NAP Coverage Available for 2014 Annual Forage Crops in Nebraska
The Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced a pilot program that offers a CAT level Rainfall Index-Annual Forage Insurance Plan to producers in Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota for annual forage crops used for livestock feed or fodder.
Because there is limited time for producers in these states to transition from NAP to the new RMA pilot program, an exception was made that will allow the states to continue offering NAP coverage for 2014. However, NAP coverage will not be available in 2015 for these same annual forage crops.
Eligible producers can apply for 2014 NAP coverage at their local county FSA office using form CCC-471, Application for Coverage. Producers must file the application and service fee by the September 30, 2013 deadline for fall seeded forage crops and March 15, 2014 for spring seeded annual forage crops.
Holzfaster Running for Reelection to NCGA Corn Board
As he will complete his first term of service on the National Corn Growers Association's Corn Board in September, Jon Holzfaster is running for reelection and a second term helping develop policy to guide the association. A native Nebraskan, Holzfaster provides unique perspective when balancing issues involving the interaction between the livestock and ethanol markets.
Holzfaster decided to run for reelection to the Corn Board because he strongly believes in NCGA's grassroots vision and focus. He is proud to have played a small role in the organization's successes since 2002 and looks forward to working toward greater accomplishments in the future.
"In order to be an effective leader, you have to be familiar with the organization which you have been chosen to lead," said Holzfaster. "You have to be receptive to your fellow board members, staff and, most importantly, the membership base. At NCGA, I have found that it is key to listen to the membership and the staff and to apply the things that you have learned in the past. For almost nine years, I have been picking up the nuances at NCGA and, by applying these along with what I learn from listening, I can play an active role in developing solutions that lead us forward as an organization."
As a member of the Corn Board, Holzfaster believes that he can and does provide the leadership and vision necessary for continued positive change and for evolution within the industry. To do so, he aggressively promotes and supports the corn industry's two largest customers, ethanol and livestock.
"I strive to see the 'big picture' and avoid rash decisions that may create unintended consequences. With leadership experience ranging from local civic groups to state and national commodity representation, I absorb all sides of a discussion before stating my opinion. "
Holzfaster owns and operates the same farm in southwest Nebraska that his family has for three generations. On their farm, they produce corn, popcorn, soybeans, dry edible beans, wheat and alfalfa. Together, his family also operates a 1,000-head non-commercial feed yard that utilizes feed produced on the farm.
ND Ag Commissioner to Head Ag Export Association
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has been elected president of the Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export Midwest). Goehring says, "I will be working with the staff of Food Export Midwest to ensure that Midwestern food and commodity exporters have the necessary support to expand our foreign markets."
Goehring was elected during the annual meeting of the Midwestern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (MASDA) in Medora, North Dakota.
Created in 1969, as a cooperative effort between 12 state agricultural promotion agencies and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the non-profit Food Export Association of the Midwest USA promotes the export of food and agricultural products from the U.S. Midwest.
Through its member states, Food Export-Midwest provides a wide range of services, including export promotion, customized export assistance and a cost-share funding program, to develop trade between local food suppliers and importers around the world.
MASDA and Food Export Midwest are comprised of the state agriculture commissioners, secretaries and directors of North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Also during the meeting, Jamie Clover Adams, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, was elected president of MASDA, succeeding Goehring.
Iowa Soybean Association offers farmers vital weed management resource
Herbicide-resistant weeds are becoming more of a problem in Iowa. Plants including waterhemp, horseweed, giant ragweed and others are threatening the livelihood of farmers statewide, reducing soybean and corn yields and increasing production costs.
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is committed to helping farmers understand and manage the problem and has recently launched a weed management action campaign called “Take Action.” The multi-faceted effort, funded by the Soybean Checkoff, uses radio, video, print and on-line information to highlight and address the threat of herbicide-resistant weeds and the importance of taking action. ISA has created a clearinghouse of information at www.iasoybeans.com/TakeAction/index.html.
The “Take Action” site features a tour of six Iowa farms, discussing the issue of weed management with farmers around the state, including Tom Oswald who farms near Cleghorn in northwest Iowa.
“It’s not always about a product, but management techniques,” he says. Farmers need to adapt management styles to their systems. While weeds in his area of the state are manageable now, Oswald says, “the issue of weed resistance has my radar turned on high.”
"The ISA has the power to deliver," says Ed Anderson, ISA senior director of supply and production systems. “Herbicide resistance isn't a new phenomenon, by any means. Farmers have dealt with it for more than 50 years, but the problem has intensified in the last decade as many weed species have become increasingly less sensitive to glyphosate --- the most widely used herbicide in the state. In some parts of the country, weed-infested fields have nearly put farmers out of business.”
Mike Owen, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach weed specialist and agronomist, estimates 20 percent to 30 percent of soybean fields have glyphosate-resistant weeds --- 2 to 3 million acres. Less than 5 percent of the fields have serious resistance problems, he says.
“In the near future, that number is expected to increase dramatically,” Owen says. It’s likely all Iowa farms have resistant weed biotypes, he contends. Most farmers are just a year or two away from a serious weed control problem.
If farmers are proactive and adopt herbicide resistance management plans, glyphosate and other chemicals can still control weeds now and in the future.
Northey Thanks Officials for Strong Support of Water Quality
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey thanked Gov. Branstad and the Iowa Legislature for their strong support for a voluntary, science-based approach to improving water quality. Thanks to the work of the Governor and Legislature, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will receive an additional $22.4 million in fiscal 2014 to support conservation and water quality improvements in Iowa.
"The tremendous support from the Governor and legislators for the voluntary, science-based approach to improving water quality here in Iowa and downstream is very exciting," Northey said. "Farmers take great pride in caring for the air, soil and water, and these funds will provide vital assistance as they seek to do an even better job keeping nutrients on our land and out of our rivers, lakes and streams."
Before the recently completed legislative session Northey had requested $2.4 million for an agriculture water quality initiative in fiscal 2014 and $4.4 million for the initiative in 2015. Branstad had supported those requests in his budget proposal to the Legislature. These funds will be used to provide cost share funds for practices and structures known to improve water quality, education and outreach to farmers about the initiative and to hire a water quality coordinator for the Department.
The Legislature approved the requested funding and provided an additional $10 million in one-time funding to be used over the next five years to support science-based water quality practices. Of that funding, 70 percent is to be used in targeted watersheds and 30 percent can be used for water quality practices statewide.
The Department will also receive an additional $7 million one-time appropriation that can be used over the next five years to help address the backlog of state soil conservation cost-share projects. Cost share receives an annual appropriation of $6.7 million, but the Department currently has applications for more than $20 million in assistance. All funds are matched by the landowner to support construction.
The legislature also approved $3 million to the Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) for voluntary watershed projects.
The Department again received $1.62 million this year to support the closure of agriculture drainage wells. This appropriation will allow the Department to finish closing 12 wells and bring the total number of closed wells to 262.
Additionally, the Legislature appropriated $1.5 million to start a nutrient management research center at Iowa State University that will conduct ongoing research on practices farmers can use to reduce nutrient losses.
Outside of water quality, the Department received a $500,000 increase in its general fund appropriation to $17.58 million. These funds will be used to meet mandatory staffing cost increases and potentially refill some of the 70 positions lost over the last 5 years.
“Fields of Champions” highlights farming at Summer Games Opening Ceremony
The third annual “Fields of Champions” Family Cookout, celebrating food and farming and benefiting the Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA), will be a highlight of the Summer Iowa Games Opening Ceremony Saturday, July 20 in Ames. The event is free and open to the public. Donations will benefit the IFBA and support Iowans in need of food assistance.
“We are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Iowa Games,” says Aaron Putze, coordinator of the Iowa Food & Family Project, which sponsors the event. “This family event is a great way to highlight the important connection between healthy activities, healthy food and the farmers who contribute to a healthy state.”
“Fields of Champions” sponsors include the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Egg Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Select Farms, Iowa Soybean Association, Midwest Dairy Association, The Soyfoods Council, United Soybean Board, Hiland Dairy Foods, Swiss Valley Farms and Iowa Food Bank Association.
Iowa farmers will be on hand throughout the celebration to talk about what they do and answer questions about food and farming. Kids of all ages can pick up a ‘Zone Score Card’ that will send them through a series of interactive stations to learn about food and farming. Participants will then take the card to ‘The End Zone’ to register for prizes, including a $1,000 scholarship and an iPad mini.
The action begins at 4:30 p.m. in the parking lots around Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State University campus. The meal — featuring beef and pork burgers, soy snacks, eggs on a stick, yogurt, fruit and milk — will serve 2,200 people and is provided for a free-will donation.
In addition to the meal, the “Fields of Champions” celebration features entertainment including inflatable games, face painting, balloon artists and more kid-friendly activities. The incredible ACRODUNK team, as seen on past seasons of America’s Got Talent, will entertain the crowd with gravity-defying flipping, dunking and dancing. YouTube sensations, the Peterson Farm Bros, will perform their hit “I’m Farming and I Grow It” and be available for photos and autographs.
The Iowa Food & Family Project (www.facebook.com/foodnfamilies) is dedicated to uniting Iowans in conversations about today’s farms and food system through personal engagement and advocacy. It proudly serves as presenting sponsor of the Iowa Games and supporter of Live Healthy Iowa and is funded in part by the soybean checkoff.
For more information, go to www.iowafoodandfamily.com.
Economists: Another Farm Bill Extension Seems Inevitable
Three Purdue University agricultural economists agree that another extension of 2008 farm legislation is a distinct possibility following the House's defeat of the proposed farm bill last Thursday.
Chris Hurt, Otto Doering and Roman Keeney, who closely follow developments of farm legislation, question whether Republican leadership in the House will allow debate on the contents of the farm bill again anytime soon. With the one-year extension set to expire at the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30, farmers could see another extension of the five-year agricultural spending plan.
"There was just too much in the bill to dislike," Hurt said. "Too many amendments passed at the last moment that changed the bill."
One amendment in particular, sponsored by Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), would have given states the power to require food stamp recipients to seek work while on the program. That brought a backlash from Democrats and was key to the bill's failure last week.
Without passage of a farm bill, farm legislation would revert to a 1949 law that could lead to steep price increases on some items, including milk, for consumers. Legislators avoided that scenario by extending the 2008 farm bill in late December as dairy subsidies were scheduled to expire and the nation also was about to fall off the "fiscal cliff."
"We cannot go without a farm bill because the 1949 legislation has too extreme of consequences," Hurt said. "So odds may favor a second year of extension of the old farm bill."
Doering believes the bill foundered on elements not directly related to agriculture - primarily the battle over how much spending should be cut from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, and from commodity programs.
The Republican majority in the House will not follow its leadership and likely will remain fractured on important issues, such as a long-term budget fix, Doering said.
"It will come together primarily on issues of shared values, and the farm bill was not such an issue," he said.
While it is difficult to predict what Congress will do about farm legislation this year, Keeney said farmers should understand that the Sept. 30 end of the federal fiscal year doesn't mean that all farm programs would end on that date without congressional action. Programs for corn and soybean crops, for example, remain intact throughout the crop season, which extends well beyond September.
On Capitol Hill, NCGA President Outlines Benefits of Expanding Trade
During a House Committee on Small Business hearing today in Washington, National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson provided policy recommendations for the U.S. Trade Representative on growing export opportunities. Johnson focused on the benefits for family famers of expanding export markets and maximizing foreign market access.
"Agricultural producers succeed when industry and government work side-by-side," NCGA President Pam Johnson said during her testimony. "It is critical that U.S. negotiators have an appreciation for how increasing exports translates into benefits for family farmers. The U.S. economy will not benefit from agriculture issues being placed on a 'to do' list. Now is the perfect time to eliminate long standing barriers to agricultural exports and promote policies that bring economic opportunity back to rural America."
NCGA members have much to gain from government policies that encourage exports and facilitate small, family-owned farms entering the global marketplace, Johnson said. Developing new markets for America's agricultural products will help the sector lead the nation in economic growth and international competitiveness.
Johnson also said NCGA has joined other agricultural trade associations in calling for the trade agreement to be comprehensive and to tackle the significant hurdles that must be overcome when dealing with agricultural products. For NCGA members, the biggest challenge is approval of corn and corn products derived through biotechnology.
Registration Open for 2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference
If cattlemen and women want a seat at the table and involvement in shaping the future of the beef industry, then Denver, Colo., is the place to be Aug. 7-10, for the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. The conference features meetings of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB), American National CattleWomen, Inc. and National Cattlemen's Foundation. It is where cattle producers discuss current issues as a group, work on programs and initiatives and set the course the industry should take with various projects for the betterment of the beef cattle industry.
NCBA President Scott George said the event gives cattle farmers and ranchers an opportunity to engage in NCBA’s grassroots policy process while also networking with and learning from other cattlemen and women from across the country.
“We are looking forward to an action-packed conference this summer in Denver. NCBA is a member-driven organization and is the trusted leader and definitive voice of the cattle industry,” said George. “In order to continue being successful, cattle producers must continue to be engaged in the policy process so that the beef industry remains viable and beef continues to be on kitchen tables around the country and the world.”
Conference highlights include General Session I on Thurs. Aug 8, which officially kicks off the event. Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) will take the stage to welcome the audience and give an update on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. John Huston, executive vice president emeritus of NCBA, will then address the group and discuss 50 years of the Federation of State Beef Councils.
During General Session II on Fri., Aug. 9, NCBA and CBB leadership will identify the key outcomes and updates in both the policy and checkoff program areas and will set the stage for the focused plan of work for Fiscal Year 2014. Also, don’t miss the “Cattlemen’s Night at the Colorado Rockies,” where conference attendees can enjoy a night of peanuts and Cracker Jacks at the old ballgame as the Rockies take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Registration for the 2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference is now available online at www.beefusa.org. Pre-registration closes July 12, and attendees are encouraged to register in advance for the conference to take advantage of savings over the on-site registration prices. Registration prices will be higher on-site and tickets for events will be sold on a space available basis.
Weekly Ethanol Production for 6/21/2013
According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 885,000 barrels per day (b/d) — or 37.17 million gallons daily. That is up 12,000 b/d from the week before and tied for highest weekly average of the year to date. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 882,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 13.52 billion gallons.
Stocks of ethanol stood at 16.3 million barrels. That is a 1.0% decrease from last week.
Imports of ethanol were 38,000 b/d, down from last week.
Gasoline demand for the week averaged 373.5 million gallons daily.
Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 9.95%.
On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 13.419 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 98,769 metric tons of livestock feed, 88,053 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal. Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.61 million pounds of corn oil daily.
US Crude Oil Supplies Unchanged
(AP) -- The nation's crude oil supplies were unchanged last week, the government said Wednesday.
Crude supplies stayed at 394.1 million barrels, which is 1.8 percent above year-ago levels, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report.
Analysts expected a decrease of 2 million barrels for the week ended June 21, according to Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
Gasoline supplies grew by 3.7 million barrels, or 1.6 percent, to 225.4 million barrels. That's 10 percent above year-ago levels. Analysts expected gasoline supplies to rise by 1 million barrels.
Demand for gasoline over the four weeks ended June 21 was 0.3 percent lower than a year earlier, averaging 8.8 million barrels a day.
U.S. refineries ran at 90.2 percent of total capacity on average, up 0.9 percentage point from the prior week. Analysts expected capacity to rise to 89.7 percent.
Supplies of distillate fuel, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 1.6 million barrels to 123.2 million barrels. Analysts expected distillate stocks to grow by 1 million barrels.
Pump Prices on the Decline
(AP) -- The price at the gas pump dropped 6 cents in the past week, good news for drivers as the July Fourth holiday approaches.
The average price for a gallon of regular fell 1 cent Wednesday to $3.54. That's the lowest price since May 8, but still up 14 cents from a year ago, a time when gas prices were dropping along with a sharp downturn in oil prices.
Oil prices aren't as volatile this year. Benchmark oil for August delivery rose 18 cents Wednesday to close at $95.50 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That is in the middle of its range for the month of June, of $91.26 to $99.21 a barrel.
Energy & Commerce hearing opportunity to show Congress 73% of Americans support the RFS
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings today thanked the House Energy and Commerce Committee for holding a hearing where the EPA and USDA could share insights on how the Renewable Fuel Standard is working and for Congress to learn the results of a new poll showing strong support for the RFS.
“While certain ethanol-related hearings in Congress have been one-sided and heavily dominated by testimony from Big Oil representatives, I am pleased the House Energy and Commerce Committee is seeking input from EPA and USDA today. A recent poll indicates that 59 percent of Americans blame oil companies for high gas prices, 73 percent support the RFS, and 75 percent want more renewable fuel options at the pump. I am hopeful today’s hearing and this polling data will help Congress better appreciate the important role the RFS plays in providing consumers access to affordable renewable fuel choices,” said Jennings
“Absent the RFS, the United States would not be able to limit actions by OPEC or other global market forces that would lead to rising oil prices that would negatively impact consumers and the U.S. economy,” Jennings said.
NCBA Statement on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on the Renewable Fuels Standard Reform Act
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Policy Vice Chairman Craig Uden, a cattle feeder from Elwood, Neb., issued the following statement with regard to today’s hearing by the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Reform Act:
“NCBA appreciates the efforts of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in discussing the RFS, and we look forward to working with the committee on making significant changes to this policy. The inflexible RFS mandate continues to be a burden on cattle producers across the country. Livestock producers continue to face record high feed costs due to one of the worst droughts in the U.S. in half a century. The artificial support for corn ethanol provided for by the RFS is only making the situation worse. It is clear that the RFS must be overhauled and the RFS Reform Act (H.R. 1462) proposes to do just that.
“In a letter addressed to the House, NCBA urged congressional members to support the RFS Reform Act, legislation that would provide relief to those affected by this unworkable federal policy. This legislation will help ease concerns created by the ethanol mandate and allow cattle producers to be able to compete on a level playing field for a bushel of corn, by prohibiting corn-based ethanol from being used to meet the RFS, and reducing the total size of the RFS over the next few years.
“NCBA fully supports this commonsense approach by Congress on its recent bipartisan reviews of the RFS along with issuing a series of white papers examining the numerous issues with the current ethanol mandate system and its impact on all users of corn.”
IEA: Renewable Energy Growing Fast
(AP) -- Renewable energy is growing fast around the world and will be the second biggest source of electricity, after coal, by 2016, according to a five-year outlook published Wednesday by the International Energy Agency.
Developing countries are building more wind, solar and hydro-electric power plants to meet rising power demand and combat local pollution problems. And the costs of renewables are falling below the cost of traditional power sources such as coal, natural gas and oil in some markets with high-priced power.
Renewable power is the fastest-growing power generation sector and it is expected to increase by 40 percent in the next five years. By 2018 it will make up a quarter of the world's energy mix, according to the report up from 20 percent in 2011.
Energy generated with wind, solar, geothermal and energy derived from plants — the non-hydroelectric sources generally favored by environmental groups and sustainability experts — is also expected to grow quickly, but it contributes a far smaller amount of energy to the global mix.
These non-hydro renewables will supply 8 percent of the world's energy by 2018, up from 4 percent in 2011 and 2 percent in 2006.
Still, renewable power is facing uncertain times as subsidies in developed countries wane. Investment in renewable projects fell in 2012, according to the IEA, an energy security and research organization based in Paris that serves 28 oil-importing countries, including the U.S.
In a report published in April, the IEA said the world's energy is no cleaner than it was 20 years ago because of rising reliance on coal-fired generation in China, India, and parts of Europe that are phasing out nuclear power and facing high natural gas prices.
"The rapid growth of renewables continues to beat expectations and is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress toward a cleaner and more diversified energy mix," the report concludes.
The use of biofuels is expected to grow, though at a slower rate than renewable electricity, in part because companies haven't succeeded in developing technology that can squeeze fuels from plant waste or dedicated biofuel crops such as grasses at commercial scale. The vast majority of biofuel used today is alcohol — called ethanol — made from sugar cane or corn.
Biofuels use is projected to increase 25 percent by 2018 to 2.4 million barrels per day. By comparison, the world consumes 90 million barrels per day of petroleum.
Developing countries, led by China, will account for two-thirds of the global increase in renewable generation. Growth in Europe and the U.S. is expected to slow, though President Barack Obama outlined a sweeping plan Tuesday that would encourage renewed investment in renewable sources.
IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said in a statement that the biggest impediment to further renewable growth is changing energy policies that increase risk for investors. "Many renewables no longer require high economic incentives. But they do still need long-term policies that provide a predictable and reliable market and regulatory framework compatible with societal goals," she said.
The IEA estimates that worldwide subsides for fossil fuels are six times higher than incentives for renewables.
Stalled Fertilizer Prices Give Growers Pause
Retail fertilizer prices are once again sitting relatively steady the third week of June 2013, according to data tracked by DTN. All eight of the major fertilizers were lower compared to last month, but again these moves were fairly minor. DAP had average price of $599 per ton, MAP $643/ton, potash $582/ton, urea $550/ton, 10-34-0 $602/ton, anhydrous $816/ton, UAN28 $392/ton and UAN32 $444/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.60/lb.N, anhydrous $0.50/lb.N, UAN28 $0.70/lb.N and UAN32 $0.69/lb.N.
Only one of the eight major fertilizers is showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Anhydrous is now 6% higher compared to last year. Four fertilizers are single digits lower in price compared to June 2012. MAP is 5% lower, DAP is down 6%, UAN32 is 7% lower and UAN28 is now 8% lower compared to last year. The remaining three fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. Potash slipped 11% while 10-34-0 is 16% less expensive and urea is 24% lower.
Argentina Blocks Wheat Exports
Argentina's government has halted wheat exports as it grapples with rising prices for flour and bread, a staple of the Argentine diet. The government has informed exporters that it won't authorize further shipments from the 2012-13 crop, said a person from the grain export sector, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The government also ordered grain exporters to sell about 370,000 metric tons of wheat to local millers that was about to be shipped abroad, he said.
Local media reported Wednesday that Domestic Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno met with grain exporters earlier this week to inform them of the restrictions on wheat and flour exports. Spokespersons for Mr. Moreno and the Agriculture Ministry declined to comment. Argentina heavily regulates wheat exports to keep food prices low. Those controls have angered farmers, who for years complained their crop fetched far less at home than on international markets.
The measures will likely force Brazil -- the top buyer of Argentine wheat -- to turn to other markets such as the U.S. or Canada to meet its demand for the grain. Argentina was the world's seventh-largest wheat exporter during the 2012-13 crop year, according to the USDA.
Argentina Approves Corn Export
Argentina has authorized 16 million metric tons of corn exports from the upcoming 2013-14 crop, the agriculture ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The ministry said it is expecting a corn crop of more than 26 million tons in 2013-14. That's up from 25.7 million tons from the 2012-13 crop currently being harvested. The export quota will be 1 million tons higher than that from the previous season, according to the ministry.
Argentina is the world's no. 3 corn exporter behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Monsanto Fiscal 3Q Profit Slips 3%
Monsanto Co.'s fiscal third-quarter profit slipped 3% as the world's largest seed company saw weaker seed sales and higher input costs, though adjusted earnings climbed above expectations.
For the quarter ended May 31, Monsanto reported a profit of $909 million, or $1.68 a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $937 million, or $1.74 a share. Excluding one-time items, per-share earnings rose to $1.66 from $1.63 a year earlier. The company in May had forecast a profit of $1.55 to $1.60 a share.
Last month, Monsanto had said its third-quarter results would likely reflect the continued effect of higher production costs from the 2012 drought, and it would see decreased year-over-year contribution in the quarter from the Brazil soybean business. Still, at the time, the agricultural biotechnology company had also raised its outlook for 2013 -- the second such increase for the year -- amid what it called continued overall growth in its global corn portfolio and strength in the agricultural productivity segment.
Net sales edged up 0.7% to $4.25 billion, below the $4.41 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Gross margin narrowed to 53.2% from 56% as input costs rose 7%.
Monsanto's seeds and genomics business -- the company's biggest top-line contributor -- saw a 2.4% decrease in sales to $3.05 billion, driven by declines in cotton and soybean. Meanwhile, revenue from agricultural productivity jumped 9.4% to $1.19 billion.
Monsanto's revenue for the most part has improved over the past two years, as U.S. farmers saw high crop prices, especially for corn, giving them incentive to plant more acres and enabling them to buy higher-priced seed. The company has also benefited from both increased sales volumes and higher selling prices in South America, which is rapidly adopting genetically modified seeds. Earlier this month, Monsanto said it plans to debut its second-generation of genetically modified soybean seeds in the South American market during the next growing season.
Last week, Monsanto said sabotage was the likely cause of unapproved genetically modified wheat recently found in an Oregon field. The discovery of the wheat, genetically engineered to survive exposure to the widely used herbicide glyphosate, has threatened to upend the wheat market. In the wake of the discovery, Japan and South Korea imposed restrictions on imports of U.S. wheat, which remain in place.
Watch for Early Season Soybean Diseases
Soybean diseases are most common when soil is very wet in the first few weeks after planting, especially in heavy, poorly drained, compacted or high-residue fields. If field conditions remain cold and wet, DuPont Pioneer experts recommend scouting untreated soybeans for seedling diseases such as Phytophthora, Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia.
Pythium and Phytophthora are associated with wet, waterlogged conditions. Pythium is more active in cooler soils (50 to 60 degrees), while Phytophthora is more active in warmer soils above 60 degrees. Pythium may be the first soybean disease found in the growing season. Symptoms are commonly referred to as “damping off”, with seeds germinating but rotting before emergence, or small seedlings that wilt and die.
Phytophthora symptoms include a dark discoloration of the stem, usually beginning at the soil line. Diseased tissues quickly become soft and water-soaked. Wilting and plant death may soon follow. Most Pioneer® brand soybean varieties have the Rps 1k gene for Phytophthora resistance and field tolerance.
Rhizoctonia is more often found in late-planted soybean fields. It appears as the weather becomes warm (around 80 degrees) and is more common in wet to moderately wet soils where germination is slow or emergence is delayed. It is characterized by a shrunken, reddish-brown lesion on the hypocotyl at or near the soil line. The infection may be superficial, causing no noticeable damage, or may girdle the stem and kill or stunt plants.
Fusarium causes discoloration and decay of the lower taproots and lateral roots. The disease is most common in poorly drained, waterlogged soils. However, if the pathogen is present, it can also infect drought stressed plants in dry soil conditions. Fusarium is common in many soils but often goes unnoticed in the presence of Pythium, Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia symptoms.
According to Pioneer, several practices can reduce the incidence of seedling blights, the most effective being direct seed application of Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment (PPST). Good cultural practices, such as planting into a fit seedbed, avoiding compaction, and maintaining proper fertility and pH levels also contribute to overall plant health and make seedling blights less likely to occur.
To track field notes about these soil-borne diseases and other agronomic challenges, utilize the Pioneer® Field360™ Notes app.
FFA Washington Leadership Conference in full swing; teaches importance of personal growth, leadership development, community service
Thousands of FFA members from throughout the country are converging on Washington, D.C., this summer to analyze their personal skills and interests, develop leadership skills and a create a meaningful community-service plan that will make a difference in their home communities.
More than 1,800 students are attending the 2013 Washington Leadership Conference, the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each year. Created in 1969 and held annually in Washington, D.C., this year’s conference began June 4 based at the Holiday Inn Dulles.
Through July 21, FFA members will spend a week under the guidance of educational professionals, counselors and professional FFA staff members. In workshops, seminars and small groups, students will focus on identifying and developing their personal strengths and goals and undergo comprehensive leadership training that will help them guide their local FFA chapters.
Students will also analyze needs of their communities back home, develop a wide-ranging and high-impact community-service initiative and implement their plan with the help of their FFA chapter upon return home. Students in recent years have created food and clothing drives, volunteer campaigns, educational outreach initiatives and more.
“Students who attend the Washington Leadership Conference learn their purpose, how to value people, how take action and the importance of serving others,” said National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. “They leave with the knowledge and the confidence to act in ways that help their schools, communities and their country.”
During their time in Washington, FFA members will experience the history of the nation’s capital, touring landmarks including the Washington Monument, War Memorial, the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Capitol among others. Many students also arrange meetings with members of Congress.
“Monsanto’s support of the Washington Leadership Conference demonstrates our commitment to the talented and passionate youth who will become agricultural leaders,” said Linda Arnold, Monsanto customer advocacy outreach lead. “Monsanto has a long tradition of supporting agriculture youth so they can develop the skills necessary to meet the needs of today while preserving the planet for tomorrow.”
Agricultural education teachers attend the Washington Leadership Conference as well, learning how to motivate and help develop their students’ personal growth and leadership potential and how they can help maximize their local FFA chapters’ community-service initiatives throughout the year.
The conclusion of each weekly session of the Washington Leadership Conference is a Day of Service, during which students work together on a real, hands-on community-service project. Last year, students volunteered a combined 9,500 hours to pack and distribute more than 280,000 meals for greater Washington, D.C.-area food pantries and for distribution to families in Nicaragua.
“CSX is proud to support our nation’s future leaders by supporting the Washington Leadership Conference,” said Tori Kaplan, CSX AVP of corporate social responsibility. “CSX is pleased to support the conference and is even more excited to sponsor community service events with FFA members that will have a positive effect on the city’s school district.”
The 2013 National FFA Organization's Washington Leadership Conference is sponsored through the National FFA Foundation by title sponsors Monsanto and CSX and by weekly sponsors TransCanada, Crop Production Services, Farm Credit and CHS. For more, visit www.FFA.org/WLC. Follow the conference on Twitter at #WLC2013.
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
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Tuesday June 25 Ag News
Scouting for Stalk Borers
Larry Howard, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County
Corn growers should begin scouting corn for stalk borers and determining now whether treatment is necessary.
Stalk borer hatch and migration to new hosts can be predicted using degree days (DD). Based on research at Iowa State University, stalk borer egg hatch begins at about 575 DD and ends at 750 DD. Begin scouting corn when 1,300-1400 DD have accumulated. This corresponds with the beginning of larvae moving out of grassy hosts. Determine the need for treatment when 1,400-1,700 DD have accumulated.
To be effective, insecticides must be applied before common stalk borer larvae have entered the stalk. In cases where stalk borers begin feeding on grassy weeds or other vegetation in field edges, control is most effective if timed between 1,400 and 1,700 degree days (base 41°F), which corresponds to first half of the period that stalk borers are migrating from weedy hosts into corn. If the infestation is restricted to the field margin, use a border treatment.
In cases where there is a history of fieldwide stalk borer damage at a site, insecticides applied to corn and timed for egg hatch may be used to reduce damage. The disadvantage of this approach is that there is no effective way to sample for stalk borers at this time, so treatments are made without knowledge of whether an insecticide treatment would be profitable that year.
A variety of foliar insecticides are effective against common stalk borers in corn. Refer to the publication http://entomology.unl.edu/instabls/stalkbor.shtml on the UNL Department of Entomology website or the insecticide label information for labeled insecticides, their rates, and restrictions.
Not all of the currently available Bt corn hybrids have activity against common stalk borer. Several Bt corn hybrids list either suppression or control of common stalk borer. The label term "suppression" indicates that a lower level of mortality is expected than for insects labeled for control.
Cattlemen Gather At Midyear Meeting To Celebrate 125th Anniversary
Cattlemen and women from across Nebraska meet in Valentine, NE, June 18-19 for the Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) mid-year meeting at The Prairie Club and Valentine High School.
The mid-year meeting is one of the two major meetings NC holds each year. NC members gathered to discuss the issues facing the cattle industry and set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year.
The highlight of this year's meeting was the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Nebraska Cattlemen. Several special events were held in honor of the historic milestone.
The morning of June 18th began with a meeting of the Board of Directors and then an afternoon filled with golf, Niobrara River tubing, and area tours. Also, the Nebraska Cattlewomen held the 2013 Beef Ambassador Contest. In the evening a welcome reception was held at The Prairie Club where award winning photographer Bill Ganzel shot a historic panoramic photo of all attendees in honor of the 125th anniversary of Nebraska Cattlemen.
Wednesday, June 19th, meetings moved to the Valentine High School, where attendees heard updates and held discussion on pertinent industry issues. NC committee meetings were held throughout the course of the day. Animal Health & Nutrition, Education, Marketing & Commerce, and Taxation committees met in the morning where updates were given on animal traceability, County of Orgin Labeling, Trichomoniasis, and taxes.
The Retail Value Steer Challenge winners and 26 scholarship recipients were honored at the NC Foundation Luncheon.
The afternoon was consumed by the Brand & Property Rights and Natural Resources & Environment committee meetings where issues such as firearm rights, red cedar management and Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure Rule were discussed.
The day ended with the General Session which included a panel of Nebraska Stock Growers Association, Nebraska Livestock Feeder and Nebraska Cattlemen Presidents who recalled and discussed history of key events and issues addressed in the first 125 years of Nebraska Cattlemen’s history. The panel included: State Senator Tom Hansen of North Platte, NC president in 2005; Paul Johnston of Lincoln, NLFA executive vice president from 1967 to 1988; John Klosterman of David City, NLFA president in 1970-1971 and NC president in 1988-1989; Roy Lilley of Wellington, Colorado, NSGA executive vice president from 1979 to 1988 and NC executive vice president from 1992 to 1995; Jack Maddux of Wauneta, NSGA president from 1976 to 1978; and, Dick Mercer of Kearney, NLFA president in 1985. John Carter, Nebraska State Historical Society senior research historian and a collaborator on NET’s movie The Beef State, moderated the session.
Over 325 attended the 2013 Midyear Meeting to take part in the activities and discuss issues important to the Nebraska beef industry.
Extension Offering Farmland Leasing Meetings in July and August
Farm tenants and land owners are invited to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach farmland leasing meetings during July and August. The 3-hour workshops are designed to assist landowners, tenants and other agri-business professionals with current issues related to farmland ownership, management and leasing agreements.
Each workshop attendee will receive a set of beneficial materials regarding farm leasing arrangements and farmland ownership. Resources on farmland surveys and leasing arrangements also are provided.
Topics covered include:
- Iowa Cash Rental Rate Survey and Land Values Survey
- Comparison of different types of leases
- Lease termination
- Impacts of yields and prices
- Calculating a fair cash rent
- Use of spreadsheets to compare leases
- Issues unique to this year’s production and an outlook for 2014.
- Available Internet resources
The leasing meetings being held across Iowa are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach. A listing of county extension offices hosting the meetings is available on the ISU Extension and Outreach calendar – check both months for a complete list of meeting dates, locations and links to more information... http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/ShowList.asp?Month=7&Year=2013&Category=13|Financial+Management+%26+Strategic+Planning&County=All+Counties&CountiesScope=. Locations will be added as they become available, or contact your county extension office to find the nearest meeting location.
“Knowing the latest information and where to find the best resources will make decisions easier,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist with extension farm management. “ISU Extension and Ag Decision Maker have very helpful information and decision tools.”
Johanns said the Ag Decision Maker leasing section also provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.
Beef Demand is Critical to Understand, Appreciate, and Regularly Assess...
Glynn T. Tonsor, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University
As usual, last Friday's cattle on feed report estimates are being closely examined. The report estimates may be deemed as slightly bearish as placements were higher than expected while marketings came in lower than anticipated. As I reviewed related material online, this particular comment caught my attention: "If supply is down why is the live market so poor? Has the demand gone down also?" (www.meatingplace.com)
Given this comment, I want to take the opportunity to highlight a recently released beef demand study I was fortunate to be part of. The study was funded by the Cattlemen's Beef Board and sought to identify beef demand drivers worthy of top priority in industry efforts to build future beef demand domestically. (www.beefboard.org)
Key take-away points from this study include:
- To leverage limited resources, the industry should place top priority on areas that both impact demand and are practically feasible to be influenced by collective investment.
- Price, Product Quality, Nutrition, Health, Food Safety, Social Aspects, and Sustainability Aspects are each broad factors that influence beef demand.
- Food safety and product quality are factors that both have significant impact on aggregate demand and are considered feasible for the industry to influence.
- Consumer beef demand affects profitability of all participants in the industry.
- All industry participants have a role in building and enhancing beef demand.
As suggested by the inquiring comment noted above, both supply and demand factors influence prices realized throughout the supply chain from seedstock produces to retail operators. Unfortunately the definition and role of beef demand is often confusing leading to misunderstanding of critically important economic concepts. I encourage readers to take note of the important findings of this study and to make use of the associated resources that include multiple illustrations of what beef demand is (and what it is not). Long-term industry profitability is substantially influenced by the ability of industry leaders and every contributing participant to maintain and build their understanding of beef demand.
NCGA President Expresses Need for Public's Acceptance of Biotechnology
Increasing demand for major crops and the use of biotechnology in agriculture was the topic during today's American Association for the Advancement of Science's Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture. National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson answered questions as part of a panel after the lecture, with representatives from the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
"The continued use of biotechnology in agriculture is a key component to food security," Johnson said. "However, we need to greatly improve the public's acceptance of biotechnology. Agriculture needs to lead the conversation on this important topic and provide education on the advancements of the industry. Consumers should be able to make decisions based on science and facts, not fearmongering."
The Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture at AAAS is in honor of Professor Riley's legacy as a "whole picture" person with a vision for enhancing agriculture through scientific knowledge. The AAAS Riley Lecture addresses timely topics such as the role food, agriculture and natural resources play in providing a secure food supply and a sustainable economy.
The main lecturer, Dr. Stephen Long, Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, said the demand for major crops is expected to rise 50 percent by 2030. He also emphasized that the use of commodities for energy as well as food and feed comes at a time when increases in yield are stagnating. However, he pointed out that new biotechnological approaches are providing opportunities to overcome these limitations, but that societal and policy acceptance of these opportunities is likely the greatest barrier.
CWT Assists with 3.4 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 3.439 million pounds (1,560 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered June through October 2013.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 64.562 million pounds of cheese, 51.727 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of anhydrous milk fat and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 31 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 1.725 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by helping to maintain inventories of cheese and butter at desirable levels. In the long-term, CWT’s Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.
CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
Cartoon Character Debuts to Promote REAL® Seal
In its ongoing effort to revitalize and build awareness of the dairy industry’s iconic REAL® Seal, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is introducing a cartoon character modeled after the logo.
“The REAL® Seal has been around for nearly 40 years,” said Jim Mulhern, Chief Operating Officer of NMPF. “This character is intended to bring the importance of looking for REAL® dairy products and foods made with REAL® dairy products to life.”
The first order of business will be naming the character, according to Mulhern, who said a name will be chosen through an on-line challenge.
“We want kids to learn how to differentiate real dairy products and foods made with real American dairy products from the vegetable- and nut-based pretenders,” said Mulhern. “To highlight this important distinction, we are launching a campaign to name the character.”
Names may be submitted through the REAL® Seal website: www.realseal.com. All entries must be received by August 31, 2013. The top three names entered will be posted in September on the REAL® Seal Facebook page (www.facebook.com/realsealdairy) and subject to a vote. The name with the most votes will be declared the winner.
“We’re really excited about this approach to helping kids and parents learn to look for REAL® dairy products and foods containing REAL® dairy products,” said Mulhern. A cartoon featuring the character is already featured on the homepage of the REAL® Seal website.
STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY
H.R. 2410 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014
(Rep. Rogers, R-KY)
The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 2410, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014. The bill severely undermines key investments in financial oversight in a manner that would cripple Wall Street reform, and impedes implementation of statutorily-mandated financial regulations. It also imposes harmful cuts in rural economic development, renewable energy development, nutrition programs, food safety, agricultural research, and international food aid. Investing in these areas is critical to the Nation's economic growth, security, and global competitiveness. If the President were presented with H.R. 2410, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
In addition, enacting H.R. 2410, while adhering to the overall spending limits in the House Budget's topline discretionary level for fiscal year (FY) 2014, would hurt our economy and require draconian cuts to middle-class priorities. These cuts could result in hundreds of thousands of low-income children losing access to Head Start programs, tens of thousands of children with disabilities losing Federal funding for their special education teachers and aides, thousands of Federal agents who can't enforce drug laws, combat violent crime or apprehend fugitives, and thousands of scientists without medical grants, which would slow research that could lead to new treatments and cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's, and hurt America's economic competitiveness.
More than two months have passed since the deadline for action and the Congress has yet to appoint conferees and agree on a budget resolution. Prior to consideration of appropriations bills the Congress should complete an appropriate framework for all the appropriations bills that supports our recovery and enables sufficient investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and national security for our economy to compete in the future. As such, the President's senior advisors would recommend that he veto H.R. 2410 and any other legislation that implements the House Republican Budget framework.
The Administration would like to take this opportunity to share additional views regarding the Committee's version of the bill.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
International Food Aid Reform. The Administration strongly objects to the funding level provided in the Committee bill for P.L. 480 Title II. The bill fails to incorporate any of the efficiencies sought in the President's food aid reform request, and instead cuts P.L. 480 Title II funding by over 20 percent compared to the Budget request, with the reduction coming entirely out of emergency food aid. By cutting emergency food aid funding and excluding the proposed changes to allow more efficient food aid, the bill would delay food aid to starving people up to 14 weeks and would preclude as many as 12 million people from receiving life-saving assistance than under the Administration's proposal.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The Administration is deeply concerned that the WIC funding level in the Committee bill puts the program at significant risk of being unable to serve all eligible women and children who seek assistance, which could result in waiting lists, greater hardship, and poorer health outcomes for this vulnerable population. In addition, the low funding level would effectively end the breastfeeding peer counseling program for the year, stall needed technology investments to improve program efficiency, and deplete the contingency reserve just to cover anticipated costs, leaving the program at risk of further cuts in the event of unexpected changes in food prices or participation.
Child Nutrition School Equipment Grants. The Administration urges the Congress to fund school meals equipment competitive grants, which would help school districts purchase the equipment needed to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, expand access to meals, and improve energy efficiency.
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The Administration opposes the funding level for FSIS. In addition to a nearly $10 million reduction from the President's Budget request, the Committee bill forces FSIS to absorb $9 million in rental costs by not providing the necessary funding. These cuts will significantly impact USDA's ability to adequately inspect food processing plants and prevent foodborne diseases from contaminating America's meat, poultry, and egg product supply. Over 80 percent of FSIS's employees are frontline inspectors and the Committee's recommendation may require the agency to furlough. Decreased FSIS inspections will disrupt industry production.
Research Facilities. The Administration urges the House to include the requested $155 million to fully fund a high priority poultry biosafety and laboratory facility. State-of-the-art research facilities to replace USDA's aging laboratory infrastructure are key to the Department's ability to meet research challenges of the 21st Century.
Research Grants. The Administration objects to the level of funding provided for the Agricultural Food and Research Initiative (AFRI) at $291 million, which is a reduction of approximately 24 percent from the FY 2014 Budget request. The Administration urges the Congress to fully fund the request for competitive peer-reviewed research grants through AFRI.
USDA Funding for GSA Rent. The Administration urges the Congress to include $164 million in funding for rent as requested in the FY 2014 Budget. The Committee bill would require 20 agencies—including the three field agencies, the research agencies, the Office of Inspector General and others—to absorb a total of $164 million in fixed rent costs. This is a de facto reduction to already constrained agency operating budgets. For example, the bill would require the Economic Research Service to divert more than 8 percent of its current budget to fund rental payments. These problems are exacerbated by not having the authority requested in the Budget to allow the Department to use mandatory funds to pay for administrative expenses related to delivering certain Commodity Credit Corporation programs.
Evidence-Based Rural Business Grant Proposal. The Administration strongly urges the Congress to include the FY 2014 Budget request to consolidate seven existing rural development grant programs into a new program that would leverage evidence to award rural business grants.
Clean and Renewable Energy. The Administration urges the Congress to include the President's FY 2014 Budget request to move the Rural Electric Loan Program away from fossil fuels and encourage the construction, acquisition, or improvement of renewable energy plants in rural America. In addition, the Administration urges the House to fund the Rural Energy for America Program at the level requested in the Budget.
Rental Assistance Program. The Administration appreciates that the Committee provided full funding for expiring rental assistance contracts expected in FY 2014 of $1.012 billion, which will continue the support for USDA-financed properties on behalf of the tenants who receive subsidized rent.
Ban on Horse Slaughter. The Administration appreciates reinstatement of the Federal ban on horse slaughter and looks forward to working with the Congress to complete work on this important legislation.
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Administration strongly supports robust funding for FDA to continue implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and to modernize regulatory science to support medical product innovation. The Administration is concerned that the Committee bill provides $4.3 billion in total resources for FDA, which is $342 million below the President's request, and does not include new proposed user fees. The Administration urges the Congress to enact new user fees proposed in the FY 2014 Budget, which would provide significant additional resources to enhance FDA regulatory capacity, as well as provide benefits to industry, advance the Nation's food safety system, and continue implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act. While the Administration appreciates the funding to continue the development of the FDA Life Sciences/Biodefense laboratory in White Oak, Maryland, the overall reductions in budget authority will limit FDA's ability to oversee the safety and quality of Nation's food and medical products and threaten the agency's ability to improve and maintain FDA's other critical facilities.
Other Agencies
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Administration strongly opposes the funding level of $195 million for CFTC, which is $120 million below the President's FY 2014 Budget request. The reduced funding level will seriously impede CFTC's implementation of critical Wall Street reforms to increase market transparency and integrity, reduce risks to the economy and protect consumers, and will unacceptably increase the risk of fraud and manipulation in the $30 trillion futures and $250 trillion swaps markets.
GIPSA Marketing Rule
The Administration strongly opposes a provision in the Committee bill that effectively prevents USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration from further implementing the remaining portions of a rule on conduct violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921. This provision would rescind many components of the rule that was finalized in December 2011 preventing its full implementation, which is needed to clarify conditions for industry compliance with the Packers and Stockyards Act and provide for a fairer marketplace.
Civilian Pay Raise
The Administration urges the Congress to support the proposed 1.0 percent pay increase for Federal civilian employees. As the President stated in his FY 2014 Budget, a permanent pay freeze is neither sustainable nor desirable.
The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress as the FY 2014 appropriations process moves forward.
CFTC Expected to Recommend Civil Suit Against Former MF Global CEO Jon Corzine
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is expected to recommend a civil lawsuit against former MF Global Holdings Ltd. chief executive Jon S. Corzine for his role in overseeing the now-bankrupt securities brokerage.
CFTC officials have told lawyers for Mr. Corzine the commission would recommend the agency file a suit as early as this week, a person familiar with the case said. Commissioners at the CFTC would have to vote on any recommendation to file charges against Mr. Corzine.
In this case, only four of the five commissioners would vote to approve the action. CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler recused himself from the investigation shortly after it started because of his ties with Mr. Corzine at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), where the two were co-workers in the 1990s.
A civil suit would be another chapter in a long ordeal for former MF Global customers and Mr. Corzine, a former New Jersey governor and senator who also served as chairman of Goldman during the 1990s. Criminal and civil investigations have swirled around the firm and its former officials after an estimated $1.6 billion in money was improperly moved from customer accounts in the days before the firm's Oct. 31, 2011 bankruptcy.
The criminal case hasn't progressed to date, but the civil case is moving ahead at the CFTC, which regulates brokerages like MF Global that specialize in futures contracts.
In multiple Congressional hearings, Mr. Corzine denied any role in the movement of customer money, saying he didn't know about it until after the fact.
Mr. Corzine's lawyers have pointed out that MF Global's collapse, and the subsequent shortfall in customer funds, occurred in part because of the actions of MF Global's counterparties and bankers. Lawyers also have noted that much of the customer money has been returned.
A civil case against Mr. Corzine is likely to focus on his supervision of the firm, not details of money movement in the final days before the firm's bankruptcy filing, the person familiar with the case noted. If the CFTC files civil charges against Mr. Corzine, it could be because the CFTC decided not to pursue a settlement with him or because settlement talks were unsuccessful.
In a statement, a spokesman for Mr. Corzine, Steven Goldberg said: "The CFTC apparently intends to bring what would be an unprecedented and meritless civil enforcement action against Mr. Corzine. There is no legal or factual basis for the CFTC's attempt to blame Mr. Corzine for alleged mishandling of customer funds in the last days of MF Global." The potential CFTC lawsuit was reported earlier in the New York Times.
Inclusive Innovation in Action: New DuPont Innovation Center Launched in Iowa
DuPont today opened its Johnston Innovation Center, the company’s second innovation center in the United States and 12th around the world, focusing on the company’s unique integrated science capabilities across the food, agriculture and energy value chains.
“DuPont has a history of innovation and scientific discovery. Today, we are creating solutions to address the world’s big challenges of feeding and protecting a growing global population and reducing reliance on fossil fuels,” said Chair and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman. “The key is to quickly connect our integrated science to the market. The Innovation Centers enable DuPont to harness its global science capabilities to create local solutions that are tailored to meet the most pressing market needs. In just two years, we have generated more than 225 active projects from this model. The DuPont Johnston Innovation Center provides a unique environment for collaboration among more than 10,000 DuPont scientists and engineers with customers, government officials, academics and business partners around the world.”
The 3,500 square foot space and adjoining collaboration room showcases the latest company technology, applications and products created to meet the world’s biggest challenges, including food security, energy and protection. During the opening event, Kullman also announced two recent DuPont projects in Iowa that further demonstrate the company’s commitment to growing its research capacity globally in order to address the demands of a growing world population. DuPont Pioneer will break ground on a new research facility, Beaver Creek II, in Johnston in the fall of 2013 – a project that will add 100 new jobs to the Des Moines metro area. Additionally, DuPont is investing over $200 million in its Nevada, Iowa commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The construction of the facility will employ over 1,000 construction workers. It will employ over 60 full time jobs and involve hundreds of farmers who will supply the stover to the facility upon completion.
“Iowa is critical to meeting many of the food and energy demands globally, and we are proud to build on our business here in the state,” Kullman said.
Johnston, Iowa, is the 12th Innovation Center for DuPont. Other Innovation Centers have been opened recently in Turkey, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, India, Brazil, Mexico, Michigan, Russia and Switzerland. To learn more about DuPont’s Innovation Centers, visit our website at www.innovationcenter.dupont.com.
Novozymes acquires TJ Technologies Inc., further strengthens position in bioagriculture
Novozymes, the world leader in bioinnovation, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TJ Technologies Inc. based in Watertown, South Dakota, USA.
The acquisition is yet another important step in building Novozymes’ business within BioAgriculture, in the case of TJ Technologies specifically within the bioyield enhancement segment. Today, Novozymes is a leading player in the bioagriculture industry, and this acquisition will further strengthen Novozymes’ position with complementary technologies and products.
“With this acquisition we continue to build our business within sustainable bioagriculture. TJ Technologies Inc. is a frontrunner in bioyield enhancers, and this acquisition will further underpin Novozymes’ position, while strengthening commercial access,” says Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President of Novozymes and head of Business Development. “Combining our existing products and leading global name with TJ Technologies’ strong and proven portfolio, brands and regional market coverage will strengthen the joint company’s commercial position in important crop markets.”
Bringing new products and innovation to market
Founded in 1978, TJ Technologies Inc. develops and markets proprietary microbial and micronutrient products for agriculture. It is a significant participant in the U.S. market for bioyield enhancement products, with a strong position in seed treatment of corn as well as other important crops.
“With its proven portfolio of products and new pipeline opportunities, TJ Technologies’ talented employees will add solid experience and knowhow to Novozymes, which can leverage its leading position to bring the existing products to market, and further develop new innovation and growth opportunities for the bioagriculture market,” says Videbæk.
Biological solutions on the rise globally
Biological technologies are natural solutions with multiple modes of action. They are used to improve plant health and growth or combat diseases across various broad-acre crops such as corn and soy and high-value crops such as leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables.
Globally, the market for biological solutions in agriculture is expanding at a rapid pace. Driven in particular by growing populations there is an increasing need for sustainable agricultural production.
“Today, the global population is growing at a much faster pace than agricultural production. The challenge is to increase yields on the same amount of agricultural land without any additional costs to the environment,” explains Videbæk. “Increasingly so, farmers are becoming aware of potent biological solutions that both improve agricultural productivity, while also reducing the environmental impact of their operations. With the acquisition of TJ Technologies Inc., we further extend our offerings to this exciting, biological market.”
The biological solutions complement the use of traditional chemicals and pesticides, which have a world market worth around $150 billion. By contrast, the emerging bioagriculture market is estimated to be worth about $1.5 billion with an annual growth rate of 10-15%.
TJ Technologies Inc. and Novozymes have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the agreement. The acquisition does not impact Novozymes’ financial guidance for 2013.
Larry Howard, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County
Corn growers should begin scouting corn for stalk borers and determining now whether treatment is necessary.
Stalk borer hatch and migration to new hosts can be predicted using degree days (DD). Based on research at Iowa State University, stalk borer egg hatch begins at about 575 DD and ends at 750 DD. Begin scouting corn when 1,300-1400 DD have accumulated. This corresponds with the beginning of larvae moving out of grassy hosts. Determine the need for treatment when 1,400-1,700 DD have accumulated.
To be effective, insecticides must be applied before common stalk borer larvae have entered the stalk. In cases where stalk borers begin feeding on grassy weeds or other vegetation in field edges, control is most effective if timed between 1,400 and 1,700 degree days (base 41°F), which corresponds to first half of the period that stalk borers are migrating from weedy hosts into corn. If the infestation is restricted to the field margin, use a border treatment.
In cases where there is a history of fieldwide stalk borer damage at a site, insecticides applied to corn and timed for egg hatch may be used to reduce damage. The disadvantage of this approach is that there is no effective way to sample for stalk borers at this time, so treatments are made without knowledge of whether an insecticide treatment would be profitable that year.
A variety of foliar insecticides are effective against common stalk borers in corn. Refer to the publication http://entomology.unl.edu/instabls/stalkbor.shtml on the UNL Department of Entomology website or the insecticide label information for labeled insecticides, their rates, and restrictions.
Not all of the currently available Bt corn hybrids have activity against common stalk borer. Several Bt corn hybrids list either suppression or control of common stalk borer. The label term "suppression" indicates that a lower level of mortality is expected than for insects labeled for control.
Cattlemen Gather At Midyear Meeting To Celebrate 125th Anniversary
Cattlemen and women from across Nebraska meet in Valentine, NE, June 18-19 for the Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) mid-year meeting at The Prairie Club and Valentine High School.
The mid-year meeting is one of the two major meetings NC holds each year. NC members gathered to discuss the issues facing the cattle industry and set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year.
The highlight of this year's meeting was the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Nebraska Cattlemen. Several special events were held in honor of the historic milestone.
The morning of June 18th began with a meeting of the Board of Directors and then an afternoon filled with golf, Niobrara River tubing, and area tours. Also, the Nebraska Cattlewomen held the 2013 Beef Ambassador Contest. In the evening a welcome reception was held at The Prairie Club where award winning photographer Bill Ganzel shot a historic panoramic photo of all attendees in honor of the 125th anniversary of Nebraska Cattlemen.
Wednesday, June 19th, meetings moved to the Valentine High School, where attendees heard updates and held discussion on pertinent industry issues. NC committee meetings were held throughout the course of the day. Animal Health & Nutrition, Education, Marketing & Commerce, and Taxation committees met in the morning where updates were given on animal traceability, County of Orgin Labeling, Trichomoniasis, and taxes.
The Retail Value Steer Challenge winners and 26 scholarship recipients were honored at the NC Foundation Luncheon.
The afternoon was consumed by the Brand & Property Rights and Natural Resources & Environment committee meetings where issues such as firearm rights, red cedar management and Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure Rule were discussed.
The day ended with the General Session which included a panel of Nebraska Stock Growers Association, Nebraska Livestock Feeder and Nebraska Cattlemen Presidents who recalled and discussed history of key events and issues addressed in the first 125 years of Nebraska Cattlemen’s history. The panel included: State Senator Tom Hansen of North Platte, NC president in 2005; Paul Johnston of Lincoln, NLFA executive vice president from 1967 to 1988; John Klosterman of David City, NLFA president in 1970-1971 and NC president in 1988-1989; Roy Lilley of Wellington, Colorado, NSGA executive vice president from 1979 to 1988 and NC executive vice president from 1992 to 1995; Jack Maddux of Wauneta, NSGA president from 1976 to 1978; and, Dick Mercer of Kearney, NLFA president in 1985. John Carter, Nebraska State Historical Society senior research historian and a collaborator on NET’s movie The Beef State, moderated the session.
Over 325 attended the 2013 Midyear Meeting to take part in the activities and discuss issues important to the Nebraska beef industry.
Extension Offering Farmland Leasing Meetings in July and August
Farm tenants and land owners are invited to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach farmland leasing meetings during July and August. The 3-hour workshops are designed to assist landowners, tenants and other agri-business professionals with current issues related to farmland ownership, management and leasing agreements.
Each workshop attendee will receive a set of beneficial materials regarding farm leasing arrangements and farmland ownership. Resources on farmland surveys and leasing arrangements also are provided.
Topics covered include:
- Iowa Cash Rental Rate Survey and Land Values Survey
- Comparison of different types of leases
- Lease termination
- Impacts of yields and prices
- Calculating a fair cash rent
- Use of spreadsheets to compare leases
- Issues unique to this year’s production and an outlook for 2014.
- Available Internet resources
The leasing meetings being held across Iowa are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach. A listing of county extension offices hosting the meetings is available on the ISU Extension and Outreach calendar – check both months for a complete list of meeting dates, locations and links to more information... http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/ShowList.asp?Month=7&Year=2013&Category=13|Financial+Management+%26+Strategic+Planning&County=All+Counties&CountiesScope=. Locations will be added as they become available, or contact your county extension office to find the nearest meeting location.
“Knowing the latest information and where to find the best resources will make decisions easier,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist with extension farm management. “ISU Extension and Ag Decision Maker have very helpful information and decision tools.”
Johanns said the Ag Decision Maker leasing section also provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.
Beef Demand is Critical to Understand, Appreciate, and Regularly Assess...
Glynn T. Tonsor, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University
As usual, last Friday's cattle on feed report estimates are being closely examined. The report estimates may be deemed as slightly bearish as placements were higher than expected while marketings came in lower than anticipated. As I reviewed related material online, this particular comment caught my attention: "If supply is down why is the live market so poor? Has the demand gone down also?" (www.meatingplace.com)
Given this comment, I want to take the opportunity to highlight a recently released beef demand study I was fortunate to be part of. The study was funded by the Cattlemen's Beef Board and sought to identify beef demand drivers worthy of top priority in industry efforts to build future beef demand domestically. (www.beefboard.org)
Key take-away points from this study include:
- To leverage limited resources, the industry should place top priority on areas that both impact demand and are practically feasible to be influenced by collective investment.
- Price, Product Quality, Nutrition, Health, Food Safety, Social Aspects, and Sustainability Aspects are each broad factors that influence beef demand.
- Food safety and product quality are factors that both have significant impact on aggregate demand and are considered feasible for the industry to influence.
- Consumer beef demand affects profitability of all participants in the industry.
- All industry participants have a role in building and enhancing beef demand.
As suggested by the inquiring comment noted above, both supply and demand factors influence prices realized throughout the supply chain from seedstock produces to retail operators. Unfortunately the definition and role of beef demand is often confusing leading to misunderstanding of critically important economic concepts. I encourage readers to take note of the important findings of this study and to make use of the associated resources that include multiple illustrations of what beef demand is (and what it is not). Long-term industry profitability is substantially influenced by the ability of industry leaders and every contributing participant to maintain and build their understanding of beef demand.
NCGA President Expresses Need for Public's Acceptance of Biotechnology
Increasing demand for major crops and the use of biotechnology in agriculture was the topic during today's American Association for the Advancement of Science's Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture. National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson answered questions as part of a panel after the lecture, with representatives from the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
"The continued use of biotechnology in agriculture is a key component to food security," Johnson said. "However, we need to greatly improve the public's acceptance of biotechnology. Agriculture needs to lead the conversation on this important topic and provide education on the advancements of the industry. Consumers should be able to make decisions based on science and facts, not fearmongering."
The Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture at AAAS is in honor of Professor Riley's legacy as a "whole picture" person with a vision for enhancing agriculture through scientific knowledge. The AAAS Riley Lecture addresses timely topics such as the role food, agriculture and natural resources play in providing a secure food supply and a sustainable economy.
The main lecturer, Dr. Stephen Long, Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, said the demand for major crops is expected to rise 50 percent by 2030. He also emphasized that the use of commodities for energy as well as food and feed comes at a time when increases in yield are stagnating. However, he pointed out that new biotechnological approaches are providing opportunities to overcome these limitations, but that societal and policy acceptance of these opportunities is likely the greatest barrier.
CWT Assists with 3.4 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) to sell 3.439 million pounds (1,560 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered June through October 2013.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 64.562 million pounds of cheese, 51.727 million pounds of butter, 44,092 pounds of anhydrous milk fat and 218,258 pounds of whole milk powder to 31 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 1.725 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by helping to maintain inventories of cheese and butter at desirable levels. In the long-term, CWT’s Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.
CWT will pay export assistance to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
Cartoon Character Debuts to Promote REAL® Seal
In its ongoing effort to revitalize and build awareness of the dairy industry’s iconic REAL® Seal, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is introducing a cartoon character modeled after the logo.
“The REAL® Seal has been around for nearly 40 years,” said Jim Mulhern, Chief Operating Officer of NMPF. “This character is intended to bring the importance of looking for REAL® dairy products and foods made with REAL® dairy products to life.”
The first order of business will be naming the character, according to Mulhern, who said a name will be chosen through an on-line challenge.
“We want kids to learn how to differentiate real dairy products and foods made with real American dairy products from the vegetable- and nut-based pretenders,” said Mulhern. “To highlight this important distinction, we are launching a campaign to name the character.”
Names may be submitted through the REAL® Seal website: www.realseal.com. All entries must be received by August 31, 2013. The top three names entered will be posted in September on the REAL® Seal Facebook page (www.facebook.com/realsealdairy) and subject to a vote. The name with the most votes will be declared the winner.
“We’re really excited about this approach to helping kids and parents learn to look for REAL® dairy products and foods containing REAL® dairy products,” said Mulhern. A cartoon featuring the character is already featured on the homepage of the REAL® Seal website.
STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY
H.R. 2410 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014
(Rep. Rogers, R-KY)
The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 2410, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014. The bill severely undermines key investments in financial oversight in a manner that would cripple Wall Street reform, and impedes implementation of statutorily-mandated financial regulations. It also imposes harmful cuts in rural economic development, renewable energy development, nutrition programs, food safety, agricultural research, and international food aid. Investing in these areas is critical to the Nation's economic growth, security, and global competitiveness. If the President were presented with H.R. 2410, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
In addition, enacting H.R. 2410, while adhering to the overall spending limits in the House Budget's topline discretionary level for fiscal year (FY) 2014, would hurt our economy and require draconian cuts to middle-class priorities. These cuts could result in hundreds of thousands of low-income children losing access to Head Start programs, tens of thousands of children with disabilities losing Federal funding for their special education teachers and aides, thousands of Federal agents who can't enforce drug laws, combat violent crime or apprehend fugitives, and thousands of scientists without medical grants, which would slow research that could lead to new treatments and cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's, and hurt America's economic competitiveness.
More than two months have passed since the deadline for action and the Congress has yet to appoint conferees and agree on a budget resolution. Prior to consideration of appropriations bills the Congress should complete an appropriate framework for all the appropriations bills that supports our recovery and enables sufficient investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and national security for our economy to compete in the future. As such, the President's senior advisors would recommend that he veto H.R. 2410 and any other legislation that implements the House Republican Budget framework.
The Administration would like to take this opportunity to share additional views regarding the Committee's version of the bill.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
International Food Aid Reform. The Administration strongly objects to the funding level provided in the Committee bill for P.L. 480 Title II. The bill fails to incorporate any of the efficiencies sought in the President's food aid reform request, and instead cuts P.L. 480 Title II funding by over 20 percent compared to the Budget request, with the reduction coming entirely out of emergency food aid. By cutting emergency food aid funding and excluding the proposed changes to allow more efficient food aid, the bill would delay food aid to starving people up to 14 weeks and would preclude as many as 12 million people from receiving life-saving assistance than under the Administration's proposal.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The Administration is deeply concerned that the WIC funding level in the Committee bill puts the program at significant risk of being unable to serve all eligible women and children who seek assistance, which could result in waiting lists, greater hardship, and poorer health outcomes for this vulnerable population. In addition, the low funding level would effectively end the breastfeeding peer counseling program for the year, stall needed technology investments to improve program efficiency, and deplete the contingency reserve just to cover anticipated costs, leaving the program at risk of further cuts in the event of unexpected changes in food prices or participation.
Child Nutrition School Equipment Grants. The Administration urges the Congress to fund school meals equipment competitive grants, which would help school districts purchase the equipment needed to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, expand access to meals, and improve energy efficiency.
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The Administration opposes the funding level for FSIS. In addition to a nearly $10 million reduction from the President's Budget request, the Committee bill forces FSIS to absorb $9 million in rental costs by not providing the necessary funding. These cuts will significantly impact USDA's ability to adequately inspect food processing plants and prevent foodborne diseases from contaminating America's meat, poultry, and egg product supply. Over 80 percent of FSIS's employees are frontline inspectors and the Committee's recommendation may require the agency to furlough. Decreased FSIS inspections will disrupt industry production.
Research Facilities. The Administration urges the House to include the requested $155 million to fully fund a high priority poultry biosafety and laboratory facility. State-of-the-art research facilities to replace USDA's aging laboratory infrastructure are key to the Department's ability to meet research challenges of the 21st Century.
Research Grants. The Administration objects to the level of funding provided for the Agricultural Food and Research Initiative (AFRI) at $291 million, which is a reduction of approximately 24 percent from the FY 2014 Budget request. The Administration urges the Congress to fully fund the request for competitive peer-reviewed research grants through AFRI.
USDA Funding for GSA Rent. The Administration urges the Congress to include $164 million in funding for rent as requested in the FY 2014 Budget. The Committee bill would require 20 agencies—including the three field agencies, the research agencies, the Office of Inspector General and others—to absorb a total of $164 million in fixed rent costs. This is a de facto reduction to already constrained agency operating budgets. For example, the bill would require the Economic Research Service to divert more than 8 percent of its current budget to fund rental payments. These problems are exacerbated by not having the authority requested in the Budget to allow the Department to use mandatory funds to pay for administrative expenses related to delivering certain Commodity Credit Corporation programs.
Evidence-Based Rural Business Grant Proposal. The Administration strongly urges the Congress to include the FY 2014 Budget request to consolidate seven existing rural development grant programs into a new program that would leverage evidence to award rural business grants.
Clean and Renewable Energy. The Administration urges the Congress to include the President's FY 2014 Budget request to move the Rural Electric Loan Program away from fossil fuels and encourage the construction, acquisition, or improvement of renewable energy plants in rural America. In addition, the Administration urges the House to fund the Rural Energy for America Program at the level requested in the Budget.
Rental Assistance Program. The Administration appreciates that the Committee provided full funding for expiring rental assistance contracts expected in FY 2014 of $1.012 billion, which will continue the support for USDA-financed properties on behalf of the tenants who receive subsidized rent.
Ban on Horse Slaughter. The Administration appreciates reinstatement of the Federal ban on horse slaughter and looks forward to working with the Congress to complete work on this important legislation.
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Administration strongly supports robust funding for FDA to continue implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and to modernize regulatory science to support medical product innovation. The Administration is concerned that the Committee bill provides $4.3 billion in total resources for FDA, which is $342 million below the President's request, and does not include new proposed user fees. The Administration urges the Congress to enact new user fees proposed in the FY 2014 Budget, which would provide significant additional resources to enhance FDA regulatory capacity, as well as provide benefits to industry, advance the Nation's food safety system, and continue implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act. While the Administration appreciates the funding to continue the development of the FDA Life Sciences/Biodefense laboratory in White Oak, Maryland, the overall reductions in budget authority will limit FDA's ability to oversee the safety and quality of Nation's food and medical products and threaten the agency's ability to improve and maintain FDA's other critical facilities.
Other Agencies
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Administration strongly opposes the funding level of $195 million for CFTC, which is $120 million below the President's FY 2014 Budget request. The reduced funding level will seriously impede CFTC's implementation of critical Wall Street reforms to increase market transparency and integrity, reduce risks to the economy and protect consumers, and will unacceptably increase the risk of fraud and manipulation in the $30 trillion futures and $250 trillion swaps markets.
GIPSA Marketing Rule
The Administration strongly opposes a provision in the Committee bill that effectively prevents USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration from further implementing the remaining portions of a rule on conduct violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921. This provision would rescind many components of the rule that was finalized in December 2011 preventing its full implementation, which is needed to clarify conditions for industry compliance with the Packers and Stockyards Act and provide for a fairer marketplace.
Civilian Pay Raise
The Administration urges the Congress to support the proposed 1.0 percent pay increase for Federal civilian employees. As the President stated in his FY 2014 Budget, a permanent pay freeze is neither sustainable nor desirable.
The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress as the FY 2014 appropriations process moves forward.
CFTC Expected to Recommend Civil Suit Against Former MF Global CEO Jon Corzine
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is expected to recommend a civil lawsuit against former MF Global Holdings Ltd. chief executive Jon S. Corzine for his role in overseeing the now-bankrupt securities brokerage.
CFTC officials have told lawyers for Mr. Corzine the commission would recommend the agency file a suit as early as this week, a person familiar with the case said. Commissioners at the CFTC would have to vote on any recommendation to file charges against Mr. Corzine.
In this case, only four of the five commissioners would vote to approve the action. CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler recused himself from the investigation shortly after it started because of his ties with Mr. Corzine at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), where the two were co-workers in the 1990s.
A civil suit would be another chapter in a long ordeal for former MF Global customers and Mr. Corzine, a former New Jersey governor and senator who also served as chairman of Goldman during the 1990s. Criminal and civil investigations have swirled around the firm and its former officials after an estimated $1.6 billion in money was improperly moved from customer accounts in the days before the firm's Oct. 31, 2011 bankruptcy.
The criminal case hasn't progressed to date, but the civil case is moving ahead at the CFTC, which regulates brokerages like MF Global that specialize in futures contracts.
In multiple Congressional hearings, Mr. Corzine denied any role in the movement of customer money, saying he didn't know about it until after the fact.
Mr. Corzine's lawyers have pointed out that MF Global's collapse, and the subsequent shortfall in customer funds, occurred in part because of the actions of MF Global's counterparties and bankers. Lawyers also have noted that much of the customer money has been returned.
A civil case against Mr. Corzine is likely to focus on his supervision of the firm, not details of money movement in the final days before the firm's bankruptcy filing, the person familiar with the case noted. If the CFTC files civil charges against Mr. Corzine, it could be because the CFTC decided not to pursue a settlement with him or because settlement talks were unsuccessful.
In a statement, a spokesman for Mr. Corzine, Steven Goldberg said: "The CFTC apparently intends to bring what would be an unprecedented and meritless civil enforcement action against Mr. Corzine. There is no legal or factual basis for the CFTC's attempt to blame Mr. Corzine for alleged mishandling of customer funds in the last days of MF Global." The potential CFTC lawsuit was reported earlier in the New York Times.
Inclusive Innovation in Action: New DuPont Innovation Center Launched in Iowa
DuPont today opened its Johnston Innovation Center, the company’s second innovation center in the United States and 12th around the world, focusing on the company’s unique integrated science capabilities across the food, agriculture and energy value chains.
“DuPont has a history of innovation and scientific discovery. Today, we are creating solutions to address the world’s big challenges of feeding and protecting a growing global population and reducing reliance on fossil fuels,” said Chair and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman. “The key is to quickly connect our integrated science to the market. The Innovation Centers enable DuPont to harness its global science capabilities to create local solutions that are tailored to meet the most pressing market needs. In just two years, we have generated more than 225 active projects from this model. The DuPont Johnston Innovation Center provides a unique environment for collaboration among more than 10,000 DuPont scientists and engineers with customers, government officials, academics and business partners around the world.”
The 3,500 square foot space and adjoining collaboration room showcases the latest company technology, applications and products created to meet the world’s biggest challenges, including food security, energy and protection. During the opening event, Kullman also announced two recent DuPont projects in Iowa that further demonstrate the company’s commitment to growing its research capacity globally in order to address the demands of a growing world population. DuPont Pioneer will break ground on a new research facility, Beaver Creek II, in Johnston in the fall of 2013 – a project that will add 100 new jobs to the Des Moines metro area. Additionally, DuPont is investing over $200 million in its Nevada, Iowa commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The construction of the facility will employ over 1,000 construction workers. It will employ over 60 full time jobs and involve hundreds of farmers who will supply the stover to the facility upon completion.
“Iowa is critical to meeting many of the food and energy demands globally, and we are proud to build on our business here in the state,” Kullman said.
Johnston, Iowa, is the 12th Innovation Center for DuPont. Other Innovation Centers have been opened recently in Turkey, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, India, Brazil, Mexico, Michigan, Russia and Switzerland. To learn more about DuPont’s Innovation Centers, visit our website at www.innovationcenter.dupont.com.
Novozymes acquires TJ Technologies Inc., further strengthens position in bioagriculture
Novozymes, the world leader in bioinnovation, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TJ Technologies Inc. based in Watertown, South Dakota, USA.
The acquisition is yet another important step in building Novozymes’ business within BioAgriculture, in the case of TJ Technologies specifically within the bioyield enhancement segment. Today, Novozymes is a leading player in the bioagriculture industry, and this acquisition will further strengthen Novozymes’ position with complementary technologies and products.
“With this acquisition we continue to build our business within sustainable bioagriculture. TJ Technologies Inc. is a frontrunner in bioyield enhancers, and this acquisition will further underpin Novozymes’ position, while strengthening commercial access,” says Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President of Novozymes and head of Business Development. “Combining our existing products and leading global name with TJ Technologies’ strong and proven portfolio, brands and regional market coverage will strengthen the joint company’s commercial position in important crop markets.”
Bringing new products and innovation to market
Founded in 1978, TJ Technologies Inc. develops and markets proprietary microbial and micronutrient products for agriculture. It is a significant participant in the U.S. market for bioyield enhancement products, with a strong position in seed treatment of corn as well as other important crops.
“With its proven portfolio of products and new pipeline opportunities, TJ Technologies’ talented employees will add solid experience and knowhow to Novozymes, which can leverage its leading position to bring the existing products to market, and further develop new innovation and growth opportunities for the bioagriculture market,” says Videbæk.
Biological solutions on the rise globally
Biological technologies are natural solutions with multiple modes of action. They are used to improve plant health and growth or combat diseases across various broad-acre crops such as corn and soy and high-value crops such as leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables.
Globally, the market for biological solutions in agriculture is expanding at a rapid pace. Driven in particular by growing populations there is an increasing need for sustainable agricultural production.
“Today, the global population is growing at a much faster pace than agricultural production. The challenge is to increase yields on the same amount of agricultural land without any additional costs to the environment,” explains Videbæk. “Increasingly so, farmers are becoming aware of potent biological solutions that both improve agricultural productivity, while also reducing the environmental impact of their operations. With the acquisition of TJ Technologies Inc., we further extend our offerings to this exciting, biological market.”
The biological solutions complement the use of traditional chemicals and pesticides, which have a world market worth around $150 billion. By contrast, the emerging bioagriculture market is estimated to be worth about $1.5 billion with an annual growth rate of 10-15%.
TJ Technologies Inc. and Novozymes have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the agreement. The acquisition does not impact Novozymes’ financial guidance for 2013.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday June 24 Crop Progress Report + Ag News
NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending June 23, 2013, rainfall across much of the State combined with above normal temperatures to boost the growth of young crops, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Rainfall amounts of two inches or more were recording in northern rangeland counties and portions of the eastern Panhandle. However, most totals were less than an inch. Damaging hail was reported in a number of counties, however most storms were localized. High winds made herbicide application a challenge. Hay harvest was active with high humidity and rain limiting good drying conditions. Temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees above normal across the east and south and near normal elsewhere. Most of the wheat in the southern third of the state was turning color with harvest expected to begin near July 4th. Statewide, producers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 27 short, 65 adequate, and 1 surplus, well above previous year. However, very short moisture conditions continue to exist in portions of South Central, Southwestern and Northwestern Nebraska. Statewide, subsoil moisture supplies rated 20 percent very short, 34 short, 46 adequate, and 0 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 22 fair, 60 good, 15 excellent.
Soybean conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 22 fair, 67 good, and 9 excellent. Soybeans emerged was 95 percent, behind last year’s 100 but near 96 average.
Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 30 fair, 38 good, and 24 excellent. Sorghum emerged was 91 percent, behind last year’s 97 but near 89 average.
Wheat conditions rated 26 percent very poor, 25 poor, 31 fair, 17 good, and 1 excellent. Wheat headed was 98 percent, compared to 100 last year and 99 average. Wheat turning color was 40 percent, well behind 98 last year and 57 average. Wheat ripe was 1 percent, well behind 60 last year and 14 average.
Oat conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 10 poor, 31 fair, 47 good, and 9 excellent. Oats headed were 77 percent, behind last year’s 96 but near 79 average.
Alfalfa conditions were 2 percent very poor, 11 poor, 35 fair, 46 good, and 6 excellent. Alfalfa first cutting was 84 percent complete, behind last year’s 99 but near 86 average. Alfalfa second cutting was 2 percent complete, well behind last year’s 63 and 16 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Stock water supplies rated 5 percent very short, 12 short, 82 adequate, and 1 surplus. Pasture and range condition was 10 percent very poor, 26 poor, 40 fair, 21 good, and 3 excellent. Hay and forage supplies rated 25 percent very short, 36 short, 38 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg//2010s/2013/CropProg-06-24-2013.txt
Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/index.php?action=update_region&state=NE®ion=HPRCC
Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_state.htm?NE,HP
Iowa Crops & Weather Report
Warm and mostly dry weather allowed farmers to make progress getting crops planted during the week ending June 23, 2013, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there was an average of 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork. The week had the most days suitable for fieldwork in over a month, and the second most for the year. South East Iowa had the most suitable conditions for fieldwork and had 5.4 days suitable.
Moisture levels for both topsoil and subsoil continue to be rated mostly adequate and surplus. Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 59 percent adequate and 40 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 34 percent surplus.
Iowa’s corn crop was 96 percent planted, marking the first year since 1993 that any corn remained to be planted this late in the year. Ninety-three percent of the corn crop has emerged, normally all corn would be emerged. Corn condition showed a very slight improvement, and was rated 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 44 percent good and 10 percent excellent. Ninety percent of the soybean crop has been planted, an advancement of 13 percentage points from last week, but still below the normal 98 percent. Seventy-five percent of the soybean crop has emerged; still well behind the five-year average of 94 percent. The soybean condition rating improved slightly, and was rated 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 44 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Sixty-seven percent of the oat crop was headed, almost catching up with the normal 72 percent headed. The oat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 56 percent good and 12 percent excellent.
Farmers took advantage of the dry weather to make good progress harvesting alfalfa. The first cutting of alfalfa hay increased over 40 percentage points from last week, and now stands at 72 percent complete, still behind the five year average of 77 percent. Hay condition was rated at 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good and 15 percent excellent. Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 47 percent good and 23 percent excellent.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
A welcome period of much warmer and drier weather prevailed across most of Iowa through Thursday (20th) night. Daytime high temperatures were mostly in the 80’s with just a few light showers scattered across the state. The warmest weather came over the weekend but was accompanied by torrential rains over parts of northeast Iowa. Isolated heavy rain fell in parts of the northeast Friday (21st) morning and was followed by more widespread heavy rain early Saturday morning (22nd) and again Saturday night into Sunday (23rd) morning. Rain totals included 8.99 inches at Dorchester, 8.74 inches at Yellow River State Forest (both Allamakee Co.) and 7.58 inches at Bluffton (Winneshiek Co.). Meanwhile, no measureable rain fell during the reporting week over parts of central and southeast Iowa such as at Ames, Newton, Grinnell, Washington and Fairfield. The statewide average precipitation was 0.81 inches while normal for the week is 1.17 inches. Temperature extremes for the week ranged from a Wednesday (19th) morning low of 52 degrees at Elkader to afternoon highs of 94 degrees at Sioux City on Friday (21st) and Muscatine on Saturday (22nd). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.5 degrees above normal. Finally, with the warmer and more humid weather, there were several days with scattered reports of high winds and large hail. The most widespread severe weather came on Friday morning over northeast and extreme northern Iowa with golf ball size hail reported near Ringsted in Emmet County and near Independence in Buchanan County.
Corn Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 92% of the 2012 corn acreage]
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: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
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: percent
Colorado ..........: 100 90 98 99
Illinois ..............: 100 94 100 99
Indiana .............: 100 97 100 98
Iowa ................: 100 89 93 100
Kansas ............: 100 98 99 100
Kentucky .........: 100 95 99 100
Michigan ..........: 100 97 100 99
Minnesota ........: 100 86 90 100
Missouri ...........: 100 90 97 96
Nebraska ..........: 100 100 100 100
North Carolina ...: 100 100 100 100
North Dakota ....: 100 81 87 99
Ohio ................: 100 98 100 99
Pennsylvania ....: 95 97 97 94
South Dakota ...: 100 95 100 99
Tennessee .......: 100 97 100 100
Texas ..............: 100 98 100 99
Wisconsin .......: 100 75 84 100
18 States .........: 100 92 96 99
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Corn Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2012 planted acreage]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado ........: 11 8 29 48 4
Illinois ............: 2 7 24 50 17
Indiana ...........: 1 3 20 55 21
Iowa ..............: 3 11 32 44 10
Kansas ..........: 2 6 34 51 7
Kentucky .......: 1 2 15 58 24
Michigan ........: 2 4 20 59 15
Minnesota ......: 2 5 34 50 9
Missouri .........: 3 9 34 45 9
Nebraska ........: - 3 22 60 15
North Carolina .: - 3 24 58 15
North Dakota ..: 2 4 23 57 14
Ohio ..............: - 2 16 52 30
Pennsylvania ..: - - 13 72 15
South Dakota ..: 2 4 28 52 14
Tennessee ......: - 5 17 56 22
Texas .............: 2 7 26 47 18
Wisconsin .......: 2 6 32 43 17
18 States ........: 2 6 27 51 14
Previous week .: 2 6 28 52 12
Previous year ..: 4 10 30 45 11
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Soybeans Planted - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
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: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 99 79 88 92
Illinois ...........: 100 90 96 93
Indiana ..........: 100 93 96 94
Iowa ..............: 100 77 90 98
Kansas ..........: 98 81 88 91
Kentucky .......: 99 63 77 87
Louisiana .......: 99 92 98 98
Michigan ........: 100 100 100 99
Minnesota ......: 100 84 94 100
Mississippi .....: 100 96 98 100
Missouri .........: 100 70 84 84
Nebraska ........: 100 99 100 99
North Carolina .: 85 57 68 84
North Dakota ...: 100 87 92 99
Ohio ...............: 100 97 100 97
South Dakota ..: 100 91 98 97
Tennessee ......: 98 62 73 89
Wisconsin ......: 100 72 85 99
18 States .......: 99 85 92 95
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Soybeans Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas .......: 98 67 78 84
Illinois ...........: 99 67 87 85
Indiana ..........: 99 83 90 86
Iowa ..............: 100 56 75 94
Kansas ..........: 91 60 78 83
Kentucky .......: 98 46 60 80
Louisiana .......: 98 86 94 97
Michigan ........: 99 87 95 94
Minnesota ......: 100 64 81 98
Mississippi .....: 100 91 93 98
Missouri .........: 92 49 67 74
Nebraska .......: 100 90 95 96
North Carolina .: 68 47 57 71
North Dakota ..: 100 52 76 93
Ohio ..............: 100 86 96 92
South Dakota .: 100 70 84 87
Tennessee .....: 91 40 54 74
Wisconsin .....: 99 49 69 94
18 States ......: 98 66 81 89
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Soybean Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2012 planted acreage]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 5 3 37 43 12
Illinois ...........: 2 6 23 51 18
Indiana ..........: 1 3 24 55 17
Iowa ..............: 3 9 35 44 9
Kansas ..........: 1 2 30 63 4
Kentucky .......: 1 2 14 68 15
Louisiana .......: 2 5 29 53 11
Michigan ........: 2 6 25 55 12
Minnesota ......: 1 5 36 52 6
Mississippi .....: 1 6 36 49 8
Missouri .........: 2 8 35 49 6
Nebraska ........: - 2 22 67 9
North Carolina .: - 3 28 58 11
North Dakota ..: 2 4 25 56 13
Ohio ..............: 1 2 19 63 15
South Dakota .: 1 3 29 55 12
Tennessee .....: - 4 15 66 15
Wisconsin .....: 1 5 32 48 14
18 States ......: 2 5 28 54 11
Previous week .: 1 5 30 54 10
Previous year ..: 4 11 32 45 8
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Winter Wheat Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 88% of the 2012 winter wheat acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 100 37 73 92
California .......: 61 60 80 56
Colorado ........: 40 - 2 10
Idaho .............: - - - -
Illinois ............: 82 - 12 34
Indiana ...........: 68 - 7 25
Kansas ..........: 94 - 8 39
Michigan ........: 1 - - -
Missouri .........: 96 6 23 50
Montana .........: - - - -
Nebraska ........: 29 - - 6
North Carolina .: 92 17 48 84
Ohio ...............: 17 - 1 6
Oklahoma .......: 98 30 55 81
Oregon ...........: - - - -
South Dakota ..: 1 - - -
Texas .............: 83 50 55 69
Washington ....: - - - -
18 States .......: 63 11 20 37
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Pasture and Range Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National pasture and range conditions for selected States are weighted based on pasture acreage and/or livestock inventories]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Alabama .......: 3 7 29 53 8
Arizona .........: 54 30 14 2 -
Arkansas ......: - 2 26 59 13
California .......: 15 80 5 - -
Colorado .......: 33 29 23 15 -
Connecticut ...: - - 36 64 -
Delaware .......: 1 2 17 76 4
Florida ..........: 1 2 25 65 7
Georgia .........: - 1 17 57 25
Idaho .............: 3 17 46 32 2
Illinois ............: - 2 9 59 30
Indiana ...........: 1 3 22 56 18
Iowa ...............: 1 6 23 47 23
Kansas ...........: 25 18 22 30 5
Kentucky ........: 1 3 19 56 21
Louisiana ........: 2 5 28 59 6
Maine .............: - - 11 59 30
Maryland .........: 1 1 6 72 20
Massachusetts.: - - - 100 -
Michigan .........: 1 3 29 44 23
Minnesota .......: 1 4 19 55 21
Mississippi ......: - - 27 66 7
Missouri ..........: 1 2 23 61 13
Montana ..........: 2 6 28 48 16
Nebraska .........: 10 26 40 21 3
Nevada ............: 25 20 34 17 4
New Hampshire : 1 2 16 65 16
New Jersey ......: - - 25 30 45
New Mexico .....: 64 27 9 - -
New York .........: 1 5 22 55 17
North Carolina ..: - 2 23 63 12
North Dakota ...: 1 2 13 56 28
Ohio ...............: - 4 24 54 18
Oklahoma .......: 11 10 32 41 6
Oregon ...........: 6 17 40 32 5
Pennsylvania ..: 1 11 29 47 12
Rhode Island ..: - - 25 75 -
South Carolina : - - 12 77 11
South Dakota .: 1 4 21 60 14
Tennessee .....: - 2 17 68 13
Texas ............: 14 23 31 26 6
Utah ..............: 4 19 38 39 -
Vermont ........: 3 3 25 58 11
Virginia ..........: - 2 16 58 24
Washington ...: 4 13 28 52 3
West Virginia .: - 2 20 66 12
Wisconsin .....: - 3 16 54 27
Wyoming ......: 9 27 31 28 5
48 States ......: 8 15 24 42 11
Previous week.: 9 14 25 42 10
Previous year .: 12 22 32 30 4
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90-Day Forecast Shows Above Normal Temperatures for Nebraska
Al Dutcher, UNL Extension State Climatologist
Most of Nebraska saw a dramatic decrease in precipitation over the past two weeks as the jet stream shifted north, leading to widespread thunderstorm activity to the Dakota’s.
Nebraska has had only a few pockets of above normal moisture in the last two weeks. Portions of the Panhandle, northeast, south central, and east central Nebraska have benefited from recent activity, but a substantial portion of the state received below normal moisture. The northern Sandhills and areas south of I-80 have received less than 50% of normal precipitation.
Temperature trends the past two weeks have been polarized with below normal conditions in the east and above normal in the west. At this point, the primary concern lies with southwest, west central, and south central Nebraska where the combination of below normal moisture and above normal temperatures will likely result in a significant increase in irrigation as the corn crop enters its rapid growth stage.
Some dryland production areas, particularly in central and eastern Nebraska, may actually benefit from a dry period after a soggy April and May. Corn roots should extend deeper into the profile in search of water, which will lessen the chance for shallow rooting syndrome. (This continues to be a problem for areas of northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin plagued by excessive moisture.)
Weather models indicate widely scattered precipitation events for the next two weeks, with the driest conditions indicated for eastern Nebraska. In addition the upper air ridge is predicted to dominate the central U.S., leading to sustained above normal temperatures for Nebraska.
If this scenario verifies, pasture growth across the Sandhills and Panhandle will slow and irrigation demands will intensify. Communities that had well water issues last summer will need to be closely monitored as it is being reported that water tables in the deeper aquifers have shown little recovery during the past two months of moisture. Although irrigation is starting later than last year, water tables are considerably lower and it will not take as much irrigation pressure to impact water supplies in many of our rural communities.
There is not much information regarding precipitation to glean from the latest Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlooks for July and July through September. CPC assigns an equal chance of below normal, normal, or above normal precipitation for both periods. Above normal July temperatures are assigned to western Nebraska, while all of the state is expected to experience above normal temperatures during the next three months.
As long as normal moisture falls during the next 60 days across eastern Nebraska, the above normal temperature prediction shouldn’t lead to significant yield declines as long as it doesn’t get blazing hot. That being said, if the moisture trends of the past two weeks continue, stress problems could appear by mid-July as the corn crop rapidly depletes soil moisture profiles. If the CPC forecast holds true, there would be an increased probability of non-stop irrigation in some areas by August.
Public Invited to Tom Dorn Farewell June 26
A Farewell Open House will be held for Extension Educator Tom Dorn this Wednesday, June 26, in Lincoln. The event will be 4-6 p.m. at the Lancaster County Extension Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road.
Over the years Dorn has been a regular contributor, covering grain drying and storage issues and other ag topics and providing crop reports. His website on grain storage management is a rich resource of valuable information for growers.
Dorn began his Extension career in 1980 as an Extension Technologist and has served as an irrigation and conservation specialist in northeast Nebraska, an ag agent in Holt and Filmore-Thayer-Nuckolls counties, and in 1997 became an extension educator in Lancaster County. Over the years he has received a number of awards for his service to Nebraska agriculture and Extension.
Herbicide Challenges when Replanting to Forages
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
It's June and somewhere in Nebraska natural crop disasters from flash floods, hail, tornadoes, or even drought may necessitate replanting to another crop. Replanting a grain crop may be nearly impossible due to herbicide carryover or the late planting date. As a result, annual emergency forage crops might be your only choice.
Unfortunately, previous herbicide use can cause problems for forages. Many pre-emergence herbicides for corn and milo will injure pearl millet and foxtail millet. Sudangrass, forage sorghum, and sorghum-sudan hybrids will tolerate moderate levels of atrazine; and safened seed can be used if several other herbicides have been applied. These sorghums also tolerate most herbicides labeled for use with grain sorghum. Another possible emergency forage crop is short-season corn as silage or as late season pasture, especially if corn herbicides eliminate other possibilities.
Soybean herbicides with residual soil activity can cause even bigger problems for replanting to forages. Summer grasses are sensitive to most soybean herbicides. Sunflowers for silage and replanted soybeans for hay or silage are among the few alternatives compatible with soybean herbicide carryover.
Even when you find out that an annual forage will grow, sometimes you may not be allowed to feed it legally. Many row crop herbicides have specific restrictions or at least lack approval for use with forages.
Carefully research your options and any restrictions closely before making your selection.
Nobody likes to replant, but if you must, select a forage that is compatible with your herbicides and livestock.
Wheat Disease Update — Central and Eastern Nebraska
Stephen Wegulo, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist
A survey of wheat fields in Lancaster and Saunders counties on June 19 revealed severe levels of leaf rust and low to moderate levels of Fusarium head blight (scab). Other diseases observed were Septoria tritici blotch, black chaff, and low levels of stripe rust. Warm temperatures have slowed stripe rust development, but have favored leaf rust development. Leaf rust and stripe rust have also been observed in south central Nebraska wheat fields. It is too late to treat wheat fields with fungicides to control fungal diseases. Black chaff, a bacterial disease, cannot be controlled once it occurs.
Scab was observed at low to moderate levels in a grower’s field. Another grower’s field located about 15 miles from the affected field had hardly any scab. Therefore, the occurrence of scab in wheat fields appears to be sporadic and incidence and severity in general are low to moderate in affected fields. Growers in the eastern part of the state where rain preceded and coincided with wheat flowering are encouraged to check their fields for scab.
Nebraska Accepting Apps for Right of Way Hay Permits
Farmers wanting to harvest the hay from state rights-of-way can now apply for permits. The Nebraska Department of Roads has begun taking applications for hay harvesting permits. Owners of land that abuts the state highway right-of-way have until July 30 to apply for a $40 haying permit. After July 30, anyone may apply. Those applying must have one million dollars in liability insurance. Hay harvesting permits are governed in accordance with Chapter 39, Article 13 of the Neb.Rev.Stat. §39-1359.01. The Nebraska Department of Roads has the right to confiscate any hay harvested without a permit.
An Uncertain Future for Farm Policy
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives took up the Farm Bill. As I wrote in the prior week’s Fort Report, Congress and the President have the responsibility to renew and reshape the federal policy that guides our nation’s farm, food, clean energy, and rural development programs. Regrettably, the House failed Thursday to approve its proposal for a new Farm Bill. Frankly, I was shocked by the outcome.
I supported the bill and thought that in the end it would pass. Leading up to the vote, there was a very good, open process that wasn’t stilted or stymied as debate in Washington often tends to be. Members of Congress who had reasonable concerns were able to bring them forward in the form of amendments. While it was an imperfect bill, I felt it achieved significant reforms and was an important step forward for our farm families and rural places.
There is a poor understanding in Washington of the importance of ag policy. There is also a limited constituency for it. Traditionally, we are able to come to a consensus on the food security and farm support issues to create a bill that is reflective of the rural and urban communities in America. With the failure of this Farm Bill proposal in the House, the question must be asked if this signals the end of farm policy processes as we’ve known them.
Some people might welcome that scenario, but others won’t. In the Heartland, we understand that reasonable stabilization policies are important to sustain the profound benefits agriculture provides all Americans. Our farmers provide not only a safe and affordable food supply, they care for our land and water, help create clean energy, and promote economic sustainability in our small towns and rural communities.
The future of farm support programs is uncertain. If we end up extending the existing policy, we don’t save money, we don’t create better risk management tools, and we don’t maintain the robust support for nutrition programs along with the appropriate reforms that this bill sought to balance.
In one bright spot, I was able to get an amendment successfully added to the Farm Bill earlier in the process. The amendment would have capped farm commodity payments at $250,000 per year for any one farm and closed loopholes in current law to ensure payments reach working farmers. This balanced approach helps ensure a robust agricultural marketplace and helps prevent the concentration of land and resources into fewer and fewer hands. The amendment was adopted with bipartisan support and approved with a comfortable margin.
I wish I had a good answer for what will happen next with ag policy. Unfortunately, next steps are unclear, which should be concerning for all Americans. I’m hopeful the opportunity still exists to get the job done on a Farm Bill this year, but this week’s events in the House signal the difficulties involved in passing new farm legislation the traditional way.
Iowa Corn Growers Disappointed in Lingering Farm Bill
The Iowa Corn Growers Association expressed disappointment on the House action to reject the 2013 Farm Bill. "The 2013 Farm Bill vote was close and we have made every effort to be pro-active on our part as farmers to put policy in place to move the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (2013 farm bill) to passage," said Bruce Rohwer, ICGA president and a farmer from northwest Iowa. "We have worked with our national organization to put the ink on this crucial farm legislation and we are extremely disappointed in the House outcome. We thank our entire Iowa delegation for their support of this important legislation."
NCBA Educates Capitol Hill on Antibiotic Use in Livestock
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today gave an overview to more than 70 congressional staff members on antibiotics used in food producing animals as part of NCBA’s “Beef 101” educational series.
“Beef 101” is an educational program for members of Congress and their staff, developed to continually educate those on Capitol Hill on issues important to the beef industry. Today’s session featured a presentation by Dr. Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, a clinical pharmacologist with Kansas State University, who discussed with attendees the judicious use of antibiotics in the beef industry as one of the critical tools to prevent the spread of disease and maintain a healthy herd.
“The goal of producers is to manage cattle to avoid infectious diseases. Antibiotics are a valuable resource for treating both human and animal diseases,” Apley said. “Farmers and ranchers work with veterinarians to implement comprehensive herd-health management plans, and it’s important for veterinarians and producers to have the ability to best manage herd health and raise healthy cattle, which ultimately means a safe food supply.”
During the presentation, Apley covered common myths about antibiotic use, such as the misconception that 70 percent of antibiotics used in the United States for human and animal uses are used for nontherapeutic use in food animals. In fact, Apley stated, some antibiotics calculated into that total have never been marketed in the United States. He added that a large percentage of the antibiotics used to treat and prevent illness in animals are ionophores, compounds not used in human medicine.
Another myth dispelled during today’s session is that animal antibiotic use is not subject to significant government regulation. Contrary to that myth, all antibiotics labeled for use in livestock production have passed a stringent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process and have been shown to be safe and effective. FDA approves antibiotics to treat specific diseases or conditions at specific dosage rates for a specific time period, and this science-driven process helps protect human health while giving veterinarians and cattlemen the tools they need to keep cattle healthy.
“Producers use antibiotics under the guidance of a veterinarian, and extensive regulations govern the use of animal health drugs. Many factors go into ensuring that veterinarians, farmers and ranchers have access to effective antibiotics to maintain animal health,” said Apley. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and outright misrepresentations about why and how antibiotics are used in the cattle industry. The truth is, cattle producers and veterinarians utilize many tools including vaccines, herd health management, genetics and animal nutrition to continue producing the world’s safest beef.”
EPA Announces May Biodiesel, Ethanol Production Figures
Biodiesel production reached 135 million gallons for the month of May, according to the latest EPA figures, putting the industry on target to once again exceed annual volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Biodiesel, an EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel that has surpassed RFS targets for two consecutive years, is reported under the Biomass-based Diesel category under the RFS.
The numbers show a total of nearly 140 million gallons of Biomass-based Diesel for May, but that total also includes production of renewable diesel. The biodiesel portion of the total was 135 million gallons - putting year-to-date biodiesel production through the end of May at nearly 504 million gallons.
D6 renewable fuel production in May, which is primarily corn-based ethanol, was 1.152 billion gallons, up from 1.084 billion gallons produced in April.
Supreme Court Chooses Not To Hear E15 case
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings issued the following statement following a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to not take up an appeal involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of E15 blends. (A blend of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol.)
“Oil companies have spent more time and money trying to stop E15 in the courts than they have on complying with the RFS which ensures consumers have access to affordable choices such as E15, E85, and E30. During this time, ACE has been working with many petroleum marketers who are successfully offering their customers choices between straight gasoline and ethanol-blends, and in every case, ethanol-blended fuel is the most popular choice. We will continue to help retailers make more money and pass savings on to consumers by offering the choice of E15.”
Hog Farmers Thank New York Legislature For Supporting Local Farmers
The New York Pork Producers, the National Pork Producers Council and America’s hog farmers today hailed the New York Legislature for not approving ill-advised legislation banning the use of individual maternity pens pregnant for sows. The measure could have had a devastating effect on local sustainable agriculture in New York by forcing farmers to abandon this humane animal housing system.
Several small farmers in New York use individual maternity pens for pregnant sows, because they allow for individualized care and eliminate aggression from other sows. If passed, the measure would have forced local farmers to abandon such housing, resulting in financial damage and potentially ruining a safe and sustainable source of food for the state’s consumers.
The legislation was pushed by the powerful lobbying group the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other radical animal-rights groups even though, if approved, it would have prevented farmers from caring for their animals in a way approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Both organizations recognize individual maternity pens as appropriate for providing for the well-being of sows during pregnancy.
“This is about HSUS using New York to advance its national agenda, regardless of the negative impact it would have on the health and safety of the animals and the small independent farmers who care for them.” said New York pork producer John Lash.
Over the past 10 years, HSUS has lobbied other states to pass bans on individual maternity pens. While a few states have enacted bans through ballot initiatives, few state legislatures have approved such a prohibition because of the negative impacts it would have on local producers.
“Decisions about animal well-being and housing should be determined by those who understand the animals and work with them every day,” said Lash.
Industry Groups Cheer New York Bioheat Legislation
Last week, the New York State Assembly and Senate passed legislation that sets a new standard for all heating oil sold in the state, requiring it to contain at least two percent biodiesel (B2, known in the industry as Bioheat®) by 2015. A broad range of industry and environmental groups voiced support for the legislation, which will reduce air emissions and create jobs throughout the nation's largest heating oil market.
"America's advanced biofuel and Bioheat are a great fit for New York's heating oil market" said Shelby Neal, NBB Director of State Governmental Affairs. "Creating a standard that includes at least 2 percent biodiesel will replace about 30 million gallons of petroleum annually with a cleaner burning, renewable fuel."
Biodiesel is the first alternative fuel designated as an advanced biofuel by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reach a billion gallons of annual production. It is domestically produced from agricultural co-products and byproducts such as soybean oil, animal fats, and recycled cooking oil.
"New York State's crop farmers are growing more and more soybeans every year," said Julia Robbins, Executive Director, New York Corn and Soybean Association. "This policy will help provide New York farmers with a new market for the state's soybean oil."
New York City, the largest municipal consumer of heating oil in the country, has already taken advantage of biodiesel's benefits by instituting a citywide 2 percent biodiesel requirement in October of 2012.
"Extensive testing has clearly shown that biodiesel blended with traditional heating oil is safe, seamless, and actually improves fuel efficiency through cleaning and preserving equipment," said John Maniscalco, CEO of the New York Oil Heating Association. "This law extends these tremendous benefits to all New Yorkers and will provide the state with the cleanest, most sustainable heating oil in the country."
Not only is Bioheat cleaner, it creates economic activity that benefits consumers.
"A uniform fuel standard for Bioheat across New York State will promote investment in the heating oil industry and increase the number of green collar jobs and overall opportunity in the state," said John A. Catsimatidis, CEO of United Biofuels, Inc. "These are jobs that can't be shipped overseas and provide economic activity in our own communities."
The legislation calls for all heating oil sold in the City of New York, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland counties to contain at least two percent biodiesel by October 1, 2014, and all heating oil sold statewide to meet this standard by July 1, 2015. The legislation will become effective upon the governor's signature.
The legislation was supported by the City of New York, Office of the Mayor; NYC Citywide Administrative Services; Environmental Defense Fund; American Lung Association in New York; New York League of Conservation Voters; WE ACT for Environmental Justice; Environmental Advocates of New York; New York Public Interest Research Group; Empire State Petroleum Association, Inc.; Oil Heat Institute of Long Island; New York Oil Heating Association, Inc.; United Metro Energy Corp.; New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association; and the National Biodiesel Board.
Canadians Eating More Meat
Consumption of beef and pork rose in Canada last year while chicken consumption fell. According to figures from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian consumption of beef was 20kg per head, which is up 1.1 percent.
Pork consumption rose by four per cent to 16.8kg, but chicken consumption fell by 0.8 per cent to 30kg.
The CAA said that chicken consumption was at its peak in 2007 when it reached 31.6kg per head.
Overall, total per capita meat consumption was up 1 per cent to 66.8 kg in 2012.
"Over the last 40 years Canadians have consumed between 66 and 75 kg of protein annually with a long term average of 69.7 kg per capita," the CAA said. "Gains in all protein categories indicate a more confident consumer for the first time since the global financial crisis in 2008."
Beef consumption last year was hit by lower exports and larger imports in the fourth quarter of 2012 following the XL Foods E.coli recall in September.
For the week ending June 23, 2013, rainfall across much of the State combined with above normal temperatures to boost the growth of young crops, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Rainfall amounts of two inches or more were recording in northern rangeland counties and portions of the eastern Panhandle. However, most totals were less than an inch. Damaging hail was reported in a number of counties, however most storms were localized. High winds made herbicide application a challenge. Hay harvest was active with high humidity and rain limiting good drying conditions. Temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees above normal across the east and south and near normal elsewhere. Most of the wheat in the southern third of the state was turning color with harvest expected to begin near July 4th. Statewide, producers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 27 short, 65 adequate, and 1 surplus, well above previous year. However, very short moisture conditions continue to exist in portions of South Central, Southwestern and Northwestern Nebraska. Statewide, subsoil moisture supplies rated 20 percent very short, 34 short, 46 adequate, and 0 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 22 fair, 60 good, 15 excellent.
Soybean conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 22 fair, 67 good, and 9 excellent. Soybeans emerged was 95 percent, behind last year’s 100 but near 96 average.
Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 30 fair, 38 good, and 24 excellent. Sorghum emerged was 91 percent, behind last year’s 97 but near 89 average.
Wheat conditions rated 26 percent very poor, 25 poor, 31 fair, 17 good, and 1 excellent. Wheat headed was 98 percent, compared to 100 last year and 99 average. Wheat turning color was 40 percent, well behind 98 last year and 57 average. Wheat ripe was 1 percent, well behind 60 last year and 14 average.
Oat conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 10 poor, 31 fair, 47 good, and 9 excellent. Oats headed were 77 percent, behind last year’s 96 but near 79 average.
Alfalfa conditions were 2 percent very poor, 11 poor, 35 fair, 46 good, and 6 excellent. Alfalfa first cutting was 84 percent complete, behind last year’s 99 but near 86 average. Alfalfa second cutting was 2 percent complete, well behind last year’s 63 and 16 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Stock water supplies rated 5 percent very short, 12 short, 82 adequate, and 1 surplus. Pasture and range condition was 10 percent very poor, 26 poor, 40 fair, 21 good, and 3 excellent. Hay and forage supplies rated 25 percent very short, 36 short, 38 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg//2010s/2013/CropProg-06-24-2013.txt
Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/index.php?action=update_region&state=NE®ion=HPRCC
Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_state.htm?NE,HP
Iowa Crops & Weather Report
Warm and mostly dry weather allowed farmers to make progress getting crops planted during the week ending June 23, 2013, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there was an average of 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork. The week had the most days suitable for fieldwork in over a month, and the second most for the year. South East Iowa had the most suitable conditions for fieldwork and had 5.4 days suitable.
Moisture levels for both topsoil and subsoil continue to be rated mostly adequate and surplus. Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 59 percent adequate and 40 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 34 percent surplus.
Iowa’s corn crop was 96 percent planted, marking the first year since 1993 that any corn remained to be planted this late in the year. Ninety-three percent of the corn crop has emerged, normally all corn would be emerged. Corn condition showed a very slight improvement, and was rated 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 44 percent good and 10 percent excellent. Ninety percent of the soybean crop has been planted, an advancement of 13 percentage points from last week, but still below the normal 98 percent. Seventy-five percent of the soybean crop has emerged; still well behind the five-year average of 94 percent. The soybean condition rating improved slightly, and was rated 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 44 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Sixty-seven percent of the oat crop was headed, almost catching up with the normal 72 percent headed. The oat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 56 percent good and 12 percent excellent.
Farmers took advantage of the dry weather to make good progress harvesting alfalfa. The first cutting of alfalfa hay increased over 40 percentage points from last week, and now stands at 72 percent complete, still behind the five year average of 77 percent. Hay condition was rated at 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good and 15 percent excellent. Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 47 percent good and 23 percent excellent.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
A welcome period of much warmer and drier weather prevailed across most of Iowa through Thursday (20th) night. Daytime high temperatures were mostly in the 80’s with just a few light showers scattered across the state. The warmest weather came over the weekend but was accompanied by torrential rains over parts of northeast Iowa. Isolated heavy rain fell in parts of the northeast Friday (21st) morning and was followed by more widespread heavy rain early Saturday morning (22nd) and again Saturday night into Sunday (23rd) morning. Rain totals included 8.99 inches at Dorchester, 8.74 inches at Yellow River State Forest (both Allamakee Co.) and 7.58 inches at Bluffton (Winneshiek Co.). Meanwhile, no measureable rain fell during the reporting week over parts of central and southeast Iowa such as at Ames, Newton, Grinnell, Washington and Fairfield. The statewide average precipitation was 0.81 inches while normal for the week is 1.17 inches. Temperature extremes for the week ranged from a Wednesday (19th) morning low of 52 degrees at Elkader to afternoon highs of 94 degrees at Sioux City on Friday (21st) and Muscatine on Saturday (22nd). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.5 degrees above normal. Finally, with the warmer and more humid weather, there were several days with scattered reports of high winds and large hail. The most widespread severe weather came on Friday morning over northeast and extreme northern Iowa with golf ball size hail reported near Ringsted in Emmet County and near Independence in Buchanan County.
Corn Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 92% of the 2012 corn acreage]
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: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado ..........: 100 90 98 99
Illinois ..............: 100 94 100 99
Indiana .............: 100 97 100 98
Iowa ................: 100 89 93 100
Kansas ............: 100 98 99 100
Kentucky .........: 100 95 99 100
Michigan ..........: 100 97 100 99
Minnesota ........: 100 86 90 100
Missouri ...........: 100 90 97 96
Nebraska ..........: 100 100 100 100
North Carolina ...: 100 100 100 100
North Dakota ....: 100 81 87 99
Ohio ................: 100 98 100 99
Pennsylvania ....: 95 97 97 94
South Dakota ...: 100 95 100 99
Tennessee .......: 100 97 100 100
Texas ..............: 100 98 100 99
Wisconsin .......: 100 75 84 100
18 States .........: 100 92 96 99
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Corn Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2012 planted acreage]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado ........: 11 8 29 48 4
Illinois ............: 2 7 24 50 17
Indiana ...........: 1 3 20 55 21
Iowa ..............: 3 11 32 44 10
Kansas ..........: 2 6 34 51 7
Kentucky .......: 1 2 15 58 24
Michigan ........: 2 4 20 59 15
Minnesota ......: 2 5 34 50 9
Missouri .........: 3 9 34 45 9
Nebraska ........: - 3 22 60 15
North Carolina .: - 3 24 58 15
North Dakota ..: 2 4 23 57 14
Ohio ..............: - 2 16 52 30
Pennsylvania ..: - - 13 72 15
South Dakota ..: 2 4 28 52 14
Tennessee ......: - 5 17 56 22
Texas .............: 2 7 26 47 18
Wisconsin .......: 2 6 32 43 17
18 States ........: 2 6 27 51 14
Previous week .: 2 6 28 52 12
Previous year ..: 4 10 30 45 11
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Soybeans Planted - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 99 79 88 92
Illinois ...........: 100 90 96 93
Indiana ..........: 100 93 96 94
Iowa ..............: 100 77 90 98
Kansas ..........: 98 81 88 91
Kentucky .......: 99 63 77 87
Louisiana .......: 99 92 98 98
Michigan ........: 100 100 100 99
Minnesota ......: 100 84 94 100
Mississippi .....: 100 96 98 100
Missouri .........: 100 70 84 84
Nebraska ........: 100 99 100 99
North Carolina .: 85 57 68 84
North Dakota ...: 100 87 92 99
Ohio ...............: 100 97 100 97
South Dakota ..: 100 91 98 97
Tennessee ......: 98 62 73 89
Wisconsin ......: 100 72 85 99
18 States .......: 99 85 92 95
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Soybeans Emerged - Selected States
[These 18 States planted 95% of the 2012 soybean acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas .......: 98 67 78 84
Illinois ...........: 99 67 87 85
Indiana ..........: 99 83 90 86
Iowa ..............: 100 56 75 94
Kansas ..........: 91 60 78 83
Kentucky .......: 98 46 60 80
Louisiana .......: 98 86 94 97
Michigan ........: 99 87 95 94
Minnesota ......: 100 64 81 98
Mississippi .....: 100 91 93 98
Missouri .........: 92 49 67 74
Nebraska .......: 100 90 95 96
North Carolina .: 68 47 57 71
North Dakota ..: 100 52 76 93
Ohio ..............: 100 86 96 92
South Dakota .: 100 70 84 87
Tennessee .....: 91 40 54 74
Wisconsin .....: 99 49 69 94
18 States ......: 98 66 81 89
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Soybean Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2012 planted acreage]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 5 3 37 43 12
Illinois ...........: 2 6 23 51 18
Indiana ..........: 1 3 24 55 17
Iowa ..............: 3 9 35 44 9
Kansas ..........: 1 2 30 63 4
Kentucky .......: 1 2 14 68 15
Louisiana .......: 2 5 29 53 11
Michigan ........: 2 6 25 55 12
Minnesota ......: 1 5 36 52 6
Mississippi .....: 1 6 36 49 8
Missouri .........: 2 8 35 49 6
Nebraska ........: - 2 22 67 9
North Carolina .: - 3 28 58 11
North Dakota ..: 2 4 25 56 13
Ohio ..............: 1 2 19 63 15
South Dakota .: 1 3 29 55 12
Tennessee .....: - 4 15 66 15
Wisconsin .....: 1 5 32 48 14
18 States ......: 2 5 28 54 11
Previous week .: 1 5 30 54 10
Previous year ..: 4 11 32 45 8
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Winter Wheat Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 88% of the 2012 winter wheat acreage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------:
State : June 23, : June 16, : June 23, : 2008-2012
: 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : Average
-----------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas ......: 100 37 73 92
California .......: 61 60 80 56
Colorado ........: 40 - 2 10
Idaho .............: - - - -
Illinois ............: 82 - 12 34
Indiana ...........: 68 - 7 25
Kansas ..........: 94 - 8 39
Michigan ........: 1 - - -
Missouri .........: 96 6 23 50
Montana .........: - - - -
Nebraska ........: 29 - - 6
North Carolina .: 92 17 48 84
Ohio ...............: 17 - 1 6
Oklahoma .......: 98 30 55 81
Oregon ...........: - - - -
South Dakota ..: 1 - - -
Texas .............: 83 50 55 69
Washington ....: - - - -
18 States .......: 63 11 20 37
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Pasture and Range Condition - Selected States: Week Ending June 23, 2013
[National pasture and range conditions for selected States are weighted based on pasture acreage and/or livestock inventories]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
State : Very poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Alabama .......: 3 7 29 53 8
Arizona .........: 54 30 14 2 -
Arkansas ......: - 2 26 59 13
California .......: 15 80 5 - -
Colorado .......: 33 29 23 15 -
Connecticut ...: - - 36 64 -
Delaware .......: 1 2 17 76 4
Florida ..........: 1 2 25 65 7
Georgia .........: - 1 17 57 25
Idaho .............: 3 17 46 32 2
Illinois ............: - 2 9 59 30
Indiana ...........: 1 3 22 56 18
Iowa ...............: 1 6 23 47 23
Kansas ...........: 25 18 22 30 5
Kentucky ........: 1 3 19 56 21
Louisiana ........: 2 5 28 59 6
Maine .............: - - 11 59 30
Maryland .........: 1 1 6 72 20
Massachusetts.: - - - 100 -
Michigan .........: 1 3 29 44 23
Minnesota .......: 1 4 19 55 21
Mississippi ......: - - 27 66 7
Missouri ..........: 1 2 23 61 13
Montana ..........: 2 6 28 48 16
Nebraska .........: 10 26 40 21 3
Nevada ............: 25 20 34 17 4
New Hampshire : 1 2 16 65 16
New Jersey ......: - - 25 30 45
New Mexico .....: 64 27 9 - -
New York .........: 1 5 22 55 17
North Carolina ..: - 2 23 63 12
North Dakota ...: 1 2 13 56 28
Ohio ...............: - 4 24 54 18
Oklahoma .......: 11 10 32 41 6
Oregon ...........: 6 17 40 32 5
Pennsylvania ..: 1 11 29 47 12
Rhode Island ..: - - 25 75 -
South Carolina : - - 12 77 11
South Dakota .: 1 4 21 60 14
Tennessee .....: - 2 17 68 13
Texas ............: 14 23 31 26 6
Utah ..............: 4 19 38 39 -
Vermont ........: 3 3 25 58 11
Virginia ..........: - 2 16 58 24
Washington ...: 4 13 28 52 3
West Virginia .: - 2 20 66 12
Wisconsin .....: - 3 16 54 27
Wyoming ......: 9 27 31 28 5
48 States ......: 8 15 24 42 11
Previous week.: 9 14 25 42 10
Previous year .: 12 22 32 30 4
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90-Day Forecast Shows Above Normal Temperatures for Nebraska
Al Dutcher, UNL Extension State Climatologist
Most of Nebraska saw a dramatic decrease in precipitation over the past two weeks as the jet stream shifted north, leading to widespread thunderstorm activity to the Dakota’s.
Nebraska has had only a few pockets of above normal moisture in the last two weeks. Portions of the Panhandle, northeast, south central, and east central Nebraska have benefited from recent activity, but a substantial portion of the state received below normal moisture. The northern Sandhills and areas south of I-80 have received less than 50% of normal precipitation.
Temperature trends the past two weeks have been polarized with below normal conditions in the east and above normal in the west. At this point, the primary concern lies with southwest, west central, and south central Nebraska where the combination of below normal moisture and above normal temperatures will likely result in a significant increase in irrigation as the corn crop enters its rapid growth stage.
Some dryland production areas, particularly in central and eastern Nebraska, may actually benefit from a dry period after a soggy April and May. Corn roots should extend deeper into the profile in search of water, which will lessen the chance for shallow rooting syndrome. (This continues to be a problem for areas of northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin plagued by excessive moisture.)
Weather models indicate widely scattered precipitation events for the next two weeks, with the driest conditions indicated for eastern Nebraska. In addition the upper air ridge is predicted to dominate the central U.S., leading to sustained above normal temperatures for Nebraska.
If this scenario verifies, pasture growth across the Sandhills and Panhandle will slow and irrigation demands will intensify. Communities that had well water issues last summer will need to be closely monitored as it is being reported that water tables in the deeper aquifers have shown little recovery during the past two months of moisture. Although irrigation is starting later than last year, water tables are considerably lower and it will not take as much irrigation pressure to impact water supplies in many of our rural communities.
There is not much information regarding precipitation to glean from the latest Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlooks for July and July through September. CPC assigns an equal chance of below normal, normal, or above normal precipitation for both periods. Above normal July temperatures are assigned to western Nebraska, while all of the state is expected to experience above normal temperatures during the next three months.
As long as normal moisture falls during the next 60 days across eastern Nebraska, the above normal temperature prediction shouldn’t lead to significant yield declines as long as it doesn’t get blazing hot. That being said, if the moisture trends of the past two weeks continue, stress problems could appear by mid-July as the corn crop rapidly depletes soil moisture profiles. If the CPC forecast holds true, there would be an increased probability of non-stop irrigation in some areas by August.
Public Invited to Tom Dorn Farewell June 26
A Farewell Open House will be held for Extension Educator Tom Dorn this Wednesday, June 26, in Lincoln. The event will be 4-6 p.m. at the Lancaster County Extension Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road.
Over the years Dorn has been a regular contributor, covering grain drying and storage issues and other ag topics and providing crop reports. His website on grain storage management is a rich resource of valuable information for growers.
Dorn began his Extension career in 1980 as an Extension Technologist and has served as an irrigation and conservation specialist in northeast Nebraska, an ag agent in Holt and Filmore-Thayer-Nuckolls counties, and in 1997 became an extension educator in Lancaster County. Over the years he has received a number of awards for his service to Nebraska agriculture and Extension.
Herbicide Challenges when Replanting to Forages
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
It's June and somewhere in Nebraska natural crop disasters from flash floods, hail, tornadoes, or even drought may necessitate replanting to another crop. Replanting a grain crop may be nearly impossible due to herbicide carryover or the late planting date. As a result, annual emergency forage crops might be your only choice.
Unfortunately, previous herbicide use can cause problems for forages. Many pre-emergence herbicides for corn and milo will injure pearl millet and foxtail millet. Sudangrass, forage sorghum, and sorghum-sudan hybrids will tolerate moderate levels of atrazine; and safened seed can be used if several other herbicides have been applied. These sorghums also tolerate most herbicides labeled for use with grain sorghum. Another possible emergency forage crop is short-season corn as silage or as late season pasture, especially if corn herbicides eliminate other possibilities.
Soybean herbicides with residual soil activity can cause even bigger problems for replanting to forages. Summer grasses are sensitive to most soybean herbicides. Sunflowers for silage and replanted soybeans for hay or silage are among the few alternatives compatible with soybean herbicide carryover.
Even when you find out that an annual forage will grow, sometimes you may not be allowed to feed it legally. Many row crop herbicides have specific restrictions or at least lack approval for use with forages.
Carefully research your options and any restrictions closely before making your selection.
Nobody likes to replant, but if you must, select a forage that is compatible with your herbicides and livestock.
Wheat Disease Update — Central and Eastern Nebraska
Stephen Wegulo, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist
A survey of wheat fields in Lancaster and Saunders counties on June 19 revealed severe levels of leaf rust and low to moderate levels of Fusarium head blight (scab). Other diseases observed were Septoria tritici blotch, black chaff, and low levels of stripe rust. Warm temperatures have slowed stripe rust development, but have favored leaf rust development. Leaf rust and stripe rust have also been observed in south central Nebraska wheat fields. It is too late to treat wheat fields with fungicides to control fungal diseases. Black chaff, a bacterial disease, cannot be controlled once it occurs.
Scab was observed at low to moderate levels in a grower’s field. Another grower’s field located about 15 miles from the affected field had hardly any scab. Therefore, the occurrence of scab in wheat fields appears to be sporadic and incidence and severity in general are low to moderate in affected fields. Growers in the eastern part of the state where rain preceded and coincided with wheat flowering are encouraged to check their fields for scab.
Nebraska Accepting Apps for Right of Way Hay Permits
Farmers wanting to harvest the hay from state rights-of-way can now apply for permits. The Nebraska Department of Roads has begun taking applications for hay harvesting permits. Owners of land that abuts the state highway right-of-way have until July 30 to apply for a $40 haying permit. After July 30, anyone may apply. Those applying must have one million dollars in liability insurance. Hay harvesting permits are governed in accordance with Chapter 39, Article 13 of the Neb.Rev.Stat. §39-1359.01. The Nebraska Department of Roads has the right to confiscate any hay harvested without a permit.
An Uncertain Future for Farm Policy
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives took up the Farm Bill. As I wrote in the prior week’s Fort Report, Congress and the President have the responsibility to renew and reshape the federal policy that guides our nation’s farm, food, clean energy, and rural development programs. Regrettably, the House failed Thursday to approve its proposal for a new Farm Bill. Frankly, I was shocked by the outcome.
I supported the bill and thought that in the end it would pass. Leading up to the vote, there was a very good, open process that wasn’t stilted or stymied as debate in Washington often tends to be. Members of Congress who had reasonable concerns were able to bring them forward in the form of amendments. While it was an imperfect bill, I felt it achieved significant reforms and was an important step forward for our farm families and rural places.
There is a poor understanding in Washington of the importance of ag policy. There is also a limited constituency for it. Traditionally, we are able to come to a consensus on the food security and farm support issues to create a bill that is reflective of the rural and urban communities in America. With the failure of this Farm Bill proposal in the House, the question must be asked if this signals the end of farm policy processes as we’ve known them.
Some people might welcome that scenario, but others won’t. In the Heartland, we understand that reasonable stabilization policies are important to sustain the profound benefits agriculture provides all Americans. Our farmers provide not only a safe and affordable food supply, they care for our land and water, help create clean energy, and promote economic sustainability in our small towns and rural communities.
The future of farm support programs is uncertain. If we end up extending the existing policy, we don’t save money, we don’t create better risk management tools, and we don’t maintain the robust support for nutrition programs along with the appropriate reforms that this bill sought to balance.
In one bright spot, I was able to get an amendment successfully added to the Farm Bill earlier in the process. The amendment would have capped farm commodity payments at $250,000 per year for any one farm and closed loopholes in current law to ensure payments reach working farmers. This balanced approach helps ensure a robust agricultural marketplace and helps prevent the concentration of land and resources into fewer and fewer hands. The amendment was adopted with bipartisan support and approved with a comfortable margin.
I wish I had a good answer for what will happen next with ag policy. Unfortunately, next steps are unclear, which should be concerning for all Americans. I’m hopeful the opportunity still exists to get the job done on a Farm Bill this year, but this week’s events in the House signal the difficulties involved in passing new farm legislation the traditional way.
Iowa Corn Growers Disappointed in Lingering Farm Bill
The Iowa Corn Growers Association expressed disappointment on the House action to reject the 2013 Farm Bill. "The 2013 Farm Bill vote was close and we have made every effort to be pro-active on our part as farmers to put policy in place to move the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (2013 farm bill) to passage," said Bruce Rohwer, ICGA president and a farmer from northwest Iowa. "We have worked with our national organization to put the ink on this crucial farm legislation and we are extremely disappointed in the House outcome. We thank our entire Iowa delegation for their support of this important legislation."
NCBA Educates Capitol Hill on Antibiotic Use in Livestock
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today gave an overview to more than 70 congressional staff members on antibiotics used in food producing animals as part of NCBA’s “Beef 101” educational series.
“Beef 101” is an educational program for members of Congress and their staff, developed to continually educate those on Capitol Hill on issues important to the beef industry. Today’s session featured a presentation by Dr. Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, a clinical pharmacologist with Kansas State University, who discussed with attendees the judicious use of antibiotics in the beef industry as one of the critical tools to prevent the spread of disease and maintain a healthy herd.
“The goal of producers is to manage cattle to avoid infectious diseases. Antibiotics are a valuable resource for treating both human and animal diseases,” Apley said. “Farmers and ranchers work with veterinarians to implement comprehensive herd-health management plans, and it’s important for veterinarians and producers to have the ability to best manage herd health and raise healthy cattle, which ultimately means a safe food supply.”
During the presentation, Apley covered common myths about antibiotic use, such as the misconception that 70 percent of antibiotics used in the United States for human and animal uses are used for nontherapeutic use in food animals. In fact, Apley stated, some antibiotics calculated into that total have never been marketed in the United States. He added that a large percentage of the antibiotics used to treat and prevent illness in animals are ionophores, compounds not used in human medicine.
Another myth dispelled during today’s session is that animal antibiotic use is not subject to significant government regulation. Contrary to that myth, all antibiotics labeled for use in livestock production have passed a stringent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process and have been shown to be safe and effective. FDA approves antibiotics to treat specific diseases or conditions at specific dosage rates for a specific time period, and this science-driven process helps protect human health while giving veterinarians and cattlemen the tools they need to keep cattle healthy.
“Producers use antibiotics under the guidance of a veterinarian, and extensive regulations govern the use of animal health drugs. Many factors go into ensuring that veterinarians, farmers and ranchers have access to effective antibiotics to maintain animal health,” said Apley. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and outright misrepresentations about why and how antibiotics are used in the cattle industry. The truth is, cattle producers and veterinarians utilize many tools including vaccines, herd health management, genetics and animal nutrition to continue producing the world’s safest beef.”
EPA Announces May Biodiesel, Ethanol Production Figures
Biodiesel production reached 135 million gallons for the month of May, according to the latest EPA figures, putting the industry on target to once again exceed annual volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Biodiesel, an EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel that has surpassed RFS targets for two consecutive years, is reported under the Biomass-based Diesel category under the RFS.
The numbers show a total of nearly 140 million gallons of Biomass-based Diesel for May, but that total also includes production of renewable diesel. The biodiesel portion of the total was 135 million gallons - putting year-to-date biodiesel production through the end of May at nearly 504 million gallons.
D6 renewable fuel production in May, which is primarily corn-based ethanol, was 1.152 billion gallons, up from 1.084 billion gallons produced in April.
Supreme Court Chooses Not To Hear E15 case
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings issued the following statement following a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to not take up an appeal involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of E15 blends. (A blend of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol.)
“Oil companies have spent more time and money trying to stop E15 in the courts than they have on complying with the RFS which ensures consumers have access to affordable choices such as E15, E85, and E30. During this time, ACE has been working with many petroleum marketers who are successfully offering their customers choices between straight gasoline and ethanol-blends, and in every case, ethanol-blended fuel is the most popular choice. We will continue to help retailers make more money and pass savings on to consumers by offering the choice of E15.”
Hog Farmers Thank New York Legislature For Supporting Local Farmers
The New York Pork Producers, the National Pork Producers Council and America’s hog farmers today hailed the New York Legislature for not approving ill-advised legislation banning the use of individual maternity pens pregnant for sows. The measure could have had a devastating effect on local sustainable agriculture in New York by forcing farmers to abandon this humane animal housing system.
Several small farmers in New York use individual maternity pens for pregnant sows, because they allow for individualized care and eliminate aggression from other sows. If passed, the measure would have forced local farmers to abandon such housing, resulting in financial damage and potentially ruining a safe and sustainable source of food for the state’s consumers.
The legislation was pushed by the powerful lobbying group the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other radical animal-rights groups even though, if approved, it would have prevented farmers from caring for their animals in a way approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Both organizations recognize individual maternity pens as appropriate for providing for the well-being of sows during pregnancy.
“This is about HSUS using New York to advance its national agenda, regardless of the negative impact it would have on the health and safety of the animals and the small independent farmers who care for them.” said New York pork producer John Lash.
Over the past 10 years, HSUS has lobbied other states to pass bans on individual maternity pens. While a few states have enacted bans through ballot initiatives, few state legislatures have approved such a prohibition because of the negative impacts it would have on local producers.
“Decisions about animal well-being and housing should be determined by those who understand the animals and work with them every day,” said Lash.
Industry Groups Cheer New York Bioheat Legislation
Last week, the New York State Assembly and Senate passed legislation that sets a new standard for all heating oil sold in the state, requiring it to contain at least two percent biodiesel (B2, known in the industry as Bioheat®) by 2015. A broad range of industry and environmental groups voiced support for the legislation, which will reduce air emissions and create jobs throughout the nation's largest heating oil market.
"America's advanced biofuel and Bioheat are a great fit for New York's heating oil market" said Shelby Neal, NBB Director of State Governmental Affairs. "Creating a standard that includes at least 2 percent biodiesel will replace about 30 million gallons of petroleum annually with a cleaner burning, renewable fuel."
Biodiesel is the first alternative fuel designated as an advanced biofuel by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reach a billion gallons of annual production. It is domestically produced from agricultural co-products and byproducts such as soybean oil, animal fats, and recycled cooking oil.
"New York State's crop farmers are growing more and more soybeans every year," said Julia Robbins, Executive Director, New York Corn and Soybean Association. "This policy will help provide New York farmers with a new market for the state's soybean oil."
New York City, the largest municipal consumer of heating oil in the country, has already taken advantage of biodiesel's benefits by instituting a citywide 2 percent biodiesel requirement in October of 2012.
"Extensive testing has clearly shown that biodiesel blended with traditional heating oil is safe, seamless, and actually improves fuel efficiency through cleaning and preserving equipment," said John Maniscalco, CEO of the New York Oil Heating Association. "This law extends these tremendous benefits to all New Yorkers and will provide the state with the cleanest, most sustainable heating oil in the country."
Not only is Bioheat cleaner, it creates economic activity that benefits consumers.
"A uniform fuel standard for Bioheat across New York State will promote investment in the heating oil industry and increase the number of green collar jobs and overall opportunity in the state," said John A. Catsimatidis, CEO of United Biofuels, Inc. "These are jobs that can't be shipped overseas and provide economic activity in our own communities."
The legislation calls for all heating oil sold in the City of New York, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland counties to contain at least two percent biodiesel by October 1, 2014, and all heating oil sold statewide to meet this standard by July 1, 2015. The legislation will become effective upon the governor's signature.
The legislation was supported by the City of New York, Office of the Mayor; NYC Citywide Administrative Services; Environmental Defense Fund; American Lung Association in New York; New York League of Conservation Voters; WE ACT for Environmental Justice; Environmental Advocates of New York; New York Public Interest Research Group; Empire State Petroleum Association, Inc.; Oil Heat Institute of Long Island; New York Oil Heating Association, Inc.; United Metro Energy Corp.; New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association; and the National Biodiesel Board.
Canadians Eating More Meat
Consumption of beef and pork rose in Canada last year while chicken consumption fell. According to figures from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian consumption of beef was 20kg per head, which is up 1.1 percent.
Pork consumption rose by four per cent to 16.8kg, but chicken consumption fell by 0.8 per cent to 30kg.
The CAA said that chicken consumption was at its peak in 2007 when it reached 31.6kg per head.
Overall, total per capita meat consumption was up 1 per cent to 66.8 kg in 2012.
"Over the last 40 years Canadians have consumed between 66 and 75 kg of protein annually with a long term average of 69.7 kg per capita," the CAA said. "Gains in all protein categories indicate a more confident consumer for the first time since the global financial crisis in 2008."
Beef consumption last year was hit by lower exports and larger imports in the fourth quarter of 2012 following the XL Foods E.coli recall in September.
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