Wednesday January 08 Ag News

Beef Feedlot Roundtable Comes to West Point on Feb 20

Nielsen Community Center
200 Anna Stalp Ave
West Point NE 68788

Nebraska Extension Beef Team invites feedlot owners, managers, employees, and allied industry to join Nebraska Feedlot Extension February 18-20th as we dive into a series of timely topics covering feedlot management. Highlights from the program include managing hairy heel wart in the feedyard, leveraging cattle implant strategies for greater gains, UNL research update, and a market outlook with speakers from Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Cattlemen. Pete Anderson with Midwest PMS will deliver a session on “People Management- The key to outstanding feedyard performance”.

The Conference runs from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Cost is $20 paid online at time of registration or at the door via cash or check. Lunch will be provided.
· February 18th in Bridgeport, NE, at the Prairie Winds Community Center
· February 19th in Gothenburg, NE, at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center
· February 20th in West Point, NE, at the Nielsen Community Center

Pre-registration is requested by Friday, February 14th, and can be completed online at: https://go.unl.edu/2025roundtable.



Grain Marketing Webinar Series Starts January 14 to Help Farmers Navigate 2025 and Beyond

The Center for Agricultural Profitability is pleased to announce the launch of a new webinar series, titled Grain Marketing for 2025, designed to equip farmers with the knowledge and strategies they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing grain market. The sessions are open to all farmers, agricultural professionals, and industry stakeholders.

The Grain Marketing for 2025 series includes five sessions on every other Tuesday at noon CT, beginning Jan. 14. Participants are encouraged to attend each session.

Schedule:
    Jan. 14, 2025, at noon CT
    Jan. 28, 2025, at noon CT
    Feb. 11, 2025, at noon CT
    Feb. 25, 2025, at noon CT
    March 11, 2025, at noon CT

Each session will be led by Agricultural Economists Cory Walters and Jessica Groskopf, who will review and provide insights into managing important topics such as: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), Cost of Production, Seasonality and Price Patterns, Pre-harvest pricing strategies, and Crop Insurance contract decisions including SCO and ECO.

The webinars will help producers navigate the complex process selling grain under unknown information about future market prices, yields and high investment costs. Throughout the series, participants will have the opportunity to interact with one another.

Registration is free and can be completed at https://go.unl.edu/marketing25.



NE PSC ELECTS 2025 LEADERSHIP

The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has elected Tim Schram of Gretna to serve as its Chair for 2025. Commissioner Schram was approved during the |Commission’s January 7, meeting in Lincoln.

First elected to the Commission in 2006, Schram is serving his fourth term representing the third district which covers Sarpy, Saunders, and western Douglas Counties in eastern Nebraska.

Elected Vice Chair was Commissioner Kevin Stocker of Scottsbluff. A Commissioner since 2022, he represents the fifth district comprised of 51 counties encompassing greater Nebraska.

Commission leadership positions are elected on an annual basis.



UNL, USDA Collaborate to Create Web-based App to Optimize Soil Sampling

The USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), and the ARS’s Partnership for Data Innovations (PDI) have launched a new web-based application to facilitate digital soil mapping and optimize soil sampling. The Soil Sample Planning Organizer Tool, or SSPOT, can be accessed at https://sspot.scinet.usda.gov.

Effective soil management relies on understanding the various factors that drive soil productivity, including pH levels, nutrient variability and organic soil carbon. Soil sampling has emerged as a valuable tool in advancing precision farming, particularly in today's changing climate and the growing need to monitor carbon footprint in agriculture.

Land managers and researchers rely on routine soil sampling to monitor soil variability and determine the best practices to increase production while maintaining sustainability. However, they often face the challenge of identifying the optimal number of soil samples and their locations in complex and varied landscapes while managing limited time, resources, and labor.

Selecting a well-distributed set of sampling sites is crucial for effective soil management decisions, and SSPOT aims to simplify this process.

SSPOT is a user-friendly tool with integrated algorithms to help users determine the optimal placement of samples needed to comprehensively understand soil activity in various soil types over time. The integrated algorithms simplify the process for non-experts and ultimately saves land managers, producers, and soil researchers both time and money.  

Users can select their specific Area of Interest (AOI) on the SSPOT map and utilize one of two "optimizer" algorithms. The algorithms use the USDA's Soil Survey Geographic Database and customizable grids to ensure sampling activities are thorough and efficiently capture the full picture of soil health within the selected area. SSPOT enables users to customize parameters for their search and export the results for practical applications in the field.

"SSPOT is an example of collaborative science, where a multidisciplinary team of experts from academia, the federal government, and the private sector worked together to bring a vision to life," says Virginia Jin, Location Coordinator and Research Leader with the ARS Agroecosystem Management Research Unit. "We are confident that this tool can push forward the advancement of research for the benefit of croplands, grazinglands, and forestry."

Furthermore, a version of SSPOT will support the USDA's National Resources Conservation Services in their conservation evaluation and monitoring activity efforts, including soil sampling needs.

The project began at UNL with Professor Trenton Franz, who developed the initial algorithm and provided the scientific backing behind SSPOT. Consultant Ben Cook developed the original SSPOT prototype with Franz, and both contributed greatly to the new SSPOT interface, which was developed with support from industry partner, Esri, inc. The ARS team led the testing and refining of the software, incorporating valuable feedback from stakeholders throughout the process.

"Every project aiming to understand soil variability across a field faces the same questions: How many samples should I take, and where should I collect them?" Franz says. "While these questions seem straightforward, the answers vary greatly depending on location and project goals. SSPOT was designed as a user-friendly tool to help both producers and researchers make informed sampling decisions."

SSPOT is part of ongoing collaborations among USDA, UNL and PDI aiming to strategize soil sampling to and improve soil health in the U.S.



USDA to measure financial well-being of Iowa farmers and ranchers

Starting in December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) began contacting producers to gather data about land ownership, income, expenses, debt, assets, demographic, and landlord characteristics to provide detailed information from all agricultural landowners in Iowa, as the agency conducts the Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey.

“Results from TOTAL will provide a single source of comprehensive, up-to-date information to measure financial impacts and challenges of land ownership. The data will help paint an accurate picture of farm costs, land ownership, land transfer plans for the next five years, six to 10 years, and beyond, demographics about farm landlords, and improvements made to farmland buildings and other characteristics.” said Greg Thessen, director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office. “This information will shape federal, state and local farm policies, and give producers a collective voice to show the costs involved in producing commodities .”

“In February, our interviewers will begin reaching out to those who have not yet responded,” said Thessen. “Our enumerators and statisticians will gladly help you fill out the forms to help make reporting as easy as possible. It is important that producers complete the survey so the highly anticipated results of TOTAL will accurately define the economic status of U.S. farm operations and households for all 50 states including Iowa.” This complete financial picture not only impacts major decisions and policies but also underpins USDA’s estimates of net farm income and demonstrate agriculture’s contribution to the U.S. gross domestic product.

The TOTAL survey is part of the Census of Agriculture program. Participation in all Census of Agriculture surveys is both required and protected by law (Title 7, U.S. Code). NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified. Be assured that your responses will be kept completely confidential, as required by federal law.

Summarized results from TOTAL will be published on October 31, 2025.



Nationally Recognized Political Commentator to Give Insight into New Year Political Landscape at 2025 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit

The political landscape following the recent election is sure to shift not only discussion around clean renewable energy, but conversations about all types of domestic and global markets. At the 2025 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, nationally recognized political commentator Guy Benson will share his perspective on what to expect as we’ve now rung in the New Year.

Along with his political expertise, Benson is the host of the nationally-syndicated Guy Benson Show and a Fox News contributor. He is also a familiar voice on NPR’s All Things Considered, Townhall.com and the Hugh Hewitt radio show.

“We are all trying to gaze into the crystal ball on what will happen in the next four years,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Marketing Director Lisa Coffelt. “Guy is uniquely situated to give us a clearer view as an insider into D.C. political chatter while also holding a national presence. We are excited to hear his assessment of our new reality.”

Of many of Benson’s accolades, he was named one of the top 25 millennial broadcasters in American news and politics by the Huffington Post in 2017 and one of Forbes magazine’s 30 under 30 law and policy list in 2015.

The 2025 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will visit every avenue on America’s road trip to prosperity and explore our “Fuels of Opportunity.” The summit will be held on February 4, 2025, at the Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona, Iowa. Attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register and find more information at IowaRenewableFuelsSummit.org.



2024 Ethanol Exports Set New Record—in Just 11 Months

According to data released Tuesday by the Census Bureau, U.S. ethanol exports for 2024 totaled 1.72 billion gallons just through November, already surpassing the previous annual record of 1.67 billion gallons set in 2018. With one month of data to go, exports were on pace to approach 1.9 billion gallons for the full 2024 calendar year, which would represent 12 percent of U.S. ethanol production, also a record.

“Growth in the export market was a big bright spot for the U.S. ethanol industry in 2024,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Record exports not only highlight the growing global demand for sustainable energy solutions, but also underscore the vital role trade plays in strengthening the American energy sector, driving innovation, and supporting economic growth. Today, one out of every eight gallons of ethanol produced in the United States is being exported, providing savings at the pump and cleaner air for drivers in more than 75 countries around the globe.”

Cooper pointed out that the new record was achieved even as several key ethanol markets—including Brazil and China—maintain punitive trade barriers against U.S. ethanol. “Moving forward, it is crucially important that U.S. ethanol producers maintain free and fair access to global markets for both renewable fuel and co-products like distillers grains. In 2025, open markets need to stay open, and shuttered markets need to be unlocked,” he said. “RFA will continue to work with our partners to break down artificial trade barriers, expand export opportunities for U.S. producers, and educate the world’s consumers on the benefits of low-carbon renewable fuels.”

Canada has been by far the top destination, accounting for over one-third of total shipments. Over 600 million gallons of ethanol were shipped to our North American neighbor through November, and shipments were on pace to be the largest ever to an individual destination in a single year. Other top destinations in 2024 included the United Kingdom, India, the European Union, and Colombia.

Canada, India, and the European Union were also among the top five destinations when the previous high-water mark for exports was reached in 2018. Notably, at that time Brazil was the top destination, whereas it did not even make the top 10 in 2024 due to the imposition of a punitive tariff.

Additionally, exports of distillers grains, a high-protein animal feed ingredient that is a coproduct of ethanol, are expected to hit 12 million metric tons on an annual basis for only the second time in history.



Ranchers Condemn Reckless Misuse of the Antiquities Act

Tuesday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) condemned the Biden Administration’s irresponsible use of the Antiquities Act to create the Chuckwalla and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments.

“There are 13 days left in the Biden Administration and once again, the Antiquities Act is being recklessly applied to nearly 1 million acres to create tremendous uncertainty for rural communities that rely on responsible resource management. President Biden’s unilateral action to create new monuments this late in his term shows that these monuments are politically motivated and devoid of resource planning for the future,” said NCBA Executive Director of Natural Resources and PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover. “The record is clear: monument designations at the eleventh hour jeopardize rangeland health, threaten local economic stability, and unnecessarily make these areas political pawns during a transition period. NCBA and PLC strongly oppose this declaration and will work with the Trump administration to limit abuse and bring common sense back to this process.”



Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory advises vigilance for emerging cattle parasite

The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is advising livestock producers to be vigilant for a new red blood cell parasite that has been diagnosed in calves imported to Kansas.

The parasite, Theileria orientalis Ikeda, causes anemia and other serious health issues in cattle. It has been present in the eastern U.S. for some time but was only recently diagnosed for the first time in Kansas, after affected calves were purchased and imported to Kansas from the east for feeding.

The disease is primarily spread through multi-use needles and insects, with the Asian longhorned tick identified as the primary vector. This tick, although not yet found in Kansas, has been detected in Missouri, Arkansas and a county in northwestern Oklahoma bordering Labette County in Kansas.

"The environmental conditions in eastern Kansas are suitable for the Asian longhorned tick," said Gregg Hanzlicek, KSVDL associate director and professor of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology. "If it’s not here already, this tick will likely be in Kansas in the near future, and with the tick comes Theileria."

Cattle infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda may exhibit a variety of clinical symptoms, including:
• Anorexia (loss of appetite)
• Lethargy
• Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
• Yellowing of the mucous membranes (icterus)
• Sudden death in severe cases

KSVDL urges livestock producers to be vigilant and consider this emerging pathogen if these signs are observed in cattle of any age.

Producers are further advised to exercise caution when importing cattle, especially from regions where the parasite has been diagnosed.

Further information on the parasite, including testing information, is available at ksvdl.org. KSVDL has also posted a webinar on the parasite available on their YouTube channel at youtube.com/@KStateVDL. Producers who need further guidance should contact KSVDL Client Care at 866-512-5650.



DMC Margin Drops Again – to Third Highest Ever
NMPF Newsletter

The monthly margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program lost $0.88/cwt from a month before, yet, at $14.29/cwt, still came in as the third highest since margin protection became the basic safety net program for dairy in 2015.

The November U.S. average all-milk price dropped by $1/cwt from October to $24.20/cwt, while the DMC feed cost formula declined by $0.12/cwt. A lower soybean meal price more than offset a higher corn price; the premium alfalfa hay price was little changed.

The end of December dairy and grain futures indicated that the DMC margin would average around $12.50/cwt for all of calendar year 2025, which would be $0.60/cwt higher than the 2024 annual average and well above the trigger under which payments begin.

2024 CWT-Assisted Export Sales Reach 183 Million Pounds
CWT member cooperatives secured 179 contracts in December, adding 57.2 million pounds of product to CWT-assisted sales in 2024. In milk equivalent, this equals 515.2 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. These products will go to customers in Asia, Oceania, Middle East-North Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and South America and will be shipped from December 2024 through June 2025.

Total CWT-assisted sales in 2024 in milk equivalent totaled 1.674 billion pounds on a milk fat basis. On a product volume basis, this is equal to nearly 183.6 million pounds. Product destinations include Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East-North Africa, Oceania and South America.

Exporting dairy products is critical to the viability of dairy farmers and their cooperatives across the country. Whether or not a cooperative is actively engaged in exporting cheese, butter, anhydrous milkfat, cream cheese, or whole milk powder, moving products into world markets is essential. CWT provides a means to move domestic dairy products to overseas markets by helping to overcome U.S. dairy’s trade disadvantages.



Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative presents 2025 legislative priorities

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative announced today its priorities for the next congressional session, focusing on rural workforce accessibility, trade and supply chain opportunities, the 2025 farm bill and climate and environmentally sustainable efforts.

“At Edge, we consistently strive to stay on the forefront of issues impacting our farmer members,” Karen Gefvert, Edge director of government affairs, said. “We’ve strategically outlined our policy priorities for 2025 to focus on the critical needs of dairy farmers across the Upper Midwest and allow us to maximize our mission of amplifying the voice of milk in Congress.”

Summary of key priorities:
    Rural Workforce for Rural Prosperity — The dairy industry faces significant labor shortages, particularly in rural areas, making workforce accessibility and reliability a top policy priority.
    Farm Bill Advocacy — The 2025 farm bill will be an essential opportunity for Edge to advocate for ensuring accurate and timely payments for dairy farmers and to retool existing program adjustments needed to the Dairy Margin Coverage program, ensuring conservation programs are funded, voluntary and based on science, as well as maintenance to several dairy indemnity and donation programs. These programs can greatly affect our farmers’ ability to earn a living.
    Trade and Supply Chain — The Upper Midwest is a powerhouse for cheese production. Ensuring opportunities for dairy through existing, expanding or emerging markets is essential to healthy growth. New and expanded markets through new trade agreements, renegotiated trade agreements and enforcement of existing agreements provide opportunities for market access.
    Climate and Environmental Sustainability — Edge stands with our farmers in their commitment to seek effective and financially viable ways to protect and improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe environmentally focused policies affecting agriculture should be guided by farmers, grounded in science, driven by the marketplace and sufficiently flexible to allow for innovation at the farm level.

Edge’s 2025 policy priorities reflect a forward-thinking approach to address immediate and long-term challenges within the dairy industry. The cooperative is committed to tracking developments, sharing insights with members, fostering industry preparedness and advancing policies that ensure a prosperous future for dairy.

For more information about Edge, visit voiceofmilk.com.