ton.

The only fertilizer with a slightly higher average price compared to the prior month was 10-34-0. The starter fertilizer had an average price of $468 per ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.41/lb.N, anhydrous $0.29/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.

Retail fertilizers are all lower in price from a year ago. Anhydrous is 20% lower, both DAP and MAP are 18% less expensive, urea is 14% lower, UAN28 is 13% less expensive, UAN32 is 12% lower, potash is 7% less expensive and 10-34-0 is 4% lower from last year at this same time.



Farm Service Agency County Committee Nominations Open June 15

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin accepting nominations for county committee members on Monday, June 15, 2020. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2020 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2020.

“I encourage America’s farmers, ranchers and forest stewards to nominate candidates to lead, serve and represent their community on their county committee,” FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce said. “There’s an increasing need for diverse representation, including underserved producers, which includes beginning, women and minority farmers and ranchers.”

Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program, and reside in the LAA that is up for election this year, may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee. Individuals may nominate themselves or others, and organizations, including those representing beginning, women and minority producers, also may nominate candidates.

Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues.

Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made of three to 11 members and typically meet once a month. Members serve three-year terms. Producers serving on FSA county committees play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Producers should contact their local FSA office today to find out how to get involved in their county’s election. Check with your local USDA service center to see if your LAA is up for election this year. To be considered, a producer must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 2, 2020.



Export Exchange 2020 Postponed to 2021

A joint statement from U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President Geoff Cooper regarding the postponement of Export Exchange 2020 to October 6-8, 2021 at the Loews Kansas City:

“As a result of the coronavirus and our concern for the safety of our attendees who travel from around the globe to come to this event, we’ve decided to postpone Export Exchange until the same time next year. Doing so will ensure we will have an event on par with the caliber of the meetings our guests have come to expect - without the specter of COVID-19.”

Export Exchange, the biennial event co-sponsored by the Council, RFA and Growth Energy, is expected to bring together 200 international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), with approximately 300 U.S. suppliers and agribusiness representatives.

More information will be distributed in the coming months to members of the grains industries and will be made available online at www.exportexchange.org.



Cargill to Discontinue Issuing Quarterly Financial Reports

Privately held U.S. agribusiness Cargill Inc. said on Wednesday it will no longer issue public releases on quarterly earnings, halting the disclosures that the company has provided since 1996.

Reuters reports that the company will continue to publicly disclose annual revenue and the percent of operating cash flow that is reinvested back into the company.

The decision to halt the quarterly releases, which provided insight into Cargill's segment-by-segment performance, was made to limit costs and to focus resources on long-term strategic priorities, spokeswoman April Nelson said.

Volatile commodities markets can also skew quarterly results and inaccurately reflect company performance, she said.

The company will continue to regularly report its performance to its lenders and investors, she said.

Cargill canceled its third-quarter earnings release in March amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic, the first time such a release was canceled since the company began reporting quarterly earnings in 1996. The company will disclose annual revenue next month for the latest fiscal year.