Monday June 28 Ag News + Crop Progress Report

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 27, 2021, there were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 6% very short, 25% short, 65% adequate, and 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6% very short, 32% short, 61% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 15% fair, 58% good, and 24% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 14% fair, 64% good, and 19% excellent. Soybeans blooming was 23%, near 25% last year, but ahead of 14% for the five-year average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3% very poor, 9% poor, 30% fair, 48% good, and 10% excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 1%, equal to last year, and near 3% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 1% poor, 18% fair, 61% good, and 20% excellent. Sorghum headed was 1%, near 5% last year and 4% average.

Oats condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 37% fair, 47% good, and 8% excellent. Oats headed was 94%, ahead of 89% last year and 88% average.

Dry edible beans emerged was 92%, near 93% last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 8% poor, 58% fair, 28% good, and 3% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT

 Much needed precipitation limited Iowa farmers to 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 27, 2021 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included spraying post emergence herbicides and harvesting hay.
 
Topsoil moisture levels rated 12% very short, 30% short, 52% adequate and 6% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 18% very short, 42% short, 37% adequate and 3% surplus. While precipitation fell across the State during the week, amounts received varied widely with northwest Iowa still reporting over two-thirds of topsoil moisture short to very short. In contrast, districts in the southern one-third of Iowa rated 60% or more of subsoil moisture adequate to surplus.

Farmers reported crops benefitted from the rain but more moisture is needed, especially in the northern two-thirds of the State. There were scattered reports of damaging hail and high winds throughout Iowa. Iowa’s corn condition rated 60% good to excellent.

Soybean emergence was virtually complete. Across the State, 19% of soybeans were blooming, 6 days ahead of the five-year average. There were scattered reports of soybeans setting pods. Soybean condition was rated 58% good to excellent.

Oats headed or beyond reached 84% with 23% turning color, 4 days ahead of normal. Iowa’s oat condition rated 57% good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 7% complete, 4 days behind the 5-year average. Wet conditions slowed progress in some areas. Hay condition improved to 55% good to excellent, 6 percentage points above last week.

Pasture condition also improved slightly to 40% good to excellent. Some feedlots were muddy after recent rainfalls.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress: Conditions Vary by Region

After several weeks in a row of falling, corn and soybean conditions stabilized somewhat nationwide last week, though conditions in Northern regions of the country continued to decline, USDA NASS said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

Nationwide, corn condition was rated 64% good to excellent as of Sunday, June 27, down just 1 percentage point from 65% the previous week. That is the 10th lowest good-to-excellent rating for corn in 12 years, only higher than in 2012 and 2019.  Corn silking was rated at 4%, equal to last year but slightly behind the five-year average of 6%. The most silking was reported in Texas and North Carolina.

With a wide swath of rains moving across south-central and eastern parts of the soybean belt last week, the nation's soybean crop managed to hold on to a good-to-excellent rating of 60% for the second week in a row. As with corn, that puts this year's current rating at the 10th-lowest good-to-excellent rating for soybeans in the past 12 years.  NASS said 96% of soybeans were emerged and 14% of the crop was blooming as of Sunday, a little ahead of the five-year blooming average of 11%.

The crop conditions story was completely different for the spring wheat crop, as the major spring-wheat-producing states again missed out on significant rainfall last week.  After falling 10 percentage points in the June 21 report, spring wheat conditions tumbled another 7 percentage points last week, sliding from 27% good to excellent the previous week to 20% good to excellent as of Sunday, June 27. That remains the lowest rating for the crop since 1988.  The hot, dry conditions in those parts of the country also continued to rapidly push spring wheat to maturity, with 48% of the crop heading, 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 39%.

Meanwhile, the winter wheat harvest continued to accelerate last week, moving ahead 16 percentage points during the week to reach 33% complete as of Sunday. That is 7 percentage points behind the five-year average of 40%.  Winter wheat condition -- for the portion of the crop still in fields -- was rated 48% good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from 49% the previous week.



Start Scouting for Potato Leafhoppers in Alfalfa
Robert Wright - NE Extension Entomologist

Potato leafhoppers have the potential to injure alfalfa in Nebraska every year and have been reported recently in southeast Nebraska. They don't overwinter in Nebraska but rather are brought in on southerly winds. Generally they are a second and third cutting pest.

If you have not yet started to scout for potato leafhopper, now would be a good time to begin.

These small (1/8 inch long), bright green, wedge-shaped insects may cause severe damage to alfalfa. This feeding results in a distinctive yellow or purple triangle shape at the leaf tip. First year, spring planted alfalfa fields are particularly attractive to and vulnerable to potato leafhoppers, as are fields planted last year. In older fields, these insects are usually a problem on second and third cuttings.

Resistant varieties provide fairly good protection from potato leafhoppers, but alfalfa in the seedling stage may still be damaged. All fields should still be scouted, as large numbers of leafhoppers may still cause a problem, even in resistant variety fields.

Treatment Thresholds and Insecticides
Treatment decisions are based on numbers captured by a sweep net. (A sweep net is the only reliable way to scout for potato leafhoppers.) There do not have to be many to cause a problem.

Many insecticides are registered for control, and all will provide good results when applied properly. Commonly used insecticides include Mustang, Warrior, Baythroid, and Lorsban, or products with the same active ingredients.

Refer to the UNL Extension Circular 130 for a list of suggested insecticides.



IANR LAUNCHES CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL PROFITABILITY

The new Center for Agricultural Profitability in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources began operating June 28 with the unveiling of a new website and slate of informational events.

Approved in March and housed in the Department of Agricultural Economics, the center will work to improve the economic viability of the agricultural sector in Nebraska and beyond. It focuses on research, extension outreach and education related to profitability and supporting informed decision-making and management choices to keep farmers and ranchers financially healthy. It will also offer educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students while facilitating collaboration with other units in IANR and across the University of Nebraska system.

“CAP will bridge departmental silos and bring together faculty with expertise in several areas that too often are disconnected when it comes to the economic well-being of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers,” said Larry Van Tassell, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and the center’s director.

The new center will house the Agricultural Economics Farm and Ranch Management team and resources, including its popular weekly webinar series. The next webinar, on July 8, will focus on U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation program opportunities for producers. That will be followed July 15 with a webinar by David Kohl, professor of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech, on the importance of understanding business and finances for today’s producer. More webinars and live workshops across the state will be announced soon.

The center also will roll out a number of tools for use by farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals throughout the state. Among these is the Agricultural Budget Calculator, which opened to the public this week. The calculator is an online program allowing crop producers to estimate their cost of production based on field operations expenses, machinery, labor and material inputs for different enterprises. The program includes revenue projections, a risk module and cash flow budgets.

Updated land values and cash rental rates will be published in early July by the center in the final report from this year’s Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey. Other resources include the Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Report, representative budgets for livestock, and the Nebraska Land Link program. The center will also produce weekly articles and podcasts highlighting important decision-making information in areas such as land management, leasing, ag policy, farm succession, finance and risk management.

Van Tassell said that more learning experiences will be available to equip students for managing and leading in the modern economy as the center grows.

“The Center for Ag Profitability will be a magnet for interdisciplinary research and outreach, where profitability, risk management and the sustainability of agriculture takes precedence over simply maximizing commodity yields, and where the next generation of students and educators learn through transformational experiences,” he said.

For more on the Center for Agricultural Profitability, including registration for its free webinar series and access to its decision tools, articles and other resources, visit https://cap.unl.edu.



Berry Good For You!
Brenda Aufdenkamp, Extension Educator

July is National Berry Month. When was the last time you enjoyed blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries? Now is a great time to do that! In July, berries are in season. Therefore, you might find them at a lower price compared to the rest of the year. Often, they are even on sale. It is a good idea to purchase fruits and vegetables when they are in season as it will help you enjoy a variety of foods, and it will save money on your grocery bill.

When berries are on sale, you can enjoy them fresh and buy extra to freeze for use later in the year. To freeze berries: wash, drain well, and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Remove berries that are immature or defective. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze berries until firm, then package frozen berries in freezer bags or containers being sure to leave headspace. Seal and freeze.

Fresh and frozen berries can be enjoyed in many ways. When you get home from the grocery store, wash your fruit and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. By putting the bowl at the front of the shelf, makes it the first thing you see when you open the door. This will help to select fruit often. Berries make a wonderful snack, You might think about using fruit on oatmeal or other whole grain cereal, enjoy them blended with yogurt for a delicious, cool fruit smoothie, or on angel food cake or pudding for a dessert. They also stir well into muffins, pancakes, and waffles.

Not only are berries colorful and delicious, they contribute great nutrition when consumed. They contain vitamins and minerals, many of which are considered antioxidants, or disease-fighting compounds according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Antioxidants may help increase immune function and protect against cancer and heart disease. Berries are also a good source of fiber.

Enjoy berries in July, and throughout the year with these berry good tips.



Scoular hires its first Director of Sustainability

Scoular on Monday announced that Joshua Mellinger has been appointed the company’s first Director of Sustainability. Mellinger will lead Scoular’s corporate sustainability program, as well as partner with and support Scoular’s business units in their work to create customized sustainability solutions for and with the company’s grain, feed and food customers worldwide, as well as its farmer-producer partners.

“Josh possesses deep experience creating and executing sustainability programs in the agriculture and food industries,” said Megan Belcher, Scoular Senior Vice President and General Counsel, who leads Scoular’s overall corporate sustainability and ESG efforts. “I am thrilled he is leading Scoular’s efforts to innovatively grow sustainability practices that will create a positive impact on our planet.”
In December, Scoular announced its five-year sustainability strategy built on five pillars: reducing its carbon footprint; fostering responsible marine sourcing; engaging in its communities; promoting diversity and inclusion; and upholding workplace health and safety.

Mellinger, who is based at Scoular’s global headquarters in Omaha, has more than 15 years of sustainability and supply chain experience working with large corporations. He joins Scoular after 10 years at Deloitte Consulting in Houston, where he most recently served as Head of Sustainability, Climate Change, and Fresh Supply Chain. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Decision Sciences and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan.

For more information on Scoular’s sustainability strategy, go to Scoular’s sustainability web page at scoular.com/sustainability.



Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Field Day Scheduled July 7

The Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Project team will hold a field day Wednesday, July 7.  The event, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will include both herbicide and fungicide trials in soybeans at a farm southwest of Logan, operated by Larry Buss. This event is free and open to the public.

Ten herbicide programs will be available for comparison to evaluate success and implications for resistance management of weeds including waterhemp, marestail, giant ragweed, and Palmer amaranth. Results of screening of local weed populations for resistance to Roundup, Cobra, and Callisto will be shared.  This year, disease resistance trials will also be available. Treatments were chosen to demonstrate fungicide options and effectiveness.

The agenda for the field day will include:
    Introduction by Larry Buss, Farmer, Harrison Project Lead, President of the Harrison and Crawford County Corn Growers Association
    Discussion of demonstration site observations by Jason Sporrer, Agriland FS Agronomist, Brent Wiersma, BASF, and John Swalwell, Asgrow/Dekalb
    Discussion of fungicide resistance by Mike Witt, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field specialist
    Multi-tactic approaches to managing herbicide resistance in corn-soybean rotations presentation by Prashant Jha, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach weed specialist
    Weed seed collection and resistance screening results; Palmer amaranth identification by Mike Witt, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field specialist
    Economics presentation by Alicia Rosburg, University of Northern Iowa associate professor of economics, and Mike Witt, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field specialist

This event will be held rain or shine. The field day location is immediately northeast of the intersection of Niagara Trail and 262nd Street, about 1.5 to 2 miles southwest of downtown Logan. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Logan Community Center, 108 W 4th St, Logan. To confirm details, call the Harrison County Extension Office at 712-644-2105.

Lunch will be provided at the Logan Community Center.  This field day is free and open to the whole family, but to ensure adequate food and space, RSVPs are requested by Friday, July 2, to Carter Oliver at cpoliver@iastate.edu or 712-644-2105.

The Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Project is part of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program. The Harrison County project includes team members from Iowa Corn Growers Association, Agriland FS, BASF, Asgrow/Dekalb, Heartland Coop, FCSA Financial, Midstates Bank, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State University, and local farmers.

For more about the field day, visit https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/harrison-county-pest-resistance-management-project-overview or view the playlist Harrison County Herbicide Resistance Project - 2020 Field Day.



IOWA DEVELOPER ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR $325-MILLION, 750-EMPLOYEE
BEEF-PROCESSING FACILITY IN MILLS COUNTY TO OPEN IN LATE 2023

Cattlemen’s Heritage, a newly formed corporation with its roots in livestock production and construction, announced plans today to construct a $325-million, 1,500-head-per-day beef-processing facility in Mills County that will employ up to 750 workers and have an estimated annual economic impact of $1.1 billion.

“Cattlemen’s Heritage will fill a critical gap between the conglomerates and the outdated, under-sized lockers and plants that aren’t equipped to meet the needs of consumers, producers or retailers,” said project developer Chad Tentinger, founder and owner of TenCorp. Inc., a cattle industry construction firm with offices in Des Moines and Marcus, Iowa.

Tentinger noted that recent market conditions – including several years of weak cattle markets, strong retail prices and the increased amount of investment capital on the sidelines during the pandemic – are other reasons to move forward to the facility’s construction to expand processing capacity in the state.

“Cattle producers and retailers have recognized for quite some time that as more cattle production has moved north to the Upper Midwest that we need the processing capacity to match it,” Tentinger said. “The Cattlemen’s Heritage facility will go a long way to resolving that ongoing challenge and delivering more quality beef from family farms to consumers.”

The facility, which will be fronted by Interstate 29 and situated at the Pottawattamie-Mills County line, will have an average annual wage of $55,000 plus benefits, he said. Cattlemen’s Heritage intends to break ground in spring 2022 and open the facility in late  2023.

Tentinger also indicated that lessons from the past year’s COVID-19 outbreak in meat-processing plants across the country are being incorporated into design and future operation of the Cattlemen’s Heritage state-of-the-art facility. “The pandemic delivered a powerful reminder that we can’t afford to let down our guard for even a split second, but it has also presented us with a welcome opportunity to make our facility even safer and we will take full advantage of it,” Tentinger said.

Ernie Goss, the Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University, said the project will “serve as an economic game changer for Mills/Pottawattamie counties, and surrounding counties.” Once in operation, it will employ approximately 13.3 times the number of workers of the average Iowa manufacturer and pay roughly 12.4 times the average payroll.    

“The average salary at the Cattlemen’s Heritage facility will exceed the Iowa average by 5.5%, and the Iowa median salary by 30.3%. From the beginning of construction in 2022 through 2028, the first five years of operations, Cattlemen’s Heritage as planned will support an annual average of 3,319 direct and spillover jobs, wages & salaries of $817.0 million, self-employment income of $414.8 million with a total impact of $6.4 billion,” Goss said.

He continued, “Furthermore, it is estimated that the plant will support jobs paying an average of $55,285 per worker, and state and local tax collections will total $125.0 million between 2022 and 2028. In terms of rate-of-return for locally provided infrastructure support, the project will provide $28.54 for every dollar of local public infrastructure support period between 2022 and 2028.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, who participated in the announcement, said the facility will be a welcome addition to the state’s agribusiness infrastructure.

“Creating value-added agriculture opportunities is important for the success and sustainability of the ag community and our state’s economy. That’s especially true when our livestock producers are seeing large disparities between live cattle and boxed beef prices,” Naig said. “There’s a significant opportunity to expand meat processing capacity around the state. This facility will create additional market access for our producers, new jobs and economic activity in our rural communities.”

Governor Kim Reynolds released a statement noting the additional meat-processing capacity will benefit Iowa livestock producers and consumers.

“Iowa has a reputation for producing safe, reliable, and quality products that feed our nation and a growing world population,” Reynolds said. “TenCorp, Inc.’s new facility will add greater stability, processing capacity and value to our state’s agriculture industry. I am excited about this project and what it means not only for Iowa’s cattle industry, but the continued growth and expansion of Iowa agriculture.”

Marco Floreani, Mills County Economic Development Foundation executive director, noted the facility will be a good fit for a rural county bordering the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro.

“The Mills County Economic Development Foundation is excited to welcome this Cattlemen’s Heritage to Mills County. Agriculture is a bedrock industry for Mills County and our regional agriculture base is adding a world class operator and visionary team to the region with Cattlemen’s Heritage. From feed to fork, this project will support local farmers and ranchers while expanding the local and regional economy. It is a big win and we are thrilled to welcome them and support them as this takes off,” Floreani said.



Crop Management Clinic to Offer New Technologies and Latest Research

The 2021 Crop Management Clinic from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will provide training on multiple crop production and protection topics. New university research will be shared during this one-day event for agribusiness professionals, to be held July 22 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Each year, specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach present at the Crop Management Clinic on crop and pest management, soil fertility and nutrient management. The purpose is to educate agronomists, crop advisors and growers about current issues and recent research using demonstration plots. Crop managers desiring more hands-on and in-depth working knowledge of the latest agricultural practices will receive useful reminders and updates during attendance.

Crop scouting.Unique programming this year includes sprayer technology developments with Ryan Bergman, program coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach, and current weather condition impacts with Iowa’s State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

“Our extension specialists are excited to meet in person this year,” said Warren Pierson, industry extension specialist for the host site, the Field Education and Extension Lab. “We have interesting topics to cover and some important weather concerns at this point in the season. Attendees have the opportunity to discuss and learn more about these developments with our subject matter experts.”

Although this is normally held in a two-day period, this year’s Crop Management Clinic will be a one-day program.

The event will be held at Iowa State’s Field Education and Extension Lab, located at 1928 240th St., outside of Boone. Attendees should arrive between 8:30-8:50 a.m. for check-in before the session start time. Registration is open and required. Cost is $150.

Included in the cost are refreshments, lunch and course materials. Additional information, including an outline of all topics and online registration is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/.

This clinic qualifies for 6.5 continuing education credits for Iowa Certified Crop Advisers, subject to board approval, in the following topics: 1.0 nutrient management, 2.5 pest management, and 3.0 crop management.



Cattle on Feed Report
Brenda Boetel, Dept of Agl Econ, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Fed Cattle on feed inventories for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million head on June 1, 2021, up only 0.2% over 2020, but almost 3% above the previous 5-year average. This is the second highest June 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. Placements in feedlots during May totaled 1.91 million head, down 7% from 2020 and the 5-year average. Placements were the only category to differ than pre-report average of estimates, although the USDA report numbers were still within the range of pre-report estimates. Net placements were 1.84 million head.

Placements were down for all weight categories, with the highest declines being in the 600-699 pound placements. Regionally the largest decline in placements, compared to May 2020, occurred in Colorado and Texas. Because placements of cattle on feed affect future supplies, cattle prices for future months are impacted more by changes in placements than prices for current delivery. The weight of the cattle placed changes the length of time on feed. Knowing if the decline in aggregate placements was at lower or higher weights helps estimate when the decline in placements will transform into a decline in marketings.

Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.87 million head, 23% above 2020. Cattle on feed over 120 days is up 5%, compared with the previous 5-year average. The number of cattle on feed for longer times is related to marketing as a percent of the on-feed inventory and gives an indication of how current the market is. The more current the market, the less time cattle are being kept on feed and hence the timelier marketing occurs. If the market is extremely current, there is less downward pressure on future prices as current inventory will not subsidize future inventories.
 
Overall, the June 2021 Cattle on Feed report had no big surprises. The market continues to decrease on-feed inventories, which will be provide support for 4th quarter fat cattle prices.



Doubling Down on Pests and Resistance with Take Action Resources

As farmers prepare for a critical stage in their crop’s development when disease and pest pressure can threaten yield and profitability, the soy checkoff and its partners in the Take Action program present Pest Elimination Strategies and Tactics (PEST) Week, June 28 to July 2. This weeklong event focuses on the small steps farmers can take to mitigate pesticide resistance in real time during the growing season. Each year, PEST Week reminds farmers about the timely in-season information and resources available to them through the Take Action program to help manage pests, mitigate resistance and protect against crop loss.

Each day during PEST Week focuses on a different element of managing pesticide resistance. The schedule for PEST Week 2021 is as follows:
    Monday, June 28: The focus of the first day of PEST Week is “pests to watch out for during the 2021 growing season.” This day emphasizes the importance of identifying this season’s most damaging pests, including waterhemp, frogeye leaf spot and bean leaf beetle.
    Tuesday, June 29: As drought continues across the High Plains as well as the West and Southwestern regions, many areas in the South and Southeast have received above-average rainfall. This increases the need to scout for diseases. Day two of PEST Week points farmers to resources to help them adequately monitor crop conditions.
    Wednesday, June 30: Day three is all about the importance of choosing herbicides with multiple sites of action (SOAs) and fungicides and insecticides with multiple modes of action (MOAs). To help with this, the Take Action App provides farmers with a lookup tool that recommends MOAs and SOAs across various products.
    Thursday, July 1: The fourth day of PEST Week focuses on cultural, non chemical forms of weed control — specifically, cover crops. This day focuses on the promotion of Take Action’s new suite of cover crop resources, including different species, establishment, carryover and termination.
    Friday, July 2: The last day of PEST Week will serve as a wrap-up informing farmers about where they can access information about all things pesticide-resistance management, including the Take Action app, kit (with classification charts, fact sheets) and newsletter.

Partnering with university researchers, commodity groups and leading agrochemical companies, Take Action is a resource and educational platform farmers can use to strengthen their best management practices relevant to each pest and phase of the growing season.

“As technologies improve and growing environments evolve across the agricultural landscape, it’s important to update our pest control strategies with the latest unbiased, research-proven data and recommendations to delay resistance and preserve technologies that help us produce high-quality soy,” said Tom Oswald, United Soybean Board Supply Action Team Chair and farmer-leader from Cleghorn, Iowa. “Those recommendations and resulting strategies need to be diverse and specific to target profit-robbing pests on our farms.”

Pest identification is the crucial first step leading to effective control and resistance management. The second step is choosing products with multiple MOAs or SOAs to mitigate the risk of the pest evolving to overcome one particular control method. This can be accomplished easily with the herbicide, fungicide and insecticide charts and fact sheets available in the Take Action kit. The charts include lists of active ingredients, product names, economic thresholds and advice when cultural practices may be a good alternative choice.

“Multiple fungicide MOAs should be used as part of any effective disease management plan,” said Daren Mueller, associate professor and Extension plant pathologist at Iowa State University. “The fungicide lookup tool helps identify other fungicides that fall into the same MOAs used previously to avoid product overlap, which can contribute to resistance development.”

PEST Week challenges farmers to remain proactive against pests and diseases, and reminds them to get the Take Action kit by visiting the Take Action program website at IWillTakeAction.com/kit or on the go via the Take Action app for Apple or Android devices and tablets.



June 2021 Dairy Market Report Now Available

Overall U.S. dairy-product demand appears headed back to pre-pandemic levels, and U.S. dairy exports have achieved near-record highs as a percent of U.S. milk solids production during 2021 so far. Meanwhile, wholesale prices for butter, nonfat dry milk and dry whey in May were all higher than before the pandemic began, but cheese prices continue to struggle. However, capturing the state of dairy through data is unusually difficult at this moment, and will be for several months, as the industry is entering a series of months during which year-over-year comparisons are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions to dairy markets one year ago at this time. For example, U.S. milk production has been increasing, pressuring milk prices since early May, but year-over-year growth comparisons are somewhat misleading due to last year’s atypical seasonal production patterns. Similarly, year-over-year domestic fluid milk sales were down sharply this March and April, while commercial cheese use was up sharply in April.

See the full report here: https://www.nmpf.org/dairy-market-report-june-2021/.



Worst Drought in Decades Puts Brazil on Alert

Still far from overcoming the coronavirus health crisis, Brazil is facing the worst drought in decades, a phenomenon that is becoming ever more frequent under the influence of deforestation in the Amazon, among other factors, and which is endangering the country’s electrical grid, which is based mostly on hydroelectricity.

The rainfall deficit is “critical” and will be aggravated in the coming months in Brazil during the Southern Hemisphere winter, the period of the year with the least rainfall, as government entities and sector experts consulted by EFE are warning.

The drought is concentrated in the southeastern and west-central regions of the country, where 70 percent of the hydroelectric power consumed in Brazil is generated.

The high temperatures and the scarcity of rainfall – the lowest precipitation figures in 90 years, according to official measurements – have aroused old fears about the possibility of electric power rationing, something that has been ruled out by the national government.

The combination of those two phenomena has drastically reduced the levels of the reservoirs that supply the hydroelectric dams with water in the affected regions.

At the end of May, the reservoirs were at about 30 percent of their capacity, the lowest level since 2001 for this time of year and, according to the most optimistic forecasts by the National Electrical System Operator (ONS), they will decline to just 10 percent of capacity by November.



July 4th Cookout Cost Stable Compared to Year Ago

U.S. consumers will pay just a few cents more for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods compared to last year, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, says the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Farm Bureau analysis reveals the average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people remains affordable at $59.50, or less than $6 per person. The cost for the cookout is up just 16 cents (less than 1%) from last year, but 8% higher compared to 2019.

The largest year-to-year price increase was for strawberries. Survey results showed 2 pints of strawberries at $5.30, up 22% from last year, due to strong demand and the effects of several weather events including severe rain, hail and high winds that caused significant setbacks to the harvest early in 2021.

Retail price changes for products in the meat case are a bit more nuanced, according to AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh.

“Beef and pork processing plant disruptions that occurred in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been resolved, leading to lower retail ground beef and pork chop prices in 2021 compared to 2020,” Nigh said. “However, consumers looking a bit farther back to compare prices are seeing higher prices for ground beef, pork chops and chicken breasts compared to pre-pandemic (2019) prices. That’s due to continued strong demand for American-grown beef and pork from both U.S. and international consumers.”

AFBF’s summer cookout menu consists of cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, pork & beans, strawberries, potato chips and fresh-squeezed lemonade with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. Both the index and the marketbasket remain relatively flat compared to year-ago levels.

The cost of transporting, processing and packaging farm-grown foods so they’re ready to be enjoyed on our tables is a major component of the total cost of the menu.

“According to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series, farmers currently receive approximately 8% of every food marketing dollar,” Nigh said. “The farmer’s share of the retail food dollar is as low as 2% to 4% for highly processed foods such as bread and cereal, and as much as 35% for some fresh-market products.”

The July 4th cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare meals at home.

This year’s survey combines Bureau of Labor Statistics food price data with the results collected by more than 160 volunteer rural shoppers across the country and in Puerto Rico, including Farm Bureau members and others.

Individual Prices, AFBF 2021 Summer Cookout
    2 pints of strawberries, $5.30 (up 22%)
    13-ounce bag of chocolate chip cookies, $4.02 (up 11%)
    8 hamburger buns, $1.66 (up 6%)
    2.5 pounds of homemade potato salad, $2.75 (up 3%)
    2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, $6.74 (up 1%)
    32 ounces of pork & beans, $1.90 (down 13%)
    2 pounds of ground beef, $8.20 (down 8%)
    Half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, $4.69 (down 5%)
    3 pounds of center cut pork chops, $11.63 (down 2%)
    2.5 quarts of fresh-squeezed lemonade, $3.65 (down 2%)
    1 pound of sliced cheese, $4.05 (down 1%)
    13-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.93 (down 1%)

AFBF is the nation’s largest general farm organization with member families in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Learn more at http://facebook.com/AmericanFarmBureau or follow @FarmBureau on Twitter or @americanfarmbureau on Instagram.