Colostrum Helps Newborn Calves
Steve Neimeyer – NE Extension Educator
Colostrum, or first milk produced by the mother after birth, is high in nutrients and antibodies. A newborn calf lacks disease protection because antibodies do not pass across the cow’s placenta to the fetus’ circulatory system. Antibodies in colostrum provide calves with their initial protection.
Calves need about two quarts of colostrum (or at least five percent of the calf’s body weight) within four hours of birth – ideally within 30 minutes – and one gallon within 12 hours.
Time is important because a newborn calf’s digestive tract allows antibodies to pass directly into the blood. After 24 hours, the calf’s intestines cannot absorb antibodies intact. The absorbed antibodies protect against systemic invasion by pathogens while antibodies that are not absorbed play an important role in protection against intestinal disease.
Allowing the calf to suckle the dam is the most efficient method of feeding colostrum. However, sometimes this is not possible due to problems with the dam or calf. In cases such as these the calf will need to be fed colostrum. Acquire colostrum by milking the dam as soon as possible after calving or using colostrum that you have previously acquired. Acquired colostrum should be from healthy cows to minimize disease transmission. Cows in at least their third lactation generally provide higher-quality colostrum than heifers. A yellow color and a thick, creamy consistency are good indications of quality.
Colostrum can be stored by freezing in milk cartons or plastic containers. The containers can be easily thawed and mixed with warm water for feeding. Studies have shown rapid defrosting using boiling temperatures destroys a portion of the antibodies. A warm water bath will ensure that antibodies are intact.
You may also want to consider purchasing a commercially available colostrum supplement or replacer if you don’t have ready access to fresh colostrum. Consult your veterinarian on the use of these supplements or replacers.
Due to the importance of colostrum to the newborn calf it is always a good idea to have some alternative sources of colostrum on hand “just in case” during the calving season.
Here’s a trick for storing colostrum. Use a 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Fill half full (2 qts.) and squeeze the air out before sealing. They lay flat and you have room to store more. When needed, take one out and put in sink of hot water. It thaws and warms up very rapidly and it’s a ready measured feeding. You should date the bag when you store it.
Several people were recognized during the Nebraska Dairy Convention on February 27th.
At the annual Nebraska State Dairy Association convention on February 27th, several dairy producers and supporters of the dairy industry received recognition for their work and support. This year Chad Moyer received the Distinguished Service Award, Brett Beavers and Bill Demerath were co-presented the Dairyman of the Year Awards, Steve Kyser received the Service Award from the Nebraska Holstein Association, and Milk Quality and Production awards were presented to ten dairy producers
Chad Moyer, KTIC Radio, was presented the Distinguished Service Award, for his efforts to promote the dairy industry. Chad uses every opportunity to promote the dairy industry, at events and open houses. About a year and a half ago, Chad started the Nebraska Dairy Update, which provides an opportunity to share Nebraska dairy news, from the checkoff, dairy extension and state association. The Nebraska Dairy Update airs every other Friday on KTIC radio.
Co-Dairyman of the Year Awards were presented to Brett Beavers, Carleton, Neb., and Bill Demerath, Plainview, Neb, for their efforts to bring automatic milking systems (AMS) to Nebraska. This pair spent nearly 4 years researching and studying the robotic industry before a dealer was established in Nebraska, and ttey became the first two farms in the state to install the automatic milking systems – milking robots. Since then, interest has continued to grow for the AMS system and a third AMS dairy began using milking robots in Creston, Neb at Larson Farms and other dairy producers are making plans to install AMS units.
The Nebraska Holstein Association presented their Service Award to Steve Kyser of Beatrice, for his long-term efforts to promote and support the Nebraska’s dairy industry.
Milk Quality and Production were also recognized at the annual convention. Dairies are given the opportunity to submit entries through DHIA of the Heartland. The top milk quality awards were presented to Todd Tuls and Butler County Dairy, Jake Stern and the Hodorff’s from Broken Bow Dairy, and Murman Dairy at Fairfield. The Milk Production Awards were presented to Broken Bow Dairy, Steffview Dairy and Hochstein Dairy in the Holstein division, Meyer’s Dairy in the Jersey division and Nuttelman Dairy, Crook Dairy and Steffen Ag, Inc in the crossbred/mixed division.
For more information about these awards, for pictures and other dairy information, visit NebraskaDairy.org. or contact Rod Johnson 402-853-2028 rod@nebraskamilk.org
Nebraska State Dairy Association Mission: The purpose of the Nebraska State Dairy Association is for the promotion of dairy interests in the state of Nebraska.
March 14 Webinar on Wheat Stem Maggot in Cover Crops
Wheat stem maggot was an issue in 2017 in some corn fields where a wheat or rye cover crop was terminated after planting. Learn more about what happened in 2017 and steps to avoid it in 2018 during a webinar Wednesday, March 14. Justin McMechan, extension crop protection specialist, will discuss this issue and present information on other cover crop insects from noon to 1 p.m.
To join the webinar go to: https://unl.zoom.us/j/976118766.
You can also join via phone conference:
iPhone one-tap : US: +14086380968,,976118766# or +16468769923,,976118766#
or by telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 408 638 0968 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 976 118 766
Kruger to Present National Spray Drift Webinar
Join pesticide spray applicators from across the nation on March 15 for a webinar on "Strategies for Managing Pesticide Spray Drift" being presented by Nebraska Extension Weed Scientist and Application Technology Specialist Greg Kruger. The webinar is tailored to growers, pesticide applicators and other interested stakeholders who use pesticides and pesticide application equipment. It will be held from 10:30 to noon CT on that Thursday.
Pesticide spray drift is the movement of pesticide dust or droplets through the air — at the time of application or soon after — to any site other than the area intended. Spray drift can affect people’s health, damage nearby crops, and pose a risk to non-target organisms.
Kruger manages the Pesticide Application Technology Laboratory at the university's West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, where he uses a wind tunnel to test pesticides and spray adjuvants for drift. Kruger has a BS from the Ohio State University, where he studied agribusiness and applied economics, and an MS in plant pathology and a PhD in weed science from Purdue University.
This EPA program is geared toward reducing spray drift from pesticide applications to crops, fruits and vegetables, and aerial applications. It will cover general pesticide applications with a focus on agricultural applications.
The EPA program is free, but participants are asked to register in advance.... https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1526938365731023875.
Fixing Our Infrastructure
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer
Infrastructure is a core responsibility of government. In the Nebraska Legislature, I served as the Chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee for six years. During that time, I was proud to pass the Build Nebraska Act, which continues to support infrastructure construction and development across our state.
While we often think of roads and bridges when we hear the word infrastructure, it includes much more. Broadband development and deployment, in both urban and rural areas, is critical to connecting us to the world. Railroads, trucks, barges, and ports ensure our quality products get to markets, both domestically and abroad. Airports enable the quick movement of passengers and freight, and our water and energy sources are vital for our lives.
The White House recently released an infrastructure proposal that will guide Congress as we work together on national infrastructure proposals. The president’s plan includes a number of ideas that will benefit Nebraska. For example, it would expand the permitting approval authority of states, which will give local leaders the ability to advance projects quickly. Additionally, the president's proposal would simplify the permitting process by codifying the “One Agency, One Decision” policy, which streamlines the regulatory process for states by allowing them to work with one federal agency for the final decision about infrastructure projects.
Now that the proposal is out, Congress is tasked with filling in many of the details of this infrastructure package. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, I am committed to bringing common-sense solutions to the process of fixing our infrastructure. Nebraska's voice will be heard.
The president's focus on infrastructure has opened the door to implementing some of the policies I have worked on for years. For example, my Build USA Infrastructure Act is modeled after legislation that has provided sustainable transportation funding and permitting solutions in Nebraska, including the Build Nebraska Act and the Federal Funds Purchase Program. These laws, passed during my tenure in the Unicameral, have allowed Nebraska to initiate and complete projects at a faster pace.
The Build USA Infrastructure Act would bring these same common-sense solutions to the federal level. Instead of raising taxes and fees, which would harm families and businesses, my proposal uses existing funds to build and maintain infrastructure. It would streamline infrastructure projects, giving states greater authority to approve the design, permitting, and construction of highway projects.
Rural broadband proposals should also be included in an infrastructure package. Making broadband more accessible and affordable for Americans in rural communities is critical to keeping them connected to the world. It will help Nebraska continue to grow.
I also will work to include my Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act. This bill would allow municipalities to prioritize investments in storm and wastewater projects needed for Clean Water Act compliance. It would also establish an Office of Municipal Ombudsman at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist cities in complying with federal environmental laws. Most importantly, our bill requires the EPA to revise this regulation to make it more affordable. This bipartisan bill has already passed with unanimous support in the Senate.
During the past year, I have worked closely with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, including hosting her in Nebraska to meet with infrastructure stakeholders. Most recently, I questioned the secretary about the administration’s proposal during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing. During that hearing, we discussed the need to streamline infrastructure projects, and the importance of consistent, long-term funding for both rural and urban infrastructure. I also addressed the need for freight corridors in rural areas to get our agriculture products to market, such as the Heartland Expressway in the panhandle.
I look forward to continuing to work with the administration and with my Senate colleagues to produce legislation to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure.
Smith Continues NAFTA Advocacy in Mexico City
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement today after returning from the latest round of NAFTA negotiations in Mexico City, where he served on the congressional delegation led by Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) meeting with negotiators, government officials, and business leaders.
“NAFTA negotiations are moving in the right direction,” Smith said. “Everyone is staying at the table and working through the details, demonstrating the commitment of all three countries to keep this crucial agreement in place. The conversations we had with leaders in Mexico City reflected the shared desire to do no harm to our countries’ economies.
“We should be looking to expand on tax reform’s economic growth through opening more markets, not imposing additional restrictions on global trade. I am very concerned about the potential for retaliation against U.S. exporters, especially agriculture, due to proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Just as I have done throughout the NAFTA negotiations, I will continue to advocate to do no harm to the ag economy through our country’s trade policies.
“NAFTA has done great things for Nebraska agriculture, and I have appreciated the opportunity to bring the voices of our producers and manufacturers to the table in both Montreal and Mexico City. I’m optimistic we can strengthen the agreement while sustaining the gains already achieved.”
Paraguay Market Now Open To U.S. Pork
Under an export certificate recently negotiated between the two countries, the United States now can ship pork to Paraguay. The National Pork Producers Council welcomed the news.
“Paraguay won’t be a huge market for U.S. pork, but given the current trade climate, the U.S. pork industry needs all the new markets it can get,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. “This is welcome news for America’s pork producers.”
While the South American country is a modest consumer of pork, there is potential for U.S. pork export growth to its nearly 6.9 million people, who have a per capita income greater than, for example, the Philippines and Vietnam, two large pork-consuming nations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month concluded talks with its Paraguay counterparts on the export certificate, which will allow the shipment of U.S. fresh, frozen, processed and thermally processed/commercially sterile pork and pork products.
“The U.S. pork industry is very dependent on exports,” said Heimerl. “Last year, were exported nearly 27 percent of our total production, and those exports added more than $53 – representing almost 36 percent of the $149 average value of a hog in 2017 – to the price we received for each animal marketed.
“The United States can’t sit on its hands when it comes to trade and watch its export markets erode. Opening new markets, even small ones like Paraguay, and expanding existing markets is imperative.”
Iowa State University Research Finds Wind Farms Positively Impact Crops
Iowa State University researchers have found that wind turbines located in agricultural fields are a plus for the crops growing around them.
The overall effects on crops growing in wind farms appear to be positive said Gene Takle, Iowa State agronomy professor. He has led a team of plant and soil scientists along with extension specialists who have been looking into the effects since 2009.
They started their work after seeing more wind farms and turbines pop up around the state. The new land use was positive for the landowners where they were located, but the researchers wondered if it was the same for the farmers growing crops.
“It’s unusual because we’re continuing the previous land use and we’re adding another,” he said. “We’re sort of double-cropping because these can be thought of two forms of energy production. The Chinese do this when they plant soybeans in between horticultural crops. We’re planting turbines.”
If the turbines change the microclimate for corn and soybeans, the team wanted to learn if it is a big enough change to be measured and the potential impacts.
He said wind blowing across a corn or soybean field without turbines creates a certain turbulence that carries moisture from the transpiring crop, which rises into the atmosphere and pulls down cooler, drier air. At night the wind is calmer and the land cools.
Turbines take some of the wind energy, slowing it down but increasing its turbulence so it interacts with the crop more, possibly increasing evaporation from the crop or moving carbon dioxide down into the crop.
“The biggest changes are at night and that’s because during the day there’s a lot of chaotic turbulence, just because the sun is heating the surface and the wind is gusty,” Takle said. “At night when it gets pretty calm, the crop cools down and if it’s a humid night you start to get dew formation. If you add the turbines, it looks a little more like the daytime. So the dew formation is delayed and it may start to evaporate sooner.”
Since fungus and mold like a wet environment, the shorter the wet period makes it less favorable for the growth of those potential pathogens. In the fall, the shorter wet period could speed up harvesting because farmers typically have to wait for soybeans to dry in the morning.
Another factor is that turbines bring warmer air down to interact with the cool air near the surface. Throughout the wind farm, the surface is a little bit warmer which inhibits dew formation.
“Satellites can measure surface temperatures and you can see little dots across the state of Iowa and locate every wind farm because they’re slightly warmer than the surrounding area. So we know it has an effect that’s large enough to be seen there,” he said.
Another plus is the air pressure fluctuation measured around wind turbines. Takle said there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the top few feet of soil — as much as two or three times what is in the air. The movement of air by the turbines pumps air down, and the movement draws carbon dioxide out of the soil so more would be available to the plant for photosynthesis.
The air moving down also creates more plant movement, which increases sunlight penetrating the dense crop canopy.
On the negative side is the tendency of higher temperatures occurring at night in wind farms.
Considering corn, during the day it’s taking in solar energy and carbon dioxide to make plant material. At night it cools down and gives back some of the carbon dioxide, and it gives up more if it’s warmer.
“So the night time warming of the turbines is not a totally good thing,” he said. “Night time temps have been going up over the last 40 years and are becoming a limiting factor for crop yields.”
But overall crops grown in wind farms seem to benefit.
“So there are three ways the crop is being ‘fertilized’ from either the air or from the soil or from increased photosynthesis. We measured increased carbon dioxide uptake during the day, but an increased respiration at night,” he said. “But over the course of the day there was more uptake. So as far as the impact of the turbines on the carbon dioxide processes and the photosynthesis process in the near vicinity of the turbines it’s a net gain.”
His team would like to look at the result of wind movement through a farm as it slows and tends to move up, which could create clouds if the air is warm and moist, and potentially rain.
“Are wind farms a preferential location for cloud formation or something that’s going to provide more rain in an area beyond the wind farm? We don’t know, we have some preliminary measurements that suggest that this is a real effect. Theoretically, you say yes there should be an effect, but is it large enough to be measured or to be important?” Takle asked.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving as your Secretary of Agriculture
Bill Northey
It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and as I move on to the next chapter I want to express my deep appreciation for you entrusting this position to me for the past eleven years. Serving in this role has deepened and expanded my passion for our state’s unmatched agriculture industry.
This certainly includes the farmers that do an amazing job of producing the food and fuel the world needs while protecting our environment, but also includes the vast ag industry in our state. The ag businesses, manufacturers, farmer organizations, commodity groups, ag lenders, ag educators, community colleges, universities and many others that work with and support our farmers also play a critical role in our work to feed and fuel the world.
The list of groups and individuals who play an important role in our state’s agriculture also includes the men and women of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
It has been a tremendous joy for me to work closely with these dedicated public servants to fulfill the Department’s mission to provide leadership for all aspects of agriculture in Iowa, to ensure consumer protection and to promote the responsible use of our natural resources. I am extremely proud of the work they have done and all that we have accomplished.
Water Quality
One of those important efforts has been to take on the challenge of improving water quality. Farmers have always worked to protect the natural resources for which they are responsible. With the announcement in 2010 that Iowa would develop a statewide Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (Strategy), our goal has been to engage all Iowans and move forward with a comprehensive solution to achieve specific water quality goals.
Our approach has been to work with farmers, landowners, businesses and other partners to harness the innovation of Iowans and the agriculture community to find new ways to help us do an even better job on our farms and in our communities.
I am extremely appreciative of the partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University throughout this process. I also want to thank the Iowa Legislature for their work to provide additional funding to our Department to support farmers’ water quality efforts.
I’m excited about the significant progress we have made in just a few short years.
We are seeing thousands of farmers trying cover crops. We have gone from just a few tens of thousands of acres ten years ago to over 700,000 acres last year.
We also have 56 demonstration projects located across the state to help implement and demonstrate water quality practices through the initiative. This includes 22 that are agriculture focused and 34 that are urban demonstration projects. More than 200 partner organizations will provide $30.6 million to go with the $19.0 million in state funding going to these projects.
There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done, but I truly believe we are on the right path. Through collaboration and partnerships we will continue to make water quality improvements.
Avian Influenza
One of the most challenging times for Iowa farmers and our Department was the Avian Influenza outbreak in 2015. The USDA has described this outbreak as the largest animal health emergency in U.S. history, and unfortunately Iowa was very much in the center of the storm.
It was hard to see the devastating impact this disease had on our farms and the farmers who have spent their life caring for these animals. However, the resiliency of our farmers is inspiring and it has been encouraging to see their passion as they have worked to recover from the outbreak.
I do want to thank the employees at our Department and from across state government that stepped forward and were willing to serve in any role necessary to help respond to this emergency and help the industry recover. The support from USDA as well as a broad array of other partners was critically important throughout the response and recovery process.
Since the outbreak, Iowa’s livestock farmers have also stepped forward and invested millions of dollars in biosecurity on their farms to better protect their animals.
Ag Economy
During my 11 years in office, I have also seen the dramatic fluctuations in prices that unfortunately often characterize the agriculture economy. This has included times of record profitability for farmers, a larger national economic crisis that was tempered here in Iowa by the strength of our ag economy, and now, a time of real economic challenge for our state’s farmers.
Due in part to the unmatched productivity of our farmers, we are seeing a time where we have some excess supply and that is lowering prices for farmers.
The work to continue to build and grow markets for the products we produce remains critically important. First and foremost, the livestock industry is the number one customer for our corn and soybeans and we need to make sure they remain strong and growing.
Renewable fuels are another key market that we need to continue to strengthen. Expanding access to higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel represent a great opportunity to grow our biofuels industry while reducing our environmental impact.
Finally, continuing to expand our trade opportunities is extremely important. It has been an honor and a privilege to participate in 22 international trade missions during my time as Secretary with both state and industry leaders to help promote our agricultural products.
Telling the story of Iowa Agriculture
As I have had the opportunity to work with so many partners and friends on these issues and many others, I have had the opportunity to see up-close the kindness, goodness, passion, hard work and humility that is the hallmark of Iowans.
Our rich soils and favorable weather (most of the time) are obviously important, but I have learned over and over again that it is the people that make our state and its agriculture truly special.
One of my absolutely favorite things about being Secretary was the opportunity to recognize the Century and Heritage Farm award winners each year at the Iowa State Fair. To date there have been more than 19,000 Century Farms (farms that have been in the same family for 100 years) and over 1,000 Heritage Farms (farms that have been in the same family for 150 years) recognized in Iowa. When you consider the challenges and hardships each of these families would have faced and overcome over the generations, it is amazing to think about.
You soon realize that these farms are not just a piece of ground or an asset to be used, the land is part of the family and they respect it and care for it. They want to hand it down to their children and grandchildren just as their parents and grandparents handed it to them.
Throughout my time in office I have worked hard to represent these and all the other farm families of the state and share their values of land stewardship, hard work, patience, dedication and perseverance.
I am more optimistic than ever for the future of agriculture in Iowa and I want to thank all Iowans for giving me the honor and privilege of serving as your Secretary of Agriculture.
Northey has served as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture since 2007. He resigned on March 5, 2018 to serve as an Under Secretary of Agriculture at USDA.
NFU Commences 116th Anniversary Convention
National Farmers Union (NFU) officially convened its 116th Anniversary Convention this afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri. More than 450 Farmers Union members from across the country are gathered for the annual event, which runs through March 6.
“As a family farmer-driven organization, NFU’s convention is the organization’s most important event of the year. It’s an opportunity to celebrate what makes Farmers Union truly unique – and that is family farmers of all types, sizes, ethnicities, regions and religions banding together to make sure they all can enjoy the American dream,” said NFU President Roger Johnson.
Over the next several days, attendees will engage with industry experts, policymakers, thought leaders and fellow farmers on topics of vital importance to family farm agriculture. Top of mind for most attendees and speakers are the severely depressed farm economy, negotiations on the upcoming Farm Bill, extreme consolidation in the agricultural sector, and the success of the next generation of family farmers.
The information learned will provide context for the organization’s annual line-by-line policy review by Farmers Union delegates in the final days of the convention. “NFU’s grassroots policy adoption process allows our members to dictate the direction of the organization, and it is very important to deciding the policy we bring to the table in Washington, D.C.,” Johnson explained.
“This year’s deliberations will be especially important, as family farmers and ranchers face a dismal farm economy, waves of consolidation, and upcoming farm bill negotiations, among the normal volatility that they deal with on a day-to-day basis,” Johnson added. “We look forward to our members setting positions that are representative of policy solutions that work for family agriculture and rural communities.”
Keynote remarks at this year’s convention will be delivered by Jason Kander, president of Let America Vote, and Art Cullen, Pulitzer-prize winning editor of The Storm Lake Times. NFU President Roger Johnson will deliver his annual State of the Farmers Union speech. The convention will also feature a conversation on the opioid crisis gripping farm and ranch families. Sarah Tyree, Vice President of Government Relations at CoBank, will moderate a panel with NFU President Roger Johnson, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, and USDA Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett. The panel will focus on NFU’s and AFBF’s joint Farm Town Strong campaign and USDA’s efforts to combat opioid misuse in rural America.
Convention attendees will also be treated to a local farm tour of Shatto Milk Company, award ceremonies, NFU education programming events, and a screening of the new documentary on beginning farmer issues, “Farmers For America.”
More information on convention programming can be found at NFU.org/convention.
NGFA supports legislation to restore important exceptions for grain facilities to the U.S. Grain Standards Act
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) said it strongly supports legislation introduced in late February that promotes certainty and customer service by reinforcing congressional intent regarding the official grain inspection exceptions process for domestic facilities within the grain, feed and processing industry.
The bipartisan legislation (H.R. 5070) introduced by Reps. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., would allow domestic grain-handling facilities to restore official inspection service agreements they previously had with USDA-approved official grain inspection providers prior to enactment of the reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) in 2015.
The problem arose in 2016, when the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) - which no longer oversees the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) following Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's realignment of agencies along more functional lines - revised regulations under the USGSA based on the Agriculture Reauthorization Act of 2015. One of the legislative changes waived the geographic boundaries established for FGIS-approved official grain inspection agencies serving domestic facilities if both agreed to the waiver in writing. Unexpectedly, the revision was used by FGIS to allow incumbent providers designated by the agency to perform official inspections within USDA-established geographic territories to unilaterally end a facility's so-called "nonuse service agreement" with a different official service provider located outside the facility's designated geographic boundary. This resulted in FGIS revoking dozens of existing service agreements, disrupting long-standing, well-functioning agreements to provide official inspections.
To remedy this problem, Reps. Davis' and Bustos' legislation would reinforce congressional intent by allowing facilities to restore prior nonuse service agreements terminated by FGIS that previously were in place with official inspection providers. The two Illinois members of Congress previously led successful efforts to enact an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill that prevented GIPSA from using funds to revoke any further official inspection service agreements between facilities and non-incumbent geographic official grain inspection agencies.
"We appreciate Reps. Davis' and Bustos' leadership in acting to address this problem affecting facilities that utilize official grain inspection services throughout the domestic agricultural supply chain," said NGFA President and CEO Randy Gordon. "U.S. competitiveness in domestic and global markets benefits when FGIS and its designated service providers perform market-responsive official inspection and weighing of bulk grains and oilseeds in a reliable and uninterrupted manner. The legislation proposed by Reps. Davis and Bustos would restore cost-effective and efficient official grain inspection relationships that previously existed within the domestic trade and which had been working well. NGFA strongly urges its enactment."
BASF Kicks Off Annual Plant Science Competition
BASF has kicked off its fourth annual North American science competition, which focuses on identifying plant stressors early and in real-time. Open to teams consisting of two to four Ph.D. students, postdocs and young researchers in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec), the competition encourages innovative and game-changing ideas.
Plant health is influenced by multiple factors such as drought, insects and metabolic changes. Rapid sensing of these factors would allow for targeted and timely response for mitigation and, ultimately, improve growers' ability to produce healthier and more robust crops.
Through the competition, BASF hopes to encourage the development of technologies that address rapid sensing and ideas can focus on any aspect of the challenge. Submissions will be accepted until April 17, 2018, and will be evaluated by BASF experts for their novelty, scientific and business merit and technical feasibility. Relevance to the challenge statement and value created by the proposed solution are also important judging criteria.
All finalists will be provided BASF coaches to further develop their concepts, and they will have the opportunity to present their ideas to BASF executives July 18-20 at the BASF office in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Each member of the winning team will receive a $1,000 cash award.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Friday, March 2, 2018
Friday March 2 Ag News
2018 Corn & Soybean Collegiate Ambassadors Announced
This year, 10 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, as part of the 2018 Corn and Soy Collegiate Ambassador Program, are getting the chance to learn more about the agriculture industry.
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association launched the Corn and Soy Ambassador Program to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industry. The program’s goals are to educate the students about state and federal policy issues affecting agriculture, and about opportunities available by supporting industries like the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Following the completion of the program students will be recognized at the annual meetings of the corn and soybean associations, and each will be presented a $500 scholarship to help them with school expenses. Funding for portions of the program is being provided by the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.
The 10 members of the 2018 class are:
§ Claudia Dinardo – Auburn, IL
§ Alyssa Ehler – Elkhorn, NE
§ Ty Hadwiger – Riverdale, NE
§ Vince Konecky – Wahoo, NE
§ Bryce Lammers – Fordyce, NE
§ Nathan Lundeen – Minden, NE
§ Matthew Oswald – Aurora, NE
§ Shelby Riggs – Mitchell, SD
§ Elizabeth Ruskamp – North Bend, NE
§ Jack Spilker – DeWitt, NE
During the year ambassadors will take part in four seminars. The first meeting covers state and federal policies affecting the corn and soybean industries. The second meeting will focus on the role of checkoff programs in promoting corn and soybeans.
This summer the students will partake in an ag industry bus tour. Stops will include different facets of the ag industry including, manufacturing, production, and processing. These stops will hopefully give students more insight into potential jobs and internships in the industry.
During the course of the program, students are asked to spend time to promoting the state’s corn and soybean grower associations and checkoffs at promotional events such as Husker Harvest Day and Soybean Management Field Days. Following the events, they are required to report on their experiences and what they’ve learned.
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association would like to congratulate the recently graduated 8 members of the 2017 Corn and Soy Ambassador class on a successful year.
Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding President Trump “Trade War” Tariffs
“President Trump’s plans to place U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum presents a real and viable threat to the future of U.S. agricultural trade and the prosperity of American agriculture. History has shown us that these types of actions lead to retaliation from our trade partners that ultimately destabilize markets for agricultural commodities; markets that Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers depend upon for their livelihoods.”
“Today, more than 30 percent of U.S. gross farm income is derived from our ability to export agricultural commodities. Retaliatory actions will most certainly target U.S. agricultural commodities, many of which are produced here in Nebraska. Contrary to the president’s assertions, trade wars are not good and they are not easy to win.”
“Since the president’s inauguration, we have been consistent in our message that trade is critical to agriculture and that any actions taken by this administration should ‘do no harm’ to the significant gains that have been made in agricultural trade. We urge the president to rethink this dangerous course of action that could have long-lasting negative impacts to an already struggling U.S. agricultural economy and the farm and ranch families that will feel the real consequences of lost markets.”
NE Cattlemen to Host ELD Webinar March 20th
Electronic Logging Device Mandate Webinar
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. Central
REGISTER AT: www.nebraskacattlemen.org. After you register an email confirmation will be sent to you.
You are asked to submit any questions you have on this topic to be provided to the speaker in advance to: NCELDWebinar@gmail.com.
How will the ELD impact you?
Wondering about the upcoming ELD that is effective on March 18th, 2018 and how it may impact you? Here are two documents from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that may help answer your questions.....
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/non-business-related-transportation-horse
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/agricultural-exceptions-and-exemptions-federal-motor-carrier-safety
Legislative District 30 Candidate Forum March 13
Those interested in learning more about the candidates running for the District 30 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to a candidate forum to be held Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. (CST) at the Hickman Community Center located at 115 Locust St., in Hickman. The event is sponsored by both the Gage County Farm Bureau and the Lancaster County Farm Bureau.
The forum will provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions of the candidates who are seeking to represent the district in the Nebraska Legislature. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forum begins to enable attendees the opportunity to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forum. The forum will last 90 minutes.
All of the filed candidates seeking to represent District 30 have indicated they will participate, including Myron Dorn of Adams, Joe Murray of Firth, and Don Schuller of Wymore.
Legislative District 30 encompasses all of Gage county and parts of Southeast and Central Lancaster county. The seat is currently held by Sen. Roy Baker, who is not seeking re-election.
Legislative District 40 Candidate Forums March 15 and 19
Those interested in learning more about the candidates running for the District 40 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to participate in a pair of candidate forums sponsored by the Boyd, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox, and Rock County Farm Bureaus.
The candidate forums will be held:
Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. (CST) at the Knights of Columbus, 410 W. Douglas St., in O’Neill.
Monday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. (CST) at the Wausa Auditorium, 406 E. Broadway, in Wausa.
The forums will provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions of the candidates who are seeking to represent the district in the Nebraska Legislature. The events are free and open to the public. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forums begin to enable attendees the opportunity to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forums. The forums will last 90 minutes.
All of the filed candidates seeking to represent District 40 have been invited to participate, including Thomas Ferry of Ponca, Timothy Gragert of Creighton, Shane Greckel of Bloomfield, Keith Kube of Crofton, Michael Sobotka of Inman and Julie Thomsen of Wakefield.
Legislative District 40 encompasses all of Boyd, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox, and Rock counties. The seat is currently held by Sen. Tyson Larson, who is unable to seek re-election due to term-limits.
The March 15 forum will be broadcast live on KBRX, 102.9 FM radio. It will also be live streamed at www.kbrx.com.
The March 19 forum will be broadcast live on News Channel Nebraska (NCN 35) television.
DORMANT SPRAY FOR ALFALFA WEEDS
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension
Warm weather should soon green up your alfalfa. Before that happens, though, maybe you should do a little weed control.
Weeds like pennycress, downy brome, mustards, cheatgrass, and shepherd's purse are common in first cut alfalfa. They lower yields, reduce quality, lessen palatability, and slow hay drydown. If you walk over your fields during the next few weeks when snow is gone you should be able to see their small, green, over-wintering growth.
If your alfalfa variety is Roundup Ready, you can spray almost anytime without hurting your alfalfa. However, once conventional alfalfa starts growing, you can't control these weeds very well without also hurting your alfalfa. Fortunately, if you treat your alfalfa as soon as possible during upcoming spring-like weather, you can have cleaner, healthier alfalfa at first cutting.
Before spraying these weeds, be sure they are causing economic damage to your alfalfa. Spraying will give you more pure alfalfa but may cost some in total tonnage.
Several herbicides can help control winter annual grasses and weeds in conventional alfalfa. They include metribuzin, Velpar, Sinbar, Pursuit, Raptor, and Karmex. They all control mustards and pennycress but Karmex and Pursuit do not control downy brome very well.
To be most successful, you must apply most of these herbicides before alfalfa shoots green-up this spring to avoid much injury to your alfalfa. If alfalfa shoots are green when you spray, its growth might be set back a couple weeks. If it does get late, use either Raptor or Pursuit because they tend to cause less injury to your alfalfa.
Timing is crucial when controlling winter annual weeds in alfalfa. Get ready now, in the next couple of weeks before alfalfa greens up, to take advantage of nice weather when you get it.
Northwest Iowa Field Days Look at Integrating Cover Crops into Row Crops and Cattle
Farmers and beef producers interested in learning more about cover crops and successfully integrating cover crops as a forage resource into their current beef and row crop enterprises are invited to attend either of two upcoming field days in Monona or Buena Vista County.
Erika Lundy, extension beef program specialist with the Iowa Beef Center, said both events feature similar topics but will be held on different days at two of Iowa State University’s outlying research farms. There is no cost to attend and a free meal is included at both locations.
“The first field day will be held at the Iowa State Western Research Farm near Castana on March 28 from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m.," she said. "This field day's focus is on cover crop usage in the Loess Hills and will highlight a current Iowa State research study using stocker cattle to graze cereal rye.”
Rebeca VIttetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said presenters also will offer information on benefits that cover crops can provide and how cover crop management in the Loess Hills may be different from other areas of the state.
“Preventing soil erosion is important, especially in Iowa’s Loess Hills as the soil is quite vulnerable to erosion. Cover crops are one tool farmers can use to reduce soil erosion on their farms,” she said. "Joel DeJong, extension field agronomist in northwest Iowa, will talk about using cover crops to protect the land."
Other sessions at Castana include nutritional considerations when grazing cover crops, and fencing and watering considerations. Additional agronomy focused topics include cover crop seeding and termination methods, and the impact of cover crop and grazing cover crops on soil compaction and future crop yields.
The second field day will be held on Thursday, April 12, at the Allee Demonstration Farm near Newell. This program agenda is similar to that at Castana, featuring best management practices for cover crop establishment, grazing cover crops, cover crop termination, and fencing and watering systems.
“At the Allee field day, we also will have a local producer panel to discuss their personal challenges and successes of integrating cover crops into their operations," Vittetoe said. "In addition, the Allee Farm manager Lyle Rossiter will discuss on-going cover crop research at the farm.”
Additional speakers and project collaborators are:
Mike Witt, field agronomist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Paul Kassel, field agronomist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Beth Doran, beef specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Dan Loy, beef specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Kris Kohl, ag engineer, ISU Extension and Outreach
Chris Beedle, farm manager, Iowa State University Western Research Farm
There is no cost for either field day thanks to the sponsorship of ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa Beef Center and Iowa Nutrient Research Center. However, those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to ensure adequate meal counts and materials. To RSVP for the Castana field day, contact Monona County Extension Office by phone at 712-423-2171 or email kwbaker@iastate.edu. To RSVP for the Newell field day, contact Sac County Extension Office by phone 712-662-7131 or email ldwright@iastate.edu.
Iowa’s Best Burger: Less Than Two Weeks to Nominate
There is still time to nominate your favorite burger for this year’s Iowa’s Best Burger Contest. The annual contest sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) is looking to award this title to the best burger in the state.
“Our goal is to surpass last year’s total of 9,200 nominations,” says Brooke German, Director of Marketing for the IBIC. “We are on track to reach this goal but time is running out to nominate your favorite burger.”
Nominations are being accepted online at iabeef.org. The nomination period closes at 5:00 p.m. on March 12.
Details about the contest, rules, and nomination forms are available on the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s website, www.iabeef.org. Burger lovers can also find a link to the online nomination form at the Iowa Beef Council Facebook page; or by texting BEEF to 313131. Photos of your favorite burger can be shared socially using #IABestBurger.
The quest to find Iowa’s best burger began on February 12. To qualify for the title, burgers must be a 100% beef patty, served on a bun or bread products and be cooked to 160° F doneness.
The 10 restaurants with the most votes will be named on March 19. In addition to receiving the title of one of the Top 10 best burgers in the state, these finalists qualify for the title of Iowa’s Best Burger. A secret panel of judges will visit each of these restaurants to taste and judge their burger to help us determine the winner.
“This contest is a great way to celebrate beef and the 27,000 beef producers in Iowa,” said Katie Olthoff, Director of Communications for ICA. “Our cattlemen and women raise a great tasting product that all Iowans can be proud of.”
It’s also a great way for Iowa’s restaurants to build their businesses. The past three winners have been relatively new restaurants who have added staff and increased beef sales as a result of the contest. “We’ve doubled the number of lunchtime staff since winning the Best Burger contest,” said Natalie Schumann, front-of-house manager for The Smokin’ Hereford in Storm Lake, the 2017 Iowa’s Best Burger Contest winner. She says visitors have come from all over the state because of the contest.
Kim Reha, owner of The Chuckwagon in Adair, the 2016 contest winner, agreed that the contest was good for business. “Now that we are famous for burgers, we sell a lot more beef than we ever did before,” she says. The Chuckwagon has also added staff as a result of the competition.
In 2017, more than 9,000 nominations for nearly 500 restaurants were received in the contest. The final winners in previous years are: 2017 – The Smokin’ Hereford, Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant, Adair; 2015 – The Cider House, Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill, Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille, Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III, Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck, Dexter; 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company, Sac City.
NPPC Elects New Officers, Board Members
The National Pork Producers Council today elected new officers and members to its board of directors at its annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held here.
Elected as president of the organization was Jim Heimerl, of Johnstown, Ohio. Heimerl and his wife Kathy, along with three sons and a daughter-in-law, run three farrow-to-finish farms in Ohio and own 80 contract finishing farms in several states. Heimerl Farms LTD also consists of crops and cattle, as well as a trucking division and feed mill. Among other positions, Heimerl previously served as president of the Ohio Pork Council and as a board member of the Ohio Soybean Association.
David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C., was elevated to president-elect of the organization. Herring is vice president of Hog Slat, which supplies equipment to pork operations, and of TDM Farms. He and his two brothers started in the farm in1983 as a feeder pig operation. Today, TDM Farms is a sow farrow-to-finish operation, with farms in North Carolina, Illinois and Indiana. Herring is a past president of the North Carolina Pork Council.
Howard AV Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wis., was chosen as vice president. A fifth-generation farmer, he owns and operates Roth Feeder Pigs. In addition to serving on the NPPC board for the past six years, Roth previously served on the Wisconsin Pork Association board of directors and currently serves as chairman of the association’s Swine Health Committee.
Heimerl takes over from Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill., chairman of Maschhoff Family Foods and co-owner and chairman of The Maschhoffs, the third-largest pork producer in the United States. Maschhoff now is NPPC immediate past president and chairman of the organization’s Trade Policy Committee.
Re-elected to the board for another three-year term were Dale Reicks, of New Hampton, Iowa, and Kraig Westerbeek, of Warsaw, N.C. Craig Andersen, of Centerville, S.D., and Duane Stateler, of McComb, Ohio, were elected as new members of the board for a three-year term. Elected as the Allied Industry Council representative was Dr. Gordon Spronk, of Pipestone, Minn., a veterinarian and chairman and senior owner of Pipestone Holdings.
They join current directors Cory Bollum, with Hormel Foods Corp. in Austin, Minn. – who is the Packer Processor Industry Council representative – Phil Borgic, of Nokomis, Ill., Jim Compart, of Nicollet, Minn., Scott Hayes, of Monroe City, Mo., A.V. Roth, of Wauzeka, Wis., Jen Sorensen of Ankeny, Iowa, and Terry Wolters, of Pipestone, Minn.
Elected for two-year terms to NPPC’s Nominating Committee were Joe Baldwin of Indiana, who was re-elected, and Jim Petrik of South Dakota.
“Jim, David and AV have tremendous experience and leadership that will greatly benefit NPPC and our producers,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “And with the addition of our new board members, NPPC once again has a strong team guiding our work of protecting the livelihoods of America’s pork producers.”
Students Awarded Pork Industry Scholarships
The National Pork Producers Council today at its annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – awarded scholarships to 10 college students who intend to pursue careers in the pork industry. The Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship program is sponsored by CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation and managed and administered by NPPC.
The 2018 winners of the $2,500 scholarships – named after the late NPPC vice president from Mt. Olive, N.C. – are:
· Jacob Sterle, Iowa State University
· Erin Bryan, University of Illinois
· Tim Grote, University of Illinois
· Reid Hansen, South Dakota State University
· Madeline Herring, Iowa State University
· Macy Marek, Iowa State University
· John Eilertson, Casper College
· Ben Wikner, Iowa State University
· Jaclynn Knutson, South Dakota State University
· Gabe Greiner, Kirkwood Community College
The scholarship program was introduced in 1990 by CME Group and NPPC to celebrate the 25th anniversary of CME hog futures. The scholarship was renamed in 2006 to honor the passing of NPPC board member Lois Britt, a lifetime supporter of agriculture. Britt spent 34 years with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, finishing out her career for 15 years with Smithfield Hog Production in public and government relations. She was inducted into the NPPC Pork Industry Hall of Fame, the N.C. Pork Council Hall of Fame and awarded the N.C. 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award.
To be eligible for a scholarship, students must be undergraduates in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture, provide a brief letter describing their expected role in the pork industry, write an essay on an issue affecting the pork industry and submit two letters of reference from professors or industry professionals.
“These outstanding young people represent the future of the U.S. pork industry,” said NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “They are the next generation of leaders, and NPPC and CME Group are pleased to recognize their commitment to the pork industry with these scholarships.”
USTR SEEKS RENEWAL OF TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week announced plans to seek a three-year extension of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which allows the president to negotiate trade deals with congressional oversight. An extended TPA would be used to forge agreements with Japan, Vietnam and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Lighthizer. To formally make the extension request, President Trump must send a letter to Congress by April 1. Since the United States withdrew from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership in early 2017, many ag groups have been urging the administration to initiate bilateral agreements with countries that are still part of that agreement, including Japan.
SENATE COMMITTEE VOTES TO ADVANCE ADUFA REAUTHORIZATION
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this week voted 22-1 to reauthorize the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (AGDUFA). The measure now moves to the full Senate. Set to expire Sept. 30, both grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permission to collect fees from the makers of new animal drugs, including generic animal drugs, which are used to support the agency’s drug approval and market introduction programs. The bipartisan legislation includes a requirement that all requests for new animal drugs be submitted electronically beginning Oct. 1. The National Pork Producers Council supports the reauthorization of ADUFA and AGDUFA, which are crucial for ensuring that animal health, human health and food safety are protected. Failure to renew the laws by the deadline will result in a major disruption for the livestock production industry.
Farm Bureaus Gear up for Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week
Farm Bureaus across the nation are gearing up for Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week, March 4-10. The U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers are joining Farm Bureau in keeping friends and family safe and healthy by recognizing common agricultural hazards with the theme “No One Can Take Your Place.”
A specific focus will be highlighted each day of ASAP Week:
Monday, March 5 – hearing
Tuesday, March 6 – respiratory
Wednesday, March 7 – distracted and impaired driving
Thursday, March 8 – fire
Friday, March 9 – general health.
Free webinars slated for Monday, March 5 (hearing safety) and Friday, March 9 (mental health) will be announced on the AFBF Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Facebook page and the American Farm Bureau’s ASAP Week webpage.
Visit the Centers’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters) and for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Join the movement and share your own safety messages using these hashtags:
#KeepFarmsSafe
#NoOneCanTakeYourPlace
#ASAP18
World Food Prices Rise 1.1 Percent in February
World food prices rose in February from the month before, as rising prices for staple grains and dairy products more than balanced out lower values for vegetable oils, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.
The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 170.8 points, up 1.1 percent from January.
Food prices on international markets were 2.7 percent lower than last February.
Agricultural commodities have emerged from a highly volatile period and FAO has said it expects them to remain stable over the next decade.
FAO raised its estimate for global cereals output in 2017 by 2 million tonnes to 2.642 billion tonnes, a record high.
In its first forecast for 2018 wheat production, the agency predicted output of 744 million tonnes, saying this would be an above average yield, but the second consecutive annual dip.
NAWG AND U.S. Wheat Applaud the Senate Confirmation of Gregg Doud to be Chief Ag Negotiator at USTR
On March 01, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed Gregg Doud to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Trade is a top priority for U.S. wheat farmers and this nomination is welcome news for our growers.
“We believe the confirmation of Gregg Doud will bring a needed agriculture voice to USTR’s political leadership,” stated NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “NAWG congratulates Doud on his appointment and are looking forward to working with him and his team in the future.”
From 2011-2013, Doud was a senior aide to the Senate Agriculture Committee for Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Thad Cochran. There he assisted in drafting what would become the 2014 Farm Bill. For eight years, Doud also served as Chief Economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He is also a former market analyst with U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).
“We are pleased that Mr. Doud’s confirmation comes at a time when our organizations are actively engaged in discussions at home and overseas customers about trade policies that directly affect export demand,” said USW Chairman Mike Miller, a wheat farmer from Ritzville, Wash. “We need his experience in the NAFTA renegotiation and to help prevent huge potential export losses under the new Trans-Pacific Partnership that will be signed March 8 without the United States.”
Land O'Lakes, Inc. Announces Record Results for 2017
Driven by strong performance across its portfolio and strategic growth across the business, Land O'Lakes, Inc. today reported record earnings for the year ending Dec. 31, 2017, up 14 percent from 2016.
The company reported a record $364.8 million in net earnings on $13.7 billion in sales, up from net earnings of $319.9 million and net sales of $13.2 billion in 2016. For the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2017, the company reported $3.6 billion in sales, and $94.5 million in net earnings, compared to $3.3 billion in sales and earnings of $73.5 million in the same quarter in 2016.
"These record results reflect our dedication to an insight-driven, value-added strategy that differentiates us across the areas in which we compete,” said Land O'Lakes, Inc. President and CEO Chris Policinski. “From new product innovations and sustainability applications, to supply chain optimization and merger and acquisition activity, we understand the critical need to listen to our customers and members as we constantly improve. We are confident our strategy of delivering value-added, branded products and services has positioned us well to navigate dynamic food and agriculture industries and continue delivering value to our farmer owners and retail partners in 2018 and beyond.”
Policinski continued, “These results reflect another year of continuing to develop our own value-added culture and capabilities by our talented, highly-engaged employees.”
For Land O’Lakes, 2017 marked the fourth consecutive year of positive net earnings growth. Earnings improvements in each of its core businesses drove this year’s record performance. The company completed the largest merger in its history, fully integrating WinField United, brought multiple new products to market in its Animal Nutrition division and diversified its platforms in Dairy Foods with the acquisition of Vermont Creamery, a specialty producer of artisanal aged and fresh goat cheeses and premium cultured dairy products.
Internationally, Land O’Lakes continued to build its commercial portfolio in Mexico, Canada and Africa. The company’s Villa Crop Protection business in South Africa achieved record sales in 2017.
Business Segments
Dairy Foods reported 2017 net sales of $3.9 billion, up from $3.8 billion in 2016. Pretax earnings for Dairy Foods totaled $71.0 million in 2017, up from $70.1 million in 2016. LAND O LAKES® branded butter realized improved margins while margins in the Global Dairy Ingredients business were lower due to a challenging operating environment for global milk powders and other key dairy markets. Meanwhile, the acquisition of Vermont Creamery expanded the division’s portfolio to include more specialty, artisanal and premium style dairy products.
Crop Inputs delivered sales of $5.7 billion and pretax earnings of $230.1 million. That compares with $5.5 billion in sales and $202.9 million in pretax earnings in 2016. Strong performance was driven by higher volumes within proprietary and vended crop protection products, as well as higher seed volumes. Land O’Lakes also completed the acquisition of the Armor Seed brand and Solum soil testing lab, and continued to make significant investments in ag tech, including new functionality in its R7® Field Forecasting Tool.
Animal Nutrition reported 2017 net sales of $3.7 billion and pretax earnings of $91.6 million, compared to $3.8 billion in sales and $72.9 million in pretax earnings in 2016. The business achieved record operating earnings in its formula feed and premix platforms, and improved margins and product mix overall.
The company continued its investment in Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, gaining ground with new customers in 2017 with its Conservation Agronomy platform. Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN launched new tools in 2017 such as a new conservation planning tool, Agren® BufferBuilder, and two services for Land O’Lakes members, with the Conservation Dairy platform and SUSTAIN Innovation Fund to help dairy members drive measurable improvements for air, soil and water.
This year, 10 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, as part of the 2018 Corn and Soy Collegiate Ambassador Program, are getting the chance to learn more about the agriculture industry.
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association launched the Corn and Soy Ambassador Program to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industry. The program’s goals are to educate the students about state and federal policy issues affecting agriculture, and about opportunities available by supporting industries like the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Following the completion of the program students will be recognized at the annual meetings of the corn and soybean associations, and each will be presented a $500 scholarship to help them with school expenses. Funding for portions of the program is being provided by the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.
The 10 members of the 2018 class are:
§ Claudia Dinardo – Auburn, IL
§ Alyssa Ehler – Elkhorn, NE
§ Ty Hadwiger – Riverdale, NE
§ Vince Konecky – Wahoo, NE
§ Bryce Lammers – Fordyce, NE
§ Nathan Lundeen – Minden, NE
§ Matthew Oswald – Aurora, NE
§ Shelby Riggs – Mitchell, SD
§ Elizabeth Ruskamp – North Bend, NE
§ Jack Spilker – DeWitt, NE
During the year ambassadors will take part in four seminars. The first meeting covers state and federal policies affecting the corn and soybean industries. The second meeting will focus on the role of checkoff programs in promoting corn and soybeans.
This summer the students will partake in an ag industry bus tour. Stops will include different facets of the ag industry including, manufacturing, production, and processing. These stops will hopefully give students more insight into potential jobs and internships in the industry.
During the course of the program, students are asked to spend time to promoting the state’s corn and soybean grower associations and checkoffs at promotional events such as Husker Harvest Day and Soybean Management Field Days. Following the events, they are required to report on their experiences and what they’ve learned.
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Soybean Association would like to congratulate the recently graduated 8 members of the 2017 Corn and Soy Ambassador class on a successful year.
Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding President Trump “Trade War” Tariffs
“President Trump’s plans to place U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum presents a real and viable threat to the future of U.S. agricultural trade and the prosperity of American agriculture. History has shown us that these types of actions lead to retaliation from our trade partners that ultimately destabilize markets for agricultural commodities; markets that Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers depend upon for their livelihoods.”
“Today, more than 30 percent of U.S. gross farm income is derived from our ability to export agricultural commodities. Retaliatory actions will most certainly target U.S. agricultural commodities, many of which are produced here in Nebraska. Contrary to the president’s assertions, trade wars are not good and they are not easy to win.”
“Since the president’s inauguration, we have been consistent in our message that trade is critical to agriculture and that any actions taken by this administration should ‘do no harm’ to the significant gains that have been made in agricultural trade. We urge the president to rethink this dangerous course of action that could have long-lasting negative impacts to an already struggling U.S. agricultural economy and the farm and ranch families that will feel the real consequences of lost markets.”
NE Cattlemen to Host ELD Webinar March 20th
Electronic Logging Device Mandate Webinar
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. Central
REGISTER AT: www.nebraskacattlemen.org. After you register an email confirmation will be sent to you.
You are asked to submit any questions you have on this topic to be provided to the speaker in advance to: NCELDWebinar@gmail.com.
How will the ELD impact you?
Wondering about the upcoming ELD that is effective on March 18th, 2018 and how it may impact you? Here are two documents from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that may help answer your questions.....
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/non-business-related-transportation-horse
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/agricultural-exceptions-and-exemptions-federal-motor-carrier-safety
Legislative District 30 Candidate Forum March 13
Those interested in learning more about the candidates running for the District 30 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to a candidate forum to be held Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. (CST) at the Hickman Community Center located at 115 Locust St., in Hickman. The event is sponsored by both the Gage County Farm Bureau and the Lancaster County Farm Bureau.
The forum will provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions of the candidates who are seeking to represent the district in the Nebraska Legislature. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forum begins to enable attendees the opportunity to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forum. The forum will last 90 minutes.
All of the filed candidates seeking to represent District 30 have indicated they will participate, including Myron Dorn of Adams, Joe Murray of Firth, and Don Schuller of Wymore.
Legislative District 30 encompasses all of Gage county and parts of Southeast and Central Lancaster county. The seat is currently held by Sen. Roy Baker, who is not seeking re-election.
Legislative District 40 Candidate Forums March 15 and 19
Those interested in learning more about the candidates running for the District 40 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to participate in a pair of candidate forums sponsored by the Boyd, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox, and Rock County Farm Bureaus.
The candidate forums will be held:
Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. (CST) at the Knights of Columbus, 410 W. Douglas St., in O’Neill.
Monday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. (CST) at the Wausa Auditorium, 406 E. Broadway, in Wausa.
The forums will provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions of the candidates who are seeking to represent the district in the Nebraska Legislature. The events are free and open to the public. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forums begin to enable attendees the opportunity to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forums. The forums will last 90 minutes.
All of the filed candidates seeking to represent District 40 have been invited to participate, including Thomas Ferry of Ponca, Timothy Gragert of Creighton, Shane Greckel of Bloomfield, Keith Kube of Crofton, Michael Sobotka of Inman and Julie Thomsen of Wakefield.
Legislative District 40 encompasses all of Boyd, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox, and Rock counties. The seat is currently held by Sen. Tyson Larson, who is unable to seek re-election due to term-limits.
The March 15 forum will be broadcast live on KBRX, 102.9 FM radio. It will also be live streamed at www.kbrx.com.
The March 19 forum will be broadcast live on News Channel Nebraska (NCN 35) television.
DORMANT SPRAY FOR ALFALFA WEEDS
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension
Warm weather should soon green up your alfalfa. Before that happens, though, maybe you should do a little weed control.
Weeds like pennycress, downy brome, mustards, cheatgrass, and shepherd's purse are common in first cut alfalfa. They lower yields, reduce quality, lessen palatability, and slow hay drydown. If you walk over your fields during the next few weeks when snow is gone you should be able to see their small, green, over-wintering growth.
If your alfalfa variety is Roundup Ready, you can spray almost anytime without hurting your alfalfa. However, once conventional alfalfa starts growing, you can't control these weeds very well without also hurting your alfalfa. Fortunately, if you treat your alfalfa as soon as possible during upcoming spring-like weather, you can have cleaner, healthier alfalfa at first cutting.
Before spraying these weeds, be sure they are causing economic damage to your alfalfa. Spraying will give you more pure alfalfa but may cost some in total tonnage.
Several herbicides can help control winter annual grasses and weeds in conventional alfalfa. They include metribuzin, Velpar, Sinbar, Pursuit, Raptor, and Karmex. They all control mustards and pennycress but Karmex and Pursuit do not control downy brome very well.
To be most successful, you must apply most of these herbicides before alfalfa shoots green-up this spring to avoid much injury to your alfalfa. If alfalfa shoots are green when you spray, its growth might be set back a couple weeks. If it does get late, use either Raptor or Pursuit because they tend to cause less injury to your alfalfa.
Timing is crucial when controlling winter annual weeds in alfalfa. Get ready now, in the next couple of weeks before alfalfa greens up, to take advantage of nice weather when you get it.
Northwest Iowa Field Days Look at Integrating Cover Crops into Row Crops and Cattle
Farmers and beef producers interested in learning more about cover crops and successfully integrating cover crops as a forage resource into their current beef and row crop enterprises are invited to attend either of two upcoming field days in Monona or Buena Vista County.
Erika Lundy, extension beef program specialist with the Iowa Beef Center, said both events feature similar topics but will be held on different days at two of Iowa State University’s outlying research farms. There is no cost to attend and a free meal is included at both locations.
“The first field day will be held at the Iowa State Western Research Farm near Castana on March 28 from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m.," she said. "This field day's focus is on cover crop usage in the Loess Hills and will highlight a current Iowa State research study using stocker cattle to graze cereal rye.”
Rebeca VIttetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said presenters also will offer information on benefits that cover crops can provide and how cover crop management in the Loess Hills may be different from other areas of the state.
“Preventing soil erosion is important, especially in Iowa’s Loess Hills as the soil is quite vulnerable to erosion. Cover crops are one tool farmers can use to reduce soil erosion on their farms,” she said. "Joel DeJong, extension field agronomist in northwest Iowa, will talk about using cover crops to protect the land."
Other sessions at Castana include nutritional considerations when grazing cover crops, and fencing and watering considerations. Additional agronomy focused topics include cover crop seeding and termination methods, and the impact of cover crop and grazing cover crops on soil compaction and future crop yields.
The second field day will be held on Thursday, April 12, at the Allee Demonstration Farm near Newell. This program agenda is similar to that at Castana, featuring best management practices for cover crop establishment, grazing cover crops, cover crop termination, and fencing and watering systems.
“At the Allee field day, we also will have a local producer panel to discuss their personal challenges and successes of integrating cover crops into their operations," Vittetoe said. "In addition, the Allee Farm manager Lyle Rossiter will discuss on-going cover crop research at the farm.”
Additional speakers and project collaborators are:
Mike Witt, field agronomist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Paul Kassel, field agronomist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Beth Doran, beef specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Dan Loy, beef specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach
Kris Kohl, ag engineer, ISU Extension and Outreach
Chris Beedle, farm manager, Iowa State University Western Research Farm
There is no cost for either field day thanks to the sponsorship of ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa Beef Center and Iowa Nutrient Research Center. However, those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to ensure adequate meal counts and materials. To RSVP for the Castana field day, contact Monona County Extension Office by phone at 712-423-2171 or email kwbaker@iastate.edu. To RSVP for the Newell field day, contact Sac County Extension Office by phone 712-662-7131 or email ldwright@iastate.edu.
Iowa’s Best Burger: Less Than Two Weeks to Nominate
There is still time to nominate your favorite burger for this year’s Iowa’s Best Burger Contest. The annual contest sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) is looking to award this title to the best burger in the state.
“Our goal is to surpass last year’s total of 9,200 nominations,” says Brooke German, Director of Marketing for the IBIC. “We are on track to reach this goal but time is running out to nominate your favorite burger.”
Nominations are being accepted online at iabeef.org. The nomination period closes at 5:00 p.m. on March 12.
Details about the contest, rules, and nomination forms are available on the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s website, www.iabeef.org. Burger lovers can also find a link to the online nomination form at the Iowa Beef Council Facebook page; or by texting BEEF to 313131. Photos of your favorite burger can be shared socially using #IABestBurger.
The quest to find Iowa’s best burger began on February 12. To qualify for the title, burgers must be a 100% beef patty, served on a bun or bread products and be cooked to 160° F doneness.
The 10 restaurants with the most votes will be named on March 19. In addition to receiving the title of one of the Top 10 best burgers in the state, these finalists qualify for the title of Iowa’s Best Burger. A secret panel of judges will visit each of these restaurants to taste and judge their burger to help us determine the winner.
“This contest is a great way to celebrate beef and the 27,000 beef producers in Iowa,” said Katie Olthoff, Director of Communications for ICA. “Our cattlemen and women raise a great tasting product that all Iowans can be proud of.”
It’s also a great way for Iowa’s restaurants to build their businesses. The past three winners have been relatively new restaurants who have added staff and increased beef sales as a result of the contest. “We’ve doubled the number of lunchtime staff since winning the Best Burger contest,” said Natalie Schumann, front-of-house manager for The Smokin’ Hereford in Storm Lake, the 2017 Iowa’s Best Burger Contest winner. She says visitors have come from all over the state because of the contest.
Kim Reha, owner of The Chuckwagon in Adair, the 2016 contest winner, agreed that the contest was good for business. “Now that we are famous for burgers, we sell a lot more beef than we ever did before,” she says. The Chuckwagon has also added staff as a result of the competition.
In 2017, more than 9,000 nominations for nearly 500 restaurants were received in the contest. The final winners in previous years are: 2017 – The Smokin’ Hereford, Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant, Adair; 2015 – The Cider House, Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill, Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille, Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III, Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck, Dexter; 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company, Sac City.
NPPC Elects New Officers, Board Members
The National Pork Producers Council today elected new officers and members to its board of directors at its annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held here.
Elected as president of the organization was Jim Heimerl, of Johnstown, Ohio. Heimerl and his wife Kathy, along with three sons and a daughter-in-law, run three farrow-to-finish farms in Ohio and own 80 contract finishing farms in several states. Heimerl Farms LTD also consists of crops and cattle, as well as a trucking division and feed mill. Among other positions, Heimerl previously served as president of the Ohio Pork Council and as a board member of the Ohio Soybean Association.
David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C., was elevated to president-elect of the organization. Herring is vice president of Hog Slat, which supplies equipment to pork operations, and of TDM Farms. He and his two brothers started in the farm in1983 as a feeder pig operation. Today, TDM Farms is a sow farrow-to-finish operation, with farms in North Carolina, Illinois and Indiana. Herring is a past president of the North Carolina Pork Council.
Howard AV Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wis., was chosen as vice president. A fifth-generation farmer, he owns and operates Roth Feeder Pigs. In addition to serving on the NPPC board for the past six years, Roth previously served on the Wisconsin Pork Association board of directors and currently serves as chairman of the association’s Swine Health Committee.
Heimerl takes over from Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill., chairman of Maschhoff Family Foods and co-owner and chairman of The Maschhoffs, the third-largest pork producer in the United States. Maschhoff now is NPPC immediate past president and chairman of the organization’s Trade Policy Committee.
Re-elected to the board for another three-year term were Dale Reicks, of New Hampton, Iowa, and Kraig Westerbeek, of Warsaw, N.C. Craig Andersen, of Centerville, S.D., and Duane Stateler, of McComb, Ohio, were elected as new members of the board for a three-year term. Elected as the Allied Industry Council representative was Dr. Gordon Spronk, of Pipestone, Minn., a veterinarian and chairman and senior owner of Pipestone Holdings.
They join current directors Cory Bollum, with Hormel Foods Corp. in Austin, Minn. – who is the Packer Processor Industry Council representative – Phil Borgic, of Nokomis, Ill., Jim Compart, of Nicollet, Minn., Scott Hayes, of Monroe City, Mo., A.V. Roth, of Wauzeka, Wis., Jen Sorensen of Ankeny, Iowa, and Terry Wolters, of Pipestone, Minn.
Elected for two-year terms to NPPC’s Nominating Committee were Joe Baldwin of Indiana, who was re-elected, and Jim Petrik of South Dakota.
“Jim, David and AV have tremendous experience and leadership that will greatly benefit NPPC and our producers,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “And with the addition of our new board members, NPPC once again has a strong team guiding our work of protecting the livelihoods of America’s pork producers.”
Students Awarded Pork Industry Scholarships
The National Pork Producers Council today at its annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – awarded scholarships to 10 college students who intend to pursue careers in the pork industry. The Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship program is sponsored by CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation and managed and administered by NPPC.
The 2018 winners of the $2,500 scholarships – named after the late NPPC vice president from Mt. Olive, N.C. – are:
· Jacob Sterle, Iowa State University
· Erin Bryan, University of Illinois
· Tim Grote, University of Illinois
· Reid Hansen, South Dakota State University
· Madeline Herring, Iowa State University
· Macy Marek, Iowa State University
· John Eilertson, Casper College
· Ben Wikner, Iowa State University
· Jaclynn Knutson, South Dakota State University
· Gabe Greiner, Kirkwood Community College
The scholarship program was introduced in 1990 by CME Group and NPPC to celebrate the 25th anniversary of CME hog futures. The scholarship was renamed in 2006 to honor the passing of NPPC board member Lois Britt, a lifetime supporter of agriculture. Britt spent 34 years with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, finishing out her career for 15 years with Smithfield Hog Production in public and government relations. She was inducted into the NPPC Pork Industry Hall of Fame, the N.C. Pork Council Hall of Fame and awarded the N.C. 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award.
To be eligible for a scholarship, students must be undergraduates in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture, provide a brief letter describing their expected role in the pork industry, write an essay on an issue affecting the pork industry and submit two letters of reference from professors or industry professionals.
“These outstanding young people represent the future of the U.S. pork industry,” said NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “They are the next generation of leaders, and NPPC and CME Group are pleased to recognize their commitment to the pork industry with these scholarships.”
USTR SEEKS RENEWAL OF TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week announced plans to seek a three-year extension of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which allows the president to negotiate trade deals with congressional oversight. An extended TPA would be used to forge agreements with Japan, Vietnam and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Lighthizer. To formally make the extension request, President Trump must send a letter to Congress by April 1. Since the United States withdrew from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership in early 2017, many ag groups have been urging the administration to initiate bilateral agreements with countries that are still part of that agreement, including Japan.
SENATE COMMITTEE VOTES TO ADVANCE ADUFA REAUTHORIZATION
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this week voted 22-1 to reauthorize the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (AGDUFA). The measure now moves to the full Senate. Set to expire Sept. 30, both grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permission to collect fees from the makers of new animal drugs, including generic animal drugs, which are used to support the agency’s drug approval and market introduction programs. The bipartisan legislation includes a requirement that all requests for new animal drugs be submitted electronically beginning Oct. 1. The National Pork Producers Council supports the reauthorization of ADUFA and AGDUFA, which are crucial for ensuring that animal health, human health and food safety are protected. Failure to renew the laws by the deadline will result in a major disruption for the livestock production industry.
Farm Bureaus Gear up for Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week
Farm Bureaus across the nation are gearing up for Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week, March 4-10. The U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers are joining Farm Bureau in keeping friends and family safe and healthy by recognizing common agricultural hazards with the theme “No One Can Take Your Place.”
A specific focus will be highlighted each day of ASAP Week:
Monday, March 5 – hearing
Tuesday, March 6 – respiratory
Wednesday, March 7 – distracted and impaired driving
Thursday, March 8 – fire
Friday, March 9 – general health.
Free webinars slated for Monday, March 5 (hearing safety) and Friday, March 9 (mental health) will be announced on the AFBF Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Facebook page and the American Farm Bureau’s ASAP Week webpage.
Visit the Centers’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters) and for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Join the movement and share your own safety messages using these hashtags:
#KeepFarmsSafe
#NoOneCanTakeYourPlace
#ASAP18
World Food Prices Rise 1.1 Percent in February
World food prices rose in February from the month before, as rising prices for staple grains and dairy products more than balanced out lower values for vegetable oils, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.
The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 170.8 points, up 1.1 percent from January.
Food prices on international markets were 2.7 percent lower than last February.
Agricultural commodities have emerged from a highly volatile period and FAO has said it expects them to remain stable over the next decade.
FAO raised its estimate for global cereals output in 2017 by 2 million tonnes to 2.642 billion tonnes, a record high.
In its first forecast for 2018 wheat production, the agency predicted output of 744 million tonnes, saying this would be an above average yield, but the second consecutive annual dip.
NAWG AND U.S. Wheat Applaud the Senate Confirmation of Gregg Doud to be Chief Ag Negotiator at USTR
On March 01, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed Gregg Doud to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Trade is a top priority for U.S. wheat farmers and this nomination is welcome news for our growers.
“We believe the confirmation of Gregg Doud will bring a needed agriculture voice to USTR’s political leadership,” stated NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “NAWG congratulates Doud on his appointment and are looking forward to working with him and his team in the future.”
From 2011-2013, Doud was a senior aide to the Senate Agriculture Committee for Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Thad Cochran. There he assisted in drafting what would become the 2014 Farm Bill. For eight years, Doud also served as Chief Economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He is also a former market analyst with U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).
“We are pleased that Mr. Doud’s confirmation comes at a time when our organizations are actively engaged in discussions at home and overseas customers about trade policies that directly affect export demand,” said USW Chairman Mike Miller, a wheat farmer from Ritzville, Wash. “We need his experience in the NAFTA renegotiation and to help prevent huge potential export losses under the new Trans-Pacific Partnership that will be signed March 8 without the United States.”
Land O'Lakes, Inc. Announces Record Results for 2017
Driven by strong performance across its portfolio and strategic growth across the business, Land O'Lakes, Inc. today reported record earnings for the year ending Dec. 31, 2017, up 14 percent from 2016.
The company reported a record $364.8 million in net earnings on $13.7 billion in sales, up from net earnings of $319.9 million and net sales of $13.2 billion in 2016. For the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2017, the company reported $3.6 billion in sales, and $94.5 million in net earnings, compared to $3.3 billion in sales and earnings of $73.5 million in the same quarter in 2016.
"These record results reflect our dedication to an insight-driven, value-added strategy that differentiates us across the areas in which we compete,” said Land O'Lakes, Inc. President and CEO Chris Policinski. “From new product innovations and sustainability applications, to supply chain optimization and merger and acquisition activity, we understand the critical need to listen to our customers and members as we constantly improve. We are confident our strategy of delivering value-added, branded products and services has positioned us well to navigate dynamic food and agriculture industries and continue delivering value to our farmer owners and retail partners in 2018 and beyond.”
Policinski continued, “These results reflect another year of continuing to develop our own value-added culture and capabilities by our talented, highly-engaged employees.”
For Land O’Lakes, 2017 marked the fourth consecutive year of positive net earnings growth. Earnings improvements in each of its core businesses drove this year’s record performance. The company completed the largest merger in its history, fully integrating WinField United, brought multiple new products to market in its Animal Nutrition division and diversified its platforms in Dairy Foods with the acquisition of Vermont Creamery, a specialty producer of artisanal aged and fresh goat cheeses and premium cultured dairy products.
Internationally, Land O’Lakes continued to build its commercial portfolio in Mexico, Canada and Africa. The company’s Villa Crop Protection business in South Africa achieved record sales in 2017.
Business Segments
Dairy Foods reported 2017 net sales of $3.9 billion, up from $3.8 billion in 2016. Pretax earnings for Dairy Foods totaled $71.0 million in 2017, up from $70.1 million in 2016. LAND O LAKES® branded butter realized improved margins while margins in the Global Dairy Ingredients business were lower due to a challenging operating environment for global milk powders and other key dairy markets. Meanwhile, the acquisition of Vermont Creamery expanded the division’s portfolio to include more specialty, artisanal and premium style dairy products.
Crop Inputs delivered sales of $5.7 billion and pretax earnings of $230.1 million. That compares with $5.5 billion in sales and $202.9 million in pretax earnings in 2016. Strong performance was driven by higher volumes within proprietary and vended crop protection products, as well as higher seed volumes. Land O’Lakes also completed the acquisition of the Armor Seed brand and Solum soil testing lab, and continued to make significant investments in ag tech, including new functionality in its R7® Field Forecasting Tool.
Animal Nutrition reported 2017 net sales of $3.7 billion and pretax earnings of $91.6 million, compared to $3.8 billion in sales and $72.9 million in pretax earnings in 2016. The business achieved record operating earnings in its formula feed and premix platforms, and improved margins and product mix overall.
The company continued its investment in Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, gaining ground with new customers in 2017 with its Conservation Agronomy platform. Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN launched new tools in 2017 such as a new conservation planning tool, Agren® BufferBuilder, and two services for Land O’Lakes members, with the Conservation Dairy platform and SUSTAIN Innovation Fund to help dairy members drive measurable improvements for air, soil and water.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Thursday March 1 Ag News
Nebraska Beef Council to Host Director Election Information Sessions
The Nebraska Beef Council will be hosting candidate information sessions in 4 of their 9 districts prior to the 2018 board of director elections.
The first session will be on March 12th in North Platte at the UNL Extension Office starting at 1:00 p.m. The second meeting will be March 14th in Ainsworth at the Brown County Extension Office starting at 10 :00 a.m. The third meeting will take place March 18th at the O’Neill Public Library in O’Neill staring at 1:00 p.m. The final meeting will be on March 19th at the UNL Extension Office in Geneva starting at 1:00 p.m.
The following districts will have an open seat in the upcoming elections:
District 2 - Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, Blaine and Loup counties.
District 4 - Boyd, Knox, Antelope, Holt, Wheeler and Boone counties.
District 6 - Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Keith, Lincoln, Perkins, Chase, Hayes, Dundy and Hitchcock counties.
District 8 - Seward, Lancaster, Otoe, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Saline, Johnson, Nemaha, Webster, Nuckolls, Thayer, Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee and Richardson counties.
For more information about the Nebraska Beef Council or to inquire about candidate requirements, please visit www.nebeef.org or call 800-241-5326.
Capturing Value in Cropping Systems Using Cattle
A conference on how to “Capture Value in Cropping Systems using Cattle,” will be held Wednesday, April 4, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at ENREC (formerly ARDC) near Mead with registration opening at 9:00 a.m. Pre-register online by March 30 at: https://enre.unl.edu/registration. For questions, contact Nebraska Extension in Saunders County at (402) 624-8030 or Saunders-County@unl.edu.
Nebraska Extension has developed a unique learning and networking opportunity for cattle operators and cropping individuals. The day will feature UNL graduate students, research and extension personnel working on the projects, as well as, first-hand insight from producers utilizing cover crops as forages in their cropping rotation in eastern Nebraska.
Program topics will include:
* The UNL Beef Systems Initiative: can we sustainably produce more with the same resources?
* Nitrate toxicity: what is the potential when grazing cover crops?
* Oats planted after high moisture corn or silage: how much grazing can we get?
* Using triticale for spring grazing in soybean systems?
* Grazing rye planted in corn and soybean systems: how do the cattle and crops perform?
There are many challenges and opportunities when trying to decipher how to utilize cover crops as forages and graze cattle in a traditional cropping system. Speakers will touch on the economics, cover crop species selection, grazing management and more.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Systems Specialist Mary Drewnoski says, “Using cover crops and crop residues as forage sources can be cost effective for the cattle producer and increase revenue from cropland. This field day will discuss the opportunities and challenges of integrating cattle into cropping systems in eastern NE.”
Crop producer north of ENREC cooperating on the rye grazing study, Angela Knuth says, “We are really excited to be working with Mary and her team to explore the opportunities bringing cattle back onto the land can offer. Working with Mary, we hope to prove that a diversified cropping rotation along with grazing is both good for the cattle and the bottom line of the cattle producer and landowner.”
There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided for those who pre-register online.
Reynolds to name Mike Naig as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on Thursday she will name Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Deputy Secretary Mike Naig as the new Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, citing a commitment to continuity and stability. Naig will become Secretary of Agriculture upon Bill Northey's resignation. He will serve the remainder of Northey’s term.
“Mike Naig has been a dependable deputy for Bill Northey, serving since September 2013,” Gov. Reynolds said. “He has gained the experience, knowledge and staff connections necessary to complete Bill’s term through January 2019. I am pleased Mike has stepped up to serve his fellow Iowans in this elevated role.”
Northey was confirmed on Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Demand for Soybean Drives Iowa Exports to China
The ties between Iowa farmers and China continue to grow. Currently, one in every four rows of soybean grown in the United States is exported to China while Iowa’s former governor, Terry Branstad, is now the U.S. ambassador to the country.
This growing partnership is the focus of ““Navigating the Chinese agricultural economy through the lens of Iowa”” by Wendong Zhang, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University, and Minghao Li, postdoctoral researcher in Iowa State’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. The article appears in the February issue of Ag Decision Maker.
“The significance of China for the U.S.’s overall agricultural trade cannot be overestimated,” Zhang said. “The Chinese demand for U.S. agricultural products is even more significant for Iowa as the two imports they need the most – soybean and pork – are areas we excel in.”
Twenty percent of China’s population of 1.39 billion is engaged in agriculture compared with just 2 percent of the U.S. population. Despite this disparity in agricultural employees, Chinese farmers only operate on 1.4 acres of cropland per farmer, compared to an average of 200 acres per farmer in Iowa.
China is the second-largest agricultural trading partner with the U.S., with trade valued at $21.4 billion in 2016. This has created a $17.1 billion trade surplus in the agricultural sector. Its demand for U.S. agricultural products has increased five-fold since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001. Of the agricultural trade between the two countries, $14 billion is found in one product – soybeans.
“China can only produce 10 percent of their annual soybean consumption, the rest of what they need comes from the U.S. and Brazil,” Zhang said. “China is increasingly entering the market not as a poor, developing country but as a significant player who needs these products to meet their needs. As China grows richer and creates more demand, we want to insure we are their leading supplier of agricultural products as opposed to our competitors.”
No country imports more soybeans than China, receiving 87 percent of its consumption totals from markets like the U.S. and Brazil. Only four Chinese provinces plant more than 10 percent of the of the area planted for soybeans in Iowa. Yields are also smaller, with only 46 percent of Iowa’s average yield achieved.
The small number of acres of soybean grown is due to China’s decision to be self-sufficient in corn production, raising the number of acres of corn grown to roughly U.S. levels.
More information on Zhang and Li’s research can be found online through CARD’s Center for China-U.S. Agricultural Economics and Policy.
Dairy Expo Puts Spotlight on Industry Leaders and Experts
The Central Plains Dairy Expo, led by Central Plains Dairy Association, will be held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mar. 27-29. The event, held annually in March, brings together dairy farmers from the top producing states in the Midwest to learn more about on-farm best practices, enhance their communications skills and collaborate to build a stronger dairy industry throughout the Central Plains region.
Session speakers Sarina Sharp, daily market analyst, Daily Dairy Report
Session: “When Will it End? Examining the Dairy Downturn.” Sponsored by Farm Credit
Mike Ballou, Ph.D., associate professor, ruminant nutrition and immunology, Texas Tech University
Session: “Strategies to Enhance Immunity and Health.” Sponsored by Kemin
Paul Fricke, Ph.D., professor, dairy science and extension specialist, dairy cattle reproduction, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Session: “Integration of Reproductive Programs and Technology to Maximize Fertility.” Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
Hugo Ramirez, Ph.D., assistant professor, dairy science, Iowa State University
Session: “Feeding Cows for Milk Production Efficiency: A Natural Approach.” Sponsored by MS Biotec
Michael Van Amburgh, Ph.D., professor, animal science, Cornell University
Session: “What’s Golden in Colostrum?” Sponsored by Golden Calf
For more information about the Expo, including a full schedule of events and sessions, visit centralplainsdairy.com.
2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow Named
The National Pork Board announced today that Adam Krause from South Dakota and Emma Lasco and Christine Snowden, both from Iowa, have been named the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow. They were recognized today at the 2018 National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City.
“It is important for the Pork Checkoff to recognize the future leaders of the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Terry O’Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska. “We are excited for these young farmers to share their unique stories with consumers.”
The award recognizes farm leaders, ages 18-29, who intend to make pig farming their life’s work and who are committed to raising pigs using the pork industry’s We Care ethical principles. The winners will speak at Pork Checkoff events and provide content on #RealPigFarming, which is the pork industry’s social media program.
Krause is the fourth generation on his family farm near Clear Lake, South Dakota. He owns a pig nursery barn and grows corn, soybean and wheat.
“I’m excited to share my story with the public,” Krause said. “As farmers, we must share with consumers what we do on the farm every day to provide the best care for our pigs.”
Lasco is a territory manager for Smithfield Foods Midwest Production in Roland, Iowa. She assists growers with implementing Smithfield’s industry-leading animal care standards on their farms.
“It is important for people in the pork industry to speak up so that our story gets told correctly,” Lasco said. “We are committed to caring for animals daily and are passionate about keeping them safe, comfortable and healthy. At the end of the day, the care that we provide animals translates into safe and wholesome products for consumers.”
Snowden is an assistant farrowing manager for AMVC, located in Audubon, Iowa. She works with other employees to care for piglets from birth until they are weaned.
“Working in the pork industry is a rewarding career,” Snowden said. “Not only do you get to work with animals every day, but you get a sense of pride by helping to provide pork for consumers here in the United States.”
An industry panel of judges selected the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow, who all have had a Common Industry Audit completed on their farms.
Pork Industry Honors Tom Baas with the Distinguished Service Award
The National Pork Board today honored Tom Baas as the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award during the National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City. Baas is a former animal science professor at Iowa State University.
At the pork industry’s annual business meeting each year, the award is presented to an outstanding leader to recognize his or her lifelong contribution to the pork industry.
“Tom has provided extraordinary leadership to the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Terry O’Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska. “Through the years, he worked tirelessly for the advancement of the pork industry and mentored numerous students at Iowa State University.”
Baas grew up in Kossuth County, Iowa, graduating high school in West Bend. He earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science and later his master’s and Ph.D. all from Iowa State University. Baas worked in various aspects of the pork industry, including with the Duroc Swine Registry and on his own farm raising pigs, before he became a mainstay at Iowa State University as an animal science professor and advisor.
His practical experience prepared Baas for working with students and helped shape his approach to education. The real-world experience proved beneficial to those who learned from Baas, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Baas’ keen foresight for a brighter future for the pork industry played out in many pursuits. He believed a higher quality pork product was possible and was instrumental in implementing the use of ultrasound to study marbling in pork and live animals so data could be used in genetic improvement programs.
The National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also presented Dick Isler, former state executive of the Ohio Pork Council with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award. The award was developed cooperatively by the Pork Board and NPPC and recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork executives. It was named after two top leaders – Don Paulson, past Minnesota state pork executive, and Rex Whitmore, past Wisconsin state pork executive.
Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production
Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 526 million bushels in January 2018. Total corn consumption was down 2 percent from December 2017 and down slightly from January 2017. January 2018 usage included 92.2 percent for alcohol and 7.8 percent for other purposes. Corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 2.93 million bushels, up 30 percent from December 2017 and up 21 percent from January 2017. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 476 million bushels, was down 2 percent from December 2017 but up 1 percent from January 2017. Corn consumed in January 2018 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 90.6 percent and 9.4 percent respectively.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.99 million tons during January 2018, up 1 percent from December 2017 but down 4 percent from January 2017. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.44 million tons in January 2018, up 1 percent from December 2017 and up 4 percent from January 2017.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 304 thousand tons during January 2018, down 5 percent from December 2017 and down 12 percent from January 2017. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 275 thousand tons in January 2018, down 11 percent from December 2017 and down 13 percent from January 2017.
2017 Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production
As part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program, the 2017 Annual Summary of the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production contains data and annual totals for January through December 2017.
Total corn consumed for alcohol for 2017 was 5.61 billion bushels, up 4 percent from 2016. Corn for beverage alcohol in 2017 totaled 35.8 million bushels, up 5 percent from 2016. Corn for fuel alcohol was 5.49 billion bushels in 2017, up 4 percent from 2016.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 23.2 million tons during 2017, up slightly from 2016. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 16.1 million tons in 2017, up 5 percent from 2016. Distillers dried grain (DDG) was 5.25 million tons in 2016, up 8 percent from 2016.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 3.98 million tons during 2017, up 1 percent from 2016. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 3.59 million tons, down 2 percent from 2016.
Dry and wet mill carbon dioxide captured was 2.49 million tons in 2017, down 1 percent from 2016.
Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 5.24 million tons (175 million bushels) in January 2018, compared to 5.29 million tons (176 million bushels) in December 2017 and 5.14 million tons (160 million bushels) in January 2017. Crude oil produced was 2.00 billion pounds down 1 percent from December 2017 but up 7 percent from January 2017. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.26 billion pounds during January 2018 decreased 8 percent from December 2017 and decreased 5 percent from January 2017.
Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 160 thousand tons in January 2018, compared to 172 thousand tons in December 2017 and 177 thousand tons in January 2017. Canola crude oil produced was 140 million pounds down 5 percent from December 2017 and down 7 percent from January 2017. Canola once refined oil production at 100 million pounds during January 2018 was down 16 percent from December 2017 and down 17 percent from January 2017. Cottonseed once refined oil production at 42.1 million pounds during January 2018 was down 23 percent from December 2017 and down 6 percent from January 2017.
Edible tallow production was 66.3 million pounds during January 2018, down 15 percent from December 2017 and down 6 percent from January 2017. Inedible tallow production was 294 million pounds during January 2018, down 9 percent from December 2017 and down 3 percent from January 2017. Technical tallow production was 95.1 million pounds during January 2018, down 1 percent from December 2017 and down 1 percent from January 2017. Choice white grease production at 107 million pounds during January 2018 increased 3 percent from December 2017 but decreased 5 percent from January 2017.
2017 Fats and Oils Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks Data Published
As part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program, the 2017 Annual Summary of the Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks contains data and annual totals for January through December of 2017.
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 57.5 million tons in 2017. Crude oil production was 22.2 billion pounds.
Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 1.99 million tons in 2017.
Tallow was published in three categories (edible, inedible, and technical). The largest percentage of tallow production was inedible tallow at 3.67 billion pounds in 2017. Choice white grease production was 1.31 billion pounds in 2017.
USDA Dairy Products January 2018 Production Highlights
Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.08 billion pounds, 3.4 percent above January 2017 but 1.0 percent below December 2017. Italian type cheese production totaled 470 million pounds, 3.4 percent above January 2017 and 0.5 percent above December 2017. American type cheese production totaled 429 million pounds, 2.7 percent above January 2017 but 1.0 percent below December 2017. Butter production was 185 million pounds, 4.3 percent above January 2017 and
9.0 percent above December 2017.
Dry milk products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 162 million pounds, up 5.4 percent.
Skim milk powder - 45.8 million pounds, down 17.2 percent.
Whey products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Dry whey, total - 89.3 million pounds, up 8.5 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 94.1 million pounds, up 1.5 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 44.3 million pounds, up 10.4 percent.
Frozen products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 56.6 million gallons, down 0.9 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 30.5 million gallons, up 5.6 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 2.93 million gallons, down 3.2 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 4.76 million gallons, down 1.2 percent.
Soy Growers Concerned Over President Trump’s Steep Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum
The American Soybean Association (ASA) voiced its extreme concern today as President Donald Trump announced the decision to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum to protect both industries, which he states poses a threat to national security. These tariffs will be applied across all countries including China. China is not only U.S. soy’s largest customer, but also the top market for U.S. soybeans, purchasing more than all our other customers combined, accounting for $14 billion in sales and more than a third of total U.S. soybean production.
These tariffs could lead to retaliation from China and would significantly endanger the current trade relationship between the U.S. and China for soybeans.
“The tariffs announced today by the administration will put the interests of other domestic industries over farmers,” said John Heisdorffer, ASA president and Iowa soy grower. “Prior to today’s announcement, China has indicated that it may retaliate against U.S. soybean imports, which would be devastating to U.S. soy growers. Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina are all too happy to pick up supplying the Chinese market.”
Retaliation from China would add significant further injury to an already-hobbled farm economy. Prices are down 40 percent and farm income is down 50 percent, and we simply can’t afford for those numbers to get worse.
Soybean farmers urge the White House to move forward with a China strategy that strengthens the competitiveness of our domestic industries, while at the same time growing our export opportunities.
Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Raise the Risk of Retaliation Against U.S. Agriculture
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are extremely disappointed in the decision announced today to impose sweeping tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. We have repeatedly warned that the risks of retaliation and the precedent set by such a policy have serious potential consequences for agriculture. It is dismaying that the voices of farmers and many other industries were ignored in favor of an industry that is already among the most protected in the country.
If the United States is taken to dispute settlement at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for imposing these tariffs, we call on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to avoid invoking the essential security exception under GATT Article XXI. The recent Department of Defense memorandum made it clear that imported steel and aluminum did not threaten its ability to acquire enough from domestic suppliers to meet its needs. The USTR should not take the extraordinary step of invoking Article XXI to defend what we believe is protectionism.
At NAWG’s board of directors meeting this week, a new resolution was passed urging the Administration to avoid imposing national security-based trade barriers on commonly traded products. NAWG’s newly instated President Jimmy Musick, a wheat farmer from Sentinel, Oklahoma, said “at such an economically hard time for wheat growers, we do not want to see trade barriers brought against us from some of our top customers who are impacted by this decision.”
Wheat farmers battling a market in which China holds almost 50 percent of world ending wheat stocks can sympathize with steel and aluminum workers on the economic effects of Chinese policies leading to global oversupply. However, we hope that our legitimate concerns with this action are heard and taken into consideration in this process.
NCGA Statement on Today's White House Meeting
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to today’s White House meeting on the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“For corn farmers, the question for the ongoing White House discussions is simple – what is the problem you are trying to solve? said Skunes.
"According to EPA, refiners don’t have a problem. EPA concluded in November that refiners are able to recover the cost of RINs through the prices they receive for refined products and that RIN values are not causing economic harm to refiners.
"For farmers, ethanol blending equals corn demand. Farmers care about RIN values, not because we want them to be high, but because we want the RIN market mechanism to work freely to incentivize blending. Increased blending will, in turn, lower RIN values, exactly the way the RFS is intended to work. Government manipulation of the RIN market, on the other hand, disrupts the incentive to blend.
"This is why farmers continue to tell the Administration that providing regulatory parity for E15 and higher blends is the best policy answer for refiners’ concerns.
"Allowing the RIN market to operate freely with year-round sales of E15 would increase the production and consumption of renewable fuels, increase the supply of RINs available for compliance and lower RIN values. Increased use of biofuels is already moving us in this direction, and increased use of E15 and higher blends will get us there faster.
"As discussions continue with the Administration, corn farmers thank President Trump and USDA Secretary Perdue for listening to farmers’ views and supporting agriculture. We ask that they maintain their strong stated support for the RFS by not interfering with the market mechanism that helps grow biofuels blending.”
ACE thanks members, Senators for strong RFS support
Representatives from oil refining and biofuel industries met with President Donald Trump today at the White House to continue conversations regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board member Rick Schwarck, President and CEO of Absolute Energy, and Iowa retailer Charlie Good, featured in ACE’s Flex Fuel Forward campaign were among those who took part in the White House meeting about the RFS today. ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after the meeting:
“We are grateful Rick and Charlie were invited by Senators Grassley and Ernst to help explain the importance of the RFS to rural America and U.S. motorists in today’s White House meeting. They explained how RVP relief for E15 would immediately reduce RIN prices but also conveyed that capping RINs would destroy demand for renewable fuels and raise pump prices for consumers. We thank Rick and Charlie for their grassroots leadership and Senators Grassley and Ernst for their strong support.”
Earlier this week, ACE endorsed a letter sent to President Trump from six farm groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Association of Wheat Growers, and National Sorghum Producers, calling on the President to maintain the integrity of the RFS.
USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for March 2018
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced interest rates for March 2018. The Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing rate-based charge for March is 1.875 percent, up from 1.750 percent in February.
The interest rate for crop year commodity loans less than one year disbursed during March is 2.875 percent, up from 2.750 percent in February.
Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans approved for March are as follows, 2.250 percent with three-year loan terms, up from 2.125 percent in February; 2.500 percent with five-year loan terms, up from 2.250 percent in February; 2.750 percent with seven-year loan terms, up from 2.375 percent in February; 2.750 percent with 10-year loan terms, up from 2.500 percent in February and; 2.750 percent with 12-year loan terms, up from 2.500 percent in February.
USGC Welcomes New Member Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA)
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is pleased to welcome the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) as a new member.
Formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry, the IRFA brings together Iowa ethanol and biodiesel producers to foster the development and growth of the state’s renewable fuels industry through education, promotion and infrastructure development. IRFA is committed to making Iowa a leader in producing renewable fuels and value-added co-products.
Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than four billion gallons annually, including 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 380 million gallons annually.
Cattlemen Welcome Confirmation of USTR Chief Agriculture Negotiator
Today Kent Bacus, NCBA’s Director of International Trade, released the following statement in response to the confirmation of Gregg Doud to be the USTR Chief Agriculture Negotiator:
“Gregg Doud has been a strong advocate for American farmers and ranchers for many years, and NCBA is happy that the Senate has confirmed him as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator. The long nomination and confirmation process is over and U.S. agriculture finally has the representation we deserve at the negotiating table. We look forward to working with Gregg Doud and the staff at USTR to address the many trade barriers facing the U.S. beef industry.”
NMPF Statement on Senate Confirmation of Three Trade Nominees
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF
“We are very pleased with the Senate’s confirmation of Gregory Doud, Dennis Shea and C.J. Mahoney to key positions at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR). These individuals have demonstrable experience in the areas of agriculture and trade policy, and we’re confident they will strongly advocate for U.S. dairy and agriculture overall.
“Ambassador Doud’s confirmation as chief agricultural negotiator comes at a critical time for the American farming community. As modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continues, he will be instrumental in defending what is working well for agriculture and fixing what is broken, such as Canada’s damaging dairy pricing scheme and other barriers.
“We urge Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and his team to promote the importance of U.S. dairy exports at a time when producers need strong trade agreements to counter our competitors’ aggressive trade policy agenda. New market access opportunities will strengthen our economy by creating more dairy-related jobs in rural America and improving our balance of trade.
“We are committed to working closely with the new appointees, and others at USTR, to ensure a strong voice at the table for U.S. dairy during current and future trade policy discussions.”
USGC Applauds Confirmation Of USTR's Chief Agricultural Negotiator And WTO Representative
A statement from U.S. Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO Tom Sleight on the confirmations of Gregg Doud and Dennis Shea:
"We are excited and energized to see that Gregg Doud has been confirmed as the next chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and that Dennis Shea has been confirmed as ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"U.S. agriculture needs Ambassador Doud in his new position. He is uniquely skilled to represent our sector immediately in the trade negotiations happening as we speak. Having the position of chief agricultural negotiator filled by a competent, experienced leader is truly critical to our success in the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) modernization process, the reexamination of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) and as we look to new trade talks that can help ensure our market access.
"Equally as important is Ambassador Shea's quick arrival to the tasks facing the WTO. The WTO sets the rules of the road for global trade and provides the mechanism for correction when we hit unfair constraints in our efforts to increase U.S. grain sales. We work closely with U.S. representatives at the WTO and are hopeful that Ambassador Shea is able to help make this body stronger and more effective for our members.
"Agriculture is complex and unique. USTR's staff has done an outstanding job of listening to our perspectives and representing our interests while Ambassador Doud and Ambassador Shea awaited confirmation. We look forward to their added expertise in these tasks very soon."
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction In Proposition 65 Glyphosate Case
On Monday, February 26, the Eastern District of California issued a preliminary injunction barring California from enforcing its Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) warning requirement for the herbicide glyphosate. As part of a broad coalition of agricultural groups, CropLife America (CLA) argued that the Proposition 65 listing and warning requirement violates the First Amendment by compelling companies to make misleading and highly controversial statements about their products. This injunction is an important outcome, as the judge held that now California cannot enforce the warning requirement as it relates to glyphosate as this case continues in court.
“We are pleased that the court recognized that consumers may be misled by Proposition 65 warnings on glyphosate products,” said Jay Vroom. “California has designated glyphosate as a chemical ’known’ to cause cancer, based solely on a controversial listing by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. There is overwhelmingly sound human health data and science that points to the opposite conclusion. This is a first step in ensuring that misleading labeling does not contribute to unfounded and unproven fears,” concluded Vroom. This week’s decision is also the first of its kind, as a federal court has never enjoined a Proposition 65 warning requirement on First Amendment grounds.
Zoetis Expands Genetics Portfolio With Calf Wellness Traits in Clarifide® Plus
Zoetis announced the addition of three calf wellness traits to Clarifide® Plus for Holsteins. The new calf wellness traits include calf livability, respiratory disease and scours. This dependable genetic information enables dairy producers to genetically improve calf health and survival within their herds, as the calf wellness trait information helps identify and select for calves more likely to survive as well as animals that are less likely to become ill due to respiratory disease and scours. Minimizing disease risk improves calf health, results in fewer treatments and lowers calf mortality — all important animal well-being considerations for producers.
As part of the offering with Clarifide Plus, the Calf Wellness Index™ (CW$™) is a multitrait selection index that exclusively focuses on calf wellness traits to directly estimate the potential profit contribution of the calf wellness traits for an individual animal.
In addition, CW$ has been added to the Dairy Wellness Profit Index® (DWP$®) to supplement the most comprehensive animal ranking selection available commercially in Holsteins. DWP$ includes all Zoetis wellness traits for cows and calves. Plus, DWP$ includes other economically important production, performance and longevity-related traits. The inclusion of calf wellness traits creates an opportunity for producers to realize part of the lifetime economic gains earlier in life — as early as near birth — occurring approximately nine months after implementing breeding selecting strategies. DWP$ helps improve the outcome of the calf wellness traits with their inclusion, thus improving their progress toward enhancing overall herd health.
Importance of Calf Wellness
Heifer replacement costs are often the second-highest expense on dairy farms, averaging from 8.6% up to 20% of total production cost in Holstein herds. This cost is heavily influenced by many factors, including disease incidence and calf mortality.
“Calf health and mortality can mean the difference between profits or shortfalls in tight margin years,” said Kent Weigel,* PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Dairy Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We completed research that published 10 years ago, showing genetic differences between sire families and their chances of developing health challenges like milk fever** or mastitis. It was encouraging to see Zoetis use this research to develop Clarifide Plus, a tool producers can use for making genetic selection decisions to raise animals with reduced risk for health problems. Now Zoetis has taken a step farther to introduce calf wellness traits that help minimize disease risk for respiratory disease and scours, which will be game-changing for producers.”
Reports demonstrate the impact on U.S. dairies from scours and respiratory disease — the leading causes of calf death loss and disease in the first year of life:
· 23.9% of pre-weaned dairy heifers are affected by scours.
· 12.4% of pre-weaned dairy heifers are affected by respiratory disease.
· 56% of all pre-weaned calf deaths are due to scours.
· 47% of all weaned calf deaths are due to respiratory disease.
The cost of calf health presents significant and long-lasting challenges. For example, records show that calves with respiratory disease that required treatment produced about 1,087 pounds less milk in the first lactation than calves with no record of being treated.
The impact from disease can present lifelong setbacks, such as with calves impacted by pneumonia during the first 90 days of life, which are more likely to experience increased age at first calving, higher incidence of dystocia, lower milk production and greater mortality before first calving. Other studies have indicated 2 to 2.5 times greater risk of death before calving for animals that had either pneumonia or scours, respectively.
Clarifide Plus was the first commercially available genetic evaluation for wellness traits for U.S. Holsteins, launched in March 2016. In addition to the new calf wellness traits — calf livability, respiratory disease and scours — Clarifide Plus provides reliable genomic predictions to help producers manage and reduce risk for mastitis, lameness, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum and ketosis. Clarifide Plus provides accurate genetic predictions using cutting-edge genetic evaluation methodology applied to data collected from U.S. commercial production settings. This results in an average reliability of 50% or more for the six cow wellness traits and 39% reliability for the average of the three calf wellness traits on young genomic-tested calves.
“Genomic predictions for wellness traits were developed because of the commitment Zoetis has to the overall health of dairy cattle,” said Cheryl Marti, associate director, U.S. Marketing, Dairy Genetics and Reproduction, Zoetis. “We strive to improve dairy wellness and understand genetic factors impacting resistance to common diseases. The recently announced development of the first Holstein reference genome at Zoetis allowed us to map regions of the genome influencing disease outcomes in calves. These discoveries will lead to improvements in the reliability of future predictions for Dairy Wellness.”
Impact on dairy profitability
The calf wellness trait information helps dairies obtain the full lifetime value of healthier calves by selecting and breeding for animals that have a better chance of becoming healthy, productive cows, thus better positioned to attain their genetic potential — and increase a dairy operation’s profitability.
The new calf wellness traits help enhance two important financial drivers impacting dairy producers' net farm income — improving heifer survival and lowering net herd replacement cost. Now, with the calf and cow wellness traits provided by Clarifide Plus, producers can make more informed decisions with reliable information about the animals in their herd and now positively affect the important financial drivers of net farm income.
The growing portfolio of Clarifide tests
Clarifide® from Zoetis has become the industry standard for genomic testing, with Clarifide Plus leading the way as the most comprehensive test on the market, providing dairies with profit-based information to maximize herd profitability and enhance herd management. Producers may use results to adjust herd protocols while gaining confidence in and understanding of their investment value and effectiveness in driving desired dairy efficiency. Since 2010, Zoetis has contributed more than 1.2 million genotypes of the over 2 million genotypes evaluated by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) with genomic testing products from the portfolio of Clarifide tests, and the number continues to grow.
Zoetis recognizes that every dairy has different strategies as well as information, management and support needs. For this reason, Zoetis has a broad portfolio of genomic testing solutions including Clarifide Plus, Clarifide, Clarifide® Ultra and Clarifide® Core.
The Nebraska Beef Council will be hosting candidate information sessions in 4 of their 9 districts prior to the 2018 board of director elections.
The first session will be on March 12th in North Platte at the UNL Extension Office starting at 1:00 p.m. The second meeting will be March 14th in Ainsworth at the Brown County Extension Office starting at 10 :00 a.m. The third meeting will take place March 18th at the O’Neill Public Library in O’Neill staring at 1:00 p.m. The final meeting will be on March 19th at the UNL Extension Office in Geneva starting at 1:00 p.m.
The following districts will have an open seat in the upcoming elections:
District 2 - Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, Blaine and Loup counties.
District 4 - Boyd, Knox, Antelope, Holt, Wheeler and Boone counties.
District 6 - Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Keith, Lincoln, Perkins, Chase, Hayes, Dundy and Hitchcock counties.
District 8 - Seward, Lancaster, Otoe, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Saline, Johnson, Nemaha, Webster, Nuckolls, Thayer, Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee and Richardson counties.
For more information about the Nebraska Beef Council or to inquire about candidate requirements, please visit www.nebeef.org or call 800-241-5326.
Capturing Value in Cropping Systems Using Cattle
A conference on how to “Capture Value in Cropping Systems using Cattle,” will be held Wednesday, April 4, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at ENREC (formerly ARDC) near Mead with registration opening at 9:00 a.m. Pre-register online by March 30 at: https://enre.unl.edu/registration. For questions, contact Nebraska Extension in Saunders County at (402) 624-8030 or Saunders-County@unl.edu.
Nebraska Extension has developed a unique learning and networking opportunity for cattle operators and cropping individuals. The day will feature UNL graduate students, research and extension personnel working on the projects, as well as, first-hand insight from producers utilizing cover crops as forages in their cropping rotation in eastern Nebraska.
Program topics will include:
* The UNL Beef Systems Initiative: can we sustainably produce more with the same resources?
* Nitrate toxicity: what is the potential when grazing cover crops?
* Oats planted after high moisture corn or silage: how much grazing can we get?
* Using triticale for spring grazing in soybean systems?
* Grazing rye planted in corn and soybean systems: how do the cattle and crops perform?
There are many challenges and opportunities when trying to decipher how to utilize cover crops as forages and graze cattle in a traditional cropping system. Speakers will touch on the economics, cover crop species selection, grazing management and more.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Systems Specialist Mary Drewnoski says, “Using cover crops and crop residues as forage sources can be cost effective for the cattle producer and increase revenue from cropland. This field day will discuss the opportunities and challenges of integrating cattle into cropping systems in eastern NE.”
Crop producer north of ENREC cooperating on the rye grazing study, Angela Knuth says, “We are really excited to be working with Mary and her team to explore the opportunities bringing cattle back onto the land can offer. Working with Mary, we hope to prove that a diversified cropping rotation along with grazing is both good for the cattle and the bottom line of the cattle producer and landowner.”
There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided for those who pre-register online.
Reynolds to name Mike Naig as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on Thursday she will name Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Deputy Secretary Mike Naig as the new Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, citing a commitment to continuity and stability. Naig will become Secretary of Agriculture upon Bill Northey's resignation. He will serve the remainder of Northey’s term.
“Mike Naig has been a dependable deputy for Bill Northey, serving since September 2013,” Gov. Reynolds said. “He has gained the experience, knowledge and staff connections necessary to complete Bill’s term through January 2019. I am pleased Mike has stepped up to serve his fellow Iowans in this elevated role.”
Northey was confirmed on Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Demand for Soybean Drives Iowa Exports to China
The ties between Iowa farmers and China continue to grow. Currently, one in every four rows of soybean grown in the United States is exported to China while Iowa’s former governor, Terry Branstad, is now the U.S. ambassador to the country.
This growing partnership is the focus of ““Navigating the Chinese agricultural economy through the lens of Iowa”” by Wendong Zhang, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University, and Minghao Li, postdoctoral researcher in Iowa State’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. The article appears in the February issue of Ag Decision Maker.
“The significance of China for the U.S.’s overall agricultural trade cannot be overestimated,” Zhang said. “The Chinese demand for U.S. agricultural products is even more significant for Iowa as the two imports they need the most – soybean and pork – are areas we excel in.”
Twenty percent of China’s population of 1.39 billion is engaged in agriculture compared with just 2 percent of the U.S. population. Despite this disparity in agricultural employees, Chinese farmers only operate on 1.4 acres of cropland per farmer, compared to an average of 200 acres per farmer in Iowa.
China is the second-largest agricultural trading partner with the U.S., with trade valued at $21.4 billion in 2016. This has created a $17.1 billion trade surplus in the agricultural sector. Its demand for U.S. agricultural products has increased five-fold since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001. Of the agricultural trade between the two countries, $14 billion is found in one product – soybeans.
“China can only produce 10 percent of their annual soybean consumption, the rest of what they need comes from the U.S. and Brazil,” Zhang said. “China is increasingly entering the market not as a poor, developing country but as a significant player who needs these products to meet their needs. As China grows richer and creates more demand, we want to insure we are their leading supplier of agricultural products as opposed to our competitors.”
No country imports more soybeans than China, receiving 87 percent of its consumption totals from markets like the U.S. and Brazil. Only four Chinese provinces plant more than 10 percent of the of the area planted for soybeans in Iowa. Yields are also smaller, with only 46 percent of Iowa’s average yield achieved.
The small number of acres of soybean grown is due to China’s decision to be self-sufficient in corn production, raising the number of acres of corn grown to roughly U.S. levels.
More information on Zhang and Li’s research can be found online through CARD’s Center for China-U.S. Agricultural Economics and Policy.
Dairy Expo Puts Spotlight on Industry Leaders and Experts
The Central Plains Dairy Expo, led by Central Plains Dairy Association, will be held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mar. 27-29. The event, held annually in March, brings together dairy farmers from the top producing states in the Midwest to learn more about on-farm best practices, enhance their communications skills and collaborate to build a stronger dairy industry throughout the Central Plains region.
Session speakers Sarina Sharp, daily market analyst, Daily Dairy Report
Session: “When Will it End? Examining the Dairy Downturn.” Sponsored by Farm Credit
Mike Ballou, Ph.D., associate professor, ruminant nutrition and immunology, Texas Tech University
Session: “Strategies to Enhance Immunity and Health.” Sponsored by Kemin
Paul Fricke, Ph.D., professor, dairy science and extension specialist, dairy cattle reproduction, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Session: “Integration of Reproductive Programs and Technology to Maximize Fertility.” Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
Hugo Ramirez, Ph.D., assistant professor, dairy science, Iowa State University
Session: “Feeding Cows for Milk Production Efficiency: A Natural Approach.” Sponsored by MS Biotec
Michael Van Amburgh, Ph.D., professor, animal science, Cornell University
Session: “What’s Golden in Colostrum?” Sponsored by Golden Calf
For more information about the Expo, including a full schedule of events and sessions, visit centralplainsdairy.com.
2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow Named
The National Pork Board announced today that Adam Krause from South Dakota and Emma Lasco and Christine Snowden, both from Iowa, have been named the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow. They were recognized today at the 2018 National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City.
“It is important for the Pork Checkoff to recognize the future leaders of the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Terry O’Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska. “We are excited for these young farmers to share their unique stories with consumers.”
The award recognizes farm leaders, ages 18-29, who intend to make pig farming their life’s work and who are committed to raising pigs using the pork industry’s We Care ethical principles. The winners will speak at Pork Checkoff events and provide content on #RealPigFarming, which is the pork industry’s social media program.
Krause is the fourth generation on his family farm near Clear Lake, South Dakota. He owns a pig nursery barn and grows corn, soybean and wheat.
“I’m excited to share my story with the public,” Krause said. “As farmers, we must share with consumers what we do on the farm every day to provide the best care for our pigs.”
Lasco is a territory manager for Smithfield Foods Midwest Production in Roland, Iowa. She assists growers with implementing Smithfield’s industry-leading animal care standards on their farms.
“It is important for people in the pork industry to speak up so that our story gets told correctly,” Lasco said. “We are committed to caring for animals daily and are passionate about keeping them safe, comfortable and healthy. At the end of the day, the care that we provide animals translates into safe and wholesome products for consumers.”
Snowden is an assistant farrowing manager for AMVC, located in Audubon, Iowa. She works with other employees to care for piglets from birth until they are weaned.
“Working in the pork industry is a rewarding career,” Snowden said. “Not only do you get to work with animals every day, but you get a sense of pride by helping to provide pork for consumers here in the United States.”
An industry panel of judges selected the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow, who all have had a Common Industry Audit completed on their farms.
Pork Industry Honors Tom Baas with the Distinguished Service Award
The National Pork Board today honored Tom Baas as the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award during the National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City. Baas is a former animal science professor at Iowa State University.
At the pork industry’s annual business meeting each year, the award is presented to an outstanding leader to recognize his or her lifelong contribution to the pork industry.
“Tom has provided extraordinary leadership to the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Terry O’Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska. “Through the years, he worked tirelessly for the advancement of the pork industry and mentored numerous students at Iowa State University.”
Baas grew up in Kossuth County, Iowa, graduating high school in West Bend. He earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science and later his master’s and Ph.D. all from Iowa State University. Baas worked in various aspects of the pork industry, including with the Duroc Swine Registry and on his own farm raising pigs, before he became a mainstay at Iowa State University as an animal science professor and advisor.
His practical experience prepared Baas for working with students and helped shape his approach to education. The real-world experience proved beneficial to those who learned from Baas, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Baas’ keen foresight for a brighter future for the pork industry played out in many pursuits. He believed a higher quality pork product was possible and was instrumental in implementing the use of ultrasound to study marbling in pork and live animals so data could be used in genetic improvement programs.
The National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also presented Dick Isler, former state executive of the Ohio Pork Council with the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award. The award was developed cooperatively by the Pork Board and NPPC and recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork executives. It was named after two top leaders – Don Paulson, past Minnesota state pork executive, and Rex Whitmore, past Wisconsin state pork executive.
Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production
Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 526 million bushels in January 2018. Total corn consumption was down 2 percent from December 2017 and down slightly from January 2017. January 2018 usage included 92.2 percent for alcohol and 7.8 percent for other purposes. Corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 2.93 million bushels, up 30 percent from December 2017 and up 21 percent from January 2017. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 476 million bushels, was down 2 percent from December 2017 but up 1 percent from January 2017. Corn consumed in January 2018 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 90.6 percent and 9.4 percent respectively.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.99 million tons during January 2018, up 1 percent from December 2017 but down 4 percent from January 2017. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.44 million tons in January 2018, up 1 percent from December 2017 and up 4 percent from January 2017.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 304 thousand tons during January 2018, down 5 percent from December 2017 and down 12 percent from January 2017. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 275 thousand tons in January 2018, down 11 percent from December 2017 and down 13 percent from January 2017.
2017 Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production
As part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program, the 2017 Annual Summary of the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production contains data and annual totals for January through December 2017.
Total corn consumed for alcohol for 2017 was 5.61 billion bushels, up 4 percent from 2016. Corn for beverage alcohol in 2017 totaled 35.8 million bushels, up 5 percent from 2016. Corn for fuel alcohol was 5.49 billion bushels in 2017, up 4 percent from 2016.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 23.2 million tons during 2017, up slightly from 2016. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 16.1 million tons in 2017, up 5 percent from 2016. Distillers dried grain (DDG) was 5.25 million tons in 2016, up 8 percent from 2016.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 3.98 million tons during 2017, up 1 percent from 2016. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 3.59 million tons, down 2 percent from 2016.
Dry and wet mill carbon dioxide captured was 2.49 million tons in 2017, down 1 percent from 2016.
Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 5.24 million tons (175 million bushels) in January 2018, compared to 5.29 million tons (176 million bushels) in December 2017 and 5.14 million tons (160 million bushels) in January 2017. Crude oil produced was 2.00 billion pounds down 1 percent from December 2017 but up 7 percent from January 2017. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.26 billion pounds during January 2018 decreased 8 percent from December 2017 and decreased 5 percent from January 2017.
Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 160 thousand tons in January 2018, compared to 172 thousand tons in December 2017 and 177 thousand tons in January 2017. Canola crude oil produced was 140 million pounds down 5 percent from December 2017 and down 7 percent from January 2017. Canola once refined oil production at 100 million pounds during January 2018 was down 16 percent from December 2017 and down 17 percent from January 2017. Cottonseed once refined oil production at 42.1 million pounds during January 2018 was down 23 percent from December 2017 and down 6 percent from January 2017.
Edible tallow production was 66.3 million pounds during January 2018, down 15 percent from December 2017 and down 6 percent from January 2017. Inedible tallow production was 294 million pounds during January 2018, down 9 percent from December 2017 and down 3 percent from January 2017. Technical tallow production was 95.1 million pounds during January 2018, down 1 percent from December 2017 and down 1 percent from January 2017. Choice white grease production at 107 million pounds during January 2018 increased 3 percent from December 2017 but decreased 5 percent from January 2017.
2017 Fats and Oils Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks Data Published
As part of the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program, the 2017 Annual Summary of the Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks contains data and annual totals for January through December of 2017.
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 57.5 million tons in 2017. Crude oil production was 22.2 billion pounds.
Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 1.99 million tons in 2017.
Tallow was published in three categories (edible, inedible, and technical). The largest percentage of tallow production was inedible tallow at 3.67 billion pounds in 2017. Choice white grease production was 1.31 billion pounds in 2017.
USDA Dairy Products January 2018 Production Highlights
Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.08 billion pounds, 3.4 percent above January 2017 but 1.0 percent below December 2017. Italian type cheese production totaled 470 million pounds, 3.4 percent above January 2017 and 0.5 percent above December 2017. American type cheese production totaled 429 million pounds, 2.7 percent above January 2017 but 1.0 percent below December 2017. Butter production was 185 million pounds, 4.3 percent above January 2017 and
9.0 percent above December 2017.
Dry milk products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 162 million pounds, up 5.4 percent.
Skim milk powder - 45.8 million pounds, down 17.2 percent.
Whey products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Dry whey, total - 89.3 million pounds, up 8.5 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 94.1 million pounds, up 1.5 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 44.3 million pounds, up 10.4 percent.
Frozen products (comparisons in percentage with January 2017)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 56.6 million gallons, down 0.9 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 30.5 million gallons, up 5.6 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 2.93 million gallons, down 3.2 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 4.76 million gallons, down 1.2 percent.
Soy Growers Concerned Over President Trump’s Steep Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum
The American Soybean Association (ASA) voiced its extreme concern today as President Donald Trump announced the decision to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum to protect both industries, which he states poses a threat to national security. These tariffs will be applied across all countries including China. China is not only U.S. soy’s largest customer, but also the top market for U.S. soybeans, purchasing more than all our other customers combined, accounting for $14 billion in sales and more than a third of total U.S. soybean production.
These tariffs could lead to retaliation from China and would significantly endanger the current trade relationship between the U.S. and China for soybeans.
“The tariffs announced today by the administration will put the interests of other domestic industries over farmers,” said John Heisdorffer, ASA president and Iowa soy grower. “Prior to today’s announcement, China has indicated that it may retaliate against U.S. soybean imports, which would be devastating to U.S. soy growers. Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina are all too happy to pick up supplying the Chinese market.”
Retaliation from China would add significant further injury to an already-hobbled farm economy. Prices are down 40 percent and farm income is down 50 percent, and we simply can’t afford for those numbers to get worse.
Soybean farmers urge the White House to move forward with a China strategy that strengthens the competitiveness of our domestic industries, while at the same time growing our export opportunities.
Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Raise the Risk of Retaliation Against U.S. Agriculture
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are extremely disappointed in the decision announced today to impose sweeping tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. We have repeatedly warned that the risks of retaliation and the precedent set by such a policy have serious potential consequences for agriculture. It is dismaying that the voices of farmers and many other industries were ignored in favor of an industry that is already among the most protected in the country.
If the United States is taken to dispute settlement at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for imposing these tariffs, we call on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to avoid invoking the essential security exception under GATT Article XXI. The recent Department of Defense memorandum made it clear that imported steel and aluminum did not threaten its ability to acquire enough from domestic suppliers to meet its needs. The USTR should not take the extraordinary step of invoking Article XXI to defend what we believe is protectionism.
At NAWG’s board of directors meeting this week, a new resolution was passed urging the Administration to avoid imposing national security-based trade barriers on commonly traded products. NAWG’s newly instated President Jimmy Musick, a wheat farmer from Sentinel, Oklahoma, said “at such an economically hard time for wheat growers, we do not want to see trade barriers brought against us from some of our top customers who are impacted by this decision.”
Wheat farmers battling a market in which China holds almost 50 percent of world ending wheat stocks can sympathize with steel and aluminum workers on the economic effects of Chinese policies leading to global oversupply. However, we hope that our legitimate concerns with this action are heard and taken into consideration in this process.
NCGA Statement on Today's White House Meeting
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to today’s White House meeting on the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“For corn farmers, the question for the ongoing White House discussions is simple – what is the problem you are trying to solve? said Skunes.
"According to EPA, refiners don’t have a problem. EPA concluded in November that refiners are able to recover the cost of RINs through the prices they receive for refined products and that RIN values are not causing economic harm to refiners.
"For farmers, ethanol blending equals corn demand. Farmers care about RIN values, not because we want them to be high, but because we want the RIN market mechanism to work freely to incentivize blending. Increased blending will, in turn, lower RIN values, exactly the way the RFS is intended to work. Government manipulation of the RIN market, on the other hand, disrupts the incentive to blend.
"This is why farmers continue to tell the Administration that providing regulatory parity for E15 and higher blends is the best policy answer for refiners’ concerns.
"Allowing the RIN market to operate freely with year-round sales of E15 would increase the production and consumption of renewable fuels, increase the supply of RINs available for compliance and lower RIN values. Increased use of biofuels is already moving us in this direction, and increased use of E15 and higher blends will get us there faster.
"As discussions continue with the Administration, corn farmers thank President Trump and USDA Secretary Perdue for listening to farmers’ views and supporting agriculture. We ask that they maintain their strong stated support for the RFS by not interfering with the market mechanism that helps grow biofuels blending.”
ACE thanks members, Senators for strong RFS support
Representatives from oil refining and biofuel industries met with President Donald Trump today at the White House to continue conversations regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board member Rick Schwarck, President and CEO of Absolute Energy, and Iowa retailer Charlie Good, featured in ACE’s Flex Fuel Forward campaign were among those who took part in the White House meeting about the RFS today. ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after the meeting:
“We are grateful Rick and Charlie were invited by Senators Grassley and Ernst to help explain the importance of the RFS to rural America and U.S. motorists in today’s White House meeting. They explained how RVP relief for E15 would immediately reduce RIN prices but also conveyed that capping RINs would destroy demand for renewable fuels and raise pump prices for consumers. We thank Rick and Charlie for their grassroots leadership and Senators Grassley and Ernst for their strong support.”
Earlier this week, ACE endorsed a letter sent to President Trump from six farm groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Association of Wheat Growers, and National Sorghum Producers, calling on the President to maintain the integrity of the RFS.
USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for March 2018
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced interest rates for March 2018. The Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing rate-based charge for March is 1.875 percent, up from 1.750 percent in February.
The interest rate for crop year commodity loans less than one year disbursed during March is 2.875 percent, up from 2.750 percent in February.
Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans approved for March are as follows, 2.250 percent with three-year loan terms, up from 2.125 percent in February; 2.500 percent with five-year loan terms, up from 2.250 percent in February; 2.750 percent with seven-year loan terms, up from 2.375 percent in February; 2.750 percent with 10-year loan terms, up from 2.500 percent in February and; 2.750 percent with 12-year loan terms, up from 2.500 percent in February.
USGC Welcomes New Member Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA)
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is pleased to welcome the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) as a new member.
Formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry, the IRFA brings together Iowa ethanol and biodiesel producers to foster the development and growth of the state’s renewable fuels industry through education, promotion and infrastructure development. IRFA is committed to making Iowa a leader in producing renewable fuels and value-added co-products.
Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than four billion gallons annually, including 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 380 million gallons annually.
Cattlemen Welcome Confirmation of USTR Chief Agriculture Negotiator
Today Kent Bacus, NCBA’s Director of International Trade, released the following statement in response to the confirmation of Gregg Doud to be the USTR Chief Agriculture Negotiator:
“Gregg Doud has been a strong advocate for American farmers and ranchers for many years, and NCBA is happy that the Senate has confirmed him as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator. The long nomination and confirmation process is over and U.S. agriculture finally has the representation we deserve at the negotiating table. We look forward to working with Gregg Doud and the staff at USTR to address the many trade barriers facing the U.S. beef industry.”
NMPF Statement on Senate Confirmation of Three Trade Nominees
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF
“We are very pleased with the Senate’s confirmation of Gregory Doud, Dennis Shea and C.J. Mahoney to key positions at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR). These individuals have demonstrable experience in the areas of agriculture and trade policy, and we’re confident they will strongly advocate for U.S. dairy and agriculture overall.
“Ambassador Doud’s confirmation as chief agricultural negotiator comes at a critical time for the American farming community. As modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continues, he will be instrumental in defending what is working well for agriculture and fixing what is broken, such as Canada’s damaging dairy pricing scheme and other barriers.
“We urge Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and his team to promote the importance of U.S. dairy exports at a time when producers need strong trade agreements to counter our competitors’ aggressive trade policy agenda. New market access opportunities will strengthen our economy by creating more dairy-related jobs in rural America and improving our balance of trade.
“We are committed to working closely with the new appointees, and others at USTR, to ensure a strong voice at the table for U.S. dairy during current and future trade policy discussions.”
USGC Applauds Confirmation Of USTR's Chief Agricultural Negotiator And WTO Representative
A statement from U.S. Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO Tom Sleight on the confirmations of Gregg Doud and Dennis Shea:
"We are excited and energized to see that Gregg Doud has been confirmed as the next chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and that Dennis Shea has been confirmed as ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"U.S. agriculture needs Ambassador Doud in his new position. He is uniquely skilled to represent our sector immediately in the trade negotiations happening as we speak. Having the position of chief agricultural negotiator filled by a competent, experienced leader is truly critical to our success in the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) modernization process, the reexamination of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) and as we look to new trade talks that can help ensure our market access.
"Equally as important is Ambassador Shea's quick arrival to the tasks facing the WTO. The WTO sets the rules of the road for global trade and provides the mechanism for correction when we hit unfair constraints in our efforts to increase U.S. grain sales. We work closely with U.S. representatives at the WTO and are hopeful that Ambassador Shea is able to help make this body stronger and more effective for our members.
"Agriculture is complex and unique. USTR's staff has done an outstanding job of listening to our perspectives and representing our interests while Ambassador Doud and Ambassador Shea awaited confirmation. We look forward to their added expertise in these tasks very soon."
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction In Proposition 65 Glyphosate Case
On Monday, February 26, the Eastern District of California issued a preliminary injunction barring California from enforcing its Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) warning requirement for the herbicide glyphosate. As part of a broad coalition of agricultural groups, CropLife America (CLA) argued that the Proposition 65 listing and warning requirement violates the First Amendment by compelling companies to make misleading and highly controversial statements about their products. This injunction is an important outcome, as the judge held that now California cannot enforce the warning requirement as it relates to glyphosate as this case continues in court.
“We are pleased that the court recognized that consumers may be misled by Proposition 65 warnings on glyphosate products,” said Jay Vroom. “California has designated glyphosate as a chemical ’known’ to cause cancer, based solely on a controversial listing by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. There is overwhelmingly sound human health data and science that points to the opposite conclusion. This is a first step in ensuring that misleading labeling does not contribute to unfounded and unproven fears,” concluded Vroom. This week’s decision is also the first of its kind, as a federal court has never enjoined a Proposition 65 warning requirement on First Amendment grounds.
Zoetis Expands Genetics Portfolio With Calf Wellness Traits in Clarifide® Plus
Zoetis announced the addition of three calf wellness traits to Clarifide® Plus for Holsteins. The new calf wellness traits include calf livability, respiratory disease and scours. This dependable genetic information enables dairy producers to genetically improve calf health and survival within their herds, as the calf wellness trait information helps identify and select for calves more likely to survive as well as animals that are less likely to become ill due to respiratory disease and scours. Minimizing disease risk improves calf health, results in fewer treatments and lowers calf mortality — all important animal well-being considerations for producers.
As part of the offering with Clarifide Plus, the Calf Wellness Index™ (CW$™) is a multitrait selection index that exclusively focuses on calf wellness traits to directly estimate the potential profit contribution of the calf wellness traits for an individual animal.
In addition, CW$ has been added to the Dairy Wellness Profit Index® (DWP$®) to supplement the most comprehensive animal ranking selection available commercially in Holsteins. DWP$ includes all Zoetis wellness traits for cows and calves. Plus, DWP$ includes other economically important production, performance and longevity-related traits. The inclusion of calf wellness traits creates an opportunity for producers to realize part of the lifetime economic gains earlier in life — as early as near birth — occurring approximately nine months after implementing breeding selecting strategies. DWP$ helps improve the outcome of the calf wellness traits with their inclusion, thus improving their progress toward enhancing overall herd health.
Importance of Calf Wellness
Heifer replacement costs are often the second-highest expense on dairy farms, averaging from 8.6% up to 20% of total production cost in Holstein herds. This cost is heavily influenced by many factors, including disease incidence and calf mortality.
“Calf health and mortality can mean the difference between profits or shortfalls in tight margin years,” said Kent Weigel,* PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Dairy Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We completed research that published 10 years ago, showing genetic differences between sire families and their chances of developing health challenges like milk fever** or mastitis. It was encouraging to see Zoetis use this research to develop Clarifide Plus, a tool producers can use for making genetic selection decisions to raise animals with reduced risk for health problems. Now Zoetis has taken a step farther to introduce calf wellness traits that help minimize disease risk for respiratory disease and scours, which will be game-changing for producers.”
Reports demonstrate the impact on U.S. dairies from scours and respiratory disease — the leading causes of calf death loss and disease in the first year of life:
· 23.9% of pre-weaned dairy heifers are affected by scours.
· 12.4% of pre-weaned dairy heifers are affected by respiratory disease.
· 56% of all pre-weaned calf deaths are due to scours.
· 47% of all weaned calf deaths are due to respiratory disease.
The cost of calf health presents significant and long-lasting challenges. For example, records show that calves with respiratory disease that required treatment produced about 1,087 pounds less milk in the first lactation than calves with no record of being treated.
The impact from disease can present lifelong setbacks, such as with calves impacted by pneumonia during the first 90 days of life, which are more likely to experience increased age at first calving, higher incidence of dystocia, lower milk production and greater mortality before first calving. Other studies have indicated 2 to 2.5 times greater risk of death before calving for animals that had either pneumonia or scours, respectively.
Clarifide Plus was the first commercially available genetic evaluation for wellness traits for U.S. Holsteins, launched in March 2016. In addition to the new calf wellness traits — calf livability, respiratory disease and scours — Clarifide Plus provides reliable genomic predictions to help producers manage and reduce risk for mastitis, lameness, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum and ketosis. Clarifide Plus provides accurate genetic predictions using cutting-edge genetic evaluation methodology applied to data collected from U.S. commercial production settings. This results in an average reliability of 50% or more for the six cow wellness traits and 39% reliability for the average of the three calf wellness traits on young genomic-tested calves.
“Genomic predictions for wellness traits were developed because of the commitment Zoetis has to the overall health of dairy cattle,” said Cheryl Marti, associate director, U.S. Marketing, Dairy Genetics and Reproduction, Zoetis. “We strive to improve dairy wellness and understand genetic factors impacting resistance to common diseases. The recently announced development of the first Holstein reference genome at Zoetis allowed us to map regions of the genome influencing disease outcomes in calves. These discoveries will lead to improvements in the reliability of future predictions for Dairy Wellness.”
Impact on dairy profitability
The calf wellness trait information helps dairies obtain the full lifetime value of healthier calves by selecting and breeding for animals that have a better chance of becoming healthy, productive cows, thus better positioned to attain their genetic potential — and increase a dairy operation’s profitability.
The new calf wellness traits help enhance two important financial drivers impacting dairy producers' net farm income — improving heifer survival and lowering net herd replacement cost. Now, with the calf and cow wellness traits provided by Clarifide Plus, producers can make more informed decisions with reliable information about the animals in their herd and now positively affect the important financial drivers of net farm income.
The growing portfolio of Clarifide tests
Clarifide® from Zoetis has become the industry standard for genomic testing, with Clarifide Plus leading the way as the most comprehensive test on the market, providing dairies with profit-based information to maximize herd profitability and enhance herd management. Producers may use results to adjust herd protocols while gaining confidence in and understanding of their investment value and effectiveness in driving desired dairy efficiency. Since 2010, Zoetis has contributed more than 1.2 million genotypes of the over 2 million genotypes evaluated by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) with genomic testing products from the portfolio of Clarifide tests, and the number continues to grow.
Zoetis recognizes that every dairy has different strategies as well as information, management and support needs. For this reason, Zoetis has a broad portfolio of genomic testing solutions including Clarifide Plus, Clarifide, Clarifide® Ultra and Clarifide® Core.
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