Tuesday November 28 Ag News

NDA REPORTS CASE OF HPAI, REMINDS POULTRY PRODUCERS TO REMAIN VIGILANT

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is reminding poultry owners to continue to monitor for and protect their birds against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Recently, NDA in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, confirmed a case of HPAI in Nebraska in a small backyard flock in Colfax County.

“While Nebraska hasn’t had any reported cases of HPAI for a few months, we are disappointed but not surprised, to see another case, as there have been several confirmed HPAI cases in surrounding states,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. “Poultry producers need to continue to be vigilant in protecting their flocks. It’s important for producers to know the signs and symptoms of HPAI and to continue to practice good biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of this disease into their flocks.”

HPAI is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. Wild birds can carry the virus without becoming sick, while domesticated birds can become very sick and die.

Symptoms of HPAI in poultry include: a decrease in water consumption; lack of energy and appetite; decreased egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. HPAI can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing any other symptoms. HPAI can survive for weeks in contaminated environments.

Resources are available for poultry producers at https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/index.html as are updated maps of HPAI cases in Nebraska. Poultry experiencing signs of HPAI or unusual death should be reported to NDA at 402-471-2351 or the USDA at 866-536-7593.



FALL HAY INVENTORY
– Samantha Daniel, NE Extension Educator

How much feed or hay do you have going into winter? Will you have enough feed to provide for current cattle numbers?

Consider the “best case” and “worst case” scenarios. Count bales, measure silage, evaluate remaining fall and winter pasture, and estimate how much possible grazing there will be.  Of course, get a real idea of how many calves and feeders you will have. Some may have too much feed laying around that is getting old. Selling some may generate a premium.

Another action plan to consider is buying feeds that are cheaper now and storing them through the winter. We know how to do this with hay and silage, but what about distiller’s grains? Mixing with low quality feeds and packing in a bunker or in a bag, can significantly reduce the cost of protein and energy supplements during the winter months. This is especially helpful if cows are coming off grass thin and need to improve condition before calving.

Planning is indispensable. Having a feed inventory and checking prices and availability now will go a long way to reducing the anxiety of what we will feed our cows this winter.



CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CONNECTION AT THE 2023 IOWA CATTLE INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), the leading grassroots organization supporting Iowa’s beef cattle industry, invites cattle producers across Iowa to attend the 2023 Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit held December 14 and 15 at the Meadows Events Center in Altoona, Iowa.

This annual event is for the leader in every cattle producer. The Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit is an excellent opportunity for those just getting their start or those with years of experience to come together to network, learn, and participate in ICA’s policy development process. This year is extra special as we celebrate 50 years of ICA.

ICA is pleased to welcome Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS USA, as our keynote presenter. Bruett will set the stage for the conference with a session entitled, ‘The State of the Beef Industry.’ As the world’s largest food company in terms of revenue, Bruett is sure to bring an intriguing look at the beef cattle industry, exploring the major factors impacting the market.

Additionally, we’ll welcome a series of exceptional breakout session topics and speakers for participants to select from and gain valuable insights that fit their operation’s needs. Topics such as succession planning, modern ag in a cancel culture, grazing, and the innovation of data are all part of the formal agenda.

Connection is key and ICA has worked in a variety of opportunities for networking. Guests will not want to miss out on our Beef & Bourbon Pairing Experience, 50-year champagne toast, entertainment, and more. We also have more than 25 industry partners exhibiting throughout the event.

The Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit is the culmination of ICA’s formal policy development. Producer members are encouraged to participate and provide input in the policy committee meetings which will review expiring resolutions and directives and provide time to introduce new policy priority suggestions. Voting and ratification will conclude this process during the committee meetings and Annual Meeting on December 15.

“We know our members are busy, but there is no better investment in your operation than the time spent at the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit,” said Tanner Lawton, ICA director of member services. “From the educational opportunity to the chance to network with other producers, there will be something to gain for everyone. We also can’t emphasize enough the importance of having our members involved in ICA’s policy development process. Your participation helps shape the industry’s future.”

Registration and additional event details can be found at https://www.iacattlemen.org/events-meetings/iowa-cattle-industry-leadership-summit. ICA would like to thank our gracious sponsors for their support in making this event successful.



Researchers Comment on Proposed EPA Models for Predicting Broiler Operation Emissions

Proposed federal draft models designed to guide emissions forecasting for broiler operations need improvement and clarification, according to an in-depth analysis led by Iowa State University scientists.

In August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a set of draft models to estimate daily levels of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and several types of particulate matter (dust) typically emitted from U.S. broiler operations. The original data stemmed from the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS), which measured emissions to eventually guide Clean Air Act policies for livestock and poultry operations. Once finalized, the EPA emissions models may be used by animal feeding operations to determine whether their emissions trigger air quality reporting requirements.

The agency developed the proposed models for broiler operations using environmentally focused datasets collected between 2005-2007 at a small number of broiler houses in California and Kentucky.

“EPA’s models are quite outdated,” said Brett Ramirez, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State, and assistant director of the Egg Industry Center. Ramirez is one of the researchers who evaluated the EPA draft emissions models. “The underlying data set is 15 years old. A lot has changed since then, including the sizes of barns, nutrition, genetics, and management practices in facilities.”

“The EPA model development approach is very complicated,” Ramirez said. “Using the EPA model as it is currently proposed would be beyond the capability of many growers – especially smaller facilities – and might even be less accurate than calculating emissions based on the numbers of birds a facility will house during a specific time period.”

Also, the EPA model data comes from only four facilities at three sites in Kentucky and California, neither of which are among states that currently produce the most broilers annually. “At the time of NAEMS, there was limited resources and a best effort was made, but it means the results don’t adequately represent today’s industry across the U.S.,” Ramirez said.

Other concerns included:
· The models estimated greater impacts from multiple barns, even if they housed the same or smaller number of birds. For example, two houses with 10,000 birds were predicted to have more emissions than a single 20,000 bird house. However, emissions should be relatively constant per bird, assuming the same environmental conditions, according to the researchers.
· The appropriate range of all input values were not provided in the draft EPA report and thus, it was not possible to adequately extrapolate to larger facilities, which have become more common since 2007.

Along with Ramirez, the research team assessing the EPA model included Guoming Li, assistant professor of poultry science at the University of Georgia, formerly a postdoc at Iowa State, and the late Richard S. Gates, then director of the Egg Industry Center and Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professor at Iowa State. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Tennessee were also involved. Their evaluation of the draft EPA emissions models was published recently in the Journal of Applied Poultry Research and an interpretive summary was featured by the Poultry Science Association.

“Overall, the current draft EPA models are not likely to realistically estimate emissions from a range of broiler operations,” Ramirez said. “As a result of these problems and others outlined in our evaluation, the panel of scientists encourages those whose businesses could be influenced to review this information and consider responding when EPA opens its comment period.”

This research was jointly supported by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association (USPEA) and state and USDA Hatch Act funds allocated to Iowa State University, the University of Georgia and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Any conclusions or opinions expressed are those of the investigators, and not of USPEA and USDA. No funds provided by USPEA were or will be used for the purposes of influencing legislation and/or government policy or action.



Crossroads ahead: Get the insights at American Dairy Coalition’s annual meeting webinar

American Dairy Coalition (ADC) will have its annual business meeting open to all dairy farmers across the country – by zoom webinar – on Thurs., Dec. 7th, beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST.

The Honorable Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, Chairman of the U.S. House Ag Committee, will keynote with an update on the Farm Bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and other top priorities for the coming year.

“Chairman Thompson understands dairy and the issues facing rural businesses, communities, and farm families. He has led numerous farm bill listening sessions across the nation, as the Committee has received much input. He has demonstrated his commitment as a strong voice for agriculture, not only in his home district (15th) in Pennsylvania, but across the U.S.,” notes Laurie Fischer, CEO of ADC, a nationwide grassroots organization of dairy producers based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with Walt Moore, a Chester County, Pennsylvania dairy producer serving as President.

Additional insights will be gained from the educational program planned, which includes hearing a staff-level update on the Farm Bill from the Senate side from Trey Forsythe, professional staff for the Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman of Arkansas. Forsythe handles the dairy, livestock, poultry, animal health and food safety portfolios. He previously served as senior manager for federal government and industry affairs at Land O'Lakes, Inc.

American Farm Bureau Chief Economist Roger Cryan will bring information on the highlights, and lowlights, and what to expect from the Federal Milk Marketing Order Hearing, which will reconvene Nov. 27 after eight weeks of proceedings and over four weeks of recess. Roger brings years of experience as both a prior Director of Economics for USDA and prior VP for National Milk Producers Federation.

Corey Scott of Athian will give a snapshot of what farmers should know about Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, carbon credits and the dairy value chain. She is an experienced livestock sustainability systems professional for Athian, whose key mission is to help dairy and beef value chains capture and claim carbon credits earned through sustainability efforts by aggregating, validating, and certifying reductions so they can be monetized.

“The dairy industry is becoming increasingly complex and reaching an intersection of rapid change. Reports about biotech, big data, precision farming, climate targets, carbon credits, complex marketing strategies, uncertainty about the future of a new farm bill and of FMMO milk pricing have America’s dairy farmers on edge. This is why it is so important to acquire as much information as you can, to navigate what's ahead,” says Fischer.

ADC urges dairy farmers to gain firsthand insight on the latest and most substantial influences on business, production, markets, and cash flow by joining ADC’s annual business meeting webinar Dec. 7th at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Go to https://qrco.de/ADCwebinar to register to attend.



U.S. beef and pork exports to China receive a boost

The United States is a major exporter of pork and beef to China. Recently, the General Administration of Customs of China approved 18 U.S. beef establishments and 12 U.S. pork establishments for export to China. This is the first time that new U.S. plants have been cleared for export to China in about 10 months.

Erin Borror, vice president for economic analysis for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), said that the plant approval process was streamlined by the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement. The Phase One Agreement has "many benefits for U.S. agriculture," Borror said, "but particularly related to plant approvals."

China is still a major market for U.S. beef and pork

Despite a decline in beef shipments to China in 2023, China remains the fourth largest destination for U.S. beef exports. Borror said that China has "strong upside potential" for U.S. beef exports.

China is also a major market for U.S. pork variety meat. Shipments of U.S. pork variety meat to China are up 9% from last year.



RFA Partners with Girls Auto Clinic for Ethanol Education

The Renewable Fuels Association has partnered with the Girls Auto Clinic to lead the way in bringing ethanol education and promotion to a new and growing audience: women who are actively interested in auto purchasing, maintenance, and repair.

Founded in 2013 by entrepreneur Patrice Banks, Girls Auto Clinic builds and provides tools to drive knowledge and engagement to women, or “shecanics,” to own their automotive experiences. GAC empowers women to be fully engaged and confident in purchasing and managing their vehicles, while also increasing the presence of women successfully and happily employed within the automotive industry.

“The Girls Auto Clinic Car Care Workshop is an in-depth, interactive and fun way for women to learn about their cars, what maintenance they can do to prolong the life of their car (and save money), how to talk to a mechanic, and what to do in an emergency,” said Banks, GAC’s CEO and founder. “And now, with RFA's backing, we can extend our reach, empowering more women across the country to become confident drivers and smart consumers.”

“We’re looking forward to working with Girls Auto Clinic, which does terrific work in expanding automotive knowledge and confidence to more women,” said RFA Vice President for Industry Relations Robert White. “It’s important for all consumers to understand the value of American-made ethanol, as it provides critical cost savings for families and benefits for the climate and the air we breathe. It’s also critical that all drivers understand the advantages and proper uses of higher-level blends like E15 and flex fuels like E85. Patrice and her team are the perfect partner for this effort.”



MSU-led research team receives $946K grant to study alfalfa autotoxicity

A multi-institutional research team led by Michigan State University has received a $946,349 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to explore alfalfa autotoxicity. The award is within NIFA’s Alfalfa Seed and Forage Systems program.

The project is led by Kim Cassida, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and MSU Extension forage specialist. Other researchers include:
    Sarah Lebeis, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences.
    Paige Baisley, a graduate student in Cassida’s lab.
    Virginia Moore, an assistant professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University.

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, alfalfa is the nation’s third most valuable field crop at roughly $8.7 billion per year. While alfalfa has many uses, it’s most often grown for animal agriculture forage due to its nutrient-rich profile.

Like any other crop, alfalfa faces insect and diseases challenges, but current varieties are exceptionally hardy and able to withstand a variety of environmental pressures. Its most significant threat may be itself.

Alfalfa exhibits autotoxicity, a phenomenon in which the plant inhibits germination and development of seedlings of its own species. The cause is believed to be chemical compounds released by the plants, but researchers are unsure which compounds are to blame.

“We’ve known about this issue for a long time, but there haven’t been any concrete solutions generated,” said Cassida, whose work is also supported in part by MSU AgBioResearch. “Alfalfa is a tremendously valuable crop for Michigan, the U.S. and beyond, so finding answers to the problem of autotoxicity is extremely important. In my role as an MSU Extension specialist, I work directly with farmers, and I want to be able to give them more prescriptive recommendations.”

Cassida said managing autotoxicity in the field can be tricky. Alfalfa stands are typically productive for four or more years, but as the plants begin to age and thin out, growers can’t simply add new seedlings to fill the gaps.

Current recommendations are to rotate with other crops, waiting to let toxins dissipate before replanting alfalfa. But the risk of lingering autotoxicity varies greatly by conditions such as precipitation and soil type, as well as management decisions such as tillage.

“When I talk to growers, one of the most common questions I get is, ‘Has it been long enough to replant alfalfa?’” Cassida said. “We tell growers to wait at least six months to two years depending on all the contributing factors, but that uncertainty is frustrating.

“To bring more certainty into the fold, we are developing a soil bioassay that will eventually be available through MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics that can let a grower know whether the soil is ready to plant alfalfa again. At this point, we still can’t tell them exactly how long it will take their field to recover if it’s not ready, but we’re looking to improve the bioassay through this work.”

For the new project, researchers have four primary objectives:
    Identify the compounds responsible for autotoxicity.
    Determine how root function and soil microbiology interact with factors such as soil fertility to influence chemical development and release.
    Begin the process of breeding alfalfa varieties that do not cause this problem.
    Communicate with growers via MSU Extension education.

The end goal is to pave the way for developing new varieties that either produce less toxins or are able to tolerate them more effectively. Cassida said this research could also serve as a framework for other crops with autotoxicity issues.

Preliminary efforts to develop the bioassay were supported by Project GREEEN and the U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative, a checkoff program funded by alfalfa growers to support research. While the bioassay is not ready to share with growers yet, it will be used as a research tool.

“We need to do greenhouse work to identify the mechanisms of autotoxicity before we can take this to field scale,” Cassida said. “Once we do that, we can start to examine things like the effects of nutrient stresses in test plots. The bioassay gives us the ability to definitively identify research plots or production fields that exhibit the problem and focus on differences between those and non-toxic plots or fields. This should improve our ability to conclusively identify causal compounds and interactions among environmental or management factors that impact the severity of the problem.”



Deere Reports Net Income of $2.369 Billion for Fourth Quarter, $10.166 Billion for Fiscal Year

Deere & Company reported net income of $2.369 billion for the fourth quarter ended October 29, 2023, or $8.26 per share, compared with net income of $2.246 billion, or $7.44 per share, for the quarter ended October 30, 2022. For fiscal-year 2023, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $10.166 billion, or $34.63 per share, compared with $7.131 billion, or $23.28 per share, in fiscal 2022.

Worldwide net sales and revenues decreased 1 percent, to $15.412 billion, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 and rose 16 percent, to $61.251 billion, for the full year. Net sales were $13.801 billion for the quarter and $55.565 billion for the year, compared with $14.351 billion and $47.917 billion in 2022.

“Deere’s fourth-quarter and full-year results can be attributed to the successful execution of our Smart Industrial Operating Model and the value that customers recognize in our industry-leading products and solutions,” said John C. May, chairman and chief executive officer. “We must also recognize and credit our dedicated employees, dealers, and suppliers, whose hard work and focus have been instrumental to our overall success.”