Nebraska Farm Bureau Seeks Extension for Farm Bill Sign-Up
The Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation (NFBF) is asking U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to provide farmers more time to evaluate and make decisions on farm programs associated with the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill. The new farm bill brought many changes to farm programs and decisions related to those programs are currently required to be made by the end of February, while others must be made by the end of March.
“Over the past several months Farm Bureau has had the opportunity to work one-on-one with farmers across the state to see how changes in farm bill programs might affect them and how different options might fit into their risk management strategies. While Nebraska seems to be equal or ahead of states in terms of sign-up, providing additional time would be beneficial to many farmers here in Nebraska and across the country,” said Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau president.
In a Feb. 24 letter to Sec. Vilsack, Nelson asked the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give farmers until April 30, 2015 to make decisions related to base acre reallocations, yield updates and all other commodity related farm program decisions.
“Overall we’ve been pleased with the help and support provided by USDA’s Farm Service Agency offices to Nebraska farmers who have worked through program changes, but the shear amount of options available to farmers under the program and the reality that they will be bound by these decisions for the next five years has added to the need for farmers to make more informed decisions,” said Nelson.
RICKETTS COMMENTS ON NEBRASKA’S SUCCESS WITH SUPREME COURT RULING ON REPUBLICAN RIVER COMPACT
Today, Governor Pete Ricketts commented on Nebraska’s success with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding Republican River water usage. The Court has ordered Nebraska to pay $5.5 million to Kansas, significantly less than the $80 million originally asked.
“Today is a good day for Nebraska,” said Governor Pete Ricketts. “I am pleased to see that the court has made a reasonable decision. I look forward to working with the governors of Kansas and Colorado to move forward.”
“This is a win for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers,” said Acting Director Jim Schneider. “By lessening Nebraska’s compliance burden, this ruling will in effect lessen Nebraska’s need to regulate for compliance. Nebraska’s water users should be very pleased.”
Today’s ruling upholds the Special Master’s ruling from November 2013. The dispute centers on a 1943 compact allocating 49 percent of the river's water to Nebraska, 40 percent to Kansas and 11 percent to Colorado.
KS Gov, AG Statements regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling
In an announcement made today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling ordering Nebraska to repay Kansas $3.7 million to compensate for Kansas’s actual economic losses during 2005-06 and another $1.8 million as partial disgorgement of Nebraska’s unjust gains from illegally using Kansas water. The Supreme Court also ordered technical changes to the calculation of future water flows from the Platte River basin into the Republican River basin as requested by Nebraska. The decision to order that reformation of the accounting procedure was 5-4.
Statement by Governor Sam Brownback: "Today's ruling is good for Kansas and demonstrates the importance of our continuing efforts to protect the rights of Kansas water users.”
Statement by Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey: “I am pleased that the Court has provided a strong incentive for our neighbors to comply with the Republican River Compact, but I believe that our best path forward is the one we’re on now, collaboration, negotiation, and common sense agreements with our neighbors that serve the best interests of our water users.”
Iowa Soybean Association lauds action on fuel tax
Legislation will improve roads and bridges, spur growth of biodiesel usage in Iowa
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) lauded approval by the Iowa Legislature of a 10-cent increase in the state’s fuel tax, a move that will improve the quality of Iowa’s aging roads and bridges and boost the use of renewable fuels.
The bill was passed today by a vote of 28 – 21 in the Iowa Senate, and a vote of 53 – 46 in the Iowa House.
Included in the legislation that now heads to Gov. Terry Branstad for his signature is a provision providing a 3-cent-per-gallon exemption for diesel blended with at least 11 percent biodiesel.
ISA President Tom Oswald of Cleghorn recognized legislators for supporting the timely and necessary legislation.
“Iowa’s infrastructure, including critical farm-to-market roads and bridges, continues to deteriorate, jeopardizing personal safety and the ability to conduct business,” Oswald said. “Today’s action pivots us from focusing on the shortcomings of our infrastructure to going to work to improve it.”
Grant Kimberly, ISA market development director and executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, recognized Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds for acting boldly on behalf of biodiesel, an advanced biofuel derived from Iowa-grown soybeans.
“The provision for biodiesel is smart policy that positively impacts our environment and economy and the competitiveness of Iowa soybean farmers,” he said.
ISA President Elect Wayne Fredericks of Osage said today’s votes advance sustainability and environmental quality.
“In one move, the Iowa Legislature has voted in favor of better roads and bridges and reaffirmed its support of renewable fuels,” he said. “Every gallon of biodiesel we use at home is one less that we need to import, benefiting local jobs, farms, families and communities.”
Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production and is home to 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 315 million gallons annually. The production of this renewable fuel supported the employment of 4,300 working Iowans and contributed more than $470 million to the state’s gross domestic product.
Iowa Crops Value over $14 Billion
The production of Iowa’s field and miscellaneous crops was valued at $14.4 billion in 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Values summary. This was an 8 percent decrease from 2013.
The value of corn production totaled $8.76 billion, down 9 percent from the previous year, even though production was up 11 percent. Iowa’s corn price averaged $3.70 per bushel, a decrease of $0.79 from the last marketing year.
Down 7 percent from 2013, the value of soybean production was $5.11 billion. Average prices dropped $3.00 from the previous year to $10.10 per bushel.
Value of production decreased in 2014 from 2013 for oats,winter wheat, alfalfa hay, other hay, and forage.
Corn Growers: Don't Cut the Farm Bill
In a letter sent to Congressional leaders this week, the National Corn Growers Association and a broad range of nearly 400 food and farming organizations urged Congress not to reopen and make cuts to the 2014 farm bill.
"The 2014 Farm Bill required over three years of debate in both chambers of Congress and ultimately ended with the consolidation of over 100 programs and cuts to mandatory spending across many titles, including the elimination of the direct payment program," the letter states. "This bipartisan legislation was estimated to contribute $23 billion to deficit reduction over 10 years when including sequestration. These difficult cuts were made across the farm safety net, conservation programs, and nutrition programs."
The letter also noted that the farm bill needs time before it can be fully judged. "The policy changes and reforms associated with these cuts are only now being fully implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture. As such, no additional cuts to these programs should be considered, at least until these policies have time to take place and be thoroughly evaluated."
Fertilizer Slow But Steady Price Rise Continues
Fertilizer prices continue their slow move higher, according to retailers tracked by DTN for the third week of February 2015.
Seven of the eight major fertilizers were higher compared to a month earlier, but none of the seven were up any significant amount. DAP had an average price of $568 per ton, MAP $597/ton, potash $495/ton and urea $472/ton. 10-34-0 had an average price of $593/ton, UAN28 $330/ton and UAN32 $370/ton.
One fertilizer, anhydrous, posted a price just slightly lower than a month ago. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $706/ton
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.51/lb.N, anhydrous $0.43/lb.N, UAN28 $0.59/lb.N and UAN32 $0.58/lb.N.
Three of the eight major fertilizers are now double digits higher in price compared to February of 2014, all while commodity prices are significantly lower than a year ago. 10-34-0 is 16% higher while anhydrous is 14% more expensive and MAP is 13 more compared to year earlier.
DAP is now 6% more expensive and potash is 5% more expensive compared to a year earlier.
Three nutrients are now lower compared to retail prices from a year ago. UAN28 is down 3% while UAN32 is now 5% less expensive and urea is 9% less expensive from a year previous.
First Report under New Current Agricultural Industrial Reports Program Released Today
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the first report under its new Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program today. Called Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production, the publication provides data about agricultural commodities consumed for alcohol and other uses as well as the production of co-products and products in the United States from October-December 2014. The report will be published monthly with the second report, to include January and final December data, scheduled to be released March 2, 2015.
Key highlights from the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report include:
Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 510.1 million bushels in December 2014. Total corn consumption was up five percent from November 2014 and up seven percent from October 2014.
Sorghum consumption for fuel alcohol was 889 thousand hundredweight during December 2014. Total sorghum consumption was down 57 percent from November 2014 and down 53 percent from October 2014.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was at 1.9 million tons during December 2014, up eight percent from November 2014 and up three percent from October 2014.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was at 329.4 thousand tons during December 2014, up 12 percent from November 2014 and up three percent from October 2014.
In addition to Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production, other publications scheduled to be released within the CAIR program include:
Flour Milling (quarterly beginning May 1, 2015.)
Cotton System (monthly beginning May 1, 2015.)
Fats & Oils: Production, Consumption and Stocks (monthly beginning August 3, 2015.)
Oilseed Crushings (monthly beginning August 3, 2015.)
“Data from the CAIR program are crucial to U.S. economic policy, help industries analyze markets, plan, forecast, and make well-informed business decisions,” said NASS Administrator Joseph T. Reilly.
Certain publications, which included data about agricultural manufacturing, were previously part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Industrial Reports (CIR) program which began in 1904. Due to budget reprioritizations, the bureau discontinued its collection of data for the CIR program in 2011. Given its long and well-respected history of gathering and publishing agricultural data, Congress authorized and appropriated funds for NASS to design and implement the Current Agricultural Industrial Report program.
“Although the industry’s participation in the CAIR program is required by law, we truly appreciate the time and effort all of our respondents expend when they fill out the questionnaires.” said Reilly. “We at NASS are committed to the success of the CAIR program because the data are vital to all who use our reports including private industry, academic researchers, government agencies, and many others.”
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified. Participation in the CAIR program is both required by law and protected by law (Title 7, U.S. Code). NASS collects information directly from industry representatives who participate on a confidential basis. Confidentiality rules require reporting data only in aggregate form. NASS cannot report data where a single producer dominates a production category and could be identified.
Factors Exist to Help Dairy Markets in 2015
We all know that milk prices have been heading down for some time. But University of Wisconsin-Extension expert Bob Cropp says there is a little bit of good news to report as we look ahead to the rest of the year. In his latest Dairy Situation and Outlook report, Cropp says milk prices are expected to average higher than what was forecast earlier due to a smaller increase in this year's milk production.
"Earlier USDA was forecasting 2015 milk production to increase 2.8 percent and have now reduced that to 2.6 percent," he said. "Domestic sales will show growth led by a continued increase in cheese sales. But, exports are forecasted to be lower, particularly for butter and cheese. Nonfat dry milk/skimmilk powder, dry whey, whey protein concentrates and lactose exports are expected to far better. For now dairy product prices on the CME have been holding at levels higher than earlier predicted."
He also noted that the increase in milk production for 2015 could well end up lower than earlier forecasts if January is any indication. Last year milk production July through December was 3.5 percent higher than the year before resulting in a 2.4 percent increase in milk production for the year. December's milk production was 3.1 percent higher than the year before.
"But, USDA's milk production report estimates January 2015 milk production for the U.S. to be just 2.1 percent higher than a year ago. Milk cow numbers were 96,000 head higher than a year ago, a 1.0 percent increase. But, milk per cow was just 1.0 percent higher average averaging 2.0 percent higher last year."
Meanwhile, the effect of the drought and the start of lower milk prices appear to be impacting California's milk production. New Mexico's output was lower due to less milk per cow. And Idaho had 2.5 percent more cows but 1.0 percent less milk per cow.
Cropp says milk prices may improve compared to earlier projections, but production is currently running strong in the Northeast and the Midwest and several other states and spring flush is still ahead of us.
"World dairy product prices also appeared to have bottomed out and are now improving, but remain lower than U.S. prices," he said. "So U.S. dairy exports are not likely to show improvement until the last half of the year."
The February Class III price will be near $15.55 compared to $16.18 in January and $17.82 last December.
USDA Offers Renewal Option for Expiring Conservation Stewardship Program Contracts, Extends Deadline for General Sign-up Applications
Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering a renewal option through Tuesday, March 31, 2015 for eligible agricultural producers and forest landowners with expiring Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts. These producers must be willing to adopt additional conservation activities aimed at helping them achieve higher levels of conservation on their farms, forests and ranches.
USDA will also extend the deadline for general sign-up CSP applications until Friday, March 13, 2015 providing farmers, ranchers, and private forest managers two additional weeks to apply for this funding round of $100 million.
“CSP producers are established conservation leaders who work hard at enhancing natural resources on private lands,” Weller said. “This contract renewal period will provide greater opportunities for these conservation stewards to voluntarily do even more to improve water, air and soil quality and enhance wildlife habitat on their operations. By extending the deadline for general sign-up applications, we are ensuring that landowners will be able to take advantage of a program that will enroll up to 7.7 million acres this year.”
Changes in the 2014 Farm Bill will allow CSP participants with expiring contracts to renew them by exceeding stewardship thresholds for two or more existing natural resource concerns specified by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or by meeting stewardship thresholds for at least two new natural resource concerns such as improving water quality or soil health. NRCS administers CSP.
About 9,300 contracts covering more than 12.2 million acres are nearing the end of their five- year term and can be renewed for an additional five years. The agricultural producer or forest landowner must complete all conservation activities contained in the initial contract before a renewal can be granted.
The renewal process is optional but benefits CSP participants with expiring contracts because it is non-competitive. In order to renew, an agricultural producer or forest landowner must meet the minimum criteria established by NRCS. Contract renewal also offers these agricultural producers and forest landowners an opportunity to add new conservation activities to meet their conservation goals and protect the natural resources on their farms, forests or ranches. The 2014 Farm Bill includes an expanded conservation activity list that offers producers more options to address natural resource challenges. New conservation activities include cover crops, intensive rotational grazing and wildlife-friendly fencing.
USDA’s largest conservation program by acreage, CSP pays participants for conservation performance — the better the performance, the higher the payment. Nearly 70 million acres have been enrolled in the program since its launch in 2009.
Along with the renewal option announced today, USDA announced last month that it will make available $100 million this year through the CSP in 2015. Although CSP applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners should submit applications by the funding deadline, extended to Friday, March 13, to ensure they are considered for this year’s funding. Applications should be submitted to local NRCS offices, and as part of the CSP application process, applicants will work with NRCS field personnel to complete a resource inventory of their land, which will help determine the conservation performance for existing and new conservation activities. The applicant's conservation performance will be used to determine eligibility, ranking and payments.
USDA offers financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers or forest landowners for the active management and maintenance of existing conservation activities and for carrying out new conservation activities on working agricultural land. Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pastureland, rangeland, non-industrial private forestland and tribal agricultural land. Applicants must have control of the land for the 5-year term of the contract.
Agricultural producers or forest landowners with existing contracts scheduled to expire this calendar year and who wish to renew for an additional five-year term must submit an application indicating their intent to renew to their local NRCS office prior to the national application deadline of March 31, 2015.
To learn more about CSP contract renewals, visit your local NRCS office.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday February 23 Ag News
SCN Update: 6th Annual 'Tode Awards Announced
John Wilson Extension Educator, Burt County
Loren Giesler, Extension Plant Pathologist
Ten years ago, the Nebraska Soybean Board started an extremely successful program to provide free soil analysis for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) for Nebraska soybean farmers. Soil samples were processed in the UNL Plant Pathology department. It started slowly, but over the years the number of samples has grown to over 6,600 samples. In 2014, almost 1,200 samples from Nebraska growers were processed.
Just as we approach another prestigous awards night, we wanted to recognize progress made by producers testing for and identifying SCN infestations, the first step in managing this pest. SCN is the most devastating pest to soybean growers. Last year SCN cost Nebraska farmers about $30 million and US farmers over $1 billion in lost yields.
In the 19 years prior to this sampling program, SCN had been identified in only 27 counties; since the SCN sampling program was initiated, SCN was identified in 30 more counties, more than doubling the SCN confirmations across the state. Almost one-third of all samples submitted have come back positive for SCN.
Often the farmer submitting the sample had no idea he or she had SCN-infested fields. This illustrates why it's so important to test fields for SCN. Once farmers learn SCN is in their field, they can start managing it.
Farmers can have yield losses of 20-30% with no visible plant symptoms. Often the first indication of an SCN infestation is when soybean yields plateau or even start to drop off while corn yields continue to increase in that field.
Testing for SCN
The best way to determine if SCN is in a field is to take a soil test. We are pleased to have the Nebraska Soybean Board as our partner in this ongoing initiative.They recognized what a serious problem SCN was to soybean growers and have funded a project with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to encourage farmers to sample their fields for SCN. Their support covers the cost of analyzing soil samples for SCN, normally a $20/sample expense.
Without the Nebraska Soybean Board's support, we would not have been able to reach this many Nebraska farmers. In 2014, 1,177 samples were submitted and 432 (36.7%) were positive for SCN. From these results, our panel of judges have identified the following as the 6th Annual 'Tode Awards winners:
In the category of Most (#) Samples Submitted:
Winner: Buffalo County (157)
Honorable Mention: Boone (70), Kearney (64), Platte (59)
In the category of Most (#) Samples Positive for SCN:
Winner: Buffalo County (40)
Honorable Mention: Platte (35), Antelope (24), Kearney (20)
In the category of Most (%) Samples Positive for SCN (must have submitted at least five samples):
Winner: Rock County (86%)
Honorable Mention: Burt County (83%), Antelope (80%), Dodge (76%)
In the category of Sample with Highest Egg Count (# eggs/100 ccs of soil):
Winner: Madison County (108,160)
Honorable Mention: Merrick (75,840), Antelope (66,080), Saunders (39,360)
And finally, in the category of County with First SCN Detection:
Winner: Sherman
Some might argue that the county in the last category is a loser, not a winner. However, now farmers in Sherman County know SCN has been found in area fields so they can sample for it and start managing it if found in their fields. So they really are winners.
Although it often goes undetected, SCN is here and it is reducing the profitability for Nebraska soybean producers. To learn more about SCN or to pick up bags to submit soil samples from your fields, contact your local Nebraska Extension office.
Getting Ready for the Grazing Season
Larry Howard, Extension Educator, Cuming County
The start of the growing season may be a couple of months away, but it is not too early to start thinking about grazing and forage plans for the upcoming year. Grazing plans should include projected cattle numbers (or stocking rates), turn out dates, and a pasture use sequence for multiple pasture rotations. In the spring, there is always anticipation about when and how much it will rain. This, as well as temperature, are the two primary factors that might affect pasture turn out date. April precipitation supports the initial growth of cool-season pasture grasses, but these species have the majority of their growth during the month of May. Warm-season grasses generally initiate growth in May with rapid accumulation of growth in June and early July.
For those livestock producers that use various types of rotational grazing strategies, it is important to review grazing records from the previous years when planning the rotation sequence for 2015. Consideration should be given to when the time or period of grazing occurred in the previous years. Plans should adjust the schedule to avoid grazing the same pasture at the same time period in consecutive years.
Now is also a good time to plan the planting of spring or summer annual forage crops that might be grazed, hayed, or harvested as silage to replenish feed supplies. This includes selecting the forage crop type, fields that will be planted, identifying seed sources, and ordering the seed. Oats, spring triticale, and barley are annual cereal grains that can be planted from late March to early April to produce forage that can be grazed beginning in mid to late May or harvested for hay or silage in late June or early July. Growth of these cereal crops is very rapid in late May and early June, requiring good grazing management and the proper stocking rate to efficiently harvest the forage.
Forage peas are a legume that can be mixed in with spring cereals to reduce nitrogen fertilizer needed while maintaining or improving the protein levels of the harvested crop. When selecting a spring cereal to plant, preference should be given to varieties that have been selected for forage production. Select hooded or awnless varieties of barley if the crop is going to be harvested as hay. The quality of the forage produced from spring cereals will depend upon the stage of maturity at harvest. As maturity increases, quality declines rapidly. The optimum compromise between quality and yield generally occurs shortly after boot to early heading stages. Yield in terms of dry matter produced per acre generally increases 10 percent to 20 percent from the boot to early heading stages.
The primary warm-season or summer annual forages would include sudangrass, forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, pearl and foxtail millet. As warm-season species, soil temperatures at planting should consistently be at the 60 to 65 degree level which is usually achieved by late May. These warm-season annuals could also be planted anytime up to early August and still produce forage, but greater amounts will be realized with earlier planting dates.
BENEFITS OF LEGUMES
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
Reducing pasture expenses can help your bottom line. But don’t try to starve a profit from your pastures. Sometimes you need to invest. This spring, invest in legumes.
Spring-like weather between snow storms in January and February should get you looking forward to next spring . I’m sure one thing you won’t look forward to, though, is paying for nitrogen fertilizer on your pastures.
Avoid this expense by adding legumes to your grazinglands. Five years of grazing research in eastern Nebraska showed that brome/legume pastures produced almost four-tenths of a pound higher average daily gain on yearlings than did straight brome pastures fertilized with 50 pounds of nitrogen.
That may not sound like a lot to you, but that much faster gain for the full season produced an extra fifty-one pounds of beef per acre. With no nitrogen fertilizer. Adding the value of heavier yearlings plus reduced fertilizer expenses resulted in more than an extra fifty dollars per acre profit. That’s fifty more dollars – per acre!
Similar research was conducted with warm-season grasses with nearly the same results.
February and March are good months to start adding legumes. Red clover is the easiest one to establish because seed can be broadcast on pastures even if they are covered with several inches of snow. As snow melts and temperatures fluctuate in early spring, the seeds will get worked into the soil, germinate, and start to grow. With a little attention to controlling competition from the existing grass, new red clover plants can start increasing your pasture production by summer.
Don’t become trapped by the never ending cost of nitrogen fertilizer. Use legumes to reduce costs and increase production.
"Take a Second for Safety" is the Message During Grain Bin Safety Week
With on-farm grain storage on the rise—and a record number of grain engulfment deaths across the nation last year—agricultural leaders in Nebraska are placing special emphasis on grain handling safety during Grain Bin Safety Week, February 22-28, 2015. In observance of the week, the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association are encouraging farmers, grain elevators and other grain handlers to slow down — and take a second for safety while working with grain.
“We feel it is increasingly important to promote grain bin safety awareness and remind all grain handlers of the hazards of working around grain,” said Larry Mussack, farmer from Decatur and president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “With just one misstep or just a moment of distraction, you could find yourself or someone you know in a grain entrapment emergency.”
National statistics show that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. Over the past 50 years, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported—and the fatality rate is 62 percent. With a 10-inch auger, it takes just 25 seconds for a 6-foot person to be completely buried in grain.
Now in its second year, Grain Bin Safety Week is an annual observance dedicated to increasing the awareness of grain bin safety on farms and commercial grain-handling facilities. The goal of this event is to educate the agricultural community on safe work practices and procedures to help reduce the number of preventable injuries and deaths associated with grain handling and storage.
Here are a few grain bin safety tips to keep in mind when you are working with stored grain:
- Use inspection holes or grain level markers to understand what's happening inside the bin. Use a pole from outside the bin to break up grain bridges.
- You should enter a grain bin only if absolutely necessary. If you must get into the bin, use a body harness secured to the outside of the bin. Have at least two people watching over you as you enter and work inside the bin.
- Use hand signals to communicate—and make sure everyone you're working with knows what those signals are.
These safety tips and more will be emphasized not only during Grain Bin Safety Week, but throughout the year by the Nebraska Corn organizations. A record high yield, combined with an upward trend in on-farm grain storage capacity has experts projecting an even larger number of grain engulfment accidents in 2015.
“Now, more than ever, it is important to take the extra second and follow the safety rules when it comes to working with grain stored in bins,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “With on-farm safety being a continued effort at Nebraska Corn, we want both farmers and emergency responders to understand how to avoid grain bin accidents—and how to help someone who does end up in trouble in a grain bin. There is no better time than the present to work together as an agricultural community and help prevent these tragic accidents from occurring.”
CLIMATOLOGIST LEIRSEROWITZ TO DELIVER MARCH 10 HEUERMANN LECTURE AT UNL
A nationally renowned climatologist will be the next Heuermann Lecture speaker in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Anthony Leiserowitz, a research scientist and director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communications at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, will speak at 3:30 p.m. March 10, in Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege streets. The title of Leirserowitz’s talk is “Climate Change in the American Mind.”
Leiserowitz is a widely recognized expert on American and international public opinion on global warming, including public perception of climate change risks, support and opposition for climate policies, and willingness to make individual behavioral change. His research investigates the psychological, cultural, political, and geographic factors that drive public environmental perception and behavior.
He has conducted survey, experimental and field research at scales ranging from the global to the local, including international studies, the United States, individual states (Alaska and Florida), municipalities (New York City), and with the Inupiaq Eskimo of northwest Alaska. He also conducted the first empirical assessment of worldwide public values, attitudes, and behaviors regarding global sustainability, including environmental protection, economic growth and human development.
Leiserowitz has served as a consultant to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the United Nations Development Program, the Gallup World Poll, the Global Roundtable on Climate Change at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the World Economic Forum. Leiserowitz will report on recent trends in Americans' climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support, and behavior and discuss strategies for more effective public engagement.
Heuermann Lectures are made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people. The lectures focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the world’s people, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs. Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and are archived at that site soon after the lecture. They’re also seen on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.
$380,000 awarded for Beginning Farmer/Rancher Trainings
Recently, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) announced more than $18 million in Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).
Partnering organizations, Community Crops of Lincoln, NE and the Center for Rural Affairs were awarded $381,726 to combine their farmer training programs to increase their outreach to beginning farmers in the state of Nebraska. This project will enhance urban and rural-based farm viability of 150 beginning Hispanic, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource farmers in Nebraska. The objective is to assist these beginners with development of small scale farm enterprises through training and technical assistance.
“The need to develop new farmers who will grow food is critical at this juncture,” said Ingrid Kirst, Executive Director, Community Crops. “With climate challenges and a rising demand for locally grown food, the time to invest in developing successful new farmers who will be armed with the kind of training and technical assistance to help ensure their success is now.”
Kirst continued, using the strengths and experiences of both organizations, we will provide training and technical assistance in business/financial planning and production skills, and will facilitate development of a peer-to-peer network. Distance learning technology will be used to reach the maximum number of beginners throughout Nebraska and archive training for future access. Over 40 people are attending the first class series being held in Lincoln and Crete as the first step toward their new farm dream.
According to the USDA press release, the BFRDP program, first established by the 2008 Farm Bill, aims to support those who have farmed or ranched less than 10 years with workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance throughout the United States. NIFA awards grants to organizations that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers.
"As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are really looking to their community for support. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program empowers these farmers and ranchers to bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to addressing food security, creating economic enterprises, and building communities," said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 2014 Farm Bill, programs like these are evidence that an investment in beginning farmers and ranchers is an investment in our future."
USMEF Statement on West Coast Port Labor Contract Agreement
Philip M. Seng, President and CEO, U.S. Meat Export Federation
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) was very pleased to learn of the tentative agreement on a new West Coast port labor contract that was reached Friday evening. Since we began to see increasing congestion in the West Coast ports several months ago, the global customer base that the U.S. meat industry has spent decades building has been put at risk by shipping delays and by the uncertainty surrounding these contract negotiations. With nearly 80 percent or our waterborne red meat exports utilizing West Coast ports, this situation had become very damaging not only for exporters, but also for farmers, ranchers, processors and everyone in the supply chain.
We are hopeful that the parties will ratify the new contract agreement as soon as possible and clear the backlog that currently exists in several major ports, so that U.S. industries can once again serve our international customers with the confidence and reliability they deserve.
ASA Welcomes News of Tentative West Coast Ports Labor Deal, Calls on PMA, ILWU to Ratify and Move Forward
The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reached a tentative deal on a new contract late Friday, according to the Associated Press, that would resume operations at ports along the west coast. The PMA and ILWU had been embroiled in a labor standoff that wrought havoc on the export of soybeans and other agriculture commodities that utilize west coast ports. American Soybean Association (ASA) President Wade Cowan noted the association's relief at the conflict's resolution.
"As business owners, soybean farmers count on a smoothly-operating supply chain to stay competitive. The work stoppage on the west coast is something that continues to have ripple effects not only on soybean farms, but within the processing industry, and especially in the livestock industry that represents the top consumer of soybean meal," said Cowan.
In the 2014/2015 crop marketing year, U.S. farmers exported 1.77 billion bushels of soybeans, making soy the country's leading farm export. Soybean meal is also a key feedstock for the livestock and meat export industry, which was disproportionately affected by the stoppage.
"Soybean farmers are proud of the role we play in the nation's agricultural trade, and proud to be a leader on these issues," added Cowan. "Disruptions like the one we saw out west have the potential to throw the country's farm economy into disarray. A devastating impact like that isn't a bargaining chip. It goes without saying that we are relieved to see a resolution to the dispute, and we encourage both parties to ratify this new contract and get back to work as quickly as possible."
Policy to be Focus at Commodity Classic
When corn farmers from around the country gather in Phoenix this week for the 20th annual Commodity Classic convention and trade show, it's not going to be just to enjoy much warmer weather than back on the farm - a series of important policy meetings are also taking place for members and leaders of the National Corn Growers Association.
"Commodity Classic gives us the opportunity not just to celebrate great work, meet with friends and learn about new products and services, it allows growers to get together in one place to shape policy for our organization," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "This year, all eyes and ears will be focused on the importance of building profitable demand for our farmers when corn production is high and corn prices are low."
On Wednesday, growers will meet for an issues briefing and open forum, followed by caucuses at the state level, where they will discuss proposed resolutions and organizational priorities to come before NCGA at the two Corn Congress sessions, held Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon. With such topics as ethanol infrastructure, unmanned aircraft rules and environmental regulations up for discussion, growers will have a lot to talk about this week. Growers will also have the chance to meet with candidates for the NCGA Corn Board for the 2016 fiscal year.
Also this week, growers are scheduled to hear from Val Docini, the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, at the Thursday Corn Congress session. And USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will speak before several thousand Classic attendees at the show's general session Friday morning.
Aflatoxin Research Update at Commodity Classic
The Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence Research Steering Committee will meet at Commodity Classic tomorrow to hear updates on the nine research projects that received grants to focus on solving aflatoxin issues. These grants were designed by Southern corn checkoff boards to bring a unified approach to funding research projects across the region. The committee will also discuss the current and future direction of AMCOE.
"The unified approach AMCOE, its affiliate states and the National Corn Growers Association bring to aflatoxin research brings us closer to getting real results that farmers want to see in their fields," said AMCOE Chair Charles Ring, a corn grower in Texas. "While corn farmers in Southern states experience aflatoxin challenges every year, these challenges have the potential of cropping up in any corn region of the United States when the crop comes under stress. For this reason, the benefits of the seven priority areas of AMCOE research are truly national in scope."
AMCOE grant recipient projects represent more than 50 researchers from approximately 15 universities including Auburn University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, Penn State University, Tuskegee University and the University of Arizona. USDA Agricultural Research sites in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina, as well as Texas State Chemists Lab, all also have researchers involved with grant-recipient projects.
Projects funded for 2015 focus on biological control, especially atoxigenic strain development; deployment technology and increased utilization; transgenic modification for improved aflatoxin resistance and breeding for aflatoxin resistance; amelioration technology for aflatoxin-contaminated grain; best management strategies for reducing aflatoxin; improved testing procedures; and improved information transfer.
Five Countries Ban Canada Beef
Canada's Minister of Agriculture is sharing more details on the impact a cow, recently detected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) disease, is having on the country's beef industry.
At the Grainworld conference here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday morning Gerry Ritz told reporters there are five countries that have closed their doors to imports of Canadian beef.
Korea, which constitutes 1% of Canada's sales, was the first to stop the imports and has been joined by Taiwan, Peru, Indonesia and Belarus. Mr. Ritz estimates the impact is minor, totaling 3% to 3.5% of Canada's global beef sales.
At this stage he says there are no indications Japan or the U.S. is thinking of following suit and he is confident the trade barriers will come down soon. "I don't see anything there that will hold us out for the longer term," he said.
Mr. Ritz also pointed out that the chicken industry in B.C. had suffered a similar setback when a case of avian flu was detected there last year, but since then markets have started to accept chicken imports.
Truckers Block Mato Grosso Soy Routes
Truckers have been blocking the principal highway in Mato Grosso, Brazil's main soybean state, for the last five days right in the middle of harvesting season.
The delays caused by the protest against declining freight rates and rising costs have left exporters worried they will leave ships waiting at port and farmers concerned they may run out of diesel for harvest machinery.
Drivers are impeding trucks from traveling along the BR-163 highway, which carries 70% of Mato Grosso's grains.
According to highway police, there are four blockades on the road Monday. There are other blockades in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and in the south, although their impact is not as great.
The soybean harvest in Mato Grosso is already behind schedule, at 34% complete compared with 48% last year, says AgRural, a local consultant, and the slow arrival of diesel could delay fieldwork further, if the blockage persists.
Soybean crushers and exporters will be getting concerned about fines for late delivery and demurrage at port.
On Monday, Abiove, Brazil's soybean industry association, issued a statement, condemning the blockades as an illegal attempt to push up freight rates.
The blockade, organized by the truckers union and local haulage companies, probably won't drag on much longer. However, it may be a prelude to an upswing in strike action in 2015.
Brazil's economy may be slipping into recession, while inflation is expected to top 7% in 2015. The situation has already spawned strikes in key industries, notably car making, and could lead to problems at port, for example, later in the year.
CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creamery, Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 2.590 million pounds (1,175 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and North Africa. The product will be delivered in February through August 2015.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 7.231 million pounds of cheese and 18.453 million pounds of butter to sixteen countries on four continents. The sales are the equivalent of 481.929 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.
Students use National FFA Week to share importance of agriculture, value of agricultural education, history of organization
More than a half-million students in all 50 states will share the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, spread their passion for agriculture and host communitywide events to help others in need this week.
It’s National FFA Week and a host of activities are planned to raise awareness about the National FFA Organization and the role it plays in the development of the agriculture industry’s future leaders and the importance of agricultural education.
The week-long tradition started in 1948. Each year, National FFA Week runs Saturday to Saturday, encompassing President George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday in recognition of Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer.
FFA was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Its mission is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. Since the founding members the organization has taught generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and much more.
Today, FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Members prepare for careers as biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs.
National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., National FFA Week activities can be followed on Twitter at #FFAweek.
According to responses on Facebook and Twitter, local FFA chapters plan to host parties in appreciation of their agriculture teachers and FFA advisors. Members will host local farmers' markets, visit elementary and middle schools to talk about FFA and agricultural education, complete community-service projects, participate in spirit days at their schools to promote agricultural education and much more. A round-up of some planned National FFA Week activities include:
Through Sunday, participating Tractor Supply Co. stores encourage customers to donate $1 at checkout to support FFA. Donations will fund $1,000 scholarships for FFA members while 10 percent will support state FFA association programs. Last year, Tractor Supply raised more than $447,671 in 48 states to provide 334 college scholarships for FFA members.
St. Amant FFA in Louisiana will be working to collect enough food to feed 1,000 people through a help a farmer feed a family event, which will tie into their local livestock show.
The National FFA Officers will travel around the country to visit local FFA chapters. States that will be visited include: Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Oregon.
The New Richmond FFA chapter in Wisconsin is hosting an FFA Week Kickoff Snowtubing Event in their area with all interested chapters invited to participate. It's an annual tradition and members from up to 12 different schools traditionally attend, sharing ideas of what is happening at their schools during FFA Week.
The Dassel-Cokato FFA Chapter in Minnesota will co-host their annual dinner on Feb. 25, along with the local FFA alumni affiliate. This is an opportunity for FFA chapter members and alumni members say thank you to people who have and continue to support their chapters. It is also a chance to share with the community the great things the members are doing.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
A New Network for Women in Agriculture
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden
To be a woman in agriculture is to face a unique set of challenges. And because I know all too well the trials that women can face as they look to take on leadership roles, I made it a goal as USDA’s Deputy Secretary to start a community for women leaders in agriculture.
This past fall, I held a White House discussion with farmers, agribusiness, academics and youth leaders about the opportunities that exist to help advance women in agriculture to leadership positions. Since that meeting, the response has been overwhelming. Women from all walks of life and every sector of the agriculture supply chain are empowering one another, and they’re sharing beautiful photographs and touching stories about how they’ve done it.
Today, I am announcing the creation of the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network. This newly established network is designed to support and engage women across all areas of agriculture and to foster professional partnerships between women with shared backgrounds, interests, and professional goals.
We have created an e-mail address, agwomenlead@usda.gov, for you to share your suggestions, stories and other snippets on how we can build a new generation of women leaders in agriculture. By e-mailing us, you will automatically be added to the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.
I am truly excited by the passion and confidence I continue to see in women in agriculture across the country. In the office, on the road, I am constantly stopped by young women looking to find mentorship, or current leaders looking to lift up our next generation. Now, with our new network, you can.
This is just the first step in giving women the tools they need to be successful agricultural leaders. Keep sharing your stories using #womeninag and stay tuned for more information on the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.
John Wilson Extension Educator, Burt County
Loren Giesler, Extension Plant Pathologist
Ten years ago, the Nebraska Soybean Board started an extremely successful program to provide free soil analysis for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) for Nebraska soybean farmers. Soil samples were processed in the UNL Plant Pathology department. It started slowly, but over the years the number of samples has grown to over 6,600 samples. In 2014, almost 1,200 samples from Nebraska growers were processed.
Just as we approach another prestigous awards night, we wanted to recognize progress made by producers testing for and identifying SCN infestations, the first step in managing this pest. SCN is the most devastating pest to soybean growers. Last year SCN cost Nebraska farmers about $30 million and US farmers over $1 billion in lost yields.
In the 19 years prior to this sampling program, SCN had been identified in only 27 counties; since the SCN sampling program was initiated, SCN was identified in 30 more counties, more than doubling the SCN confirmations across the state. Almost one-third of all samples submitted have come back positive for SCN.
Often the farmer submitting the sample had no idea he or she had SCN-infested fields. This illustrates why it's so important to test fields for SCN. Once farmers learn SCN is in their field, they can start managing it.
Farmers can have yield losses of 20-30% with no visible plant symptoms. Often the first indication of an SCN infestation is when soybean yields plateau or even start to drop off while corn yields continue to increase in that field.
Testing for SCN
The best way to determine if SCN is in a field is to take a soil test. We are pleased to have the Nebraska Soybean Board as our partner in this ongoing initiative.They recognized what a serious problem SCN was to soybean growers and have funded a project with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to encourage farmers to sample their fields for SCN. Their support covers the cost of analyzing soil samples for SCN, normally a $20/sample expense.
Without the Nebraska Soybean Board's support, we would not have been able to reach this many Nebraska farmers. In 2014, 1,177 samples were submitted and 432 (36.7%) were positive for SCN. From these results, our panel of judges have identified the following as the 6th Annual 'Tode Awards winners:
In the category of Most (#) Samples Submitted:
Winner: Buffalo County (157)
Honorable Mention: Boone (70), Kearney (64), Platte (59)
In the category of Most (#) Samples Positive for SCN:
Winner: Buffalo County (40)
Honorable Mention: Platte (35), Antelope (24), Kearney (20)
In the category of Most (%) Samples Positive for SCN (must have submitted at least five samples):
Winner: Rock County (86%)
Honorable Mention: Burt County (83%), Antelope (80%), Dodge (76%)
In the category of Sample with Highest Egg Count (# eggs/100 ccs of soil):
Winner: Madison County (108,160)
Honorable Mention: Merrick (75,840), Antelope (66,080), Saunders (39,360)
And finally, in the category of County with First SCN Detection:
Winner: Sherman
Some might argue that the county in the last category is a loser, not a winner. However, now farmers in Sherman County know SCN has been found in area fields so they can sample for it and start managing it if found in their fields. So they really are winners.
Although it often goes undetected, SCN is here and it is reducing the profitability for Nebraska soybean producers. To learn more about SCN or to pick up bags to submit soil samples from your fields, contact your local Nebraska Extension office.
Getting Ready for the Grazing Season
Larry Howard, Extension Educator, Cuming County
The start of the growing season may be a couple of months away, but it is not too early to start thinking about grazing and forage plans for the upcoming year. Grazing plans should include projected cattle numbers (or stocking rates), turn out dates, and a pasture use sequence for multiple pasture rotations. In the spring, there is always anticipation about when and how much it will rain. This, as well as temperature, are the two primary factors that might affect pasture turn out date. April precipitation supports the initial growth of cool-season pasture grasses, but these species have the majority of their growth during the month of May. Warm-season grasses generally initiate growth in May with rapid accumulation of growth in June and early July.
For those livestock producers that use various types of rotational grazing strategies, it is important to review grazing records from the previous years when planning the rotation sequence for 2015. Consideration should be given to when the time or period of grazing occurred in the previous years. Plans should adjust the schedule to avoid grazing the same pasture at the same time period in consecutive years.
Now is also a good time to plan the planting of spring or summer annual forage crops that might be grazed, hayed, or harvested as silage to replenish feed supplies. This includes selecting the forage crop type, fields that will be planted, identifying seed sources, and ordering the seed. Oats, spring triticale, and barley are annual cereal grains that can be planted from late March to early April to produce forage that can be grazed beginning in mid to late May or harvested for hay or silage in late June or early July. Growth of these cereal crops is very rapid in late May and early June, requiring good grazing management and the proper stocking rate to efficiently harvest the forage.
Forage peas are a legume that can be mixed in with spring cereals to reduce nitrogen fertilizer needed while maintaining or improving the protein levels of the harvested crop. When selecting a spring cereal to plant, preference should be given to varieties that have been selected for forage production. Select hooded or awnless varieties of barley if the crop is going to be harvested as hay. The quality of the forage produced from spring cereals will depend upon the stage of maturity at harvest. As maturity increases, quality declines rapidly. The optimum compromise between quality and yield generally occurs shortly after boot to early heading stages. Yield in terms of dry matter produced per acre generally increases 10 percent to 20 percent from the boot to early heading stages.
The primary warm-season or summer annual forages would include sudangrass, forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, pearl and foxtail millet. As warm-season species, soil temperatures at planting should consistently be at the 60 to 65 degree level which is usually achieved by late May. These warm-season annuals could also be planted anytime up to early August and still produce forage, but greater amounts will be realized with earlier planting dates.
BENEFITS OF LEGUMES
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
Reducing pasture expenses can help your bottom line. But don’t try to starve a profit from your pastures. Sometimes you need to invest. This spring, invest in legumes.
Spring-like weather between snow storms in January and February should get you looking forward to next spring . I’m sure one thing you won’t look forward to, though, is paying for nitrogen fertilizer on your pastures.
Avoid this expense by adding legumes to your grazinglands. Five years of grazing research in eastern Nebraska showed that brome/legume pastures produced almost four-tenths of a pound higher average daily gain on yearlings than did straight brome pastures fertilized with 50 pounds of nitrogen.
That may not sound like a lot to you, but that much faster gain for the full season produced an extra fifty-one pounds of beef per acre. With no nitrogen fertilizer. Adding the value of heavier yearlings plus reduced fertilizer expenses resulted in more than an extra fifty dollars per acre profit. That’s fifty more dollars – per acre!
Similar research was conducted with warm-season grasses with nearly the same results.
February and March are good months to start adding legumes. Red clover is the easiest one to establish because seed can be broadcast on pastures even if they are covered with several inches of snow. As snow melts and temperatures fluctuate in early spring, the seeds will get worked into the soil, germinate, and start to grow. With a little attention to controlling competition from the existing grass, new red clover plants can start increasing your pasture production by summer.
Don’t become trapped by the never ending cost of nitrogen fertilizer. Use legumes to reduce costs and increase production.
"Take a Second for Safety" is the Message During Grain Bin Safety Week
With on-farm grain storage on the rise—and a record number of grain engulfment deaths across the nation last year—agricultural leaders in Nebraska are placing special emphasis on grain handling safety during Grain Bin Safety Week, February 22-28, 2015. In observance of the week, the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association are encouraging farmers, grain elevators and other grain handlers to slow down — and take a second for safety while working with grain.
“We feel it is increasingly important to promote grain bin safety awareness and remind all grain handlers of the hazards of working around grain,” said Larry Mussack, farmer from Decatur and president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “With just one misstep or just a moment of distraction, you could find yourself or someone you know in a grain entrapment emergency.”
National statistics show that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. Over the past 50 years, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported—and the fatality rate is 62 percent. With a 10-inch auger, it takes just 25 seconds for a 6-foot person to be completely buried in grain.
Now in its second year, Grain Bin Safety Week is an annual observance dedicated to increasing the awareness of grain bin safety on farms and commercial grain-handling facilities. The goal of this event is to educate the agricultural community on safe work practices and procedures to help reduce the number of preventable injuries and deaths associated with grain handling and storage.
Here are a few grain bin safety tips to keep in mind when you are working with stored grain:
- Use inspection holes or grain level markers to understand what's happening inside the bin. Use a pole from outside the bin to break up grain bridges.
- You should enter a grain bin only if absolutely necessary. If you must get into the bin, use a body harness secured to the outside of the bin. Have at least two people watching over you as you enter and work inside the bin.
- Use hand signals to communicate—and make sure everyone you're working with knows what those signals are.
These safety tips and more will be emphasized not only during Grain Bin Safety Week, but throughout the year by the Nebraska Corn organizations. A record high yield, combined with an upward trend in on-farm grain storage capacity has experts projecting an even larger number of grain engulfment accidents in 2015.
“Now, more than ever, it is important to take the extra second and follow the safety rules when it comes to working with grain stored in bins,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “With on-farm safety being a continued effort at Nebraska Corn, we want both farmers and emergency responders to understand how to avoid grain bin accidents—and how to help someone who does end up in trouble in a grain bin. There is no better time than the present to work together as an agricultural community and help prevent these tragic accidents from occurring.”
CLIMATOLOGIST LEIRSEROWITZ TO DELIVER MARCH 10 HEUERMANN LECTURE AT UNL
A nationally renowned climatologist will be the next Heuermann Lecture speaker in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Anthony Leiserowitz, a research scientist and director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communications at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, will speak at 3:30 p.m. March 10, in Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege streets. The title of Leirserowitz’s talk is “Climate Change in the American Mind.”
Leiserowitz is a widely recognized expert on American and international public opinion on global warming, including public perception of climate change risks, support and opposition for climate policies, and willingness to make individual behavioral change. His research investigates the psychological, cultural, political, and geographic factors that drive public environmental perception and behavior.
He has conducted survey, experimental and field research at scales ranging from the global to the local, including international studies, the United States, individual states (Alaska and Florida), municipalities (New York City), and with the Inupiaq Eskimo of northwest Alaska. He also conducted the first empirical assessment of worldwide public values, attitudes, and behaviors regarding global sustainability, including environmental protection, economic growth and human development.
Leiserowitz has served as a consultant to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the United Nations Development Program, the Gallup World Poll, the Global Roundtable on Climate Change at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the World Economic Forum. Leiserowitz will report on recent trends in Americans' climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support, and behavior and discuss strategies for more effective public engagement.
Heuermann Lectures are made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people. The lectures focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the world’s people, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs. Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and are archived at that site soon after the lecture. They’re also seen on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.
$380,000 awarded for Beginning Farmer/Rancher Trainings
Recently, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) announced more than $18 million in Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).
Partnering organizations, Community Crops of Lincoln, NE and the Center for Rural Affairs were awarded $381,726 to combine their farmer training programs to increase their outreach to beginning farmers in the state of Nebraska. This project will enhance urban and rural-based farm viability of 150 beginning Hispanic, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource farmers in Nebraska. The objective is to assist these beginners with development of small scale farm enterprises through training and technical assistance.
“The need to develop new farmers who will grow food is critical at this juncture,” said Ingrid Kirst, Executive Director, Community Crops. “With climate challenges and a rising demand for locally grown food, the time to invest in developing successful new farmers who will be armed with the kind of training and technical assistance to help ensure their success is now.”
Kirst continued, using the strengths and experiences of both organizations, we will provide training and technical assistance in business/financial planning and production skills, and will facilitate development of a peer-to-peer network. Distance learning technology will be used to reach the maximum number of beginners throughout Nebraska and archive training for future access. Over 40 people are attending the first class series being held in Lincoln and Crete as the first step toward their new farm dream.
According to the USDA press release, the BFRDP program, first established by the 2008 Farm Bill, aims to support those who have farmed or ranched less than 10 years with workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance throughout the United States. NIFA awards grants to organizations that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers.
"As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are really looking to their community for support. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program empowers these farmers and ranchers to bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to addressing food security, creating economic enterprises, and building communities," said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 2014 Farm Bill, programs like these are evidence that an investment in beginning farmers and ranchers is an investment in our future."
USMEF Statement on West Coast Port Labor Contract Agreement
Philip M. Seng, President and CEO, U.S. Meat Export Federation
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) was very pleased to learn of the tentative agreement on a new West Coast port labor contract that was reached Friday evening. Since we began to see increasing congestion in the West Coast ports several months ago, the global customer base that the U.S. meat industry has spent decades building has been put at risk by shipping delays and by the uncertainty surrounding these contract negotiations. With nearly 80 percent or our waterborne red meat exports utilizing West Coast ports, this situation had become very damaging not only for exporters, but also for farmers, ranchers, processors and everyone in the supply chain.
We are hopeful that the parties will ratify the new contract agreement as soon as possible and clear the backlog that currently exists in several major ports, so that U.S. industries can once again serve our international customers with the confidence and reliability they deserve.
ASA Welcomes News of Tentative West Coast Ports Labor Deal, Calls on PMA, ILWU to Ratify and Move Forward
The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reached a tentative deal on a new contract late Friday, according to the Associated Press, that would resume operations at ports along the west coast. The PMA and ILWU had been embroiled in a labor standoff that wrought havoc on the export of soybeans and other agriculture commodities that utilize west coast ports. American Soybean Association (ASA) President Wade Cowan noted the association's relief at the conflict's resolution.
"As business owners, soybean farmers count on a smoothly-operating supply chain to stay competitive. The work stoppage on the west coast is something that continues to have ripple effects not only on soybean farms, but within the processing industry, and especially in the livestock industry that represents the top consumer of soybean meal," said Cowan.
In the 2014/2015 crop marketing year, U.S. farmers exported 1.77 billion bushels of soybeans, making soy the country's leading farm export. Soybean meal is also a key feedstock for the livestock and meat export industry, which was disproportionately affected by the stoppage.
"Soybean farmers are proud of the role we play in the nation's agricultural trade, and proud to be a leader on these issues," added Cowan. "Disruptions like the one we saw out west have the potential to throw the country's farm economy into disarray. A devastating impact like that isn't a bargaining chip. It goes without saying that we are relieved to see a resolution to the dispute, and we encourage both parties to ratify this new contract and get back to work as quickly as possible."
Policy to be Focus at Commodity Classic
When corn farmers from around the country gather in Phoenix this week for the 20th annual Commodity Classic convention and trade show, it's not going to be just to enjoy much warmer weather than back on the farm - a series of important policy meetings are also taking place for members and leaders of the National Corn Growers Association.
"Commodity Classic gives us the opportunity not just to celebrate great work, meet with friends and learn about new products and services, it allows growers to get together in one place to shape policy for our organization," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "This year, all eyes and ears will be focused on the importance of building profitable demand for our farmers when corn production is high and corn prices are low."
On Wednesday, growers will meet for an issues briefing and open forum, followed by caucuses at the state level, where they will discuss proposed resolutions and organizational priorities to come before NCGA at the two Corn Congress sessions, held Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon. With such topics as ethanol infrastructure, unmanned aircraft rules and environmental regulations up for discussion, growers will have a lot to talk about this week. Growers will also have the chance to meet with candidates for the NCGA Corn Board for the 2016 fiscal year.
Also this week, growers are scheduled to hear from Val Docini, the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, at the Thursday Corn Congress session. And USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will speak before several thousand Classic attendees at the show's general session Friday morning.
Aflatoxin Research Update at Commodity Classic
The Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence Research Steering Committee will meet at Commodity Classic tomorrow to hear updates on the nine research projects that received grants to focus on solving aflatoxin issues. These grants were designed by Southern corn checkoff boards to bring a unified approach to funding research projects across the region. The committee will also discuss the current and future direction of AMCOE.
"The unified approach AMCOE, its affiliate states and the National Corn Growers Association bring to aflatoxin research brings us closer to getting real results that farmers want to see in their fields," said AMCOE Chair Charles Ring, a corn grower in Texas. "While corn farmers in Southern states experience aflatoxin challenges every year, these challenges have the potential of cropping up in any corn region of the United States when the crop comes under stress. For this reason, the benefits of the seven priority areas of AMCOE research are truly national in scope."
AMCOE grant recipient projects represent more than 50 researchers from approximately 15 universities including Auburn University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, Penn State University, Tuskegee University and the University of Arizona. USDA Agricultural Research sites in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina, as well as Texas State Chemists Lab, all also have researchers involved with grant-recipient projects.
Projects funded for 2015 focus on biological control, especially atoxigenic strain development; deployment technology and increased utilization; transgenic modification for improved aflatoxin resistance and breeding for aflatoxin resistance; amelioration technology for aflatoxin-contaminated grain; best management strategies for reducing aflatoxin; improved testing procedures; and improved information transfer.
Five Countries Ban Canada Beef
Canada's Minister of Agriculture is sharing more details on the impact a cow, recently detected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) disease, is having on the country's beef industry.
At the Grainworld conference here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday morning Gerry Ritz told reporters there are five countries that have closed their doors to imports of Canadian beef.
Korea, which constitutes 1% of Canada's sales, was the first to stop the imports and has been joined by Taiwan, Peru, Indonesia and Belarus. Mr. Ritz estimates the impact is minor, totaling 3% to 3.5% of Canada's global beef sales.
At this stage he says there are no indications Japan or the U.S. is thinking of following suit and he is confident the trade barriers will come down soon. "I don't see anything there that will hold us out for the longer term," he said.
Mr. Ritz also pointed out that the chicken industry in B.C. had suffered a similar setback when a case of avian flu was detected there last year, but since then markets have started to accept chicken imports.
Truckers Block Mato Grosso Soy Routes
Truckers have been blocking the principal highway in Mato Grosso, Brazil's main soybean state, for the last five days right in the middle of harvesting season.
The delays caused by the protest against declining freight rates and rising costs have left exporters worried they will leave ships waiting at port and farmers concerned they may run out of diesel for harvest machinery.
Drivers are impeding trucks from traveling along the BR-163 highway, which carries 70% of Mato Grosso's grains.
According to highway police, there are four blockades on the road Monday. There are other blockades in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and in the south, although their impact is not as great.
The soybean harvest in Mato Grosso is already behind schedule, at 34% complete compared with 48% last year, says AgRural, a local consultant, and the slow arrival of diesel could delay fieldwork further, if the blockage persists.
Soybean crushers and exporters will be getting concerned about fines for late delivery and demurrage at port.
On Monday, Abiove, Brazil's soybean industry association, issued a statement, condemning the blockades as an illegal attempt to push up freight rates.
The blockade, organized by the truckers union and local haulage companies, probably won't drag on much longer. However, it may be a prelude to an upswing in strike action in 2015.
Brazil's economy may be slipping into recession, while inflation is expected to top 7% in 2015. The situation has already spawned strikes in key industries, notably car making, and could lead to problems at port, for example, later in the year.
CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creamery, Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 2.590 million pounds (1,175 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and North Africa. The product will be delivered in February through August 2015.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 7.231 million pounds of cheese and 18.453 million pounds of butter to sixteen countries on four continents. The sales are the equivalent of 481.929 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.
Students use National FFA Week to share importance of agriculture, value of agricultural education, history of organization
More than a half-million students in all 50 states will share the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, spread their passion for agriculture and host communitywide events to help others in need this week.
It’s National FFA Week and a host of activities are planned to raise awareness about the National FFA Organization and the role it plays in the development of the agriculture industry’s future leaders and the importance of agricultural education.
The week-long tradition started in 1948. Each year, National FFA Week runs Saturday to Saturday, encompassing President George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday in recognition of Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer.
FFA was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Its mission is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. Since the founding members the organization has taught generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and much more.
Today, FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Members prepare for careers as biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs.
National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., National FFA Week activities can be followed on Twitter at #FFAweek.
According to responses on Facebook and Twitter, local FFA chapters plan to host parties in appreciation of their agriculture teachers and FFA advisors. Members will host local farmers' markets, visit elementary and middle schools to talk about FFA and agricultural education, complete community-service projects, participate in spirit days at their schools to promote agricultural education and much more. A round-up of some planned National FFA Week activities include:
Through Sunday, participating Tractor Supply Co. stores encourage customers to donate $1 at checkout to support FFA. Donations will fund $1,000 scholarships for FFA members while 10 percent will support state FFA association programs. Last year, Tractor Supply raised more than $447,671 in 48 states to provide 334 college scholarships for FFA members.
St. Amant FFA in Louisiana will be working to collect enough food to feed 1,000 people through a help a farmer feed a family event, which will tie into their local livestock show.
The National FFA Officers will travel around the country to visit local FFA chapters. States that will be visited include: Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Oregon.
The New Richmond FFA chapter in Wisconsin is hosting an FFA Week Kickoff Snowtubing Event in their area with all interested chapters invited to participate. It's an annual tradition and members from up to 12 different schools traditionally attend, sharing ideas of what is happening at their schools during FFA Week.
The Dassel-Cokato FFA Chapter in Minnesota will co-host their annual dinner on Feb. 25, along with the local FFA alumni affiliate. This is an opportunity for FFA chapter members and alumni members say thank you to people who have and continue to support their chapters. It is also a chance to share with the community the great things the members are doing.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
A New Network for Women in Agriculture
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden
To be a woman in agriculture is to face a unique set of challenges. And because I know all too well the trials that women can face as they look to take on leadership roles, I made it a goal as USDA’s Deputy Secretary to start a community for women leaders in agriculture.
This past fall, I held a White House discussion with farmers, agribusiness, academics and youth leaders about the opportunities that exist to help advance women in agriculture to leadership positions. Since that meeting, the response has been overwhelming. Women from all walks of life and every sector of the agriculture supply chain are empowering one another, and they’re sharing beautiful photographs and touching stories about how they’ve done it.
Today, I am announcing the creation of the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network. This newly established network is designed to support and engage women across all areas of agriculture and to foster professional partnerships between women with shared backgrounds, interests, and professional goals.
We have created an e-mail address, agwomenlead@usda.gov, for you to share your suggestions, stories and other snippets on how we can build a new generation of women leaders in agriculture. By e-mailing us, you will automatically be added to the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.
I am truly excited by the passion and confidence I continue to see in women in agriculture across the country. In the office, on the road, I am constantly stopped by young women looking to find mentorship, or current leaders looking to lift up our next generation. Now, with our new network, you can.
This is just the first step in giving women the tools they need to be successful agricultural leaders. Keep sharing your stories using #womeninag and stay tuned for more information on the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Friday February 20 Cattle on Feed + Ag News
NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 2 PERCENT
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.49 million cattle on feed on February 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2 percent from last year. Placements during January totaled 495,000 head, down 9 percent from 2014. Fed cattle marketings for the month of January totaled 450,000 head, down 4 percent from last year. Other disappearance during January totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED UP 5%
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Iowa for all feedlots totaled 1,275,000 on February 1, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. The inventory is up 5 percent from January 1, 2015, and up 5,000 head from February 1, 2014. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head had 660,000 head on feed, up 3 percent from last month but unchanged from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head had 615,000 head on feed, up 6 percent from last month and up 1 percent from last year.
Placements during January totaled 195,000 head, a decrease of 3 percent from last month but up 9 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head placed 100,000 head, down 1 percent from last month and down 12 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 95,000 head. This is down 5 percent from last month but up 46 percent from last year.
Marketings for January were 134,000 head, up 7 percent from last month and up 2 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 78,000 head, down 2 percent from last month but up 10 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head marketed 56,000 head, up 24 percent from last month but down 8 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 6,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up Slightly
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on February 1, 2015. The inventory was slightly above February 1, 2014.
Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.79 million, 11 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.71 million head. During January, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 405,000, 600-699 pounds were 340,000, 700-799 pounds were 477,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 565,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.63 million, 9 percent below 2014. January marketings are the lowest since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 77,000 during January, 8 percent above 2014.
2014 Cattle on Feed and Annual Size Group Estimates
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head represented 81.6 percent of all cattle and calves on feed in the United States on January 1, 2015, up from 81.3 on January 1, 2014.
Marketings of fed cattle for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during 2014 represented 87.2 percent of all cattle marketed from feedlots in the United States, up from 86.9 percent during 2013.
Number of Cattle on Feed (1,000 head, % of Feb '14)
Colorado ...: 890 94
Iowa ..........: 660 100
Kansas .......: 2,090 102
Nebraska ...: 2,490 102
Texas .........: 2,490 102
Number of Cattle Placed on Feed (1,000 hd, % of Jan '14)
Colorado ....: 135 71
Iowa ..........: 100 88
Kansas .......: 410 94
Nebraska ...: 495 91
Texas .........: 350 86
Number of Cattle Marketed (1,00 hd, % of Jan '14)
Colorado ......: 140 82
Iowa .............: 78 110
Kansas ..........: 355 92
Nebraska ......: 450 96
Texas ............: 345 90
Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Classes next week in Dodge County
Nathan Mueller, UNL Extension Educator
The 2015 growing season is just around the corner and I’m sure you are already in the process of making preparations. As you check important “to do” items off your list remember to look at your Nebraska Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator card to see if this is your year to recertify.
Remember, a private pesticide applicator is one who uses or supervises the use of restricted use pesticides in the production of agricultural commodities on land owned or rented by him/her or his/her employer, farmers, ranchers and orchardists.
2015 Private pesticide applicator certification in Dodge County is scheduled as follows:
Date Time Location
February 25 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Municipal Building, Dodge
February 26 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. UNL Extension Office, Fremont
February 26 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. UNL Extension Office, Fremont
Additional training dates and times are available at: https://edmedia.wufoo.com/reports/2015-psep-private-training-dates-/.
Private pesticide applicator certification sessions serve as both initial- and re-certification. The certification cost is $30 payable to University of Nebraska – Lincoln at the conclusion of training. Following certification the Nebraska Department of Agriculture will bill you $25 for your license. Note that certification and licensing became two separate operations beginning in 2002. You are not eligible to purchase or apply restricted use pesticides until you are both certified and licensed. A self-study course may be completed instead of attending a certification session. The self-study course is $60 plus the $25 license fee.
The application process will again be expedited this year for applicators that have their private pesticide applicator cards with them (with applicator number legible) and a letter that you have/will receive(d) from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture that has a bar code on it. Please bring your current card and correspondence that you receive(d) from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture with you.
If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 402-727-2775 or e-mail me.
USDA CELEBRATES THE FIRST YEAR OF THE 2014 FARM BILL
A year ago, President Obama signed the 2014 Farm Bill into law. Since that time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been busy administering programs and services across Nebraska to help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and rural communities.
The Farm Bill has had an impact across Nebraska through programs implemented by USDA Agencies. The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD) Agencies work with individuals and communities across the state on issues dealing with economics, sustainability and access to current technology, just to name a few.
NRCS Acting State Conservationist Doug Christensen said, “This past year has been an exciting opportunity for our employees to implement new programs available through the 2014 Farm Bill. Through the conservation title of the Farm Bill, NRCS in Nebraska provided over 1,500 conservation contracts in fiscal year 2014, on over 1.1 million acres to local landowners and producers.”
FSA State Director, Dan Steinkruger said, “Implementing Farm Bill programs is always a challenge and our Nebraska Offices have jumped right in. Over the last year, Nebraska livestock producers have received financial assistance for 2012, 2013 and 2014 disaster losses. Implementation of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net programs are currently underway.”
Maxine Moul, Rural Development state director said, “Because of the 2014 Farm Bill, rural agricultural producers and small business owners can now apply for resources to purchase and install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. The bill also provided additional resources for micro entrepreneurs and for water and waste water projects in communities of less than 10,000 population.”
For more information about the programs and services available through the 2014 Farm Bill, visit www.usda.gov.
January Milk Production up 2.1 percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during January totaled 16.5 billion pounds, up 2.1 percent from January 2014. December revised production at 16.3 billion pounds, was up 3.4 percent from December 2013. The December revision represented an increase of 14 million pounds or 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,918 pounds for January, 17 pounds above January 2014. This is the highest production per cow for the month of January since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.62 million head, 103,000 head more than January 2014, and 8,000 head more than December 2014.
Iowa: Milk production in Iowa during January 2015 totaled 410 million pounds, up 5 percent from January 2014 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. This is the highest January milk production for Iowa since 1967. The average number of milk cows during January, at 210,000 head, was up 1,000 from last month, and 5,000 more than a year ago. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,950 pounds, up 45 pounds from last January.
2014 Annual Milk Production up 2.4 Percent from 2013
The annual production of milk for the United States during 2014 was 206 billion pounds, 2.4 percent above 2013. Revisions to 2013 production increased the annual total 13 million pounds. Revised 2014 production was up 52 million pounds from last month's publication.
Production per cow in the United States averaged 22,258 pounds for 2014, 442 pounds above 2013. The average annual rate of milk production per cow has increased 13.9 percent from 2005.
The average number of milk cows on farms in the United States during 2014 was 9.26 million head, up 0.4 percent from 2013. The average number of milk cows was revised up 2,000 head for 2014.
2014 State Statistics
Iowa ........: 207,000 milk cows, 22,444 lbs/cow, 4,646 million pounds total production +0.8% '13
Nebraska..: 54,000 milk cows, 22,130 lbs/cow, 1,195 million pounds total production, +2.6% '13
Iowa State Helps Develop App for Recording Pesticide Applications
Meeting state and federal pesticide record-keeping requirements can be as easy as pulling out a smartphone or tablet for producers and agribusinesses, thanks to an app Iowa State University helped develop.
The Pesticide Safety Education Program at Iowa State worked on the Pesticide and Field Records app for iOS and Android systems with funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is available at no charge from the iTunes store (Pesticide and Field Records Plus) and Google Play (Pesticide and Field Records).
The ISU Extension and Outreach program, formerly known as the Pest Management and the Environment Program, is working with the developers to improve the app’s usefulness and features, said Kristine Schaefer, program manager and extension program specialist.
The app is designed to help producers and agricultural businesses record and maintain pesticide application information. It allows users to document pesticide application information and link the information to specific field locations using satellite mapping.
The app also features a product search option that lists EPA product registration numbers and identifies restricted use products. The iPad version, and an updated release of the Android version scheduled for late February, includes printing and emailing capabilities.
Another Pork Production Record Expected in 2015
U.S. meat and poultry production will rise to a record 95.13 million pounds in 2015, with gains in pork and poultry output more than offsetting a slight drop in beef production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast on Thursday.
Reuters reports that total U.S. pork production was seen up 5.5 percent at 24.09 million pounds, while poultry output was forecast to rise 3.6 percent to 39.95 million pounds, both all-time highs.
Beef production this year was expected to drop 0.1 percent to 24.22 million pounds.
Average hog prices in 2015 were forecast at $56.00 per hundredweight, down 26.3 percent from last year's record $76.03 per cwt, and average steer prices were seen rising 4.8 percent to a record $162.00 per cwt, the USDA said.
PMA, ILWU Announce West Coast Waterfront Contract
The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union today announced a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The deal was reached with assistance from U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh. The parties will not be releasing details of the agreement at this time.
The agreement is subject to ratification by both parties. “After more than nine months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers and for the industry,” said PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Bob McEllrath in a joint statement. “We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations.”
ASA Points to Truck Weight Limit Study, Urges Congress to Include Increased Truck Capacity and Efficiency in 2015 Highway Bill
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is touting a research project released yesterday by the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) that examines the effects of increasing truck weight limits on federal highways. The project, titled, “Heavier Semis: A Good Idea?” was funded by the soybean checkoff and is an update of a 2009 report that looks at the impact of increasing truck weight limits on federal roads and bridges from the current 80,000 lbs., with a five axle configuration to 97,000 lbs., with the addition of a sixth axle. The analysis specifically looked at the impacts on motorist safety, infrastructure wear and tear, and potential cost savings and efficiency gains for agriculture and the U.S. economy.
Demand for trucking is projected to continue to increase in the U.S. in coming years and ASA is urging Congress to increase investments in every facet of our transportation infrastructure, including roads and bridges, locks and dams, ports, and measures that will improve rail service as well. Increasing trucking capacity and efficiency is a logical and essential step to meeting our current and future transportation needs.
The STC study provides additional support and justification that increasing trucking capacity can be done with no adverse impact to safety while providing significant economic benefits. Increasing truck weight limits on federal highways will not compromise safety. First and foremost, allowing six axle, 97,000 lbs. semis will result in fewer semis on the road compared to the status quo and fewer trucks on the road will result in fewer accidents and injuries. The studies and analysis also show that the braking distance of a six axle truck weighing 97,000 lbs. is the same as a five axle, 80,000 lbs. truck. These are not just theories and studies, but results that have been proven by real world experience in other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom that have implemented higher truck weight limits and seen a reduction in truck related accidents. The STC study projects such an approach in the U.S. will result in 98 fewer motorist fatalities by 2022.
The study further highlights how a six axle, 97,000 lbs. semi will result in a reduction of weight per tire of 35 lbs. compared to a five axle, 80,000 lbs. semi – reducing wear and tear on the nation’s roads. Many states already allow weights higher than 80,000 lbs on state roads.
For transporting soybeans and soy products, allowing six axle, 97,000 lbs. semis will result in 1.2 million fewer truck trips, 5.5 million fewer gallons of fuel consumed, 56 thousand fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and between $11 million - $28 million in reduced fuel costs. The use of a six axle, 97,000 lbs. semi will enable a farmer to transport at minimum an additional 183 bushels of soybeans per load. By 2022, this will annually save soybean farmers 602,000 truck trips, 1.7 million gallons of fuel, and between $4 million - $8 million in reduced fuel costs.
As Congress considers reauthorization of the Surface Transportation bill (aka the Highway bill) this year, ASA urges and will continue to advocate for the inclusion of provisions to allow states to adopt increased truck weight limits of 97,000 lbs. for six axle trucks on federal interstates. It's safer, more efficient, and necessary to meet the growing transportation needs for soybean farmers and many other U.S. industries.
Soy Growers Discuss Regulatory Challenges, Stepping-Up Consumer Engagement at Annual NOPA Meeting
Leaders in the oilseed industry met this week to discuss key issues, including regulatory challenges and consumer education.
The American Soybean Association’s Executive Committee joined the United Soybean Board, US Soybean Export Council and oilseed processor leaders for the annual National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) meeting in California, where discussion included the global economy, engaging consumers and implications of the 2014 mid-term elections.
One positive outcome concluded is the demand from meat customers, including pork, poultry, beef and aquaculture, is robust and growing as populations and incomes rise worldwide.
A key takeaway from the meeting is the continued need of the industry to fight against regulatory challenges, on both the farm and processing plant levels. Industry leaders also underscored the importance of ramping up efforts to educate consumers on biotechnology, how farmers produce what they eat and the work that goes into meeting consumer needs for healthy, affordable food.
On Thursday, ASA President Wade Cowan joined USSEC Chairman Laura Foell, USB Chairman Bob Hazelwood, U.S. Canola Association President Ryan Pedersen and NOPA Chairman Chris Nikkel, of Bunge, on an industry panel to discuss ways the oilseed industry can work together to be successful when facing these challenges.
USDA Cold Storage Highlights
Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 14 percent from the previous month and up 5 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 10 percent from the previous month and up 14 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 18 percent from the previous month but down 4 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 13 percent from last month but down 39 percent from last year.
Total frozen poultry supplies on January 31, 2015 were up 11 percent from the previous month and up 5 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 45 percent from last month and up 1 percent from January 31, 2014.
Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on January 31, 2015 were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 3 percent from January 31, 2014. Butter stocks were up 41 percent from last month and up 3 percent from a year ago.
Total frozen fruit stocks were down 10 percent from last month and down 6 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 9 percent from last month and down 1 percent from a year ago.
New Study on Abuse of WTO Agricultural Rules Could Help Focus Doha Round Negotiations
Several influential countries are not complying with the domestic agricultural support commitments they made as members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). That is the conclusion of a study sponsored by U.S. commodity organizations and introduced to agricultural negotiators Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland. Those organizations made the point that recognizing the current realities in agricultural support and trade could help improve the chances of finally reaching a Doha Round agreement.
The study was conducted by DTB Associates, Washington, DC, and updates a similar study conducted in 2011. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) was one of the sponsors of the latest study indicating that the governments of India, China, Turkey, Brazil and Thailand have dramatically increased trade distorting subsidies for wheat, corn or rice production over the past ten years to levels that exceed their WTO agreements — in most cases by large margins. That information has not been readily available to WTO negotiators.
“U.S. wheat farmers strongly support the goals of the WTO and the Doha Round,” said USW President Alan Tracy. “We also believe every WTO member must follow the rules. Sadly, the facts we have uncovered show this is not the case.”
Member countries are required to report their domestic support levels to WTO regularly, but more than 650 notifications were late as of November 2014, Tracy noted. Turkey has not reported its support since its 2001 crop year. China has not reported since 2008 and India just submitted a notification last fall covering seven crop years to make them current through 2010. However, the study demonstrates that even notifications that have been reported often rely on faulty methodology.
“This study shines a light on what is really happening,” said USW Vice President of Policy Shannon Schlecht. “What it shows is a massive increase in government-sanctioned support prices and violations of Aggregate Measure of Support agreements that are distorting world trade in wheat, corn and rice.”
The minimum government prices reported in the study indicated a significant increase in support for wheat production in these countries over the past several years. Since the original study in 2011, a few countries increased their minimum support price for wheat by $50 to $100 per metric ton.
Under the Uruguay Round Agreement of the mid 1990s, WTO member countries agreed to abide by limits on Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS). The DTB study showed India, China, Turkey and Thailand have exceeded their AMS commitments by a wide margin. WTO records show that the United States has always met its annual notification commitment and has never exceeded its AMS limit of $19.1 billion.
The fact that these countries have far exceeded their WTO support commitments leads to serious trade distortions. An insightful example may be found in the Indian government’s wheat production and trade policies.
The study determined that India’s minimum support price for wheat increased by 111 percent between 2005/06 and 2013/14. India recently notified the WTO of a much lower increase but the study showed that the Indian government used faulty tactics to calculate the number it reported, a number that many other WTO members have questioned.
Increasing support levels gave Indian farmers an artificial incentive to produce more wheat. In fact, India’s wheat production increased by 35 percent over those seven years to record levels. That buoyed world wheat supplies and increased pressure on prices that hurt wheat farmers in other countries.
Over the same time, Indian wheat exports increased from 300,000 metric tons (MT) to 6.5 million MT. The study also included evidence that India is offering wheat export subsidies that are also illegal under its WTO commitment. Yet, claiming it must maintain a large public stockpile of grain to maintain food security as an advanced developing country, India has demanded exemptions to its trade-distorting levels of support.
“We agree with our U.S. agricultural negotiators that we see no possibility of concluding the Doha agreement by pursuing the same approach used over the last decade,” Schlecht said. “Hopefully the facts in the study will help raise awareness of the current realities of trade-distorting farm subsidies. Without this information it will be impossible for WTO members to achieve a balanced Doha Round conclusion across the domestic support, market access and export competition pillars."
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.49 million cattle on feed on February 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2 percent from last year. Placements during January totaled 495,000 head, down 9 percent from 2014. Fed cattle marketings for the month of January totaled 450,000 head, down 4 percent from last year. Other disappearance during January totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED UP 5%
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Iowa for all feedlots totaled 1,275,000 on February 1, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. The inventory is up 5 percent from January 1, 2015, and up 5,000 head from February 1, 2014. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head had 660,000 head on feed, up 3 percent from last month but unchanged from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head had 615,000 head on feed, up 6 percent from last month and up 1 percent from last year.
Placements during January totaled 195,000 head, a decrease of 3 percent from last month but up 9 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head placed 100,000 head, down 1 percent from last month and down 12 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 95,000 head. This is down 5 percent from last month but up 46 percent from last year.
Marketings for January were 134,000 head, up 7 percent from last month and up 2 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 78,000 head, down 2 percent from last month but up 10 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head marketed 56,000 head, up 24 percent from last month but down 8 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 6,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up Slightly
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on February 1, 2015. The inventory was slightly above February 1, 2014.
Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.79 million, 11 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.71 million head. During January, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 405,000, 600-699 pounds were 340,000, 700-799 pounds were 477,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 565,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.63 million, 9 percent below 2014. January marketings are the lowest since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 77,000 during January, 8 percent above 2014.
2014 Cattle on Feed and Annual Size Group Estimates
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head represented 81.6 percent of all cattle and calves on feed in the United States on January 1, 2015, up from 81.3 on January 1, 2014.
Marketings of fed cattle for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during 2014 represented 87.2 percent of all cattle marketed from feedlots in the United States, up from 86.9 percent during 2013.
Number of Cattle on Feed (1,000 head, % of Feb '14)
Colorado ...: 890 94
Iowa ..........: 660 100
Kansas .......: 2,090 102
Nebraska ...: 2,490 102
Texas .........: 2,490 102
Number of Cattle Placed on Feed (1,000 hd, % of Jan '14)
Colorado ....: 135 71
Iowa ..........: 100 88
Kansas .......: 410 94
Nebraska ...: 495 91
Texas .........: 350 86
Number of Cattle Marketed (1,00 hd, % of Jan '14)
Colorado ......: 140 82
Iowa .............: 78 110
Kansas ..........: 355 92
Nebraska ......: 450 96
Texas ............: 345 90
Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Classes next week in Dodge County
Nathan Mueller, UNL Extension Educator
The 2015 growing season is just around the corner and I’m sure you are already in the process of making preparations. As you check important “to do” items off your list remember to look at your Nebraska Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator card to see if this is your year to recertify.
Remember, a private pesticide applicator is one who uses or supervises the use of restricted use pesticides in the production of agricultural commodities on land owned or rented by him/her or his/her employer, farmers, ranchers and orchardists.
2015 Private pesticide applicator certification in Dodge County is scheduled as follows:
Date Time Location
February 25 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Municipal Building, Dodge
February 26 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. UNL Extension Office, Fremont
February 26 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. UNL Extension Office, Fremont
Additional training dates and times are available at: https://edmedia.wufoo.com/reports/2015-psep-private-training-dates-/.
Private pesticide applicator certification sessions serve as both initial- and re-certification. The certification cost is $30 payable to University of Nebraska – Lincoln at the conclusion of training. Following certification the Nebraska Department of Agriculture will bill you $25 for your license. Note that certification and licensing became two separate operations beginning in 2002. You are not eligible to purchase or apply restricted use pesticides until you are both certified and licensed. A self-study course may be completed instead of attending a certification session. The self-study course is $60 plus the $25 license fee.
The application process will again be expedited this year for applicators that have their private pesticide applicator cards with them (with applicator number legible) and a letter that you have/will receive(d) from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture that has a bar code on it. Please bring your current card and correspondence that you receive(d) from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture with you.
If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 402-727-2775 or e-mail me.
USDA CELEBRATES THE FIRST YEAR OF THE 2014 FARM BILL
A year ago, President Obama signed the 2014 Farm Bill into law. Since that time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been busy administering programs and services across Nebraska to help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and rural communities.
The Farm Bill has had an impact across Nebraska through programs implemented by USDA Agencies. The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD) Agencies work with individuals and communities across the state on issues dealing with economics, sustainability and access to current technology, just to name a few.
NRCS Acting State Conservationist Doug Christensen said, “This past year has been an exciting opportunity for our employees to implement new programs available through the 2014 Farm Bill. Through the conservation title of the Farm Bill, NRCS in Nebraska provided over 1,500 conservation contracts in fiscal year 2014, on over 1.1 million acres to local landowners and producers.”
FSA State Director, Dan Steinkruger said, “Implementing Farm Bill programs is always a challenge and our Nebraska Offices have jumped right in. Over the last year, Nebraska livestock producers have received financial assistance for 2012, 2013 and 2014 disaster losses. Implementation of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net programs are currently underway.”
Maxine Moul, Rural Development state director said, “Because of the 2014 Farm Bill, rural agricultural producers and small business owners can now apply for resources to purchase and install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. The bill also provided additional resources for micro entrepreneurs and for water and waste water projects in communities of less than 10,000 population.”
For more information about the programs and services available through the 2014 Farm Bill, visit www.usda.gov.
January Milk Production up 2.1 percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during January totaled 16.5 billion pounds, up 2.1 percent from January 2014. December revised production at 16.3 billion pounds, was up 3.4 percent from December 2013. The December revision represented an increase of 14 million pounds or 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,918 pounds for January, 17 pounds above January 2014. This is the highest production per cow for the month of January since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.62 million head, 103,000 head more than January 2014, and 8,000 head more than December 2014.
Iowa: Milk production in Iowa during January 2015 totaled 410 million pounds, up 5 percent from January 2014 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. This is the highest January milk production for Iowa since 1967. The average number of milk cows during January, at 210,000 head, was up 1,000 from last month, and 5,000 more than a year ago. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,950 pounds, up 45 pounds from last January.
2014 Annual Milk Production up 2.4 Percent from 2013
The annual production of milk for the United States during 2014 was 206 billion pounds, 2.4 percent above 2013. Revisions to 2013 production increased the annual total 13 million pounds. Revised 2014 production was up 52 million pounds from last month's publication.
Production per cow in the United States averaged 22,258 pounds for 2014, 442 pounds above 2013. The average annual rate of milk production per cow has increased 13.9 percent from 2005.
The average number of milk cows on farms in the United States during 2014 was 9.26 million head, up 0.4 percent from 2013. The average number of milk cows was revised up 2,000 head for 2014.
2014 State Statistics
Iowa ........: 207,000 milk cows, 22,444 lbs/cow, 4,646 million pounds total production +0.8% '13
Nebraska..: 54,000 milk cows, 22,130 lbs/cow, 1,195 million pounds total production, +2.6% '13
Iowa State Helps Develop App for Recording Pesticide Applications
Meeting state and federal pesticide record-keeping requirements can be as easy as pulling out a smartphone or tablet for producers and agribusinesses, thanks to an app Iowa State University helped develop.
The Pesticide Safety Education Program at Iowa State worked on the Pesticide and Field Records app for iOS and Android systems with funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is available at no charge from the iTunes store (Pesticide and Field Records Plus) and Google Play (Pesticide and Field Records).
The ISU Extension and Outreach program, formerly known as the Pest Management and the Environment Program, is working with the developers to improve the app’s usefulness and features, said Kristine Schaefer, program manager and extension program specialist.
The app is designed to help producers and agricultural businesses record and maintain pesticide application information. It allows users to document pesticide application information and link the information to specific field locations using satellite mapping.
The app also features a product search option that lists EPA product registration numbers and identifies restricted use products. The iPad version, and an updated release of the Android version scheduled for late February, includes printing and emailing capabilities.
Another Pork Production Record Expected in 2015
U.S. meat and poultry production will rise to a record 95.13 million pounds in 2015, with gains in pork and poultry output more than offsetting a slight drop in beef production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast on Thursday.
Reuters reports that total U.S. pork production was seen up 5.5 percent at 24.09 million pounds, while poultry output was forecast to rise 3.6 percent to 39.95 million pounds, both all-time highs.
Beef production this year was expected to drop 0.1 percent to 24.22 million pounds.
Average hog prices in 2015 were forecast at $56.00 per hundredweight, down 26.3 percent from last year's record $76.03 per cwt, and average steer prices were seen rising 4.8 percent to a record $162.00 per cwt, the USDA said.
PMA, ILWU Announce West Coast Waterfront Contract
The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union today announced a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The deal was reached with assistance from U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh. The parties will not be releasing details of the agreement at this time.
The agreement is subject to ratification by both parties. “After more than nine months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers and for the industry,” said PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Bob McEllrath in a joint statement. “We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations.”
ASA Points to Truck Weight Limit Study, Urges Congress to Include Increased Truck Capacity and Efficiency in 2015 Highway Bill
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is touting a research project released yesterday by the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) that examines the effects of increasing truck weight limits on federal highways. The project, titled, “Heavier Semis: A Good Idea?” was funded by the soybean checkoff and is an update of a 2009 report that looks at the impact of increasing truck weight limits on federal roads and bridges from the current 80,000 lbs., with a five axle configuration to 97,000 lbs., with the addition of a sixth axle. The analysis specifically looked at the impacts on motorist safety, infrastructure wear and tear, and potential cost savings and efficiency gains for agriculture and the U.S. economy.
Demand for trucking is projected to continue to increase in the U.S. in coming years and ASA is urging Congress to increase investments in every facet of our transportation infrastructure, including roads and bridges, locks and dams, ports, and measures that will improve rail service as well. Increasing trucking capacity and efficiency is a logical and essential step to meeting our current and future transportation needs.
The STC study provides additional support and justification that increasing trucking capacity can be done with no adverse impact to safety while providing significant economic benefits. Increasing truck weight limits on federal highways will not compromise safety. First and foremost, allowing six axle, 97,000 lbs. semis will result in fewer semis on the road compared to the status quo and fewer trucks on the road will result in fewer accidents and injuries. The studies and analysis also show that the braking distance of a six axle truck weighing 97,000 lbs. is the same as a five axle, 80,000 lbs. truck. These are not just theories and studies, but results that have been proven by real world experience in other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom that have implemented higher truck weight limits and seen a reduction in truck related accidents. The STC study projects such an approach in the U.S. will result in 98 fewer motorist fatalities by 2022.
The study further highlights how a six axle, 97,000 lbs. semi will result in a reduction of weight per tire of 35 lbs. compared to a five axle, 80,000 lbs. semi – reducing wear and tear on the nation’s roads. Many states already allow weights higher than 80,000 lbs on state roads.
For transporting soybeans and soy products, allowing six axle, 97,000 lbs. semis will result in 1.2 million fewer truck trips, 5.5 million fewer gallons of fuel consumed, 56 thousand fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and between $11 million - $28 million in reduced fuel costs. The use of a six axle, 97,000 lbs. semi will enable a farmer to transport at minimum an additional 183 bushels of soybeans per load. By 2022, this will annually save soybean farmers 602,000 truck trips, 1.7 million gallons of fuel, and between $4 million - $8 million in reduced fuel costs.
As Congress considers reauthorization of the Surface Transportation bill (aka the Highway bill) this year, ASA urges and will continue to advocate for the inclusion of provisions to allow states to adopt increased truck weight limits of 97,000 lbs. for six axle trucks on federal interstates. It's safer, more efficient, and necessary to meet the growing transportation needs for soybean farmers and many other U.S. industries.
Soy Growers Discuss Regulatory Challenges, Stepping-Up Consumer Engagement at Annual NOPA Meeting
Leaders in the oilseed industry met this week to discuss key issues, including regulatory challenges and consumer education.
The American Soybean Association’s Executive Committee joined the United Soybean Board, US Soybean Export Council and oilseed processor leaders for the annual National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) meeting in California, where discussion included the global economy, engaging consumers and implications of the 2014 mid-term elections.
One positive outcome concluded is the demand from meat customers, including pork, poultry, beef and aquaculture, is robust and growing as populations and incomes rise worldwide.
A key takeaway from the meeting is the continued need of the industry to fight against regulatory challenges, on both the farm and processing plant levels. Industry leaders also underscored the importance of ramping up efforts to educate consumers on biotechnology, how farmers produce what they eat and the work that goes into meeting consumer needs for healthy, affordable food.
On Thursday, ASA President Wade Cowan joined USSEC Chairman Laura Foell, USB Chairman Bob Hazelwood, U.S. Canola Association President Ryan Pedersen and NOPA Chairman Chris Nikkel, of Bunge, on an industry panel to discuss ways the oilseed industry can work together to be successful when facing these challenges.
USDA Cold Storage Highlights
Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 14 percent from the previous month and up 5 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 10 percent from the previous month and up 14 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 18 percent from the previous month but down 4 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 13 percent from last month but down 39 percent from last year.
Total frozen poultry supplies on January 31, 2015 were up 11 percent from the previous month and up 5 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 45 percent from last month and up 1 percent from January 31, 2014.
Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on January 31, 2015 were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 3 percent from January 31, 2014. Butter stocks were up 41 percent from last month and up 3 percent from a year ago.
Total frozen fruit stocks were down 10 percent from last month and down 6 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 9 percent from last month and down 1 percent from a year ago.
New Study on Abuse of WTO Agricultural Rules Could Help Focus Doha Round Negotiations
Several influential countries are not complying with the domestic agricultural support commitments they made as members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). That is the conclusion of a study sponsored by U.S. commodity organizations and introduced to agricultural negotiators Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland. Those organizations made the point that recognizing the current realities in agricultural support and trade could help improve the chances of finally reaching a Doha Round agreement.
The study was conducted by DTB Associates, Washington, DC, and updates a similar study conducted in 2011. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) was one of the sponsors of the latest study indicating that the governments of India, China, Turkey, Brazil and Thailand have dramatically increased trade distorting subsidies for wheat, corn or rice production over the past ten years to levels that exceed their WTO agreements — in most cases by large margins. That information has not been readily available to WTO negotiators.
“U.S. wheat farmers strongly support the goals of the WTO and the Doha Round,” said USW President Alan Tracy. “We also believe every WTO member must follow the rules. Sadly, the facts we have uncovered show this is not the case.”
Member countries are required to report their domestic support levels to WTO regularly, but more than 650 notifications were late as of November 2014, Tracy noted. Turkey has not reported its support since its 2001 crop year. China has not reported since 2008 and India just submitted a notification last fall covering seven crop years to make them current through 2010. However, the study demonstrates that even notifications that have been reported often rely on faulty methodology.
“This study shines a light on what is really happening,” said USW Vice President of Policy Shannon Schlecht. “What it shows is a massive increase in government-sanctioned support prices and violations of Aggregate Measure of Support agreements that are distorting world trade in wheat, corn and rice.”
The minimum government prices reported in the study indicated a significant increase in support for wheat production in these countries over the past several years. Since the original study in 2011, a few countries increased their minimum support price for wheat by $50 to $100 per metric ton.
Under the Uruguay Round Agreement of the mid 1990s, WTO member countries agreed to abide by limits on Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS). The DTB study showed India, China, Turkey and Thailand have exceeded their AMS commitments by a wide margin. WTO records show that the United States has always met its annual notification commitment and has never exceeded its AMS limit of $19.1 billion.
The fact that these countries have far exceeded their WTO support commitments leads to serious trade distortions. An insightful example may be found in the Indian government’s wheat production and trade policies.
The study determined that India’s minimum support price for wheat increased by 111 percent between 2005/06 and 2013/14. India recently notified the WTO of a much lower increase but the study showed that the Indian government used faulty tactics to calculate the number it reported, a number that many other WTO members have questioned.
Increasing support levels gave Indian farmers an artificial incentive to produce more wheat. In fact, India’s wheat production increased by 35 percent over those seven years to record levels. That buoyed world wheat supplies and increased pressure on prices that hurt wheat farmers in other countries.
Over the same time, Indian wheat exports increased from 300,000 metric tons (MT) to 6.5 million MT. The study also included evidence that India is offering wheat export subsidies that are also illegal under its WTO commitment. Yet, claiming it must maintain a large public stockpile of grain to maintain food security as an advanced developing country, India has demanded exemptions to its trade-distorting levels of support.
“We agree with our U.S. agricultural negotiators that we see no possibility of concluding the Doha agreement by pursuing the same approach used over the last decade,” Schlecht said. “Hopefully the facts in the study will help raise awareness of the current realities of trade-distorting farm subsidies. Without this information it will be impossible for WTO members to achieve a balanced Doha Round conclusion across the domestic support, market access and export competition pillars."
Friday, February 20, 2015
Thursday February 19 Ag News
NEBRASKA FARM NUMBERS LOWER
Nebraska's number of farms and ranches declined during 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of farms and ranches in the State, at 49,1 00, was down 500 farms from 201 3. Numbers of farms and ranches in Nebraska with less than $100,000 in agricultural sales declined 800 farms from the year earlier while operations with more than $100,000 increased 300 farms from 2013. Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska totaled 45.2 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. The average size of operation, at 921 acres, was up 8 acres from the year earlier.
IOWA FARM NUMBERS LOWER
The total number of farms in Iowa in 2014 was 88,000, down 500 farms compared to a year ago, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Office. The largest decrease in number of farms came in the $1,000-$9,999 range with a decrease of 400 farms from 27,500 in 2013 to 27,100 in 2014. Total land in farms in Iowa in 2014 was 30.5 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. This drop came from farms in the $500,000-$999,999 range which fell to 8.70 million acres. The average farm size in Iowa in 2014 was 347 acres, up one acre from last year. The average farm size in the $1,000,000 and over sales class increased 77 acres from 1,284 acres in 2013 to 1,301 in 2014.
2014 Number of Farms and Land in Farms Highlights
The number of farms in the United States for 2014 is estimated at 2.08 million, down 18 thousand farms from 2013. Total land in farms, at 913 million acres, decreased 1.03 million acres from 2013. The average farm size for 2014 is 438 acres, up 3 acres from the previous year.
Farm numbers and land in farms are differentiated by six economic sales classes. Farms and ranches are classified into these six sales classes by summing the sales of agricultural products and government program payments. Sales class breaks occur at $10,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. Producers were asked during the 2014 mid-year surveys to report the value of sales based on production during the 2013 calendar year. Production or commodity price changes in 2013 resulted in the total value for virtually all livestock and livestock products to increase while the value of most crops declined. The value of vegetable, fruit, and tobacco crops increased.
Point Farms are farms that did not have the required minimum $1,000 sales for the year to qualify as a farm, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000 or more. Point Farms are assigned a sales class based on the sum of the agricultural point (dollar) values assigned to the
quantity of commodities produced, but not sold. The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that 428,810 farms or 20.3 percent of the 2.11 million farms were Point Farms. These Point Farms operated 63.0 million acres or 6.9 percent of the 914.5 million acres of farmland.
Farm numbers decreased by 18 thousand farms during 2014. The number of farms in Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999 declined while all other sales classes increased slightly. Fifty-one percent of all farms have sales less than $10,000. Eighty percent of all farms had sales less than $100,000. Eight percent of all farms had sales of $500,000 or more.
February Rural Mainstreet Index Turns Negative:
Farm Equipment Sales and Farmland Prices Decline Again
The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for February slumped from January’s tepid reading according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), which ranges between 0 and 100, sank to 46.4 in February, which is down significantly from January’s 50.9.
“Weaker exports and lower energy and grain prices continue to weigh on the rural economy that is dependent on agriculture and energy,” said Ernie Goss, Ph.D., Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.
Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for February was unchanged from January’s weak 39.4. “Even though crop prices have stabilized, demand for farmland remains weak pulling agricultural land prices down by an estimated annualized rate of 6 percent to 8 percent. This is the 15th straight month the index has moved below growth neutral,” said Goss.
Even though farm income has weakened, more than one-fifth, or 22.2 percent, of farmland sales are for cash according to bankers in February. This is little changed from 23.3 percent recorded in October of 2014.
The February farm-equipment sales index plummeted to 19.5 from 29.5 in January. The index has been below growth neutral for 19 straight months. “Farmers have become very cautious regarding equipment buying even though their purchases of seeds and other inputs have remained solid,” said Goss.
This month bankers were asked to estimate the 2015 change in farm equipment sales for their geographic area. On average, a 14.4 percent decline in equipment sales is expected by the bank CEOs. Approximately 60 percent of the bankers expect reductions of more than 15 percent.
Confidence: The confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, slipped to 41.5 from January’s 43.6. “Global economic turmoil along with low energy and farm prices have negatively affected the outlook of bank CEOs in energy and agriculture dependent portions of the region,” reported Goss.
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for February slumped to 44.4 from 49.0 in January. The state’s farmland-price index slipped to 33.3 from 34.0 in January. Nebraska’s new-hiring index grew to 50.7 from January’s 47.9. Nebraska Rural Mainstreet job loss for the past 12 months was -0.6 percent.
Iowa: The February RMI for Iowa fell to 46.7 from January’s 51.6. The state’s farmland-price index for February expanded to 41.5 from January’s 38.7. Iowa’s new-hiring index for February rose to 57.2 from January’s 51.7. Iowa Rural Mainstreet job growth for the past 12 months was 1.7 percent
Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included. The survey is supported by a grant from Security State Bank in Ansley, Neb.
This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.
USDA - Pork Production up 1 Percent from Last Year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.09 billion pounds in January, down 4 percent from the 4.25 billion pounds produced in January 2014.
Beef production, at 1.96 billion pounds, was 8 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.42 million head, down 10 percent from January 2014. The average live weight was up 24 pounds from the previous year, at 1,358 pounds.
Veal production totaled 6.8 million pounds, 27 percent below January a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 39,900 head, 37 percent below January 2014. The average live weight was up 38 pounds from last year, at 291 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.10 billion pounds, 1 percent above the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.76 million head, slightly below January 2014. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 287 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 11.5 million pounds, was 7 percent below January 2014. Sheep slaughter totaled 165,700 head, 8 percent below last year. The average live weight was 140 pounds, up 3 pounds from January a year ago.
Red Meat Production by State (Jan '15 - % of Jan '14)
Nebraska ...........: 618.5 million pounds 97%
Iowa ..................: 609.1 million pounds 101%
Kansas ...............: 410.0 million pounds 93%
2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Submits Report
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of prestigious outside experts, submitted its recommendations to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in order to inform the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Today, the Secretaries have released the advisory committee's recommendations report online, making it available for public review and comment. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) will consider this report, along with input from other federal agencies and comments from the public as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, to be released later this year.
"For decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been at the core of our efforts to promote the health and well-being of American families," said Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack in a joint statement. "Now that the advisory committee has completed its recommendations, HHS and USDA will review this advisory report, along with comments from the public-including other experts-and input from other federal agencies as we begin the process of updating the guidelines."
The public is encouraged to view the independent advisory group's report and provide written comments at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov for a period of 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. The public will also have an opportunity to offer oral comments at a public meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, on March 24, 2015. Those interested in providing oral comments at the March 24, 2015, public meeting can register at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov. Capacity is limited, so participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 14 outside experts who made up the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are nationally recognized in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health. The committee held seven public meetings over the past two years. The recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are non-binding and advisory to HHS and USDA as they draft the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015.
The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has the administrative lead for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, which it carries out in close partnership with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and with support from USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
NCBA: Dietary Guidelines Recommendations are Misleading
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report. This report is a recommendation to the Secretaries as they develop the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will be released later this year. Unfortunately, the report is inconsistent, and if adopted will lead to conflicting dietary advice. On one hand, the Committee has endorsed the Mediterranean style diet, which has higher red meat levels than currently consumed in the U.S.; and on the other hand, they have left lean meat out of what they consider to be a healthy dietary pattern.
Dr. Shalene McNeill, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Scientist with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the recommendation that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat is not consistent with scientific evidence and would be unsound dietary advice.
“Lean meat is red meat. Today’s beef supply is leaner than ever before with more than 30 cuts of beef recognized as lean by government standards,” said McNeill. “The protein foods category, which includes meat, is the only category currently consumed within the current guidelines, and it is misleading to conclude that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat.”
According to the report, “dietary patterns with positive health benefits are described as high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products; lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.”
Unfortunately, the statement disregards the positive role of lean meat. Lean beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods, providing high levels of essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and protein, as opposed to empty calories.
Dr. Richard Thorpe, Texas medical doctor and cattle producer, said the key to a healthy lifestyle is building a balanced diet around the healthy foods you enjoy eating, coupled with physical activity.
“It is absurd for the Advisory Committee to suggest that Americans should eat less red meat and focus so heavily on plant-based diets,” said Thorpe. “The American diet is already 70 percent plant based and to further emphasize plant-based diets will continue to have unintended consequences. The Advisory Committee got it wrong in the ‘80s advising a diet high in carbs, and look at what that got us – an obesity problem. My colleagues and I commonly encourage people to include lean beef more often for their health, not less.”
Thorpe added, “We are disappointed the Advisory Committee would go outside the purview and expertise of nutrition/health research to bring in topics such as sustainability. We urge the Secretaries to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on topics outside of diet and health.”
Lean meat plays an important role in the American diet and science shows it needs to be recognized as part of a healthy dietary pattern just as it was in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. On behalf of U.S. cattle producers that work each and every day to provide a nutritious and healthful beef product for consumers, we encourage Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendation that healthy American diets should be lower in red meat. The process was incomplete with flawed conclusions specific to health benefits of red meat’s role in the American diet.
Dietary Panel: Cut Meat; Alcohol Okay
NPPC Urges USDA, HHS Secretaries To Reject Recommendations On Meat
The National Pork Producers Council today criticized recommendations related to meat in the diet from an advisory committee informing the creation of federal guidelines for healthy eating.
In a report for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an Obama administration-appointed advisory committee of health and nutrition professionals recommended that people consume less red and processed meat, and it omitted lean meat from its recommended dietary pattern. (It did maintain the Recommended Daily Allowance of 5.5 ounces of “protein foods.”) The panel recommended moderate amounts of alcohol.
Additionally, the advisory committee concluded that a diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based foods would be more environmentally sustainable.
The report was sent to the secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services, who will use it to develop the 2015 guidelines. Due out later this year, the guidelines affect all federal food purchasing programs, including the School Lunch program.
“We think the advisory committee has taken the wrong approach,” said NPPC President Dr. Howard Hill, a veterinarian and pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. “Science recognizes that meat is, and should be, a part of a healthful diet, and NPPC urges the USDA and HHS secretaries to keep meat in the center of America’s plate.
“It appears the advisory committee was more interested in addressing what’s trendy among foodies than providing science-based advice for the average American’s diet,” Hill said. “Have we really come to the point where alcohol is okay and meat isn’t”?
NPPC pointed out in comments on the 2015 guidelines that animal proteins are considered complete proteins, containing all the essential amino acids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A number of critical vitamins and minerals, including B12, Heme iron and potassium – often lacking in many American diets – are found primarily in meat, and lean, nutrient-rich meat is versatile, affordable and accessible, making it easy to incorporate into the diet.
For school children, eating meat promotes satiety and preserves lean muscle mass, said NPPC. Additionally, including lean meat in their diets can help adults prevent or manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Research even shows that, for those dealing with obesity, many cuts of meat can improve long-term weight maintenance.
As for sustainability, said Hill, “pork producers today are much more environmentally friendly than even 25 years ago. In fact, a U.N. report (starting on page 278) on greenhouse gases cited intensive agricultural production, such as the modern U.S. meat production system, as a way to address those gases.”
According to North Carolina research firm Camco, compared with 50 years ago, U.S. pork producers today are using 78 percent less land and 45 percent less water to produce a pound of pork and have a 35 percent smaller carbon footprint.
NMPF, IDFA Reaction to New Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
Statement from Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, NMPF, and Connie Tipton, President & CEO, IDFA
“We appreciate the commitment of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to help Americans build healthy eating patterns.
“The essential role of dairy foods, as part of dietary patterns that foster good health outcomes, is supported by the totality of the science — low-fat and fat-free milk and dairy products are a core component of the healthy dietary patterns identified by the Committee.
“The good news for people across the country is that milk, cheese, and yogurt not only taste great, but also are nutrient-rich, affordable, readily available, and versatile, making dairy foods realistic options to help people build healthier meal plans. Milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of America’s children – including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, three of the four nutrients the 2015 DGAC found to be under-consumed. Dairy foods’ nutrient package can be hard to replace with other foods.
“We will provide science-based comments on the advisory report during the current public comment period and look forward to the release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy document later this year.”
Study Quantifies Positive Impacts of U.S. Ethanol Production
The ethanol industry added $52.7 billion to the national GDP in 2014 according to a study released today by the Renewable Fuels Association at this year's National Ethanol Conference. "Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States in 2014," prepared by ABF Economics on RFA's behalf, quantifies the economic, national security and job creating benefits of domestic ethanol production in 2014.
"The ethanol industry has certainly fueled demand growth for corn for nearly a decade now, but it has also been an incredible engine for growth throughout the U.S. economy as well," said National Corn Growers Association Ethanol Committee Chair Jeff Sandborn, a farmer from Portland, Michigan. "This study offers the quantifiable data to clearly demonstrate the importance of today's ethanol industry for all Americans. At NCGA, we work constantly to defend policies important to farmers and ethanol producers alike, such as the RFS, and to find ways to further drive demand in the future. Certainly, concrete evidence such as this helps us to do so."
According to the study, ethanol industry was responsible for 83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs over the past year. Over that period, it also added $26.7 billion to household incomes, and generated $10.3 billion in taxes, thus further stimulating state and local economies.
The study also demonstrated the importance of ethanol to national and energy security in that it found 515 million barrels of foreign oil were displaced by the 14.3 billion gallons of U.S. ethanol produced in 2014. The monetary value of this comes to nearly $49 billion which stayed in our nation's economy.
A brief summary of the study's findings:
- $52.7 billion to America's gross domestic product
- 83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs
- $26.7 billion to household incomes
- $10.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes
- Displaced 515 million barrels of oil, the equivalent of $49 billion
John Urbanchuk, author of the study and managing partner of ABF Economics, concluded his analysis by noting, "The ethanol industry continues to make a significant contribution to the economy in terms of job creation, generation of tax revenue, and displacement of imported crude oil and petroleum products. The importance of the ethanol industry to agriculture and rural economies is particularly notable. Continued growth and expansion of the ethanol industry through new technologies and feedstocks will enhance the industry's position as the original creator of green jobs, and will enable America to make further strides toward energy independence."
EIA: US Ethanol Supply Flat
U.S. supply of ethanol was flat at a 21.1 million barrel (bbl) two-year, eight-month high during the week-ended Feb. 13, with both production and blending demand higher during the week the Energy Information Administration reported Thursday, Feb. 19.
he no change in domestic ethanol stocks came as U.S. production plants ramped up output 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 964,000 bpd three-week high. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, ethanol output averaged 963,000 bpd, 63,000 bpd, or 7.0%, above the production rate during the comparable year-ago period.
Refiner and blender net inputs of ethanol jumped 26,000 bpd to an 852,000 bpd seven-week high, and the highest weekly input rate of 2015. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, blender inputs averaged 838,000 bpd, 28,000 bpd, or 3.5%, above a year ago.
Gasoline supplied to market, known as implied demand, surged 527,000 bpd during the week reviewed from a one-year low to 8.809 million bpd. Year to date through Feb. 13, implied gasoline demand averaged 8.716 million bpd, 469,000 bpd, or 5.7%, more than in 2014 through this period.
More than 75 agribusiness, commodity, state government leaders to visit Cuba
The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) announced today it will lead more than 75 leaders from across the U.S. agriculture industry on a learning journey to Cuba. The visit will take place March 1-4, 2015.
“As we continue our call for Congress to end the embargo and normalize trade with Cuba, this is an appropriate time to visit Cuba and begin to strengthen business relationships,” said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chair of USACC. “We have seen positive developments in recent weeks, including the Freedom to Export to Cuba Act that would end the embargo in an appropriate and expeditious way.
Our learning journey will ensure that key commodity groups and agribusiness leaders are well-positioned to facilitate a strong bilateral trading relationship when the embargo is lifted.”
The learning journey will include meetings with Cuban business and government leaders, as well as interaction with Cuban farmers and agricultural cooperatives to expand understanding of the Cuban agricultural economy.
“The March learning journey will provide an opportunity for leaders in our agriculture sector to interact with key Cuban leaders, including farmers and agricultural cooperatives, in advance of normalized trade relations,” said Paul Johnson, Vice Chair of USACC. “Meanwhile our hope is for Congress to normalize trade relations with Cuba as quickly as possible.”
USACC is comprised of agribusinesses, commodity groups, and others in agriculture who share a commitment to normalizing trade with Cuba and ending the current embargo. The coalition was formed in early 2014 to call for an end to the current embargo, which would continue the tremendous momentum of U.S. agricultural exports and boost opportunity for U.S. and Cuban agriculture.
NASS Kicks Off Nationwide Organic Survey
The USDA just kicked off the Organic Survey to gather detailed data on U.S. organic agriculture production. The survey is a complete inventory of all known organic producers that are certified, exempt from certification, and transitioning to certified organic production.
"Total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the United States have continued to grow over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent between 2007 and 2012," said USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "These latest census results show the continued interest in organic agriculture among consumers, producers, and businesses. As we look to the future, the important information we gather will be crucial to capturing the strong private and public sector support to sustain the continued growth of this industry."
Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Organic Survey is a result of this growing demand for organic agricultural products and data. The survey looks at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It also focuses on the future of organic production by including producers transitioning to certified organic agriculture.
Producers who receive the Organic Survey are encouraged to respond. The responses will provide important and detailed information to help determine the economic impact of organic production, and this information will help USDA develop programs and services for organic crop and livestock producers.
USDA-NIFA and United Kingdom-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Partner for Animal Disease Prevention Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the United Kingdom's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) today announced five jointly funded research awards that total more than $2.3 million from NIFA and £2.3 million British pounds ($3,502,683 equivalent) from the BBSRC for the US-UK Collaborative Animal Health and Disease and Veterinary Immune Reagents program. This US-UK partnership addresses high impact diseases and animal health issues relevant to both countries.
"As a leading livestock producing nation, the health of the people in the United States and around the world depends on the safety, security, and quality of the livestock we produce," said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. "These grants enable an international research partnership that looks to control the spread of pathogens, ensuring we can effectively reduce the health risks and environmental impacts of food production worldwide."
Steve Visscher, BBSRC Deputy Chief Executive, International, said: "A growing world population means that safe and secure food supplies are going to become more and more important in the years to come. The scale of such challenges require increased international collaboration, and this partnership of co-investment between BBSRC and NIFA will allow world-leading researchers in both countries to work together to combat livestock diseases and safeguard food supplies."
Global food supply and food security are directly affected by animal production and health. They play an important role in the economy, but also in the sustainability and growth of agriculture worldwide. Research funded through this program will look at the biological and physiological mechanisms in relation to disease prevention in ruminants (cattle, goat, sheep), swine, poultry, equine, and aquaculture species. Specifically, the projects will address the development of immune reagents, breeding for genetic resistance to disease, studying the ecology of diseases spread by vector insects, and developing improved vaccines. The discoveries made through these projects will improve animal health and well-being, enhance production efficiency, and support the safety of animal products by addressing challenges facing animal agriculture.
The USDA and BBSRC 2014 partnership concentrated on the following areas:
Animal health and disease:
- Research on emerging diseases and diseases of agriculturally relevant animals of high economic consequence in both the U.S. and U.K. (viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases)
- Alternatives to current antimicrobials and anthelmintics used to treat disease in agricultural animals in both the U.S. and U.K.
Veterinary immune reagents:
- Development of publicly accessible immunological reagents for agriculturally-relevant animal species.
Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by USDA include:
- Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa., $499,999 - Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. Coli (collaborative with the University of Edinburgh)
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $499,995 - Control of Emerging Bunyaviruses (collaborative with the University of Glasgow)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $477,903 - Reassembly of Cattle Immune Gene Clusters for Quantitative Analysis
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $500,000 - Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies (collaborative with the University of Bristol)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Athens Ga., $325,000 - Evolution of the High Pathogenicity Phenotype in Avian Influenza Virus (NIFA is supporting years 2 and 3 of this award with $325,000; ARS is supporting year 1 with $175,000.)
Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by BBSRC include:
- Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies. University of Bristol, £335,835 (collaborative with USDA ARS)
- Reassembly of cattle immune gene clusters for quantitative analysis. The Pirbright Institute, £478,615
- Control of emerging bunyaviruses. University of Glasgow, £597,187 (collaborative with Kansas State University)
- Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. coli. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £521,083 (collaborative with Iowa State University)
- M2 gene splice variants in pathogenesis, transmission and induced immunity against highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £461,362
More information on the BBSRC grants can be found on their website. Enter the project title into the search function.
NIFA funded the grants through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: food safety, nutrition and health; plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; bioenergy energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £484M in world-class bioscience in 2013-14. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ Approved for Extended BVD 1b Protection
Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) recently received a new label claim for protection against respiratory disease caused by bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Type 1b for at least 217 days. BVD Type 1b is the most common subtype of BVD found in persistently infected (PI) calves. This new claim reinforces the elite BVD protection offered by BIVI's modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine portfolio.
"PI calves, while small in number, are one of the most common sources of BVD spread as they shed the virus to susceptible calves," says Dr. Doug Ensley, Professional Services Veterinarian, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. "This new claim helps producers protect against the BVD subtype most commonly found in these calves, so they know they are getting the best protection for their herd."
With PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, two leading respiratory vaccines are provided in the convenience of one dose, protecting against disease caused by BVD types 1 and 2, infectious bovine rhinotrachetitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and Mannheimia haemolytica.
"BVD prevention remains a key issue for cattle producers in their aim to keep their herds healthy. By vaccinating calves at all stages with PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, producers can be assured their cattle are protected against BVD and other causes of respiratory disease," says Dr. Ensley.
For producers looking to further prevent the negative impact of PI calves, BIVI offers Express® FP for vaccination of cows. EXPRESS FP is labeled to prevent calves persistently infected with BVD when cows are vaccinated according to label directions.
Nebraska's number of farms and ranches declined during 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of farms and ranches in the State, at 49,1 00, was down 500 farms from 201 3. Numbers of farms and ranches in Nebraska with less than $100,000 in agricultural sales declined 800 farms from the year earlier while operations with more than $100,000 increased 300 farms from 2013. Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska totaled 45.2 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. The average size of operation, at 921 acres, was up 8 acres from the year earlier.
IOWA FARM NUMBERS LOWER
The total number of farms in Iowa in 2014 was 88,000, down 500 farms compared to a year ago, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Upper Midwest Regional Office. The largest decrease in number of farms came in the $1,000-$9,999 range with a decrease of 400 farms from 27,500 in 2013 to 27,100 in 2014. Total land in farms in Iowa in 2014 was 30.5 million acres, down 100,000 acres from 2013. This drop came from farms in the $500,000-$999,999 range which fell to 8.70 million acres. The average farm size in Iowa in 2014 was 347 acres, up one acre from last year. The average farm size in the $1,000,000 and over sales class increased 77 acres from 1,284 acres in 2013 to 1,301 in 2014.
2014 Number of Farms and Land in Farms Highlights
The number of farms in the United States for 2014 is estimated at 2.08 million, down 18 thousand farms from 2013. Total land in farms, at 913 million acres, decreased 1.03 million acres from 2013. The average farm size for 2014 is 438 acres, up 3 acres from the previous year.
Farm numbers and land in farms are differentiated by six economic sales classes. Farms and ranches are classified into these six sales classes by summing the sales of agricultural products and government program payments. Sales class breaks occur at $10,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. Producers were asked during the 2014 mid-year surveys to report the value of sales based on production during the 2013 calendar year. Production or commodity price changes in 2013 resulted in the total value for virtually all livestock and livestock products to increase while the value of most crops declined. The value of vegetable, fruit, and tobacco crops increased.
Point Farms are farms that did not have the required minimum $1,000 sales for the year to qualify as a farm, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000 or more. Point Farms are assigned a sales class based on the sum of the agricultural point (dollar) values assigned to the
quantity of commodities produced, but not sold. The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that 428,810 farms or 20.3 percent of the 2.11 million farms were Point Farms. These Point Farms operated 63.0 million acres or 6.9 percent of the 914.5 million acres of farmland.
Farm numbers decreased by 18 thousand farms during 2014. The number of farms in Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999 declined while all other sales classes increased slightly. Fifty-one percent of all farms have sales less than $10,000. Eighty percent of all farms had sales less than $100,000. Eight percent of all farms had sales of $500,000 or more.
February Rural Mainstreet Index Turns Negative:
Farm Equipment Sales and Farmland Prices Decline Again
The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for February slumped from January’s tepid reading according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), which ranges between 0 and 100, sank to 46.4 in February, which is down significantly from January’s 50.9.
“Weaker exports and lower energy and grain prices continue to weigh on the rural economy that is dependent on agriculture and energy,” said Ernie Goss, Ph.D., Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.
Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for February was unchanged from January’s weak 39.4. “Even though crop prices have stabilized, demand for farmland remains weak pulling agricultural land prices down by an estimated annualized rate of 6 percent to 8 percent. This is the 15th straight month the index has moved below growth neutral,” said Goss.
Even though farm income has weakened, more than one-fifth, or 22.2 percent, of farmland sales are for cash according to bankers in February. This is little changed from 23.3 percent recorded in October of 2014.
The February farm-equipment sales index plummeted to 19.5 from 29.5 in January. The index has been below growth neutral for 19 straight months. “Farmers have become very cautious regarding equipment buying even though their purchases of seeds and other inputs have remained solid,” said Goss.
This month bankers were asked to estimate the 2015 change in farm equipment sales for their geographic area. On average, a 14.4 percent decline in equipment sales is expected by the bank CEOs. Approximately 60 percent of the bankers expect reductions of more than 15 percent.
Confidence: The confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, slipped to 41.5 from January’s 43.6. “Global economic turmoil along with low energy and farm prices have negatively affected the outlook of bank CEOs in energy and agriculture dependent portions of the region,” reported Goss.
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for February slumped to 44.4 from 49.0 in January. The state’s farmland-price index slipped to 33.3 from 34.0 in January. Nebraska’s new-hiring index grew to 50.7 from January’s 47.9. Nebraska Rural Mainstreet job loss for the past 12 months was -0.6 percent.
Iowa: The February RMI for Iowa fell to 46.7 from January’s 51.6. The state’s farmland-price index for February expanded to 41.5 from January’s 38.7. Iowa’s new-hiring index for February rose to 57.2 from January’s 51.7. Iowa Rural Mainstreet job growth for the past 12 months was 1.7 percent
Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included. The survey is supported by a grant from Security State Bank in Ansley, Neb.
This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural, agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.
USDA - Pork Production up 1 Percent from Last Year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.09 billion pounds in January, down 4 percent from the 4.25 billion pounds produced in January 2014.
Beef production, at 1.96 billion pounds, was 8 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.42 million head, down 10 percent from January 2014. The average live weight was up 24 pounds from the previous year, at 1,358 pounds.
Veal production totaled 6.8 million pounds, 27 percent below January a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 39,900 head, 37 percent below January 2014. The average live weight was up 38 pounds from last year, at 291 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.10 billion pounds, 1 percent above the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.76 million head, slightly below January 2014. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 287 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 11.5 million pounds, was 7 percent below January 2014. Sheep slaughter totaled 165,700 head, 8 percent below last year. The average live weight was 140 pounds, up 3 pounds from January a year ago.
Red Meat Production by State (Jan '15 - % of Jan '14)
Nebraska ...........: 618.5 million pounds 97%
Iowa ..................: 609.1 million pounds 101%
Kansas ...............: 410.0 million pounds 93%
2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Submits Report
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of prestigious outside experts, submitted its recommendations to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in order to inform the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Today, the Secretaries have released the advisory committee's recommendations report online, making it available for public review and comment. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) will consider this report, along with input from other federal agencies and comments from the public as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, to be released later this year.
"For decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been at the core of our efforts to promote the health and well-being of American families," said Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack in a joint statement. "Now that the advisory committee has completed its recommendations, HHS and USDA will review this advisory report, along with comments from the public-including other experts-and input from other federal agencies as we begin the process of updating the guidelines."
The public is encouraged to view the independent advisory group's report and provide written comments at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov for a period of 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. The public will also have an opportunity to offer oral comments at a public meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, on March 24, 2015. Those interested in providing oral comments at the March 24, 2015, public meeting can register at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov. Capacity is limited, so participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 14 outside experts who made up the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are nationally recognized in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health. The committee held seven public meetings over the past two years. The recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are non-binding and advisory to HHS and USDA as they draft the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015.
The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has the administrative lead for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, which it carries out in close partnership with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and with support from USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
NCBA: Dietary Guidelines Recommendations are Misleading
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report. This report is a recommendation to the Secretaries as they develop the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will be released later this year. Unfortunately, the report is inconsistent, and if adopted will lead to conflicting dietary advice. On one hand, the Committee has endorsed the Mediterranean style diet, which has higher red meat levels than currently consumed in the U.S.; and on the other hand, they have left lean meat out of what they consider to be a healthy dietary pattern.
Dr. Shalene McNeill, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Scientist with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the recommendation that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat is not consistent with scientific evidence and would be unsound dietary advice.
“Lean meat is red meat. Today’s beef supply is leaner than ever before with more than 30 cuts of beef recognized as lean by government standards,” said McNeill. “The protein foods category, which includes meat, is the only category currently consumed within the current guidelines, and it is misleading to conclude that a healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red meat.”
According to the report, “dietary patterns with positive health benefits are described as high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products; lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.”
Unfortunately, the statement disregards the positive role of lean meat. Lean beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods, providing high levels of essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and protein, as opposed to empty calories.
Dr. Richard Thorpe, Texas medical doctor and cattle producer, said the key to a healthy lifestyle is building a balanced diet around the healthy foods you enjoy eating, coupled with physical activity.
“It is absurd for the Advisory Committee to suggest that Americans should eat less red meat and focus so heavily on plant-based diets,” said Thorpe. “The American diet is already 70 percent plant based and to further emphasize plant-based diets will continue to have unintended consequences. The Advisory Committee got it wrong in the ‘80s advising a diet high in carbs, and look at what that got us – an obesity problem. My colleagues and I commonly encourage people to include lean beef more often for their health, not less.”
Thorpe added, “We are disappointed the Advisory Committee would go outside the purview and expertise of nutrition/health research to bring in topics such as sustainability. We urge the Secretaries to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on topics outside of diet and health.”
Lean meat plays an important role in the American diet and science shows it needs to be recognized as part of a healthy dietary pattern just as it was in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. On behalf of U.S. cattle producers that work each and every day to provide a nutritious and healthful beef product for consumers, we encourage Secretaries Burwell and Vilsack to reject the Advisory Committee’s recommendation that healthy American diets should be lower in red meat. The process was incomplete with flawed conclusions specific to health benefits of red meat’s role in the American diet.
Dietary Panel: Cut Meat; Alcohol Okay
NPPC Urges USDA, HHS Secretaries To Reject Recommendations On Meat
The National Pork Producers Council today criticized recommendations related to meat in the diet from an advisory committee informing the creation of federal guidelines for healthy eating.
In a report for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an Obama administration-appointed advisory committee of health and nutrition professionals recommended that people consume less red and processed meat, and it omitted lean meat from its recommended dietary pattern. (It did maintain the Recommended Daily Allowance of 5.5 ounces of “protein foods.”) The panel recommended moderate amounts of alcohol.
Additionally, the advisory committee concluded that a diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based foods would be more environmentally sustainable.
The report was sent to the secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services, who will use it to develop the 2015 guidelines. Due out later this year, the guidelines affect all federal food purchasing programs, including the School Lunch program.
“We think the advisory committee has taken the wrong approach,” said NPPC President Dr. Howard Hill, a veterinarian and pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. “Science recognizes that meat is, and should be, a part of a healthful diet, and NPPC urges the USDA and HHS secretaries to keep meat in the center of America’s plate.
“It appears the advisory committee was more interested in addressing what’s trendy among foodies than providing science-based advice for the average American’s diet,” Hill said. “Have we really come to the point where alcohol is okay and meat isn’t”?
NPPC pointed out in comments on the 2015 guidelines that animal proteins are considered complete proteins, containing all the essential amino acids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A number of critical vitamins and minerals, including B12, Heme iron and potassium – often lacking in many American diets – are found primarily in meat, and lean, nutrient-rich meat is versatile, affordable and accessible, making it easy to incorporate into the diet.
For school children, eating meat promotes satiety and preserves lean muscle mass, said NPPC. Additionally, including lean meat in their diets can help adults prevent or manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Research even shows that, for those dealing with obesity, many cuts of meat can improve long-term weight maintenance.
As for sustainability, said Hill, “pork producers today are much more environmentally friendly than even 25 years ago. In fact, a U.N. report (starting on page 278) on greenhouse gases cited intensive agricultural production, such as the modern U.S. meat production system, as a way to address those gases.”
According to North Carolina research firm Camco, compared with 50 years ago, U.S. pork producers today are using 78 percent less land and 45 percent less water to produce a pound of pork and have a 35 percent smaller carbon footprint.
NMPF, IDFA Reaction to New Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
Statement from Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, NMPF, and Connie Tipton, President & CEO, IDFA
“We appreciate the commitment of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to help Americans build healthy eating patterns.
“The essential role of dairy foods, as part of dietary patterns that foster good health outcomes, is supported by the totality of the science — low-fat and fat-free milk and dairy products are a core component of the healthy dietary patterns identified by the Committee.
“The good news for people across the country is that milk, cheese, and yogurt not only taste great, but also are nutrient-rich, affordable, readily available, and versatile, making dairy foods realistic options to help people build healthier meal plans. Milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of America’s children – including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, three of the four nutrients the 2015 DGAC found to be under-consumed. Dairy foods’ nutrient package can be hard to replace with other foods.
“We will provide science-based comments on the advisory report during the current public comment period and look forward to the release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans policy document later this year.”
Study Quantifies Positive Impacts of U.S. Ethanol Production
The ethanol industry added $52.7 billion to the national GDP in 2014 according to a study released today by the Renewable Fuels Association at this year's National Ethanol Conference. "Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States in 2014," prepared by ABF Economics on RFA's behalf, quantifies the economic, national security and job creating benefits of domestic ethanol production in 2014.
"The ethanol industry has certainly fueled demand growth for corn for nearly a decade now, but it has also been an incredible engine for growth throughout the U.S. economy as well," said National Corn Growers Association Ethanol Committee Chair Jeff Sandborn, a farmer from Portland, Michigan. "This study offers the quantifiable data to clearly demonstrate the importance of today's ethanol industry for all Americans. At NCGA, we work constantly to defend policies important to farmers and ethanol producers alike, such as the RFS, and to find ways to further drive demand in the future. Certainly, concrete evidence such as this helps us to do so."
According to the study, ethanol industry was responsible for 83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs over the past year. Over that period, it also added $26.7 billion to household incomes, and generated $10.3 billion in taxes, thus further stimulating state and local economies.
The study also demonstrated the importance of ethanol to national and energy security in that it found 515 million barrels of foreign oil were displaced by the 14.3 billion gallons of U.S. ethanol produced in 2014. The monetary value of this comes to nearly $49 billion which stayed in our nation's economy.
A brief summary of the study's findings:
- $52.7 billion to America's gross domestic product
- 83,949 direct jobs and 295,265 indirect and induced jobs
- $26.7 billion to household incomes
- $10.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes
- Displaced 515 million barrels of oil, the equivalent of $49 billion
John Urbanchuk, author of the study and managing partner of ABF Economics, concluded his analysis by noting, "The ethanol industry continues to make a significant contribution to the economy in terms of job creation, generation of tax revenue, and displacement of imported crude oil and petroleum products. The importance of the ethanol industry to agriculture and rural economies is particularly notable. Continued growth and expansion of the ethanol industry through new technologies and feedstocks will enhance the industry's position as the original creator of green jobs, and will enable America to make further strides toward energy independence."
EIA: US Ethanol Supply Flat
U.S. supply of ethanol was flat at a 21.1 million barrel (bbl) two-year, eight-month high during the week-ended Feb. 13, with both production and blending demand higher during the week the Energy Information Administration reported Thursday, Feb. 19.
he no change in domestic ethanol stocks came as U.S. production plants ramped up output 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 964,000 bpd three-week high. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, ethanol output averaged 963,000 bpd, 63,000 bpd, or 7.0%, above the production rate during the comparable year-ago period.
Refiner and blender net inputs of ethanol jumped 26,000 bpd to an 852,000 bpd seven-week high, and the highest weekly input rate of 2015. During the four weeks ended Feb. 13, blender inputs averaged 838,000 bpd, 28,000 bpd, or 3.5%, above a year ago.
Gasoline supplied to market, known as implied demand, surged 527,000 bpd during the week reviewed from a one-year low to 8.809 million bpd. Year to date through Feb. 13, implied gasoline demand averaged 8.716 million bpd, 469,000 bpd, or 5.7%, more than in 2014 through this period.
More than 75 agribusiness, commodity, state government leaders to visit Cuba
The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) announced today it will lead more than 75 leaders from across the U.S. agriculture industry on a learning journey to Cuba. The visit will take place March 1-4, 2015.
“As we continue our call for Congress to end the embargo and normalize trade with Cuba, this is an appropriate time to visit Cuba and begin to strengthen business relationships,” said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chair of USACC. “We have seen positive developments in recent weeks, including the Freedom to Export to Cuba Act that would end the embargo in an appropriate and expeditious way.
Our learning journey will ensure that key commodity groups and agribusiness leaders are well-positioned to facilitate a strong bilateral trading relationship when the embargo is lifted.”
The learning journey will include meetings with Cuban business and government leaders, as well as interaction with Cuban farmers and agricultural cooperatives to expand understanding of the Cuban agricultural economy.
“The March learning journey will provide an opportunity for leaders in our agriculture sector to interact with key Cuban leaders, including farmers and agricultural cooperatives, in advance of normalized trade relations,” said Paul Johnson, Vice Chair of USACC. “Meanwhile our hope is for Congress to normalize trade relations with Cuba as quickly as possible.”
USACC is comprised of agribusinesses, commodity groups, and others in agriculture who share a commitment to normalizing trade with Cuba and ending the current embargo. The coalition was formed in early 2014 to call for an end to the current embargo, which would continue the tremendous momentum of U.S. agricultural exports and boost opportunity for U.S. and Cuban agriculture.
NASS Kicks Off Nationwide Organic Survey
The USDA just kicked off the Organic Survey to gather detailed data on U.S. organic agriculture production. The survey is a complete inventory of all known organic producers that are certified, exempt from certification, and transitioning to certified organic production.
"Total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the United States have continued to grow over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent between 2007 and 2012," said USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "These latest census results show the continued interest in organic agriculture among consumers, producers, and businesses. As we look to the future, the important information we gather will be crucial to capturing the strong private and public sector support to sustain the continued growth of this industry."
Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Organic Survey is a result of this growing demand for organic agricultural products and data. The survey looks at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It also focuses on the future of organic production by including producers transitioning to certified organic agriculture.
Producers who receive the Organic Survey are encouraged to respond. The responses will provide important and detailed information to help determine the economic impact of organic production, and this information will help USDA develop programs and services for organic crop and livestock producers.
USDA-NIFA and United Kingdom-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Partner for Animal Disease Prevention Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the United Kingdom's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) today announced five jointly funded research awards that total more than $2.3 million from NIFA and £2.3 million British pounds ($3,502,683 equivalent) from the BBSRC for the US-UK Collaborative Animal Health and Disease and Veterinary Immune Reagents program. This US-UK partnership addresses high impact diseases and animal health issues relevant to both countries.
"As a leading livestock producing nation, the health of the people in the United States and around the world depends on the safety, security, and quality of the livestock we produce," said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. "These grants enable an international research partnership that looks to control the spread of pathogens, ensuring we can effectively reduce the health risks and environmental impacts of food production worldwide."
Steve Visscher, BBSRC Deputy Chief Executive, International, said: "A growing world population means that safe and secure food supplies are going to become more and more important in the years to come. The scale of such challenges require increased international collaboration, and this partnership of co-investment between BBSRC and NIFA will allow world-leading researchers in both countries to work together to combat livestock diseases and safeguard food supplies."
Global food supply and food security are directly affected by animal production and health. They play an important role in the economy, but also in the sustainability and growth of agriculture worldwide. Research funded through this program will look at the biological and physiological mechanisms in relation to disease prevention in ruminants (cattle, goat, sheep), swine, poultry, equine, and aquaculture species. Specifically, the projects will address the development of immune reagents, breeding for genetic resistance to disease, studying the ecology of diseases spread by vector insects, and developing improved vaccines. The discoveries made through these projects will improve animal health and well-being, enhance production efficiency, and support the safety of animal products by addressing challenges facing animal agriculture.
The USDA and BBSRC 2014 partnership concentrated on the following areas:
Animal health and disease:
- Research on emerging diseases and diseases of agriculturally relevant animals of high economic consequence in both the U.S. and U.K. (viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases)
- Alternatives to current antimicrobials and anthelmintics used to treat disease in agricultural animals in both the U.S. and U.K.
Veterinary immune reagents:
- Development of publicly accessible immunological reagents for agriculturally-relevant animal species.
Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by USDA include:
- Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa., $499,999 - Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. Coli (collaborative with the University of Edinburgh)
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $499,995 - Control of Emerging Bunyaviruses (collaborative with the University of Glasgow)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $477,903 - Reassembly of Cattle Immune Gene Clusters for Quantitative Analysis
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., $500,000 - Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies (collaborative with the University of Bristol)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Athens Ga., $325,000 - Evolution of the High Pathogenicity Phenotype in Avian Influenza Virus (NIFA is supporting years 2 and 3 of this award with $325,000; ARS is supporting year 1 with $175,000.)
Fiscal year 2014 awards supported by BBSRC include:
- Swine Immune Toolkit: Development of new immune reagents for swine health, vaccine and disease studies. University of Bristol, £335,835 (collaborative with USDA ARS)
- Reassembly of cattle immune gene clusters for quantitative analysis. The Pirbright Institute, £478,615
- Control of emerging bunyaviruses. University of Glasgow, £597,187 (collaborative with Kansas State University)
- Host Resistance to Avian Pathogenic E. coli. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £521,083 (collaborative with Iowa State University)
- M2 gene splice variants in pathogenesis, transmission and induced immunity against highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, £461,362
More information on the BBSRC grants can be found on their website. Enter the project title into the search function.
NIFA funded the grants through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: food safety, nutrition and health; plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; bioenergy energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £484M in world-class bioscience in 2013-14. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ Approved for Extended BVD 1b Protection
Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) recently received a new label claim for protection against respiratory disease caused by bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Type 1b for at least 217 days. BVD Type 1b is the most common subtype of BVD found in persistently infected (PI) calves. This new claim reinforces the elite BVD protection offered by BIVI's modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine portfolio.
"PI calves, while small in number, are one of the most common sources of BVD spread as they shed the virus to susceptible calves," says Dr. Doug Ensley, Professional Services Veterinarian, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. "This new claim helps producers protect against the BVD subtype most commonly found in these calves, so they know they are getting the best protection for their herd."
With PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, two leading respiratory vaccines are provided in the convenience of one dose, protecting against disease caused by BVD types 1 and 2, infectious bovine rhinotrachetitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and Mannheimia haemolytica.
"BVD prevention remains a key issue for cattle producers in their aim to keep their herds healthy. By vaccinating calves at all stages with PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, producers can be assured their cattle are protected against BVD and other causes of respiratory disease," says Dr. Ensley.
For producers looking to further prevent the negative impact of PI calves, BIVI offers Express® FP for vaccination of cows. EXPRESS FP is labeled to prevent calves persistently infected with BVD when cows are vaccinated according to label directions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)