NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending August 23, 2020, there were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 24% very short, 40% short, 36% adequate, and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 21% very short, 36% short, 43% adequate, and 0% surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 4% very poor, 9% poor, 21% fair, 47% good, and 19% excellent. Corn dough was 96%, well ahead of 75% last year, and ahead of 86% for the five-year average. Dented was 60%, well ahead of 31% last year, and ahead of 41% average. Mature was 7%, ahead of 1% average.
Soybean condition rated 3% very poor, 8% poor, 18% fair, 51% good, and 20% excellent. Soybeans setting pods was 98%, ahead of 82% last year and 90% average. Dropping leaves was 5%, near 3% average.
Sorghum condition rated 2% very poor, 9% poor, 25% fair, 36% good, and 28% excellent. Sorghum coloring was 43%, well ahead of 19% last year, and ahead of 37% average. Mature was 1%.
Dry edible bean condition rated 1% very poor, 8% poor, 22% fair, 53% good, and 16% excellent. Dry edible beans blooming was 95%, near 96% last year. Setting pods was 90%, near 87% last year. Dropping leaves was 22%.
Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 11% very poor, 20% poor, 30% fair, 35% good, and 4% excellent.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT
Mostly dry weather allowed Iowa farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 23, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Dry conditions are now a concern for most of the State. Field activities included harvesting hay and chopping corn silage.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 31% very short, 45% short, 24% adequate and 0% surplus. The State’s topsoil moisture condition deteriorated to over three- quarters short to very short. Subsoil moisture condition rated 28% very short, 43% short, 29% adequate and 0% surplus. The State’s subsoil moisture condition fell to almost three-quarters short to very short. These are the highest levels of short to very short topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions since September 2013.
Corn was 91% in the dough stage or beyond, over 2 weeks ahead of the previous year and 6 days ahead of the 5-year average. Almost half of the corn crop was in or beyond dent stage, 12 days ahead of the previous year and 5 days ahead of average. Corn condition rated 50% good to excellent, a drop of 9 percentage points from the previous week and the lowest level this crop season.
Soybeans setting pods were 18 days ahead of last year and over a week ahead of average at 95%. Soybean condition fell again this week with the crop now rated 56% good to excellent, the lowest level so far this season.
Oats for grain harvest is virtually complete.
Alfalfa hay third cutting was 68% complete, 12 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average.
Pasture condition fell 10 percentage points this week to just 23% good to excellent. Some farmers have been cleared to hay or graze CRP acres due to drought conditions.
Corn Good-to-Excellent Condition Rating Drops Another 5 Percentage Points
The U.S. corn crop's good-to-excellent rating fell last week due to significant rating declines for several major corn-producing states, USDA NASS said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday. NASS estimated that 64% of the nation's corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, Aug. 23, down 5 percentage points from 69% and now the fifth-highest good-to-excellent rating in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, corn development stages remained roughly in line with five-year averages. Eighty-eight percent of corn was in the dough stage as of Sunday, 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 82%, and 44% of the crop was dented, 5 percentage points ahead of the average of 39%. Corn mature was estimated at 5%, ahead of 2% at the same time last year but equal to the five-year average.
Like corn, soybean conditions also declined again last week. NASS estimated that 69% of the nation's soybean crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Aug. 23, down 3 percentage points from 72% the previous week but still the third-highest rating in at least 10 years. Soybean development was also running at a near-normal pace. Soybeans setting pods was estimated at 92%, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 87%. Soybeans dropping leaves was estimated at 4%, equal to the five-year average.
Winter wheat harvest moved ahead another 4 percentage points last week to reach 97% complete as of Sunday, just 1 percentage point behind the average pace of 98%.
Spring wheat harvest jumped ahead 19 percentage points to reach 49% complete as of Sunday. That was well ahead of 32% at the same time last year but still 13 percentage points behind the five-year average of 62%. USDA estimated that 71% of the spring wheat crop still in fields was in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 percentage point from the previous week. There was a gain of 1 percentage point in the excellent category to 13%.
Center Pivot End Gun Considerations
Steve Melvin - NE Extension Educator Irrigated Cropping Systems
End guns have been on center pivots from almost the beginning and the merits of their use have been debated about as long. Some farmers would not have a pivot without an end gun and others would not have a pivot with one. Center pivots are designed to have the lateral pipe just long enough to irrigate as large of a circle or part circle in the field as possible and still not go past the property boundaries. So as you can imagine, the corners of a square field cannot be irrigated.
End guns are a large sprinkler that can deliver water up to 120 feet on the outer end of the machine. It is turned on when the pivot goes past the corners to provide a low cost method of irrigating an extra 8-10 acres on a 160 acre field (one half mile square field). The downside is that it is the most inefficient part of the pivot because it does not apply the water very uniformly.
Challenges Using End Guns
The poor uniformity is caused by multiple factors. First, the application pattern of the sprinkler is not that uniform even in low wind environments when operating as an end gun. Moderate to high wind increases the problem because the water is sprayed a long distance and high into the air resulting in the wind distorting the application pattern and causing high drift and evaporation losses. In addition, the water application depth drops off dramatically towards the outside edge making it difficult to decide how far to plant the crop past the end of the pivot. Plant too far and the crop will suffer drought stress and if not planted far enough will waste water and may stimulate the growth of large weeds. Weed, insect, and plant disease pressure can build up in this area that can move into the rest of the field.
Another challenge is keeping the water off the public roadway. Occasionally the shut off device will fail, and water is applied to the road, which must be fixed as soon as possible, but the bigger challenge is deciding at what angle to turn off the end gun. The sprinkler must be turned off well before it gets to the road not only to prevent spraying the road, but also to prevent water from drifting onto the road on windy days (Figure 2). The result is leaving part of the corner dry. The problem can be somewhat alleviated by adding a second smaller end gun with a shorter throw and usually less wind drift potential.
The extra water the end gun needs must be taken into account when sizing the pump. However, when the end gun is turned off the extra capacity of the pump will generate higher pressure in the system than needed. The extra pressure will not cause any problems with the system, however it will cause the pump to use more energy than is necessary.
As you can see, there are several reasons not to use end guns, so how can one come to a good conclusion. The decision of using an end gun should be made based on the availability of water, the cost of pumping the water, and most importantly, will the corner be planted to the same crop as the pivot. If the same crop will be planted into the corners, then the nonuniformity around the outside edge will not result in wasted water.
End guns, like every other mechanical device, need to be well designed, maintained, adjusted correctly, and operated at the correct pressure. The end gun is usually designed correctly when the end gun was included as part of the overall sprinkler package design. The sprinkler chart describes how the end gun is to be setup. It includes the needed pressure, the designed part circle arc angles, and the suggested throw radius. If you do not have the sprinkler chart for your system, your dealer can give you a new one.
The biggest problem with end guns in operation today and a big part of the reason they get such a bad rap is the operating pressure is not correct. Low pressure is the most common problem resulting in the sprinkler being very aggressive and having extremely poor uniformity. When the pressure is too high, the result is a lot of mist and drift. So, making sure the pressure is at the design rate shown in the sprinkler chart when the end gun is at the highest point in the field is the most important maintenance issue for maintaining the water application efficiency for both the end gun as well as all the other sprinklers.
A good method to visually inspect an end gun is to look at the end gun at a right angle from the pivot lateral while it is spraying water. Then determine if the arc is about right based on what is listed in the sprinkler chart. In addition, does the water pattern and the movement of the gun look correct? A typical design could be 100 degrees to the reverse and 70 to the forward for a total of a 170 degree arc. The 100 degrees reverse helps insure good overlap with the sprinklers on the pivot lateral under windy conditions.
Conclusion
End guns can provide a low-cost method of irrigating more acres with a center pivot. The device should be well designed, maintained, adjusted correctly, and operated at the correct pressure to optimize efficiency. However, they are less efficient than the sprinklers on the lateral pipe because they do not apply the water very uniformly and thus should not be used in every situation. Such as when the corners are planted to a different crop, or when water supplies are short or expensive.
Organization for Competitive Markets Releases Report on Regulatory Capture
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has released a report on regulatory agency capture entitled “Captured: How Agribusiness Controls Regulatory Agencies and Harms Producers and Consumers.” The 25-page paper details the revolving door between major agribusiness firms and the regulatory agencies that are supposed to police them, citing several specific examples.
The paper also includes profiles of farmers who have been personally harmed by nonexistent enforcement of violations perpetrated by Big Ag, as well as inequities in the governmental agencies that implement agricultural programs and write the rules governing agricultural antitrust enforcement. The lack of enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act has caused undue harm to many agricultural producers.
“The company has 99-and-a-half percent control over the grower,” said Jonathan Buttram, an Alabama poultry grower profiled in the paper, referring to the tremendous unchecked power wielded by large poultry companies over their contract growers. “We have no rights. We're basically turned into sharecroppers,” Buttram said.
"In these tumultuous times we see plainly that we need a truly transformational agriculture, not more business as usual," said Sarah Lloyd, a Wisconsin dairy farmer also profiled in the paper. "Unfortunately, the revolving door between the USDA, the check-off, and the big corporations is squashing our opportunity for real change," Lloyd said.
The final section of the OCM paper contains policy recommendations for re-structuring the Packers and Stockyards Division (PSD) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), implementing restrictions on revolving-door transitions of government officials back and forth from lobbying and industry leadership positions, and increasing Congressional oversight of agriculture antitrust enforcement.
“The current administration dismantled the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) and kicked the door wide open for the customary corporate abuse of producers to continue unchecked. By now it should be clear to all that the USDA is ineffective at protecting farmers from exploitation because of USDA’s takeover by major industry players,” said Ben Gotschall, OCM Interim Executive Director.
Read the report here: https://competitivemarkets.com/ocm-releases-report-on-regulatory-capture/.
“Whoever wins the Presidential election in November must take agriculture antitrust enforcement seriously and stop the blatant, corrupt cronyism between government officials and Big Ag, or there will be no independent, family farm agriculture as we now know it,” Gotschall said.
USDA Cold Storage July 2020 Highlights
Total red meat supplies in freezers on July 31, 2020 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 15 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 3 percent from the previous month but down 3 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down slightly from the previous month and down 25 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 21 percent from last month and down 20 percent from last year.
Total frozen poultry supplies on July 31, 2020 were up 4 percent from the previous month but down slightly from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 3 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 10 percent from last month but down 6 percent from July 31, 2019.
Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on July 31, 2020 were down 2 percent from the previous month but up 2 percent from July 31, 2019. Butter stocks were up 3 percent from last month and up 13 percent from a year ago.
Total frozen fruit stocks on July 31, 2020 were up 16 percent from last month but down 4 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 9 percent from last month but down 1 percent from a year ago.
Livestock and Sportsmen Groups Enter Historic Conservation Partnership
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Safari Club International (SCI) to outline the groups’ shared commitment to conservation of natural resources through sustainable multiple use. The MOU outlines these groups’ efforts to cultivate healthier ecosystems, wildlife populations, and economies through active management. Hunting, fishing, and livestock grazing are all key components of successful, comprehensive management plans for our nation’s public lands and resources.
The MOU highlights decades of successful voluntary conservation programs and formalizes a partnership to allow these groups to coordinate multi-sector projects in the future. Cattle and beef producers, hunters, and conservationists often engage in conservation partnerships that maintain open space, honor the cultural and historical value of landscapes, and empower local communities and rural economies. Signatories of the MOU are proud of the meaningful conservation achieved, and today reaffirmed their commitment to voluntary conservation.
“One thing cattle producers and the sportsmen communities have in common is a shared commitment to being good stewards of the land. Combining efforts under this memorandum, will boost conservation efforts and management of wildlife habitat,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “We want to thank everyone who has made this partnership possible.”
“This MOU is a great step in putting the hard work from long-standing partnerships on paper,” said PLC President Bob Skinner. “Ranchers are true conservationists, and I am proud to partner with groups whose members also work to protect open spaces and manage our country's natural resources for a better future.”
"As sportsmen and cattle producers both know, land that is used, is land that is loved," said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. "We are committed to prioritizing partnerships that help deliver results for conservation and cementing that with the signing of this MOU. SCI and its members look forward to working together in the future to ensure sportsmen, cattle producers and the American public can enjoy these lands for generations to come."
“DU members and ranching families alike know protecting wildlife habitat and working lands go hand in hand,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam. “The signing of this agreement solidifies the strong bond between sportsmen and ranchers. America’s farmers and ranchers both feed the world and host a wide range of wildlife on their working lands, and have done so for generations. Together, we are ensuring our natural resources and our food security are provided for.”
NBB Launches Ad Campaign Urging President to Reject “Gap” SRE Petitions
The National Biodiesel Board today launched a radio advertising campaign in six Midwestern states, urging President Donald Trump to keep his promise on the Renewable Fuel Standard. The ads will run for two weeks in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The ads urge farmers, biodiesel producers, and others to visit NBB's Fueling Action Center and send email messages directly to President Trump and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, asking them to limit small refinery exemptions.
The 30-second ads say, "EPA is threatening to grant more big oil handouts this year that reduce biodiesel demand and take away another market for soybean farmers. Tell President Trump and Administrator Wheeler to reject oil refiner exemptions and keep their promise to farmers." Listen to a sample ad.
Kurt Kovarik, NBB's VP of Federal Affairs, states, "Over the past three years, EPA has handed out 85 small refinery exemptions that destroyed demand for more than a half-billion gallons of biodiesel and hundreds of millions of bushels of soybeans. Now, EPA is considering nearly 100 new exemption petitions, threatening to double the damage to the biodiesel industry and farmers. Last week, President Trump promised to speak directly to EPA about the pending exemption petitions. Biodiesel producers and soybean farmers are counting on him to keep that promise."
Deere Reports Third Quarter Net Income of $811 Million
Deere & Company reported net income of $811 million for the third quarter ended August 2, 2020, or $2.57 per share, compared with net income of $899 million, or $2.81 per share, for the quarter ended July 28, 2019. For the first nine months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $1.993 billion, or $6.30 per share, compared with $2.532 billion, or $7.87 per share, for the same period last year.
Worldwide net sales and revenues decreased 11 percent, to $8.925 billion, for the third quarter of 2020 and declined 12 percent, to $25.809 billion, for nine months. Net sales of the equipment operations were $7.859 billion for the quarter and $22.612 billion for nine months, compared with $8.969 billion and $26.182 billion last year.
"With outstanding support from our dedicated global workforce and dealer organization, John Deere delivered a strong performance in the third quarter in the face of a serious global pandemic and uncertain market conditions," said John C. May, chairman and chief executive officer. "As we manage through the pandemic, Deere's number-one priority continues to be safeguarding the health and well-being of its employees. Thanks to aggressive measures taken early in the crisis, we have had success keeping our employees safe, our factories and parts centers functioning, and our customers served."
Company Outlook & Summary
Net income attributable to Deere & Company is forecast to be about $2.25 billion for the full year. However, many uncertainties remain regarding the effects of the global pandemic that could negatively affect the company's results and financial position in the future. In addition, the company has announced broad employee-separation programs that will be completed during the fourth quarter in support of its strategy to create a leaner, more agile organization. The programs' total pretax expense included in the forecast is about $175 million with estimated annual savings of $175 million.
"Although unsettled market conditions and related customer uncertainty are expected to have a moderating effect on key markets in the near term, we believe Deere is well-positioned to help make our customers more profitable and sustainable," May said. "In addition, we are encouraged by the early benefits we are experiencing from the company's recently launched smart-industrial operating model. We're confident it will help accelerate our ability to deliver differentiated solutions to our customers, while contributing to improved efficiencies across the company."
Companies Support National FFA Organization’s Efforts to Connect Agricultural Education with the Food Value Chain
FFA members know the important role agriculture plays in the world today – and so do the organization’s corporate partners.
Three companies—PepsiCo, General Mills and Bob Evans Restaurants—have recently partnered with the organization to educate students on the importance of regenerative agriculture, support personal growth and promote the FFA programs that currently exist.
As in any industry, consumers and technology drive what and how things are produced. Right now, personal health, sustainability and nutrition are significant drivers affecting agriculture, food and natural resources. Still, other market factors are constantly weighing on these industries as well, including economics, governmental policies, the environment, ad demographics and more. Meanwhile, innovation makes involvement in these industries ever-expanding.
FFA is sharing the importance of the agriculture, food and natural resources value chain with their members through various programs, and corporations are supporting these endeavors.
Today’s agriculture, food, and natural resources value chain is dramatically different than 15-20 years ago. Globalization, regulatory impact and consumer concerns have had a tremendous impact. In order to provide sustainable nutrition to a growing and changing population, it will require a new generation of talent and leadership. Leaders who are critical thinkers, who seek input from all stakeholders, who will embrace the technology that is available, or will develop new innovative solutions. While the organization partners with established corporate leaders in agriculture, it is excited to welcome new partners who represent the end product or direct to consumer portion of the value chain, expanding on agricultural education in classrooms.
PepsiCo, General Mills and Bob Evans Restaurants are working with FFA to help provide the next generation of leaders with the tools they need to ensure that the future of agriculture stays strong and sound.
“The agriculture, food and natural resources value chain plays an important role in everyday life,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation. “FFA members are the future leaders of this industry and with the support of companies throughout the country, we can ensure this chain stays strong.”
PepsiCo is working with the organization as part of its effort to support the next generation of farmers. Through the partnership, PepsiCo will work with recent FFA state officers and alumni to develop their leadership skills while helping to create a pipeline into commercial agriculture through targeted internships and career opportunities.
“At PepsiCo, we recognize that building a more sustainable food system will require investing in the next generation of farmers and agriculture workers. By providing FFAs alumni with access to PepsiCo’s network of globally recognized agriculture experts, and through targeted recruiting, we hope to accelerate these leaders’ careers to support a vibrant U.S. agriculture sector and more sustainable global food supply,” said Vice President of Global Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Sourcing, PepsiCo, Christine Daugherty.
General Mills is engaging to provide hands-on experience and inspiration to FFA members by connecting them to regenerative agriculture producers with the intent that FFA members can then expand existing projects and be equipped with best practices– whether it be through supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), Agriscience Fair projects or giving back to their communities through Living to Serve projects.
“We’re energized by the FFA’s unprecedented commitment to empowering their members by providing practical learning experiences,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and social impact officer at General Mills. “As a more than 150-year old global food company, we can share unique perspectives across a complex supply chain -- from farm to fork. We are thrilled to support FFA and the future leaders of the food and agriculture industries.”
And Bob Evans is funding supervised agricultural experience (SAE) grants that will give high school students the opportunity to further explore careers in agriculture through innovative experiential learning projects and programming during the school year.
“Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear the importance of securing the country’s food supply for times like these when we’re met with the unimaginable. The only way that can happen is through continued investment in our nation’s valued farmers, who are responsible for ensuring we all have wholesome, fresh food to eat – both at home and in restaurants,” said Saed Mohseni, chief executive officer for Bob Evans Restaurants. “In partnering with the National FFA and supporting the next generation of farmers, we’re paying homage to our farming roots, while helping to ensure a fresh and robust food supply for all and a strong future for farmers across the country.”
Together, they are all working toward ensuring the agriculture value chain stays strong and continues to thrive.
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