Burt Co. Cattlemen's Ladies Night
Sat Mar 24th 6:30pm - Tekemah Auditorium, Tekemah NE
Saunders Co. Livestock Assoc.
Tue Mar 27th 6:00pm - 4H Building Saunders Co. Fairgrounds - Wahoo NE
6pm social - 7pm meal
Washington County Cattlemen Banquet
Sat Mar 31st 6:00pm - Washington County Fairgrounds, Arlington NE
It's at a new location this year, in the Rybin Building at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Social sponsored by Washington County Bank with meal and auction to follow. Highlighted auction item is a brand new John Deere 825i UTV!
Transitioning to Regenerative Farming in Fremont Event on March 26th
Monday March 25, 2018 - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
YMCA Hazel Keene Lodge, 3402 W Military Ave, Fremont, NE 68025
FREE and Open to The Public - RSVP: bit.ly/RegeNErateFreemont
RegeNErate Nebraska, a growing community of local farmers, community groups, urban consumers, tribes, and everyday citizens working together for more local control over how their food is produced and distributed, will be holding a FREE community event at the YMCA Hazel Keene Lodge just west of Fremont. The discussion will cover numerous topics ranging from diversifying farm operations while regenerating the soil, transitioning from conventional to regenerative at low cost and increasing access to locally produced food. Additionally, the event will discuss scaling up regenerative poultry as a safer alternative to Costco’s contract grower poultry system, which will subject area residents to air and water pollution and put area farmers at risk. The workshop will also reveal recent FOIA’d USDA lab testing results on livestock and increasing glyphosate levels in humans.
When it comes to farmers transition to regenerative agriculture, local farmer Del Ficke makes the reasoning clear, “It’s not rocket science, it’s not even arithmetic, it’s just common sense.”
“As a fifth-generation farmer, it’s been painful to watch industrial agriculture’s impact to family farmers and our rural communities,” said RegeNErate co-founder Graham Christensen. He added, “more urban and rural people alike realize that the transition to regenerative agriculture is in the best interest of the people and the planet. These events are an overdue first step in bringing new people together to develop rural to urban food pipelines and break down food access issues, while regenerating the soil and Nebraska communities at the same time.
“Modern farming techniques are letting this country down,” said Nebraska Communities United President Randy Ruppert. “We have more food insecure people than any time in our history, and we lead western civilization in food related diseases. We need to re-examine where our food comes from, we need to know the food we eat is healthy, and we need to ensure that we are contributing to a health community, state, and nation. RegeNErate Nebraska addresses the solution to these growing problems.”
The RegeNErate Fremont Event will also feature a FREE local prepared dinner with regenerative beef and side products produced from Nebraska Regenerative Farmers.
NCW Beef Ambassador Contest
Are you passionate about the Beef Industry? The Nebraska Beef Ambassador Contest provides an opportunity for youth to become spokespersons and future leaders in the beef industry. If public speaking or industry advocacy is your thing, you should compete.
June 6, 2018
1:00 pm
College Park Grand Island, NE
Registration deadline: Friday, June 1
More Information... http://nebraskacattlemen.org/CMDocs/NebraskaCA/2018BAContest.pdf.
Applications for Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Due by April 1
Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Corn Board are offering the seventh Innovative Youth Corn Challenge contest. This contest, open to 4-H members (ages 10 and older as of January 1) or FFA members (in-school members), guides participants through all aspects of corn production, as well as agricultural careers related to corn production.
As a team (two or more participants), youth will be challenged to implement a production practice different than normal to determine if they increased yield. Economics and sustainability of the practice also will be considered. Yields, cropping history, and production information will be collected in the Corn Yield Challenge management summary.
Cash prizes and plaques are given. First place receives $1,000, second place receives $500, and third place receives $250. Sustainability, crop scouting and “extra mile” awards are also given as cash awards.
To participate in 2018, youth must complete and return an entry form by April 1 to the Extension Office in Geneva. Forms can be downloaded at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge.
For more information, contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.
Northeast seeks Ag-ceptional Woman of the Year nominations
Each year, Northeast Community College recognizes the vital role that women play in agriculture and honors one individual each year during its AG-ceptional Women’s Conference.
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2018 AG-ceptional Woman of the Year Award, which will be presented during the 10th Annual AG-ceptional Women’s Conference on Friday, November 16, in the Lifelong Learning Center at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. The recipient will be featured in a video tribute sponsored by Farm Credit Services of America.
Corinne Morris, dean of agriculture, math and science, said she looks forward to honoring all women in agriculture during the annual event.
“This will be our 10th annual conference and we expect it to be the best conference so far! At Northeast Community College, we recognize the contributions women make as advocates for agriculture, in their own operations, and in their communities. They make a difference and we want to provide a day to educate, motivate and celebrate these special people. The AG-ceptional Woman of the Year Award draws attention to the importance of their role in agriculture. We encourage you to nominate a deserving woman in agriculture for this award.”
Liz Doerr, Creighton, was honored as the 2017 AG-ceptional Woman of the Year for her dedication, strength, skills, and impact on agriculture. She was nominated by several individuals, including her husband, Gary, who said his wife, “always has a very positive attitude and a smile on her face. She enjoys being a problem solver, and isn’t afraid to take on a challenge.”
Other past AG-ceptional Woman of the Year honorees include: Bonnie Schulz, Battle Creek, in 2010; Jan Miller, Belden, in 2011; Nancy Kirkholm, Homer, in 2012; Jan Frenzen, Fullerton, in 2013, Dawn Winkelbauer, Norfolk, in 2014, Karen Grant, Meadow Grove, in 2015, and Anne Meis, Elgin, in 2016.
The deadline for nominating the 2018 AG-ceptional Woman of the Year recipient is April 30. Nomination forms may be accessed at: www.northeast.edu/agceptional.
For additional information, contact Morris at (402) 844-7361.
GROW Act strengthens conservation programs
Late last week, Iowa’s Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as well as Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) introduced the Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work, or GROW, Act (S. 2557).
The act would maintain funding and acreage levels for the farm bill’s three largest conservation programs: the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
“The GROW Act demonstrates clear support for our nation’s farmers to strengthen conservation efforts across the landscape,” said Anna Johnson, policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “At a time when building healthy soils and protecting water quality are of utmost importance, any cuts to these conservation programs would weaken farmers’ ability to preserve these important natural resources.”
Johnson said the GROW Act provides avenues for farmers to access higher levels of conservation.
“Some of the exciting proposals in the bill are that it incentivizes cover crops under CSP, increases set-aside funds for conservation buffers within continuous CRP, and maintains an emphasis on water quality under EQIP in support of farmers who steward natural resources for future generations,” Johnson said. “We thank Sens. Ernst and Grassley for demonstrating such strong support for farmers in the stewardship of their land.”
The Center for Rural Affairs also supports a similar bill, Strengthening Our Investment in Land (SOIL) Stewardship Act of 2018 (H.R. 5188), introduced in the House last week by Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN).
Adding Grass to Thinning Alfalfa Offers a Win-Win
Amy Timmerman – Extension Educator
Thin alfalfa stands can be rejuvenated by interseeding grasses and converting them to pasture or haying as a grass-alfalfa mixture.
Most alfalfa fields start to lose stand and production ability after cutting hay for several years. Sometimes winterkill thins stands, As your stands begin to get thin, consider interseeding grasses into it. Not only might you extend the useful life of your alfalfa field by several years, you also will develop excellent hay or grazing for your livestock.
The most common grasses interseeded into alfalfa are orchardgrass and smooth brome, but other grasses like endophyte-free tall fescue, meadow brome, festulolium, and wheatgrasses also can be used. If you plan to use this field as pasture, include other legumes like red clover for short-term pasture or birdsfoot trefoil if you plan to graze this as pasture more than three years. This will add diversity to animal diets and help assure good legume growth for several more years.
You must get these new seedlings off to an early start, so be sure to interseed as soon as soils thaw and conditions allow tractor and drills to operate properly. If your alfalfa still is relatively thick and vigorous, also take a very early hay cutting well before buds form, probably during the first week of May. This will allow sunlight to continue to reach new seedlings below the alfalfa. Then use your good judgment regarding competition from the existing alfalfa for subsequent hay cuts. By mid- to late summer you could be able to start rotational grazing. The new seedlings won’t contribute much forage this year, but next year they should be a welcome addition.
Interseeding grass into existing alfalfa takes timely planting and haying, but can improve both the land and the livestock.
Top 10 Best Burgers in Iowa Announced
Iowans submitted nearly 9,200 nominations between February 12 – March 12 to kick off the quest to find the best burger in Iowa. Nominations were accepted online by the the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The number of votes each restaurant received determined the 2018 Top Ten restaurants. The restaurants making the Top Ten list (in alphabetical order) include:
BurgerFiend, Cedar Rapids
Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames
The IowaStater Restaurant, Ames
Moo’s BBQ, Newton
Morgan’s Corner, Ottumwa
Rides Bar & Grill, Fort Dodge
Robin’s Nest Cafe, Clarinda (formerly Vaughn’s Cafe and Bakery)
Saucy Focaccia, Cedar Rapids
The Twisted Tail Steakhouse, Logan (BeeBeeTown)
Wrangling Grace Cafe, Bancroft
"Iowa has over 27,000 beef producers, and this contest is a great way to celebrate the beef they produce and the impact they have on Iowa," says Katie Olthoff, Director of Communications for the Iowa Cattlemen's Association.
To qualify, the burger must be a 100% beef patty or patties, although other ingredients may be added such as spices, and served on a bun or bread product. Burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese or toppings.
“We moved all of the voting to online this year and set a new record with over 700 restaurants receiving at least one nomination,” comments Brooke German, Director of Marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “In total, we had over 300 towns and cities across Iowa represented which proves that there are a lot of great tasting burgers all across the state.”
Seven restaurants are new to the contest’s Top 10 list and include: BurgerFiend, Cedar Rapids; Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames; Iowa Stater Restaurant, Ames; Moo’s BBQ, Newton; Morgan’s Corner, Ottumwa; The Twisted Tail Steakhouse, Logan; and Wrangling Grace Cafe, Bancroft.
Returning contestants include: Ride’s Bar and Grill, Fort Dodge; Robin’s Nest Cafe, Clarinda (formerly Vaughn’s Cafe and Bakery); and Saucy Focaccia, Cedar Rapids.
The quest for the winner of the Iowa’s Best Burger will now begin. All Top Ten restaurants will be visited by a panel of anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, and proper doneness (160 degrees fahrenheit). The judges’ scores and comments will be accumulated and the winner will be crowned on May 1.
“We encourage everyone to visit the Top Ten restaurants,” says German. “These are only a few of the many restaurants in Iowa that do an outstanding job of promoting and serving our beef product to their customers on behalf of Iowa’s beef farmers.”
To learn more about the contest and the Top Ten restaurants, including addresses and hours, visit www.iabeef.org.
NAIG HIGHLIGHTS AVIAN INFLUENZA PREPARATIONS FOLLOWING CONFIRMATION OF THE DISEASE IN THE U.S.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig highlighted the ongoing biosecurity efforts by Iowa turkey, egg and broiler farmers and the preparations undertaken on the state and federal level following the confirmation of low pathogenic avian influenza in Missouri and Texas in recent weeks.
Low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus strains occur naturally in wild migratory waterfowl and shorebirds without causing illness. LPAI can occur in domestic poultry, with little or no signs of illness. However, there is the potential for low pathogenic viruses to evolve into highly pathogenic viruses, which are extremely infectious, often fatal to domestic poultry, and can spread rapidly from flock-to-flock. As a result, it is important to monitor and respond to both low-path and high-path avian influenza detections.
“The low path avian influenza cases in Missouri and Texas highlight again the risks facing our poultry producers. We have seen poultry farms investing in biosecurity improvements in recent years to protect their birds and keep them healthy. That is their focus all year long, but as we enter the spring migration season it is important they remain diligent in their biosecurity efforts,” Naig said.
Biosecurity Important for Farmers
Iowa turkey, egg and broiler farmers have updated their biosecurity measures and made significant investments to help prevent the disease from getting on their farm. They focus every day on biosecurity in recognition of the potential that Avian Influenza and other diseases are always a risk. All poultry farms need to have a biosecurity plan to qualify for USDA indemnification.
Iowa's egg, turkey and broiler companies have implemented company-wide biosecurity plans. The Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine has produced numerous materials to help farmers update biosecurity measures on their farm. More information about their suggestions can be found at http://poultrybiosecurity.org/.
It is also recommended all livestock premises that have one or more animals have an official premises identification number, which may be obtained for free by contacting the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
The Department is in the process of contacting farmers who have previously registered a livestock premises in an effort to update the Iowa Premises Registration database. Farmers are asked to respond to the letter and either confirm the information is correct or respond with their updated information.
Farmers can update their premises information or receive information on how to obtain premise identification number at http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/animalIndustry/premiseIdentificationProgram.asp or by calling the Department toll free at 888-778-7675.
Animal Health Emergency Preparations Continue
The Department continues efforts to update response plans for potential animal disease emergencies. As part of those efforts, the Department hired an Emergency Management Veterinarian for Iowa.
The Department received an additional $100,000 from the Iowa Legislature to support preparations for a foreign animal disease outbreak and a portion of that funding is being used for this position. This new position supports the Departments efforts to ensure emergency response plans are up to date, organize disease response exercises and work with industry partners.
The Iowa response to Avian Influenza operates under a Unified Command involving the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services. We also work closely with partners in the Poultry industry as well as other state agencies, including the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
ISU Extension and Outreach Celebrates National Ag Day
Agriculture is important to Iowa. Iowans grow crops and raise livestock that feed our state, nation and global community.
Celebrating the efforts of American agriculture and reminding citizens that agriculture is part of all of us is the focus of 2018 National Ag Day. This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Food For Life” and the day will be celebrated across the country.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is committed to helping farmers grow more sustainable and profitable enterprises through objective, scientific solutions to the issues and opportunities unique to agriculture in Iowa.
“Research that is conducted on campus and by our field specialists helps improve the lives of farmers across the state,” said Jay Harmon, interim director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension and Outreach at Iowa State. “This research reaches Iowans through programming conducted by extension specialists and county staff.”
ISU Extension and Outreach saw its impact felt through a variety of avenues in 2017:
- Over 6.7 million people visited ISU Extension and Outreach webpages.
- Specialists made 1,900 presentations at agriculture and natural resources meetings, workshops and field days, coming in contact with more than 195,900 people.
- 68,000 people subscribed to 39 ISU Extension and Outreach agriculture-related newsletters.
- ISU Extension and Outreach Agriculture and Natural Resources specialists wrote 1,200 articles, with more than 1.9 million print publications being distributed and downloaded. Specialists also were interviewed more than 2,900 times for popular press articles.
- Face-to-face connections remained popular, with 7,931 meetings between agriculture and natural resources extension specialists and their clients.
“ISU Extension and Outreach specialists serve their communities and Iowa agriculture by providing timely, relevant information that impacts the lives of those they come in contact with,” Harmon said. “This has always been our mission, and it is what we will continually strive to do.”
CWT Assists with 2.6 million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 17 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), Tillamook County Creamery Association and United Dairymen of Arizona. These cooperatives have contracts to sell 2.361million pounds (1,071 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 220,462 pounds (100 metric tons) of butter to customers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from March through June 2018.
CWT-assisted member cooperative 2018 export sales total 25.234 million pounds of American-type cheeses, and 4.896 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) to 18 countries on four continents. These sales are the equivalent of 343.081 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Totals adjusted for cancellations.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program in the long term helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.
U.S. Corn Sales Break Records
U.S. corn merchants have sold in excess of 650 million bushels since early January, shockingly more than usual for any time of year, and the demand prospects continue to look good as of mid-March with the U.S. product plentiful and attractively priced. According to Reuters, this comes despite earlier doubts from industry analysts that the 2017-18 U.S. export campaign could be as successful as the prior year amid increasing competition from South America and relatively elevated global stocks.
The 650 million bushels of corn sold within the nine weeks ended March 8 represent more than a quarter of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual target of 2.225 billion bushels. It is also the largest-ever volume of net U.S. corn sales for a nine-week period since records began in 1990.
Just two months ago, USDA's forecast called for a much more modest 1.925 billion bushels of corn to be shipped during the 2017-18 marketing year, which would have represented a 16 percent decline from the previous year.
But things are certainly looking up as of late, and USDA has recognized it with a pretty historic adjustment. If the trend continues, USDA will likely need to lift the annual target again in the coming months, which could help bring domestic year-end supply near or below 2 billion bushels, reports Reuters.
At the beginning of the 2017/18 marketing year on Sept. 1, sales were sluggish and the hopes for U.S. corn exports were looking fairly bleak relative to the prior year. Late in September, total net sales were about 35 percent behind where they were a year earlier.
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 20, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
Friday March 16 Ag News
Ag Coalition Calls for Increased Flexibility on Truck Hauling Regulations
We Support Agriculture (WSA), a coalition of livestock stakeholders, has received numerous reports of livestock and agricultural haulers being pulled over, despite the recent additional 90-day Electronic Logging Device (ELD) wavier issued earlier this week and is asking for more flexibility from enforcement agencies.
“Despite promises from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of a ‘soft enforcement,’ it is clear haulers in Nebraska should exercise caution,” WSA Executive Director Kristen Hassebrook said. “We have asked for all interested parties to be brought together to work through these issues.”
The compliance date for drivers hauling agricultural products using ELDs, including livestock, was extended to June 18, 2018. However, livestock and other ag haulers operating under this exemption, will need to keep a copy of the federal register notice in their trucks at all times as required by the federal waiver regulation. To complicate matters, the federal register has not been updated to reflect the newest wavier, but a copy of the current register extending the compliance date to March 18, 2018 can be found here.... https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-12-20/pdf/2017-27311.pdf.
“While the extension of the ELD exemption will provide time to examine this regulation and work with FMCSA to address our concerns, the livestock and ag hauling community should keep in mind there are still requirements related to ELDs, and agriculture is absolutely still subject to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, an area where additional flexibility and common sense is needed,” Hassebrook said.
ELDs are a mechanism to ensure compliance with the underlying HOS rules, but for now, written logs are acceptable if the driver also has a copy of the federal register notice. WSA has received notice that drivers hauling livestock and other commodities in Nebraska have been asked to provide copies of the federal register, a requirement that was included when both waivers were issued.
“The livestock industry takes animal health and welfare, as well as food safety, very seriously. All of this highlights the need for increased flexibility in ELD and HOS rules to account for the uniqueness of hauling livestock and other agricultural commodities,” Hassebrook stressed.
Nebraska Corn Board Vacancies
Notice is hereby given that the terms for three members of the Nebraska Corn Development, Utilization and Marketing Board will expire June 30, 2018. The members represent Districts 6, 7 and 8.
District #6:
Includes the counties of Hayes, Frontier, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Hitchcock, Red Willow, Furnas and Harlan (Note: Dennis Gengenbach, the current District 6 director, has indicated he will not pursue re-appointment.)
District #7:
Includes the counties of Boyd, Holt, Antelope, Garfield, Wheeler, Boone, Platte, Valley, Greeley and Nance. (Note: David Merrell, the current District 7 director, has indicated he will pursue re-appointment.)
District #8:
Includes the counties of Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Sheridan, Scotts Bluff, Banner, Kimball, Morrill, Cheyenne, Garden, Deuel, Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, Blaine, Loup, Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Custer, Keith, Lincoln, Perkins, Chase, and Dundy. (Note: Jon Holzfaster, the current District 8 director, has indicated that he will pursue re-election.)
Appointments to the board for Districts 6, 7 and 8 are made by the Governor. Any candidate for appointment may place his or her name on the candidacy list by filing a petition with the Nebraska Corn Board. Qualified candidates include those individuals who are citizens of Nebraska, are at least 21 years old, have been actively engaged in growing corn in Nebraska for a period of five years and derive a substantial portion of their income from growing corn. Board members who currently represent these districts are also eligible to re-petition.
Petitions may be obtained by writing the Nebraska Corn Board (P.O. Box 95107, Lincoln, NE 68509-5107), by calling 800-632-6761 or emailing susan.zabel@nebraska.gov. A candidacy petition must carry the signatures of at least 50 corn producers from that district. All petitions must be received by the Nebraska Corn Board no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 18, 2018. Faxed copies do not qualify.
Deadline Approaches to File Candidacy Petitions for Nebraska Soybean Board July Election
This year, the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) will be seeking three soybean farmers to serve on the Board of Directors and to represent fellow soybean farmers and the industry.
How does the Election work?
The election is conducted by mail-in ballot in July. Soybean farmers who reside in counties that are up for election in 2018 will receive ballots and candidate information regarding NSB’s election process via direct mail.
What are the 2018 Election Districts and Counties?
District 1: Counties of Antelope, Boyd, Cedar, Holt, Knox, Pierce and Madison.
District 3: Counties of Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington.
District 6: Counties of Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline, Seward and Thayer.
Who Can Be a Candidate for the NSB Seat on the Board?
· Be a resident of Nebraska
· Be a resident of the district in which the election is being held
· Be a soybean farmer in Nebraska for at least the previous five years
· Be 21 years of age or older
· Have submitted a NSB candidacy petition
Candidacy Must:
· Obtain a NSB Candidacy Petition by contacting NSB’s Executive Director, Victor Bohuslavsky, at (402) 432-5720
· Complete the petition and collect the signatures of 50 soybean farmers in their district
· Return such petition to the NSB office on or before April 15, 2018
Roles and Responsibilities of Soybean Board Member Representative:
· Attend every NSB Meeting – 8 day fiscal year commitment
· Attend/participate in other educational events sponsored by the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff
· Receive no salary but are reimbursed for expenses incurred while carrying out board business
· Serve a three-year term that would begin October 1, 2018
Candidacy Must:
As an elected representative from NSB, you will help guide the Nebraska soybean industry in the areas of research, education, domestic and foreign markets, including new uses for soybeans and soybean products.
If you have any questions regarding the election process, please contact NSB’s Executive Director, Victor Bohuslavsky, at (402) 432-5720. For more information about the Nebraska soybean checkoff, visit www.nebraskasoybeans.org.
CHECKING ALFALFA FOR WINTER INJURY
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist
Alfalfa will soon green up and start to grow in many areas. At least those plants that survived the winter.
Alfalfa usually comes through the winter in pretty good shape in our area, so rarely do I worry much about it. And I hope we will avoid serious losses this year.
But this has been an unusual winter. The lack of snow cover earlier this winter when we experienced sub-zero temperatures could have permitted cold injury. Or more likely, it enabled dry winter winds to dry out and kill some exposed plants, especially in areas that were dry last fall. In addition, more fields than usual were cut during alfalfa’s winterizing period last fall, increasing their risk of winter injury.
Evaluate your own stands early this spring. Older, dryland fields that have fewer than 30 new shoots per square foot coming from 2 or 3 plants may need to be planted soon to a different crop and new fields planted to alfalfa. Very productive sites, such as irrigated and sub-irrigated fields, should have at least 40 shoots per square foot from 4 to 6 plants. Anything less is a strong candidate for rotation. We tend to lose about one tenth of a ton in yield potential for every shoot below these recommended numbers.
Check for these densities in several areas of your fields when the early shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall. Since some shoots begin growing later than others, stands with enough plants but slightly low shoot density may be alright, especially if shoot height and distribution is fairly uniform. But, if plant density is low, or shoot growth is not uniform, yields probably will be lowered.
Check your alfalfa stands soon after growth begins. Then you will still have time to make any needed changes in your cropping plans.
Senator Hughes to address NCTA graduates
A Nebraska agricultural producer, businessman and state senator will deliver the commencement address for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis on May 3.
State Senator Dan Hughes of Venango will speak to NCTA graduates and guests at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony at the Curtis Memorial Community Center, announced Ron Rosati, NCTA dean.
“Senator Hughes is well respected across Nebraska and the nation as a state leader and wheat grower in Perkins and Chase Counties,” Rosati said.
Hughes and wife, Josie, have farmed southwest of Grant for 41 years. He has been active in agricultural leadership with Nebraska Wheat Growers Association, Nebraska Ethanol Board, Nebraska Wheat Board, and was board chair of U.S. Wheat Associates in 2012 and 2013.
He has represented District 44 for four years in the Nebraska Legislature, chairs the Natural Resources Committee and serves on the Executive Board.
“Our NCTA Dean’s Council is honored to host Dan and Josie Hughes at the 2018 graduation events,” Rosati said. “We appreciate his frequent visits to campus and the interaction he has with our agricultural and veterinary technology students.”
The statewide, two-year college, which is part of the University of Nebraska system, will confer about 90 degrees or certificates to graduates who completed programs in December or May.
The public ceremony will be followed by a reception, also at the Curtis Community Center.
ISU Extension and Outreach Survey Shows Decline in Custom Rates
An overall decrease of 5.6 percent for custom work can be expected in 2018, according to results of a survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The 2018 Custom Rate Survey, which is available in the March issue of Ag Decision Maker or through the ISU Extension Store, was conducted by Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist at Iowa State.
“Even with an increase in the price of diesel fuel assumed, the majority of operations reported a rate decline,” Plastina said. “This is in response to tight margins continuing for farm operations across the state.”
While the cost of labor rose by 4.6 percent from a year ago, all other categories saw declines. The cost for harvesting and hauling grain dropped 9.4 percent while preharvest operations, harvesting forages and bin and machinery rental fell by more than 4 percent.
The survey received input from 124 farmers, custom operators and farm managers to determine estimated pricing for custom work. Custom rates are provided for tillage, planting, drilling, seeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, drying and hauling grain, harvesting forages, complete custom farming, labor, and bin and machine rental.
“We appreciate the respondents to the survey, as the information available in the Custom Rate Survey is only possible due to their responses provided each year,” said Plastina.
The reported rates are expected to be charged or paid in 2018, including fuel and labor. The average price for diesel fuel was assumed to be $2.95 per gallon. The values presented in the survey are intended only as a guide.
There are many reasons that the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness with which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted, and the condition of the crop for harvesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area will also affect rates. Any custom rate should cover the cost of operating the farm machinery (fuel, repairs, depreciation, interest) as well as the operator’s labor.
The Ag Decision Maker website offers a Decision Tool (download Excel file at www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/xls/a3-29machcostcalc.xlsx) to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machinery operations.
Dealing with Herbicide-Resistant Weeds Addressed in Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll
The Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program was released in 2017, outlining a number of activities that will be pursued to help Iowa’s farmers and other agricultural stakeholders increase their awareness of and capacity to address pesticide resistance.
The 2017 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll surveyed farmers to learn about their perspectives on the potential effectiveness of several hypothetical approaches to addressing herbicide-resistant weeds. The poll presented nine different resistance management approaches and asked farmers to rate their likelihood of success on a 5-point scale from very unlikely to very likely.
The two highest rated options were “quick fix” approaches using new technology. “Private company discovery and development of new herbicides” and “private company discovery and development of new herbicide-tolerant crops” received 69 and 68 percent likely or very likely responses, respectively. “Land grant university discovery and development of new weed management strategies” was close behind with 62 percent likely or very likely responses.
“Farmers would love to have new products and technology that they could easily add to their weed management strategies,” said J. Arbuckle, associate professor and extension sociologist at Iowa State University. “Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be major new herbicide products in the pipeline.”
A second set of items focused on financial incentives and mandates as potential approaches to address herbicide resistance. Farmers rated these as the least likely way to reduce the spread of herbicide resistant weeds. Only about a third (36 percent) of respondents thought financial incentives provided by private companies would be likely or very likely to work, while 34 percent said they were unlikely to work (31 percent selected “neither likely nor unlikely”). Similarly, just 35 percent rated financial incentives through the government as likely to be effective, and 35 percent rated them as unlikely to work. Government-mandated weed best management practices requirements were seen as unlikely to work by nearly half (46 percent) of farmers, while only 20 percent thought they would be effective.
“That most farmers didn’t think financial incentives to support weed best management practice adoption would be effective was surprising, because cost-share is a familiar way to help farmers with soil and water conservation practices,” said Arbuckle.
A series of cooperative approaches were also presented, proposing partnership scenarios among farmers and between farmers and key agricultural stakeholders to manage herbicide resistance. The cooperative scenario that farmers thought would have the best chance of success was the broadest coalition: “local farmers, agricultural input supplier representatives, Iowa State University research and extension staff, state agency staff, and commodity group staff working together to improve adoption of weed Best Management Practices.” This approach was thought to be likely or very likely to succeed by 64 percent of respondents. Local farmers and agricultural input supplier representatives working together was seen by 61 percent as likely or very likely to succeed. Local farmers working together earned just 39 percent likely or very likely, while 31 percent thought it was unlikely or very unlikely.
“The finding that two-thirds of farmers rated the most complex cooperative resistance management scenario as likely to succeed is important,” Arbuckle said. “Cooperation between farmers and other agricultural stakeholders is a cornerstone of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program, and these results suggest that most farmers think such approaches are potentially effective.”
The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll has been in existence since 1982, surveying Iowa farmers on issues of importance to agricultural stakeholders. It is the longest-running survey of its kind in the nation.
USDA Rejects Mercy for Animals Humane Bird Slaughter Request
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has rejected a petition from an animal rights group that sought more humane treatment for turkeys and chickens sent to slaughter.
California-based Mercy For Animals filed a petition in November asking the USDA to include poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, a 1958 law that makes it a crime to abuse or neglect pigs and cows during slaughter. The head of the USDA's Office of Food Safety said in denying the petition that other regulations ensure humane poultry treatment.
Mercy for Animals says it has proof chickens are abused or scalded to death in tanks of hot water and sometimes have legs and wings cut off while still conscious. The group's attorney said Friday legal options to overturning the decision are under consideration.
HOUSE COMMITTEE LOOKS TO ADVANCE ADUFA REAUTHORIZATION
NPPC Newsletter
The House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee met this week to discuss reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (AGDUFA). 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 approval and market introduction programs. Senate and House bipartisan draft reauthorization legislation includes a requirement that all requests for new animal drugs be submitted electronically beginning Oct. 1. Dr. Steven Solomon, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, testified before the subcommittee and affirmed the agency’s objective to work with Congress to advance the legislation. The National Pork Porducers 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.
Walmart Files Six Patents for AgTech Projects
Not to be outdone by Amazon, Walmart has rolled out a series of updates to its grocery business recently, including a partnership between its Sam's Club wing and Instacart, the acquisition of Parcel, and the recent announcement of its Eden technology, which could help save the giant retailer $2 billion in food waste costs over the next half-decade.
But as a new research brief from CB Insights points out, all these endeavors could benefit from Walmart's getting involved in the other end of its grocery store supply chain-that is, farming the crops that eventually wind up on its store shelves.
To that end, the retailer giant recently applied for a series of six patents aimed at farm automation.
These include an application that uses machine vision for identifying pests and monitoring crop damage, drones that shoot targeted sprays of pesticides instead of the usual cloud, and the "robot bee" patent, which would carry pollen from plant to plant. There's also potential for drones to act as the next generation of "scarecrows or shiny devices" to scare away hungry birds, according to the patent.
We Support Agriculture (WSA), a coalition of livestock stakeholders, has received numerous reports of livestock and agricultural haulers being pulled over, despite the recent additional 90-day Electronic Logging Device (ELD) wavier issued earlier this week and is asking for more flexibility from enforcement agencies.
“Despite promises from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of a ‘soft enforcement,’ it is clear haulers in Nebraska should exercise caution,” WSA Executive Director Kristen Hassebrook said. “We have asked for all interested parties to be brought together to work through these issues.”
The compliance date for drivers hauling agricultural products using ELDs, including livestock, was extended to June 18, 2018. However, livestock and other ag haulers operating under this exemption, will need to keep a copy of the federal register notice in their trucks at all times as required by the federal waiver regulation. To complicate matters, the federal register has not been updated to reflect the newest wavier, but a copy of the current register extending the compliance date to March 18, 2018 can be found here.... https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-12-20/pdf/2017-27311.pdf.
“While the extension of the ELD exemption will provide time to examine this regulation and work with FMCSA to address our concerns, the livestock and ag hauling community should keep in mind there are still requirements related to ELDs, and agriculture is absolutely still subject to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, an area where additional flexibility and common sense is needed,” Hassebrook said.
ELDs are a mechanism to ensure compliance with the underlying HOS rules, but for now, written logs are acceptable if the driver also has a copy of the federal register notice. WSA has received notice that drivers hauling livestock and other commodities in Nebraska have been asked to provide copies of the federal register, a requirement that was included when both waivers were issued.
“The livestock industry takes animal health and welfare, as well as food safety, very seriously. All of this highlights the need for increased flexibility in ELD and HOS rules to account for the uniqueness of hauling livestock and other agricultural commodities,” Hassebrook stressed.
Nebraska Corn Board Vacancies
Notice is hereby given that the terms for three members of the Nebraska Corn Development, Utilization and Marketing Board will expire June 30, 2018. The members represent Districts 6, 7 and 8.
District #6:
Includes the counties of Hayes, Frontier, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Hitchcock, Red Willow, Furnas and Harlan (Note: Dennis Gengenbach, the current District 6 director, has indicated he will not pursue re-appointment.)
District #7:
Includes the counties of Boyd, Holt, Antelope, Garfield, Wheeler, Boone, Platte, Valley, Greeley and Nance. (Note: David Merrell, the current District 7 director, has indicated he will pursue re-appointment.)
District #8:
Includes the counties of Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Sheridan, Scotts Bluff, Banner, Kimball, Morrill, Cheyenne, Garden, Deuel, Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, Blaine, Loup, Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Custer, Keith, Lincoln, Perkins, Chase, and Dundy. (Note: Jon Holzfaster, the current District 8 director, has indicated that he will pursue re-election.)
Appointments to the board for Districts 6, 7 and 8 are made by the Governor. Any candidate for appointment may place his or her name on the candidacy list by filing a petition with the Nebraska Corn Board. Qualified candidates include those individuals who are citizens of Nebraska, are at least 21 years old, have been actively engaged in growing corn in Nebraska for a period of five years and derive a substantial portion of their income from growing corn. Board members who currently represent these districts are also eligible to re-petition.
Petitions may be obtained by writing the Nebraska Corn Board (P.O. Box 95107, Lincoln, NE 68509-5107), by calling 800-632-6761 or emailing susan.zabel@nebraska.gov. A candidacy petition must carry the signatures of at least 50 corn producers from that district. All petitions must be received by the Nebraska Corn Board no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 18, 2018. Faxed copies do not qualify.
Deadline Approaches to File Candidacy Petitions for Nebraska Soybean Board July Election
This year, the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) will be seeking three soybean farmers to serve on the Board of Directors and to represent fellow soybean farmers and the industry.
How does the Election work?
The election is conducted by mail-in ballot in July. Soybean farmers who reside in counties that are up for election in 2018 will receive ballots and candidate information regarding NSB’s election process via direct mail.
What are the 2018 Election Districts and Counties?
District 1: Counties of Antelope, Boyd, Cedar, Holt, Knox, Pierce and Madison.
District 3: Counties of Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington.
District 6: Counties of Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline, Seward and Thayer.
Who Can Be a Candidate for the NSB Seat on the Board?
· Be a resident of Nebraska
· Be a resident of the district in which the election is being held
· Be a soybean farmer in Nebraska for at least the previous five years
· Be 21 years of age or older
· Have submitted a NSB candidacy petition
Candidacy Must:
· Obtain a NSB Candidacy Petition by contacting NSB’s Executive Director, Victor Bohuslavsky, at (402) 432-5720
· Complete the petition and collect the signatures of 50 soybean farmers in their district
· Return such petition to the NSB office on or before April 15, 2018
Roles and Responsibilities of Soybean Board Member Representative:
· Attend every NSB Meeting – 8 day fiscal year commitment
· Attend/participate in other educational events sponsored by the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff
· Receive no salary but are reimbursed for expenses incurred while carrying out board business
· Serve a three-year term that would begin October 1, 2018
Candidacy Must:
As an elected representative from NSB, you will help guide the Nebraska soybean industry in the areas of research, education, domestic and foreign markets, including new uses for soybeans and soybean products.
If you have any questions regarding the election process, please contact NSB’s Executive Director, Victor Bohuslavsky, at (402) 432-5720. For more information about the Nebraska soybean checkoff, visit www.nebraskasoybeans.org.
CHECKING ALFALFA FOR WINTER INJURY
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist
Alfalfa will soon green up and start to grow in many areas. At least those plants that survived the winter.
Alfalfa usually comes through the winter in pretty good shape in our area, so rarely do I worry much about it. And I hope we will avoid serious losses this year.
But this has been an unusual winter. The lack of snow cover earlier this winter when we experienced sub-zero temperatures could have permitted cold injury. Or more likely, it enabled dry winter winds to dry out and kill some exposed plants, especially in areas that were dry last fall. In addition, more fields than usual were cut during alfalfa’s winterizing period last fall, increasing their risk of winter injury.
Evaluate your own stands early this spring. Older, dryland fields that have fewer than 30 new shoots per square foot coming from 2 or 3 plants may need to be planted soon to a different crop and new fields planted to alfalfa. Very productive sites, such as irrigated and sub-irrigated fields, should have at least 40 shoots per square foot from 4 to 6 plants. Anything less is a strong candidate for rotation. We tend to lose about one tenth of a ton in yield potential for every shoot below these recommended numbers.
Check for these densities in several areas of your fields when the early shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall. Since some shoots begin growing later than others, stands with enough plants but slightly low shoot density may be alright, especially if shoot height and distribution is fairly uniform. But, if plant density is low, or shoot growth is not uniform, yields probably will be lowered.
Check your alfalfa stands soon after growth begins. Then you will still have time to make any needed changes in your cropping plans.
Senator Hughes to address NCTA graduates
A Nebraska agricultural producer, businessman and state senator will deliver the commencement address for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis on May 3.
State Senator Dan Hughes of Venango will speak to NCTA graduates and guests at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony at the Curtis Memorial Community Center, announced Ron Rosati, NCTA dean.
“Senator Hughes is well respected across Nebraska and the nation as a state leader and wheat grower in Perkins and Chase Counties,” Rosati said.
Hughes and wife, Josie, have farmed southwest of Grant for 41 years. He has been active in agricultural leadership with Nebraska Wheat Growers Association, Nebraska Ethanol Board, Nebraska Wheat Board, and was board chair of U.S. Wheat Associates in 2012 and 2013.
He has represented District 44 for four years in the Nebraska Legislature, chairs the Natural Resources Committee and serves on the Executive Board.
“Our NCTA Dean’s Council is honored to host Dan and Josie Hughes at the 2018 graduation events,” Rosati said. “We appreciate his frequent visits to campus and the interaction he has with our agricultural and veterinary technology students.”
The statewide, two-year college, which is part of the University of Nebraska system, will confer about 90 degrees or certificates to graduates who completed programs in December or May.
The public ceremony will be followed by a reception, also at the Curtis Community Center.
ISU Extension and Outreach Survey Shows Decline in Custom Rates
An overall decrease of 5.6 percent for custom work can be expected in 2018, according to results of a survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The 2018 Custom Rate Survey, which is available in the March issue of Ag Decision Maker or through the ISU Extension Store, was conducted by Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist at Iowa State.
“Even with an increase in the price of diesel fuel assumed, the majority of operations reported a rate decline,” Plastina said. “This is in response to tight margins continuing for farm operations across the state.”
While the cost of labor rose by 4.6 percent from a year ago, all other categories saw declines. The cost for harvesting and hauling grain dropped 9.4 percent while preharvest operations, harvesting forages and bin and machinery rental fell by more than 4 percent.
The survey received input from 124 farmers, custom operators and farm managers to determine estimated pricing for custom work. Custom rates are provided for tillage, planting, drilling, seeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, drying and hauling grain, harvesting forages, complete custom farming, labor, and bin and machine rental.
“We appreciate the respondents to the survey, as the information available in the Custom Rate Survey is only possible due to their responses provided each year,” said Plastina.
The reported rates are expected to be charged or paid in 2018, including fuel and labor. The average price for diesel fuel was assumed to be $2.95 per gallon. The values presented in the survey are intended only as a guide.
There are many reasons that the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness with which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted, and the condition of the crop for harvesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area will also affect rates. Any custom rate should cover the cost of operating the farm machinery (fuel, repairs, depreciation, interest) as well as the operator’s labor.
The Ag Decision Maker website offers a Decision Tool (download Excel file at www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/xls/a3-29machcostcalc.xlsx) to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machinery operations.
Dealing with Herbicide-Resistant Weeds Addressed in Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll
The Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program was released in 2017, outlining a number of activities that will be pursued to help Iowa’s farmers and other agricultural stakeholders increase their awareness of and capacity to address pesticide resistance.
The 2017 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll surveyed farmers to learn about their perspectives on the potential effectiveness of several hypothetical approaches to addressing herbicide-resistant weeds. The poll presented nine different resistance management approaches and asked farmers to rate their likelihood of success on a 5-point scale from very unlikely to very likely.
The two highest rated options were “quick fix” approaches using new technology. “Private company discovery and development of new herbicides” and “private company discovery and development of new herbicide-tolerant crops” received 69 and 68 percent likely or very likely responses, respectively. “Land grant university discovery and development of new weed management strategies” was close behind with 62 percent likely or very likely responses.
“Farmers would love to have new products and technology that they could easily add to their weed management strategies,” said J. Arbuckle, associate professor and extension sociologist at Iowa State University. “Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be major new herbicide products in the pipeline.”
A second set of items focused on financial incentives and mandates as potential approaches to address herbicide resistance. Farmers rated these as the least likely way to reduce the spread of herbicide resistant weeds. Only about a third (36 percent) of respondents thought financial incentives provided by private companies would be likely or very likely to work, while 34 percent said they were unlikely to work (31 percent selected “neither likely nor unlikely”). Similarly, just 35 percent rated financial incentives through the government as likely to be effective, and 35 percent rated them as unlikely to work. Government-mandated weed best management practices requirements were seen as unlikely to work by nearly half (46 percent) of farmers, while only 20 percent thought they would be effective.
“That most farmers didn’t think financial incentives to support weed best management practice adoption would be effective was surprising, because cost-share is a familiar way to help farmers with soil and water conservation practices,” said Arbuckle.
A series of cooperative approaches were also presented, proposing partnership scenarios among farmers and between farmers and key agricultural stakeholders to manage herbicide resistance. The cooperative scenario that farmers thought would have the best chance of success was the broadest coalition: “local farmers, agricultural input supplier representatives, Iowa State University research and extension staff, state agency staff, and commodity group staff working together to improve adoption of weed Best Management Practices.” This approach was thought to be likely or very likely to succeed by 64 percent of respondents. Local farmers and agricultural input supplier representatives working together was seen by 61 percent as likely or very likely to succeed. Local farmers working together earned just 39 percent likely or very likely, while 31 percent thought it was unlikely or very unlikely.
“The finding that two-thirds of farmers rated the most complex cooperative resistance management scenario as likely to succeed is important,” Arbuckle said. “Cooperation between farmers and other agricultural stakeholders is a cornerstone of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program, and these results suggest that most farmers think such approaches are potentially effective.”
The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll has been in existence since 1982, surveying Iowa farmers on issues of importance to agricultural stakeholders. It is the longest-running survey of its kind in the nation.
USDA Rejects Mercy for Animals Humane Bird Slaughter Request
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has rejected a petition from an animal rights group that sought more humane treatment for turkeys and chickens sent to slaughter.
California-based Mercy For Animals filed a petition in November asking the USDA to include poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, a 1958 law that makes it a crime to abuse or neglect pigs and cows during slaughter. The head of the USDA's Office of Food Safety said in denying the petition that other regulations ensure humane poultry treatment.
Mercy for Animals says it has proof chickens are abused or scalded to death in tanks of hot water and sometimes have legs and wings cut off while still conscious. The group's attorney said Friday legal options to overturning the decision are under consideration.
HOUSE COMMITTEE LOOKS TO ADVANCE ADUFA REAUTHORIZATION
NPPC Newsletter
The House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee met this week to discuss reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (AGDUFA). 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 approval and market introduction programs. Senate and House bipartisan draft reauthorization legislation includes a requirement that all requests for new animal drugs be submitted electronically beginning Oct. 1. Dr. Steven Solomon, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, testified before the subcommittee and affirmed the agency’s objective to work with Congress to advance the legislation. The National Pork Porducers 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.
Walmart Files Six Patents for AgTech Projects
Not to be outdone by Amazon, Walmart has rolled out a series of updates to its grocery business recently, including a partnership between its Sam's Club wing and Instacart, the acquisition of Parcel, and the recent announcement of its Eden technology, which could help save the giant retailer $2 billion in food waste costs over the next half-decade.
But as a new research brief from CB Insights points out, all these endeavors could benefit from Walmart's getting involved in the other end of its grocery store supply chain-that is, farming the crops that eventually wind up on its store shelves.
To that end, the retailer giant recently applied for a series of six patents aimed at farm automation.
These include an application that uses machine vision for identifying pests and monitoring crop damage, drones that shoot targeted sprays of pesticides instead of the usual cloud, and the "robot bee" patent, which would carry pollen from plant to plant. There's also potential for drones to act as the next generation of "scarecrows or shiny devices" to scare away hungry birds, according to the patent.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Thursday March 15 Ag News
NEBRASKA AG LAND VALUES DECLINE FOR FOURTH-STRAIGHT YEAR
The average for Nebraska agricultural land values has declined by 3 percent over the last year, according to preliminary findings from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Farm Real Estate Market Survey. This marks the fourth-consecutive year of decline. Market values have dropped 17 percent since reaching a high of $3,315 in 2014.
The statewide all-land average value for the year ending Feb. 1 averaged $2,745 per acre. Average farmland values for the eight districts and the percentage decrease from 2017 were: northwest, $720 (5 percent); north, $1,095 (6 percent); northeast, $5,420 (2 percent); central, $3,280 (3 percent); east, $6,260 (2 percent); southwest, $1,700 (3 percent); south, $3,775 (3 percent); and southeast, $4,810 (1 percent).
Survey participants pointed to low commodity prices over the prior year and current property tax policies as the reason for declining farm real estate values.
Tillable grazing land values declined by 6 percent, the largest percentage decline of the seven land classes. Sharp drops in the northeast (11 percent) and central (10 percent) districts contributed to the overall reduction in tillable grazing land values. Hayland in the central and southwest districts also experienced 10 percent declines in value.
Values for dryland and irrigated cropland across Nebraska declined 1 to 7 percent. Several districts exist where regional land values increased 2 to 6 percent, but these instances were small, indicating a fairly unchanged land market for this region.
Future prospects for cropland in Nebraska remain interlaced with the earning potential for the major commodities grown across the state, input expenses and monetary policies influencing the cost of borrowing for future land purchases. Regulation policies guiding the use of water for irrigation were also noted as a potential driver for the changes in the future value of irrigated cropland in certain areas of the state, according to survey participants.
Land classes serving the cow-calf industry, including grazing land and hayland, experienced a wide range in declines between 1 and 10 percent across the state. According to survey participants, demand for beef and availability of forages during periods of drought were two of the major drivers for the future value of these land classes.
Recent increases in exports of beef from Nebraska to China remain critical for the value of cattle raised in the state.
Irrigated cropland rental rates on average declined between 2 and 5 percent across Nebraska with a small increase noted in the north district. Survey participants indicated that property taxes are one of the landowners' most critical concerns during rental negotiations. Landlords face the prospects of low returns on their land after accounting for property taxes, while tenants face tight cash flows with current commodity prices, input expenses and rental payments.
Annual maintenance of fence, weed control, removal of unwanted brush or cedar trees, and watering systems for livestock also factor into the rental rates paid across Nebraska for grazing land.
The preliminary report can be found at http://agecon.unl.edu/cornhuskereconomics.
Land values and rental rates presented in the report are averages of survey participants' responses by district. Actual land values and rental rates may vary depending upon the quality of the parcel and local market for an area. Preliminary land values and rental rates are subject to change as additional surveys are returned. Final results from the survey will be published in early June 2018 and will be available at http://agecon.unl.edu/realestate.
Smith Supports Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) spoke in favor of the biodiesel tax credit for domestic fuel production Wednesday in a Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee hearing on expired tax extenders. Cal Meyer, Group Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Ag Processing Inc. of Omaha, testified in the hearing.
“We need to diversify our country’s energy supply, and tax incentives play a significant role in bolstering domestic biodiesel production and consumption,” Smith said. “Biodiesel also adds value to U.S. agriculture, especially soybeans. Through innovation and technological advancements, the efficiency of biodiesel production has increased from 25 million gallons in 2004 to 2.9 billion gallons today.
“Producers need certainty to make decisions going forward. I appreciate Mr. Meyer coming to Washington, D.C., to share his expertise with the committee and stress the importance of this issue to both the future of agriculture and our country’s energy independence.”
Smith is a strong supporter of biofuels and has cosponsored legislation to renew the biodiesel tax credit and transition it to the producer level.
UNL Feedlot Webinar March 28
Nebraska Extension is offering a new way to get information on timely beef topics in a series of hosted webinars. The webinars will be on select Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST, and will feature discussions from participants to determine educational needs on new topics, presentations by experts, and updates on current activities. The educational presentations will be recorded and posted at beef.unl.edu for later viewing. The upcoming feedlot webinar is on Heat Stress Preparedness by Terry Mader from 12:30-1:30 P.M. CST, Wednesday, March 28.
You can connect and find more details at: https://events.unl.edu/beef/2018/03/28/128528/.
UNL Bull Sale, April 14
Each year UNL has a bull sale conducted by the UNL Beef Cattle Merchandising Class. It is an unique learning environment for students and has commercial bulls that will work for you. The event takes place at the Animal Sciences Complex in the arena on East Campus in Lincoln with bulls penned in the morning and a complimentary lunch served before the sale commences at 1:00 p.m.
For more details, contact Dr. Matt Spangler, UNL, Animal Geneticist, 402-472-6489.
ACE applauds governor letter to reject proposals to reduce RFS levels
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) applauds the letter Midwest governors sent to President Trump today thanking him for his continued support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and urging the President to reject proposals designed to weaken – or waive – this key pillar of the farm economy, including Senator Ted Cruz’s waiver credit proposal, or “RIN cap.” ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement applauding the governor’s for encouraging President Trump to reject any RIN cap or waiver credit proposal to reduce RFS levels:
“We appreciate the leadership these governors are showing in support of keeping the RFS on track. We hope the administration and Congress will listen to their advice and not take any steps to undermine an already shaky farm economy.”
The letter is signed by six governors, including Kim Reynolds (IA), Pete Rickets (NB), Eric Holcomb (IN), Jeff Colyer (KS), Eric Greitens (MO), and Dennis Daugaard (SD).
Nebraska Farmers See Soybean Export Process First-Hand
Nebraska soybean growers traveled to the Pacific Northwest last week to see how their product is exported worldwide.
The trip was part of the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) See For Yourself program that’s designed to give farmers a hands-on opportunity to learn about their checkoff.
The farmers visited the AGP terminal at Grays Harbor, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Pike Place Market and the Tacoma Export Marketing Company (TEMCO) grain terminal.
Dave Utrecht, a soybean producer from Hastings, Neb. and a first-time See For Yourself attendee, was awestruck by the size of the TEMCO terminal.
“It just boggles the mind how much grain can move in such a short period of time,” Utrecht said. “There’s a soybean processing plant in Hastings, and within 35 days that soy meal can travel across the world to China.”
Dale Blum of Hildreth, Neb. said the trip opened his eyes to the impact Nebraska soybeans have worldwide.
“It kind of amazes me how everything has to work in conjunction to keep rails going, to keep ships loaded, to keep enough soy product to fill the ships,” Blum said. “I’ve always said we all have to work in this together, and after going on this trip I realized how big the whole system is.”
Ron Stech from Osmond, Neb. agreed.
“There’s all we do on our end, producing the crop, a whole host of things that need to happen after to get it loaded onto the ship. Any little hiccup along the way can affect everything that’s going on,” Stech said. “It really hit home when we were at the terminal and they advised us that the very next train unit that was coming in was less than 12 hours away and it was coming in from Nebraska.”
Blum said he hoped Nebraska producers could continue to grow their exports.
“After talking to some of the people who are handling and selling the soybean, I learned they know we consistently produce a pretty good product out here,” Blum said. “I think the overseas market realizes that and they rely on us a little bit more because of that. It makes me feel good that I can keep producing and it has a place to go.”
Stech said he would recommend the See For Yourself trips to any producer who wanted to learn more about how their product affects the global economy.
“When we get too comfortable in our own little surroundings we tend to forget the big picture and how much is going on out there, and when you do something like this, it really opens your eyes to what our products are part of,” Stech said. “We affect a lot of people in the world.”
Iowa soybean leaders travel to China to reaffirm commitment to ag trade
Maintaining strong agricultural trade relations with China is a priority for the Iowa Soybean Association and the purpose of a delegation’s visit to the country of 1.4 billion March 16-25.
Led by ISA President Bill Shipley of Nodaway and President-elect Lindsay Greiner of Keota, the delegation will meet with U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad at the U.S. Embassy in China and key Chinese officials representing soybean processors and feed companies.
“China consumes 60 percent of global soybean production and Iowa farmers are a key supplier,” Shipley said. “With U.S. commodity prices sliding and other countries ramping up production, this is precisely the wrong time for the U.S. to retreat as a trusted source of high-quality soybeans.”
While preparations for the visit began last year, the timing of this month’s discussions is opportune.
Farmers are increasingly concerned about trade disruptions between the United States and China caused by steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The White House is also said to be considering tariffs on imports of Chinese technology and telecommunications resulting from a “Section 301” intellectual property investigation.
Last year, Iowa’s nearly 42,000 soybean farmers produced 562 million bushels of the oilseed. The crop is valued at more than $5 billion. Nearly one of every four rows of soybeans grown in Iowa is destined for China. Nationally, U.S. soybean exports to China totaled 1.3 billion bushels in 2017 valued at $12.4 billion.
“China, which wasn’t even in the market for soybeans 16 years ago, is now our largest customer, purchasing more soybeans than all others combined,” Shipley added. “Iowa soybean farmers, with the support of their association and investment of the soybean checkoff, have developed strong relationships with Chinese soybean buyers, industry representatives and the Chinese government.
“We’re committed to maintaining these relationships while navigating these unsettled times,” he added. “Our time in China will offer the opportunity to share this important message personally.”
Imposing tariffs may help U.S. steel workers and steel industry, but the potential damage to the overall economy might be greater, said ISA Chief Executive Officer Kirk Leeds, a delegation participant.
“Unfortunately, given the importance of exports to U.S. farmers and the overall farm economy, agriculture trade is often the first casualty in any trade war or retaliation,” he said.
The ISA continues to work with Iowa’s Congressional delegation in communicating concerns about the way tariffs are being proposed and their potential impact on soybean farmers and U.S. agriculture.
“It’s clear underlying challenges remain in overall trade relations between China and the U.S., and for that matter between trading partners around the world,” Leeds added. “The best strategy for maintaining strong trade relations between China and the U.S. is to make sure that both sides continue to fully engage in conversation, negotiations and open dialogue. That’s what we’ll do during our time in China.”
Shipley said Iowa farmers are optimistic that U.S. and Chinese government officials will expand, not restrict, trade.
“We excel in producing high-quality grain and meat, important staples for a Chinese population that is increasing and becoming more affluent,” he added. “The best option is to keep trade flowing.”
IFBF Young Farmer Gate to Plate Tour to Highlight Diversity
The 2018 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Gate to Plate Tour will give Farm Bureau members, ages 18 to 35, an opportunity to tour diverse farms on June 29 and 30 in Wisconsin, the land of cheese and a few other surprising types of agriculture.
"The ag economy is proving more challenging than ever for young farmers getting started in agriculture. The Gate to Plate Tour is designed to get participants thinking about how we can innovate on the farm by observing the ways farm families in rural Wisconsin have added value to the commodities they produce," said Laura Cunningham, IFBF's Young Farmer Advisory Committee chair. "I hope others will join me to see some unique farms, taste test the products produced on each farm and meet new young farmers from around the state."
The first day will take these young farmers to Perlick Distillery, where five generations of the Perlick family have been farming since 1920. They grow corn, wheat, rye, flex, soybeans and sunflowers. In May of 2016, the family celebrated the one-year anniversary of a new endeavor--a distillery where they produce vodka made from the grain grown on their farm.
Just a 15-minute drive south of the Perlick Distillery is the tour's second destination. Northstar Bison is owned by the Graese family who claim the title for being the largest distributors of grass-fed bison meat in the United States. The family started this operation with two young bison and grew into a vertically-integrated enterprise with 600 bison being raised in northwest Wisconsin and east central Minnesota. The bison are humanely harvested and processed at a plant owned by NorthStar.
The next day will be all about what Wisconsin is known for--dairy. The 350 cows at Marieke Gouda Dairy are milked three times per day to create cheese that is "handcrafted with passion." Owner Marieke Penterman grew up on a dairy farm in the Netherlands. Her and her husband, Rolf, came to Wisconsin to start their dairy because of the location and farm-friendly people. Their signature cheese was named the 2013 Grand Champion of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest and is made from an authentic Old World Gouda recipe with herbs and spices imported from Holland.
The founders of the final stop, Nelson Cheese Factory, made cheese for more than 100 years. While they no longer make cheese, the shop includes a selection of wines and cheese made locally in Wisconsin and around the world. They feature cheeses like Irish Cheddar, Danish Blue and Fromager d'Affinois and also offer unique local meats from lamb cuts to German style sausages.
The tour is $75 per person which includes overnight accommodations (double occupancy), charter bus fees and group meals. Seats are limited and preference will be given to members who have not participated in a previous IFBF young farmer tour.
For more information or to register by May 25, visit https://goo.gl/eGTWXV.
NGFA commends introduction of bipartisan Senate CRP reform bill
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the Senate designed to reform the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to target enrollment of truly environmentally sensitive acres.
The legislation (S. 2557) was introduced today by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., each of whom serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. The "Give Our Resources the Opportunity to Work" (GROW) Act would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modify the CRP to avoid enrollment of productive farmland that can be cropped in environmentally sustainable ways, as well as generally prohibit the enrollment of whole farms. It also would invest scarce conservation dollars on working lands conservation programs, as long advocated by the NGFA.
"We commend Sens. Ernst, Grassley, Brown and Casey for introducing this bipartisan legislation to guide the development of the conservation title of the Senate's farm bill," said NGFA President Randy Gordon. "We believe it is important that the next farm bill look to the future by providing opportunities for the next generation of American farmers to access land to build economically viable farm enterprises without having to compete against existing artificially high CRP rental rates and other CRP policies that currently create substantial barriers to entry. Reversing this trend is essential to the future lifeblood of rural communities.
"Focusing CRP on environmentally sensitive acres also enhances the sustainability of U.S. agriculture and is essential to enabling the United States to remain competitive in international markets and to capture the increasing global demand for food and fiber," Gordon added.
Among other things, the GROW Act would cap CRP rental rates for acres enrolled under general sign-ups to 80 percent of a county's average cash rental rate. Currently, CRP rental rates often are considerably higher than local farmland cash rental rates, thereby pitting the U.S. government as a competitor against young and beginning farmers trying to enter production agriculture and remain in rural communities.
The NGFA also noted that based upon the most recent data available, more than 25 percent of the 24 million acres now enrolled in the CRP consists of productive farmland. The GROW Act also would retain the current CRP enrollment cap at 24 million acres.
"This bipartisan legislation is a positive step forward in retargeting the CRP away from enrolling large tracts of productive farmland, and provides concepts that warrant serious consideration as development of the next farm bill proceeds," NGFA said.
House Bill Exempts Farms From Reporting Emissions
A bipartisan bill to exempt farmers from reporting to the U.S. Coast Guard emissions from the natural breakdown of manure on their farms yesterday was introduced in the U.S. House. The National Pork Producers Council strongly supports the legislation, which is similar to a bipartisan bill introduced last month in the Senate.
Sponsored by Reps. Billy Long, R-Mo., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., along with 85 cosponsors, the “Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act,” H.R. 5275, would fix a problem created last April when a U.S. Court of Appeals rejected a 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that exempted farmers from reporting routine farm emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
CERCLA, more commonly known as the “Superfund Law,” is used primarily to clean hazardous waste sites but also includes a mandatory federal reporting component.
The appeals court ruling could force more than 100,000 livestock farmers to “guesstimate” and report the emissions from manure on their farms to the Coast Guard’s National Response Center (NRC) and subject them to citizen lawsuits from activist groups such as the Humane Society of the United States.
“America’s pork producers are grateful to Congressmen Long, Costa and their 80 colleagues for introducing legislation to fix this problem,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. “Routine emissions from hog manure do not constitute a ‘hazardous’ emergency that requires the Coast Guard to activate a national cleanup response.
“EPA exempted farms from CERCLA reporting because it knew responses would be unnecessary and impractical. We need to have that exemption reinstated, and NPPC calls on the House and Senate to pass their respective commonsense, bipartisan bills as soon as possible.”
The appeals court’s April decision originally set a Nov. 15, 2017, deadline for as many as 200,000 farms to report emissions. After petitions from EPA – supported by NPPC motions – the court twice delayed that deadline, with the most recent postponement until May 1.
Some farmers tried filing reports Nov. 15, but the Coast Guard’s NRC system was overwhelmed. In some instances, NRC operators refused to accept reports for more than a single farm per call because they didn’t want phone lines tied up, and in one case, an operator sent notices to more than 20 state and federal response authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a state police agency, after receiving a report.
“The pork industry was prepared to comply with the reporting mandate,” Heimerl said, ”but EPA, the Coast Guard and state and local emergency response authorities said they didn’t want or need the information, which could have interfered with their legitimate emergency functions.”
February Soybean Crush Rises to Record
Soybean processors crushed a record amount of oilseed in February, a trade group said, beating pre-report expectations. The National Oilseed Processors Association said that its members crushed 153.7M bushels of soybeans in February, above 142.8M a year earlier and more than average analyst estimates of 148.5M bushels. Strong demand for soybeans to crush has been a bright spot for a market pressured by large supplies. Soybean oil stocks in February rose to 1.856B pounds, up from 1.728B a month earlier and above expectations.
NCBA Hosts Webinar - The 4's of Crossbreeding: Simple, Structured, Successful, and Sustainable
Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 7 p.m. CT
Structured crossbreeding systems have been shown to have substantial impacts on the production efficiency of commercial cow-calf operations. Join the webinar to discuss keys for successful and profitable crossbreeding systems that enhance profit and sustainability. Managed heterosis, simple breeding systems and breed complementarity are the key value drivers you’ll learn about. Megan Rolf, PhD at the Kansas State University and Bob Weaber, PhD at Kansas State University will lead the discussion.
If you missed the last two webinars in this 4-part genetics series which focused on EPDs and Indexes be sure to find the link at WWW.NCBA.ORG.
USDA Announces Regionalization Agreement with South Korea to Help Protect U.S. Trade During HPAI Detections
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an agreement with the government of South Korea that significantly reduces negative impacts on trade should another detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occur in the United States. The agreement will allow for trade restrictions at the state level instead of the country level during any future HPAI detections.
This action bolsters the already strong trade relationship between the United States and South Korea and will prevent a repeat of trade actions taken in 2015 when all U.S. poultry, poultry products and eggs were banned as a result of a detection of HPAI.
“Limiting trade restrictions during future HPAI detections to only those states with positive detections will help keep trade flowing,” said Greg Ibach, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “The new science-based agreement will allow unaffected U.S. producers to keep poultry, poultry products and eggs going to South Korea. This helps us meet Secretary Perdue’s vision of doing right and feeding the world.”
“Trade is critical for the health of American agriculture, and to support vibrant rural economies. Keeping markets open to exports of U.S. poultry is an important part of that story,” said USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. “This success with South Korea, a top ten market already for poultry products, means we will continue to grow exports to a critical market.”
USDA plays a vital role in ensuring the free flow of agricultural trade by certifying that the millions of U.S. agricultural and food products shipped to markets abroad meet the importing countries' entry requirements. USDA also keeps export markets open for American agricultural products by addressing concerns about plant and animal health raised by U.S. trading partners. Under the new agreement, if there is an HPAI detection in the United States, unaffected states would continue to trade with South Korea.
Background:
In 2014, the last full year without any HPAI-related trade restrictions in place, South Korea purchased $122 million in U.S. poultry and products, including eggs, making it the United States’ tenth-largest market. South Korea’s imports from all sources were nearly $426 million in 2017, but only $46 million came from the United States. In August 2017, South Korea lifted its most recent HPAI-related ban on imports of U.S. poultry, poultry products and fresh eggs, imposed in response to an HPAI outbreak in March 2017.
Brazilian U.S. Ethanol Demand Remains High
Last year, the Brazilian Government announced a tariff rate quota for ethanol imports, where imports in excess of 600 million liters are subject to a 20-percent tariff. However, U.S. ethanol has been priced so low that it is still an economical alternative in Brazil.
Currently, ethanol is $1.50 per gallon at the Gulf Coast Ports in the United States, while ethanol in Brazil is $2.32 per gallon.
According to the USDA, demand for ethanol in Brazil is robust because of widespread use of flex-fuel vehicles and a mandate requiring a minimum of a 27-percent ethanol blend in gasoline.
Due to price competitiveness and strong demand, Brazil, the second largest global ethanol producer, is also the largest overseas buyer of U.S. ethanol.
One contributing factor is the internal distribution of ethanol in Brazil.
Ethanol mills are mostly located in the sugar producing areas of southern Brazil.
Because of infrastructure constraints, it is cheaper to ship ethanol by boat from the U.S. to the northern regions of Brazil than by overland transport through Brazil.
The average for Nebraska agricultural land values has declined by 3 percent over the last year, according to preliminary findings from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Farm Real Estate Market Survey. This marks the fourth-consecutive year of decline. Market values have dropped 17 percent since reaching a high of $3,315 in 2014.
The statewide all-land average value for the year ending Feb. 1 averaged $2,745 per acre. Average farmland values for the eight districts and the percentage decrease from 2017 were: northwest, $720 (5 percent); north, $1,095 (6 percent); northeast, $5,420 (2 percent); central, $3,280 (3 percent); east, $6,260 (2 percent); southwest, $1,700 (3 percent); south, $3,775 (3 percent); and southeast, $4,810 (1 percent).
Survey participants pointed to low commodity prices over the prior year and current property tax policies as the reason for declining farm real estate values.
Tillable grazing land values declined by 6 percent, the largest percentage decline of the seven land classes. Sharp drops in the northeast (11 percent) and central (10 percent) districts contributed to the overall reduction in tillable grazing land values. Hayland in the central and southwest districts also experienced 10 percent declines in value.
Values for dryland and irrigated cropland across Nebraska declined 1 to 7 percent. Several districts exist where regional land values increased 2 to 6 percent, but these instances were small, indicating a fairly unchanged land market for this region.
Future prospects for cropland in Nebraska remain interlaced with the earning potential for the major commodities grown across the state, input expenses and monetary policies influencing the cost of borrowing for future land purchases. Regulation policies guiding the use of water for irrigation were also noted as a potential driver for the changes in the future value of irrigated cropland in certain areas of the state, according to survey participants.
Land classes serving the cow-calf industry, including grazing land and hayland, experienced a wide range in declines between 1 and 10 percent across the state. According to survey participants, demand for beef and availability of forages during periods of drought were two of the major drivers for the future value of these land classes.
Recent increases in exports of beef from Nebraska to China remain critical for the value of cattle raised in the state.
Irrigated cropland rental rates on average declined between 2 and 5 percent across Nebraska with a small increase noted in the north district. Survey participants indicated that property taxes are one of the landowners' most critical concerns during rental negotiations. Landlords face the prospects of low returns on their land after accounting for property taxes, while tenants face tight cash flows with current commodity prices, input expenses and rental payments.
Annual maintenance of fence, weed control, removal of unwanted brush or cedar trees, and watering systems for livestock also factor into the rental rates paid across Nebraska for grazing land.
The preliminary report can be found at http://agecon.unl.edu/cornhuskereconomics.
Land values and rental rates presented in the report are averages of survey participants' responses by district. Actual land values and rental rates may vary depending upon the quality of the parcel and local market for an area. Preliminary land values and rental rates are subject to change as additional surveys are returned. Final results from the survey will be published in early June 2018 and will be available at http://agecon.unl.edu/realestate.
Smith Supports Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) spoke in favor of the biodiesel tax credit for domestic fuel production Wednesday in a Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee hearing on expired tax extenders. Cal Meyer, Group Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Ag Processing Inc. of Omaha, testified in the hearing.
“We need to diversify our country’s energy supply, and tax incentives play a significant role in bolstering domestic biodiesel production and consumption,” Smith said. “Biodiesel also adds value to U.S. agriculture, especially soybeans. Through innovation and technological advancements, the efficiency of biodiesel production has increased from 25 million gallons in 2004 to 2.9 billion gallons today.
“Producers need certainty to make decisions going forward. I appreciate Mr. Meyer coming to Washington, D.C., to share his expertise with the committee and stress the importance of this issue to both the future of agriculture and our country’s energy independence.”
Smith is a strong supporter of biofuels and has cosponsored legislation to renew the biodiesel tax credit and transition it to the producer level.
UNL Feedlot Webinar March 28
Nebraska Extension is offering a new way to get information on timely beef topics in a series of hosted webinars. The webinars will be on select Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST, and will feature discussions from participants to determine educational needs on new topics, presentations by experts, and updates on current activities. The educational presentations will be recorded and posted at beef.unl.edu for later viewing. The upcoming feedlot webinar is on Heat Stress Preparedness by Terry Mader from 12:30-1:30 P.M. CST, Wednesday, March 28.
You can connect and find more details at: https://events.unl.edu/beef/2018/03/28/128528/.
UNL Bull Sale, April 14
Each year UNL has a bull sale conducted by the UNL Beef Cattle Merchandising Class. It is an unique learning environment for students and has commercial bulls that will work for you. The event takes place at the Animal Sciences Complex in the arena on East Campus in Lincoln with bulls penned in the morning and a complimentary lunch served before the sale commences at 1:00 p.m.
For more details, contact Dr. Matt Spangler, UNL, Animal Geneticist, 402-472-6489.
ACE applauds governor letter to reject proposals to reduce RFS levels
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) applauds the letter Midwest governors sent to President Trump today thanking him for his continued support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and urging the President to reject proposals designed to weaken – or waive – this key pillar of the farm economy, including Senator Ted Cruz’s waiver credit proposal, or “RIN cap.” ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement applauding the governor’s for encouraging President Trump to reject any RIN cap or waiver credit proposal to reduce RFS levels:
“We appreciate the leadership these governors are showing in support of keeping the RFS on track. We hope the administration and Congress will listen to their advice and not take any steps to undermine an already shaky farm economy.”
The letter is signed by six governors, including Kim Reynolds (IA), Pete Rickets (NB), Eric Holcomb (IN), Jeff Colyer (KS), Eric Greitens (MO), and Dennis Daugaard (SD).
Nebraska Farmers See Soybean Export Process First-Hand
Nebraska soybean growers traveled to the Pacific Northwest last week to see how their product is exported worldwide.
The trip was part of the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) See For Yourself program that’s designed to give farmers a hands-on opportunity to learn about their checkoff.
The farmers visited the AGP terminal at Grays Harbor, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Pike Place Market and the Tacoma Export Marketing Company (TEMCO) grain terminal.
Dave Utrecht, a soybean producer from Hastings, Neb. and a first-time See For Yourself attendee, was awestruck by the size of the TEMCO terminal.
“It just boggles the mind how much grain can move in such a short period of time,” Utrecht said. “There’s a soybean processing plant in Hastings, and within 35 days that soy meal can travel across the world to China.”
Dale Blum of Hildreth, Neb. said the trip opened his eyes to the impact Nebraska soybeans have worldwide.
“It kind of amazes me how everything has to work in conjunction to keep rails going, to keep ships loaded, to keep enough soy product to fill the ships,” Blum said. “I’ve always said we all have to work in this together, and after going on this trip I realized how big the whole system is.”
Ron Stech from Osmond, Neb. agreed.
“There’s all we do on our end, producing the crop, a whole host of things that need to happen after to get it loaded onto the ship. Any little hiccup along the way can affect everything that’s going on,” Stech said. “It really hit home when we were at the terminal and they advised us that the very next train unit that was coming in was less than 12 hours away and it was coming in from Nebraska.”
Blum said he hoped Nebraska producers could continue to grow their exports.
“After talking to some of the people who are handling and selling the soybean, I learned they know we consistently produce a pretty good product out here,” Blum said. “I think the overseas market realizes that and they rely on us a little bit more because of that. It makes me feel good that I can keep producing and it has a place to go.”
Stech said he would recommend the See For Yourself trips to any producer who wanted to learn more about how their product affects the global economy.
“When we get too comfortable in our own little surroundings we tend to forget the big picture and how much is going on out there, and when you do something like this, it really opens your eyes to what our products are part of,” Stech said. “We affect a lot of people in the world.”
Iowa soybean leaders travel to China to reaffirm commitment to ag trade
Maintaining strong agricultural trade relations with China is a priority for the Iowa Soybean Association and the purpose of a delegation’s visit to the country of 1.4 billion March 16-25.
Led by ISA President Bill Shipley of Nodaway and President-elect Lindsay Greiner of Keota, the delegation will meet with U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad at the U.S. Embassy in China and key Chinese officials representing soybean processors and feed companies.
“China consumes 60 percent of global soybean production and Iowa farmers are a key supplier,” Shipley said. “With U.S. commodity prices sliding and other countries ramping up production, this is precisely the wrong time for the U.S. to retreat as a trusted source of high-quality soybeans.”
While preparations for the visit began last year, the timing of this month’s discussions is opportune.
Farmers are increasingly concerned about trade disruptions between the United States and China caused by steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The White House is also said to be considering tariffs on imports of Chinese technology and telecommunications resulting from a “Section 301” intellectual property investigation.
Last year, Iowa’s nearly 42,000 soybean farmers produced 562 million bushels of the oilseed. The crop is valued at more than $5 billion. Nearly one of every four rows of soybeans grown in Iowa is destined for China. Nationally, U.S. soybean exports to China totaled 1.3 billion bushels in 2017 valued at $12.4 billion.
“China, which wasn’t even in the market for soybeans 16 years ago, is now our largest customer, purchasing more soybeans than all others combined,” Shipley added. “Iowa soybean farmers, with the support of their association and investment of the soybean checkoff, have developed strong relationships with Chinese soybean buyers, industry representatives and the Chinese government.
“We’re committed to maintaining these relationships while navigating these unsettled times,” he added. “Our time in China will offer the opportunity to share this important message personally.”
Imposing tariffs may help U.S. steel workers and steel industry, but the potential damage to the overall economy might be greater, said ISA Chief Executive Officer Kirk Leeds, a delegation participant.
“Unfortunately, given the importance of exports to U.S. farmers and the overall farm economy, agriculture trade is often the first casualty in any trade war or retaliation,” he said.
The ISA continues to work with Iowa’s Congressional delegation in communicating concerns about the way tariffs are being proposed and their potential impact on soybean farmers and U.S. agriculture.
“It’s clear underlying challenges remain in overall trade relations between China and the U.S., and for that matter between trading partners around the world,” Leeds added. “The best strategy for maintaining strong trade relations between China and the U.S. is to make sure that both sides continue to fully engage in conversation, negotiations and open dialogue. That’s what we’ll do during our time in China.”
Shipley said Iowa farmers are optimistic that U.S. and Chinese government officials will expand, not restrict, trade.
“We excel in producing high-quality grain and meat, important staples for a Chinese population that is increasing and becoming more affluent,” he added. “The best option is to keep trade flowing.”
IFBF Young Farmer Gate to Plate Tour to Highlight Diversity
The 2018 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Gate to Plate Tour will give Farm Bureau members, ages 18 to 35, an opportunity to tour diverse farms on June 29 and 30 in Wisconsin, the land of cheese and a few other surprising types of agriculture.
"The ag economy is proving more challenging than ever for young farmers getting started in agriculture. The Gate to Plate Tour is designed to get participants thinking about how we can innovate on the farm by observing the ways farm families in rural Wisconsin have added value to the commodities they produce," said Laura Cunningham, IFBF's Young Farmer Advisory Committee chair. "I hope others will join me to see some unique farms, taste test the products produced on each farm and meet new young farmers from around the state."
The first day will take these young farmers to Perlick Distillery, where five generations of the Perlick family have been farming since 1920. They grow corn, wheat, rye, flex, soybeans and sunflowers. In May of 2016, the family celebrated the one-year anniversary of a new endeavor--a distillery where they produce vodka made from the grain grown on their farm.
Just a 15-minute drive south of the Perlick Distillery is the tour's second destination. Northstar Bison is owned by the Graese family who claim the title for being the largest distributors of grass-fed bison meat in the United States. The family started this operation with two young bison and grew into a vertically-integrated enterprise with 600 bison being raised in northwest Wisconsin and east central Minnesota. The bison are humanely harvested and processed at a plant owned by NorthStar.
The next day will be all about what Wisconsin is known for--dairy. The 350 cows at Marieke Gouda Dairy are milked three times per day to create cheese that is "handcrafted with passion." Owner Marieke Penterman grew up on a dairy farm in the Netherlands. Her and her husband, Rolf, came to Wisconsin to start their dairy because of the location and farm-friendly people. Their signature cheese was named the 2013 Grand Champion of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest and is made from an authentic Old World Gouda recipe with herbs and spices imported from Holland.
The founders of the final stop, Nelson Cheese Factory, made cheese for more than 100 years. While they no longer make cheese, the shop includes a selection of wines and cheese made locally in Wisconsin and around the world. They feature cheeses like Irish Cheddar, Danish Blue and Fromager d'Affinois and also offer unique local meats from lamb cuts to German style sausages.
The tour is $75 per person which includes overnight accommodations (double occupancy), charter bus fees and group meals. Seats are limited and preference will be given to members who have not participated in a previous IFBF young farmer tour.
For more information or to register by May 25, visit https://goo.gl/eGTWXV.
NGFA commends introduction of bipartisan Senate CRP reform bill
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the Senate designed to reform the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to target enrollment of truly environmentally sensitive acres.
The legislation (S. 2557) was introduced today by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., each of whom serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. The "Give Our Resources the Opportunity to Work" (GROW) Act would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modify the CRP to avoid enrollment of productive farmland that can be cropped in environmentally sustainable ways, as well as generally prohibit the enrollment of whole farms. It also would invest scarce conservation dollars on working lands conservation programs, as long advocated by the NGFA.
"We commend Sens. Ernst, Grassley, Brown and Casey for introducing this bipartisan legislation to guide the development of the conservation title of the Senate's farm bill," said NGFA President Randy Gordon. "We believe it is important that the next farm bill look to the future by providing opportunities for the next generation of American farmers to access land to build economically viable farm enterprises without having to compete against existing artificially high CRP rental rates and other CRP policies that currently create substantial barriers to entry. Reversing this trend is essential to the future lifeblood of rural communities.
"Focusing CRP on environmentally sensitive acres also enhances the sustainability of U.S. agriculture and is essential to enabling the United States to remain competitive in international markets and to capture the increasing global demand for food and fiber," Gordon added.
Among other things, the GROW Act would cap CRP rental rates for acres enrolled under general sign-ups to 80 percent of a county's average cash rental rate. Currently, CRP rental rates often are considerably higher than local farmland cash rental rates, thereby pitting the U.S. government as a competitor against young and beginning farmers trying to enter production agriculture and remain in rural communities.
The NGFA also noted that based upon the most recent data available, more than 25 percent of the 24 million acres now enrolled in the CRP consists of productive farmland. The GROW Act also would retain the current CRP enrollment cap at 24 million acres.
"This bipartisan legislation is a positive step forward in retargeting the CRP away from enrolling large tracts of productive farmland, and provides concepts that warrant serious consideration as development of the next farm bill proceeds," NGFA said.
House Bill Exempts Farms From Reporting Emissions
A bipartisan bill to exempt farmers from reporting to the U.S. Coast Guard emissions from the natural breakdown of manure on their farms yesterday was introduced in the U.S. House. The National Pork Producers Council strongly supports the legislation, which is similar to a bipartisan bill introduced last month in the Senate.
Sponsored by Reps. Billy Long, R-Mo., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., along with 85 cosponsors, the “Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act,” H.R. 5275, would fix a problem created last April when a U.S. Court of Appeals rejected a 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that exempted farmers from reporting routine farm emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
CERCLA, more commonly known as the “Superfund Law,” is used primarily to clean hazardous waste sites but also includes a mandatory federal reporting component.
The appeals court ruling could force more than 100,000 livestock farmers to “guesstimate” and report the emissions from manure on their farms to the Coast Guard’s National Response Center (NRC) and subject them to citizen lawsuits from activist groups such as the Humane Society of the United States.
“America’s pork producers are grateful to Congressmen Long, Costa and their 80 colleagues for introducing legislation to fix this problem,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. “Routine emissions from hog manure do not constitute a ‘hazardous’ emergency that requires the Coast Guard to activate a national cleanup response.
“EPA exempted farms from CERCLA reporting because it knew responses would be unnecessary and impractical. We need to have that exemption reinstated, and NPPC calls on the House and Senate to pass their respective commonsense, bipartisan bills as soon as possible.”
The appeals court’s April decision originally set a Nov. 15, 2017, deadline for as many as 200,000 farms to report emissions. After petitions from EPA – supported by NPPC motions – the court twice delayed that deadline, with the most recent postponement until May 1.
Some farmers tried filing reports Nov. 15, but the Coast Guard’s NRC system was overwhelmed. In some instances, NRC operators refused to accept reports for more than a single farm per call because they didn’t want phone lines tied up, and in one case, an operator sent notices to more than 20 state and federal response authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a state police agency, after receiving a report.
“The pork industry was prepared to comply with the reporting mandate,” Heimerl said, ”but EPA, the Coast Guard and state and local emergency response authorities said they didn’t want or need the information, which could have interfered with their legitimate emergency functions.”
February Soybean Crush Rises to Record
Soybean processors crushed a record amount of oilseed in February, a trade group said, beating pre-report expectations. The National Oilseed Processors Association said that its members crushed 153.7M bushels of soybeans in February, above 142.8M a year earlier and more than average analyst estimates of 148.5M bushels. Strong demand for soybeans to crush has been a bright spot for a market pressured by large supplies. Soybean oil stocks in February rose to 1.856B pounds, up from 1.728B a month earlier and above expectations.
NCBA Hosts Webinar - The 4's of Crossbreeding: Simple, Structured, Successful, and Sustainable
Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 7 p.m. CT
Structured crossbreeding systems have been shown to have substantial impacts on the production efficiency of commercial cow-calf operations. Join the webinar to discuss keys for successful and profitable crossbreeding systems that enhance profit and sustainability. Managed heterosis, simple breeding systems and breed complementarity are the key value drivers you’ll learn about. Megan Rolf, PhD at the Kansas State University and Bob Weaber, PhD at Kansas State University will lead the discussion.
If you missed the last two webinars in this 4-part genetics series which focused on EPDs and Indexes be sure to find the link at WWW.NCBA.ORG.
USDA Announces Regionalization Agreement with South Korea to Help Protect U.S. Trade During HPAI Detections
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an agreement with the government of South Korea that significantly reduces negative impacts on trade should another detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occur in the United States. The agreement will allow for trade restrictions at the state level instead of the country level during any future HPAI detections.
This action bolsters the already strong trade relationship between the United States and South Korea and will prevent a repeat of trade actions taken in 2015 when all U.S. poultry, poultry products and eggs were banned as a result of a detection of HPAI.
“Limiting trade restrictions during future HPAI detections to only those states with positive detections will help keep trade flowing,” said Greg Ibach, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “The new science-based agreement will allow unaffected U.S. producers to keep poultry, poultry products and eggs going to South Korea. This helps us meet Secretary Perdue’s vision of doing right and feeding the world.”
“Trade is critical for the health of American agriculture, and to support vibrant rural economies. Keeping markets open to exports of U.S. poultry is an important part of that story,” said USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. “This success with South Korea, a top ten market already for poultry products, means we will continue to grow exports to a critical market.”
USDA plays a vital role in ensuring the free flow of agricultural trade by certifying that the millions of U.S. agricultural and food products shipped to markets abroad meet the importing countries' entry requirements. USDA also keeps export markets open for American agricultural products by addressing concerns about plant and animal health raised by U.S. trading partners. Under the new agreement, if there is an HPAI detection in the United States, unaffected states would continue to trade with South Korea.
Background:
In 2014, the last full year without any HPAI-related trade restrictions in place, South Korea purchased $122 million in U.S. poultry and products, including eggs, making it the United States’ tenth-largest market. South Korea’s imports from all sources were nearly $426 million in 2017, but only $46 million came from the United States. In August 2017, South Korea lifted its most recent HPAI-related ban on imports of U.S. poultry, poultry products and fresh eggs, imposed in response to an HPAI outbreak in March 2017.
Brazilian U.S. Ethanol Demand Remains High
Last year, the Brazilian Government announced a tariff rate quota for ethanol imports, where imports in excess of 600 million liters are subject to a 20-percent tariff. However, U.S. ethanol has been priced so low that it is still an economical alternative in Brazil.
Currently, ethanol is $1.50 per gallon at the Gulf Coast Ports in the United States, while ethanol in Brazil is $2.32 per gallon.
According to the USDA, demand for ethanol in Brazil is robust because of widespread use of flex-fuel vehicles and a mandate requiring a minimum of a 27-percent ethanol blend in gasoline.
Due to price competitiveness and strong demand, Brazil, the second largest global ethanol producer, is also the largest overseas buyer of U.S. ethanol.
One contributing factor is the internal distribution of ethanol in Brazil.
Ethanol mills are mostly located in the sugar producing areas of southern Brazil.
Because of infrastructure constraints, it is cheaper to ship ethanol by boat from the U.S. to the northern regions of Brazil than by overland transport through Brazil.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Wednesday March 14 Ag News
NEBRASKA CONTINUES TO SEE MODEST GROUNDWATER DECLINE
Unlike parts of Colorado and Kansas, Nebraska isn't in danger of running out of groundwater from the High Plains Aquifer anytime soon. But the largest source of usable water in the state is still on average below pre-pumping water levels, according to the 2017 Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report.
The recently released annual report examines groundwater level changes, including increases and decreases measured in regional wells in spring 2017. In addition to current levels, it also looks at historical trends, comparing regional water levels over extended periods of time.
The report is available for $7 from the Nebraska Maps and More Store, 3310 Holdrege St., and at http://marketplace.unl.edu/nemaps. Phone orders also are accepted at 402-472-3471, and a PDF of the report can be downloaded at https://go.unl.edu/groundwater.
"The reports coming out of Denver, Colorado, and Garden City, Kansas, are accurate for those regions, but they don't accurately portray conditions in Nebraska," said Aaron Young, survey geologist with the Conservation and Survey Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and lead author of the report.
Nebraska has seen a slight decline in groundwater levels over the five-year period starting in the drought year 2012, with 71 percent of the 5,200 wells recorded showing water levels dropped by about 1.9 feet on average in that time period.
"From 2016 to 2017, groundwater levels in Nebraska haven't really changed," Young said. "Most of Nebraska received near-average precipitation, which reduced the need for supplemental irrigation, leading to little change in average water levels."
About half of the wells in the state saw groundwater levels decline; the other half recorded increases from 2016 to 2017. Increases of 1 to 10 feet were recorded in northeast Nebraska, where above-average precipitation fell. Declines of 1 to 5 feet were recorded in areas along and to the south of the Platte River in south-central Nebraska, in correlation with below-average precipitation and increased irrigation pumping.
Problem areas in Chase, Box Butte, Perkins and Dundy counties in the far-west portion of the state continued to persist, due to irrigation use in regions with limited precipitation. Since about 1950, some of these counties have seen declines of up to 122 feet.
In-depth maps in the report give visual representations of these changes, conveying the information in one-year, five-year, 10-year and since-pre-irrigation (about 1950) increments. The maps are based on information collected by the Conservation and Survey Division, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska Natural Resources Districts and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. The reports and maps have been produced by the Conservation and Survey Division since the 1950s. Groundwater monitoring began in Nebraska in the 1930s.
Other authors of this year's report are Mark Burbach, environmental scientist; Leslie Howard, geographic information science and cartography manager; Michele Waszgis, research technician; Matt Joeckel, state geologist and CSD associate director; and Susan Lackey, research hydrogeologist.
NeFU Spring District Meetings Schedule to date
District 7 Spring Meeting: Barnstormers Family Bar & Grill, 4100 S. 13th St., Norfolk
Thursday, March 15, 2018, 6:00 pm buffet supper on own with meeting to follow.
· District 7 Director’s Report: Martin Kleinschmit
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor or family member.
For more info, call Art Tanderup (402) 278-0042 or (402) 887-1396.
District 2 Spring Meeting: Wolbach Community Center 268 Center St, Wolbach, NE 68882
Monday, March 19, 2018 6:00 pm Potluck Supper with meeting to follow.
· District 2 Director’s Report: Jim Knopik
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member.
For more information, call Jim Knopik (308) 550-0288 cell or Bill Rolf (308) 536-2976 home.
District 5 Spring Meeting: Lippy’s BBQ, 126 2nd St, Malcolm, NE 68402
Tuesday, March 27, 2018. 6:00 pm supper on your own with meeting to follow.
· District 5 Director’s Report: Ben Gotschall
· NFU Convention, state & national issues: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member.
For more information, call Ben Gotschall (402) 705-8679.
District 6 Spring Meeting: Fernando's Restaurant, 1600 Washington Street, Blair, NE
Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6:00 pm supper on your own with meeting to follow.
·District 6 Director’s Report: Graham Christensen
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
· Featured speakers: Candidates Chuck Hassebrook, LD16 & Mena Davis, LD8.
Information about UNMC Free Water Testing Program.
Bring a friend, neighbor or family member.
For more information, call Paul Poppe (402) 380-4508.
Valmont Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
The Board of Directors of Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE: VMI) has declared a quarterly dividend of 37.5 cents per share payable on April 16, 2018 to shareholders of record on March 29, 2018. The dividend indicates an annual rate of $1.50 per share.
Valmont is a global leader, designing and manufacturing engineered products that support global infrastructure development and agricultural productivity. Its products for infrastructure serve highway, transportation, wireless communication, electric transmission, and industrial construction and energy markets. Its irrigation equipment for large scale agriculture improves farm productivity while conserving fresh water resources.
In addition, Valmont provides coatings services that protect against corrosion and improve the service lives of steel and other metal products.
NEBRASKA HONEY PRODUCTION
Honey production in 2017 from Nebraska producers with five or more colonies totaled 2.65 million pounds, up 20 percent from 2016, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
There were 42,000 honey producing colonies in Nebraska during 2017, down 13 percent from 2016. Average yield was 63 pounds per colony, up 17 pounds from 2016. Producer stocks were 423,000 on December 15, 2017, down from 640,000 pounds a year earlier.
Prices for the 2017 crop averaged 199 cents per pound, up from 191 cents in 2016. Prices were based on retail sales by producers and sales to private processors and cooperatives. Total value of honey produced in 2017 was $5.27 million, up 25 percent from 2016.
IOWA HONEY PRODUCTION
Honey production from producers with 5 or more colonies in Iowa totaled 2.03 million pounds in 2017 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service Honey report. This was a 14 percent increase from the 1.78 million pounds produced in 2016. The number of honey producing colonies in the state decreased from 37,000 colonies in 2016 to 35,000 colonies in 2017. This number does not include producers with fewer than 5 colonies or producers who did not harvest honey. Colonies that produced honey in more than one state were counted in each state where they produced honey. Yield per colony in Iowa averaged 58 pounds, up from 48 pounds per colony in 2016. Iowa remains ranked nineteenth nationally in honey production, unchanged from 2016.
On December 15, 2017, producer honey stocks in Iowa, excluding stocks under government loan programs, were 1.04 million pounds, a 39 percent increase from 2016. The state’s 2017 honey crop was valued at $4.51 million, up 22 percent from the previous year’s $3.69 million. The average price per pound for all marketing channels in Iowa was $2.22, up 14 cents from 2016.
United States Honey Production Down 9 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
United States honey production in 2017 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 148 million pounds, down 9 percent from 2016. There were 2.67 million colonies producing honey in 2017, down 4 percent from 2016. Yield per colony averaged 55.3 pounds, down 5 percent from the 58.3 pounds in 2016. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colony may be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested. Producer honey stocks were 30.6 million pounds on December 15, 2017, down 26 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.
Operations with Less than Five Colonies Produced 599 Thousand Pounds of Honey in 2017
United States honey production in 2017 from producers with less than five colonies totaled 599 thousand pounds, down 22 percent from 2016. There were 20 thousand colonies from which honey was harvested in 2017, down 17 percent from 2016. The average yield was 30.0 pounds per colony in 2017, down 6 percent from the previous year.
Honey Prices Up 2 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
United States honey prices decreased during 2017 to 215.6 cents per pound, up 2 percent from 211.9 cents per pound in 2016. United States and State level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through cooperatives, private, and retail channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing channel. Prices for the 2016 crop reflect honey sold in 2016 and 2017. Some 2016 crop honey was sold in 2017, which caused some revisions to the 2016 crop prices.
Price Paid per Queen was 14 Dollars for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
For operations with five or more colonies, the average prices paid in 2017 for honey bee queens, packages, and nucs were $14, $76, and $107 respectively. The average prices paid in 2017 for operations with less than five colonies were $34 per queen, $117 per package, and $138 per nuc. For operations with five or more colonies, pollination income for 2017 was $435 million, up 29 percent from 2016. Other income from honey bees for operations with five or more colonies in 2017 was $163 million, up 10 percent from 2016.
Ibach on Section 199A Tax Code Fix Agreement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach today issued the following statement regarding an agreement among Congressional leaders to address concerns with recent changes to Section 199A of the federal tax code. Some agriculture stakeholders had raised questions about potential market effects on cooperatives and independent grain-related businesses.
Ibach’s statement is as follows:
“The sweeping tax cuts and reform package championed by President Trump and passed by Congress is already working as designed, empowering growth across all economic sectors, including agriculture. An unintended consequence of the new law caused disparate treatment among independent operators and cooperatives in the same industry. Federal tax policy should not be picking winners and losers in the marketplace. We applaud Congress and stakeholders for coming together and agreeing to a solution for the good of all agriculture. At USDA, we will provide whatever information is necessary to support Congress in their efforts to have the proposal included in the Omnibus appropriations bill.”
NCGA Statement to 199A Resolution
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to the Legislation Amending Section 199A:
“We are pleased with the outcome of the recent negotiations to craft a solution for Section 199A of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This agreement is extremely important for addressing the provision’s unintended consequences and restoring certainty to the marketplace for farmers. NCGA has supported coalition efforts to replicate the tax benefits of the original Section 199 within the tax reform bill. We greatly appreciate the work of Senators John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) and John Thune (R-South Dakota) along with the leadership of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to develop this critical legislation. NCGA urges the Congress to adopt the proposed changes with bipartisan support later this month.”
NFU Urges Congress to Reject Elimination of Section 199A
Members of Congress are proposing to undo a newly instated tax break that is meant to level the playing field between agricultural cooperatives and corporations who received a dramatic tax break under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging Congress to instead seek a balance that does not weaken the important tax break for family farmers who sell to cooperatives. NFU members recently passed a special order of business regarding the provision, Section 199A, due to its value in improving the livelihood of farm families and in strengthening rural communities.
NFU President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the proposal:
“Corporations just received one of the largest tax breaks in their history, the addition of 199A was an attempt to level the playing field for cooperative businesses. To repeal parts of this important tax break would be to strike at the single most important benefit family farmers received from tax reform.
“Not only would corporations be better off, but farmers would be disadvantaged by working with their cooperatives. Wage limits contained in this proposal will discriminate against family farms that don’t hire outside workers, especially if they work with small cooperatives who also have a limited wage base. Farmers could alternatively see the 20 percent deduction on taxable income reduced to 11 percent, if they do business with a coop. Under this new proposed language, farmers could sell to a private company and lock in the 20 percent deduction, or they can sell to a coop and receive an 11 percent deduction.
“Farmers Union calls on Congress to reject this draft language as it currently stands. We urge lawmakers to advance bipartisan legislation that removes wage limitations and maintains a farmer gross sales deduction that evens the playing field between corporations and cooperatives.”
US to import a small share meats and dairy in 2018
USDA Economic Research Service
Import data for all of 2017 shows that, consistent with past years, the United States is a relatively small importer of meat and dairy products. USDA import forecasts for 2018 show an extension of this tendency. In 2017, U.S. beef imports were 11.3 percent of total domestic disappearance. In 2018, forecasts for U.S. beef imports leave the ratio nearly unchanged (11.0 percent). The United States imports mostly lean beef from Australia, mainly for final use as hamburger and as an input to processed and prepared food products. For pork, imports accounted for 5.3 percent of disappearance last year. Based on forecasts, that ratio is expected to be somewhat smaller this year—4.8 percent—due largely to increased domestic production. Most imported pork comes from Canada and the EU. Imports from Poland, in particular, have accelerated recently. Compared with beef, pork, and dairy products, lamb is exceptional in that imports typically account for more than half of domestic disappearance. Most U.S. lamb imports originate from Oceania. In 2017, imports made up about 64 percent of disappearance; this year, the ratio is expected to be slightly larger at 64.3 percent. For imported dairy products—most of which come from the EU and New Zealand—imports comprised about 2.9 percent of U.S. disappearance last year, on a milk-fat milk-equivalent basis. The ratio of imports to disappearance based on dairy trade forecasts, is mostly unchanged for 2018, at 2.7 percent.
Cattle/Beef: Beef production was reduced on a slower than expected pace of slaughter in the first quarter and lighter cattle weights anticipated in early 2018. However, second-quarter production was raised. Based on higher to-date cow slaughter data, first-half non-fed beef production is expected to be higher, mitigating some of the decline in the first-quarter reduction and contributing to the increase in the second-quarter forecast. With these partly offsetting factors, the beef production forecast was trimmed slightly to 27.69 billion pounds. Based on the current pace of U.S. beef imports and strong domestic demand for lean beef, imports for 2018 were revised upward.
Poultry: Broiler production and weights were up again in January in line with expectations, while broiler prices were generally steady during February. Table egg production in January contracted about 1 percent, contributing to a lower production forecast. Lower-than-expected production and recent price surges moved price forecasts higher. January turkey production was down on a per day slaughter basis. Production in 2018 is expected to be fractionally lower than 2017 as low wholesale prices pressure producer returns.
Dairy: Due to expectations of stronger growth in milk per cow, the 2018 milk production forecast has been increased to 219.0 billion pounds, 0.3 billion higher than last month’s forecast. With competitive U.S. prices and recent strength in cheese and whey product exports, 2018 export forecasts have been raised to 9.6 billion pounds (+0.1 billion) on a milk-fat milk-equivalent basis and 42.8 billion (+0.3 billion) pounds on a skim-solids milk-equivalent basis. While butter and cheese price forecasts have been raised, the nonfat dry milk price forecast has been lowered. With offsetting changes in dairy product price forecasts, the all-milk price forecast for 2018 is $15.75-$16.35 per hundredweight (cwt), unchanged at the midpoint from last month’s forecast.
Pork/Hogs: Commercial pork production for 2018 is revised upward to 26.9 billion pounds, 5.2 percent above a year ago, due to higher pork carcass dressed weights. Hog prices for the first quarter are expected to average $51-$52 per cwt, almost 4 percent above a year ago, largely on the strength of increased demand for hogs from expanded processing capacity. January pork export data showed solid demand—6.2 percent above a year ago—particularly in Asia.
New Concepts for U.S. Beef and Pork Dishes Highlighted at Foodex Japan
Noting that booming meat demand among Japanese consumers continues to gain momentum, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) seized the opportunity by introducing new and unique U.S. beef and pork dishes at Asia’s largest food trade show. USMEF’s efforts at Foodex Japan, which attracted more than 80,000 visitors over four days (March 6-9), were funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Program, the Pork Checkoff and the Texas Beef Council. USMEF is a contractor to the beef checkoff.
Set up inside the USA Pavilion, USMEF shared information and educated food buyers about the advantage of U.S. beef and pork over the products of competitors – many of whom also participated in Foodex.
“Japan is one of the largest importers of food in the world and they also pay some of the highest premiums,” explained Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant vice president for international marketing and programs. “That’s why Foodex is such an important trade show. Exporters from Canada, Mexico, China, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America were there to try to capture a greater the share of the market.”
USMEF’s booth included a dedicated area where U.S. red meat exporters could meet one-on-one with buyers, and a special kitchen area allowed USMEF chefs to prepare U.S. beef and pork tasting samples over the course of the event.
“Exporters met with hundreds of buyers and representatives of Japan’s retail and foodservice industries and the samples we served attracted tremendous traffic,” said Hanes. “This year we were really focused on new trends and menu concepts. We brought in several companies that import food and educated them on these concepts, then let them taste the dishes for themselves. That’s an important step for winning new customers in Japan.”
Because the U.S. pork industry sees an opportunity to move more loins in the Japanese market, USMEF highlighted a new dish called “pork cheese teji karubi,” a Korean-style barbecue dish traditionally made with chicken. USMEF developed the dish using thin-sliced U.S. pork.
“It’s really taken off, and we got an excellent response to the dish during the show,” said Hanes. “We are hoping that the momentum carries over and restaurants and retail outlets will continue to pick up on it. This could be really big for U.S. pork loins.”
On the beef side, U.S. pound steak was highlighted, along with new gourmet hamburger concepts and a soup made with U.S beef large intestine.
“The catchphrase ‘pound steak’ is all about U.S. beef thick-cut steak, which is something we are trying to establish as a consumer food trend in Japan,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF-Japan director. “Typically, steaks in Japan are served in sizes from 6 to 8 ounces. Our idea is to convince foodservice operators and restaurants to serve steaks that are 15 to 16 ounces, which is equal to one pound – thus the ‘pound steak’ campaign, a way to enjoy the taste and quality of U.S. beef as thick-cut steak.”
The gourmet hamburger concept, which has become popular in other Asian countries like South Korea and Taiwan, is also gaining popularity in Japan, said Hanes.
“During Foodex, we showed buyers how to grind different cuts of U.S. beef and how to prepare these gourmet hamburgers – then, of course, we gave them samples to taste,” said Hanes. “This is something that could really move a lot of beef cuts, especially if the idea of grinding their own burgers catches on.”
Promotion of U.S. beef large intestine at Foodex was part of an effort to sell more variety meat in this high-value market.
“This is an opportunity to add value to an item that commands little attention at home,” noted Hanes, who said the large intestine was offered to Foodex visitors in a tasty soup.
Foodex 2018 clearly demonstrated that Japan remains a hot market for red meat.
“There was a steady stream of visitors to the USMEF booth, and it often seemed that it was one of the busiest places at the entire show,” said Hanes. “The mix of attendees was amazing. It ranged from representatives of small importers or restaurants all the way to the presidents of some of the largest food companies in the world.”
Special visitors to the USMEF booth were USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney and U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty. Both spent time talking with international visitors and meeting with USMEF staff.
NCBA Hails Introduction of Bipartisan ACRE Act in U.S. House of Representatives
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent 200,000 farms and ranches from being regulated as if they were toxic Superfund sites.
The bill, introduced by U.S. Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.), is known as the Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act and is supported by 85 original co-sponsors.
"There's not a lot of bipartisan consensus on Washington, DC, these days, but one thing that a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle can agree on is that the CERCLA law that regulates toxic Superfund sites shouldn't apply to animal agricultural operations," said fifth-generation California rancher and NCBA President Kevin Kester. "CERCLA was never intended to regulate cow manure, and Congress should fix this situation as soon as possible."
Similar bipartisan legislation - the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act - was introduced in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) on Feb. 13. That bill currently has 37 co-sponsors and could be marked up by the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee as soon as next week.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to provide for cleanup of the worst industrial chemical toxic waste dumps and spills, such as oil spills and chemical tank explosions. CERCLA was never intended to govern agricultural operations, for whom emissions from livestock are a part of everyday life.
To make this clear, in 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to clarify that farms were exempt from CERCLA reporting and small farms, in particular, were exempt from EPCRA reporting, given that low-level livestock emissions are not the kind of "releases" that Congress intended to manage with these laws.
Upon being sued in 2009 by environmental advocacy groups, the Obama Administration's EPA defended the exemption in court on the grounds that CERCLA and EPCRA do not explicitly exempt farms because Congress never believed that agriculture would be covered under these statutes, so a specific statutory exemption was not viewed to be necessary.
Unfortunately, in April 2017, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated the EPA's 2008 exemption, putting nearly 200,000 farms and ranches under the regulatory reporting authorities enshrined in CERCLA and EPCRA. The new reporting requirements could have gone into effect on Jan. 22, but the Court delayed implementation of the requirements until May 1, 2018, which gives Congress time to act.
NMPF Statement on House Bill Protecting Dairy Farms from Air Emissions Reporting Requirement
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF
“With the introduction today of H.R. 5275, the Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE Act), there is now bipartisan, bicameral support for legislation that will reduce a significant regulatory burden on U.S. dairy farms. We fully support the House companion to the Senate’s Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, which would prevent dairy farms from having to generate meaningless air emissions data under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
“The CERCLA provisions in question were originally enacted to address accidental hazardous air emission emergencies from toxic waste sites, and were never intended to be applied to dairy and other livestock farms. Through this legislation, Congress is stipulating that this burdensome regulatory overreach serves no legitimate health or safety purpose.
“We appreciate the efforts of the House bill’s lead sponsors, Reps. Billy Long (R-MO) and Jim Costa (D-CA), to generate the widespread support of more than 80 other Republican and Democratic lawmakers for this legislation.”
ACRE Act Stops Unintended Regulation of Farms
The newly introduced and bipartisan H.R. 5275, Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act would avoid unnecessary environmental reporting, which has been opposed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) introduced the bill together with 85 original, bipartisan cosponsors.
“This legislation is critical,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “Without it, farmers and ranchers must comply with a law that was never supposed to affect them – the Superfund program (CERCLA). Congress never meant to include agriculture under these reporting obligations, but because of a misguided court ruling, farmers and ranchers are vulnerable. We support swift passage of the ACRE Act and applaud Reps. Long and Costa for their work on this issue.”
Under current regulations, approximately 200,000 farms and ranches could be legally obliged to report emissions from animal agricultural operations, even though those rules were written to cover industrial emergencies, rather than routine, low level emissions from farms and ranches
The EPA under both the Bush and Obama administrations supported exempting these agricultural producers, but a federal court found the law did not clearly exclude farms and ranches. The ACRE Act would clarify that such producers are not required to report these emissions.
In the Senate, S. 2421, the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act has been introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). The legislation also has bipartisan support and could be brought up in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee soon.
Biodiesel Industry Makes Strong Case for Tax Credit Before Congress
Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB)’s Member Company, Ag Processing Inc (AGP), testified before a tax-writing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the biodiesel tax incentive. The hearing was focused on the future of tax extenders in a post-comprehensive tax reform world.
“We urge Congress to renew the biodiesel blender’s tax incentive through 2018 at a minimum, while considering a multi-year approach. Doing so would drive new investment and establish market certainty for U.S. farmers, ranchers, petroleum marketers, blenders and fuel retailers,” said Cal Meyer, chief operating officer of Ag Processing Inc.
The committee heard from more than 20 witnesses over the course of four panels. NBB’s witness accurately pointed out that the biodiesel blender’s tax credit has helped achieved the desired goals of expanding domestic production of American energy resources and jobs here at home. The biodiesel industry supports roughly 64,000 jobs, $11.42 billion in economic impact and $2.54 billion in wages paid.
Biodiesel also adds value to other sectors of the economy, like agriculture. For example, biodiesel allows farmers to be more competitive in the global protein market, as demand for biodiesel supports U.S. soybean processing and export opportunities. Lastly, America benefits from fewer toxic pollutants and improved air quality thanks to increased use of biodiesel, which reduces particulate matter by 47 percent, hydrocarbon emissions by 67 percent and lifecycle greenhouse gases by 86 percent.
“The public policy benefits of the tax incentive are clear,” Meyer said. “These benefits, however, will be jeopardized without reinstatement of the biodiesel tax incentive.”
NFU Applauds Introduction of STRESS Act
The STRESS Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Tom O’Halleran (R-Ariz.), Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), David Young (R-Iowa), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), would provide vital assistance to family farmers and ranchers who are struggling amidst a five-year, 52 percent decline in net farm income.
The bill would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), a program authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill to provide farmers with stress assistance programs. FRSAN has not been funded since being authorized. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the bill’s introduction:
“Farming and ranching is a highly stressful occupation. As the downturn in the farm economy worsens, many producers are finding themselves in a state of financial crisis. Unfortunately, many family farmers and ranchers lack access to the support they need in times of extreme duress. FRSAN would fund partnerships to train farm advocates, establish helplines, and provide outreach and support services.
“NFU has long advocated for these resources, and we applaud the efforts of Representatives Emmer and O’Halleran to ensure family farmers get the support they need to stay healthy and afloat through these tough times. We urge Congress to strengthen FRSAN and provide it with robust funding in the next Farm Bill.”
Fertilizer Prices Still on High Side
The trend of higher fertilizer prices appears to be firmly entrenched with average retail prices for all fertilizers rising again the first week of March 2018, according to retailers surveyed by DTN.
As has been the case the past several weeks, all eight of the major fertilizers were up from last month, though only one fertilizer was up a significant amount. UAN32 was 4% more expensive than compared to a month earlier. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $272 per ton.
The remaining seven fertilizers were just slightly higher in price compared to the prior month. DAP had an average price of $463/ton, MAP $503/ton, potash $349/ton, urea $367/ton, 10-34-0 $422/ton, anhydrous $499/ton and UAN28 $234/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.40/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.
Four fertilizers are now higher compared to last year with prices pushing higher in recent months. UAN32 is now 1% more expensive, potash is 3% higher, DAP is 6% more expensive and MAP is 9% higher than last year.
The remaining four fertilizers are still lower in price compared to a year prior. Both anhydrous and urea is now 1% less than, while both UAN28 and UAN32 is 5% lower looking back a year.
Tune in Thursday for a GMO Answers Facebook LIVE Chat
GMO Answers will be holding a Facebook Live event on Thursday, March 15th at 1pm Eastern to help launch our GMO Myth Spotting campaign.
The Facebook Live chat will feature GMO Answers volunteer expert Chef Jonathan Bardzik, who will be streaming live on the GMO Answers Facebook page from a local supermarket with a cart filled with groceries/products labelled non-GMO.
He'll highlight the facts about and benefits of GMOs and point out misinformation and fearmongering about labeling products non-GMO where there is no GMO equivalent. He'll also explain how the non-GMO label tells you nothing about the ingredients, nutrition, or safety of said products. It's important for people to know what's in their food and how it was grown - but the information should be fact-based and scientifically backed, not driven by myths and fear.
He'll also encourage viewers to comment with their examples of GMO label misinformation, with a call to action for people to download our new GMO Myth Spotter Facebook frame, and to share photos and videos from their own trips to the grocery store.
Please join the GMO Answers Facebook Live event at the GMO Answers Facebook page Thursday, March 15th, at 1pm Eastern. Please help us promote the event by sharing on social media and in your networks.
Air quality expert to debunk environmental myths at 2018 Stakeholders Summit
Frank Mitloehner, PhD, will debunk myths about animal agriculture’s environmental impact at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2018 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 3-4, at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.
Mitloehner is a professor and extension air quality specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. He is an expert on agricultural air quality, livestock housing and husbandry. Overall, he conducts research that is directly relevant to understanding and mitigating of air emissions from livestock operations, as well as the implications of these emissions for the health and safety of farm workers and neighboring communities.
“There is a lot of misinformation about how much animal agriculture actually contributes to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “With the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement, Summit attendees will find Mitloehner’s research enlightening and refreshing.”
The Alliance also announced that the Summit has been approved for 8 continuing education credits by the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. ARPAS members in attendance can request credit using www.arpas.org or by contacting Cornicha Henderson at cornichaH@assochq.org.
Discounted early registration fees and a special hotel rate are available through April 1 (pending availability). To register, visit http://animalagalliance.org/summit.
Syngenta helps to feed the hungry, celebrates being #RootedinAg
As a global leader in agriculture, Syngenta understands that to be #RootedinAg means to be committed to feeding the world. As part of that commitment, Syngenta recently partnered with Rise Against Hunger® – a North Carolina-based, international hunger-relief organization.
“It is going to take the right resources to end hunger worldwide,” said Wendell Calhoun, Syngenta communications manager. “Every day at Syngenta, we work to provide growers with the tools they need to sustain the population. Partnering with Rise Against Hunger gave us a chance to take that one step further, through a monetary donation and volunteer efforts.”
As part of a U.S. holiday campaign centered on the #RootedinAg community, Syngenta pledged to donate $5 per qualifying submission. The final donation from this campaign totaled $10,000 or the equivalent of 34,000 meals for those in need. Syngenta also participated in a meal-packing event, where volunteers assembled nutritious dehydrated meals for distribution to those in need around the world. Through team fundraising for the event, Syngenta volunteers donated more than $10,000 in additional funds.
“We know that through providing nutrition today, we can change lives and build strong communities for tomorrow," said Rod Brooks, CEO and president of Rise Against Hunger. “Ending hunger by the year 2030 is at our fingertips, but it cannot be done single-handedly. By joining together, it is possible to end hunger in our lifetime.”
This statement echoes the sentiment of “This is possible,” an ongoing awareness campaign by Rise Against Hunger. The campaign aims to show how hunger can be broken up into smaller, more achievable goals, creating hunger champions and connecting real people in the movement to end hunger together by the year 2030. Syngenta is proud to be part of the movement.
Unlike parts of Colorado and Kansas, Nebraska isn't in danger of running out of groundwater from the High Plains Aquifer anytime soon. But the largest source of usable water in the state is still on average below pre-pumping water levels, according to the 2017 Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report.
The recently released annual report examines groundwater level changes, including increases and decreases measured in regional wells in spring 2017. In addition to current levels, it also looks at historical trends, comparing regional water levels over extended periods of time.
The report is available for $7 from the Nebraska Maps and More Store, 3310 Holdrege St., and at http://marketplace.unl.edu/nemaps. Phone orders also are accepted at 402-472-3471, and a PDF of the report can be downloaded at https://go.unl.edu/groundwater.
"The reports coming out of Denver, Colorado, and Garden City, Kansas, are accurate for those regions, but they don't accurately portray conditions in Nebraska," said Aaron Young, survey geologist with the Conservation and Survey Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and lead author of the report.
Nebraska has seen a slight decline in groundwater levels over the five-year period starting in the drought year 2012, with 71 percent of the 5,200 wells recorded showing water levels dropped by about 1.9 feet on average in that time period.
"From 2016 to 2017, groundwater levels in Nebraska haven't really changed," Young said. "Most of Nebraska received near-average precipitation, which reduced the need for supplemental irrigation, leading to little change in average water levels."
About half of the wells in the state saw groundwater levels decline; the other half recorded increases from 2016 to 2017. Increases of 1 to 10 feet were recorded in northeast Nebraska, where above-average precipitation fell. Declines of 1 to 5 feet were recorded in areas along and to the south of the Platte River in south-central Nebraska, in correlation with below-average precipitation and increased irrigation pumping.
Problem areas in Chase, Box Butte, Perkins and Dundy counties in the far-west portion of the state continued to persist, due to irrigation use in regions with limited precipitation. Since about 1950, some of these counties have seen declines of up to 122 feet.
In-depth maps in the report give visual representations of these changes, conveying the information in one-year, five-year, 10-year and since-pre-irrigation (about 1950) increments. The maps are based on information collected by the Conservation and Survey Division, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska Natural Resources Districts and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. The reports and maps have been produced by the Conservation and Survey Division since the 1950s. Groundwater monitoring began in Nebraska in the 1930s.
Other authors of this year's report are Mark Burbach, environmental scientist; Leslie Howard, geographic information science and cartography manager; Michele Waszgis, research technician; Matt Joeckel, state geologist and CSD associate director; and Susan Lackey, research hydrogeologist.
NeFU Spring District Meetings Schedule to date
District 7 Spring Meeting: Barnstormers Family Bar & Grill, 4100 S. 13th St., Norfolk
Thursday, March 15, 2018, 6:00 pm buffet supper on own with meeting to follow.
· District 7 Director’s Report: Martin Kleinschmit
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor or family member.
For more info, call Art Tanderup (402) 278-0042 or (402) 887-1396.
District 2 Spring Meeting: Wolbach Community Center 268 Center St, Wolbach, NE 68882
Monday, March 19, 2018 6:00 pm Potluck Supper with meeting to follow.
· District 2 Director’s Report: Jim Knopik
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member.
For more information, call Jim Knopik (308) 550-0288 cell or Bill Rolf (308) 536-2976 home.
District 5 Spring Meeting: Lippy’s BBQ, 126 2nd St, Malcolm, NE 68402
Tuesday, March 27, 2018. 6:00 pm supper on your own with meeting to follow.
· District 5 Director’s Report: Ben Gotschall
· NFU Convention, state & national issues: John Hansen
Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member.
For more information, call Ben Gotschall (402) 705-8679.
District 6 Spring Meeting: Fernando's Restaurant, 1600 Washington Street, Blair, NE
Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6:00 pm supper on your own with meeting to follow.
·District 6 Director’s Report: Graham Christensen
· NFU Convention, Farm Bill, NeFU Activities, NE Legislature: John Hansen
· Featured speakers: Candidates Chuck Hassebrook, LD16 & Mena Davis, LD8.
Information about UNMC Free Water Testing Program.
Bring a friend, neighbor or family member.
For more information, call Paul Poppe (402) 380-4508.
Valmont Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
The Board of Directors of Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE: VMI) has declared a quarterly dividend of 37.5 cents per share payable on April 16, 2018 to shareholders of record on March 29, 2018. The dividend indicates an annual rate of $1.50 per share.
Valmont is a global leader, designing and manufacturing engineered products that support global infrastructure development and agricultural productivity. Its products for infrastructure serve highway, transportation, wireless communication, electric transmission, and industrial construction and energy markets. Its irrigation equipment for large scale agriculture improves farm productivity while conserving fresh water resources.
In addition, Valmont provides coatings services that protect against corrosion and improve the service lives of steel and other metal products.
NEBRASKA HONEY PRODUCTION
Honey production in 2017 from Nebraska producers with five or more colonies totaled 2.65 million pounds, up 20 percent from 2016, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
There were 42,000 honey producing colonies in Nebraska during 2017, down 13 percent from 2016. Average yield was 63 pounds per colony, up 17 pounds from 2016. Producer stocks were 423,000 on December 15, 2017, down from 640,000 pounds a year earlier.
Prices for the 2017 crop averaged 199 cents per pound, up from 191 cents in 2016. Prices were based on retail sales by producers and sales to private processors and cooperatives. Total value of honey produced in 2017 was $5.27 million, up 25 percent from 2016.
IOWA HONEY PRODUCTION
Honey production from producers with 5 or more colonies in Iowa totaled 2.03 million pounds in 2017 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service Honey report. This was a 14 percent increase from the 1.78 million pounds produced in 2016. The number of honey producing colonies in the state decreased from 37,000 colonies in 2016 to 35,000 colonies in 2017. This number does not include producers with fewer than 5 colonies or producers who did not harvest honey. Colonies that produced honey in more than one state were counted in each state where they produced honey. Yield per colony in Iowa averaged 58 pounds, up from 48 pounds per colony in 2016. Iowa remains ranked nineteenth nationally in honey production, unchanged from 2016.
On December 15, 2017, producer honey stocks in Iowa, excluding stocks under government loan programs, were 1.04 million pounds, a 39 percent increase from 2016. The state’s 2017 honey crop was valued at $4.51 million, up 22 percent from the previous year’s $3.69 million. The average price per pound for all marketing channels in Iowa was $2.22, up 14 cents from 2016.
United States Honey Production Down 9 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
United States honey production in 2017 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 148 million pounds, down 9 percent from 2016. There were 2.67 million colonies producing honey in 2017, down 4 percent from 2016. Yield per colony averaged 55.3 pounds, down 5 percent from the 58.3 pounds in 2016. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colony may be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested. Producer honey stocks were 30.6 million pounds on December 15, 2017, down 26 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.
Operations with Less than Five Colonies Produced 599 Thousand Pounds of Honey in 2017
United States honey production in 2017 from producers with less than five colonies totaled 599 thousand pounds, down 22 percent from 2016. There were 20 thousand colonies from which honey was harvested in 2017, down 17 percent from 2016. The average yield was 30.0 pounds per colony in 2017, down 6 percent from the previous year.
Honey Prices Up 2 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
United States honey prices decreased during 2017 to 215.6 cents per pound, up 2 percent from 211.9 cents per pound in 2016. United States and State level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through cooperatives, private, and retail channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing channel. Prices for the 2016 crop reflect honey sold in 2016 and 2017. Some 2016 crop honey was sold in 2017, which caused some revisions to the 2016 crop prices.
Price Paid per Queen was 14 Dollars for Operations with Five or More Colonies in 2017
For operations with five or more colonies, the average prices paid in 2017 for honey bee queens, packages, and nucs were $14, $76, and $107 respectively. The average prices paid in 2017 for operations with less than five colonies were $34 per queen, $117 per package, and $138 per nuc. For operations with five or more colonies, pollination income for 2017 was $435 million, up 29 percent from 2016. Other income from honey bees for operations with five or more colonies in 2017 was $163 million, up 10 percent from 2016.
Ibach on Section 199A Tax Code Fix Agreement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach today issued the following statement regarding an agreement among Congressional leaders to address concerns with recent changes to Section 199A of the federal tax code. Some agriculture stakeholders had raised questions about potential market effects on cooperatives and independent grain-related businesses.
Ibach’s statement is as follows:
“The sweeping tax cuts and reform package championed by President Trump and passed by Congress is already working as designed, empowering growth across all economic sectors, including agriculture. An unintended consequence of the new law caused disparate treatment among independent operators and cooperatives in the same industry. Federal tax policy should not be picking winners and losers in the marketplace. We applaud Congress and stakeholders for coming together and agreeing to a solution for the good of all agriculture. At USDA, we will provide whatever information is necessary to support Congress in their efforts to have the proposal included in the Omnibus appropriations bill.”
NCGA Statement to 199A Resolution
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to the Legislation Amending Section 199A:
“We are pleased with the outcome of the recent negotiations to craft a solution for Section 199A of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This agreement is extremely important for addressing the provision’s unintended consequences and restoring certainty to the marketplace for farmers. NCGA has supported coalition efforts to replicate the tax benefits of the original Section 199 within the tax reform bill. We greatly appreciate the work of Senators John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) and John Thune (R-South Dakota) along with the leadership of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to develop this critical legislation. NCGA urges the Congress to adopt the proposed changes with bipartisan support later this month.”
NFU Urges Congress to Reject Elimination of Section 199A
Members of Congress are proposing to undo a newly instated tax break that is meant to level the playing field between agricultural cooperatives and corporations who received a dramatic tax break under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging Congress to instead seek a balance that does not weaken the important tax break for family farmers who sell to cooperatives. NFU members recently passed a special order of business regarding the provision, Section 199A, due to its value in improving the livelihood of farm families and in strengthening rural communities.
NFU President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the proposal:
“Corporations just received one of the largest tax breaks in their history, the addition of 199A was an attempt to level the playing field for cooperative businesses. To repeal parts of this important tax break would be to strike at the single most important benefit family farmers received from tax reform.
“Not only would corporations be better off, but farmers would be disadvantaged by working with their cooperatives. Wage limits contained in this proposal will discriminate against family farms that don’t hire outside workers, especially if they work with small cooperatives who also have a limited wage base. Farmers could alternatively see the 20 percent deduction on taxable income reduced to 11 percent, if they do business with a coop. Under this new proposed language, farmers could sell to a private company and lock in the 20 percent deduction, or they can sell to a coop and receive an 11 percent deduction.
“Farmers Union calls on Congress to reject this draft language as it currently stands. We urge lawmakers to advance bipartisan legislation that removes wage limitations and maintains a farmer gross sales deduction that evens the playing field between corporations and cooperatives.”
US to import a small share meats and dairy in 2018
USDA Economic Research Service
Import data for all of 2017 shows that, consistent with past years, the United States is a relatively small importer of meat and dairy products. USDA import forecasts for 2018 show an extension of this tendency. In 2017, U.S. beef imports were 11.3 percent of total domestic disappearance. In 2018, forecasts for U.S. beef imports leave the ratio nearly unchanged (11.0 percent). The United States imports mostly lean beef from Australia, mainly for final use as hamburger and as an input to processed and prepared food products. For pork, imports accounted for 5.3 percent of disappearance last year. Based on forecasts, that ratio is expected to be somewhat smaller this year—4.8 percent—due largely to increased domestic production. Most imported pork comes from Canada and the EU. Imports from Poland, in particular, have accelerated recently. Compared with beef, pork, and dairy products, lamb is exceptional in that imports typically account for more than half of domestic disappearance. Most U.S. lamb imports originate from Oceania. In 2017, imports made up about 64 percent of disappearance; this year, the ratio is expected to be slightly larger at 64.3 percent. For imported dairy products—most of which come from the EU and New Zealand—imports comprised about 2.9 percent of U.S. disappearance last year, on a milk-fat milk-equivalent basis. The ratio of imports to disappearance based on dairy trade forecasts, is mostly unchanged for 2018, at 2.7 percent.
Cattle/Beef: Beef production was reduced on a slower than expected pace of slaughter in the first quarter and lighter cattle weights anticipated in early 2018. However, second-quarter production was raised. Based on higher to-date cow slaughter data, first-half non-fed beef production is expected to be higher, mitigating some of the decline in the first-quarter reduction and contributing to the increase in the second-quarter forecast. With these partly offsetting factors, the beef production forecast was trimmed slightly to 27.69 billion pounds. Based on the current pace of U.S. beef imports and strong domestic demand for lean beef, imports for 2018 were revised upward.
Poultry: Broiler production and weights were up again in January in line with expectations, while broiler prices were generally steady during February. Table egg production in January contracted about 1 percent, contributing to a lower production forecast. Lower-than-expected production and recent price surges moved price forecasts higher. January turkey production was down on a per day slaughter basis. Production in 2018 is expected to be fractionally lower than 2017 as low wholesale prices pressure producer returns.
Dairy: Due to expectations of stronger growth in milk per cow, the 2018 milk production forecast has been increased to 219.0 billion pounds, 0.3 billion higher than last month’s forecast. With competitive U.S. prices and recent strength in cheese and whey product exports, 2018 export forecasts have been raised to 9.6 billion pounds (+0.1 billion) on a milk-fat milk-equivalent basis and 42.8 billion (+0.3 billion) pounds on a skim-solids milk-equivalent basis. While butter and cheese price forecasts have been raised, the nonfat dry milk price forecast has been lowered. With offsetting changes in dairy product price forecasts, the all-milk price forecast for 2018 is $15.75-$16.35 per hundredweight (cwt), unchanged at the midpoint from last month’s forecast.
Pork/Hogs: Commercial pork production for 2018 is revised upward to 26.9 billion pounds, 5.2 percent above a year ago, due to higher pork carcass dressed weights. Hog prices for the first quarter are expected to average $51-$52 per cwt, almost 4 percent above a year ago, largely on the strength of increased demand for hogs from expanded processing capacity. January pork export data showed solid demand—6.2 percent above a year ago—particularly in Asia.
New Concepts for U.S. Beef and Pork Dishes Highlighted at Foodex Japan
Noting that booming meat demand among Japanese consumers continues to gain momentum, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) seized the opportunity by introducing new and unique U.S. beef and pork dishes at Asia’s largest food trade show. USMEF’s efforts at Foodex Japan, which attracted more than 80,000 visitors over four days (March 6-9), were funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Program, the Pork Checkoff and the Texas Beef Council. USMEF is a contractor to the beef checkoff.
Set up inside the USA Pavilion, USMEF shared information and educated food buyers about the advantage of U.S. beef and pork over the products of competitors – many of whom also participated in Foodex.
“Japan is one of the largest importers of food in the world and they also pay some of the highest premiums,” explained Greg Hanes, USMEF assistant vice president for international marketing and programs. “That’s why Foodex is such an important trade show. Exporters from Canada, Mexico, China, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America were there to try to capture a greater the share of the market.”
USMEF’s booth included a dedicated area where U.S. red meat exporters could meet one-on-one with buyers, and a special kitchen area allowed USMEF chefs to prepare U.S. beef and pork tasting samples over the course of the event.
“Exporters met with hundreds of buyers and representatives of Japan’s retail and foodservice industries and the samples we served attracted tremendous traffic,” said Hanes. “This year we were really focused on new trends and menu concepts. We brought in several companies that import food and educated them on these concepts, then let them taste the dishes for themselves. That’s an important step for winning new customers in Japan.”
Because the U.S. pork industry sees an opportunity to move more loins in the Japanese market, USMEF highlighted a new dish called “pork cheese teji karubi,” a Korean-style barbecue dish traditionally made with chicken. USMEF developed the dish using thin-sliced U.S. pork.
“It’s really taken off, and we got an excellent response to the dish during the show,” said Hanes. “We are hoping that the momentum carries over and restaurants and retail outlets will continue to pick up on it. This could be really big for U.S. pork loins.”
On the beef side, U.S. pound steak was highlighted, along with new gourmet hamburger concepts and a soup made with U.S beef large intestine.
“The catchphrase ‘pound steak’ is all about U.S. beef thick-cut steak, which is something we are trying to establish as a consumer food trend in Japan,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF-Japan director. “Typically, steaks in Japan are served in sizes from 6 to 8 ounces. Our idea is to convince foodservice operators and restaurants to serve steaks that are 15 to 16 ounces, which is equal to one pound – thus the ‘pound steak’ campaign, a way to enjoy the taste and quality of U.S. beef as thick-cut steak.”
The gourmet hamburger concept, which has become popular in other Asian countries like South Korea and Taiwan, is also gaining popularity in Japan, said Hanes.
“During Foodex, we showed buyers how to grind different cuts of U.S. beef and how to prepare these gourmet hamburgers – then, of course, we gave them samples to taste,” said Hanes. “This is something that could really move a lot of beef cuts, especially if the idea of grinding their own burgers catches on.”
Promotion of U.S. beef large intestine at Foodex was part of an effort to sell more variety meat in this high-value market.
“This is an opportunity to add value to an item that commands little attention at home,” noted Hanes, who said the large intestine was offered to Foodex visitors in a tasty soup.
Foodex 2018 clearly demonstrated that Japan remains a hot market for red meat.
“There was a steady stream of visitors to the USMEF booth, and it often seemed that it was one of the busiest places at the entire show,” said Hanes. “The mix of attendees was amazing. It ranged from representatives of small importers or restaurants all the way to the presidents of some of the largest food companies in the world.”
Special visitors to the USMEF booth were USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney and U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty. Both spent time talking with international visitors and meeting with USMEF staff.
NCBA Hails Introduction of Bipartisan ACRE Act in U.S. House of Representatives
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent 200,000 farms and ranches from being regulated as if they were toxic Superfund sites.
The bill, introduced by U.S. Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.), is known as the Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act and is supported by 85 original co-sponsors.
"There's not a lot of bipartisan consensus on Washington, DC, these days, but one thing that a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle can agree on is that the CERCLA law that regulates toxic Superfund sites shouldn't apply to animal agricultural operations," said fifth-generation California rancher and NCBA President Kevin Kester. "CERCLA was never intended to regulate cow manure, and Congress should fix this situation as soon as possible."
Similar bipartisan legislation - the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act - was introduced in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) on Feb. 13. That bill currently has 37 co-sponsors and could be marked up by the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee as soon as next week.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to provide for cleanup of the worst industrial chemical toxic waste dumps and spills, such as oil spills and chemical tank explosions. CERCLA was never intended to govern agricultural operations, for whom emissions from livestock are a part of everyday life.
To make this clear, in 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to clarify that farms were exempt from CERCLA reporting and small farms, in particular, were exempt from EPCRA reporting, given that low-level livestock emissions are not the kind of "releases" that Congress intended to manage with these laws.
Upon being sued in 2009 by environmental advocacy groups, the Obama Administration's EPA defended the exemption in court on the grounds that CERCLA and EPCRA do not explicitly exempt farms because Congress never believed that agriculture would be covered under these statutes, so a specific statutory exemption was not viewed to be necessary.
Unfortunately, in April 2017, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated the EPA's 2008 exemption, putting nearly 200,000 farms and ranches under the regulatory reporting authorities enshrined in CERCLA and EPCRA. The new reporting requirements could have gone into effect on Jan. 22, but the Court delayed implementation of the requirements until May 1, 2018, which gives Congress time to act.
NMPF Statement on House Bill Protecting Dairy Farms from Air Emissions Reporting Requirement
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF
“With the introduction today of H.R. 5275, the Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE Act), there is now bipartisan, bicameral support for legislation that will reduce a significant regulatory burden on U.S. dairy farms. We fully support the House companion to the Senate’s Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, which would prevent dairy farms from having to generate meaningless air emissions data under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
“The CERCLA provisions in question were originally enacted to address accidental hazardous air emission emergencies from toxic waste sites, and were never intended to be applied to dairy and other livestock farms. Through this legislation, Congress is stipulating that this burdensome regulatory overreach serves no legitimate health or safety purpose.
“We appreciate the efforts of the House bill’s lead sponsors, Reps. Billy Long (R-MO) and Jim Costa (D-CA), to generate the widespread support of more than 80 other Republican and Democratic lawmakers for this legislation.”
ACRE Act Stops Unintended Regulation of Farms
The newly introduced and bipartisan H.R. 5275, Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions (ACRE) Act would avoid unnecessary environmental reporting, which has been opposed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) introduced the bill together with 85 original, bipartisan cosponsors.
“This legislation is critical,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “Without it, farmers and ranchers must comply with a law that was never supposed to affect them – the Superfund program (CERCLA). Congress never meant to include agriculture under these reporting obligations, but because of a misguided court ruling, farmers and ranchers are vulnerable. We support swift passage of the ACRE Act and applaud Reps. Long and Costa for their work on this issue.”
Under current regulations, approximately 200,000 farms and ranches could be legally obliged to report emissions from animal agricultural operations, even though those rules were written to cover industrial emergencies, rather than routine, low level emissions from farms and ranches
The EPA under both the Bush and Obama administrations supported exempting these agricultural producers, but a federal court found the law did not clearly exclude farms and ranches. The ACRE Act would clarify that such producers are not required to report these emissions.
In the Senate, S. 2421, the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act has been introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). The legislation also has bipartisan support and could be brought up in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee soon.
Biodiesel Industry Makes Strong Case for Tax Credit Before Congress
Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB)’s Member Company, Ag Processing Inc (AGP), testified before a tax-writing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the biodiesel tax incentive. The hearing was focused on the future of tax extenders in a post-comprehensive tax reform world.
“We urge Congress to renew the biodiesel blender’s tax incentive through 2018 at a minimum, while considering a multi-year approach. Doing so would drive new investment and establish market certainty for U.S. farmers, ranchers, petroleum marketers, blenders and fuel retailers,” said Cal Meyer, chief operating officer of Ag Processing Inc.
The committee heard from more than 20 witnesses over the course of four panels. NBB’s witness accurately pointed out that the biodiesel blender’s tax credit has helped achieved the desired goals of expanding domestic production of American energy resources and jobs here at home. The biodiesel industry supports roughly 64,000 jobs, $11.42 billion in economic impact and $2.54 billion in wages paid.
Biodiesel also adds value to other sectors of the economy, like agriculture. For example, biodiesel allows farmers to be more competitive in the global protein market, as demand for biodiesel supports U.S. soybean processing and export opportunities. Lastly, America benefits from fewer toxic pollutants and improved air quality thanks to increased use of biodiesel, which reduces particulate matter by 47 percent, hydrocarbon emissions by 67 percent and lifecycle greenhouse gases by 86 percent.
“The public policy benefits of the tax incentive are clear,” Meyer said. “These benefits, however, will be jeopardized without reinstatement of the biodiesel tax incentive.”
NFU Applauds Introduction of STRESS Act
The STRESS Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Tom O’Halleran (R-Ariz.), Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), David Young (R-Iowa), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), would provide vital assistance to family farmers and ranchers who are struggling amidst a five-year, 52 percent decline in net farm income.
The bill would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), a program authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill to provide farmers with stress assistance programs. FRSAN has not been funded since being authorized. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the bill’s introduction:
“Farming and ranching is a highly stressful occupation. As the downturn in the farm economy worsens, many producers are finding themselves in a state of financial crisis. Unfortunately, many family farmers and ranchers lack access to the support they need in times of extreme duress. FRSAN would fund partnerships to train farm advocates, establish helplines, and provide outreach and support services.
“NFU has long advocated for these resources, and we applaud the efforts of Representatives Emmer and O’Halleran to ensure family farmers get the support they need to stay healthy and afloat through these tough times. We urge Congress to strengthen FRSAN and provide it with robust funding in the next Farm Bill.”
Fertilizer Prices Still on High Side
The trend of higher fertilizer prices appears to be firmly entrenched with average retail prices for all fertilizers rising again the first week of March 2018, according to retailers surveyed by DTN.
As has been the case the past several weeks, all eight of the major fertilizers were up from last month, though only one fertilizer was up a significant amount. UAN32 was 4% more expensive than compared to a month earlier. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $272 per ton.
The remaining seven fertilizers were just slightly higher in price compared to the prior month. DAP had an average price of $463/ton, MAP $503/ton, potash $349/ton, urea $367/ton, 10-34-0 $422/ton, anhydrous $499/ton and UAN28 $234/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.40/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.42/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.
Four fertilizers are now higher compared to last year with prices pushing higher in recent months. UAN32 is now 1% more expensive, potash is 3% higher, DAP is 6% more expensive and MAP is 9% higher than last year.
The remaining four fertilizers are still lower in price compared to a year prior. Both anhydrous and urea is now 1% less than, while both UAN28 and UAN32 is 5% lower looking back a year.
Tune in Thursday for a GMO Answers Facebook LIVE Chat
GMO Answers will be holding a Facebook Live event on Thursday, March 15th at 1pm Eastern to help launch our GMO Myth Spotting campaign.
The Facebook Live chat will feature GMO Answers volunteer expert Chef Jonathan Bardzik, who will be streaming live on the GMO Answers Facebook page from a local supermarket with a cart filled with groceries/products labelled non-GMO.
He'll highlight the facts about and benefits of GMOs and point out misinformation and fearmongering about labeling products non-GMO where there is no GMO equivalent. He'll also explain how the non-GMO label tells you nothing about the ingredients, nutrition, or safety of said products. It's important for people to know what's in their food and how it was grown - but the information should be fact-based and scientifically backed, not driven by myths and fear.
He'll also encourage viewers to comment with their examples of GMO label misinformation, with a call to action for people to download our new GMO Myth Spotter Facebook frame, and to share photos and videos from their own trips to the grocery store.
Please join the GMO Answers Facebook Live event at the GMO Answers Facebook page Thursday, March 15th, at 1pm Eastern. Please help us promote the event by sharing on social media and in your networks.
Air quality expert to debunk environmental myths at 2018 Stakeholders Summit
Frank Mitloehner, PhD, will debunk myths about animal agriculture’s environmental impact at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2018 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 3-4, at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.
Mitloehner is a professor and extension air quality specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. He is an expert on agricultural air quality, livestock housing and husbandry. Overall, he conducts research that is directly relevant to understanding and mitigating of air emissions from livestock operations, as well as the implications of these emissions for the health and safety of farm workers and neighboring communities.
“There is a lot of misinformation about how much animal agriculture actually contributes to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “With the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement, Summit attendees will find Mitloehner’s research enlightening and refreshing.”
The Alliance also announced that the Summit has been approved for 8 continuing education credits by the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. ARPAS members in attendance can request credit using www.arpas.org or by contacting Cornicha Henderson at cornichaH@assochq.org.
Discounted early registration fees and a special hotel rate are available through April 1 (pending availability). To register, visit http://animalagalliance.org/summit.
Syngenta helps to feed the hungry, celebrates being #RootedinAg
As a global leader in agriculture, Syngenta understands that to be #RootedinAg means to be committed to feeding the world. As part of that commitment, Syngenta recently partnered with Rise Against Hunger® – a North Carolina-based, international hunger-relief organization.
“It is going to take the right resources to end hunger worldwide,” said Wendell Calhoun, Syngenta communications manager. “Every day at Syngenta, we work to provide growers with the tools they need to sustain the population. Partnering with Rise Against Hunger gave us a chance to take that one step further, through a monetary donation and volunteer efforts.”
As part of a U.S. holiday campaign centered on the #RootedinAg community, Syngenta pledged to donate $5 per qualifying submission. The final donation from this campaign totaled $10,000 or the equivalent of 34,000 meals for those in need. Syngenta also participated in a meal-packing event, where volunteers assembled nutritious dehydrated meals for distribution to those in need around the world. Through team fundraising for the event, Syngenta volunteers donated more than $10,000 in additional funds.
“We know that through providing nutrition today, we can change lives and build strong communities for tomorrow," said Rod Brooks, CEO and president of Rise Against Hunger. “Ending hunger by the year 2030 is at our fingertips, but it cannot be done single-handedly. By joining together, it is possible to end hunger in our lifetime.”
This statement echoes the sentiment of “This is possible,” an ongoing awareness campaign by Rise Against Hunger. The campaign aims to show how hunger can be broken up into smaller, more achievable goals, creating hunger champions and connecting real people in the movement to end hunger together by the year 2030. Syngenta is proud to be part of the movement.
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