Tuesday February 9 Ag News

 Farm Bureau Tells Legislature Access to High-Speed, High-Quality Broadband Critical to Agriculture, Rural Nebraska

Agriculture and rural Nebraska will not reach its full potential until Nebraskans from every corner of the state have access to high-speed, high-quality broadband service. That was the message from Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue to members of the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee in testimony supporting LB 388. The bill was introduced by Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson at the request of Gov. Pete Ricketts. The proposal calls on the legislature to invest $40 million over the next two years to increase high end broadband access for individuals in unserved and underserved areas of the state.

“Much of the technology allowing farmers and ranchers to increase efficiencies and boost environmental benefits depends on quality e-connectivity. Our ability to use precision technology is what will allow us to move closer to farming and managing our land by the inch, rather than by the acre or field. That’s one of the many reasons improving broadband access is a Nebraska Farm Bureau priority,” said McHargue. “Like electricity, broadband access has become an infrastructure necessity. Rural Nebraska can’t afford to be left behind as it impacts everything from growing main street businesses and expanding tele-health opportunities, to simply allowing children to get online to do their homework.”

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 39 percent of Americans in rural areas lack access to broadband service defined by the FCC as 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds.

In addition to LB 388, McHargue offered support for several other bills geared to boosting or improving broadband in Nebraska.

“My message today is simple,” McHargue told the committee. “I urge you to find a way to get these bills across the finish line. The need is urgent. Our members support using all the tools in the toolbox to bring access to every community in our state.”



Lactational Nutrition
Connor Biehler, NE Extension Educator

Raising beef cattle during the winter comes with its own obstacles, such as freezing temperatures and blizzards which ultimately lead to a forage shortage. These conditions create additional obstacles requiring greater nutrient intake for all classes of cattle, but spring calving cows have additional nutrient requirements for late gestation and early lactation. Postpartum requirements are crucial to meet because the cow has a calf on her side, is repairing her reproductive tract, resuming heat cycles, breeding, and if this was her first calf, she is still growing herself. All these processes put significant strain on her body.   

In times where forage is not enough to make up for the increased requirements producers are forced to feed cows to ensure they remain productive and wean a healthy calf or risk their herd getting too thin to rebreed. The lactation stage is the part of the production cycle that requires the greatest nutrient intake, and generally occurs before early spring growth of forage.

If environmental conditions are not taken into consideration when planning a supplementation program, it can induce a drop in body weight and body condition score (BCS). Deeming it important to ensure that the proper steps are taken to alleviate seasonal stresses on gestating and lactating cows. If cows are already thin this could also be used as a time to increase body condition by exceeding requirements. This however should be a last-ditch effort to add condition before lactation. Cows should be fed adequately year-round to remain in good condition but can get behind and need a little extra cover to guarantee a proper body condition (BCS Score of 5-6) entering breeding season.

Anytime there is a discussion on supplementation programs, economics of feeding needs to be a part of the conversation. It is easy to find a feeding program but making sure the economics make sense before purchasing commodities should be taken into consideration to prevent any expensive errors. It is easy to spend a lot to improve reproductive performance, but the cost of feed per cow needs to be calculated to understand if this is a feasible approach to achieving goals. Seasonal price changes of commodities means that the cheapest feeds in terms of per unit of energy or protein could vary from year to year. So just because a certain feed was cheaper last year or in the fall producers should still compare feeds on a per unit of energy and protein basis and not a per ton basis to ensure the cheapest rate per unit of protein or energy.  

Finally, accurate nutrient composition for each commodity is important for formulating cow rations. Otherwise, nutrient requirements for cows can be under- or over-shot and cutting into the operations bottom line. Sampling forages and other roughages will ensure nutrient requirements are met accurately without enduring any unnecessary costs. For more information on lactational nutrition reach me at my office (402)624-8007 or my cell (402)413-8557 or follow my twitter page @BigRedBeefTalk for more information on Nebraska Beef Extension.



WINTER SURVIVAL IN ALFALFA
Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

Whether you planed it originally or held off due to dry conditions in the fall, the time for spring planting alfalfa is just around the corner. Selecting the right seed is crucial, and two traits to consider are fall dormancy and winter survival. These traits are often treated the same, but are different.  Today let’s look at winter survival.

Winter survival or winter hardiness is the ability for an alfalfa plant to make it through winter without injury, once the plant goes dormant. This is different than the fall dormancy rating that measures the alfalfa’s ability to prepare for and recover from dormancy.  Winter survival is measured on a 1 to 6 scale with 1 being extremely hardy and 6 not hardy.  For Nebraska, a winter survival rating of 3 is about as high as we want to go.  There are free alfalfa ratings available online that may be helpful for comparison between varieties.

As temperatures drop and days shorten, alfalfa plants change their physiology to survive freezing temperatures and make it through winter.  Increased hardiness can lead to reduced yield potential, but for a high dollar perennial forage, having a stand year after year is key.

In the past, winter survival traits were linked with fall dormancy.  With new varieties, this isn’t always the case, so winter survival needs to be evaluated on its own.

We want to pick a winter survival ranking that will get us through winter without compromising yield.  Where you are in the state plays a big role in what to pick. Winter temperatures affect the choice, but maintained snow cover is also important.  As snow can help insulate the ground, parts of the state that regularly have open winters may need as high or higher survival rating than colder locations with winter-long snow cover.

Bottom line for Nebraska, a winter survival rating of 3 is about as high as we want to go and areas with open winters or regularly colder temperatures should be even lower.



RFA Opposes Extending RFS Compliance Deadlines

In a virtual public hearing held today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Renewable Fuels Association opposed the agency’s proposed extension of the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard compliance deadlines. Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler released the proposal just days before the swearing-in of President Joe Biden.

“To put it briefly, this proposal is one last attempt by the former EPA administrator to undermine the RFS on his way out the door,” said RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman. “One last favor to oil refiners. One last bit of contorted logic to justify actions contrary to the statute and even to common sense. All that this proposal does is to compound problems that the agency itself created under the former administration—the massive and illegal increase in small refinery exemptions and the failure to finalize the 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations by the statutory deadline.”

Richman pointed out how, in the case of the 2019 compliance deadline, EPA is actually seeking an extension of an extension; nearly a year has passed since the original deadline, and refiners are simply seeking to stall the inevitable. EPA’s continued delays have allowed those refiners who did not use a sufficient volume of biofuels to comply with their 2019 standards to instead buy RIN credits at historically low prices.

“This proposal is unwarranted, and the timelines it contains are excessive,” Richman concluded. “It is reasonable to assume that refiners were planning to meet the regulatory compliance deadline on March 31, and have had ample time to position themselves to do so. The agency should quickly reject the proposed extensions and re-establish integrity in its implementation of the RFS.”



House Ag Committee Chairman on the Budget Reconciliation Text

Today, following the release of the Agriculture and Nutrition title of the FY2021 Budget Reconciliation bill, House Agriculture Committee David Scott of Georgia made the following statement:

“I am proud of the work that has gone into putting this critical bill together. In this current time of crisis for the American people, this language sees to it that we can provide assistance to our farmers, rural communities, and the most vulnerable among us.

This bill is a stepping stone to the vision President Biden has set forth to get our Country back on track. Each dollar included in this legislation plays an invaluable role in doing just that.

I am pleased to be a part of this effort to put our Black farmers in a better position after suffering the impacts of this pandemic and the inability to receive equal access to USDA programs over decades.

This funding will also help to continue the vital food assistance through our SNAP Program as families face continuing uncertainty under this pandemic, while allowing the Secretary to assist our rural communities in helping their citizens access food assistance and health care, including access to COVID-19 vaccines, and shoring up our food supply chains.”

Notable provisions in the package include:
    $1 Billion in assistance to and support for community-based organizations and 1890 Land Grant and other minority-serving institutions that work with Black farmers and other farmers of color on land access, financial training, heirs property issues, training the next generation and access to education
    Farm Loan Assistance for Black farmers and other farmers of color
    Extending 15% SNAP benefit increase through September 30, 2021
    $37 million to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to fill a gap that has grown as food for this program has become scarcer during the pandemic
    $500 million in Community Facility Program funds to help rural hospitals and local communities broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines & food assistance
    $3.6 billion for the Secretary of Agriculture to continue to help the food and ag sector supply chains
    $100 million in overtime fee relief to small meat and poultry processors currently grappling with COVID-19-related backlogs
    $800 million for the Food for Peace program, including for purchases of U.S.-grown crops used in international humanitarian aid



Commodity Classic Announces 2021 Schedule of Events

The tentative schedule for the 2021 Special Edition of Commodity Classic has been announced. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event is being presented digitally on March 2-5, 2021.  The 2021 Commodity Classic, originally scheduled for San Antonio, Texas, in early March, is the Silver Anniversary of America’s largest farmer-owned, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience.

Registration is now open at CommodityClassic.com.  Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, the first 5,000 farmers who register can do so at no charge.  All other attendees can register for $20.  The registration fee includes access to the entire week’s program as well as access to archived sessions through April 30, 2021.

“Education is a significant emphasis of this year’s Commodity Classic and that is clearly evidenced by the fact that we have more than 50 sessions scheduled over 3-1/2 days,” said Brad Doyle, an Arkansas soybean farmer and co-chair of the 2021 Commodity Classic. “This is an outstanding schedule of information, insight and innovation that is sure to have something of value for every farmer.”

“The 2021 schedule includes Learning Centers on a wide range of topics from soil health to grain marketing, from stress management to pest management and much, much more,” said Anthony Bush, a corn farmer from Ohio and co-chair of the 2021 Commodity Classic.  “We’re also offering more What’s New Sessions than ever before, showcasing the latest innovations, technology and services designed to help farmers improve efficiency and profitability.”

The week’s schedule also includes three Executive Roundtables, during which the leaders from some of the nation’s top agribusiness companies and organizations will discuss their perspectives on the future of their industry and agriculture in general.

The Opening General Session kicks off the 2021 Commodity Classic at noon Central on Tuesday, March 2 and will feature a discussion between the leaders of the five associations that present Commodity Classic annually: American Soybean Association (ASA) President Kevin Scott; National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President John Linder; National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) President Dave Milligan; National Sorghum Producers (NSP) Chairman Kody Carson; and Ag Chair for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), Todd Stucke who serves as the Senior Vice President, Product Support & Strategic Projects for Kubota Tractor Corporation.

The Closing General Session starts at 11:30 a.m. Central on Friday, March 5 and will feature a high-ranking government official discussing the outlook for agriculture.  Both General Sessions are sponsored by Corteva Agriscience.

The schedule also includes evening sessions from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday featuring well-known ag personalities.

Premier Sponsors of the 2021 Special Edition of Commodity Classic are AGCO, Bayer, Case IH, Corteva Agriscience, John Deere and United Soybean Board/Soy Checkoff.

Champion Sponsors are BASF and Syngenta.  Key Sponsors are Kubota/Great Plains, New Holland, Pioneer, Precision Planting and Valent.

Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is presented annually by the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.



March 15 Last Day to Complete Enrollment for 2021 Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage Programs

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to make an appointment. Program enrollment for 2021 is required in order to participate in the programs, but elections for the 2021 crop year are optional and otherwise remain the same as elections made for 2020.

“FSA offices have multiple programs competing for the time and attention of our staff. Because of the importance and complexities of the ARC and PLC programs, and to ensure we meet your program delivery expectations, please do not wait to start the enrollment process,” said FSA Acting Administrator Steve Peterson. “I cannot emphasize enough the need to begin the program election and enrollment process now. This process can be completed when applying for other FSA programs as well.”

ARC and PLC provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms.

Although 1,033,310 contracts have been completed to date, this represents less than 59% of the more than 1.7 million contracts anticipated by the Agency. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears.

Producers who do not complete enrollment by close of business local time on Monday, March 15 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2021 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop.

ARC and PLC contracts can be emailed, faxed or physically signed and mailed back to FSA. Producers with level 2 eauthentication access can electronically sign contracts. Service Center staff can also work with producers to sign and securely transmit contracts electronically through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs. Producers may also make arrangements to drop off signed contracts at the FSA county office. Please call ahead for local mailing or drop off information and options for submitting signed contracts electronically.

Producers are eligible to enroll farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

Yield Data and Web-Based Decision Tools Available
FSA recently updated the annual and benchmark yields for ARC/PLC program years 2019, 2020 and 2021. This data is useful to producers in choosing to participate in either ARC or PLC.

For added assistance with ARC and PLC decisions, USDA partnered with the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University to offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include:
-    Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, the University of Illinois tool that offers farmers the ability to run payment estimate modeling for their farms and counties for ARC-County and PLC.
-    ARC and PLC Decision Tool, the Texas A&M tool that allow producers to analyze payment yield updates and expected payments for 2019 and 2020. Producers who have used the tool in the past should see their username and much of their farm data will already be available in the system.

Crop Insurance Considerations
Producers are reminded that enrolling in ARC or PLC programs can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products. Producers who elect and enroll in PLC also have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider. Producers of covered commodities who elect ARC are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres.

Unlike SCO, RMA’s Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by participating in ARC for the same crop, on the same acres. You may elect ECO regardless of your farm program election.

Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres.

More Information
For more information on ARC and PLC including web-based decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.



FarmlandFinder announces an online farm sale-leaseback program

As a part of its mission to make land sales simple, instant and online; FarmlandFinder announces a sale-leaseback program as a part of its online marketplace for farmland.

“Talking with farmers, there is a contagious curiosity to find ways to unlock equity that’s tied up in their land without giving up control of the property or taking on additional debt,” says Steven Brockshus, Founder and CEO of FarmlandFinder. “Through our private investment platform, a farmer can apply for a sale-leaseback and if they qualify, they’ll get connected with a qualified investor who partners with them to help unlock equity.”

A farm sale-leaseback can be an effective means of alternative financing for progressive farmers. How does it work? An investor acquires the land from the farm owner-operator and then leases it back to them on a long-term basis. This program can provide value to farmers seeking an alternative financing solution. A sale-leaseback provides liquidity to the farmer while helping them maintain on-going operational control of the land. By pairing an owner-operator with a qualified investor through the FarmlandFinder platform, a sale-leaseback can be done in a few simple steps.

Sale-leasebacks in farmland aren’t new, however – FarmlandFinder makes them readily accessible to farmers who find themselves in a variety of different situations. “It could be a good program for a retiring farmer whose equity is tied up in the land, but they’d like to keep farming for a few years,” says Peter Jaques, Head of Real Estate at FarmlandFinder. “Or a progressive farmer who wants to take the equity from one property and use it to buy another piece of land or invest elsewhere in their operation. The other time a program like this could be useful is when a farmer has fallen on hard-times and they need to free up some cash to keep the farm going. It may not be ideal, but at least there’s an option.”

“For farmland investors who are open to partnering with farmers, it’s a tough option to beat,” says Brockshus. “Who knows the land better than the person who’s been farming it for years? They’ll be your new partner to make sure your investment is taken care of.”

There is no up-front cost to the farmer for entering into a sale-leaseback and it can be a flexible alternative financing tool to help producers achieve a variety of objectives. To see if you qualify for a farm sale-leaseback, visit www.farmlandfinder.com/sale-leaseback.



Results from Hemp Checkoff Survey Posted

The National Industrial Hemp Council and The Hemp Industries Association announced results of a month's long survey on industry attitudes towards a hemp checkoff program.

The results of the overall survey show that nearly 8 out of every ten farmers and processors support the checkoff program for research, promotion and consumer education. Over six of ten farmers and processors support being assessed to fund a program.

"This is exciting news for our industry and exciting that there is such wide consensus in our industry to support such a program," said Patrick Atagi, Board Chairman of the National Industrial Hemp Council. "We believe that a checkoff program will help hemp not only develop markets for hemp products, but also fund much needed research and educate consumers on the usefulness and versatility of hemp."

"It's clear from the survey response that there is a broad level of excitement around the idea of a national hemp checkoff program, and significant interest in the potential return the hemp industry could see from an effective research and marketing program under USDA," said HIA President Rick Trojan.

"We in the industry recognize the incredible potential of this agricultural commodity, and there was a strong consensus around the importance of educating the market about the value of hemp across the supply chain for food/grain, fiber, and cannabinoids. It's encouraging to see the positive feedback this dialogue with the industry has generated so far and we look forward to continuing to partner with the NIHC and other forward-looking allies to explore the tremendous opportunity a national checkoff represents for hemp" said Trojan.

USDA checkoff programs seek to promote farm commodities and expand market opportunity for farmers, importers, and industry stakeholders. Funded through assessments on the produced commodity at the first point of sale; checkoff programs allow producers of commodities to pool resources for research, education, and promotion efforts that can expand sales and improve production efficiencies.

The survey received 270 responses and was conducted online via Survey Monkey from November 30, 2020 until December 31, 2020.



Indian Re-Certification Questions Could Impact Overall Organic Market

The close ties between the Indian and U.S. organic soybean markets were put in the spotlight last month as USDA announced the ending of an agreement between the USDA National Organic’s Program (NOP) and India’s Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Mercaris notes the announcement could have major implications for both countries, with India playing a significant role in the U.S. organic soybean supply and the U.S. serving as their largest export customer.

“India is by far the largest supplier of organic soy products to U.S. markets. We estimate that they provided 42 percent of total U.S. organic soybean and meal supplies over the 2019/20 marketing year,” says Ryan Koory, Director of Economics for Mercaris. “To put this bluntly, organic soy imports from India over 2019/20 were nearly double U.S. production during that same period.”

Koory says major impacts won’t likely be felt until after 2020/21, given recent import trends. He suggests major shifts may begin in August this year, potentially impacting supplies over 2021/22.

Through January of 2020/21, imports of Indian organic soybean meal have exploded, up 90 percent year over year.

“In our October commodity outlook, we outlined a stable U.S. organic soybean market following a slight increase in imports from India this year” adds Koory. “That increase could easily be accomplished by April given the current pace of imports, avoiding any significant shortfall for supplies in this marketing year.”

While the NOP has allowed until July 12 for recertification, it is unclear how much of India’s organic market will do so ahead of this deadline. The largest risk to supply will likely show itself emerge in August, ahead of this year’s fall harvest.

These observations and the rest of Mercaris’ Monthly Market Update were released today. In addition to the pricing information found in the report, Mercaris’ organic trading platform also continues its growth trajectory. To access a copy of the Monthly Market Update or to learn more about the additional tools from Mercaris, visit www.mercaris.com.  



NCLA Brief Accuses USDA and APHIS of Establishing Unlawful Federal Advisory Committees on RFID

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). In their attempt to unlawfully mandate “radio frequency identification” (RFID) eartags on livestock destined for market, USDA and APHIS set up two advisory committees to assist their RFID efforts, the “Cattle Traceability Working Group” (CTWG) and the “Producer Traceability Council” (PTC).

An opening brief filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming argues that USDA and its subagency, APHIS, failed to comply with FACA’s statutory requirements in establishing and using the two advisory committees to gather information necessary to implement RFID eartags.  NCLA represents the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and four ranchers: Tracy and Donna Hunt from Wyoming, and Kenny and Roxy Fox from South Dakota, who filed a lawsuit against these agency defendants challenging their illegal April 2019 “guidance” as violating the 2013 Traceability and Identification Rule by attempting to force cattle producers to use RFID eartags in lieu of all other forms of approved identification under the earlier rule.

NCLA’s brief criticizes the Defendants’ decision to establish and utilize “advisory committees” without complying with FACA’s procedural requirements, as well as their decision to exclude from participation anyone who opposed the RFID requirements. Defendants’ mandate, issued in violation of the 2013 Final Rule, was designed to prohibit cattle producers from using any animal identification options that up to now had been perfectly acceptable, including tattoos, backtags, permanent metal eartags, brands, and group/lot identification numbers.

Defendants have taken the position that they neither “established” nor “utilized” the CTWG and PTC advisory committees within the meaning of FACA. However, their Administrative Record and documents obtained through a FOIA request prove otherwise. Defendants have conceded that they did not follow FACA’s procedural requirements—mostly because they wrongly assumed that they should not have to. Again, however, their own documents demonstrate that FACA applies in this case: (1) the agency urged the formation of CTWG; (2) numerous APHIS employees actively participated in CTWG’s and PTC’s meetings and calls; (3) CTWG’s fixed membership included APHIS officials; (4) CTWG and PTC—and their various subgroups—met regularly and made a series of recommendations to APHIS regarding the implementation of the RFID technology.  

NCLA is asking the court to recognize the CTWG and PTC as federal advisory committees set up by USDA. To penalize USDA for not following FACA’s public meeting and balanced membership requirements, NCLA is further asking the court to prohibit Defendants from using any of the work product or recommendations made by either CTWG or PTC.  



Crop Insurance Protected U.S. Farmers, Rural Communities as Weather, Health, Political Challenges Rocked the Nation in 2020

U.S. crop insurance policies protected the country’s farmers and ranchers and ensured rural communities stayed strong in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, tornadoes, hurricanes, and political unrest. In all, those policies protected 398 million acres of land in 2020.

In her opening remarks at the crop insurance industry’s annual meeting, Kendall Jones, chair of the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) and president and CEO of ProAg, told the group that 2020 had been a challenging year for our country. But crop insurers rose to the challenge and provided stability to rural communities.

“We are in the crisis business,” Jones said. “So, it is not surprising that we performed extremely well over the last year, helping America’s farmers and ranchers mitigate their risks, continue their essential work, and keep the world fed.

“From floods and wildfires to hurricanes and even ‘The Derecho,’” she continued, “we were there to help our customers pick up the pieces in an unprecedented time of hardships created by lost crops, lost customers, and lost markets in the U.S. and overseas.”

To date, the crop insurance industry has delivered $7.4 billion in indemnities to help farmers rebuild. This includes a brand-new insurance product that is tailored to hurricane protection – a product that was triggered by eight separate weather events during last year’s unprecedented string of hurricanes.

“Our industry works with our government partners and leverages the efficiency of the private sector to make sure farmers and ranchers get payments on time,” Jones said. “This keeps agriculture growing after disaster strikes and quickly stabilizes rural economies.”

During the annual meeting, which was held virtually this year, Jones told attendees that agriculture has the unique power to unite lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

“Elected officials on the right of the political spectrum often emphasize the importance of vibrant rural businesses, reducing risk, keeping taxpayer costs low and expanding the economy,” Jones said. “On the left, lawmakers also tout a healthy economy and place an emphasis on sound science, sustainability, and giving those in need a helping hand. That sounds just like crop insurance to me.”

Jones concluded by taking time to applaud many of the behind-the-scenes industry initiatives that often go unrecognized.

This includes collecting and analyzing mountains of data and conducting new research to continually improve operations and customer service. She also highlighted industry investments over the past decade to provide free business training to socially disadvantaged farmers and award scholarships to minority students attending 1890 Land Grant Universities.



NGFA releases new interactive safety training module on ‘Lockout/Tagout’

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has issued a new, interactive and free training module that thoroughly covers a vital safety procedure for all grain, feed and processing facilities – Lockout/Tagout.

Lockout/Tagout is a safety procedure used to ensure that machines that can pose a safety hazard are shut off or tagged-out properly so they are not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or repair work. This procedure requires that hazardous energy sources be “isolated and rendered inoperative” before work is started on equipment, and is one of the requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) control of hazardous energy standard.

NGFA-produced training modules developed through Articulate 360 are issued periodically as part of the Association’s continued commitment to enhance safety in the workplace. These modules are funded by the National Grain and Feed Foundation and are designed to provide information on certain types of hazards and best safety practices within the grain handling, feed and processing industry.

“This industry fulfills a noble and indispensable role in transforming the bounty of America’s producers into safe, nutritious, sustainable and affordable human and animal food,” said NGFA President and CEO Randy Gordon. “An essential component of fulfilling that mission involves providing a safe workplace to employees working in this great industry. At NGFA, we’re committed to providing free training materials that can be widely shared and easily incorporated into safety training programs.”

Another interactive training module is available from NGFA covering “Slips, Trips and Falls” at ngfa.org/safety. Several other types of safety resources also can be found at that website, including videos, “Safety Tips Sheets” and webinars applicable to both commercial and farm facilities. NGFA members are encouraged to share these materials with their farmer-customers.

Safety always has been an essential service of the NGFA, a commitment that is magnified through its cooperative alliance with OSHA, which fosters collaborative efforts to broadly communicate safety information to protect employees. NGFA and its charitable foundation, the National Grain and Feed Foundation, have built a robust suite of safety resource materials and partnered with state and regional agribusiness affiliates, member companies and OSHA to spread awareness of safety best practices and the availability of training resources.



The Top 5 Technologies Transforming Food and Agriculture in the Next Decade

It’s harder than ever before to be a food or agriculture company. Smaller competitors are using digital tools, novel channels to gain market access, and other innovations to gain share, shaking up the entire agrifood value chain. To help guide innovation in this space, Lux Research released its annual report, “Foresight 2021: Top Emerging Technologies to Watch.”

The Foresight 2021 report identifies and ranks 12 key technologies that will reshape the world. The technologies are chosen based on innovation interest scores from the Lux Tech Signal, a composite measure assembled from a variety of innovation data sources, along with input from Lux’s experts. In addition to highlighting the key overall technologies, for the first time ever, this year’s report ranks the top five technologies in the food and agriculture space.

“The agrifood ecosystem is experiencing a phase of rapid, intense change, where most of the growth in the space in recent years has gone to companies outside the top 20 players. As smaller and more agile brands meet consumer demand for personalization, larger brands will need to look for innovative solutions to regain lost ground and get ahead,” states Joshua Haslun, Ph.D., Senior Analyst at Lux Research.

Lux’s new report takes a deep look at the agrifood ecosystem and reviews what topics emerged and which technologies rose to the top during 2020. Its expert analysis of the hottest innovation topics and best tech startups found that the top five technologies food and agriculture leaders should look to in 2021 are:
    Bioinformatics – Having developed and risen to prominence largely focused on medical and pharma applications, bioinformatics is now crossing over into agrifood and health.

    Alternative Proteins – Concerns about health and sustainability are pushing to diversify diets away from meat and fish, leading to changes ranging from land use to ingredient supply chains.

    Precision Agriculture – Digital tools are continuing to revolutionize agriculture, improving product yield and quality and reducing environmental impact.

    Biofertilizers – Biofertilizers and other microbial biostimulants use living microorganisms to improve nutrient use efficiency and agriculture sustainability.

    Ingredient Informatics – Applying machine learning to recipes and ingredients can produce new product formulations more quickly, rapidly accelerating new food product launches.

“Agriculture and food companies alike will need to capitalize on the digital revolution, with ingredient informatics as a prime focus for shortening product development cycles and precision agriculture technologies as unfamiliar-but-critical complements to conventional agrichemical developments,” explains Haslun. “Alternatives to mainstay ingredients are another hallmark of both agriculture and food, where biofertilizers and alternative proteins, respectively, loom large. Finally, look for bioinformatics to come out of its early role in pharmaceutical development to take a prominent, transformative position across the agrifood ecosystem.”