Tuesday October 22 Harvest Progress, Milk Production + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending October 20, 2024, there were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 47% very short, 39% short, 14% adequate, and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 41% very short, 39% short, 20% adequate, and 0% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn mature was 98%, near 99% last year and 97% for the five-year average. Harvested was 63%, ahead of 57% last year and 51% average.

Soybeans harvested was 85%, ahead of 79% last year and 80% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 5% very poor, 19% poor, 36% fair, 34% good, and 6% excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 77%, behind 88% last year and 82% average.

Sorghum condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 19% fair, 48% good, and 28% excellent. Sorghum mature was 97%, near 98% last year and 95% average. Harvested was 57%, ahead of 49% both last year and average.

Dry edible beans harvested was 93%, near 89% last year and 91% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 37% very poor, 20% poor, 28% fair, 14% good, and 1% excellent.



Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Row crop harvest remained ahead of average as Iowa’s farmers had 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 20, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Field activities included harvesting corn and soybeans, fall tillage, and applying manure and fertilizer. Dry conditions resulted in field and equipment fires being reported during harvest.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 41 percent very short, 40 percent short, 19 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 31 percent very short, 46 percent short, 23 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. For the second straight week, most of the State received no measurable precipitation.

Nearly all of Iowa’s corn crop reached the mature stage or beyond. Harvest of the corn for grain crop reached 68 percent complete, 5 days ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of the five-year average. Farmers in south central Iowa remained behind farmers in the rest of the State with just 50 percent of their crop harvested. Moisture content of field corn being harvested was 15 percent.

Soybeans harvested reached 91 percent, 1 week ahead of last year and almost 2 weeks ahead of the average. Farmers in northern Iowa, as well as west central and east central, have already harvested 94 percent or more of their soybeans.

Pasture condition fell another 8 percentage points to 22 percent good to excellent this week.  Ponds and creeks in pastures are drying up as pastures go dormant due to the dry conditions. Some cattle are being turned onto corn stalk fields.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report

Both the U.S. corn and soybean harvests are now double digits ahead of their five-year averages as dry weather continued across most of the country last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

CORN
-- Crop development: Corn mature was pegged at 98%, 1 point ahead of last year's 97% and 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 95%.
-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest moved ahead 18 percentage points nationally to reach 65% complete as of Sunday. That was 10 points ahead of last year's 55% and 13 points ahead of the five-year average of 52%.

SOYBEANS
-- Harvest progress: Soybean harvest slowed last week, moving ahead 14 percentage points to reach 81% complete as of Sunday. That was still 9 points ahead of last year's 72% and 14 points ahead of the five-year average of 67%.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting also slowed last week, moving ahead 9 points to reach 73% complete nationwide as of Sunday, 1 point behind last year's 74% and 3 points behind the five-year average of 76%.
-- Crop development: An estimated 46% of winter wheat had emerged as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year's 49% and 4 points behind the five-year average of 50%.

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Incoming CASNR freshman can apply for Elite 11 Veterinary Scholarship Program

For the second year, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will accept applicants for the Elite 11 scholarship program.

This unique scholarship opportunity, which is open to high school seniors from Nebraska, is aimed at increasing the number of veterinarians practicing in production animal practices across the state. The application period is from Oct. 15 through Feb. 3, 2025.

The Elite 11 program offers financial assistance to Nebraska students pursuing degrees in Animal Science or Veterinary Science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources who have demonstrated a passion and commitment to the health and wellbeing of production animals. Students who take part in the program will pursue careers as livestock veterinarians in rural Nebraska. The program is a partnership between the state of Nebraska and CASNR.

Incoming freshman accepted into the program receive the Nebraska Production Animal Health Scholarship, which covers 50% of their tuition for the first two years of study in CASNR. Following their second year of study, 13 are chosen for a continuation scholarship that covers 100% of their tuition during their third and fourth years. From there, the Elite 11 are selected from Nebraska’s Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine to have all tuition and fees paid for while they attend the university’s dual Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program with Iowa State University.

“We have been so impressed with the students from across Nebraska taking part into the first year of the program, and we are absolutely thrilled to offer this opportunity again,” said CASNR Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students who are passionate about Nebraska and agriculture to begin on a career path critical to our state’s livestock producers.”

To apply, students must submit a statement of interest, a two-minute video, a resume, transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, and three references. List of references must be submitted by Jan. 10, 2025. All other materials must be submitted by Feb. 3, 2025. Scholarship recipients will be announced March 5, 2025.

More information, along with the application form, is available at CASNR.unl.edu/elite11.



NEBRASKA MILK PRODUCTION

Milk production in Nebraska during the July-September 2024 quarter totaled 306 million pounds, down 7% from the July-September quarter last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 50,000 head, 4,000 head less than the same period last year.

July-September Milk Production up slightly
Milk production in the United States during the July - September quarter totaled 56.0 billion pounds, up slightly from the July - September quarter last year. The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.33 million head, 3,000 head less than the April - June quarter, and 41,000 head less than the same period last year.

IOWA: Milk production in Iowa during September 2024 totaled 478 million pounds, down 1 percent from the previous September according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during September, at 241,000 head, was unchanged from last month but up 1,000 from September 2023. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,985 pounds, down 25 pounds from last September.

September Milk Production up 0.2 Percent
Milk production in the 24 major States during September totaled 17.5 billion pounds, up 0.2 percent from September 2023. August revised production, at 18.2 billion pounds, was up 0.5 percent from August 2023. The August revision represented an increase of 85 million pounds or 0.5 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate. Production per cow in the 24 major States averaged 1,966 pounds for September, 8 pounds above September 2023. The number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major States was 8.89 million head, 20,000 head less than September 2023, but unchanged from August 2024.



NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS

Nebraska egg production during September totaled 212 million eggs, up from 203 million in 2023. September egg production per 100 layers was 2,451 eggs, compared to 2,516 eggs in 2023. All layers in Nebraska during September 2024 totaled 8.63 million, up from 8.05 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

IOWA: Iowa egg production during September 2024 was 1.09 billion eggs, down 4 percent from the previous September, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during September 2024 was 43.2 million, down 6 percent from last year. Eggs per 100 layers for September was 2,531, up 2 percent from a year ago.

September Egg Production Down 2 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.92 billion during September 2024, down 2 percent from last year. Production included 7.65 billion table eggs, and 1.27 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.18 billion were broiler-type and 91.3 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during September 2024 totaled 375 million, down 3 percent from last year. September egg production per 100 layers was 2,381 eggs, up 1 percent from September 2023.
                                    
Total layers in the United States on October 1, 2024 totaled 377 million, down 2 percent from last year. The 377 million layers consisted of 312 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 61.5 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.66 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on October 1, 2024, averaged 79.3 eggs per 100 layers, up slightly from October 1, 2023.



ICA NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS & PUBLIC POLICY

Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), the leading grassroots organization supporting Iowa’s beef cattle industry, is pleased to announce Kelli Wicks as their new director of government relations and public policy. Wicks brings a unique background of experience and skills that will complement the association’s policy work and continue to drive legislative efforts promoting Iowa cattle producer’s profitability and productivity.

Wicks' most recent roles as the manager of market growth and manager of international market development with the National Pork Board hold many parallels. In these roles, she was responsible for international initiatives, consumer segmentation insight integration, innovation, and the introduction of new technologies. Throughout her time with the National Pork Board, Wicks points out that knowledgeably showcasing their work for stakeholder buy-in was a top priority and has positioned her well for similar work with legislators.

Prior to the National Pork Board, Wicks served as a two-time Wallace-Carver Fellow with the USDA – ARS and FAS and as a farmer relations intern with Midwest Dairy. She also was a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the International Livestock Research Institute.

Wicks holds a master's degree in international agriculture with a focus on international trade and development from Oklahoma State University. She has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University where she double-majored in agriculture and society and international agriculture with a minor in animal science. Wicks grew up on a small cattle operation in north central Iowa. She raised and showed purebred cattle across the state and the nation.

“I have a deep passion for the agriculture industry,” said Wicks. “I am constantly striving to advocate for agriculture and everyone it impacts. In my previous work experiences, I have worked to serve producers in all facets of agriculture to make sure their voices are heard. I can’t think of a better way to utilize my skills for Iowa’s cattle farmers than by serving the members of ICA as the director of government relations and public policy.”

ICA is currently working on policy development and priorities for the upcoming year. Wicks joins the team at an opportune time to take part in this process, work collaboratively with policy committees, and strategize with ICA’s lobbyist and leadership to build upon the momentum of last year’s legislative session.

“We are excited to welcome Kelli to ICA and look forward to the unique perspective she will bring to the role,” said Bryan Whaley, ICA CEO. “Her demonstrated dedication to serving producers through her work experience with member-driven organizations and background to guide decision-making with strong buy-in will be great tools she can leverage to promote policy priorities that matter to our members.”

ICA looks forward to welcoming Kelli Wicks to the team and continuing our mission of serving Iowa’s beef cattle industry now and in the future. Wicks’ first day will be November 4, 2024. IRFA: U.S. Supreme Court Needs to Stop RFS Exemption Venue Shopping

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on whether lawsuits regarding small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be heard by regional U.S. Circuit Courts or the DC Circuit Court after conflicting opinions from several U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw made the following statement:

“It’s time for the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to venue shopping by refiners seeking to avoid their RFS obligations. Disputes over the federal RFS should be handled in the DC Circuit Court instead of having refiners file suit in multiple circuits hoping they get lucky in one. IRFA members appreciate the Supreme Court taking the case and we hope they provide clarity going forward. In addition, we applaud Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association for putting this question before the Supreme Court.”



USDA to Begin Issuing $2.14 Billion to Agricultural Producers through Key Conservation and Safety-Net Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will begin issuing more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers, and landowners—providing much needed support through key conservation and safety-net programs. Producers should soon receive payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their participation in these programs aimed to conserve natural resources and keep family farms economically viable.    

Specifically, program participants are expected to receive more than $1.7 billion through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Transition Incentive Program (CRP TIP) and more than $447 million through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Prices Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC) programs. Additionally, FSA is announcing an investment of $21 million for projects to better measure the effectiveness of CRP.  

“Conservation and safety net program payments are significant investments in preserving and protecting our valuable and vulnerable natural resources and they provide protection for producers impacted by market volatilities,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “These programs support voluntary land stewardship and provide agricultural producers with risk protection and production stability, keeping them in business and feeding the world.”    

Conservation Reserve Program Payments  
FSA is issuing more than $1.7 billion in annual rental payments to agricultural producers and private landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Transition Incentive Program. These annual rental payments are made to eligible farmers and ranchers throughout the country who establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland taken out of production. The duration of CRP contracts is between 10 and 15 years.  

FSA accepted offers for more than 2.2 million acres through this year’s Grassland, General, and Continuous CRP signups, bringing current enrollment to nearly 26 million acres.  

These conservation-minded producers help provide invaluable benefits to the nation’s environment and economy.   

Top five states for current acreage in CRP:  
    Colorado: 2,978,741  
    South Dakota: 2,626,430  
    Nebraska: 2,423,361  
    Texas: 2,225,310  
    Kansas: 2,040,412  

Investments in CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation  
FSA invested $21 million in projects to further the monitoring, assessment, and evaluation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Projects funded this year include the adoption of emerging technology to increase knowledge on subjects such as the benefits of wetland restoration to mitigate flooding, contributions of CRP to wildlife habitat, and role CRP plays in strengthening the resiliency of agricultural operations.    

FSA originally committed $10 million to the Notice of Funding Opportunity in May, but due to the quality of project proposals submitted FSA awarded more than $20 million. Since 2021, FSA has invested over $70 million into monitoring, assessment, and evaluation efforts.    

The monitoring, assessment, and evaluation projects are designed to produce information that enables USDA to better target CRP toward conservation outcomes by improving data, models, and planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions. The land currently enrolled in the program improve water quality, protect soil resources, provide critical wildlife habitat and aid to climate resiliency within agricultural systems. Further quantifying program benefits allows the USDA to better target CRP to achieve continued conservation wins across environmentally sensitive lands while strengthening the program’s modeling and conservation planning resources for all producers.  

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.   

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs  
USDA has started to issue payments to producers of 2023 crops that are estimated at more than $447 million through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenue and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. ARC and PLC program and crop specific data is available online and through your local FSA county office.  

Authorized by the 2014 farm bill they can provide a cushion for farmers during tough economic conditions and fluctuating market prices.  



Track Cattle Records With 2025 NCBA Redbook

For more than 30 years, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has offered the annual Redbook to help cattle producers effectively and efficiently record their daily production efforts. The pocket-sized booklet simplifies recordkeeping, which can enhance profitability and reduce stress levels. The 2025 edition of the Redbook is now available.

In addition to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) practices and proper injection technique information, the 2025 Redbook includes current information about the judicious use of antibiotics in cattle, fitness for transport, and how to build a biosecurity plan. There are more than 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture use, cattle inventory, body condition, cattle treatment, AI breeding records and more. It also contains a calendar and notes section.

Redbooks can be purchased online at https://store.ncba.org/ for $8.00 each, plus shipping. Customization, including adding a company logo on the cover, is available in quantities of 100 books or more. For more information on custom orders, contact Grace Webb at gwebb@beef.org or (303) 850-3443.



Backgrounding Calves
Matthew Diersen, Risk & Business Management Specialist, South Dakota State University

Locally, the corn harvest is moving at a rapid pace, and producers have already moved cows into stalks and stubble. While fall has been dry, there was solid forage production earlier in the season, resulting in lower feed costs for much of the region. A few weeks ago, the expected profit from backgrounding, (adding weight to newly weaned calves), penciled out at very high levels. Calf prices have since moved higher, but the relationship among prices suggests more changes are expected in the short run.

Consider a cow-calf producer looking to retain ownership of a calf from November 2024 through March 2025. A steer calf weighing 550 pounds could be fed a corn and hay ration to reach a target weight of 800 pounds. A proxy ration of 15.5 bushels of corn and 1.1 tons of hay would give the weight gain during that timeframe. The weighted average price for 550-pound steers sold in South Dakota last week was $320 per cwt, while corn was $3.60 per bushel and hay was $95 per ton. Thus, the calf was worth $1,760, and the feed was $160 per head.

Backgrounding is not without risk. From a financial perspective, the money tied up in backgrounding could be invested in something like 10-year Treasury notes, currently yielding above 4%. The $1,920 could earn the 4% [annual rate] of interest, but only for five months for comparison. Thus, the producer would need a minimum of $32 per head to cover the risk involved. That gives a breakeven value of $1,952 per head or $244 per cwt for an 800-pound steer. The March 2025 futures contract has been trading between $242 and $246 per cwt in recent weeks. All the components in this analysis can change and adjust rapidly. This is a competitive industry.

The feeder cattle price is the primary source of risk for backgrounding. Last year, the March 2024 futures contract price increased by almost $20 per cwt from November 2023 until the contract expired. That would be a $160 per head gain if the backgrounded cattle were not hedged. However, a couple of times in the past decade, the March contract price has also declined by almost $20 per cwt over the backgrounding season. The futures market is unbiased (never consistently under- or over-shooting the final value), but it is never right.

Producers can mitigate the price risk by locking in price levels that give a clear profit. The use of put options or Livestock Risk Protection can also offset risk. Buying coverage is not free, but it eliminates most downside price risk and leaves the producer open to potentially higher prices.



USDA Announces Seed Competition Framework

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  announced multiple actions to deliver on the President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy to promote fair and competitive markets for American farmers and ranchers, and lower food prices for American families. The announcement included a new Seed Competition Framework for promoting research access to germplasm that represents a three-part strategy for enhanced seed system diversity, competition, and resilience.

Specifically, the framework:
    Identifies opportunities for better defining patent-related disclosure for seeds so researchers understand their freedom to operate. A letter from USDA to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) USPTO describes the need for more clarity on breeding history and pedigrees and ensuring accessibility to seeds samples placed in patent depositories to adequately disclose plant-related inventions. Clarifying disclosure requirements for utility patents on seeds would help ensure researchers can better understand the scope and bounds of patent rights on plant-related inventions and conduct the research necessary to develop new innovations.

    Provides guidance to USDA researchers around observational uses of protected germplasm in the context of patent law. The ability to observe and understand patented inventions is necessary for federal scientists to pursue critical research and to innovate without fear of infringement.

    Encourages that germplasm developed by federal funding be shared for research and plant breeding, thus reflecting existing best practices. This will potentially help ensure that the germplasm pool is available for future innovation for both private and public breeders alike to bring new and diverse choices to the market.



Strengthening Genetic Excellence: Hypor and Danish Genetics Merge to Form a Strategic Alliance

The global multispecies genetics company Hendrix Genetics is excited to announce the signing of an agreement to merge its swine division, Hypor, with Danish Genetics and partners. This significant milestone marks the establishment of a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing their collective presence in the global swine genetics market and unlocking new opportunities. Following the merger, Hendrix Genetics will hold a majority stake and Danish Genetics and partners will hold a significant part of the newly formed entity.

This merger represents a powerful collaboration between the swine divisions of Hendrix Genetics and Danish Genetics, designed to create a strong partnership that expands their current product portfolios, leverages cutting-edge technologies, and enhances their global distribution networks. Danish Genetics, recognized for its expertise in highly efficient sustainable swine genetics, aligns perfectly with Hypor’s mission to provide sustainable, high-quality solutions to pig producers worldwide.

“This step fits squarely within our Hendrix Genetics strategy, being a multi-species platform aiming to build a strong presence in each species we are active in. By integrating our resources with Danish Genetics, we can capitalize on our combined expertise and R&D capabilities to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our customers in the swine industry. Together, we are poised to set new standards for performance and sustainability in swine genetics,” said Richard Maatman, CEO of Hendrix Genetics.

Jan Gerber, CEO of Danish Genetics, adds, “We are very excited to embark on this journey with Hendrix Genetics and Hypor in this strategic partnership. By combining our resources and shared commitments to innovation and animal welfare, we aim to deliver advanced products that support producers in achieving higher performance. With a global reach, this partnership will allow us to serve our customers even more effectively across the globe.”

“This combination with Danish Genetics signifies more than just an expansion of capabilities; it represents the formation of a strategic partnership that will deliver enhanced value to our customers and the industry,” said Raf Beeren, Managing Director of Hypor. “By combining our strengths and expertise, we will be better positioned to develop innovative, sustainable solutions that meet the growing needs of the global swine sector.”

Mads Kring, Shareholder and Co-Founder of Danish Genetics, adds, “This strategic combination will be a strong match ready to unlock significant value for the global pig producers by creating one of the world’s most advanced breeding companies. Through state-of-the-art research and technology and two highly complementary genetic populations, we can further support improving the efficiency and profitability of our customers.”

Parties anticipate closing the transaction in early 2025. Both Hypor and Danish Genetics are dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition for all stakeholders and building a lasting, prosperous partnership.