Monday August 3 Crop Progress + Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending August 2, 2020, there were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 12% very short, 25% short, 60% adequate, and 3% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 10% very short, 26% short, 62% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 16% fair, 55% good, and 22% excellent. Corn silking was 94%, ahead of 81% last year, and near 91% for the five-year average. Dough was 43%, well ahead of 23% last year, and ahead of 31% average. Dented was 6%, near 2% average.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 16% fair, 57% good, and 22% excellent. Soybeans blooming was 95%, well ahead of 75% last year, and ahead of 87% average. Setting pods was 64%, ahead of 46% last year and 53% average.

Winter wheat harvested was 96%, well ahead of 69% last year, and ahead of 90% average.

Sorghum condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 28% fair, 39% good, and 25% excellent. Sorghum headed was 64%, well ahead of 38% last year, and ahead of 51% average. Coloring was 1%, near 3% both last year and average.

Oats harvested was 92%, well ahead of 68% last year, and ahead of 81% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 0% very poor, 1% poor, 13% fair, 71% good, and 15% excellent. Dry edible beans blooming was 73%, ahead of 55% last year. Setting pods was 38%, ahead of 19% last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2% very poor, 7% poor, 32% fair, 55% good, and 4% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Although some areas of the Iowa received more than an inch of rain, statewide farmers had 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 2, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities continue to be primarily spraying, harvesting hay and grain movement. Reports of aerial applications of fungicide continue.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 14% very short, 33% short, 51% adequate and 2% surplus. Northwest, West Central and Central Iowa all report topsoil moisture supplies are mostly short to very short. Subsoil moisture levels rated 10% very short, 31% short, 57% adequate and 2% surplus.

Corn silking or beyond reached 95%, 2 weeks ahead of the previous year and 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 44%, 10 days ahead of the previous year and 4 days ahead of the average. Corn condition declined to 73% good to excellent.

Soybeans blooming reached 91%, 2 weeks ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of average. Soybeans setting pods reached 70%, 16 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of average. Soybean condition also fell to 73% good to excellent. Nearly all of the oats are turning color or beyond.

Oats harvested for grain reached 85%, over 1 week ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the average.

Alfalfa hay second cutting reached 90%, 1 week ahead of last year but the same as the 5-year average. Third cutting reached 17%, 5 days ahead of the previous year but 2 days behind average. Hay condition rated 66% good to excellent.

Pasture condition rated 46% good to excellent. For the first time since the week ending April 5, 2020 less than half of pastures were rated good to excellent.



Corn Condition Unchanged From Last Week, Soybeans up 1%

Despite a drop in top-corn-producer Iowa's good-to-excellent rating, the overall condition of the nation's corn crop held steady last week, 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, Aug. 2, unchanged from the previous week.  Corn development nationwide continued to run ahead of normal last week. Silking reached 92% as of Sunday, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 87%. Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 39%, 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 33%.

Soybean development also continued to run ahead of the average pace last week. Soybeans blooming was estimated at 85%, 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 82%. The portion of the crop setting pods was estimated at 59%, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Soybean conditions improved slightly last week. NASS estimated that 73% of the nation's soybean crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Aug. 2, up 1 percentage point from 72% the previous week.

Winter wheat harvest slowed last week, moving ahead just 4 percentage points to reach 85% complete as of Sunday. That is 3 percentage points behind the five-year average of 88%.

Spring wheat harvest was also trailing the normal pace at 5% harvested as of Sunday, compared to the five-year average of 10%.  Spring wheat condition increased another 3 percentage points to 73% good to excellent. That's the third-highest rating for the crop in the past 10 years, Hultman said.



2020 Soybean Management Field Days

This is the 22nd year Soybean Management Field Days is helping Nebraska growers stay competitive in the global marketplace. The goal remains the same as the first field day – to help soybean growers maximize productivity and profitability through smart decisions and efficient use of resources. Meeting the world’s growing food and energy needs starts right here in Nebraska – at the 2020 Soybean Management Field Days!

Sponsored by Nebraska Extension in partnership with the Nebraska Soybean Board. Soybean Management field days have always featured 1 day events at 4 locations across Nebraska.

We’ve dealt with challenges - heavy rain, flooding, hail, high winds, and droughts. And we adjusted and provided quality educational experiences that growers expect from Soybean Management Field Days.

But the Covid-19 pandemic has created a brand new challenge. Even so, we are committed to sharing research-based information to improve your soybean profitability and also protecting your health and safety. While we won’t be able to offer the regular, in-person field days this year due to the pandemic, we are actively keeping the Soybean Management Field Days plots up and running and conducting research to share with growers. We will be sharing this information with you virtually.

We are working hard to make sure growers across the state have the opportunity to learn from ongoing research and the 2020 plots at farms in Hildreth, Elgin, Shelby, and Arlington. Please watch for updates on this web page, on social media or contact the Nebraska Soybean Board or Nebraska Extension.

Integrated studies that combine several potential yield enhancing practices in pest management and agronomy will be featured.

Keep up with the latest information at: https://enrec.unl.edu/soydays.



Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for August

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in August 2020. The clinics are one-on-one meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

COVID-19: For the time being the clinics are being conducted as conference calls or as Zoom meetings.  It is therefore possible to attend a clinic from any location in the state. In-person clinics are expected to resume in the near future, at which time locations will be announced.

Clinic Sites and Dates
    Wednesday, August 12th
    Thursday, August 20th
    Wednesday, August 26th

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



2020 NEBRASKA HONEY BEE COLONIES

Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in Nebraska as of January 1, 2020 totaled 9,000 according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of colonies in Nebraska on April 1, 2020 was 16,500. During 2019, honey bee colonies on January 1, July 1, and October 1 were 13,500, 40,000, and 37,000, respectively.

Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies during the quarter of January-March 2020, was 670 colonies or 4% lost. During April-June 2020, 1,800 colonies or 5% of colonies were lost. The quarter of July-September 2019, at 3,700 or 9%, showed the highest number of lost honey bee colonies of any quarter in 2019. The quarter of January-March 2019 had a loss of 2,500 colonies or 15%, the lowest number of honey bee colonies lost in 2019.

Honey bee colonies added for operations with five or more colonies during the quarter of January-March 2020, was 70 colonies. The number of colonies added during the April-June 2020 quarter was 7,000. The quarter of July-September 2019, added 680 colonies, the highest number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter in 2019. The quarter of January-March 2019, at 0 added, showed the lowest number of honey bee colonies added during 2019.

Honey bee colonies renovated for operations with five or more colonies during the quarter of January-March 2020, was 0 colonies. The number of colonies renovated during the quarter of April-June 2020 was 1,100. During July-September 2019, 1,400 colonies were renovated, the highest number of colonies renovated during 2019. The lowest number of honey bee colonies renovated for any quarter of 2019, at 0, occurred during January-March 2019. Renovated colonies are those that were requeened or received new honey bees through a nuc or package.

Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with five or more colonies during two of the quarters in 2019. The quarter of January-March 2019 showed the highest percentage of varroa mites during 2019, at 32.3%. The percent of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites during January-March 2020, and April-June 2020 were 2.2% and 15.8%, respectively.



January 1 Honey Bee Colonies Up 8 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies

Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2020 totaled 2.88 million colonies, up 8 percent from January 1, 2019. The number of colonies in the United States on April 1, 2020 was 2.98 million colonies. During 2019, honey bee colonies on January 1, July 1, and October 1 were 2.67 million, 3.18 million, and 3.02 million colonies, respectively.

Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2020, was 399,570 colonies, or 14 percent. The number of colonies lost during the quarter of April through June 2020 was 252,630 colonies, or 8 percent. During the quarter of July through September 2019, colonies lost totaled 434,700 colonies, or 14 percent, the highest number lost of any quarter surveyed in 2019. The quarter surveyed in 2019 with the lowest number of colonies lost was October through December, with 399,510 colonies lost, or 13 percent.

Honey bee colonies added for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2020 was 477,200 colonies. The number of colonies added during the quarter of April through June 2020 was 596,860. During the quarter of July through September 2019, 252,550 colonies were added, the highest number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2019. The quarter of October through December 2019 added 233,260 colonies, the least number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2019.

Honey bee colonies renovated for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2020 was 153,390 colonies, or 5 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2020, 632,680 colonies, or 21 percent, were renovated. The quarter surveyed in 2019 with the highest number of colonies renovated was July through September with 355,330 colonies renovated, or 11 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2019 with the lowest number of colonies renovated was October through December 2019, with 91,000, or 3 percent. Renovated colonies are those that were requeened or received new honey bees through a nuc or package.

Varroa Mites Top Colony Stressor for Operations with Five or More Colonies
Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with five or more colonies during all quarters surveyed in 2019. The quarter of October through December 2019 had the highest percentage of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites at 45.7 percent. The percent of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites during January through March 2020 and April through June 2020 are 25.5 percent and 42.3 percent respectively.

Colonies Lost with Colony Collapse Disorder Symptoms Up 76 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies

Honey bee colonies lost with Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms on operations with five or more colonies was 105,240 colonies from January through March 2020. This is a 76 percent increase from the same quarter of 2019.



EMERALD ASH BORER CONFIRMED IN WASHINGTON AND SEWARD COUNTIES

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in a trap in Seward county and a tree in Washington county.  This is the first detection of EAB in both counties.  EAB, an invasive beetle that attacks and kills ash trees, was first found in Omaha in 2016 and the most recent discovery was earlier this year in Kearney.

“While both of these finds of EAB are unfortunate, they are not unexpected,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman.  “We encourage people to continue to educate themselves on the signs and symptoms of EAB in ash trees, and report any signs of potential infestations.”

EAB is a small, metallic-green beetle that is about ½ inch long. The larvae of this wood-boring insect tunnel under the bark of ash trees, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients, ultimately causing the tree to die. EAB-infested ash trees will exhibit thinning or dying branches in the top of the tree, S-shaped larval galleries under bark, D-shaped exit holes and suckers (along the trunk and main branches).

Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Lancaster, Otoe, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington counties remain under a quarantine, first issued in 2016 and updated in 2018, which includes prohibiting ash nursery stock from leaving the quarantine area and regulating the movement of hardwood firewood and mulch, ash timber products and green waste material out of quarantined areas. Quarantines are put in place to reduce the human-assisted spread of EAB into non-infested areas. NDA and USDA staff work with the public and impacted industries to ensure compliance of quarantines.  NDA will make any updates to the state EAB quarantine this fall, after adult flight is over and trapping has been completed. 

The Nebraska EAB Working Group, which includes NDA, the USDA, Nebraska Game and Parks and the Nebraska Forest Services, offers the following suggestions to help prevent the human-assisted spread of the insect:
•           Use locally-sourced firewood, burning it in the same county where you purchased it, as EAB can easily be moved in firewood.
•           Consider treating healthy, high-value ash tress located within a 15-mile radius of a known infestation. Treatment will need to be continually reapplied and will only prolong the tree’s life, not save it. Trees that are experiencing declining health should be considered for removal.
•           If you are in a non-infested county and think you have located an EAB infestation, please report it to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at (402) 471-2351, the Nebraska Forest Service at (402) 472-2944 or your local USDA office at (402) 434-2345.

Additional information on EAB, including quarantine information, can be found on NDA’s website at: nda.nebraska.gov/plant/entomology/eab/. Additional information on EAB and Nebraska-specific recommendations for homeowners and municipalities can be found on the Nebraska Forest Services’ website at https://nfs.unl.edu/nebraska-eab.



Fencing and Grazing Clinic Offers Technology, Tours and Tools

The Fencing and Grazing Clinic, organized and hosted by Iowa Beef Center, Department of Animal Science, and the Iowa State University Beef Teaching Farm at Iowa State, is set for Sept. 9 at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames. Erika Lundy, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said a variety of topics, speakers and learning opportunities make this clinic a “must-attend” for anyone who works with cattle, grazing and fencing in their operations.

“Attendees of this one-day event will learn about considerations for a grazing plan, tour the Iowa State Beef Teaching Farm and participate in a fencing demonstration led by Gallagher on permanent and temporary fencing,” she said. “Fencing laws, Iowa State research updates and interaction with an experienced grazier producer panel also are on the agenda.”

beef cattle grazing.Beef teaching farm manager David Bruene said participants will be able to see and ask about methods being tried for extending the grazing season and controlling cow costs.

“We’ve been experimenting with cover crops, annual forages, paddock renovation and swath grazing,” Bruene said. “The on-farm sessions allow us to showcase some of what we’re doing, and producers can learn from our successes and mistakes.”

After registration and welcoming remarks by Dan Thomson, professor and Iowa State University animal science department chair, participants will be split into two groups and either stay at the Hansen Center or travel by bus to the beef teaching farm.

Following lunch and a session on fencing law at the Hansen Center, the groups will switch tour locations for the afternoon. All will gather at the Hansen Center at 3:45 p.m. for closing remarks. The event flyer offers a quick look at topics, date, time and location, and sponsor listing. http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/events/FencingClinicFlyer2020.pdf.

There is no cost to attend; however, attendance is limited to the first 50 people registered. Deadline is midnight, Sept. 2. All registration must be done online on the event website.

Organizers are prioritizing the health and safety of Iowans and are following the most current federal, state, local, and university COVID-19 guidelines. Participants are required to wear a face covering when in the presence of others and when unable to maintain a six-foot physical distance.

In addition to the program hosts, the clinic is sponsored by Gallagher, AGI, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Theisen’s, Barenbrug, Millborn Seeds and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.



USDA Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production June 2020

Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 431 million bushels in June 2020. Total corn consumption was up 22 percent from May 2020 but down 15 percent from June 2019. June 2020 usage included 90.8 percent for alcohol and 9.2 percent for other purposes. Corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 3.65 million bushels, down 9 percent from May 2020 but up 6 percent from June 2019. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 379 million bushels, was up 26 percent from May 2020 but down 17 percent from June 2019. Corn consumed in June 2020 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 89.0 percent and 11.0 percent, respectively.

Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.66 million tons during June 2020, up 35 percent from May 2020 but down 15 percent from June 2019. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1 million tons in June 2020, up 18 percent from May 2020 but down 36 percent from June 2019.

Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 294,074 tons during June 2020, up 1 percent from May 2020 and up 3 percent from June 2019. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 244,097 tons in June 2020, up 9 percent from May 2020 but down 3 percent from June 2019.

Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks June 2020
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 5.32 million tons (177 million bushels) in June 2020, compared with 5.39 million tons (180 million bushels) in May 2020 and 4.73 million tons (158 million bushels) in June 2019. Crude oil produced was 2.04 billion pounds down 1 percent from May 2020 but up 12 percent from June 2019. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.51 billion pounds during June 2020 increased 4 percent from May 2020 and increased 7 percent from June 2019.

Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 123,242 tons in June 2020, compared with 194,813 tons in May 2020 and 125,124 tons in June 2019. Canola crude oil produced was 106 million pounds, down 35 percent from May 2020 and down 3 percent from June 2019. Canola once refined oil production, at 116 million pounds during June 2020, was down 5 percent from May 2020 but up 6 percent from June 2019.

Cottonseed once refined oil production, at 40.0 million pounds during June 2020, was up 13 percent from May 2020 but down 1 percent from June 2019.

Edible tallow production was 76.8 million pounds during June 2020, up 34 percent from May 2020 but down 12 percent from June 2019. Inedible tallow production was 324 million pounds during June 2020, up 16 percent from May 2020 but down 5 percent from June 2019. Technical tallow production was 111 million pounds during June 2020, up 41 percent from May 2020 and up 36 percent from June 2019. Choice white grease production, at 115 million pounds during June 2020, increased 4 percent from May 2020 and increased 4 percent from June 2019.

USDA Flour Milling Products 2nd Quarter 2020
All wheat ground for flour during the second quarter 2020 was 219 million bushels, down 6 percent from the first quarter 2020 grind of 233 million bushels and down 3 percent from the second quarter 2019 grind of 225 million bushels. Second quarter 2020 total flour production was 102 million hundredweight, down 5 percent from the first quarter 2020 and down 2 percent from the second quarter 2019. Whole wheat flour production at 4.48 million hundredweight during the second quarter 2020 accounted for 4 percent of the total flour production. Millfeed production from wheat in the second quarter 2020 was 1.56 million tons. The daily 24-hour milling capacity of wheat flour during the second quarter 2020 was 1.61 million hundredweight.

Durum wheat ground for flour and semolina production during the second quarter of 2020 totaled 19.4 million bushels, up 12 percent from the first quarter 2020 and up 21 percent from the second quarter 2019. Second quarter 2020 durum flour and semolina production was 9.13 million hundredweight, up 12 percent from the first quarter 2020 and up 20 percent from the second quarter 2019. Whole wheat durum flour and semolina production was 173 thousand hundredweight, up 1 percent from 171 thousand hundredweight in the first quarter 2020 and up 29 percent from 134 thousand hundredweight from the second quarter 2019. Second quarter durum wheat millfeed production was 133 thousand tons and the daily 24-hour milling capacity for durum and semolina production was 131 thousand hundredweight.

Rye ground for flour during the second quarter of 2020 was 333 thousand bushels, down 36 percent from the first quarter 2020 and down 20 percent from the second quarter 2019. Rye flour production during the second quarter of 2020 was 159 thousand hundredweight, compared to 244 thousand hundredweight in the previous quarter and 204 thousand hundredweight in the same quarter for the previous year. The daily 24-hour milling capacity for rye milling was 9.79 thousand hundredweight for the second quarter 2020.



BEEF CHECKOFF CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS SHARE 2020 SUCCESSES

On July 27-30, cattlemen and women from across the U.S. gathered at the Gaylord Rockies resort in Denver – and virtually, from their own farms and ranches – for the annual Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Here, the cattle industry discussed current issues as a group, heard the new 2021-2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan and reviewed how the Beef Checkoff has adjusted messaging and programs over the past several months.

While at the meeting, Beef Checkoff committee members from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Federation of State Beef Councils in each of the five different program committees – Safety, Nutrition and Health, Innovation, Consumer Trust and Export Growth – heard presentations from Checkoff contractors. These presentations explained how programs, research and education have creatively changed to drive beef demand over the past six months. A video of those Checkoff contractor presentations is now available for viewing, with contractors and subcontractors presenting in the following order:
    National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA) with subcontractor National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA)
    American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA)
    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)
    Kansas State University (KSU) a subcontractor to the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA)
    Meat Importers Council of America (MICA) with subcontractor Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI)
    United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a subcontractor to NCBA
    Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB)
    North American Meat Institute (NAMI), Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (FMPRE)

“As we’re all aware, 2020 has presented the beef industry with numerous challenges,” said Jared Brackett, chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “Our Beef Checkoff contractors have truly risen to the occasion, revising their 2020 plans to accommodate the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our lives, both professionally and personally. The presentations we heard at this year’s Summer Business Meeting only made me feel even more confident that the Checkoff will continue to drive beef demand in a positive direction. I’m also looking forward to seeing how we’re able to apply what we’ve learned in 2020 to our efforts in 2021.”

To learn more about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.



Registration opens for Feeding Quality Forum webinar

Every year since 2006, cattle feeders, ranchers, educators and allied industry leaders have gathered at the Feeding Quality Forum (FQF) for thought-provoking conversation and networking.

This year offers the same range of topics and interaction – but in a virtual setting.

"You won’t get to shake hands with old friends and new, but we’re still bringing together some of the great minds in the beef industry to present the kind of information folks have come to expect from the Forum," says Kara Lee, production brand manager for the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand.

The 15th annual conference as webinar is being condensed to a few hours on Aug. 25 and 26 that will offer key marketing insights and unique perspectives on the beef supply chain’s future.

Many feedyard managers and staff have attended over the years, but Lee says FQF is a great resource for everyone in beef cattle production and marketing.

"Along with cattle feeders, we are targeting commercial cow-calf producers who are retaining ownership, interested in some progressive marketing of their own, or just learning how to raise better beef," she says. "It’s also a great opportunity for folks in allied industries – anyone who touches the cattle feeding business."

Dan Basse, president and analyst for AgResource Company, will kick-start the webinar Tuesday afternoon with an overview of commodity and financial markets around the world. Back by popular demand, "he brings some perspective on how what’s going on globally can impact our business here on the cattle production side," Lee says.

Dustin Aherin will follow with "Hindsight 2020." The RaboResearch vice president and animal protein analyst will show how COVID-19 first affected the cattle industry and what’s next for cattle procurement, processing and merchandising, post-pandemic.

"We know aftereffects of the market disruption will be top of mind for cattle feeders for months to come," Lee says. "We want to bring in someone who can provide some really excellent perspective on that moment in time and what we can expect looking forward."

Later that afternoon, FQF will recognize noted cattle feeding research scientist John Matsushima as the 2020 Industry Achievement Award winner for his long career of dedicated service.

CAB’s Paul Dykstra, beef cattle specialist, will lead off Wednesday’s events with ideas on progressive feeder cattle marketing. Focused on maximizing cow-calf investments, Dykstra will address alternative ways of adding value to high-quality calves when retained ownership is not feasible.

"We know that feeder-calf marketing is not a one-size-fits-all topic," Lee says. That’s why Dykstra offers insight into several types of commercial operations.

Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO, will wrap up the conference with a 20-year forward look at the industry’s future. He brings his extensive knowledge in market trends and analytics to provide unsurpassed insight on what to expect in the next couple of decades.

At the end of each presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the speakers.

Feeding Quality Forum will be a free resource to those who register, thanks to its sponsors: AngusLink, Diamond V, Feed-Lot Magazine, Micronutrients and Zoetis.

Registration is now open at www.feedingqualityforum.com, where you can also find the full agenda and learn more about the speakers.

"Feeding Quality Forum is just two hours a day, for two days," Lee says. "At no cost other than your time, we feel like it’s a great investment to access and interact with some of the best industry leaders available."



Fed Cattle Prices and Big Supplies
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Cash fed cattle prices have been slowly increasing over the last couple of weeks even as they continue to be under pressure by abundant supplies of cattle and beef. The five market fed cattle weekly average price was $97. But, by the end the week fed cattle prices in some markets hit $100 per cwt. Both the weekly average and July 31st's trade were well below prices a year that were averaging $113 per cwt.
 
Large numbers of cattle on feed longer than 120 and 150 days certainly indicate the continuing backlog of fed cattle. The estimated July 1 number of cattle on feed more than 120 days was 4.86 million head, down from June's 5.17 million head. But, it was well above July 2019's 4.01 million head. The data indicated about 3.2 million head on feed longer than 150 days, compared to 2.28 million head on July 1, 2019. So, there is a long way to go working off the backlog.
 
On the cattle slaughter side of the ledger, fed steer and heifer slaughter is almost equal to a year ago. Accounting for Saturdays and the July 4th holiday in daily slaughter indicates that daily average steer and heifer slaughter was about 700 head fewer per day in July than in 2019. Fed cattle slaughter in June and July combined was 99.9 percent of a year ago. Total cattle slaughter, however, was ahead of a year ago due to increased cow slaughter. The combination of fed cattle slaughter, heavier weights, and cow slaughter above a year ago has pushed beef production over the last 8 weeks to exceed the same weeks last year.
 
On the bright side, it appears that retailers are making to push for Labor Day beef featuring. Beef orders surged with 2, 043 loads for delivery, second only to June 2011. Big beef featuring will be welcome as Labor Day is the last big summer holiday to move supplies. Slowly working off the backlog and moving more beef into retail is slowly pulling cattle prices higher. The weekly Choice beef cutout hit it's low for the year, so far, at $201.24 per cwt for the week ending July 18th. Since then it has clawed back to $202.34 per cwt. But, as with fed cattle, large beef supplies are keeping the pressure on the wholesale market.
 
In coming weeks watch for progress on the fed cattle slaughter front, more featuring for Labor Day, and increasing beef exports as prices decline. All of these should act to boost fed cattle prices going into late summer.



Still Time to Influence the Dietary Guidelines, NMPF’s Hanselman Says

Public comments on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee’s scientific report may be submitted until Aug. 13. It’s a great time for dairy voices to be heard, said Miquela Hanselman, NMPF’s manager for regulatory affairs, in an NMPF Dairy Defined podcast.

“The committee, USDA and HHS work really hard to put together these guidelines to promote a healthy lifestyle for Americans,” Hanselman said. “And dairy is an important part of that.”

Dairy advocates interested in commenting on the guidelines can join NMPF’s call to action here. The guidelines contain numerous affirmations of dairy’s role in a healthy diet, including:
-    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.



We Need Whole Milk Choice Back in Schools!

According to the proposed Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) 2020-2025, whole milk will continue to be banned from schools across the nation. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines are only updated and published every 5 years. The time is now to ensure whole milk can once again be offered as a choice in school nutrition programs. Other dairy groups are applauding the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) for simply keeping dairy in their recommendations and including some dairy in birth-24 months — but this isn’t enough. We are missing the mark on recognizing the need for whole milk in the guidelines. This is too large of a mistake to allow.
 
In 2017, Congress authorized $1 million of taxpayer money for a third-party review, conducted by the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). It was the first-ever outside peer review of the DGA process. The report showed how only 20% of our government’s nutrition recommendations are based on “strong” science, according to the government’s own standards. The NASEM report made specific recommendations about how to improve the transparency, manage the major conflicts of interest on the advisory committee, and improve the scientific rigor to make the DGA policy reliable and trustworthy.
 
Yet this congressionally mandated report was vastly ignored in the recently proposed DGA, and we can no longer allow this flawed outcome to continue. Continuing the ban on whole milk based on out-of-date science and a clearly unbalanced, one-sided subcommittee on saturated fats is appalling.
 
The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee ignored a massive body of recent science-based research showing the longstanding caps on saturated fats are not supported by science.
 
This science includes large, government-funded studies on more than 75,000 people, demonstrating that saturated fats have no effect on cardiovascular or total mortality. The 2020 DGA Advisory Committee is relying instead on reviews conducted in 2015 and 2010, which were deemed by the NASEM to be “unsystematic” and, therefore, unreliable.
 
A team of highly respected scientists also wrote a “State of the Art” review of saturated fats, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, concluding that continued caps on saturated fats were no longer warranted. This paper’s authors included three former members of the previous dietary guidelines’ advisory committees, including the chair of the 2005 DGA. The paper adds to nearly 20 other reviews by independent scientists who have come to similar conclusions over the past decade. See the full list of reviews here.
 
Without intervention, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) will go into effect at the end of the year. We must delay the Guidelines until these issues have been fixed — but we need your help! Americans deserve sound science, not outdated studies.