Record ag land values in Nebraska attributed to high commodity prices, low interest rates
The average value of agricultural land in Nebraska for the year ending Feb. 1, 2022, averaged $3,360 per acre, about a 16% increase ($465 per acre) over the prior year’s value of $2,895 per acre, according to the final report from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s 2022 Farm Real Estate Market Survey.
This marks the largest increase in the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska since 2014 and is the highest non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in the history of the survey.
Crop prices, purchases for farm expansion and interest rate levels were identified in the report as the major economic forces that guided the higher market value of land across the state. The financial health of current owners and non-farmer investor interest in land purchases also played a role, according to survey results.
The survey’s final report was published June 30 by the university’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, based in the Department of Agricultural Economics. It provides current point-in-time estimates of agricultural land values and cash rental rates, broken down regionally across a variety of land types and classes.
Based on 2022 market values, the estimated total value of agricultural land and buildings in Nebraska rose to $161.2 billion, according to Jim Jansen, an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension. He co-authored the survey and report with Jeffrey Stokes, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics.
“Despite rising input costs that remain a challenge for many operations, commodity prices for major crops grown across Nebraska rebounded significantly in 2022 with disruptions in supply chains and weather concerns,” Jansen said.
He added that producers with livestock face further challenges from drought conditions across major grazing regions, as well as higher feed expenses.
“Farmers may anticipate higher revenues from rising commodity prices but may face similar challenges as ranchers and livestock producers when navigating higher input expenses,” he said. “Farm or ranch profitability remains tied to making informed decisions.”
Rates of increase were the highest in the northwest, northeast, east, south, and southeast districts as these areas averaged 15% to 21% higher for the all-land average. These districts trended along with the rate of increase of 16% for the state.
Western regions of Nebraska, including the north, central and southwest districts, reported smaller all-land average value increases ranging between 11% and 13%. The north district reported the smallest increase at 11%.
Statewide, the final report found that estimated values of center pivot irrigated cropland rose by about 17%. Dryland cropland values rose between 15% and 19%. Grazing land and hayland market values range from about 10% to 12% higher than the prior year.
Survey results also revealed that cash rental rates for dryland and irrigated cropland trended higher, averaging about 10% to 20% higher than the prior year. Survey participants indicated crop prices as the major factor contributing to the increase in rental rates.
Grazing land and cow-calf pair rental rates trended steady to higher, with average statewide rates increasing about 6% to 8% over the prior year.
The outlook for future gains in farm real estate values remain strong, according to Jansen, as only three economic forces were noted in the report as somewhat negatively impacting farm real estate values: property tax levels, farm input costs and future property tax policies.
The Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report is the final product of an annual survey of land professionals, including appraisers, farm and ranch managers and agricultural bankers. Results from the survey are divided by land class and agricultural statistic district. Land values and rental rates presented in the report are averages of survey participants’ responses by district. Actual land values and rental rates may vary depending on the quality of the parcel and local market for an area. Preliminary land values and rental rates are subject to change as additional surveys are returned.
Jansen will present the results of the final report during a free webinar at noon on Aug. 4. Registration, as well as the full report, are available on the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website, https://cap.unl.edu/realestate.
Cover Crop Biomass Calculator Available for Nebraska
Katja Koehler-Cole - UNL Research Assistant Professor in Agronomy
Maximizing cover crop growth between fall harvest and spring planting remains a challenge for corn and soybean producers in Nebraska. In a 2017 survey, producers in the state reported their largest challenge to be planting and establishment of cover crops before winter. Nationally, many report that this winter window of time is too limited to achieve enough cover crop growth to justify the associated costs and labor. Additionally, given the wide range of weather conditions experienced in the state during the fall, winter and spring, we cannot expect to see the same cover crop growth from year to year.
A new predictive tool developed by our team estimates cover crop growth with different planting and termination times across the state of Nebraska. The predictions are based on a model called the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM), that was carefully set up to represent the growth of cereal rye at different planting timings in Nebraska soils and climates (this work was published in Agronomy Journal in 2020).
Biomass calculator
View the new biomass calculator at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/cover-crop-biomass-calculator#/
The goal of the biomass calculator is to provide producers, researchers and other agriculture professionals with realistic, data-driven predictions to address the challenges presented in the winter growing period. The tool can help answer questions such as “how would biomass vary if I planted earlier or terminated later?” or “how much will cover crop growth change from year to year depending on weather conditions?” This can help you decide what planting windows might be best suited for your environment and adjust management to achieve cover crop biomass goals.
Disease Development Associated with Early-season Hail Damage in Corn
Amy Timmerman - NE Extension Educator
Tamra Jackson-Ziems - NE Extension Plant Pathologist
Several diseases have been reported and/or confirmed in corn samples across the state. Severe weather conditions including hail and wind have caused plant injury, which has provided an opportunity for pathogens to invade. Producers and consultants should monitor the severity of these diseases and others, as well as their potential to impact yield to assess the need for treatment or other risks later in the season.
Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial diseases in corn have been confirmed in fields that received wounds either from hail and/or sandblasting. Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight, bacterial stalk rot and bacterial leaf streak have been confirmed. Current warm temperatures, rainfall/overhead irrigation, and wind will support spread and further development of these diseases.
Goss's Bacterial Wilt and Blight
Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight is identified by looking for two key features on the leaves. The first feature is dark green/black “freckles” or flecks on the edges of dark, water-soaked lesions (Figure 1). Freckles may appear translucent when backlit by bright light such as the sun. The second feature of the disease is the presence of bacterial exudate, often called “ooze”, which occurs when the bacteria is secreted on the surface of the lesion. Once the ooze is dried, it will give the leaf a shiny or sparkling appearance. Be sure to check the bottom side of the leaf carefully as well, as the ooze may be washed away by rainfall or overhead irrigation.
Bacterial Stalk Rot
Bacterial stalk rot, caused by Erwinia dissolvens or E. chrysanthemi, survives in corn and sorghum residue. Symptoms start as lesion development on the lower stalk or discoloration of a leaf sheath and then systematically move up the stalk and throughout the plant. A foul “fishy” odor is common and the top of the plant can often be easily removed (Figure 2). As the disease progresses, the stalk may rot and the plant can collapse. Bacterial stalk rot can affect the plant at any node and when infection occurs high on the plant it may impair normal tasseling. When stalks are split, there is internal discoloration and soft slimy rot present mostly at the nodes that may hollow out stalks.
Bacterial Leaf Streak
Bacterial leaf streak symptoms are interveinal leaf streaks that are brown, tan or yellow, which can be short or very long (Figure 3). Lesions are often strikingly yellow when backlit against the sun. A key characteristic to look for is the wavy, jagged margins of the lesion, which can be used to differentiate them from the smooth, rectangular lesions of gray leaf spot.
Unfortunately, fungicides are ineffective against bacterial pathogens, making accurate diagnoses important. Some bactericides are labeled for use on corn, but their use has had inconsistent results on these diseases.
Common Smut
Common smut occurs in almost every field of corn in Nebraska but is more prevalent in fields after plants are injured. This fungal disease is caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis and can also be called “boil smut.” Smut galls may look like mushrooms or warts and can develop on any plant part, including leaves (Figure 4), stalks and tassels, but is most recognizable when they develop on the ear, replacing kernels. Initially, galls are white to gray in color and fleshy to the touch. As the gall matures, it ruptures, releasing a large amount of black teliospores that will overwinter in the soil for future years.
Fungicides are not effective for managing common smut. Some sweet corn varieties are less susceptible to the disease and may be selected to reduce disease pressure.
Webinar: 2021 Nebraska Farm Business Average Review
Presented by the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
With: Tina Barrett, Director and Farm Financial Consultant, Nebraska Farm Business, Inc.
Time: Wed July 14th, 2022 - 12:00 PM CDT
Tina Barrett will review the most recent data collected by Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., from Nebraska farms and ranches including income, ratios and family living data. Tina will have lots of information from the past ten years and will interpret what that may mean for 2022. You can take this information and apply it to your farm or ranch by benchmarking the data to your own.
More information and registration can be found here: https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.
Pasture Walk July 22 @ Niobrara
Join Nebraska Extension July 22 at the Rife Farms near Niobrara, NE for a chance to interact with livestock producers, grass managers, and explore grazing management with our 2022 Pasture Walk. Pasture walks provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about grazing principles and practices from the host and through conversations with other participants. This tour will highlight Rife Farms. Blake Rife will provide a tour of his operation, tools and tricks of the trade, as well as share his personal grazing philosophy.
While the event is free, please RSVP if possible to the Cedar County extension office by July 20th by calling 402-254-6821. The walk will be at Rife Farms, 88962 532nd Ave. Niobrara, NE 68760 on Friday July 22 from 3-5 PM.
Forage Field Day will be held at Concord, Nebraska on Thursday, August 4.
SDSU Extension and Nebraska Extension will host their 2022 Forage Field Day at the University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT.
“We are excited to partner with SDSU on this field day,” said Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Beef and Forage Systems Educator. “Forages are a vital crop to both Nebraska and South Dakota, and we look forward to offering producers an opportunity to network and expand their knowledge base through demonstrations and presentations at this field day.”
The Forage Field Day is designed to provide hands-on and classroom learning and networking experience for forage growers in Nebraska, South Dakota, and the surrounding areas. The program focuses on many hot topics within the industry and features speakers from both academia and production.
Agenda
10 a.m. – Cover Crops/Alternative Forages: Pete Sexton, Associate Professor & SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist, and Brad Rops, SDSU Southeast Research Farm Operations Manager
11 a.m. – Nitrogen and Forages – Saving Fertilizer Costs: Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist
Noon – Lunch
1 p.m. Full Season Grazing: Doug Steffen, Producer, Crofton NE
1:30 p.m. – Raising Crops for Grain vs. Silage: Boadwine Farms, Baltic, SD
2:20 p.m. A Silage Harvest Management Overview – From Top to Bottom: Becky Arnold, Lallemand Animal Nutrition
3:40 p.m. – Speaker Panel Discussion
4:15 p.m. – Wrap-up and Survey
4:30 p.m. – Optional Research Farm Tour
Register for the field day by visiting https://go.unl.edu/2022foragefieldday. Registration closes July 29. Field day registration fee is $30 and CCA Credits are available.
Haskell Ag Lab Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Farm is located at 57905 866 Road, Concord, Nebraska 68728.
For more information, contact or Ben Beckman, Assistant Extension Educator, at (402) 254-6821 or ben.beckman@unl.edu or Kiernan Brandt, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, at (605) 882-5140 or Kiernan.Brandt@sdstate.edu.
South Central Ag Lab Field Day set for Aug. 4
Come see what’s going on at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) field trials on Thursday, Aug. 4. The field day includes topics focusing on improved crop production and profitability. The event is designed so guests can customize their day to select the tours they are most interested in. Topics and presenters include:
Nutrient Management - Insights from long-term research trials and digital agriculture technologies in corn and winter wheat
Laila Puntel, Extension Soil Fertility and Precision Ag Specialist; Guillermo Balboa, Research Assistant Professor; Jose Cesario, graduate student; and Christian Uwineza, graduate student
Soil Health - Using cover crops, biochar, and other practices
Katja Koehler-Cole, Soil Health Management Extension Educator; Michael Kaiser, Asst. Professor in Applied Soil Chemistry; and Britt Fossum, Graduate Student
Disease Management - Corn and soybean disease updates
Tamra Jackson-Ziems and Dylan Mangel, Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologists
Insect Management - Corn and soybean insect updates
Robert Wright, Nebraska Extension Entomologist and Ron Seymour, Nebraska Extension Educator
Irrigation Management - Remote sensing for irrigation scheduling
Steve Melvin, Cropping Systems Extension Educator and Christopher Neale, Director, Water for Food Institute
Weed Management - Cover crop for weed suppression in corn and soybean: Planting green and intercropping
Amit Jhala, Nebraska Extension Weed Management Specialist
The event begins with registration at 8:30 a.m., opening remarks by Charles Stoltenow, Dean of Nebraska Extension at 8:45 a.m. followed by tours of research sites through 3:05 p.m. John Shanahan with Agoro Carbon is the keynote speaker during the lunch break presenting “Carbon market potential for U.S. producers”.
SCAL is located at 851 Hwy. 6 near Harvard. Details, map and registration at https://go.unl.edu/scalfieldday. There is no cost to attend the field day, but participants are asked to preregister at the website by Aug. 1 for planning purposes.
For more information, call (402)762-3536 or e-mail shachtel1@unl.edu. Continuing Education Units have been applied for and are pending.
Budget Woes Lead to Weather Station Closures
Nebraska State Climate Office
Leading into the sixth year of appropriation shortfalls, Nebraska Mesonet weather stations that are not contracted specifically by clients are slotted for closure to cut costs and reduce labor overhead.
The following stations have already been closed in 2022:
Ainsworth 2NE (opened June 4, 1984)
Gordon 4SE (opened Oct. 18, 1984)
Ragan 5W (opened May 29, 1988)
Dunning 6NW (opened Aug. 13, 1989)
Mullen 30N (opened July 26, 2004)
Sparks 5NE (opened July 27, 2004)
Harrison 4NW (opened April 21, 2016)
Additional stations to be closed in the next 12 months due to non-funding include:
Lincoln 1500 N 45th (opened Aug. 27, 1986)
Guide Rock 3E (opened Oct. 15, 1990)
Eagle 3NW (opened Aug. 15, 2015)
Hayes Center 3N (opened Oct. 31, 2016)
Arthur 8S (opened March 31, 2017)
Indianola 8SW (opened July 16, 2019)
Dickens 1NE (opened July 17, 2019)
Bushnell 12SE (opened July 14, 2021)
Enders 10SW (opened Aug. 3, 2021)
If you would like to pay to keep any of these stations in place, please contact Dr. Martha Shulski at 402-472-6711.
Drought Slows Pasture Grazing in Northwest Iowa
Continuing drought in northwest Iowa is forcing producers to alter their grazing plans. Fortunately they have “detours," said Beth Doran, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
“Top of the list is reduce stocking rate,” she said. “Early weaning calves is a proven method to reduce the energy requirement of the cow by 25 to 30% and lighten the grazing pressure on the pasture. Early weaning is more effective than supplemental creep feeding when forage production is short.”
But this is only part of the equation. If pasture is very short, producers still may be forced to remove a portion of the cows from the pasture or provide supplemental feed such as green-chopped corn or distillers grains.
“Assuming drought continues, consider placing all of the cows in a ‘sacrifice’ pasture,” Doran said. “It’s cheaper to renovate one pasture next year than all of the pastures.”
Rotational grazing can help sustain pasture production, but increased recovery time between rotations is key during drought. This helps maintain the leaf, which is the plant’s solar factory, and increases root development, allowing for increased uptake of nutrients and moisture.
Doran reminded producers that cool season grasses such as bromegrass, orchardgrass and timothy should never be grazed shorter than four inches to allow plant regrowth. During drought, recovery may take 30 to 40 days. For warm season grasses, recovery time is about 35 to 45 days.
Producers also are cautioned to monitor the growth of blue-green algae in streams and ponds. Blue-green algae produces toxins that affect the nervous system and liver of the animal, and can be deadly if consumed. Consequently, producers need to provide clean water from another source. The algae may appear as a pale green scum on top of the water and cobalt-blue around the edges.
Producers who need supplemental feed are reminded to check with their crop insurance agent before harvesting corn for green-chop or silage.
The Farm Service Agency also has assistance programs that may be available in the county such as emergency loans, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, and grazing or haying of CRP acres. Drought-affected producers are advised to check with FSA to determine eligibility and complete an application.
NEW Cooperative’s Chris Blair to Serve as GEAPS President
The Grain Elevator and Processing Society recently announced that Chris Blair will serve as president of the international organization for their 2022-2023 term. Blair, region manager at NEW Cooperative, leads the Palmer, Pomeroy, Knoke, Lanesboro, Glidden and Lidderdale locations for the cooperative. He has been a member of GEAPS for the last 15 years.
The process to becoming president began over seven years ago for Blair. “I first became a board of director in 2015 and was elected as a Vice President in 2020,” he said. “The progression to becoming GEAPS President is the next step and occurs automatically.”
Becoming president of the organization was not necessarily Blair’s first thought. “When I was voted in for my first term as an International Board Member, I did not have any aspirations to be president. I didn’t really know what it all entailed. When I ran for a second term as an International Board Member, things got more involved. After visiting with other board members, I realized this is something I can do.”
Blair appreciates the opportunities GEAPS provides. “I’ve always been passionate about the grain industry and the safety aspect of things. I am a person who always wants to better myself. I got my two-year [college] degree at the age of 40 and always push myself to be better. Being a member of GEAPS has helped me be better at my job.”
The networking and relationship opportunities the GEAPS organization provides are beneficial to both NEW Cooperative and Blair, he says. “I feel that NEW has benefited from the leadership skills I’ve been able to bring back. I have made a lot of contacts in the industry, and we all help each other. That network [of industry peers] is so big.”
Bringing more value for members through education and growing membership numbers are two key initiatives during Blair’s term as president. “Over the last year we started some big projects such as acquiring Country Journal Publishing and launching our new website. These will be exciting to watch develop.”
Blair appreciates the support NEW has given him. “GEAPS is a volunteer organization. Without the support of NEW, I don’t know how I could have been able to do the things I’ve done. I have found that if there is value in something and you can apply what you learn, NEW will invest in you personally to help you grow professionally.”
A 25-year veteran of the ag industry, Blair has worked for NEW Cooperative for over eight years. He and his wife Jenn have five children and reside in Rockwell City.
NEW Cooperative, Inc. is a farmer-owned grain, agronomy, energy and feed cooperative headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa. As a leading agriculture retailer, NEW Cooperative is focused on being an innovative and efficient provider of today’s agriculture markets and services to 8,000 members throughout their 60 locations in Iowa. To learn more, visit www.newcoop.com.
The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) is an international professional association of grain handling and processing professionals. GEAPS addresses the industry’s critical grain handling, storage and processing operations needs by providing networking, professional development programs and access to a global marketplace of industry suppliers. GEAPS’ global network includes more than 2,200 individual members from about 1,050 companies. www.geaps.com.
Iowa State Specialists Eager to Welcome Back Farm Progress Show
For the first time in four years, the Farm Progress Show will once again be held in Iowa this year, and specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are excited about the return.
The 2020 show was slated for Iowa, but was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Iowa State’s exhibit will span nearly 6,000 square feet, showcasing the latest in agricultural research and technology.
Iowa State University tent at Farm Progress Show.“The show is a place to show off what Iowa State is doing in research and extension and the great people who we have in our college,” said Kendall Lamkey, chair of the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State, and co-chair of the university’s planning committee.
Lamkey will be at the show all three days, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, helping answer questions about agronomy, the growing season and anything else on farmers’ minds. Iowa State will have staff and displays pertaining to nine key content areas: water quality, weeds, plant health, digital ag, farmland ownership trends, weather and climate, monarchs, carbon and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“The Farm Progress Show is one of my favorite outreach events throughout the year,” said Lamkey. “We try to make our displays interactive and educational, and the best part is, we have knowledgeable staff on the grounds, interacting with people face to face.”
Lamkey said the planning committee at Iowa State tries to select topics that will be on people’s minds, and with so much changing in agriculture the past few years, there will be a lot to talk about.
Commodity prices and farm inputs are all up significantly, along with farmland values and cash rents. Farmers are also facing ongoing challenges from supply chain issues, and weather and climate events.
One of the newly updated exhibits will be the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll. Conducted annually by sociologists with Iowa State, the poll measures rural perspectives about farming and issues of importance to farmers. This display will also feature results of a recent farmland ownership survey, which will show how much Iowa farmland is rented versus owned, and the demographics of who actually owns Iowa farmland.
“Many people don’t understand how farmland in Iowa is actually owned and the impact that can have on how the land is farmed,” said Lamkey.
Visitors to Farm Progress Show interact with specialists from ISU Extension and Outreach.Also new this year, Iowans will get to learn more about the Iowa Environmental Mesonet – a weather and climate tool that helps farmers track soil temperature in their county, as well as precipitation and soil moisture.
Traditional displays like the weed, plant health and monarch exhibits, will give visitors the chance to test their skills at identifying common weeds and insects, and how to keep both under control.
A team of carbon market specialists will provide updates about carbon credit markets, contracts and farming practices that can help mitigate and sequester carbon. The team will also provide copies of recent extension publications related to carbon markets, what is known so far and what is still being explored.
“We are excited for the return of the Farm Progress Show this year,” said Jay Harmon, associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director for agriculture and natural resources with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Extension is in the people business and we strive to have a positive impact on Iowa through our relationship with farmers to help them make key decisions, not only for profitability, but on the environment, labor issues and technology selection, all of which are important to the state.”
Show director Matt Jungmann said holding the show in Iowa is a bit like a homecoming for himself and several of his staff, who graduated from Iowa State. Jungmann earned a bachelor of science degree at Iowa State in 1997.
“Several of our Farm Progress Show team members are Iowa State alums, so we’re always happy to come home and see such a great display,” he said. “It’s educational and informative, and a great representation of what extension does across the state and beyond.”
Farm Bill Listening Session Set for Minnesota
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott announced the next in a series of listening sessions entitled “A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Perspectives from the Field.” The House Agriculture Committee has conducted a number of hearings in Washington, DC focused on the 2018 Farm Bill and improvements that can be made in the 2023 Farm Bill. This series of listening sessions allows House Agriculture Committee Members to gather input from producers and consumers on the ground across the country.
This next session in this series will take place at 10:00 a.m. CT (11:00 a.m. ET) at Bruce Peterson Farm in Northfield, Minnesota on Monday, July 25. It will be hosted by Congresswoman Angie Craig of Minnesota and chaired by House Agriculture Subcommittee Chair Cheri Bustos of Illinois. This event is open to the public.
Additional dates and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
May Beef Exports Reach New Heights; Pork Exports Largest of 2022
U.S. beef exports set new volume and value records in May, topping $1 billion for the fourth time this year, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While pork exports were well below last year’s large totals, shipments were the largest of 2022 in both volume and value. U.S. lamb exports continued to trend higher, led by growth in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Beef exports to Korea, Japan and China/Hong Kong already top $1 billion
May beef exports reached 135,006 metric tons (mt), up 1% from the previous high posted in May 2021. Export value climbed 20% to $1.09 billion, breaking the March 2022 record. For January through May, beef exports increased 4% from a year ago to 613,266 mt, valued at $5.14 billion (up 34%). Exports to leading markets South Korea, Japan and China/Hong Kong already topped $1 billion each through May, while shipments also trended significantly higher to Taiwan, the Caribbean, the ASEAN region, the Middle East and Central America.
"For U.S. beef exports to maintain a $1 billion-per-month pace is tremendous under any circumstances, but it is especially remarkable given the strong U.S. dollar, continued shipping and logistical challenges and the economic uncertainty our industry and international customers face today,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. "Across a wide range of markets, the momentum for retail beef sales achieved during the pandemic continues, and it’s now complemented by a strong rebound in the foodservice sector. May volume was actually down slightly to both Japan and South Korea, and yet exports still set a new record. That’s a great indication of soaring, broad-based demand for U.S. beef."
Pork exports still surging to Mexico, Dominican Republic
May pork exports were 224,677 mt, down 21% from the large year-ago total but the highest monthly volume since November. Export value was $655.1 million, down 24% but also the highest since November. Through May, pork exports were down 20% from a year ago to 1.07 million mt, valued at just under $3 billion (down 18%). Exports to Mexico and the Dominican Republic are on a record pace in 2022, while May exports were also very strong for Colombia. Despite logistical challenges, chilled pork exports increased to Japan and South Korea.
"On the pork side, exports are still trailing the enormous totals from the first half of last year, but we’re seeing upward momentum in several markets,” Halstrom explained. "Shipments to Mexico are on a record pace and demand is strong across most of the Western Hemisphere. China’s hog prices have increased about 40% since mid-June, which supports our forecast for some rebound in China’s demand for imported pork toward the end of the year. Even when China pulls larger volumes from other suppliers, this has a positive impact for U.S. pork in a number of international markets."
Positive momentum continues for U.S. lamb exports
May exports of U.S. lamb increased 35% from a year ago to 1,856 mt, while export value climbed 40% to $2.55 million. Lamb muscle cut exports posted robust growth in Mexico and the Caribbean, led by the Netherlands Antilles and Dominican Republic. January-May lamb exports increased 46% from a year ago to 8,368 mt, while value jumped 68% to $12.5 million. Muscle cut exports increased 80% in volume (875 mt) and 84% in value ($5.2 million).
USGC Statement On Japan Prime Minister’s Death
Japan’s longest-serving leader and former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after being shot at a political campaign event in the city of Nara.
Japan is a longtime market for U.S corn, sorghum, barley, ethanol and co-products.
U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand issued the following statement:
“Our hearts go out to Japan at this critical time, and we are sorry for such a great loss. Prime Minister Abe was a leader in many ways, including growing trade between the U.S. and Japan. He continued the long, close friendship between the U.S. and Japan that goes back even farther than the opening of the then U.S. Feed Grains Council’s first international office in Tokyo in 1961. We are saddened today for our friends, partners and the people of Japan.”
Abe served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 before stepping down due to illness. He was re-elected in 2012 and served until 2020. Famous for bringing his economic policies, called Abenomics, that had three arrows of monetary, fiscal and structural reform, Abe and former President Obama were the leaders and drivers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), that later became the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP).
USMEF Statement on Death of Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, died today at the age of 67.
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued this statement:
“USMEF is deeply saddened by the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In addition to being a strong and reliable ally of the United States, he was a true champion for trade. His leadership in advancing the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, which was a major win for U.S. agriculture, was courageous and relentless. He was also a driving force behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other key trade agreements.”
Sysco Accuses Four Largest Beef Processors of Price Fixing
The nation's largest food distributor has joined the other businesses accusing the four largest meat processors of working together to inflate beef prices.
Sysco recently filed a federal lawsuit in Texas accusing Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill and National Beef of price fixing. The lawsuit said those companies have conspired to suppress the number of cattle being slaughtered at least since 2015 to help drive up the price of beef. The allegations are similar to ones in lawsuits filed by grocery stores, ranchers, restaurants and other wholesalers that have been pending in Minnesota federal court since 2020.
Similar price-fixing lawsuits are also pending in the pork and chicken processing businesses.
The Sysco Corp. lawsuit said the companies' coordinated efforts to limit the number of cattle slaughtered drove down the price meat processors paid ranchers while propping up beef prices, boosting profits for the meat producers, who control more than 80% of the U.S. beef market.
The lawsuit said the companies “exploited their market power in this highly concentrated market by conspiring to limit the supply, and fix the prices, of beef sold.” And the lawsuit cited an unnamed witnesses who used to work in the meat industry who confirmed there was a conspiracy between the meat companies.
Most of the companies didn't immediately respond to questions about the Sysco lawsuit Thursday, but they have defended their actions in the other price-fixing lawsuits even though JBS did agree to a $52.5 million settlement in one of the lawsuits earlier this year. JBS didn't admit any wrongdoing as part of that deal.
Wheat Foods Council Celebrates 50 Years
In the early 1970s, wheat foods came under attack for containing a high portion of carbohydrates, which many consumers believed made foods fattening. In May 1972, the wheat commissions from Kansas, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska met to coordinate a response from wheat farmers. The result was the establishment of the Wheat Foods Council (WFC), which celebrated its 50th-anniversary in June.
Today, the WFC uniquely remains an organization whose membership encompasses the entire wheat foods value chain. Kansas Wheat is a member, along with grain producers, millers, baking suppliers, life science companies and cereal manufacturers. Together, the WFC stays true to its original mission -- to help increase the awareness of dietary grains as an essential component of a healthful diet.
To do so, the Council develops sound nutritional, educational and promotional programs that reach health and nutrition professionals, opinion leaders, media and consumers. The organization works with a wide swath of key audiences, including health and nutrition professionals, educators, supermarket and retail dietitians, health-conscious consumers, media, chefs and cooks and personal trainers.
WFC members gathered at the organization's summer meeting in Charleston, S.C., to celebrate the anniversary, elect new officers and set priorities for the upcoming year. The new officers were seated for WFC's 2022-23 fiscal year: Kent Juliot, Ardent Mills, chair; Ron Suppes, Kansas Wheat Commission, vice chair, Mark Hotze, Corbion, treasurer/secretary; and Darby Campsey, Texas Wheat Producers, immediate past chair.
The board also reviewed the WFC's programs from the prior fiscal year, including:
- Educating personal trainers, whose advice reaches and influences more than 30 million consumers each week. In April when COVID-19 shut-down in-person activities and events, the WFC began creating short educational videos and sharing them through social media. By June 2022 the videos had more than 18 million views.
- Conducting a chef workshop focused on the plant-forward food trend at the Culinary Institute of America in April 2022, giving menu development chefs a hands-on demonstration of how wheat foods fit into this trend.
- Organizing the Future of Food Forum in conjunction with the chef workshop, which included speakers addressing plant-forward foods, sustainability, managing supply chains and innovation and collaboration. All of these topics were identified by menu development chefs as critical to the future of their companies.
The WFC plans to continue these efforts and more -- as it has for the last five decades. Learn more about the WFC at https://www.wheatfoods.org/ -- a robust website with community forums, webinars and interactive elements that provide a one-stop source for everything about wheat and grain foods nutrition from the latest news and research to interviews with leading experts on in-depth and trending topics, tips, informative links to government agencies and other relevant sites, recipes and more.
And what would a website devoted to wheat foods be without lots of recipes? Find recommendations and recipes for all types of meals ranging from Tomato Basil Pasta to Fruit Dessert Pizza and everything "grain" in between.
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