Wednesday February 10 Ag News

Nebraska Farm Service Agency to Host Quality Loss Adjustment Program Webinar on Feb. 17

Nebraska U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hosting a public webinar next week to review details of the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program. The event will run from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Those interested in accessing the webinar can join the event at the following link: https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1432338&tp_key=649d5d67ba.

Another way to access this link is by visiting the Nebraska FSA website at fsa.usda.gov/ne and finding QLA under the “Spotlights” section.

During the 1-hour live event, Nebraska FSA program specialists will review details of the QLA program, provide examples of qualifying crop quality losses and review the steps to complete a QLA application.

The deadline to apply for the QLA program is Friday, March 5. The QLA program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. As part of the application process, producers must be able to provide documentation to support claims of quality loss or nutrient loss, such as scale tickets, sales receipts from buyers, settlement sheets or written sales contracts.

“This program may be applicable for quality losses suffered as a result of excessive moisture and flooding in 2019,” said Tim Divis, acting state executive director for Nebraska Farm Service Agency. “FSA has already completed program work related to quantity losses, and we want to ensure producers understand how this program works regarding quality losses.”

Visit farmers.gov/quality-loss to learn more about the program or contact your FSA county office. To locate your nearest FSA county office, visit farmers.gov and click on the Service Center locator.



DECIPHERING A HAY TEST: ADF and NDF
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

Last week we looked at crude protein and how it is used for the rumen microbes and the animal. Today, we will look at neutral-detergent fiber or NDF and acid-detergent fiber or ADF.

Both NDF and ADF are part of a detergent analysis system used to analyze forages and their physical and chemical components. NDF measures how much of the forage sample is cell wall or fiber. This includes cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and silica portions of the forage which are the primary structural components. NDF is related to voluntary intake and rumen fill as well as how much energy is available to the animal. Usually, a low NDF results in higher energy available to the animal. As a forage plant matures, NDF increases and the forage quality decreases. NDF levels can vary from 80% in straw to less than 40% in early bloom alfalfa.

ADF measures cellulose and lignin, which, are usually the least digestible parts of the plant. ADF is related to the digestibility of the forage. This is used to calculate total digestible nutrients or TDN which will be covered next week. As ADF increases, the digestibility decreases. This means that high ADF forages are usually lower in energy. Alfalfa at early bloom has an ADF of 30-35% while a late bloom alfalfa has an ADF usually above 40%. Straw will have an ADF nearer to 50%.

NDF and ADF influence forage intake and digestibility. This can help predict animal performance by understanding how forage quality affects animal performance. We can also use this information to help decide when to harvest hay or what quality of hay to purchase.



Bacon Named Ranking Member of House Agriculture Subcommittee
 
Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) has been named as Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations. The subcommittee addresses policies and statutes relating to nutrition, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and domestic commodity distribution and consumer initiatives, as well as department agency oversight and special investigations.

“During this pandemic, more families are struggling to put food on the table as they suffer job losses and income reductions. I am looking forward to working on how we can best make nutrition and domestic food assistance programs more efficient and effective so families most in need will get the assistance these programs were intended to provide,” said Rep. Bacon. “This includes looking at ways we can improve program integrity and move people toward self-sufficiency by incentivizing work.”

“Congressman Bacon will work tirelessly to help hunger challenged families as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations,” said Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee. “I know he has the keen eye and dedication necessary to advance thoughtful oversight and pro-growth policies, and I’m thankful for his leadership this Congress.”

“I thank Ranking Member Thompson for placing his faith in me to serve in this position,” added Rep. Bacon.



Chairman Scott Welcomes Members of the House Agriculture Committee for the 117th Congress

Ahead of today's House Agriculture Committee Full Committee Virtual Meeting, Chairman David Scott of Georgia welcomed new and returning Democratic Members of the Committee for the 117th Congress.

"The issues facing the Agriculture Committee are as important now than ever before," said Chairman Scott. "While this roster includes an impressive diversity of region, background, and agricultural priorities, I have faith that each of these Members will work diligently to fight for the interests of our consumers, food and fiber producers, and rural communities."

By seniority, Democratic Members of the House Agriculture Committee for the 117th Congress:
David Scott, Georgia, Chairman
Jim Costa, California
Jim McGovern, Massachusetts
Filemon Vela, Texas
Alma Adams, North Carolina, Vice-Chair
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
Antonio Delgado, New York
Bobby Rush, Illinois
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands
Ann Kuster, New Hampshire
Cheri Bustos, Illinois
Sean Patrick Maloney, New York
Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands
Tom O'Halleran, Arizona
Salud Carbajal, California
Ro Khanna, California
Al Lawson, Florida
Luis J. Correa, California
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Josh Harder, California
Cindy Axne, Iowa
Kim Schrier, Washington
Jimmy Panetta, California



IFBF on developing Iowa biofuels standard
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Hill

"The Iowa Farm Bureau applauds Governor Reynolds’ efforts to set a biofuels standard in Iowa. By raising the floor for biofuel blends and increasing the percentage of ethanol and biodiesel sold in Iowa, we can create growth opportunities in renewable fuels for our rural communities and farmers.

This is a proven approach that has worked for decades in other Midwestern states, and it is imperative that Iowa, the national leader in biofuels production, catches up with our neighboring states in enacting policies promoting biofuel sales.

Farm Bureau members look forward to working with the Governor and Iowa legislature to move Iowa’s biofuels policies forward."



Weekly Ethanol Production for 2/5/2021

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending February 5, ethanol production ticked 0.1% higher, or 1,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 937,000 b/d—equivalent to 39.35 million gallons daily. Production remained 9.3% below the same week last year. The four-week average ethanol production rate was unchanged at 938,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 14.38 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks declined 2.1% to 23.8 million barrels, which was 2.3% below a year-ago. Inventories drew down across all regions except the Midwest (PADD 2) and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, increased 1.1% to 7.86 million b/d (120.45 bg annualized). Gasoline demand was 9.9% less than a year ago.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rose 0.9% to 785,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.03 bg annualized. This was 10.1% below the year-earlier level as a result of the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of December 2020.)



 Urea Prices Jump 16% Above Last Month as Prices for All 8 Fertilizers Surge

Retail fertilizer prices skyrocketed higher in the first week of February, according to prices tracked by DTN.

Once again, all eight of the major fertilizers' prices were higher, but this time, they're all up a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. Leading the way higher was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer was up a whopping 16% compared to last month and had an average price of $429/ton. That's a $61/ton gain.  Right behind urea was DAP, which was 15% more expensive, looking back to last month. The phosphorus fertilizer's average price was $554/ton, up $72/ton.

Next up was UAN28, which saw an increase of 14% from last month. The liquid nitrogen had an average price of $239/ton, up $30/ton.  MAP was 11% higher from last month. The phosphorus fertilizer's average price was $601/ton, up $58/ton. The last time MAP was above the $600/ton level was the first week of October 2014. That week, MAP had an average price of $600/ton.

Three fertilizers were 8% higher compared to the previous month. Anhydrous had an average price of $507/ton, up $37/ton; 10-34-0 $502/ton, up $38/ton; and UAN32 $272/ton, up $21/ton.  Potash was also significantly higher. The fertilizer was 5% more expensive from last month and had an average price of $389/ton, up $20/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.47/lb.N, up 3 cents from last month; anhydrous $0.31/lb.N, up 1 cent; UAN28 $0.43/lb.N, up 4 cents; and UAN32 $0.42/lb.N, up 2 cents.

With retail fertilizer prices moving higher over recent months, all fertilizers are now higher in price from a year ago with one exception. UAN32 is still 2% less expensive looking back to last year.  UAN28 is now 2% more expensive, anhydrous is 3% higher, potash is 4% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 8% higher, urea is 19% more expensive, DAP is 34% higher and MAP is 38% more expensive compared to last year.



Economic Boom From Grain Exports Highlights Need For Trade Access, Market Development

Access to international markets for U.S. grain supported an additional $41.8 billion in business sales during 2018 over and above the value of the grain sold, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) - highlighting the importance of new market access and robust market development for the profitability of U.S. grain farmers.

The study - the fourth in a series conducted by Informa Economics/IHS Markit - pegged the direct value of U.S. corn, sorghum, barley and the grain components of ethanol, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and certain meat products at $22.7 billion, for a total economic output of $64.5 billion in 2018.

This analysis and that preceding it based on 2014, 2015 and 2016 sales help make the case for trade as a top priority for U.S. agriculture and the new administration's outreach to the global community.

"Exports are a driver for our economy in general, but nowhere is that more important than in agriculture," said Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the Council, which works in more than 50 countries to build export markets for U.S. grains and grain products.

"We know that demand today from our overseas customers helps support price and basis for farmers throughout the United States. Demand tomorrow will come from the growing populations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Putting a dollar figure to the impact that demand has here at home just highlights how important it is to keep working with our customers around the world."

The study showed in detail the importance of grains exports to the U.S. economy and jobs. It determined the export of grain products supported U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by $27 billion over what would have occurred without such exports, with roughly 295,000 jobs linked directly or indirectly to grain exports.

“This look at the economic contributions provided by each U.S. state and 52 Congressional districts will allow NCGA and our corn grower members to effectively demonstrate to lawmakers the need for policies that support U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness around the world,” said NCGA CEO Jon Doggett.

U.S. food and agriculture support up to 20 percent of all U.S. economic activity, making the industry one of the country's most important. The grain industry data show the positive impacts of grain exports extend well beyond the farm gate into wholesale trade, real estate, oil and natural gas extraction, and pesticide and chemical manufacturing as well as local hospitals and restaurants supported by dollars that start with agricultural producers.

"Grains exports are a way to bring the wealth of the world home to U.S. farmers' local communities," LeGrand said. "We often tell our farmer members that the world is their market, and this study goes a long way to proving that.”

Telling the story of trade’s impact on the farm sector and the wider economy is a critical part of gaining support for trade policy enforcement and development as well as engagement with overseas customers.

“Agriculture trade is a great story for the American farmer. We’re optimistic about the many opportunities to expand our trading relationships before us today that will continue to enable U.S. agriculture to be a vital part of the U.S. economy,” Doggett said.



National Sorghum Producers Announces March 1 Virtual Industry Forum

National Sorghum Producers will host a virtual industry forum March 1 at 5:30 p.m. central to honor 2020 Sorghum Yield Contest winners and address relative issues and advancements in the sorghum industry. The event will take place in advance of Commodity Classic where it is typically held in person, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, all events will take place virtually this year.  

“We look forward to bringing the same level of energy and insight into this condensed virtual program to honor our 2020 sorghum yield contest winners and to address sorghum farmers nationwide,” NSP CEO Tim Lust said. “The beauty of having a virtual event is we are able to open this forum to the entire industry and guests through an efficient, informative and entertaining program.”

The event, sponsored by Pioneer Seeds, will feature a keynote with insights from Washington, D.C. Reece Cannady, U.S. Grains Council manager for global trade, and Sorghum Checkoff director Florentino Lopez will overview opportunities relating to current markets and sorghum demand. This will be followed by updates from Sorghum Checkoff Agronomy Director Brent Bean on the No. 1 producer requested advancement in sorghum seed technology—improved grass control with herbicide tolerant sorghum.

NSP encourages interested participants to view the event website to learn more about the program agenda and speakers. The first 50 farmers to RSVP to the event at SorghumGrowers.com/yield2020 will receive a Sorghum: The Smart Choice ® t-shirt and a pair of NSP cotton gloves.



Philippines to Ramp Up Pork Imports

The Philippines plans to increase pork imports this year to roughly 400,000 tonnes, more than double the initial proposal, as it seeks to cover a domestic shortfall that has pushed market prices higher, its farm minister said on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, a government advisory panel has endorsed the import volume for approval, which is much higher than the 162,000 tonnes planned earlier, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a briefing.

The Southeast Asian country, among the world's biggest pork importers, is under increasing pressure to boost supply of the meat, a mainstay in the Filipino diet, after African swine fever outbreaks reduced hog inventories.

Philippine inflation hit a two-year high in January, partly due to higher pork prices.

Creeping inflation suggests that the room to maintain an accommodative monetary policy to support recovery of the country's pandemic-hit economy might be narrowing, some economists have said.

The plan is still subject to a review by a Cabinet panel before it is recommended for final approval by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The public shock over spikes in meat prices has also prompted the government to allot billions of pesos for hog repopulation and impose a two-month price cap for both pork and chicken in the capital region starting this week.



Grazing more can help save on feed costs

The prospects for higher grain prices, drought-tightened hay inventories and market uncertainty give producers ample incentive to focus on maximizing pasture production this grazing season. Growing more, high-quality grazed forages is an excellent cost-containment strategy, and getting the jump on weeds is a great place to start.

When weeds, brush or other undesirable plants encroach on grazing space, it’s usually a sign something is amiss in the pasture. Pasture turnout might seem a long way off, but it’s never too early to plan. Adjusting grazing strategies, improving soil fertility and other early season improvements can help set the course for a better start to the grazing season.

“Annual and biennial broadleaf weeds can green up even before pasture grasses. Once up and growing, weeds are just stealing the moisture, nutrients and sunlight forages need,” says Scott Flynn, Zonal Biology Lead at Corteva Agriscience. “Catching weeds early gives pasture grasses a competitive advantage.”

Early in the season means when weeds are small and growing. At that size, they’re easy to cover and control, and they haven’t robbed much from the grass yet.

Using a residual herbicide, such as DuraCor® herbicide, early in the season stops weeds that are up and growing while providing control of those that germinate later. This extended control will help stop weeds throughout the season, preserving moisture and allowing grasses to get a head start on the weeds.

“Following a year where weather conditions were less than favorable, I encourage producers to scout early and often to prepare for what’s to come,” Flynn says. “Eliminating weeds lets the grass get up and growing. From there, the cow can be a very good management tool. You can work with her to graze properly so the grasses shade and outcompete the weeds.”



Advancements in genetics and traits from Syngenta address local challenges

For many growers, elite corn hybrids with the most current trait packages are the pivotal factor behind strong yield and profit potential.  To give growers highly informed choices, Syngenta increased genetic trialling by more than 30%, offering a deeper, more extensive understanding of how hybrids perform in different environments and soil types.

“A greater understanding of how our pipeline performs in local environments means we can place products on farms with a higher level of confidence because we’ve tested them in research and development (R&D) trials under a wide variety of environments,” said Drew Showalter, strategic marketing manager for corn at Syngenta Seeds.

The Trait Conversion Accelerator, a $30 million corn breeding facility in Nampa, Idaho, is home to the Syngenta R&D and seed production site where a majority of Syngenta North American corn trait conversion work takes place.

The site features state-of-the-art greenhouses and laboratories that provide reliable, controlled growing environments where Syngenta incorporates desired genes from trait donor sources into elite cultivars or breeding lines. The site ultimately furthers the Syngenta commitment to agronomic innovation.

These investments and trials test for regional challenges like yield consistency and standability by simulating various growing environments. Testing products in extensive, controlled environments and implementing comprehensive data collection allow Syngenta to bring fully tested, specialized corn hybrids and seed traits to market that meet the needs of specific local geographies with varying conditions.

“We develop products with growers’ production problems first and foremost in mind,” said Tim O’Brien, Ph.D., Agrisure® traits manager at Syngenta. “We’re not just developing hybrids, varieties or traits for the sake of building a portfolio — we direct our research to solve the problems that keep farmers up at night.”



World's First Cultivated Ribeye Steak Made from 3D Bioprinting

Aleph Farms Ltd. and its research partner at the faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology, have successfully cultivated the world's first slaughter-free ribeye steak, using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology and natural building blocks of meat -- real cow cells, without genetic engineering and immortalization. With this proprietary technology developed just two short years after it unveiled the world's first cultivated thin-cut steak in 2018 which did not utilize 3D bioprinting, Aleph Farms has the ability to produce any type of steak and plans to expand its portfolio of quality meat products.

Unlike 3D printing technology, Aleph Farms' 3D bioprinting technology is the printing of actual living cells that are then incubated to grow, differentiate, and interact, in order to acquire the texture and qualities of a real steak. A proprietary system, similar to the vascularization that occurs naturally in tissues, enables the perfusion of nutrients across the thicker tissue and grants the steak with the similar shape and structure of its native form as found in livestock before and during cooking.

"This breakthrough reflects an artistic expression of the scientific expertise of our team," enthuses Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. "I am blessed to work with some of the greatest people in this industry. We recognize some consumers will crave thicker and fattier cuts of meat. This accomplishment represents our commitment to meeting our consumer's unique preferences and taste buds, and we will continue to progressively diversify our offerings," adds Toubia. "Additional meat designs will drive a larger impact in the mid and long term. This milestone for me marks a major leap in fulfilling our vision of leading a global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable and secure world."

The cultivated ribeye steak is a thicker cut than the company's first product -- a thin-cut steak. It incorporates muscle and fat similar to its slaughtered counterpart and boasts the same organoleptic attributes of a delicious tender, juicy ribeye steak you'd buy from the butcher.

"With the realization of this milestone, we have broken the barriers to introducing new levels of variety into the cultivated meat cuts we can now produce. As we look into the future of 3D bioprinting, the opportunities are endless," says Technion Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Aleph's Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor and a major brainpower behind the company's IP. Levenberg is considered a global leader in tissue engineering and has amassed over two decades of research in the field at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States and at the Technion, in Israel. Levenberg is also the former Dean of the Biomedical Engineering Faculty at the Technion.

Aleph Farms' plans to diversify its offering align with its mission to create a global platform for local production, leveraging a highly scalable technology to create culinary experiences that can be adapted for the different food cultures around the world.

Aleph Farms food company is paving a new way forward as a leader of the global sustainable food ecosystem, working to grow delicious beef steaks from non-genetically engineered cells, isolated from a cow, using a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat, without antibiotics and without the use of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). Aleph Farms was co-founded with The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group and with Professor Shulamit Levenberg, former dean of the Biomedical Engineering faculty of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Aleph Farms is backed by some of the world's most innovative food producers, such as Cargill, Migros, and the Strauss Group.

The company has recently received top accolades for its contribution to the global sustainability movement from the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, Netexplo Forum, FAO and EIT Food.