Wednesday July 15 Ag News

Nebraska Farm Bureau Continues Work to Lower Health Insurance Costs for Farmers and Ranchers through its Member Health Plan

Farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners need comprehensive health coverage at an affordable price. Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has partnered with Medica Health Plans to design an exclusive portfolio of health insurance plans for members who are farmers, ranchers, or in agribusiness. Coverage is available for themselves and their families. Employees and their families can also join the Nebraska Farm Bureau to access these health plans. These plans are available only from Farm Bureau Financial Services agents in Nebraska.

“Farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals face significant challenges in their businesses, including increasing costs to access health insurance. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Member Health Plan lets you personalize your coverage to meet your unique needs and preferences. Since we began in 2019, these plans have saved some members thousands of dollars in health insurance premiums annually,” said Steve Nelson president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.

“Medica is committed to making health care more affordable, efficient, and accessible,” said Geoff Bartsh, Medica senior vice president for Individual and Family Business. “The Nebraska Farm Bureau Member Health Plan does that by building on our strong partnership with Nebraska Farm Bureau to provide more affordable options for farmers, ranchers, and those in agribusiness.”

To be eligible to enroll in the 2021 Nebraska Farm Bureau Member Health Plan this fall, you must be a Nebraska Farm Bureau member in good standing by August 31, 2020.

“Nebraska’s agricultural economy is struggling from low commodity prices, last year’s flooding, and now COVID-19. Nebraska Farm Bureau continues to work with Medica to lower costs associated with health insurance premiums,” Nelson said.

The plans offer:
    PERSONALIZED COVERAGE. Select from a range of plan and network options.
    COMPETITIVE PREMIUMS. On average, premiums are lower than those in the individual market.
    GUARANTEED ISSUE. No pre-existing conditions exclusions and coverage for all essential health benefits.
    VALUE EXTRAS. Access to wellness resources you need to stay healthy.

Please remember, you must join Farm Bureau by August 31, 2020 to qualify for 2021 enrollment.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Member Health Plan is a regulated and fully insured product through Medica that provides consumer protections. It is available to all eligible NEFB members regardless of health status. If you are interested in learning more about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Member Health Plan contact any Farm Bureau Financial Services agent or visit www.nefb.org/medica.

“We welcome Nebraska farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses to join our organization and take advantage of the opportunities our health plan offers,” Nelson said.  



What Are the Benefits of a Cover Crop Mix Versus a Single Species Cover Crop?
Katja Koehler-Cole - UNL Research Assistant Professor in Agronomy and Horticulture
 
Advantages of diverse mixes
The decision whether to mix species or plant a single species as a cover crop depends on your goals, time of the year, and costs.

Planting a mix can increase biodiversity on a farm and can also insure against weather extremes, since different species will thrive in different weather conditions. Planting more than one species can help fulfill multiple goals that producers often want the cover crop to achieve.

Grass cover crops, such as cereal rye, are most suited to prevent erosion and nutrient loss. Legumes, for example hairy vetch, can supply N to a subsequent crop. Brassicas, which include turnips, radish, and mustards, are fast-growing, scavenge nitrogen and can be grazed. Brassicas mature quickly and winterkill in our environment, but cereal rye and hairy vetch will survive Nebraska winters and must be terminated in the spring.

Drawbacks of mixes
Combining grass and legumes in a cover crop mix may reduce erosion and provide N, although there is often a trade-off where both goals will not be fully realized. Keep in mind that selecting cover crop species with mutual benefits (for example, grass and legume for both erosion control and N supply) is more important than simply increasing the number of species in you multi-species mix.

On the other hand, picking a well-adapted single species may be the most productive and economical choice for most situations. If you focus on one goal, for example preventing erosion, it makes more sense and is cheaper to plant a single species suited for that goal, such as cereal rye.

Species in a mix should complement each other. Because of their differences in growth, species can be used for different goals at different times. For example, in a cool-season fall-planted cover crop mixes of brassicas, grasses, and hairy vetch, brassicas will emerge first. They will grow faster than the other species and may provide grazing, but are killed by the first hard freeze. In the spring, the same mix will be dominated by grasses which provide erosion control, scavenge N and can be grazed. In our trials, the spring biomass of cool-season fall-planted mixes was made up of 70 to 100% cereal rye, even when cereal rye only made up 50% of the seeds in the mix. Legumes are slower growing than grasses or brassicas and often outcompeted in mixes, but may provide some N in the spring.

Management of your cover crop mix

Planting time
The species in your mix should be compatible to each other in terms of management. The amount of time available to grow will be the most important considerations for compatibility. When establishing the cover crop mix, plant at a time that is optimal for all its species. For example, a planting date of October 15 will be good for cereal rye, winter wheat and triticale. Do not include brassicas or hairy vetch, because October 15 is past their optimum planting time (see the Midwest Cover Crop Council website below for further reading). The more time your mix has to grow, especially during the summer, the more options you have for diverse species. Warm-season annual cover crops can be planted for a full-season cover crop or in July after winter wheat harvest. If you plant a warm-season cover crop mix in the summer, you have the opportunity to select species that will meet your specific goals; i.e. nitrogen fixer, early grazing mix, late grazing mix, compaction fighter or high carbon mix. When planted at the right time, mixes of warm-season cover crops are often more productive than mixes of cool-season cover crops.

Seeding
Consider how you plan to establish the cover crop. Will you broadcast or drill? Small-seeded species can be broadcasting, but in general, all species establish better when drilled, due to the improved seed-soil contact. Select a planting depth that is suitable for all species in your mix. For some species, such as deep-planted peas and shallow-planted crimson clover, planting depths do not overlap. In this case, you could use a drill that has two boxes, one for small seeded species, i.e. clovers and some brassicas and one for larger seeded species. The box for the smaller seeded species or shallower seeded cover crops has a seed tube that just dribbles the seed on top while the depth of the larger seeded cover crops can be set to what you want.

Other management considerations
What will the herbicide program be and how will the cover crop be terminated? Residual herbicides applied to the previous crop may prevent the germination of many cover crops, especially brassicas and some legumes. Likewise, if you have problematic weeds that you must control while the cover crop is in the field, selecting cover crops that have natural herbicide tolerance will be important. When it comes time to terminate the mix, choose a method that will reliably kill all cover crops, whether that method is winter-kill, herbicides or mechanical termination. For example, while glyphosate applications are typically reliable for killing cereal rye, we observed that they may not fully terminate hairy vetch in a mix. Scout your fields for surviving cover crops as a second termination may be required, especially for brassicas which quickly go to seed and can become weeds.

As with all cover crops, make sure planting and termination times of the cover crop mix are in line with recommendations by NRCS, Risk Management Agency and crop insurance.

Take-home message
Combining several cover crop species in a mix may be an option to achieve multiple goals with a cover crop. However, species will only contribute to the overall success if they will be productive in terms of biomass. Ensure that all species in the mix are compatible given the environment and management practices for the success of your diverse cover crop.




Green Plains to Add USP Grade Alcohol to York, Neb. Location

Green Plains Inc. has announced its subsidiary, Green Plains York LLC has contracted Fluid Quip Technologies LLC to engineer and design a high-quality USP distillation system, upgrading and expanding the capabilities of the facility.

“The upgrade to USP Grade alcohol at our York biorefinery solidifies Green Plains as a strategic provider of high-quality alcohols to our valued customers for use in sanitizers and disinfectants,” said Todd Becker, president and chief executive officer. “This project further enhances the quality of our alcohol, increases our flexibility, and ensures uninterrupted delivery of a premium product with unparalleled purity to our customers for the long term.”

Green Plains York has been manufacturing alcohol distilled specifically for the production of cleaners and disinfectants for over 20 years and was originally a beverage grade facility. It will continue to produce high-quality, FCC Grade alcohol which meets FDA specifications during construction. The project is anticipated to be constructed and completed within the next 90 days.



LOUIS RECEIVES GRANT TO RESEARCH SORGHUM’S RESISTANCE TO FALL ARMYWORM

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln entomologist has received nearly $430,000 for research that could lead to a better understanding of sorghum’s natural defenses against fall armyworm.

Joe Louis, associate professor in the university’s departments of entomology and biochemistry, received the funding through a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program.

Sorghum is one of the world’s most important crops and is grown for both grain and bioenergy. Fall armyworm — the larval stage of the fall armyworm moth — is one of the most devastating pests affecting grasses in the Americas, Louis said. Recently, it has become an invasive pest in Africa, as well.

Fall armyworm feeds on plants belonging to more than 75 plant families, including sorghum, and infestations at critical stages of sorghum development can reduce grain yields by 55% to 80%. In addition, the continued reliance on insecticides and transgenic crops has led to the loss of insect resistance in field-grown crops. In sorghum, the extent of genetic variation and defense responses against fall armyworm are largely unknown, Louis said. His research will look at the natural variation in different lines of sorghum, which could shed light on the underlying mechanisms of sorghum resistance or susceptibility to fall armyworm.

At the same time, Louis and his team will look at how the pests overcome plants’ natural defenses. Salivary components — for example, salivary proteins — found in fall armyworm saliva can actually reprogram host plant cells and how they behave, he said.

“In addition to the plant defenses, we will also monitor how insects utilize counter-defenses to overcome the innate plant defenses,” Louis said. “Thus, this project will also extend the known repertoire of herbivore elicitors in overcoming plant defenses.”

Louis will serve as the project director and will work with Richard Boyles, a sorghum breeder and geneticist at Clemson University. Boyles will help with mapping the genetic variants in sorghum that are associated with resistance to fall armyworm.

Ultimately, Louis hopes the research unlocks the mystery of sorghum’s natural defenses against fall armyworm, as well as how the fall armyworm overcomes them. Eventually, Louis’ work could be used to develop armyworm-resistant varieties of sorghum or other environmentally friendly strategies of pest control.

“I’m very grateful to USDA/AFRI for supporting this multidisciplinary work,” Louis said. “This work is quite timely given the serious outbreaks of fall armyworm in various parts of the world.”




NE Corn Board to Meet August 19-20, 2020 in Scottsbluff, NE

The Nebraska Corn Board will hold its next meeting Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20, 2020 at Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel & Conference Center located at 301 W. Hwy. 26, Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The Board will conduct regular board business and hold election of officers.  The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for public discussion.  A copy of the agenda is available by writing to the Nebraska Corn Board, PO Box 95107, Lincoln, NE  68509, sending an email to nikki.bentzinger@nebraska.gov or by calling 402/471-2676.



Nebraska Corn Congratulates Hunnicutt on his Election to the NCGA Corn Board

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) biannual Corn Congress event was held virtually this week instead of in-person at its usual location in Washington, D.C. During this event, Nebraska corn farmer Brandon Hunnicutt was elected to NCGA’s Corn Board. Hunnicutt farms with his father and brother near Giltner. This election leads to a second term for Hunnicutt. Brandon was first elected to the board in July 2017. Each term lasts three years.

“I am again grateful for the support and trust American corn farmers are placing in me,” said Hunnicutt. “While NCGA has had to make some difficult decisions over the last few years, I believe we have done a lot of good things that will benefit the corn industry for a long time. Part of our success has been due to our organization’s continual desire to think strategically and develop partnerships with groups we may not have considered working with in the past. We’re a diverse group of farmers across the country, and NCGA must support corn farmers as a whole, no matter their location, size or production practices.”

In addition to serving on NCGA’s Corn Board, Hunnicutt serves corn farmers through NeCGA and is the vice chair of the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB). He currently serves as the chairman of Field to Market, a national alliance designed to bring together stakeholders to define, measure and advance the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production in the U.S. This is the first time a farmer has been at the helm of this national Field to Market organization.

“I have no doubt Brandon will continue to be a tremendous asset to NCGA,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “Brandon has proven himself as a capable leader, and our state’s corn industry has benefitted greatly from his leadership. Brandon is both very thoughtful and has a lot of experience in many different facets of agriculture. I know he will continue to face issues like trade, the environment, ethanol, technology, consumer trust and new uses head on as we all work towards a long and productive future for our nation’s corn industry.”

Hunnicutt’s second term will begin on Oct. 1, 2020. The election took place Wednesday, July 15 during the 2020 virtual Corn Congress. The event is focused on shaping policy for NCGA. Corn farmer delegates from across the country participated in the discussions and election.



NCGA Elects Five Members to Serve on Corn Board

Delegates attending the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Congress, which was held virtually today, elected five farmers to serve on the organization’s Corn Board.  Taking office on Oct. 1, the start of NCGA’s 2021 fiscal year, are new board members Jed Bower of Ohio and Brian Thalmann of Minnesota. Current board members Ken Hartman of Illinois, Brandon Hunnicutt of Nebraska, and Gary Porter of Missouri were re-elected. Four were elected to three-year terms with Thalmann elected to the two-year term left open by FY21 First Vice President-Elect Chris Edgington.

“It clearly demonstrates the importance of NCGA’s work that so many talented, well-qualified candidates stepped forward even during these uniquely difficult times,” said NCGA Nominating Committee Chairman Lynn Chrisp. “All of the candidates were outstanding and have already established impressive histories of service to American agriculture. I am excited to see the work they will do over the coming years for the benefit of corn farmers across the country through their Corn Board service.”

The NCGA Corn Board represents the organization on all matters while directing both policy and supervising day-to-day operations. Board members represent the federation of state organizations, supervise the affairs and activities of NCGA in partnership with the chief executive officer and implement NCGA policy established by the Corn Congress. Members also act as spokesmen for the NCGA and enhance the organization’s public standing on all organizational and policy issues.



NCGA Recognizes Senator Ernst with President’s Award

National Corn Growers Association President Kevin Ross today recognized Iowa Senator Joni Ernst with NCGA’s 2020 President’s Award. The President’s Award is given annually at NCGA’s Corn Congress meeting in Washington, D.C., to a leader who has worked to advance issues important to corn growers and agriculture. Due to COVID-19, this year’s Corn Congress was held as a one-day online meeting.

“Senator Ernst’s steadfast advocacy of corn farmers has not gone unnoticed, and it is an honor to present her with this year’s NCGA President’s Award,” Ross said. “Senator Ernst has, time and again, stood up to the EPA and fought back against the Agency’s efforts to undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard. She is a true champion of corn growers.”

In a video to the virtual Corn Congress, Ernst revisited some recent victories for corn farmers and biofuel producers, including year-round E15 and ratification of USMCA. Ernst also highlighted her work to address EPA’s abuse of refinery waivers and her support for a strong RFS.

“I am so honored to receive this year’s President’s Award,” Ernst said. “I’m proud to be a voice, every day, for Iowans and our nation’s ag and biofuel communities. I will continue to fight relentlessly for you.”

Ernst sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Committee on Environment and Public Works, Committee on Armed Services, Committee on the Judiciary, and Committee on Small Business and Administration. Elected in November 2014, Ernst is the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate.



USDA Posts the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Final Report

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report, an objective review of the latest available science on specific nutrition topics. The report’s evidence-based findings will inform USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they co-develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will provide recommendations on what to eat and drink to promote health and prevent chronic disease.

“Science-based dietary guidance is critical to ensuring a healthy future for America,” said USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps. “USDA greatly appreciates the high-quality work done by this committee comprised of our nation’s leading scientists and dietary experts. We look forward to thoroughly reviewing the report and leveraging their scientific advice as we partner with HHS to develop the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”

USDA and HHS are accepting written public comments on the committee’s final report through August 13, 2020. The public will also have an opportunity to provide oral comments on the scientific report to the departments at a public meeting on August 11, 2020.

Background:
Moving into the next stage of development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA and HHS will leverage the scientific advice in the committee’s report, as well as comments from the public and other federal agencies to develop the upcoming edition of the dietary guidelines. The departments plan to publish the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans by the end of December 2020.

Throughout the entire 2020-2025 dietary guidelines process, USDA and HHS have taken numerous steps to promote transparency, integrity and public involvement. Most recently, the advisory committee held a webinar – the first of its kind in the dietary guidelines process – to publicly present their draft conclusions. The committee considered all of these conclusions holistically to develop the report they provided USDA and HHS.

In another unprecedented step of transparency, the topics and questions the committee examined were made public prior to scientific review. These topics and questions were defined with input from the public and other federal agencies, and based on how well they informed dietary guidance for public health. Similar to prior committees, this committee addressed all of the topics and the majority of the scientific questions set forth for review. All of this information can be found in their scientific report document released today.

The committee’s work was informed by more than 62,000 public comments, a testament to USDA and HHS’s commitment to public involvement in the dietary guidelines process. For comparison, prior committees received an average of about 450 comments. To date, the public has had more than 18 months to provide comments to help shape the committee’s review and the forthcoming dietary guidelines.

In addition to co-developing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat.



Dietary Guidelines Reaffirms Dairy’s Crucial Role, But Wider Science Review Needed

The National Milk Producers Federation said it was pleased that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final report reaffirms dairy’s crucial role in a nutritious diet but expressed concern that the committee failed to recognize newer, broader science that shows the benefits of dairy foods at all fat levels.

“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee today restated what consumers already know – that regular dairy consumption offers essential nutrition that nourishes people throughout their lives,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, the largest organization of U.S. dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own. “Across different types of diets and throughout all stages of life, dairy products provide the nutrients people need to be healthy.”

But Mulhern said it was disappointing that the committee largely reflected long-held assumptions on saturated fat, despite numerous studies that have called traditional anti-fat guidance into question.

“We repeatedly called on the committee to take a fresh look at multiple studies that show beneficial or neutral effects of dairy on chronic disease risk at all fat levels,” Mulhern said. “Unfortunately, the DGAC report does not reflect this newer science.”

The DGAC’s final scientific advisory report, submitted to the secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services and released today, notes that Americans overall need more dairy in their diets, with 88 percent of them falling short of recommendations. That figure includes 79 percent of 9-13-year-olds, who rely heavily on the school-lunch program to meet nutritional needs. The report also highlights dairy’s unique place as a provider of key nutrients that otherwise would be under-consumed in American diets.
-    Dairy is recommended for consumption within all three healthy eating patterns featured in the report, with three servings per day recommended in the Healthy U.S. style eating pattern and Healthy Vegetarian Style patterns and two servings per day in the Healthy-Mediterranean pattern;
-    The committee recognized milk as a nutrient-rich beverage that contributes positively to under-consumed nutrients, including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins A and D, and others;
-    Low-fat and nonfat dairy foods are recommended as nutrient-dense building blocks of a healthy diet; and
-    In the committee’s first-ever recommendations for birth through 24 months, yogurt and cheese are recognized as complementary feeding options for infants ages 6-12 months, and dairy foods (milk, cheese and yogurt) are included in healthy eating patterns for toddlers 12-24 months.



Government Dietary Guidelines Reaffirm Beef’s Important Role in a Healthy Diet

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today thanked the members of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) for recognizing beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle, including the essential role of beef’s nutrients at every life stage. The DGAC released recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), the cornerstone of all federal nutrition policy.

The beef community has made it a priority to protect the scientific credibility of Dietary Guidelines and promote accurate information about the nutritional advantages of beef as part of a balanced diet. NCBA, in its roles as both a contractor to the Beef Checkoff and as a member-driven policy association, submitted 21 sets of written comments, provided oral comments, and attended public meetings to ensure beef’s role in a healthy diet is recognized.

“Cattle and beef producers appreciate the evidence-based recommendations of the DGAC. We believe beef is a wholesome, nutritious food that plays an important role in a healthy diet and we are supportive of many of the committee’s findings,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA and its members have made this work a priority for more than two years, and we’re pleased that the report reinforces the strong science which supports beef’s nutritional value in a healthy diet.”

Woodall noted that the recommendations shared in the report mirror many of the recommendations related to red meat which were included in the 2015-2020 DGAs. In fact, the amount of meat recommended for healthy diets in the current report is the same as the 2015 DGAs. He also pointed to current DGAC report findings that suggest many Americans would benefit from getting more nutrients like protein, iron and choline, which are readily available in beef.

“This report also demonstrates that women of child-bearing age, adolescent boys and girls and older Americans are especially vulnerable to not getting enough of the nutrients found in beef, which further demonstrates beef’s valuable role in the diet,” said Woodall.

While the DGAC report is influential in the development of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Secretaries Perdue and Azar are now tasked with reviewing the DGAC recommendations before finalizing the 2020 Guidelines. The public comment period for the report is open now until Aug. 13, 2020. NCBA will be calling on its producer members to provide comments and looks forward to continued engagement as the Secretaries of USDA and HHS work to finalize the guidelines.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 7/10/2020

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending July 10, ethanol production rose 1.9%, or 17,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 931,000 b/d—equivalent to 39.10 million gallons daily. Production remains tempered due to COVID-19 disruptions, coming in 12.7% below the same week in 2019. The four-week average ethanol production rate increased 2.6% to 910,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 13.95 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks moved fractionally lower, down 0.1% to 20.6 million barrels and 11.8% below year-ago volumes. Inventories declined in the East Coast (PADD 1), Midwest (PADD 2), and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4), with larger volumes building in the Gulf and West Coasts.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, contracted by 1.3% to 8.648 million b/d (132.57 bg annualized) in the week following the July 4 holiday. Gasoline demand was 6.1% lower than a year ago.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol shrank by 3.6% to 819,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.56 bg annualized and 10.0% below the year-earlier level.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded after 36,000 b/d hit the books the prior week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of May 2020.)



RFA Analysis: Ethanol Industry’s COVID-Related Economic Losses Already Top $3.4 Billion, Could Reach Nearly $9 Billion by 2021

The COVID-19 crisis has already led to more than $3.4 billion in lost revenues for the U.S. ethanol industry, according to an economic analysis released today by the Renewable Fuels Association. Based on the latest projections from the Energy Information Administration and the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, the RFA study also found that pandemic-related damages in 2020 and 2021 could reach nearly $9 billion.

The new study by RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman uses empirical data to assess the actual impact of COVID-19 on the ethanol industry to date. For the period running from March through June 2020, the study found:
    The cumulative decline in ethanol production and consumption exceeded 1.3 billion gallons.
    Nearly 500 million fewer bushels of corn were used in ethanol production during the period.
    Industry revenues from ethanol and co-products sales were reduced by over $3.4 billion due to the combination of reduced output and lower prices.

Based on EIA and FAPRI projections and assuming current market conditions do not deteriorate, total pandemic-related revenue losses for the industry could approach $7 billion in 2020 and $1.8 billion in 2021. However, if additional travel and business restrictions are adopted by states, the losses would be larger and may even surpass the $10 billion estimate from RFA’s initial forward-looking analysis released in April.

“At one point in late April, more than half of the ethanol industry’s production capacity was shut down,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The idling of dozens of ethanol plants reverberated throughout rural America and sent ripple impacts across the farm economy. We have seen conditions improve since the low point in April, but ethanol production and consumption remain well below pre-COVID-19 levels.”

Cooper said the report provides a clearer picture of the damage done to date, and the challenges the industry will continue to face well into 2021. “The analysis again underscores the need for Congress to act expeditiously to deliver emergency relief to the renewable fuels industry,” he said. “As members of the Senate begin to craft their next COVID-19 stimulus package, we implore them to ensure the renewable fuels industry is not left behind again. We ask that they stand up for the 350,000 critical and essential workers whose jobs are supported by the ethanol industry.”

Cooper said RFA strongly supports the Renewable Fuel Reimbursement Program included in the HEROES Act passed by the House on May 15, as well as the Renewable Fuel Feedstock Reimbursement Act of 2020, introduced in the Senate May 19 by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Both programs would provide vital emergency relief to the nation’s struggling ethanol producers and help ensure the industry is able to participate in the nationwide economic recovery from COVID-19. According to RFA, either program should be included in the next comprehensive COVID-19 stimulus bill.



SECOND U.S. EXPORTER CERTIFIES U.S. SOY THAT MEETS EU BIOFUEL SUSTAINABLE REQUIREMENTS

With ambition for a sustainable future by the U.S. soybean industry, ADM and one other U.S. exporter have partnered with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) to certify U.S. Soy as part of the SSAP-RED (U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol-Renewable Energy Directive) program. This voluntary program, with support from the United Soybean Board, meets the specific requirements of the European Union’s (EU) Renewable Energy Directive and sources SSAP-RED-verified soybeans as feedstock for the production of biodiesel.

This biofuel market opportunity for U.S. farmers is in response to EU Member States’ requirement to fulfill at least 20% of their total energy needs with renewable sources, with at least 10% attributed directly to transport fuels by 2020. With U.S Soy’s industry-wide commitment to cleaner alternatives globally, this program addresses the specific requirements of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive regulations, including restrictions on land conversion with guidelines on auditing, compliance and reporting.

“U.S. Soy exports play an instrumental role in not only providing a high-quality food, feed, fiber and biofuel but also delivering a product that is sustainably-grown and responds to customers’ demands,” said Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. “Despite challenges with COVID-19, weather conditions and trade uncertainty, our U.S. soybean farmers remain dedicated and eager to supply a reliable and renewable product. It’s also making a big difference for EU consumers’ confidence in the agricultural supply chain as well as air quality.”

ADM’s involvement in SSAP-RED marks the second U.S. exporter to implement this initiative, and more are expected to participate. It provides local farmers, elevators and holistically the U.S. soybean value chain with new market opportunities in the European Union, which is a substantial buyer of U.S. soybean exports. Expanding opportunities for U.S. Soy, including sustainable biofuels, and ensuring market access across the European Union and the rest of the globe, is a key focus for the U.S. Soybean Export Council.

“The completion of our SSAP-RED accreditation is another step toward the long-term sustainable goals of ADM,” said Nick Smith, General Manager of ADM’s EU Biodiesel program. “By leveraging ADM’s value chain from farmer origination in the U.S. to our crushing and biodiesel facilities in Europe, we are now able to provide our biodiesel customer base in Europe with year-round options for sustainably sourced soy-based biofuel.”

Farmers interested in participating in the SSAP-RED voluntary program must deliver their soybeans to a certified elevator that is tributary to an ADM river terminal and sign a “Self-Declaration” that attests to their compliance with the requirements of the RED as well as the application of Good Agricultural Practices. Sustainability requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) restrict cultivation of biofuels feedstock from land that has been converted, since 2008, from any of three protected land categories: grasslands, forest and wetlands, including peatlands. It also has requirements on auditing and compliance, including independent third-party review.

“Meeting the EU’s sustainability standards with our products is a point of pride for U.S. soybean farmers, and we’re dedicated to meeting the demands of our customers, including environmentally friendly fuel alternatives made with U.S. soy,” said Monte Peterson, Chairman of USSEC, board member of the American Soybean Association and soybean farmer in Valley City, N.D. “The SSAP-RED on-farm assessment is a painless process for growers to complete, and the more growers who sign up, the more it strengthens the U.S. soy value chain overall as a competitive supplier of sustainably-produced soybeans to biodiesel producers.”

For farmers interested in participating in the SSAP-RED program or learning more, visit www.ssap-red.org.



Retail Fertilizer Prices Continue to Fall

Average retail prices for all eight major fertilizers were slightly lower again the first week of July 2020, according to retailers surveyed by DTN. This marks the fifth consecutive week all fertilizer prices were down from the previous month.

While prices for all fertilizers are lower, none are down a substantial amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. DAP has an average price of $405 per ton, MAP $427/ton, potash $360/ton, urea $360/ton, 10-34-0 $467/ton, anhydrous $461/ton, UAN28 $233/ton and UAN32 $272/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.39/lb.N, anhydrous $0.28/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 21% lower, MAP is 20% less expensive, DAP is 19% lower, both urea and UAN28 are 16% less expensive, UAN32 is 15% lower, potash is 8% less expensive and 10-34-0 is 4% lower from last year at this time.



WinField United Connects Climate FieldView™ To Its Cloud-Based Data-Management System

Farmers in the U.S and Canada can leverage on-farm data in new ways through the recent addition of Climate FieldView™ to the WinField® United Answer Tech Data Silo®, a cloud-based data-management system.

The Answer Tech Data Silo securely stores and allows WinField United to be the aggregator of data for the locally-owned and operated retail system, helping farmers make data-backed decisions throughout the season to drive profitability on their operations. By integrating one of the first and most broadly connected digital farming platforms, all FieldView users doing business with a WinField United-affiliated retailer will have the option to connect their FieldView and Data Silo accounts, eliminating the need for duplicative data entry and giving farmers the option to integrate data into multiple in-season crop management tools.

“This collaboration is an important step in empowering farmers to choose how they want to use their data across multiple tools and platforms with the trusted retailer,” said Jeff Johnson, Land O’Lakes board member and general manager of Centra Sota Cooperative, a WinField United retailer. “Integrating Climate FieldView through our Data Silo enables us to build on existing partnerships to provide farmers and owners in our retail network with another solution for seamless data flow on their operations.”

After connecting to the Data Silo, FieldView users can choose to send some or all of their data to the WinField United R7® suite of tools, Truterra™ Insights Engine and other connected farm-management tools. It’s always a grower’s choice to share their data, and data only moves if the grower coordinates this connection through their local WinField United retailer.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to provide farmers with digital tools that are easy to use, save them time and money, and help them stay connected with their advisors,” said Max Dougherty, strategic accounts lead for The Climate Corporation. “Integrating FieldView's agronomic data with WinField United’s Data Silo does exactly that - making it simple for our shared customers to do more with their data while working with local collaborators.”

As part of this integration, corn growers will have new opportunities to leverage insights about their hybrids throughout the season. Once enabled by the grower, planting and hybrid information can be automatically transferred from FieldView into the Data Silo and cross-checked with data from the WinField United Answer Plot® research program to determine that hybrid’s response-to-fungicide or response-to-nitrogen scores. Additionally, if during the season a farmer has disease or insect outbreaks, or if tissue samples in the region are trending behind on nitrogen, they can work with a WinField United retailer to remedy problems and optimize ROI potential.

All farmers who do business with a retailer that is affiliated with WinField United have access to the Data Silo. Farmers can find out more by consulting with their local WinField United retailer and by visiting winfieldunited.com.

FieldView is the flagship product of The Climate Corporation, the digital farming arm of Bayer. First launched in the United States in 2015, FieldView gives farmers a deeper understanding of their fields so they can make more informed operating decisions to optimize yields, maximize efficiency and reduce risk. For more information, visit fieldview.com.