Wednesday March 31 Ag News - Prospective Plantings, March 1 Grain Stocks, plus more!

 NEBRASKA 2021 PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS

Nebraska corn growers intend to plant 9.90 million acres this year, down 3% from 2020, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Soybean planted acreage is expected to be 5.50 million acres, up 6% from last year.

All hay acreage to be harvested is expected to total 2.70 million acres, down 1% from 2020.

Winter wheat acres seeded in the fall of 2020 are estimated at a record low 900,000 acres, slightly less than last year.

Sorghum growers in Nebraska intend to plant 300,000 acres, up 54% from a year ago.

Oat intentions are estimated at 120,000 acres, down 11% from last year.

Dry edible bean acreage intentions are estimated at 140,000 acres, down 15% from 2020.

Sugarbeet growers expect to plant 48,000 acres, up 4% from last year.

Sunflower producers expect to plant 46,000 acres, down 8% from 2020. Oil varieties account for 38,000 acres, down 5% from a year ago. Non-oil varieties made up the balance of 8,000 acres, a record low, down 20% from the previous year.

Dry edible pea acreage intentions are estimated at 34,000 acres, down 6% from last year.
Estimates in this report are based on a survey conducted during the first two weeks of March.



IOWA PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS REPORT

Iowa farmers intend to plant 13.2 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2021 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Prospective Plantings report. This is down 400,000 acres from 2020.

Producers intend to plant 9.80 million acres of soybeans in Iowa this year. This is a 400,000 acre increase from 2020.

Iowa farmers intend to plant 150,000 acres of oats for all purposes. This is a 20,000 acre decrease from last year.

Farmers in Iowa expect to harvest 1.15 million acres of all dry hay for the 2021 crop year. This is 10,000 acre decrease from last year.

The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2021 planting intentions. NASS’s acreage estimates are based primarily on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of approximately 78,900 farm operators across the United States with more than 2,800 from Iowa. Actual plantings will depend upon weather, economic conditions and the availability of production inputs at the time producers make their final planting decisions.



USDA Prospective Plantings Report - March 31, 2021
Corn Planted Acreage Up Less than 1 Percent from 2020
Soybean Acreage Up 5 Percent
All Wheat Acreage Up 5 Percent
All Cotton Acreage Down Less than 1 Percent

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2021 is estimated at 91.1 million acres, up less than 1 percent or an increase of 325,000 acres from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 24 of the 48 estimating States.

Soybean planted area for 2021 is estimated at 87.6 million acres, up 5 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is up or unchanged in 23 of the 29 estimating States.

All wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.4 million acres, up 5 percent from 2020. This represents the fourth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919. The 2021 winter wheat planted area, at 33.1 million acres, is up 9 percent from last year and up 3 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 23.2 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 6.42 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.48 million acres are White Winter. Area expected to be planted to other spring wheat for 2021 is estimated at 11.7 million acres, down 4 percent from 2020. Of this total, about 10.9 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2021 is expected to total 1.54 million acres, down 9 percent from the previous year.

All cotton planted area for 2021 is estimated at 12.0 million acres, down less than 1 percent from last year. Upland area is estimated at 11.9 million acres, up slightly from 2020. American Pima area is estimated at 142,000 acres, down 30 percent from 2020.



NEBRASKA MARCH 1, 2021 GRAIN STOCKS

Nebraska corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 913 million bushels, down 8% from 2020, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of the total, 460 million bushels are stored on farms, down 19% from a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 453 million bushels, are up 7% from last year.

Soybeans stored in all positions totaled 110 million bushels, down 43% from last year. On-farm stocks of 23.0 million bushels are down 59% from a year ago, and off-farm stocks, at 87.1 million bushels, are down 36% from 2020.

Wheat stored in all positions totaled 36.5 million bushels, down 25% from a year ago. On-farm stocks of 1.60 million bushels are down 66% from 2020, and off-farm stocks of 34.9 million bushels are down 20% from last year.

Sorghum stored in all positions totaled 4.72 million bushels, down 41% from 2020. On-farm stocks of 155,000 bushels are down 70% from a year ago and off-farm holdings of 4.56 million bushels are down 39% from last year.

Oats stored in all positions totaled 896,000 bushels. On-farm stocks of 350,000 bushels are down 5% from 2020. Off-farm stocks totaled 546,000 bushels.

Barley off-farm stocks totaled 145,000 bushels.



IOWA MARCH 1 GRAIN STOCKS

Corn stored in all positions in Iowa on March 1, 2021, totaled 1.39 billion bushels, down 8% from March 1, 2020, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Grain Stocks report. Of the total stocks, 56% were stored on-farm. The December-February 2021 indicated disappearance totaled 484 million bushels, 23% below the 625 million bushels from the same period last year.

Soybeans stored in all positions in Iowa on March 1, 2021, totaled 255 million bushels, 37% below the 403 million bushels on hand March 1, 2020. Of the total stocks, 37% were stored on-farm. Indicated disappearance for December-February 2021 is 151 million bushels, 37% above the 110 million bushels from the same quarter last year.

Oats stored on-farm in Iowa on March 1, 2021, totaled 1.1 million bushels, up 22% from March 1, 2020.



USDA March 1 Grain Stocks Report
Corn Stocks Down 3 Percent from March 2020
Soybean Stocks Down 31 Percent
All Wheat Stocks Down 7 Percent

Corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 7.70 billion bushels, down 3 percent from March 1, 2020. Of the total stocks, 4.04 billion bushels were stored on farms, down 9 percent from a year earlier. Off-farm stocks, at 3.66 billion bushels, are up 5 percent from a year ago. The December 2020 - February 2021 indicated disappearance is 3.59 billion bushels, compared with 3.38 billion bushels during the same period last year.

Soybeans stored in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 1.56 billion bushels, down 31 percent from March 1, 2020. Soybean stocks stored on farms are estimated at 594 million bushels, down 41 percent from a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 970 million bushels, are down 22 percent from last March. Indicated disappearance for the December 2020 - February 2021 quarter totaled 1.38 billion bushels, up 39 percent from the same period a year earlier.

All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 1.31 billion bushels, down 7 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks are estimated at 284 million bushels, down 16 percent from last March. Off-farm stocks, at 1.03 billion bushels, are down 4 percent from a year ago. The December 2020 - February 2021 indicated disappearance is 388 million bushels, 9 percent below the same period a year earlier.

Durum wheat stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 42.7 million bushels, down 17 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks, at 22.6 million bushels, are down 4 percent from March 1, 2020. Off-farm stocks totaled 20.1 million bushels, down 28 percent from a year ago. The December 2020 - February 2021 indicated disappearance of 18.9 million bushels is 46 percent above the same period a year earlier.

Barley stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 120 million bushels, up 4 percent from March 1, 2020. On-farm stocks are estimated at 55.9 million bushels, 8 percent above a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 64.5 million bushels, are 1 percent above March 2020. The December 2020 - February 2021 indicated disappearance totaled 28.2 million bushels, 33 percent below the same period a year earlier.

Oats stored in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 51.5 million bushels, 8 percent above the stocks on March 1, 2020. Of the total stocks on hand, 16.9 million bushels were stored on farms, down 1 percent from a year ago. Off-farm stocks totaled 34.6 million bushels, up 13 percent from the previous year. Indicated disappearance during December 2020 - February 2021 totaled 11.1 million bushels, 78 percent above the same period a year ago.

Grain sorghum stored in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 137 million bushels, down 17 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks, at 5.12 million bushels, are down 70 percent from last March. Off-farm stocks, at 131 million bushels, are down 11 percent from a year earlier. The December 2020 - February 2021 indicated disappearance from all positions is 83.1 million bushels, 3 percent below the same period last year.

Sunflower stocks in all positions on March 1, 2021 totaled 1.07 billion pounds, 40 percent above March 1, 2020. All stocks stored on farms totaled 415 million pounds and off-farm stocks totaled 659 million pounds. Stocks of oil type sunflower seed are 888 million pounds; of this total, 331 million pounds are on-farm stocks and 557 million pounds are off-farm stocks. Non-oil sunflower stocks totaled 186 million pounds, with 83.8 million pounds stored on the farm and 102 million pounds stored off the farm.



Gerlach awarded 2021 Steve Nelson Yeutter Institute International Trade Internship

Savannah Gerlach of DeWitt, Neb., is the inaugural recipient of the Steve Nelson Yeutter Institute International Trade Internship Award. The award honors Steve Nelson, a longtime Nebraska Farm Bureau leader, as it helps students gain valuable experience in the nation’s capital.  

“Agriculture will benefit in the long term because youth receiving this award will learn how to influence future agricultural trade policy,” said Mark McHargue, Nebraska Farm Bureau President.

“Nebraska Farm Bureau's extensive involvement in the trade arena and support for agricultural youth and leadership development, makes this internship a perfect match for these priorities.”

The award will provide Gerlach with $6,000 to intern full-time with the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) this summer in Washington, D.C. WITA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and related issues. She will gain valuable exposure to and experience with trade policy issues and trade leaders in business, agriculture, law, academia, non-governmental organizations, embassies, and the U.S. Government.

“I’m incredibly excited to be in the heart of ag policy and trade so that I can discover career opportunities, build my network and see what is out there,” said Gerlach a sophomore studying agricultural economics with a public policy option and minors in international agriculture and natural resources and leadership and communications within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“This opportunity will put me on the right path to prepare myself for everything I want to do in the future.”

Gerlach grew up raising show pigs on her family’s hog operation in southeast Nebraska and always knew she wanted to make agriculture her future career. Last year she served as a State FFA Officer, where she was able to travel across the state of Nebraska and internationally – exposing her to virtually every avenue of agriculture.

Gerlach knew she wanted to be involved with international agriculture very early on. Her interest in trade policy and building international agriculture relationships was jump started when she listened to a presentation by Jill O’Donnell, Director of the Yeutter Institute, as a high school student attending the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Conference.

“Because of my background and involvements, I have a strong grip of what ag means in Nebraska, but something I’m really excited to see is what role ag plays in the U.S. economy on the international scale,” Gerlach said.  

“To be able to see what it really means in that kind of atmosphere, it will grow my respect and passion for agriculture, even more so rounding out my perspective. Seeing what it means will help me appreciate it and be an even better ambassador for it– especially Nebraska agriculture.”

Following completion of her internship, Gerlach will work with Yeutter Institute leadership to plan an educational event for students and the public on an agricultural trade policy issue.

Gifts in honor of the Steve Nelson Yeutter Institute International Trade Internship Award may be directed to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. Donations can be made online at www.nefbfoundation.org or mailed to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, P.O. Box 80299 Lincoln, Neb. 68501.  

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans thought a wide variety of educations, service and advocacy efforts. More than 58,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.nefb.org.

The vision of University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumnus and renowned trade expert Clayton Yeutter, the Yeutter Institute connects academic disciplines related to law, business and agriculture in order to prepare students for leadership roles in international trade and finance, support interdisciplinary research and increase public understanding of these issues. For more information about the Yeutter Institute, visit yeutter-institute.unl.edu.



Passion for speaking earns Husker national champion spot at American Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet

A Nebraska student’s passion for dialogue and agricultural policy earned her the champion spot at the American Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet.  

Abby Durheim, senior agricultural and environmental sciences communication major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Virginia native, claimed her victory on March 13 at the American Farm Bureau Foundation’s 2021 FUSION Reimagined Conference held virtually this year.  

The contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting. Contestants are given a set of five questions that evaluate an agricultural issue prior to the discussion. They are able to reflect on the questions before they begin to discuss each one for about 20 minutes, ending with a closing statement. Durheim’s final and winning question asked participants to consider solutions to enhance rural economies.  

Durheim approached the issue with a two-pronged solution. She argued that for rural economies to thrive, agricultural profitability needed to be examined from a new perspective to ensure operations could financially support multiple families. In addition, she believed bridging the gap of opportunity in urban, suburban and rural communities would enhance rural economies. Durheim capitalized on the point that the combination of those two solutions creates the idea that when agriculture does good, rural economies do good and therefore rural economies have an opportunity.  

As she wraps up senior year, this accomplishment is only one of many for Durheim. She feels humbled to have been a part of the competition and saw the value in having those conversations with others that they will all be able to bring back to local and collegiate Farm Bureau chapters. Additionally, Durheim learned the value of not leading every conversation, but instead listening and facilitating, too.  

“It was absolutely humbling to have had such intense dialogue with such fierce competitors and to be able to provide such unique solutions to these issues and have someone tell me I was really good at it,” said Durheim.  

Looking to the future, Durheim dreams of being on Capitol Hill as an agricultural lobbyist for a general farming organization. The conversations and committee-like discussions had at the meet prepare her to further be able to connect farmers and ranchers to have those conversations at all levels. This opportunity gave her a chance to see agricultural issues happening on the ground and gave her the skills of effective communication.  

Durheim lends her motivation to continue to strive for her dreams and goals to those around her in Nebraska, Virginia and past Young Farmers and Ranchers who continue to cheer her on. Agriculture is certainly not something she was born into, but it is something she continues to be a voice for.  

“To be part of the ag community when you weren’t born into it, like I wasn’t born into production agriculture, is really, really special,” she said.  



NGFA members elect officers and Board of Directors

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) announced today that its members re-elected JoAnn Brouillette, president and managing partner of Demeter LP in Fowler, Ind., as NGFA Chairman.

NGFA distributed a ballot on March 15 to member companies eligible to vote (Active and Affiliated Association Members) for the election of NGFA’s Board of Directors and industry officers and the ratification of amendments to NGFA’s Bylaws, Trade Rules and Arbitration Rules. Ballots were due on March 26.

Election of NGFA Officers and Directors
Congratulations to NGFA’s industry officers who were re-elected to serve one-year terms:
NGFA Chairman: JoAnn Brouillette, Managing Partner, Demeter LP, Fowler, Ind.
NGFA First Vice Chairman: Greg Beck, Senior Vice President, Grain Division, CGB Enterprises, Covington, La.
NGFA Second Vice Chairman: Chris Boerm, President, Global Transportation, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Decatur, Ill.

Congratulations to NGFA’s new directors elected to serve three-year terms on NGFA’s Board:
Matt Ashton, Chief Executive Officer, New Vision Cooperative, Brewster, Minn.
Augusto Bassanini, President and CEO, United Grain Corp., Vancouver, Wash.
Gary Beachner, President and CEO, Beachner Grain Inc., Parsons, Kan.
Jeff Bechard, Senior Vice President, Grain, Central Valley Ag, York, Neb.
Jean Bratton, Chief Executive Officer, Centerra Cooperative, Ashland, Ohio
Dawn Caldwell, Head of Government Affairs, Aurora Cooperative, Aurora, Neb.
Mark Cullen, Senior Vice President, Feed and Livestock, The Equity, Effingham, Ill.
Chris Faust, Managing Director, North America and Country Manager U.S.A., COFCO International Grains US LLC, Chicago, Ill.
Tom Fernandes, Director of Commodity Finance, Grain Service Corp., Atlanta, Ga.
Brian Gier, Vice President, Sales, Purina Animal Nutrition, LLC, Land O’Lakes Inc., Arden Hills, Minn.
Bill Krueger, President, Trade and Processing Group, The Andersons, Overland Park, Kan.
 Mike Tate, Director, Origination North America, Bunge North America Inc., Chesterfield, Mo.

Ratification of Amendments to NGFA’s Bylaws and Rules  
The ratified amendments involved changes to 1) NGFA’s Bylaws broadening the application of existing term limits for members of the Executive Committee; 2) NGFA’s Trade Rules to define what is a “container” under the rules and align the terms for billing in the Barge Trade and Barge Freight Trading Rules; and 3) NGFA’s Arbitration Rules to address concerns related to the filing of arguments, requesting extensions and oral hearings, and expanding legal liability protections for NGFA and its arbitrators.



Beef Corn Silage Calculator Is Newly Updated

Those who use silage in their beef rations are invited to consider using a free calculator from Iowa Beef Center that provides helpful information.

According to developer Garland Dahlke, the Corn Silage to Beef Calculator provides a means to rank the potential value of corn silage varieties used in beef rations. Dahlke, who is an associate scientist at IBC, said several factors are important aspects of the tool.

"Although grain yield has always been a primary criterion for hybrid selection, kernel starch digestibility and plant fiber digestibility are factors that cannot be ignored when assessing the value of one variety over another," he said.

This Excel-based application has been available for some time; however, after a couple years of use some minor adjustments and the inclusion of starch digestibility into the calculation have been incorporated into the overall assessment.

This calculator is free to download from the calculators page on the IBC website. Contact Dahlke with questions or comments at 515-294-9910 or garland@iastate.edu.

The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.



Explore the Water Quality Impact of Cover Crops

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Conservation Learning Group, is hosting a free virtual field day discussing spring cover crop management tips and the impact of cover crops on water quality as part of the Conservation Learning Labs project on April 15 at 1 p.m.

Join for a live discussion with Mark Licht, Iowa State University assistant professor and cropping systems specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, and Matt Helmers, professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering and extension ag engineering specialist at Iowa State, who also directs the Iowa Nutrient Research Center.

Cover crops are one of the key practices of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy aimed at reducing nutrient losses from the landscape to our rivers and streams. Additionally, cover crops offer a wide range of benefits including reducing soil erosion, improving infiltration and soil health, weed suppression and grazing opportunities. Best management practices for spring management of cover crops are key to maximizing those benefits and reducing potential yield reductions.

The Conservation Learning Labs project, started in 2016, explores the water quality impact of high levels of cover crop and reduced tillage implementation on a small watershed scale. The project focused on watersheds between 500 and 1,300 total acres in size located in Floyd and Story counties. The watersheds have existing Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program wetlands that provided baseline water quality monitoring data. The continued monitoring allows for the comparison of water quality before and after conservation practice implementation and to a similarly sized control watershed that did not implement conservation practices.

“Through three years of water quality monitoring we have not seen reduction in nitrate levels in the watersheds with conservation practices implemented, possibly due to limited growth of cover crops,” noted Helmers. “This is a reason long-term water quality monitoring is critical.”

    Participate in the live virtual field day at 1 p.m. on April 15 to learn more, by clicking this URL: https://iastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpduihpj8iE9ZHcjpsenc2DWQILG41wg0D. Or visit www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/events and click “Join Live Virtual Field Day.”
    Or, join from a dial-in phone line by dialing 1-312-626-6799 or +1-646-876-9923 with meeting ID 914 1198 4892.
    The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time. The archive will be available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/events.
    Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU (if approved) will be provided at the end of the live field day.



UAN28 Prices Surge 34% Since Last Month Amid Nitrogen Price Spike

According to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of March 2021, some fertilizer prices are still climbing at pretty good clip, while others have not increased as much as in recent weeks. Like last week, only seven of the eight major fertilizers were up a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more.

Four of the major fertilizers continue to push considerably higher. UAN28 was up a mammoth 34% from last month and had an average price of $335/ton. UAN32 was 27% more expensive compared to the prior month and had an average price of $376/ton.  Anhydrous was up 26% looking back to last month and had an average price of $684/ton. 10-34-0 was 13% higher compared to the prior month and had average price of $599/ton.

The remaining four fertilizers were higher once again, but these fertilizers saw lesser price spikes compared to the previous weeks.  Urea was 8% more expensive looking back to last month and had an average price of $499/ton.  Both MAP and potash were 5% higher than last month. MAP had average price of $696/ton while potash was at $428/ton.  DAP was just up slightly compared back to the prior month. The phosphorus fertilizer had an average price of $616/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.54/lb.N, anhydrous $0.42/lb.N, UAN28 $0.60/lb.N and UAN32 $0.59/lb.N.

With retail fertilizer prices moving higher over recent months, all fertilizers are now higher in price from a year ago. Potash is now 16% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 28% higher, urea is 31% more expensive, UAN32 35% higher, anhydrous is 39% more expensive, UAN28 is 43% higher, DAP is 51% more expensive and MAP 60% is higher compared to last year.



USTR Report Cites Impediments to U.S. Dairy Exports

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) urged the Biden Administration to work to eliminate foreign tariffs on and nontariff impediments to U.S. exports, following the release today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of the 2021 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.

The annual report looks at progress made and challenges remaining on U.S. trade, investment and services in countries around the globe. Compiled from information from USTR, interagency partners and public stakeholders, this year’s report covers 65 countries and regions, including Arab League nations, the European Union (EU), key Asian markets and important Western Hemisphere destinations for U.S. dairy products.

USDEC and NMPF submitted comments on the major trade obstacles facing the U.S. dairy industry last October, pointing out that tariffs and nontariff barriers in many countries remain significant roadblocks to American dairy exports. Several of those concerns were incorporated in USTR’s report including dairy trade issues in Mexico, Canada, China and the EU, among others. In addition, USTR highlighted in its release that the key agricultural trade barriers captured in the NTE included “restrictions on the ability of U.S. producers to use the common names of the products that they produce and export”.  

“Exports are extremely important to the U.S. dairy industry, which shipped more than $6.5 billion of product to destinations worldwide in 2020,” said Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC. “Obstacles to those exports negatively affect the economic well-being of America’s dairy farmers and jeopardize dairy processing jobs and workers throughout the supply chain who support our industry. These barriers must be removed.”

“We need USTR to continue pressing our trading partners to eliminate tariffs and nontariff barriers that restrict our dairy exports,” added Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “The best way to do that is by implementing new Free Trade Agreements and enforcing existing agreements.”

USDEC and NMPF in their comments focused on barriers in key dairy export markets such as Canada, China, the EU and Mexico. Among the bigger obstacles cited by the organizations were the misuse of geographical indications (GIs) and unscientific import requirements and mandates.

On GIs, for example, the EU has sought to effectively monopolize common cheese terms by attempting to prohibit American cheese makers from using names such as asiago, feta, gorgonzola, gruyere and parmesan and keep out imports of U.S.-made cheeses with those names, not only in EU nations, but in other countries as well.

The EU also is a leading offender in employing prescriptive requirements to limit imports, including dairy products, imposing, for example, specific animal disease oversight and documentation procedures and limiting the use of veterinary drugs and commonly used antimicrobials. These are the kinds of barriers USDEC and NMPF urge USTR to remove to ensure exports of U.S. dairy products are available to consumers around the world and to protect the millions of American jobs supported by the U.S. dairy industry.



Farmers Union Encouraged by American Jobs Plan

President Joe Biden today unveiled a blueprint to “create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.”

Known as the American Jobs Plan, the proposal outlines a $2.25 trillion investment over eight years to repair our roads, bridges, and dams; modernize public transit and airports; expand broadband access; ensure safe drinking water in all communities; upgrade housing, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other buildings; and build resilience to climate change. To offset the cost, the plan would also amend the corporate tax code.

Though strengthening rural infrastructure has long been a priority for National Farmers Union (NFU), the issue has become a particular concern as the pandemic and climate change-related events have further stressed our systems and revealed deficiencies. In a statement, NFU President Rob Larew expressed encouragement about the plan:

“After decades of neglect, our nation’s infrastructure is barely holding together – a fact that has become especially apparent after the pandemic and extreme weather events disrupted the food supply chain, energy production, and other critical services. As the climate continues to change, our systems will inevitably be strained in other ways they are in no way prepared for.

“While much of the country could use infrastructure updates, rural communities have suffered disproportionately from underfunding. Those neighborhoods contain a larger portion of crumbling roads, bridges, and dams, and they also lack internet connectivity, affordable housing, and medical resources, all of which is holding residents back and contributing to rural flight.

"It is really encouraging to see these issues and others included in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. We sincerely hope that this will set the stage for comprehensive improvements that strengthen rural communities, build resilience to climate change, and hasten economic recovery. In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to reviewing the plan and subsequent legislation in greater detail, including the pay-for provisions."



POET Expands into Plant-Based Consumer Products

Today, POET announced it has expanded its production of all-natural, 100% plant-based purified alcohol, which exceeds the highest global quality standards for alcohol. POET also unveiled a suite of bio-based products under a new label, POET Pure™. The combined actions will further extend the reach of one of the world’s largest bioethanol and bioproducts companies, bringing even more green consumer products to the market.

POET Biorefining – Leipsic will produce up to 35 million gallons of purified alcohol annually, which will include grain neutral spirits (GNS) and USP-grade alcohol. A second expansion at POET Biorefining – Alexandria is also scheduled to come online in Q2 2021.

Purified alcohol is a fundamental ingredient in thousands of well-known products ranging from foods and beverages, personal care products, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers and industrial applications. POET’s purified alcohol is a beverage-grade grain neutral spirit that meets pharmaceutical-grade specifications as well.

“We are excited to announce POET’s continued expansion into plant-based consumer products,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO. “As a worldwide leader in sustainable innovation with a footprint that spans more than 40 countries, POET has the unique ability to supply consumers across the globe with Earth-friendly bioproducts. We’re proud to say that bioethanol and its co-products are continually being utilized in more ways that will enable us to live cleaner, healthier lives while being better friends to our environment.”

POET’s all-natural purified alcohol is made from renewable resources grown on the surface of the Earth and can replace petroleum-based synthetic products found in a variety of consumer goods. It meets the highest standards for purity including the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) label standards and will meet the Global Food Safety Initiative’s Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program standards and kosher guidelines.

“POET’s purified alcohol was developed using advanced, top-tier technology to ensure the highest levels of quality and purity,” said Darin Cartwright, POET’s Vice President overseeing this new market development. “POET’s expansive commercial footprint and 30-plus years of experience in the bioethanol sector guarantees a reliable and competitive supply of top-quality products for our customers.”

In conjunction with the expansion, POET also unveiled that their suite of bioproducts will be unified under a new label, POET Pure. The POET Pure product line will include purified alcohol, renewable CO2 and renewable dry ice.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 3/26/2021

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending March 26, ethanol production rebounded 4.7%, or 43,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 965,000 b/d, equivalent to 40.53 million gallons daily. Production was 14.9% above the same week last year, when output started falling sharply due to the pandemic, but was 3.4% below the same week in 2019. The four-week average ethanol production rate increased 3.2% to 949,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 14.55 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks contracted 3.2% to an 18-week low of 21.1 million barrels, which was 17.9% below a year-ago and 12.0% below this time in 2019. Inventories dropped across all regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, rose 3.2% to a 25-week high of 8.89 million b/d (136.30 bg annualized). Gasoline demand was 33.5% above a year ago but was 2.6% below the pre-pandemic level in 2019.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol jumped 5.1% to 882,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.52 bg annualized. This was the highest level since the week ending Mar. 13, 2020 yet remained 3.0% below 2019.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the fifteenth consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of January 2021.)



Growth Energy: To Decarbonize Transportation, America Must Turn to Biofuels 

Following President Joe Biden’s announcement of a nationwide infrastructure package today, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor released this statement: 

"It’s disappointing that President Biden put forth a robust, $2 trillion infrastructure plan that overlooks the urgent need to expand access to low carbon biofuels, like plant-based ethanol. The President campaigned on a platform of using 'every tool at his disposal' to 'promote and advance renewable energy, ethanol, and other biofuels'. The details of the American Jobs Plan released today assuredly missed an opportunity to meet these promises.

“It is now even more crucial that any further legislation proposed by the Administration and Congress include a robust role for ethanol. Since 2010, biofuels like ethanol have been responsible for cumulative carbon dioxide savings of nearly 600 million metric tons in the U.S., or the equivalent of removing 130 million cars from the road, roughly half of our nation’s fleet.

“Earlier this year, a new report from the Rhodium Group, a leading independent climate analysis firm, found that biofuels are an essential element of our path to a net-zero future by 2050. Ethanol reduces life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from motor fuel by an average of 46 percent, as demonstrated most recently in groundbreaking research. Continuous innovation has fueled this environmental progress, allowing biofuel producers and farmers to ramp up production year after year, without expanding our environmental footprint. Biofuels can help us reduce emissions today, and the innovations being driven by our industry will continue to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels.

“We look forward to working with this Administration and our bipartisan Congressional champions to ensure that biofuels have a leading role in helping our nation upgrade its infrastructure and address climate change."   



IRFA Thanks Iowa Attorney General for Leading Effort to Support Renewable Fuel Standard Before the U.S. Supreme Court

Today Iowa’s Attorney General Tom Miller and seven other state attorneys general submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the court to uphold a recent 10th Circuit Court decision concerning the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The bipartisan brief supports the 10th Circuit’s finding that EPA abused the RFS refiner exemption process in recent years. Refining companies appealed that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw thanked Miller for his leadership in organizing the effort.

“We greatly appreciate the leadership of Attorney General Miller to bring together a large, bipartisan group of states to support the RFS and the letter of the law,” Shaw said. “This amicus brief sends a message loud and clear from eight state attorneys general that the 10th Circuit Court got it right. They clearly and accurately interpreted and upheld the RFS law. This brief encourages the U.S. Supreme Court to do the same.  Words matter and the RFS should be implemented as Congress intended. Today’s amicus brief is another step in getting the RFS back on track and growing demand for low-cost, low-carbon biofuels.”

In January of 2020, the 10th Circuit Court found that EPA illegally issued RFS exemptions to refineries that did not qualify. The verdict of the case is now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.



Growth Energy and American Farm Bureau Federation Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Ruling Against Demand Destruction

Today, Growth Energy and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC, et al., v. Renewable Fuels Association, et al.  The joint brief defends a lower court’s ruling, which vacated refinery exemptions improperly granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Following the brief filing, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor released the following statement:

“The outcome of this case before the Supreme Court will be a pivotal moment for the biofuels industry and the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Skor. “We are proud to provide additional support to the respondents, and to address two additional and critical considerations to the court: agency deference and the importance of providing a remedy for the billions of gallons of biofuel demand destroyed by unlawful exemptions. We urge the Supreme Court to affirm the 10th Circuit decision, reject attempts by a handful of oil refiners to avoid blending obligations, and ensure the integrity of the RFS is upheld nationwide.”

Growth Energy and AFBF’s brief outlines three main arguments. First, that the EPA’s interpretation of the small refinery exemption (SRE) eligibility provisions of the RFS is not entitled to deference on several grounds, not least of which are that it was not made in the exercise of EPA’s lawmaking authority and, in any case, no longer reflects EPA’s considered position.

Second, the trade groups reinforce the respondents’ arguments on the merits of the question presented to the Court, arguing that the text, structure, and purpose of the RFS require the Court to hold that the meaning of “extension” in the RFS statute requires continuous, uninterrupted exemptions as a condition of future SRE eligibility.  

Third, Growth Energy and AFBF call on the Court to provide meaningful judicial review by also providing an adequate remedy that requires refineries to comply with blending obligations that had been unlawfully waived.  



Biofuels Coalition Welcomes Amicus Briefs in Supreme Court RFS Case
    
The Renewable Fuels Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and American Coalition for Ethanol (collectively referred to as the “Biofuels Coalition”) thanked the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Virginia for filing an amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court today in support of the Coalition’s arguments in HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC, et al., v. Renewable Fuels Association, et al. The Coalition also expressed its appreciation to the other biofuel and agriculture groups that filed amicus briefings in support of the biofuels industry.
 
HollyFrontier and other refiners are asking the Supreme Court to overturn the January 2020 ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) v. EPA, in which the court found EPA exceeded its authority in granting certain small refinery waivers. Recognizing that “the renewable fuel and agriculture industries are the cornerstone of the economies of many states,” today’s brief from the states concludes that “the judgment of the court of appeals should be affirmed.”
 
“These industries—and the rural economies that they anchor—have grown over the past 16 years in reliance on the promise of the Renewable Fuel Standard,” according to the states’ brief. “And all States have an interest in the environmental benefits and energy independence that the RFS promises to achieve. But the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent trend of freely granting small-refinery exemptions has undermined these promises.”
 
Commenting on the amicus briefings filed today, RFA, NCGA, NFU, and ACE offered the following statement:

“The biofuels respondents appreciate the support of the broad array of interests that have been harmed by these unauthorized small refinery exemptions. As the filings make clear, the exemptions have had a devastating effect on rural economies and on the demand for all types of renewable fuels. We remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will affirm the Tenth Circuit’s well-reasoned decision, and we are very grateful that these states and other renewable fuel and agriculture interests have stepped up to endorse the decision as well.”



NBB Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court SRE Case

Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the pending case HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC, et al. v Renewable Fuels Association et al. NBB argues that small refinery exemptions destroy demand and limit future growth of biodiesel and renewable diesel, which fulfill the requirements of several Renewable Fuel Standard categories.

NBB asks the Supreme Court to affirm the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in order "to respect the appropriate limits Congress placed on refiners' eligibility for small refinery exemptions, and to restore the conditions that allowed biomass-based diesel production to flourish, with all the attendant environmental, economic, and energy security benefits that Congress intended in enacting the RFS."

Kurt Kovarik, NBB's Vice President of Federal Affairs, added, "Biodiesel and renewable diesel producers appreciate EPA's recognition that exemptions are only temporary mechanisms to transition small refineries into the RFS program. The agency has a duty to fully account for any exemptions it grants and ensure that the RFS volumes it sets each year are fully met. Continued misuse of small refinery exemptions is a direct threat to the U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry and the 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in annual economic activity it supports. We look forward to working with EPA to get the RFS program back on track and support continued growth of the biodiesel industry."

NBB estimates that small refinery exemptions granted since 2017 directly destroyed demand for more than 550 million gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel in the RFS advanced biofuel category. The use of petroleum diesel in place of those gallons added 5.5 million metric tons of carbon to U.S. emissions. Using these better, cleaner fuels reduces carbon emissions by an average 74 percent compared to petroleum. It also reduces particulate matter and hydrocarbon emissions and associated health impacts, leading to lower healthcare costs.



Massey Ferguson RB 4160P Protec Baler Redefines Forage Production

AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, introduces the Massey Ferguson® RB 4160P Protec combo baler. Now, producers can focus on harvesting forage at optimum condition, preserving it at peak nutritive value for livestock — even when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate.

With the Protec, AGCO continues its legacy of offering innovative hay and forage solutions. The unit combines all the features found on the RB Series silage balers with an integrated bale-wrapping unit, allowing producers to harvest and ensile high-moisture forages in one simple process.

“In climates with high humidity and lots of rain, putting up hay traditionally can be a challenge, so many forage growers are turning to baled silage,” says Dane Mosel, marketing product specialist for hay and forage at AGCO. “Not only do they avoid the drydown issues, but they can harvest their forage at the ideal growth stage for maximum nutritional value.”

Whether harvesting forage for a dairy or beef operation, the versatile RB 4160 Protec can handle any crop a grower wishes to bale. In addition to plastic-wrapped baleage, the machine can be used to mesh wrap forage before bagging as silage, as well as to bale dry hay, straw and even course material such as corn stover.

Individually wrapped bales offer feed quality and transport advantages
Capturing and preserving a forage’s nutritional value is one benefit of silage. Mosel says that by wrapping a silage bale as soon as it leaves the bale chamber, more protein and nutrients are retained for animals to consume.

“It takes less than a minute from the time forage enters the Protec’s pickup to the time the wrapped bale is released,” he says. “That preserves the nutritional quality the grower worked so hard to achieve in that crop. Feeding such premium-quality forage may actually lower ration costs because you don’t need to feed as much or need as many supplements.”

In 2020, AGCO hay and forage specialist Jessica Williamson conducted a field trial comparing forage quality from silage bales that were wrapped at varying intervals after baling. She found that delaying the wrapping process by as little as 24 hours led to a nearly 4 percent decrease in the availability of digestible proteins, as well as reductions in total digestible nutrients and volatile fatty acid score, an indicator of the success of the ensiling process.

Mosel notes that inline tube wrapping delays the ensiling process, because the bales must first be moved to the field edge or a central location. Air can be trapped in the space between tube-wrapped bales, reducing effective fermentation. Quality also may be lost when the tube is opened and oxygen is reintroduced to the bales inside.

“Once that seal is broken, the forage inside is susceptible to spoilage, especially when the weather gets warm,” he adds. “That’s not a concern when bales are wrapped individually. They also can be transported, stored or sold with relative ease.”

Commercial-strength engineering ensures reliability
Built with durability and long life in mind, the Protec baler has a robust chassis and rides on high-flotation tires selected to handle the machine’s 14,000-pound weight. The baler components — including the pickup, bale chamber and net-wrap system — are identical to the RB 4160V silage baler, which debuted at the 2018 Farm Progress Show and produces 4-by-5-foot bales.

“We have standard RBs in the field with 50,000 to 60,000 bale counts and still going strong, so these balers are built to handle whatever you can throw at them,” Mosel says.

With a tine-to-tine width of 73 inches, the cam-less pickup ensures that even heavy, wet forages feed smoothly into the bale chamber. Because there is no cam track, there are fewer moving parts, making the baler both quieter and more reliable with less maintenance and fewer adjustments.

The Protec baler features two banks of Xtracut™ hydraulically operated knives. Operators can select zero, eight, nine or 17 knives to attain forage cuts as small as 2.65 inches in length, allowing for improved forage digestibility. Once the crop is inside the bale chamber, the Constant Pressure System (CPS) ensures density stays consistent through the entire baling process.

“The denser the bale, the less oxygen when it’s wrapped, which improves the ensiling process,” Mosel says, adding that the Protec’s variable chamber forms bales that are 4 feet wide and 35.5 to 63 inches in diameter.

Wrapping is easy with Protec
With its unique design, the combination baler’s wrapping unit is rugged enough to easily wrap silage bales that could weigh nearly 3,000 pounds. Yet it’s compact enough for greater maneuverability in the field and ease when transporting and storing.

In addition to two rolls of net wrap, the RB 4160P can carry 14 rolls of 750mm or 500mm film on board. Three film pre-stretching options are available, depending on manufacturer recommendations.

“With that amount of mesh and film, the unit can wrap 224 bales in eight layers of plastic or up to 280 bales in six layers, so the Protec can run all day,” says Mosel, adding that the Easy Load System (ELS™) makes mesh roll replacement a cinch. “Sensors automatically detect if film breaks or if a roll runs out, and the baler compensates to ensure that bales are always completely wrapped.”

Innovative features maximize baling opportunities
The entire RB Series is engineered with productivity in mind. An operator can track bale formation, control cutter engagement and select knife banks all from the intuitive E-link Pro™ touch-screen monitor inside the tractor cab. The only reason to leave the seat would be to replenish net wrap and film.

Even a plugged pickup can be remedied from the cab thanks to the HydroFlex Control™ system with its hydraulically controlled floating floor.

“Should the baler get plugged, the operator can disengage the knives and lower the rear of the feed table floor from the in-cab monitor, allowing the crop to enter the bale chamber,” Mosel explains. “Then, the machine can be re-engaged and baling can continue. There’s no jumping out of the cab. No need to get hot, sweaty and dirty crawling under the baler.”

The baler comes standard with a rear-mounted camera, providing the operator with a view of the wrapping table and the ability to monitor bale transfer, wrapping and release. Maintenance is simple. The baler features easy-to-access grease banks and an automatic chain lube system.

“The RB 4160P Protec combo baler is an ideal tool for producers who want to maximize the return on investment from their forages and provide their livestock with the absolute best feed,” Mosel says. “It’s an all-in-one solution for forage.”