Monday, June 21, 2021

Monday June 21 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 20, 2021, there were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 8% very short, 33% short, 57% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 9% very short, 34% short, 57% adequate, and 0% surplus.

Field Crops Report:

Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 15% fair, 60% good, and 23% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 14% fair, 64% good, and 19% excellent. Soybeans emerged was 95%, near 96% last year and 93% for the five-year average. Blooming was 5%, behind 14% last year, and equal to average.

Winter wheat condition rated 2% very poor, 8% poor, 31% fair, 50% good, and 9% excellent. Winter wheat headed was 98%, near 94% last year and 96% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 0% poor, 18% fair, 64% good, and 18% excellent. Sorghum planted was 97%, near 100% last year and 96% average. Headed was 1%, near 2% both last year and average.

Oats condition rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 35% fair, 51% good, and 7% excellent. Oats headed was 83%, near 82% last year, and ahead of 77% average.

Dry edible beans planted was 92%, near 95% last year, but well ahead of 65% average. Emerged was 70%, behind 79% last year, but well ahead of 48% average.

Pasture and Range Report:

Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 9% poor, 59% fair, 26% good, and 3% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT


 With only spotty rains across most areas of the State, farmers had 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 20, 2021 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included spraying post emergence herbicides, side dressing nitrogen, and harvesting hay.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 25% very short, 39% short, 35% adequate and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 23% very short, 46% short, 31% adequate and 0% surplus.

Crops showed signs of stress from the lack of precipitation and high heat. Farmers reported corn curling and ground cracking in some areas.

Iowa’s corn condition rated 56% good to excellent, 7 percentage points below the past week.

Soybean emergence was 96% complete, 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Across the State, 7% of soybeans were blooming, also 1 week ahead of normal. There were scattered reports of soybeans setting pods. Soybean condition declined to 57% good to excellent.

Oats headed or beyond reached 74% with 13% turning color, 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Iowa’s oat condition rated 54% good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 95% complete, 9 days ahead of normal. There were scattered reports of farmers completing a second cutting. Hay condition continued to fall to 49% good to excellent, 6 percentage points below last week.

Pasture condition also continued to drop this week to 37% good to excellent. Heat and continued dry conditions are stressing livestock.



USDA: Hot, Dry Weather Lowers Corn, Soybean Conditions... Again


Continued hot and dry weather across central, northern and western parts of the country last week led to another drop in good-to-excellent ratings for U.S. corn and soybeans, USDA NASS said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

NASS pegged corn condition at 65% good to excellent as of Sunday, June 20, down 3 percentage points from 68% the previous week. That followed a 4-percentage-point drop in corn's good-to-excellent rating during the week ended June 13. The crop's current rating is below 72% at the same time last year and is now the fourth-lowest rating in 12 years.

Soybean planting progress was still slightly ahead of normal at 97% complete versus the five-year average of 94%. Ninety-one percent of soybeans had emerged, 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 85%. NASS pegged soybeans blooming at 5%, equal to both last year and the five-year average.  Soybean conditions also dropped last week, falling to 60% good to excellent -- down 2 percentage points from 62% the previous week.

While the hot, dry weather put stress on row crops, it did appear to aid winter wheat harvesters, who picked up speed last week. Winter wheat harvest jumped ahead 13 percentage points during the week to reach 17% complete as of Sunday. That was still 10 percentage points behind last year's pace and 9 percentage points behind the five-year average of 26%.  Winter wheat condition was rated 49% good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from 48% the previous week.

Heat and dryness in the Northern Plains also accelerated spring wheat development. Spring wheat headed jumped 19 percentage points last week to reach 27% as of Sunday. That is ahead of 11% last year and 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 18%.

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The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska Announces Cass County as 2022 Event Location


The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska, a charity whose mission is to raise money for cancer research through an annual fundraiser, today announced the 2022 event will take place at the Cass County Fairgrounds in Weeping Water, Neb., on June 3 and 4.

The Cattlemen’s Ball is held in a different location each year, giving Nebraska communities the opportunity to showcase their unique area of the state while raising money for research at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. The event also promotes beef, one of the state’s largest industries, as part of a healthy diet.

The 2022 event will be spearheaded by two host families – Mark and Candi Rathe with their daughters Brooklyn and Jillian, of Weeping Water, and Dr. Scott and Karen Lubben with their children Angela and husband, EJ; Matthew and wife, Lauren; and Jeremiah, of Plattsmouth. Approximately 700 volunteers from the local area will support the event.

“We’re extremely excited to bring this event to Cass County,” said Mark Rathe, who serves as the Cass County Fair board president. “This is an incredible opportunity for folks to come together for a great cause and have fun while doing it. I have high expectations for both the quality of the event and the outcome.”

Location lends itself to success

Since the inaugural event in 1998, the Cattlemen’s Ball has raised nearly $15 million to fund cancer research. Ninety percent of the proceeds go to the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the remaining 10% is returned to the local community for health and wellness initiatives. Rathe has set an informal goal to raise $2 million at next year’s event, which would be a record-breaking accomplishment.

“Our location gives us a unique advantage,” he said. “We’re a rural, agriculture-based community, which is typical for Cattlemen’s Ball locations, but we’re also ideally situated between Nebraska’s two largest cities. I think that combination will enable us to draw a large, diverse crowd. We want people to know this event isn’t just for cattle producers and cowboys – it’s for all Nebraskans.”

Weeping Water, which has a population of approximately 1,200 people, is located about 30 minutes south of Omaha and 40 minutes east of Lincoln. The closest previous Cattlemen’s Ball location was Ashland in 2003.

No ball gowns required

While the term “ball” typically refers to a formal event with dancing, the Cattlemen’s Ball is not that, explained Dr. Scott Lubben, a Cass County veterinarian whose office is in Louisville. Activities in recent years have included a benefit run, golf tournament, cancer survivor style show, beef  experience, beer and wine tastings, silent and live auctions, prime rib dinner, concerts and more.

“We’re looking forward to continuing those same activities, but putting our own local spin on them,” he said. “We’ll also be looking for ways to expand and make the Ball better than ever.”

While the event is open to all, there is a level of exclusivity. Ticket sales will be capped at 1,500 for a two-day pass and 3,000 for a Saturday-only pass.

“We expect this to be a sell-out event,” Lubben said. “So, we encourage anyone interested in attending the 2022 Cattlemen’s Ball to stay tuned as planning progresses and tickets go on sale later this year. We can’t wait to see everyone in Weeping Water next June.”

To learn more about the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska and stay up-to-date on event announcements, visit www.cattlemensball.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.



What Have We Learned about Soybean Seed Constituents in Irrigated and Dryland Producer Fields in Nebraska?

(cropwatch.unl.edu)

A continuous increase in U.S. soybean yield due to better genetics and agronomic practices has been accompanied by a continuous decline in seed protein concentration. This is becoming a problem for soybean processors aiming to produce a high-protein soybean meal.

Nebraska is ranked as the fourth-largest soybean producer state in the U.S. About 50% of Nebraska soybean acreage is irrigated; the rest is dryland and exposed to water limitation in years with insufficient and/or ill-distributed in-season rainfall. As a result, yields are typically higher and more stable with irrigation compared with dryland conditions.

Previous studies have shown that seed protein concentration tends to decline with increasing yields; therefore, one would expect — in principle — seed protein to decrease with higher yields under irrigated conditions. However, the extent to which water regime (irrigated versus dryland) affects seed constituents — in particular, protein concentration — has not been evaluated.

To answer this question, a research team at the UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture initiated a project, with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board. With the help of 17 UNL Extension Educators, they collected soybean seed samples from a total of 91 soybean producers during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. Each producer was asked to submit samples from both irrigated and dryland fields. Soybean seed samples were analyzed for protein and oil, and test weight was also determined. The surveyed fields represent well the soybean production area distribution within the state and the associated range in weather, soil and management practices.

The three cases in which yield was higher in dryland versus irrigated conditions were scenarios in which irrigated fields suffered yield losses due to weed infestation, or received ill-timed sub-optimal irrigation amounts, or were planted late. There was no difference in the bushel test weight between irrigated and dryland fields. However, the average test weight (57 lb/bu) was 3 lb per bushel lower than the standard soybean market test weight of 60 lb/bu.

Contrary to the original hypothesis, irrigated fields exhibited higher protein (+0.32%) than nearby dryland fields but had slightly lower oil (-0.18%). In other words, both yield and seed protein were higher in irrigated versus dryland fields, which means Nebraska soybean producers can produce high yields with high protein concentration under irrigated conditions. Aside from economic considerations, this result is also interesting from a scientific perspective as irrigation seems to be a practice that breaks the typical trade-off that one would expect between yield and seed protein (i.e., a lower protein with higher yield).



CHRIS SCHAFFER TO SUCCEED KEITH SPACKLER AS AGP CEO


The Board of Directors of Ag Processing Inc a cooperative (“AGP” or the “Company”) today announced that it has named Chris Schaffer as its Chief Executive Officer and General Manager effective August 1, 2021. Schaffer, who currently serves as AGP’s Senior Vice President of Ag Products, will succeed current CEO Keith Spackler who earlier this year announced his plans to retire.

“Chris Schaffer is an outstanding leader with a track record of success in growing commodity markets, adapting to evolution in agriculture, and achieving strong returns,” said Lowell Wilson, Chairman of the AGP Board of Directors. “His knowledge of AGP, the cooperative system, and agricultural markets will serve him well as the Company continues its mission to add value and returns for our members and their producer-owners. We are confident that under Chris’ leadership, AGP will continue to achieve growth initiatives and pursue opportunities to further serve agriculture and the cooperative system.

“AGP has a long-standing history of success, and we look forward to building on the existing strengths, while creating and capitalizing on new opportunities,” said Schaffer. “Working with the many exceptional people in achieving success at AGP is a tremendous honor and privilege, and I look forward to working with the Board, management team, and employees in continuing the growth, development, and success of this cooperative. I am proud to be a part of the cooperative system dedicated to serving agriculture.”

Schaffer’s career spans over 27 years in agribusiness. He joined AGP in 1994 as a merchandiser and served at AGP’s corporate headquarters as well as the Sheldon and Eagle Grove, Iowa facilities. From 1997-1999, Schaffer worked for the U.S. Feed Grains Council as Manager of International Operations, traveling to various countries promoting trade opportunities. In 1999, Schaffer rejoined AGP specializing in trading various commodities both domestically and internationally. He was promoted to Vice President of AGP’s Ag Products division in 2012 and named Senior Vice President of Ag Products in 2017. He currently serves on the Boards of the National Oilseeds Processors Association and the National Grain and Feed Association.

A native of Lake City, Iowa, Schaffer grew up on a corn and soybean farm. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University. Chris and his wife Lisa reside in Waterloo, Nebraska.



Grasshoppers

Amy Timmerman – NE Extension Educator

 
Large grasshopper populations may cause economic loss in cash crops and reduce forage in range and pasture lands. The drought conditions will exacerbate the grasshopper issue as they will seek any plant material that is green during the growing season.  

This will become more obvious as grassy areas such as road ditches begin to dry down and the grasshoppers are forced to seek alternative food sources.
     
Identification

Two-Striped Grasshopper

Two-striped, redlegged, and differential grasshoppers are the three main species that are being reported in the areas with large grasshopper populations. Of these three species, the most common is the two-striped grasshoppers. These grasshoppers get their name because of the two light yellow lines that run on the back of their head to their abdomen where they converge near the middle of the wings. Two-striped grasshoppers are normally a tan to brown in color. They are approximately 1-1 ½ inches long.

Redlegged Grasshopper

Another grasshopper that has been reported is the redlegged grasshopper. These grasshoppers get their name from their red hind leg segment. Their bodies range in color from green to tan with black markings and they are 2/3 to 1 inch long.

Differential Grasshopper

The other large grasshoppers that are being reported are the differential grasshoppers. These vary in size from 1 1/8 to 1 ½ inches long. Their bodies are green to yellow in color and they have black chevron markings on their hind legs.

Scouting and Management Options

The two methods for determining if populations are at or above threshold are to use visual counts or a sweep net. For visual counts, estimate a square yard in front of you and count the number of grasshoppers jumping out of the area as you slowly walk towards it. For sweep netting, use a 15-inch diameter sweep net and capture grasshoppers in four pendulum swings (approximately one square yard of area) and count them. With either sampling method, we recommend repeating it several times in a pattern, such as the example in Figure 6, and calculating the average for increased accuracy.

The threshold for grasshopper populations that was established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for grasslands is 15-20 nymphs or 8-10 adults per square yard.

For crops, we recommend scouting for nymphs and adults both in field margins and within the fields. For field margins, management should be considered when nymph populations reach 50-75 per square yard and adult populations reach 21-40 per square yard. In the field, management should be considered when there are 30-45 nymphs per square yard or when there are 8-14 adults per square yard. If you observe silk feeding, or grasshoppers feeding on ear tips or developing kernels insecticide management should be considered. For soybean, if grasshoppers cause 20% defoliation after flowering or are feeding on developing pods insecticide management should be considered.

If thresholds are exceeded, an insecticide that is labeled for grasshopper management may be considered.

In pastures and range, spreading poison grasshopper baits or baits containing Nosema locusta spores may be used to reduce populations. If treating earlier in the season while grasshoppers are still growing, an insect growth regulator (IGR) containing diflubenzuron may be applied to inhibit grasshopper development. However, please note that IGRs have no effect on adult grasshoppers and should only be used to manage developing nymphs.



May Milk Production in the United States up 4.6 Percent


Milk production in the United States during May totaled 19.9 billion pounds, up 4.6 percent from May 2020. Production per cow in the United States averaged 2,088 pounds for May, 61 pounds above May 2020. The number of milk cows on farms in the United States was 9.51 million head, 145,000 head more than May 2020, and 5,000 head more than April 2021.

IOWA: Milk production in Iowa during May 2021 totaled 483 million pounds, up 6% from the previous May according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during May, at 228,000 head, was the same as last month but 11,000 more than May 2020. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,120 pounds, up 25 pounds from last May.



Stevens Is Newest Farm Management Specialist Serving Iowa Farmers


With a little more than a year of experience working for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Alexis Stevens has yet to experience “normal extension life.”

The newly named farm management specialist for Region 2, she began her extension career in February 2020, as the county extension director for the ISU Extension and Outreach Boone County office. Her start date was just weeks before the university required everyone to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stevens found herself in a new job, interacting with new people in new ways – by phone and by zoom meetings.

On June 14, she began as the farm management specialist for 11 counties in west central Iowa. Although COVID-19 put her to the test in her first year, her experience as a farm operator and now as a county extension director have prepared her for this new role.

“I know, from experience, what the county directors and the county councils want out of a specialist. And I know what’s realistic of what I can give to them,” she said.

Stevens earned a bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Maryland in 2004, and she earned a Master of Business Administration in 2020.

Farm experience

Both of her parents held extension jobs when she was younger and she is very familiar with 4-H. She took still projects in her own 4-H days and she and her husband, Chad, have 10 children, seven involved with 4-H and Clover Kids.

Stevens began managing her family’s farming operations in 2006, following an eight-year career in the military, where she worked as an interrogator. In that amount of time, she’s seen major farm price swings, droughts and floods, and a shift in her own farm from beef cattle to all crops.

“Alexis brings a wealth of experience from her roles in overseeing corn, soybean, cattle and poultry operations, along with her service as a county director and in the military,” said Chad Hart, professor in economics and extension grain markets specialist at Iowa State. “That experience will be utilized, as the farm management specialist position requires a broad knowledge of farm operations, government programs and financial planning.”

Serving Iowans

Stevens said some of the programs she is most excited about are the Women in Ag Program and efforts to help Iowa farmers with farm succession planning. She is also gearing up for a series of ag lending and leasing meetings, getting trained in Annie’s Project and planning to offer drought information as needed.

As a farm management specialist, she will be joining a team of eight field specialists and eight state specialists who serve all of Iowa.

She is eager to meet more Iowans in person.

“I’m really excited to see people in person and talk to them in person and do in-person programming,” she said. "I will admit – I really did not enjoy doing Zoom meetings all year.”

Stevens' region includes Greene, Carroll, Crawford, Monona, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Guthrie, Audubon, Shelby and Harrison counties.

Her office will be located at the ISU Extension and Outreach Greene County office, in Jefferson. She can be reached at 515-386-0343 or ahooper@iastate.edu.



CO Supreme Court Blocks Ballot Initiative 16 (PAUSE Initiative)

Colorado Veterinary Medical Assoc.

In a 7-0 ruling on Monday, June 21, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Ballot Initiative 16 contains multiple subjects. The initiative cannot advance to the signature gathering step, and will not appear on the 2022 ballot. If the proponents of the initiative wish to continue forward, they will need to resubmit a new initiative and begin the process over again. The June 21 Colorado Supreme Court ruling did not address the merits of the initiative itself; the court only looked at whether the initiative contained a single subject, which is a requirement for all initiatives that appear on the Colorado ballot.  

“Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation” or Ballot Initiative 16, would have proposed changes to Colorado’s animal cruelty statutes and was an initiative being considered for the 2022 Colorado ballot.

CVMA, along with other agriculture and animal welfare groups, was gravely concerned this initiative would have a negative impact on animal health in Colorado.

CVMA Position Statement on Ballot Initiative 16 (PAUSE Initiative)

The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association strongly opposes Ballot Initiative 16, also known as the PAUSE Initiative. Every veterinarian takes an oath to protect animal health and welfare, prevent and relieve animal suffering, promote public health, and advance medical knowledge. Initiative 16 threatens all those commitments. On behalf of CVMA’s 2,200+ veterinarian members and the hundreds of thousands of animals they care for, CVMA urges all veterinarians to stand up for animals and oppose this initiative.

Ballot Initiative 16 is not in the best interests of any animal in Colorado, and if (it had been) approved by voters in 2022, the initiative will cause lasting damage to animal health and public health in Colorado. Colorado veterinarians are a community of caring doctors dedicated to protecting animal welfare: their physical and mental health; and quality of care for animals. Our veterinary community is gravely concerned about the significant harm this initiative would have on Colorado’s animals.

Ballot Initiative 16 had proposed four significant changes to the Cruelty Act:
    Includes livestock in the Cruelty Act and removes existing protection for standard animal husbandry practices from the Cruelty Act.
    Expands the definition of sexual abuse of an animal, therefore making neutering/castrating animals and artificial insemination a criminal offense.
    Sets arbitrary lifespans of livestock and criminalizes slaughter of animals at the age when quality meat is most often produced.
    Overrides or criminalizes numerous laws in Colorado and other western states, including: the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act and the required veterinarian-client-patient relationship; laws that govern livestock production; laws and regulations of other western states regarding disease testing of livestock before shipment to those states, making it impossible to ship livestock outside Colorado.

Ballot Initiative 16 is deceptive and misleading

The Ballot Initiative 16 website claims the measure is intended to extend existing animal abuse laws for companion animals to farmed animals. The animal rights measure is ill-defined, incomplete, and would have far-reaching negative results for the care of dogs, cats, horses, and production of livestock in Colorado.

Read more on the assessment of the initiative by CVMA here:  https://www.colovma.org/advocacy-news/cvma-position-statement-on-ballot-initiative-16-pause-initiative/.  



ABA Report: Farm Bank Lending Remains Strong at $98.6 Billion in 2020


Despite the global economic slowdown in 2020 due to COVID-19, total agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks remained strong at $98.6 billion, decreasing by only 1.8% from the year before according to the American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report. The report attributed the change to a 6.7% decline in agricultural production loans. By contrast, outstanding loans secured by farmland increased 2.1% to $56.7 billion. According to the report, rising costs, supply and production bottlenecks, price volatility, and a significant increase in federal cash payments depressed demand for agricultural production loans in 2020. Government payments also enabled producers to pay down existing loan balances.

“American farm banks have remained healthy this past year and continued to play a critical role in supporting farmers and the broader US economy through the turbulence of 2020,” said ABA’s Chief Economist Sayee Srinivasan. “While the agricultural sector will continue to face challenges as the economy reopens and recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, the strong asset quality and capital levels of America’s farm banks will help ensure that they continue to provide support to rural communities.”

The report—an analysis by ABA’s economic research team based on FDIC data—examines the performance of the nation’s 1,642 banks that specialize in agricultural lending. ABA defines farm banks as banks whose ratio of domestic farm loans to total domestic loans is greater than or equal to the industry average.

According to the report, farm banks also supported rural communities via the Paycheck Protection Program. At the end of 2020, farm banks held 172,818 PPP loans worth $12.7 billion on their balance sheets. Farm banks distributed these loans via more than 7,700 branches across rural America, preserving jobs at local small businesses and providing an important lifeline to the communities they serve.

The report also shows that farm banks are also a major source of credit to small farmers—holding more than $45.2 billion in small farm loans with $10.5 billion in micro farm loans at the end of 2020. A small farm loan is a loan with an original value of $500,000 or less and a micro farm loan is a loan with an original value of $100,000 or less.

In 2020, farm banks’ asset quality improved slightly despite a struggling ag economy as consolidation and cash payments aided the paydown of loans by farmers. More than 97% of farm banks were profitable in 2020, with more than 51% reporting an increase in earnings. Farm banks also served as job creators, adding more than 2,000 jobs in 2020, a 2.4% increase, and employing more than 81,000 rural Americans.

Farm banks also continued to build strong, high-quality capital reserves throughout 2020 and are well-insulated from risks associated with the agricultural sector. Equity capital at farm banks increased 9% to $52.6 billion, while Tier 1 capital increased by $3.6 billion to $48.3 billion.

The Farm Bank Performance Report also provides regional summaries:
    The Northeast region’s 10 farm banks increased farm loans by 4.01% to $1.1 billion in 2020. Ag production loans fell 11.6% from the year before while farmland loans increased 6.09%.
    The South region’s 164 farm banks increased farm loans by 0.40% to $8.2 billion in 2020. Ag production loans fell 3.11% from the year before while farmland loans rose by 1.70%.
    The Cornbelt region’s 792 farm banks decreased farm loans by 1.93% to $46.0 billion in 2020. Ag production loans loans fell sharply by 6.89% from the year before while farmland loans rose by 1.93%.
    The Plains region’s 626 farm banks decreased their farm loans by 2.29% to $38.0 billion in 2020. Ag production loans fell 6.75% from the year before while farmland loans increased 2.27%.
    The West region’s 50 farm banks decreased farm loans by 2.40% to $5.3 billion in 2020. Ag production loans fell sharply by 7.56% from the year before while farmland loans rose 1.48%.

The entire banking industry – not just farm banks – provides farmers and ranchers with the credit they need. At the end of 2020, banks held $174 billion in farm and ranch loans. The U.S. banking industry is also a major source of funding to small farmers holding more than 1.1 million small farm loans worth $71 billion at the end of 2020. This included more than 744,000 microloans worth nearly $17 billion.



USDA Invests $55.2 million in Grants to Increase Capacity and Expand Access in Meat and Poultry Inspection Operations


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $55.2 million in competitive grant funding available through the new Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program. The new program is funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

“We are building capacity and increasing economic opportunity for small and midsized meat and poultry processors and producers across the country.” Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Through MPIRG, meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities can cover the costs for necessary improvements to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or to operate under a state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program.”

USDA encourages grant applications that focus on improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; developing new and expanding existing markets; increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; obtaining a larger commercial presence; and increasing access to slaughter or processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, and veteran producers. Eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities include commercial businesses, cooperatives, and tribal enterprises.

MPIRG’s Planning for a Federal Grant of Inspection (PFGI) project is for processing facilities currently in operation and are working toward Federal inspection. Applicants can be located anywhere in the states and territories. Whereas, MPIRG’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) Compliance project is only for processing facilities located in states with a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) CIS program. These states currently include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Applicants must be working toward CIS program compliance requirements to operate a state-inspected facility or make a good faith effort toward doing so.

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 2, 2021. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. 

AMS offers webinars for applicants to help walk them through the Request for Application. Additionally, grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. For more information about grant eligibility and program requirements, visit the MPIRG webpage, or contact us at mpirg@usda.gov.



NCBA-Won Funds Going Toward USDA Grants for Small, Independent Processors


Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of two new, competitive grant funding opportunities for small, regional, and independent meat processors using funds the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) worked to secure at the end of last year. After fighting hard for several key priorities for cattle producers in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, NCBA praised USDA for putting $55.2 million of those funds toward the critical need for greater beef processing capacity.

The competitive grant funding will be available through the new Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program. The funds will support small beef processing facilities making the improvements necessary to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection, or to operate under their state's Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. The structure of the program is notably similar to the RAMP UP Act, language that NCBA worked hard to get included in the appropriations bill that is now funding USDA's efforts.

"The chokepoint created by a lack of processing capacity is directly harming our producers and their ability to capture higher value for their product. NCBA has been engaging aggressively on this issue and we're gratified to see the funds we fought to secure in December now going toward a top-priority need in our industry," said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. "NCBA leadership has spoken directly with Secretary Vilsack about the need for more capacity in local and regional facilities, and we've been encouraged by the Secretary's attention to this problem. This grant money will help ensure that we're not just making big plants bigger, but actually expanding capacity in those smaller, independent facilities that our producers need as well."

Applications for funding must be submitted online at www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 2.

The supply of cattle and the demand for U.S. beef are both strong, but the bottleneck in the middle caused by a lack of hook space has stifled producer profitability and created unsustainable market dynamics. On an agriculture industry call earlier this month, Secretary Vilsack underscored greater processing capacity as a key component of USDA's $4 billion Build Back Better Initiative. On the call, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall and Sec. Vilsack discussed the need to bring federal inspection within reach for more facilities, which directly ties to the grants announced today.  



North American Meat Institute: Meat & Poultry Supply Chain Remains Resilient


In response to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s request for comments on efforts to improve supply chains for the production of agricultural commodities and food products, The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today said the meat and poultry food supply chain remains resilient despite extraordinary circumstances.

“The pandemic that began in 2020 and continues today may be the ultimate black swan event,” said Meat Institute Senior Vice President for Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Mark Dopp. “But its occurrence does not automatically mean the system needs to be torn down and rebuilt.”

The following are topics discussed in the remarks:
    Americans spend less of their disposable personal income on food than any other country in the world;
    Rhetoric about increasing concentration in the beef industry does not match reality, which is that the United States fed cattle market has had four firms operating in the space for more than 25 years;
    The factors with the greatest effect on markets are livestock inventory and the ability of packers to utilize their capacity; and
    Efforts to increase capacity through government intervention are shortsighted.



NFU Recommends Steps to Strengthen Resilience in Food Supply Chain


Over the last year and a half, the pandemic, natural disasters, and cybersecurity breaches have revealed deep weaknesses in our food and farm systems, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the organization’s president, Rob Larew, highlighted the need to build resilience to future disruptions and offered recommendations to achieve that goal, including “facilitating fair and competitive markets, improving local and regional food production, supporting and promoting nutrition security, and meeting the needs of the agricultural workforce.”

USDA solicited comments in response to an executive order requiring the agency to submit a report on strengthening food and agricultural supply chains. Input collected from NFU and other stakeholders will inform the report.

One of the most significant problems for farmers, per Larew’s comments, is “immense consolidation in the markets that both supply and buy from their operations,” particularly in the livestock and dairy sectors. Though this is by no means a new issue, it came to a head during the pandemic when “the closures or slowdowns at several massive meatpacking plants resulted in lost markets for farmers, constrained supplies, and higher prices for consumers.” Similar problems were also observed in 2019, after a fire shut down a Kansas beef processing plant, and just a few weeks ago, following a cyberattack on the world’s biggest meatpacker.

“To address. . .significant supply chain vulnerabilities from highly concentrated farm and food supply chains,” Larew urged USDA to “vigorously enforce existing antitrust, competition, and market fairness laws.” As an alternative to the large, inflexible corporations that currently dominate our food production and distribution, the administration can instead bolster local and regional food and farm systems, which are “often better positioned to adapt rapidly to new conditions, given their shorter supply chains and more direct connection to consumers.”

In the coming months and years, the food chain will also undoubtedly be tested by climate-related challenges, such as extreme temperatures, flooding, droughts, and wildfires. Whether those challenges escalate into system-wide breakdowns depends on our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, as well as modernize processing, storage, and transportation infrastructure. Larew proposed a range of solutions, among them making climate change an “urgent priority across USDA,” providing the financial and technical support farmers need to mitigate and adapt, encouraging on-farm renewable energy systems, and seeking input from all farmers, including those who are socially disadvantaged.



CNH Industrial to acquire Raven Industries, enhancing precision agriculture capabilities and scale


CNH Industrial N.V. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the capital stock of Raven Industries, Inc., a US-based leader in precision agriculture technology for US$58 per share, representing a 33.6% premium to the Raven Industries 4-week volume-weighted average stock price, and US$2.1 billion Enterprise Value. The transaction will be funded with available cash on hand of CNH Industrial. Closing is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of Raven shareholders and receipt of regulatory approvals.

The acquisition builds upon a long partnership between the two companies and will further enhance CNH Industrial’s position in the global agriculture equipment market by adding strong innovation capabilities in autonomous and precision agriculture technology.

“Precision agriculture and autonomy are critical components of our strategy to help our agricultural customers reach the next level of productivity and to unlock the true potential of their operations,” said Scott Wine, Chief Executive Officer, CNH Industrial. “Raven has been a pioneer in precision agriculture for decades, and their deep product experience, customer driven software expertise and engineering acumen offer a significant boost to our capabilities. This acquisition emphasizes our commitment to enhance our precision farming portfolio and aligns with our digital transformation strategy. The combination of Raven’s technologies and CNH Industrial’s strong current and new product portfolio will provide our customers with novel, connected technologies, allowing them to be more productive and efficient.”

“Our Board and Management are excited about this partnership and what it means for our future,” said Dan Rykhus, President & Chief Executive Officer for Raven Industries. “For 65 years, our company has been committed to solving great challenges. Part of that commitment includes delivering groundbreaking innovation by developing and investing in our core capabilities and technology. By coming together with CNH Industrial, we believe we will further accelerate that path as well as bring tremendous opportunities and value to our customers — once again fulfilling our purpose to solve great challenges. Our relationship with CNH Industrial has expanded over decades, and we have a deep respect for one another and a shared commitment to transform agriculture practices across the world. We look forward to CNH Industrial leveraging the Raven talent and culture, as well as the Sioux Falls community, as part of their vision and future success.”

“Raven Industries’ capabilities, innovation culture, entrepreneurial spirit and engineering talent are impressive and will continue to thrive as part of the CNH Industrial family. Sioux Falls is and will continue to be a true center of excellence,” added Wine. “We are incredibly excited to collaborate in bringing our customers more integrated precision and autonomous solutions, not only to improve productivity and profitability, but also promote more sustainable solutions and environmental stewardship. Together, our teams will create a stronger business for our employees, dealer network, and customers, enabling us to shape the future of agriculture, augment our world-leading sustainability credentials, and maximize our growth opportunities.”

Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Raven Industries is organized into three business divisions: Applied Technology (precision agriculture), Engineered Films (highperformance specialty films) and Aerostar (aerospace) with consolidated net sales of US$ 348.4 million for the twelve months ended January 31, 2021. The company is a global technology partner for key strategic OEMs, agriculture retailers and dealers. The transaction is expected to generate approximately US$400 million of run-rate revenue synergies by calendar year 2025, resulting in US$150 million of incremental EBITDA from synergies.

The Engineered Films and Aerostar segments are industry leaders in the high performance specialty films and stratospheric platform industries, respectively, and CNH Industrial believes they represent attractive independent businesses with excellent near and long-term potential. Accordingly, CNH Industrial plans to undertake a strategic review of each business to best position them for future success and maximize shareholder value.



Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Issues USDA Proclamation Recognizing National Pollinator Week


Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proclamation to recognize the designation of the week of June 21 – 27, 2021 as National Pollinator Week.

Pollinator species, such as birds, bats, bees, and other insects, play an important role in producing more than 100 crops grown in the United States. Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually and are critical to ensuring our diets are plentiful with fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

“The health of these agricultural contributors is critical to the vitality and sustainability of U.S. agriculture, food security, and our nation’s overall economy. Pollinators are also essential for healthy, biodiverse ecosystems across public and private lands, including our agricultural lands and our National Forests and grasslands,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I applaud pollinator conservation efforts happening across our nation. I recognize we have a lot more work to do to protect these important agricultural contributors and creating awareness about the importance of pollinators is a continued step to ensuring pollinators thrive.”

USDA recognizes the critical role pollinators play in agriculture and supports pollinator health through research, data collections, diagnostic services, monitoring, pollinator habitat enhancement programs, and pollinator health grants. Learn more about USDA pollinator work at www.usda.gov/pollinators.



IRFA Members Celebrate Flourishing of Monarch Habitat During Pollinator Week


Today marks the start of Pollinator Week and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) members are excited to celebrate the progress of their Monarch Fueling Stations.

Pollinator Week is recognized internationally as a time to celebrate and educate about the important role pollinators play around the world. Since 2017 IRFA members have been planting Monarch Fueling Stations, and to date over 48 acres of pollinator habitat tailored toward monarch butterflies have been planted.

“The fact that so many of our members have stepped up to help in the fight to protect Iowa’s pollinators is truly a testament to what biofuels is all about – supporting our communities and protecting our environment,” said IRFA Communications Director Cassidy Walter. “We are especially excited this summer because many of our members’ projects are mature enough now to really show some growth and start providing monarchs and other pollinators the food sources they need.”

In the early years of a monarch habitat plot, the plants do most of their growing under the ground, developing a strong root system. Throughout the week IRFA will be sharing photos and updates from IRFA member projects on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

The monarch butterfly population has declined in recent years. IRFA members’ habitat projects are a part of a statewide effort led by the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium to prevent the monarch butterfly from being listed as an endangered species.



Pollens to Fit A Honey Bee’s Every Season


Whether the pollen honey bees collect comes from spring or fall flowers can be a vital factor in supporting the annual cycle of behaviors that sustain a honey bee colony, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service scientists.

Biologists know that many animals such as deer or elk have different nutritional requirements throughout the year depending on the season. These differences in nutrient needs are supported by the plants in the areas where the animals live. In the spring, nutrient-packed resources such as plant shoots meet the elevated nutritional demands of rearing young. In the fall, lipid-rich seeds and fruit supply high-calorie reserves that provide fat stores for the during winter.

“We thought there might be a similar relationship between honey bee nutritional needs and nutrients in seasonal pollens. In the spring and summer, honey bee colonies concentrate on raising new bees. In the fall, they shift to preparing for a winter that is often spent in the hive surviving the cold. These activities may have different nutritional needs,” explained ARS entomologist Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, who led the study. She is the research leader of the ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Arizona.

“Determining the nutritional needs of honey bees at different times of the year and how they are met with pollens from different seasonal flowers is a key to maintaining the health of honey bee colonies. With more specific information about nutrients in seasonal pollens, seed mixtures for pollinator plantings could be customized by location and season and seasonal pollen substitute diets could be developed,” DeGrandi-Hoffman said.

To determine if nutrients in spring and fall pollens differ and if their nutrients align to support seasonal activities, the scientists compared spring and fall pollen collected by bees in central Iowa and southern Arizona. Though the types of flowers from which bees foraged in the spring differed between Iowa and Arizona, the spring pollens were similar in many nutrients, especially in the essential amino acids and many fatty acids needed to rear new bees.

One interesting difference between spring pollens from Iowa and Arizona was that spring Iowa pollen had higher levels of the essential fatty acid, omega-3. The study found higher levels of omega-3 were associated with honey bees having larger hypopharyngeal glands (HPG). HPG produce a jelly that is fed to the queen (royal jelly) and young developing bees (larvae); larger HPG make more jelly, which allows more worker bees to be raised.

“This suggests clover species, which largely made up the spring Iowa pollen, could be an important nutrient source for colony growth since it provides high levels of omega-3, and therefore clover should be included in pollinator plantings,” DeGrandi-Hoffman said.

Fall flowers species not only differed between Iowa and Arizona, so did the nutrients they provided to the bees. Fall pollen from Iowa had higher levels of certain amino acids and lipids (fats).

“Higher concentrations of these amino acids and lipids in fall Iowa pollen may better support honey bee colonies confined during the winter” said DeGrandi-Hoffman. “Honey bees are not confined for long periods during southern Arizona winters and may not require the same level of fat stores.”

Spring Iowa pollen mostly came from clover species along with honeywort and plains mustards, while fall Iowa pollen primarily came from flowers in the aster family with small amounts from allium, partridge pea, ragweed and goldenrod species. Spring Arizona pollen was exclusively from mustard species, while fall Arizona pollen was mostly wooly bursage (Ambrosia), sandasters and cinchweeds.



Loveland Products C 2 Technology Provides Solutions as Global Developments Drive Demand for U.S. Grains


As a variety of global developments continue to keep grain prices high, Loveland Products’ C2 Technology products, a proprietary product line of Nutrien Ag Solutions, is an important solution that producers can leverage to manage key nutrients and micronutrients throughout the growing season.

“There are a variety of products in the C2 Technology portfolio that can be used throughout the growing season. C2 Technology ensures that these valuable nutrients and micronutrients are made available for plant uptake, meaning more vigorous plant growth and potentially more robust yields,” says Joe Vaillancourt, Product Marketing Manager with Loveland Products. “This increased uptake is important from both an economic and environmental standpoint – C2 Technology ensures the plants make the most of soil nutrients, giving growers the best return on their investment.”

A variety of developments around the world will continue to push higher demand for U.S. grain products including the deterioration of the Brazilian safrinha corn crop, an increase in China’s pig production and a lower forecast for carryover of corn and historically tight soybean carryover in the U.S., according to experts.

Strong demand means good prices, which means opportunity for U.S. crop producers. Nutritional solutions powered by C2 Technology from Loveland Products help unlock the power of the grower’s soil. These soil nutrition products are a unique nutrient management platform that drives nutrient-use efficiency and also improves soil health. C2 Technology products are a portfolio of soil nutrient products containing various carbon compounds, including carbohydrates, which boost biological activity in the soil. These products also improve the soil’s ability to hold nutrients and water.
 
How C2 Technology Works
•    Unique carbon components in C2 technology drive chemical and biological activity in the soil and promote better soil structure.
•    Proprietary extraction methods produce customized extractions of carbon-based compounds that meet the specific needs of each nutrient with which they are combined.
•    The carbohydrates in C2 Technology act as a food source for beneficial soil microbes.
•    These carbohydrates also assist in complexing nutrients, so they are more available to plants.
•     Nutrients in the various products powered by C2 Technology are combined with carbon and carbohydrates to form protected nutrients. This process results in increased fertilizer efficiency and reduced soil tie-up.
•    This complexing of nutrients also enables flexibility in application.

To learn more about C2 Technology and the entire portfolio of C2 Technology products, visit lovelandproducts.com, or contact a Nutrien Ag Solutions representative.




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