NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending July 24, 2016, temperatures averaged four degrees above normal, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation of an inch or more covered much of the southwest and parts of the southern Panhandle. The eastern half of the State remained mostly dry. Drought conditions existed in south central counties. Seed corn detasseling was active and winter wheat harvest was wrapping up. Producers with livestock in confined areas were taking measures to lessen heat stress. There were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 8 percent very short, 27 short, 64 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 23 short, 71 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 17 fair, 61 good, and 18 excellent. Corn silking was 82 percent, ahead of 77 last year and the five-year average of 76. Corn in dough was 13 percent, near 9 last year, and equal to average.
Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 18 fair, 68 good, and 14 excellent. Sorghum headed was 25 percent, behind 36 last year, and near 23 average.
Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 19 fair, 63 good, and 14 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 75 percent, near 72 last year and equal to average. Setting pods was 19 percent, behind 28 both last year and average.
Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 24 fair, 50 good, and 15 excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 92 percent, ahead of 76 last year and 74 average.
Oats condition rated 2 percent very poor, 1 poor, 26 fair, 63 good, and 8 excellent. Oats coloring was 96 percent, near 95 last year. Harvested was 65 percent, ahead of 51 last year, and near 67 average.
Alfalfa condition rated 4 percent very poor, 3 poor, 15 fair, 64 good, and 14 excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was 92 percent, ahead of 76 last year and 81 average. Third cutting was 21 percent, near 16 last year and 20 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 3 poor, 21 fair, 63 good, and 11 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 7 short, 90 adequate, and 2 surplus.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT
Recent heat and humidity helped speed crop development although frequent rains allowed Iowa farmers only 4.0 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 24, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included aerial fungicide application to corn and cutting hay when fields were dry enough.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 10 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Eighty-seven percent of the corn crop reached the silking stage, 8 days ahead of normal, with 11 percent of the corn crop reaching the dough stage. Corn condition rated 82 percent good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 83 percent, 6 days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Forty-four percent of soybeans were setting pods, 6 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 81 percent good to excellent last week. Oats harvested for grain or seed reached 54 percent, 2 days ahead of last year. Oat crop condition rated 79 percent good to excellent.
The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 87 percent, more than 2 weeks ahead of last year. The third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 13 percent. Hay condition was rated 73 percent good to excellent, while pasture condition rated 62 percent good to excellent. Pastures and hay crops were growing. Livestock experienced some stress due to high levels of heat and humidity.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry J. Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
It was a hot, humid, and wet week across Iowa. Temperatures were above normal throughout the week with the hottest weather from Wednesday (20th) through Saturday (23rd) when heat indices exceeded 110 degrees somewhere in the state each day. Actual temperatures during the week varied from a Monday (18th) morning low of 55 degrees at Algona to a Wednesday (20th) afternoon high of 97 degrees at Sioux City and Thursday (21st) highs of 97 at Des Moines, Lamoni, and Sioux City. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 5.2 degrees above normal. Heat indices reached a maximum of 119 degrees at Shenandoah on Thursday. Thunderstorms brought rain to the south one-half of the state from Sunday (17th) night into Monday (18th) morning with very heavy rains in parts of southwest Iowa. Rain fell nearly statewide on Tuesday (19th) with locally heavy rain falling across central Iowa. Wednesday (20th) brought rain to extreme eastern and far northwestern Iowa. Another round of thunderstorms brought rain to the eastern one-third of the state on Thursday (21st) night into Friday (22nd) morning. Finally, one last event brought rain to about the north one-half of the state on Saturday (23rd) morning with locally heavy rain in far northeast Iowa. Weekly rain totals varied from only 0.15 inches at Akron on the South Dakota border to 6.19 inches at Bedford and 6.60 inches between Ankeny and Des Moines. The statewide average precipitation was 2.09 inches or more than double the normal of 0.98 inches. This was the third consecutive week of much above normal rainfall.
USDA Weekly Crop Progress
Corn and soybean condition ratings held steady at 76% and 71% good to excellent, respectively, in the week ended July 24, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress report released Monday.
Corn condition was unchanged from a week ago and 6 percentage points higher than a year ago ratings. USDA said 76% of the corn crop was rated good to excellent, the same as a week ago.
The nation's corn crop is 79% silked, compared to 56% last week, 71% last year and a 70% 5-year average. Corn in the dogh stage was reported for the first time this growing season at 13%. That compares to 12% last year and a 13% average.
Soybean condition ratings were steady with a week ago and 9 percentage points ahead of last year's ratings. USDA said 71% of soybeans were rated good-to-excellent.
Seventy-six percent of the nation's soybeans are blooming and 35% are setting pods, compared to 59% and 18% last week, 67% and 29% last year and 66% and 26% on average.
Winter wheat was 83% harvested as of Sunday, compared to 76% last week, 82% last year and a 79% average.
Spring wheat condition was rated as 68% good to excellent, slightly lower than last week.
Cotton squaring was at 85%, compared to 77% last week, 82% last year and an 84% average. Setting bolls was reported at 46%, compared to 28% last week, 41% last year and a 43% average. Cotton condition worsened to 13% poor to very poor, compared to 10% last week.
Rice was 57% headed, compared to 41% last week, 48% last year and a 41% average. Rice condition worsened slightly to 67% good to excellent, compared to 68% last week.
Sorghum was 49% headed, compared to 39% last week, 42% last year and 41% on average. Coloring was reported at 23%, compared to 19% last week, 22% last year and a 26% average. Sorghum condition worsened to 65% good to excellent compared to 68% last week.
Oats were 37% harvested, compared to 22% last week, 24% last year and 30% average. Oats condition worsened to 64% good to excellent, compared to 66% last week. Barley was condition held steady at 73% good to excellent.
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Illegal Blighting Lawsuit Filed by Fremont Citizens in Costco Poultry Plant Fight
Three members of the citizens group Nebraska Communities United (NCU) filed a lawsuit yesterday in the Nebraska District Court of the 6th Judicial District against the City of Fremont on the illegal blighting of farmland to provide Tax Incentive Financing (TIF) for the proposed Costco/Lincoln Premium Poultry chicken processing plant. Nebraska Statute NEB. REV. STAT. § 18-2103 does not provide for blighting large portions of agricultural land for the use of TIF money. The disputed area by law must be urban or suburban, and not rural in character. With limited citizen participation, the Fremont City Council voted this month to annex and blight nearly 1,000 acres to site the operation. Over 400 acres are prime farmland, currently cornfields.
“The City of Fremont is trying to sidestep State laws and declare perfectly good agricultural land as
blighted and substandard, and it needs to be stopped," said lifelong local farmer and NCU member John Schauer.
“We had hoped that it would not come to this,” said the plaintiffs’ Lincoln-based attorney, Greg Barton of Barton Law P.C., L.L.O. “But Fremont officials left us with no other choice.”
For months the plan to site the proposed massive Costco-owned poultry operation, called Project
Rawhide, has been the center of local community dispute. Lincoln Premium Poultry was created by
Georgia-based Crider Foods to operate the sprawling industrial animal processing facility. The proposed complex will include a feed mill, hatchery and processing facility, turning out approximately 340,000 chickens per day.
“Industry giants and large-scale animal operations across the nation are evading the law at the expense of community health and citizen rights,” said Laura Krebsbach, Regional Representative for Socially Responsible Agricultural Project (SRAP), a national nonprofit working with NCU to organize and educate Fremont community members on the impact of industrial poultry facilities. “These Fremont residents voiced their concerns to Costco and were not heard. Now they will.”
The lawsuit also alleges violations of citizen rights of due process under Federal and State laws, including under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and NEB. REV. STAT. § 20-148 and NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 25-21,149.
NCU leader, Randy Ruppert says the slate of public hearings did more harm than good to community
confidence in Costco, Lincoln Premium Poultry and their own City Council.
“Every vote was 8 to 0. Our elected officials had their minds made up before there was even one public hearing,” said Ruppert. “With Costco driving the agenda, equal time was not even a possibility.”
A temporary injunction request was also filed that would stop the City of Fremont from taking further action on Project Rawhide. Additionally, the submission includes a Notice of Intent to subpoena the City, the Greater Fremont Development Council, and blighting study preparer JEO Consulting that will require preservation of all documents associated with the project.
“Above our State Capitol is inscribed ‘The Salvation of the State is Watchfulness in the Citizen,” said
Schauer. “With the changes the Costco operation threatens to bring to this community, there is no
better time to remember and follow those words.”
HEAT EFFECTS ON ALFALFA
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist
As we experience the extreme heat of summer, plants adjust in various ways.
When it gets hot, alfalfa plants grow more slowly and moisture stress becomes common, even in moist soil. Production of high-quality hay is nearly impossible due to high temperatures, especially at night. High night-time temperatures cause rapid respiration rates in alfalfa, burning off valuable nutrients that plants accumulated during the day. This often produces alfalfa hay with fine stems that contain high protein, but they also have high fiber and low relative feed value. So if your hay tests low, blame the heat.
Another problem is how fast alfalfa plants mature. When it’s hot, alfalfa may begin to bloom in less than four weeks. If you use blooming as a signal to harvest, this early bloom can be misleading. Alfalfa plants need more time, not less time to rebuild nutrient reserves in their roots during hot weather because they burn off nutrients instead of moving them to the roots when it is hot. So watch the calendar as well as your plants to determine when to cut.
You might adjust time of day when you cut hay. Some research has shown that cutting in late afternoon produces higher quality hay than cutting in the morning. But, on good drying days it still may be wiser to cut in the morning. When cut hay stays above fifty percent moisture, plant cells continue to respire, burning away valuable nutrients. Hay cut late in the day respires all night long, losing yield and quality. On good drying days, plant cells can dry enough to be stabilized before nightfall, reducing respiration losses.
Getting high quality hay is challenging. Both you and the weather must cooperate and even then there are no guarantees.
Nebraska Producers Reminded of Aug. 1 Deadline to Submit Nominations for Farm Service Agency County Committees
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nebraska Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Dan Steinkruger today reminded farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers they have until Aug. 1, 2016, to nominate eligible candidates to serve on local FSA county committees.
“The August 1 deadline to submit nominations is quickly approaching,” said Steinkruger. “If you’ve been considering nominating a candidate or nominating yourself to serve on your local county committee, I encourage you to go to your county office right now to submit that nomination form. I especially encourage the nomination of beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as women and minorities. This is your opportunity to have a say in how federal programs are delivered in your county.”
FSA county committees help local farmers through their decisions on commodity price support loans, conservation programs and disaster programs, and by working closely with FSA county executive directors.
To be eligible to hold office as a county committee member, individuals must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and live in the local administrative area where they are running. A complete list of eligibility requirements, more information and nomination forms are available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
All nominees must sign the nomination form FSA-669A. All nomination forms for the 2016 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 1, 2016. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters by Nov. 7 and are due back to the local USDA Service Centers on Dec. 5. The newly elected county committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2017.
USGC Members Gather In Louisville for Summer Meeting
As the public conversation about the merits of trade heats up, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) members are gathering in Louisville, Kentucky, for the export market development organization’s summer business meetings.
USGC delegates and guests at the 56th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting will hear from dynamic speakers on the impact of trade to U.S. agriculture and the grains sectors specifically as well as updates on USGC programs operating in more than 50 countries.
Presentations in the general sessions and topical breakouts Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will also provide information on the economic impact of USDA export market development programs and specific hot topics including ethanol export promotion programs, feed grain market development and trade with the European Union.
“Exports of corn, sorghum and barley were worth nearly $12 billion to the U.S. economy last marketing year, with exports of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol worth another $4.6 billion,” said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann, a farmer from Nebraska. “That is real economic impact on U.S. farmers, the agribusinesses who support their operations and our national livelihood.
“Those of us gathering in Louisville this week know how critical the grain trade is to our operations and are committed to growing it this year and long into the future.”
Also at the meeting, USGC Advisory Teams (A-Teams), which provide guidance and set priorities for the Council’s operations, will meet to hear mid-year reports on strategies to promote and expand exports in key markets.
Nebraska FFA Foundation Announces Milstead Leadership Development Endowment
The Nebraska FFA Foundation is pleased to announce it has received $40,000 to establish the Milstead Leadership Development Endowment.
The endowment will fund new FFA chapter development, local Supervised Agriculture Experiences either in the entrepreneurship or school-based enterprises, agriculture teacher professional development in power, structure and technical systems, agriculture teacher recruitment, as well as retention or awards and recognition related to power, structure and technical system pathways or in agricultural entrepreneurship.
Perry Case, an owner of Plains Equipment Group says, “The leadership and character that has been demonstrated by Jim Milstead through his career with John Deere Company and its dealerships, as well as his involvement on the Board of Directors for Plains Equipment aligns perfectly with the development of agricultural youth through FFA in Nebraska! What better way to honor Jim than to carry on his legacy by developing future ag leaders through FFA!”
“Right now, there is a great need in our teachers having the skills necessary to teach the power, structure and technical systems pathway courses like welding and small engines. We also see the need for more skilled workers in this area, so this endowment will give Ag Ed programs the tools they need to make a great long term impact for the future of that segment of the industry specifically,” says Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.
In addition to a cash donation, the Case Family Foundation has donated Mr. Milstead’s 2005 Harley Road King Classic motorcycle and special trailer, which will be auctioned at Husker Harvest Days on September 14. All proceeds will be added to the Milstead Leadership Development Endowment.
Iowa Soybean Association supports proposed Wright County pork processor
A pork processing facility planned for construction in rural Wright County is the kind of bread-and-butter economic development that has defined Iowa’s leadership in food production for generations. It’s also the type of project that helps insulate the state from steep job cuts that can occur when the nation’s economy hits turbulence.
This assessment by the Iowa Soybean Association coincided with a public hearing hosted today by the Wright County Board of Supervisors in Clarion. Nearly 125 people attended the meeting and provided two hours of public comment regarding the state-of-the-art facility proposed by Prestage Farms of Iowa.
“The vast majority of comments were in support of the project,” said ISA member Dean Coleman of Humboldt, who attended and spoke at the hearing. “The plan put forth by Prestage and county leaders is well thought out. The new facility will offer good paying jobs, environmental protections and new demand for pork and grain. It will be good for the people and communities of north central Iowa.”
As an Iowa soybean industry leader, Coleman has traveled the world marketing Iowa-grown soybeans and other agricultural products. This project, he said, is in keeping with the state’s strong reputation as a leading provider of high-quality food in a location ideally suited for agriculture.
“Pork is our No. 1 customer and a domestic one at that,” he said. “Projects like the one being proposed for Wright County are a win-win for communities, farmers and everyone who relies on an economy that’s working and producing.
“As a grain farmer, it also boosts market opportunities for what I grow and positions me as a trusted and reliable source of high-quality feed for pigs.”
Last year, Iowa farmers harvested a record 554 million bushels of soybeans. More than one out of every four rows of Iowa soybeans is consumed by nearly 40 million head of hogs raised annually in the state, according to ISA research.
The proposed $240 million pork processing plant would be located approximately five miles south of Eagle Grove on Highway 17. According to the company, the facility will initially employ 922 workers at an average wage of $15.75 per hour plus benefits.
The Wright County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a second hearing on the proposed facility for Monday, Aug. 1.
Dairy Budgets Available through ISU Extension and Outreach
Managing a dairy farm’s finances and ensuring it is profitable is no easy task. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team has developed a series of budgets to help dairy producers understand their current financial situation and determine the profitability of their operation.
The budgets can be found online through the ISU Extension and Outreach dairy team website.... http://www.extension.iastate.edu/dairyteam/content/iowa-dairy-budgets.
Dairy businesses are often made up of many components that can either complement or compete with each other. The enterprise analysis allows producers to take stock of the entirety of their operation and determine its profitability.
“These are the most comprehensive budgets that we’ve seen specifically made for the dairy industry,” said Larry Tranel, dairy specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We have included budgets for grazing, organic and conventional operations. As we look at the cost of production versus milk prices, it is imperative that producers understand their cost of production, especially those who are just getting into the industry or making changes.”
Three different types of budgets have been prepared, providing farmers who operate a conventional, organic or pasture based system an opportunity to set up a personalized budget plan that works for their operation’s herd size and production level.
"While the budgets are fantastic tools to begin the process of examining a farm’s profitability, visiting with an ISU Extension and Outreach dairy specialist is still a good idea," Tranel said. "Contact your dairy specialist for further information and assistance."
The budgets available online will be updated semi-annually, allowing for a current look at costs and projected income throughout the dairy industry. While the budgets are currently only available in PDF format, an editable Microsoft Excel spreadsheet version is coming soon.
The organic budgets included were created through a grant provided by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
Placements Big Surprise in COF Report
David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
USDA released its July Cattle on Feed Report on July 22, which gets us to mid-year in cattle on feed inventory. While marketings were largely in line with the pre-report estimates, June placements were the big surprise, only up 3 percent compared to last year.
Marketings were up 9.4 percent compared to last year. June 2016 had the same number of slaughter days as June 2015, so the increase is not due to an additional day, but to a faster marketing and slaughter rate. The 1.912 million head marketed in June was the most since 2012 when 1.935 were marketed. The good news in the marketing numbers is that cattle are not backing up in the system, so far.
Placements, up 3 percent, were the big surprise, being on the low side of the pre-report estimates. Good range and pasture conditions, fewer Mexican cattle imports, and some higher feed costs in the month likely cut into placements. Placements totaled 1.525 million head, which was the largest since 2013 when 1.532 were placed. The data continued the trend of placing heavier cattle. The 640,000 placed in June that weighed over 800 pounds were the most in that weight category for that month since the data began in 1995. The cattle in that heaviest weight class made up 42 percent of total placements, the largest percentage for a June in the data. That has some implications for Fall marketings. Placements weighing less than 600 pounds were the fewest (290,000 head) since 1998.
The combination of placements and marketings left cattle on feed up about 1.2 percent from a year ago and slightly higher than the 2010-2014 average. Cattle on feed inventory largely reflects the seasonal pattern with declining inventories as we go into mid to late summer. Importantly, the number of cattle on feed more than 120 days has continued to decline, down 301,000 (8 percent) from last year. This report also included the mix of steers and heifers on feed. The number of heifers on feed was up 160,000 head from a year ago and made up 34 percent of the cattle on feed. But there were fewer heifers on feed than in 2014.
USDA Cold Storage Highlights
Total red meat supplies in freezers on June 30, 2016 were down 2 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 5 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 5 percent from the previous month and down 8 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 19 percent from last month but up 42 percent from last year.
Total frozen poultry supplies on June 30, 2016 were up 5 percent from the previous month and up 11 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 12 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 11 percent from last month and up 9 percent from June 30, 2015.
Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on June 30, 2016 were up slightly from the previous month and up 10 percent from June 30, 2015. Total natural cheese stocks were a record high for the month of June, since the data was first recorded in 1917. Butter stocks were up slightly from last month and up 27 percent from a year ago.
Total frozen fruit stocks were up 17 percent from last month and up 14 percent from a year ago. Total frozen fruit stocks were a record high for the month of June, since the data was first recorded in 1923.
Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 6 percent from last month and up 10 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were a record high for the month of June, since the data was first recorded in 1962.
Poll Finds Ag Lenders Helping Producers Restructure Debt as Commodity Prices Remain Top Challenge
A new poll of senior leaders from Midwest Farm Credit lenders shows commodity prices as the greatest challenge facing their customers. Farm Credit lenders are responding to this by providing services to restructure the financial situations of their customers. In addition, in a new AgriThought report, Jerry Lehnertz, senior vice president of Credit at AgriBank, examines the challenging farm economy and how lenders are helping farmers navigate it.
The poll’s results showed that 69.1 percent of senior credit and risk officers from the 17 Farm Credit Associations in the AgriBank District selected commodity prices as the top challenge. The next biggest challenges were input costs, credit availability and adverse weather effects.
When asked about the support they are providing to help farmers face these challenges, 86.7 percent said rebalancing borrower debt to bolster working capital and/or reduce principal payment requirements and 73.3 percent said refinancing credit to take advantage of current interest rates. Both answers reflect the changing financial landscape for commodity prices and how lenders are working with customers to help them maintain their financial health. Other responses included consulting on crop insurance and other risk management solutions (80 percent), counseling regarding future operating plans (63.3 percent), and marketing and hedging strategies (50 percent).
The Q&A report with Lehnertz provides a mid-year outlook for the ag economy. He discusses what effects the changing economy is having on farmers and what lenders are doing to help them cope with it.
“The focus has been on commodity prices—in the minds of many producers, if the price of corn were $4.50 per bushel vs. $3.50 per bushel, a lot of problems would be solved,” Lehnertz said. “However, hope—thinking that things might be better next year—is not a plan. Farmers and lenders need to work together to take proactive steps to succeed through today’s environment.”
AgriBank Poll
What is the biggest challenge facing the farmers who are your Association’s customers heading into the second half of 2016?
Commodity price levels - 69%
Input costs - 10.3%
Other - 13.8%
Credit availability - 3.4%
Production risk due to adverse weather - 3.4%
What support is your Farm Credit Association providing to help borrowers through today’s challenges?
Rebalancing debt to bolster working capital and/or reduce principal payment requirements - 86.7%
Consulting on crop insurance and other risk management solutions - 80%
Refinancing credit to take advantage of current interest rates - 73.3%
Counseling regarding future operating plans - 63.3%
Marketing and hedging strategies - 50%
Other - 26.7%
National FFA Organization Names 2016 Star Finalists
The National FFA Organization has selected 16 students from throughout the United States as finalists for its 2016 top achievement awards: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience.
The American Star Awards represent the best of the best among thousands of American FFA Degree recipients. Recognized are FFA members who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs; earned an American FFA Degree, the highest level of achievement the organization bestows upon a member; and met agricultural education, leadership and scholarship requirements.
Each star finalist receives $2,000 from the National FFA Foundation.
The finalists include:
American Star Farmer
Tony Phillip Lopes of the Gustine FFA Chapter in California
Tysen Rosenau of the Carrington FFA Chapter in North Dakota
Evan Schaefer of the Miami Trace FFA Chapter in Ohio
Tyler Jacob Schnaithman of the Garber FFA Chapter in Oklahoma
American Star in Agribusiness
Terry Napier of the Madison Southern FFA Chapter in Kentucky
David Stenzel of the United South Central FFA Chapter in Minnesota
Garrett Dale Yerigan of the Pryor FFA Chapter in Oklahoma
Shane A. Mueller of the Garretson FFA Chapter in South Dakota.
American Star in Agricultural Placement
Joseph Knapp Boddiford of the Southeast Bulloch FFA Chapter in Georgia
Riley A. Lewis of the Prairie Heights FFA Chapter in Indiana
Brett Petersen of the Kerkohoven Murdock Sunburg FFA Chapter in Minnesota
Nathan Leystra of the Randolph Cambria-Friesland FFA Chapter of Wisconsin
American Star in Agriscience
Jordan Paine of the Southern Valley FFA Chapter in Nebraska
Elizabeth A. Renner of the West Central FFA Chapter in South Dakota
Taylor Shayne Swinson of the Sulphur Springs FFA Chapter in Texas
Kaitlin Hallam of the Spanish Fork FFA Chapter in Utah
A panel of judges will interview finalists and select one winner for each award at the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 19-22, in Indianapolis. The four winners will receive an additional $2,000 and be announced at the convention and expo’s third general session as part of the Stars Over America Pageant on Thursday, Oct. 20.
The American FFA Degree recognition program is sponsored by ADM Crop Risk Service, Case IH, Elanco, Farm Credit and Syngenta as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
University of Minnesota’s CIDRAP tackles the global public health issue of antimicrobial resistance
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) is tackling antimicrobial resistance, one of the world’s biggest public health issues, through a new program called the Antimicrobial Stewardship Project (ASP). The ASP will help address this issue by providing current, free, accurate and comprehensive information and educational resources on antimicrobial stewardship practice, research and policy.
Antimicrobial stewardship refers to efforts to improve the appropriate use of antimicrobials by promoting the selection of optimal antimicrobial drug regimen, dose, duration of therapy, and route of administration. The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in humans and animals contributes to the increased occurrence of disease-causing microbes developing resistance and subsequently reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating infectious diseases. A recent comprehensive report on antimicrobial resistance estimates that globally, about 700,000 people die every year from drug-resistant strains of common bacterial infections, HIV, TB and malaria.
“CIDRAP is offering our knowledge and expertise in antimicrobial resistance to help provide possible solutions to this growing global public health problem,” said Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., Regents Professor and director of CIDRAP. “We’ve assembled a panel of 13 internationally renowned advisory experts to work with us. These people have expertise in a wide range of areas, including antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, clinical and veterinary medicine, clinical pharmacology, and public health.”
Antimicrobial stewardship must be addressed globally versus on a per country basis because the problem of resistance is found on every continent and transcends political boundaries. The CIDRAP ASP initiative intends to promote global collaboration through engagement of international experts and through working closely with other international programs devoted to addressing the problems of antimicrobial resistance.
The development of the ASP will assemble multiple initiatives to bring together the most current information we have available to create a “one stop shop” website.
The new ASP website will feature:
- Expert webinars and podcasts
- ASP news and information
- Online resources available from the U.S. and other countries
- Online journal club
- Policy updates
- Bibliographies and online resources
- Events calendar and conference summaries
- Social media outreach
CIDRAP’s new website will continue to report from a news perspective and will provide the most comprehensive news and information both existing and new along with original content.
“The best science in the world isn’t worth much unless it translates into good policies. We’re working to marry these segments with the ASP,” said Osterholm.
Osterholm believes this has implications for health today but also for decades to come. By 2050, antimicrobial resistance could be a bigger killer worldwide than either heart disease or cancer unless we take action to address this evolving crisis today.
Nufarm U.S. Launches Scorch™ Herbicide for Broadleaf Weed Control
Nufarm introduces Scorch™ herbicide for U.S. farmers and ranchers combating a broad range of troublesome broadleaf weeds.
A unique premix of three active ingredients, Scorch is specifically designed with glyphosate-resistant and dicamba-tolerant kochia in mind. It also provides excellent control of more than 60 annual and 50 biennial/perennial weeds, including common ragweed, waterhemp, marestail, lambsquarters and Palmer amaranth.
Scorch is labeled for use on cereal grains, fallow, field corn, sorghum, range and pasture, and more.
Other key benefits of Scorch:
- With true systemic control, Scorch kills weeds above and below ground instead of just stunting tough broadleaf weeds.
- Because of its formulation, Scorch works better in challenging cooler weather than other dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides.
“Herbicide-resistant or tolerant weed populations are widespread, and many weed populations are resistant to more than one herbicide,” says Bob Bruss, Director, Technical Services for Nufarm. “With Scorch, we have combined three active ingredients, each with a broad range of activity, to create a tool that’s very effective in combatting weeds resistant to glyphosate, dicamba and ALS-inhibitor herbicides.”
Scorch can be applied to actively growing weeds as aerial, broadcast, band, or spot spray applications, and using water or sprayable fluid fertilizer as a carrier. See label for complete application timing and rate details.
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, July 26, 2016
Friday, July 22, 2016
Friday July 22 Cattle on Feed + Ag News
NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED DOWN 4 PERCENT
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.18 million cattle on feed on July 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was down 4 percent from last year. Placements during June totaled 365,000 head, down 3 percent from 2015. Cattle marketings for the month of June totaled 510,000 head, up 6 percent from last year. Other disappearance during June totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 610,000 head on July 1, 2016, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 3 percent from June 1, 2016, and down 5 percent from July 1, 2015. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 545,000 head on feed, down 4 percent from last month and last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,155,000 head, also down 4 percent from last month and last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during June totaled 54,000 head, a decrease of 16 percent from last month and down 19 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 51,000 head, up 16,000 head from last month and up 2,000 head from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 105,000 head, up 6 percent from last month but down 9 percent from last year.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during June totaled 72,000 head, unchanged from last month but down 5 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 74,000 head, up 23 percent from last month but down 18 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 146,000 head, up 11 percent from last month but down 12 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.4 million head on July 1, 2016. The inventory was 1 percent above July 1, 2015. The inventory included 6.87 million steers and steer calves, down 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 66 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.49 million head, up 5 percent from 2015.
Placements in feedlots during June totaled 1.53 million head, 3 percent above 2015. Net placements were 1.46 million head. During June, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 290,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 255,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 340,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 640,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during June totaled 1.91 million head, 9 percent above 2015. Other disappearance totaled 61,000 head during June, 12 percent below 2015.
Nebraska Soybean Board to Hold 2016 Soybean Management Field Days
The Nebraska Soybean Board is hosting its annual Soybean Management Field Days Aug. 9–12.
The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is partnering with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension to provide guidance on tools and strategies to maximize soybean yields and get the best return on the market. The Field Days will offer farmers solutions based on research at UNL that has been funded by NSB.
The Field Days are taking place in four different locations throughout Nebraska: Orchard, Chapman, Cordova and Schuyler, respectively. Admission is free and includes a complimentary lunch. Each day includes one-hour presentations, rotating from 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The presentations will focus on irrigation, soil fertility, grain marketing and soybean production management.
“The Field Days are designed to bring the results of NSB-funded research to farmers and address other topics of interest,” said Victor Bohuslavsky, executive director of the Nebraska Soybean Board. “Nebraska Extension educators and other experts will help soybean growers improve yields and profitability.”
At the events, there will be field tours and presentation tents, university presenters and industry consultants. Participants will learn research-based information on marketing and financial outlooks, soybean production, weed management and irrigation management. Attendees may also bring irrigation pressure regulators for testing.
Registration for the events begins at 9 a.m. each day. CCA credits are available for participants.
For more information and directions, visit http://ardc.unl.edu/soydays, or call 1-800-852-BEAN (2326).
NC Policy Passed at NCBA
Nebraska Cattlemen is pleased to announce that numerous NC policy measures passed with overwhelming consent at last week's NCBA mid-year meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Three marketing-focused resolutions that were developed during June's NC midyear meeting in Broken Bow, Nebraska were passed in NCBA's Live Cattle Marketing and International Trade Committee meeting. NC's resolution regarding price discovery in the fed cattle market was amended minimally and passed in a form concluding "NCBA (will) pursue initiatives that encourage an increase in negotiated cash trade in all major cattle feeding regions." NC's CME Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Futures resolution was adopted with no modifications at the NCBA level, concluding "NCBA supports initiatives between cattle producers, the CME, and other market participants to increase transparency, level access to information and transactions, and foster an environment that builds confidence in the ability of the hedging community to effectively manage forward price risk using futures and options on Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle contracts." Also adopted at the NCBA level with no changes was NC's CME Live Cattle Contract Specs & Delivery Points resolution, stating in summary that "NCBA supports CME Live Cattle contract specifications that equally incentivize both short and long participation in the marketplace and the existence of numerous well designed and efficient physical delivery points to which cattle may be delivered."
In addition, a product of the work of NC's Banking and Financial Task Force and conversations with several other state affiliates, NC's resolution dealing with electronic funds transfer (EFT) and lien release regulations passed in an amended form concluding "NCBA will work with other state and national commodity organizations as well as regulatory agencies and financial institutions in an effort to clarify and standardize regulations governing transfer of title and release of liens when transactions are completed using electronic funds transfer."
Policy developed by The Nebraska Cattlemen Education committee regarding the funding of the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium( NBCEC) was also forwarded to NCBA.This resolution asks for the Agriculture Research Service to make a permanent commitment to funding for this very important organization. The NBCEC has historically provided expertise in the area of Expected Progeny Differences (EPD's), and more recently has been integral in the development of enhanced EPDs, which include genomic evaluation as well. These tools are valuable for seedstock producers and commercial cattlemen alike. The NC policy was approved with only slight wording changes.
ICGA Members Take to Washington, D.C. To Inform Congressional Staff on Key Ag Issues
Iowa Corn members as well as directors of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) convened in a particularly quiet Washington, D.C. this week as part of the National Corn Congress. This was due to Congress being on recess and the Republican National Convention – many of the Iowa delegation were not available for meetings. Members of ICGA still had the opportunity to speak on behalf of all Iowa corn farmers to non-Iowa, non-corn states.
They spent Wednesday afternoon and part of Thursday morning meeting with Hill staffers from Vermont to Florida who cover vital topics such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the re-registration of atrazine by the EPA, and support of a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“Corn is a widely universal topic; it touches almost every area of everyone’s life,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Bob Hemesath. “This year, we had the opportunity to talk with non-Iowa, non-corn states on the Hill and we had a lot of great conversations. I appreciate all of the offices and staffers that took the time to meet with us. It’s important that we have conversations with offices that may not support our issues or understand what it is that we really do. Iowa Corn and NCGA work hard to keep a strong voice on the Hill and while this wasn’t the traditional Corn Congress – it is still an essential part of that process.”
Action team meetings concluded on Tuesday afternoon, which led to the beginning of the 2016 Corn Congress. Wednesday morning saw two farmer-members elected to the National Corn Board. Chris Edgington from St. Ansgar, Iowa was elected for his first term and Kevin Ross from Minden, Iowa was elected for another three-year term.
‘Vote Farmer’ with Iowa Food & Family Project at Iowa State Fair
Opinions and preferences will vary when people go to the polls this November. But when it comes to providing a safe and sustainable supply of high-quality food, fuel and fiber, there’s one consensus candidate with a proven track record of results: the Iowa farmer.
Join in the celebration of great food and the people who grow it by visiting the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) “Vote Farmers!” exhibit during the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11 – 21.
Located in the south atrium of the Varied Industries Building, the exhibit will feature a must-see sculpture carved from 50 tons of sand. Artists Greg and Brandi Glenn, co-owners of Sandscapes®, will create their work of art featuring farm scenes and other fun caricatures using just water, trowels, other small tools and their imagination. Sculpting the centerpiece will begin on opening day of the fair and continue for one week, standing nearly 14-feet tall when completed.
Visitors to the booth will receive a must-have woven food and farming-themed tote bag perfect for holding treasures collected during time spent at the fair. Numerous activities and prizes will provide fun for people of all ages including:
- Register to win $500 in farm-fresh pork, beef and turkey, $250 in Hy-Vee groceries and Casey’s pizza for a year
- Spin the Iowa FFP trivia wheel and test your knowledge of food and farming topics (and did we mention that everyone’s a winner!?)
- Embark on a scavenger hunt throughout the fair to learn more about agriculture. “AgVenture Discovery Trail” maps are available throughout the fairgrounds and can be turned in to the Iowa FFP booth for a special prize upon completion.
- Also, farmers will be on hand at various times throughout the fair to share their personal and first-hand knowledge of food production including a commitment to conservation, sustainability and animal care.
“Iowa farmers work from the ground up, both literally and figuratively, in an effort to provide quality food while caring for their animals, the land and their communities,” said Iowa FFP coordinator Lindsey Foss of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). “The exhibit will be a visual reminder of all that farmers do and provide a unique opportunity for consumers to learn about today’s farms and the food system in a fun and inviting way.”
Iowa FFP partners assisting with “Vote Farmers!” exhibit include the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Casey’s General Stores, ISA and the United Soybean Board.
The Iowa FFP champions the continuous improvement of Iowa’s farm families and their dedication to providing wholesome food for everyone for the purpose of building greater understanding and confidence among food-minded Iowans. It proudly sponsors Live Healthy Iowa and supports the Iowa Games and is backed by more than 30 partners including a variety of farm organizations, restaurants and retailers throughout the state.
USSEC Announces EU Approval of Three Soy Events
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) is pleased to announce the long awaited European Union approval of three biotech soy traits for import and processing. The three stacked events are:
- Monsanto’s Xtend (dicamba x glyphosate MON87708 x MON89788)
- Monsanto’s Vistive Gold (high oleic x glyphosate MON87705 x MON89788)
- Bayer CropScience’s Balance GT (glyphosate x HPPD inhibitor FG72)
"The EU’s approval of these events is welcome news for U.S. soybean farmers," said USSEC chairman Laura Foell, a soybean grower from Schaller, Iowa. “We’re happy that we can supply our European customers with a reliable supply of safe food.”
Europe is one of the largest customers of U.S. soybean farmers with over 165 million bushels of soybeans in exports already this year.
In 1996, U.S. growers began to adopt biotechnology on their farms. Today, twenty years later, growers are expected to plant 94 percent of their soybean acres with biotech soybeans. The technology allows U.S. soybean farmers to produce a healthy, affordable protein source sustainably with increased yields on less land, which helps to feed a growing world population. Biotech seeds allow farmers to limit their impact on the land as they apply fewer pesticides and herbicides, along with employing sustainable practices such as no-till that helps them to achieve a better moisture content in the soil in addition to reducing erosion and cutting carbon dioxide emissions and also helps to reduce energy consumption. Biotech also reduces the amount of crops that are lost due to variables such as insects or drought, which helps keep food prices more affordable.
Three Soybean Traits Receive Long-Awaited EU Approval
According to representatives from the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC), three biotech soybean traits have been approved by the European Union for import and processing. The three stacked events are:
· Monsanto’s Xtend (dicamba x glyphosate MON87708 x MON89788)
· Monsanto’s Vistive Gold (high oleic x glyphosate MON87705 x MON89788)
· Bayer CropScience’s Balance GT (glyphosate x HPPD inhibitor FG72)
Greg Greving, a farmer from Chapman and director on the United Soybean Board, welcomed the news of the announcement. “This is very exciting news for soybean producers,” Greving said. “Europe is a large market for U.S. soybean exports, and this approval gives farmers another option to help control weeds and produce quality products that meet the needs of our customers.”
Soybean exports are an important part of the American farm economy. In 2015, U.S. soybean farmers exported 1.69 billion bushels of soybeans to foreign end users, or 43 percent of overall production. European countries represent a large market for U.S. soy, importing more than 165 million bushels already this year.
U.S. soybean farmers began to adopt biotechnology on their farms in 1996. Today, U.S. soybean farmers plant an estimated 94 percent of their acres with biotech traits. Biotechnology is an important tool for farmers, allowing them to produce a healthy, affordable protein source in a sustainable manner. Biotech seeds allow farmers to maximize yields while utilizing fewer pesticides and herbicides. The use of biotechnology, along with other best management practices such as no-till, has allowed U.S. soybean farmers to meet global demand in a more sustainable manner.
Tony Johanson, a farmer and Nebraska Soybean Board member from Oakland, said he was pleased to hear about the long-awaited announcement. “These approvals allow growers to utilize multiple platforms to combat weed pressure,” Johanson said. “Having choices benefits growers because it gives them the flexibility to choose the mode of action that works best for them and their operation.”
Soy Growers Welcome European Approval of New Biotech Traits
American Soybean Association (ASA) President and Greenwood, Del., soybean farmer Richard Wilkins welcomed news this morning out of Brussels that the European Union (EU) has approved three outstanding biotech soybean traits for import and processing. The approved traits include the Xtend dicamba-tolerant soybean and Vistive Gold high oleic soybean products from Monsanto, and the Balance GT FG72 soybean from Bayer CropScience. In a statement, Wilkins welcomed the action of the EU, while noting that improvements still are needed in the timeliness of EU approvals. The three soybean events had received positive scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Agency over a year ago, and had been waiting for final approval by the EU Commission since January.
“We are very relieved to see these three traits approved for import into the European Union, as today’s announcement represents a clearing of an important hurdle for the commercialization of these valuable products in the U.S. In Europe, the approval means that the EU’s livestock and feed industry, which is more than 70 percent dependent on imported feed, can get the high-quality protein it needs. In the U.S., American farmers need an ever-increasing range of tools to tackle the challenge of resistant weeds that now impact nearly every soy-growing state. Similarly, with the continuing move away from trans-fats in American diets, farmers need additional tools to produce soybeans that meet that market demand as well.
“With today’s announcement, we hope that we can take solid steps to ensure that the approvals of new biotech traits in our major markets continues to improvebut there is still work to be done. Given the commoditized nature of our soybeans, we simply can’t take the risk that unapproved traits make their way into the grain export stream and result in rejected shipments abroad. But the longer and more tedious that process is, the more barriers stand between soybean farmers and their productivity, and the less incentive our technology partners have to bring these new products to market.”
Soy Checkoff Sets Tone for Future Farmer Profitability
Together, the U.S. soybean industry can achieve more. That’s a key takeaway from the five-year plan the United Soybean Board (USB) put further into motion this week. Through a portfolio of programs, the national soy checkoff looks to collaborate with industry more than ever to bring solutions that will improve profit potential for U.S. soybean farmers.
The checkoff has seen successful partnerships in the past, including working with John Deere and Ford to bring new industrial uses to the market. This model of working with industry will help frame the direction of the board moving forward. It will also allow the checkoff to understand different perspectives within the industry.
“To maximize soybean farmer profitability, we can’t just wear the farmer hat. We have to look at the needs of other stakeholders in the value chain and find ways to work together so everyone wins,” says Jared Hagert, USB chair and farmer from Emerado, North Dakota. “Our end users are no longer looking for just a bulk commodity; they want quality, too. It’s time for us to start thinking beyond the bushel and working with industry to help meet the needs of those users.”
USB met this week to provide direction on key strategies that have the biggest opportunity to impact U.S. soybean farmer profitability: meal, oil and sustainability. Farmers looked at issues affecting the marketplace that U.S. soybean farmers currently operate in and what that marketplace might look like in the future. They invested checkoff dollars in programs aimed at maintaining supply, ensuring demand and addressing factors in between.
“Our conversations continue to look for ways to add value beyond the bushel, we have discovered more opportunities to meet the needs of those purchasing our soy,” adds Hagert. “We’ve seen the need for high oleic soybeans and the oil they produce for the food industry and reacted aggressively. Now, we also have to focus on the needs of our meal customers and the sustainability demands of those purchasing meal, oil and whole U.S. soybeans.”
In addition to the work of the board, the soy checkoff also heard insights from key industry experts discussing transportation, sustainability and marketplace dynamics. Major players Syngenta and DuPont Pioneer also took the opportunity to address the board and get feedback directly from farmer-leaders who represent their customers.
“We heard from the top minds in the industry to learn more about our key issue areas and to brainstorm ideas of ways to address them,” says Hagert. “The more we understand from industry perspectives the better our programs can be in delivering profit opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers.
Earlier this month, USB Chief Executive Officer John Becherer announced his retirement, set to take place December 2017. This week, the farmer-leaders approved a transition process and farmer team to lead the transition.
Latin American Product Showcase Continues to Pay Big Dividends for U.S. Meat Industry
Now in its sixth year, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase has become a premier event for connecting exporters of U.S. beef, pork and lamb with buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean. The 2016 showcase was held July 20-21 in the city where the event began – Panama City, Panama. Funding support was provided by the Nebraska Beef Council, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Beef Checkoff Program and the Pork Checkoff.
“For the inaugural showcase in 2011, Panama City was an excellent venue and we were able to attract a strong turnout of buyers and exporters,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF senior vice president of marketing. “But that early success really pales in comparison to what the showcase has become today. Exhibitor space sold out weeks ago, and the event just seems to gain more momentum year after year.”
This year’s event attracted 120 buyers representing 14 countries, and 42 USMEF member companies exhibiting U.S. red meat products. During the main showcase, exporters were given ample time for one-on-one meetings with buyers to discuss their specific product needs. The event also included educational sessions that provided buyers with detailed information about the positive attributes of U.S. red meat and highlighted value opportunities offered by underutilized pork and beef cuts. In addition, keynote speaker Josue Merced Reyes, president of market research firm InterEmarketing, outlined several important consumer trends impacting red meat demand.
One factor fostering recent growth in red meat exports to Latin America is the implementation of several free trade agreements – including the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) as well as bilateral agreements with Chile, Peru, Colombia and Panama. But as Halstrom explained, capitalizing on these agreements still requires strong marketing efforts that connect buyers and sellers and differentiate U.S. red meat products from the competition.
“FTAs have definitely reduced tariffs and eliminated many trade barriers, making U.S. products accessible to a much broader range of Latin American consumers,” Halstrom said. “But penetrating these markets still requires relationship building and education, as buyers in these emerging regions are hungry for information about our products and about our industry. That’s where an event like the Latin American Product Showcase really shines. It brings an entire hemisphere of buyers to one location and allows dozens of solid business contacts to be made in a very short period of time.”
This sentiment was echoed by Dean Freese of FPL Food, LLC, who participated in the showcase for the third consecutive year.
“This showcase is very effective for us, both in terms of meeting new prospects and solidifying relationships with existing customers,” Freese said. “I walked away from today’s show with many new orders and renewed some valuable contacts we developed as a result of our participation in this event.”
Sami Rizk, president of Mirasco Inc., used the showcase to spotlight beef livers, which Mirasco has successfully marketed in the Middle East as an economically priced table meat and sandwich ingredient.
“In much the same way that you see hot dog carts in U.S. cities, liver sandwiches have become a very popular street food in Egypt,” Rizk said. “So Mirasco is taking the concept that was developed in Egypt and introducing it in markets here in Latin America. We believe there are similar tastes in terms of palate, and that the sandwich application has great potential in Central and South America.”
Buyers also showed great appreciation for the showcase, as it allows them to access a wider range of product options and helps them market these products to their clientele. Abel Machin of Prime Line Meats, who supplies U.S. beef and pork to retail outlets and restaurants in Panama, said the showcase is an excellent complement to the educational seminars and other outreach efforts USMEF conducts in Central America.
“When we started in Panama about 15 years ago there were no U.S. products here, except maybe at the military bases,” Machin explained. “What we needed was to educate people about U.S. products – how to use them, and how to prepare them. USMEF has filled this need by providing great information and helping customers understand the advantages of U.S. meat.”
U.S. producers attending the Latin American Product Showcase were also pleased with their experience, and came away feeling confident that the event is effective in building demand for their products.
“My biggest takeaway is the relationships that are being built between importers and exporters, and the trust they are gaining,” said Rod Gray of Harrison, Nebraska, a rancher who serves on the Nebraska Beef Council board of directors. “I visited with several of the U.S. exporters who have participated in this showcase the past two or three years, and they are selling a lot more product as a result.”
Doug Wolf, a Lancaster, Wisconsin, pork producer who serves as chair of the National Pork Board’s International Trade Committee, was especially impressed with the level of meat industry knowledge among the buyers in attendance.
“We had an opportunity to spend some time with a few of the importers here and I have to say, they are very well-informed people,” Wolf said. “They know about U.S. pork production practices and the rules and regulations we deal with – and in the areas in which they did have questions, we were able to fill the gaps for them. Meeting them was a very rewarding and enlightening experience.”
David Lowe, who produces soybeans, corn and livestock near Dunkirk, Indiana, and serves as a director for the Indiana Soybean Alliance, also viewed the showcase as a very positive investment for U.S. agriculture.
“I was really impressed with USMEF’s organization of the program and the quality of the attendees at this event,” Lowe said. “It was also encouraging to see how excited the exhibitors are about this showcase, because it clearly creates new business opportunities for them.”
USDA Reminds Nebraska Producers of Aug. 1 Deadline to Enroll in ARC/PLC Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nebraska Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Dan Steinkruger reminds farmers and ranchers they have until Aug. 1 to enroll in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and/or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2016 crop year.
“Producers have already elected ARC or PLC, but they must enroll for the 2016 crop year by signing a contract before the Aug. 1 deadline to receive program benefits,” said Steinkruger. “Producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to enroll.”
The programs trigger financial protections for participating agricultural producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. Nationwide, more than 1.76 million farmers and ranchers are expected to sign contracts to enroll in ARC or PLC. Covered commodities under the programs include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
GOP PLATFORM CRITICAL OF GMO LABELING, ‘GIPSA’ RULE, ‘WOTUS’ REGULATION, EPA
The Republican Party platform cobbled together and unveiled at the GOP presidential convention in Cleveland touches on a number of agricultural issues. Among other things, the 58-page document urges Congress to remove the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – food stamps – from the Farm Bill. More than 75 percent of Farm Bill funding goes to SNAP.
The platform also opposes mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Congress last week approved legislation requiring such labeling as a way to avoid a patchwork of 50 state GMO-labeling laws.
It also calls for a “fundamental restructuring of the regulatory process,” citing the pending “draconian” rules on the buying and selling of livestock and poultry – the so-called GIPSA Rule – from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
The platform calls the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule a “travesty” that will micro-manage and over regulate “puddles and ditches on farms, ranches and other privately-held property.” The document proposes eliminating EPA in its current form.
Dropped from the 2016 platform was any mention of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. A draft document urged Congress not to “rush” passage of the 12-nation TPP deal; the final platform simply states that “significant trade decisions” should not be rushed. (The 2012 GOP platform said a Republican president should finish the trade talks begun in 2008 “to open rapidly developing Asian markets to U.S. products.”)
AGRICULTURE GROUPS COMMENT ON FDA RISK ASSESSMENT ON MANURE USE
Nine agricultural groups this week submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its proposal to conduct a risk assessment of foodborne illnesses associated with pathogens found in manure applied to land on which produce is grown. The risk assessment could lead to regulation of manure use.
The groups expressed concern that if FDA doesn’t have current and emerging scientific research and doesn’t consider existing conservation and environmental standards, its decisions on manure use could adversely affect animal agriculture. They also suggested that FDA consider including expert stakeholders from the animal agriculture community in its “summit” meeting planned for next year, which would “prove invaluable in providing a necessary perspective and informing the risk assessment.”
Click here to read the comments... http://nppc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FDA-Risk-Assessment-Comments-July-19-2016-Final-Submittal.pdf.
June Egg Production Up 9 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.21 billion during June 2016, up 9 percent from last year. Production included 7.10 billion table eggs, and 1.11 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.02 billion were broiler-type and 96 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during June 2016 averaged 359 million, up 8 percent from last year. June egg production per 100 layers was 2,285 eggs, up 1 percent from June 2015.
All layers in the United States on July 1, 2016 totaled 358 million, up 8 percent from last year. The 358 million layers consisted of 300 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 54.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.70 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on July 1, 2016, averaged 76.1 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from July 1, 2015.
Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 23 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during June 2016 totaled 58.1 million, up 23 percent from June 2015. Eggs in incubators totaled 44.1 million on July 1, 2016, up 1 percent from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 244 thousand during June 2016, down 24 percent from June 2015.
Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up Slightly
Broiler-type chicks hatched during June 2016 totaled 789 million, up slightly from June 2015. Eggs in incubators totaled 650 million on July 1, 2016, down slightly from a year ago. Leading breeders placed 8.56 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during June 2016, up 10 percent from June 2015.
NEBRASKA CHICKEN AND EGGS
All layers in Nebraska during June 2016 totaled 9.20 million, up from 6.43 million the previous year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during June totaled 223 million eggs, up from 162 million in 2015. June egg production per 100 layers was 2,423 eggs, compared to 2,519 eggs in 2015.
Iowa egg production during June 2016 was 1.19 billion eggs, up 56 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last month, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during June 2016 was 51.3 million, up 49 percent from last year, and up 2 percent from last month. Eggs per 100 layers for June were 2,321, up 5 percent from last year, but down 3 percent from last month.
Washington State’s Proposed Clean Air Rule Ignores Biofuels’ Climate Benefits
Washington state’s proposed Clean Air Rule (CAR) fails to recognize the climate benefits associated with biofuels and in fact penalizes their use, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) told the Washington Department of Ecology in comments submitted today. The proposed rule is inconsistent with virtually every other program designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could have the perverse effect of reducing or eliminating the production and use of liquid biofuels in Washington state.
In an effort to address climate change, Washington state has proposed its first-ever rule to cap carbon pollution. The rule, which would take effect next year, would regulate a number of emissions, including those from biofuels. However, “the CAR proposal eschews globally accepted bioenergy carbon accounting methods out of fear that properly recognizing the carbon benefits associated with biofuels would trigger the so-called ‘poison pill’ legislative provision that would shift funding from climate-friendly transportation investments to road and highway construction projects,” according to RFA comments.
Analyses from the California Air Resources Board, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and U.S. Department of Energy show that first-generation ethanol is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30–60 percent compared to petroleum, while second-generation ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent or more. Washington state’s proposal fails to recognize those clean air benefits from biofuels. “The proposed CAR treats biofuels and fossil fuels identically, which sets a dangerous carbon accounting precedent with potentially far-reaching impacts,” RFA wrote in its comments. “Other GHG cap-and-trade programs exempt biofuels from a compliance obligation because it is broadly understood that bioenergy combustion emissions are ‘carbon neutral’ (i.e., the biomass recently removed an amount of atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis that is equivalent to emissions from combustion).”
Curiously, Washington state seems to understand this point, as it exempts emissions from biomass combustion in stationary sources, such as the use of woody biomass to generate electricity. “It is perplexing that this approach would be (properly) applied to stationary emissions from bioenergy production from biomass combustion, but not to emissions from liquid biofuel combustion,” RFA wrote.
“Implementing the CAR as proposed would set a perilous regulatory precedent, deter investment in the state’s biofuels market, and compel reduced consumption of low-carbon biofuels,” the comments continued. If implemented, developers of advanced biofuel technologies would avoid the Washington state market and instead shift focus on investments in California, Oregon, British Columbia and elsewhere.
“For these reasons… we strongly urge the Department of Ecology to exempt biofuels from compliance obligation in the final CAR,” RFA added.
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.18 million cattle on feed on July 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was down 4 percent from last year. Placements during June totaled 365,000 head, down 3 percent from 2015. Cattle marketings for the month of June totaled 510,000 head, up 6 percent from last year. Other disappearance during June totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 610,000 head on July 1, 2016, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 3 percent from June 1, 2016, and down 5 percent from July 1, 2015. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 545,000 head on feed, down 4 percent from last month and last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,155,000 head, also down 4 percent from last month and last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during June totaled 54,000 head, a decrease of 16 percent from last month and down 19 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 51,000 head, up 16,000 head from last month and up 2,000 head from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 105,000 head, up 6 percent from last month but down 9 percent from last year.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during June totaled 72,000 head, unchanged from last month but down 5 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 74,000 head, up 23 percent from last month but down 18 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 146,000 head, up 11 percent from last month but down 12 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.4 million head on July 1, 2016. The inventory was 1 percent above July 1, 2015. The inventory included 6.87 million steers and steer calves, down 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 66 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.49 million head, up 5 percent from 2015.
Placements in feedlots during June totaled 1.53 million head, 3 percent above 2015. Net placements were 1.46 million head. During June, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 290,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 255,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 340,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 640,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during June totaled 1.91 million head, 9 percent above 2015. Other disappearance totaled 61,000 head during June, 12 percent below 2015.
Nebraska Soybean Board to Hold 2016 Soybean Management Field Days
The Nebraska Soybean Board is hosting its annual Soybean Management Field Days Aug. 9–12.
The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is partnering with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension to provide guidance on tools and strategies to maximize soybean yields and get the best return on the market. The Field Days will offer farmers solutions based on research at UNL that has been funded by NSB.
The Field Days are taking place in four different locations throughout Nebraska: Orchard, Chapman, Cordova and Schuyler, respectively. Admission is free and includes a complimentary lunch. Each day includes one-hour presentations, rotating from 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The presentations will focus on irrigation, soil fertility, grain marketing and soybean production management.
“The Field Days are designed to bring the results of NSB-funded research to farmers and address other topics of interest,” said Victor Bohuslavsky, executive director of the Nebraska Soybean Board. “Nebraska Extension educators and other experts will help soybean growers improve yields and profitability.”
At the events, there will be field tours and presentation tents, university presenters and industry consultants. Participants will learn research-based information on marketing and financial outlooks, soybean production, weed management and irrigation management. Attendees may also bring irrigation pressure regulators for testing.
Registration for the events begins at 9 a.m. each day. CCA credits are available for participants.
For more information and directions, visit http://ardc.unl.edu/soydays, or call 1-800-852-BEAN (2326).
NC Policy Passed at NCBA
Nebraska Cattlemen is pleased to announce that numerous NC policy measures passed with overwhelming consent at last week's NCBA mid-year meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Three marketing-focused resolutions that were developed during June's NC midyear meeting in Broken Bow, Nebraska were passed in NCBA's Live Cattle Marketing and International Trade Committee meeting. NC's resolution regarding price discovery in the fed cattle market was amended minimally and passed in a form concluding "NCBA (will) pursue initiatives that encourage an increase in negotiated cash trade in all major cattle feeding regions." NC's CME Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Futures resolution was adopted with no modifications at the NCBA level, concluding "NCBA supports initiatives between cattle producers, the CME, and other market participants to increase transparency, level access to information and transactions, and foster an environment that builds confidence in the ability of the hedging community to effectively manage forward price risk using futures and options on Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle contracts." Also adopted at the NCBA level with no changes was NC's CME Live Cattle Contract Specs & Delivery Points resolution, stating in summary that "NCBA supports CME Live Cattle contract specifications that equally incentivize both short and long participation in the marketplace and the existence of numerous well designed and efficient physical delivery points to which cattle may be delivered."
In addition, a product of the work of NC's Banking and Financial Task Force and conversations with several other state affiliates, NC's resolution dealing with electronic funds transfer (EFT) and lien release regulations passed in an amended form concluding "NCBA will work with other state and national commodity organizations as well as regulatory agencies and financial institutions in an effort to clarify and standardize regulations governing transfer of title and release of liens when transactions are completed using electronic funds transfer."
Policy developed by The Nebraska Cattlemen Education committee regarding the funding of the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium( NBCEC) was also forwarded to NCBA.This resolution asks for the Agriculture Research Service to make a permanent commitment to funding for this very important organization. The NBCEC has historically provided expertise in the area of Expected Progeny Differences (EPD's), and more recently has been integral in the development of enhanced EPDs, which include genomic evaluation as well. These tools are valuable for seedstock producers and commercial cattlemen alike. The NC policy was approved with only slight wording changes.
ICGA Members Take to Washington, D.C. To Inform Congressional Staff on Key Ag Issues
Iowa Corn members as well as directors of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) convened in a particularly quiet Washington, D.C. this week as part of the National Corn Congress. This was due to Congress being on recess and the Republican National Convention – many of the Iowa delegation were not available for meetings. Members of ICGA still had the opportunity to speak on behalf of all Iowa corn farmers to non-Iowa, non-corn states.
They spent Wednesday afternoon and part of Thursday morning meeting with Hill staffers from Vermont to Florida who cover vital topics such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the re-registration of atrazine by the EPA, and support of a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“Corn is a widely universal topic; it touches almost every area of everyone’s life,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Bob Hemesath. “This year, we had the opportunity to talk with non-Iowa, non-corn states on the Hill and we had a lot of great conversations. I appreciate all of the offices and staffers that took the time to meet with us. It’s important that we have conversations with offices that may not support our issues or understand what it is that we really do. Iowa Corn and NCGA work hard to keep a strong voice on the Hill and while this wasn’t the traditional Corn Congress – it is still an essential part of that process.”
Action team meetings concluded on Tuesday afternoon, which led to the beginning of the 2016 Corn Congress. Wednesday morning saw two farmer-members elected to the National Corn Board. Chris Edgington from St. Ansgar, Iowa was elected for his first term and Kevin Ross from Minden, Iowa was elected for another three-year term.
‘Vote Farmer’ with Iowa Food & Family Project at Iowa State Fair
Opinions and preferences will vary when people go to the polls this November. But when it comes to providing a safe and sustainable supply of high-quality food, fuel and fiber, there’s one consensus candidate with a proven track record of results: the Iowa farmer.
Join in the celebration of great food and the people who grow it by visiting the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) “Vote Farmers!” exhibit during the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11 – 21.
Located in the south atrium of the Varied Industries Building, the exhibit will feature a must-see sculpture carved from 50 tons of sand. Artists Greg and Brandi Glenn, co-owners of Sandscapes®, will create their work of art featuring farm scenes and other fun caricatures using just water, trowels, other small tools and their imagination. Sculpting the centerpiece will begin on opening day of the fair and continue for one week, standing nearly 14-feet tall when completed.
Visitors to the booth will receive a must-have woven food and farming-themed tote bag perfect for holding treasures collected during time spent at the fair. Numerous activities and prizes will provide fun for people of all ages including:
- Register to win $500 in farm-fresh pork, beef and turkey, $250 in Hy-Vee groceries and Casey’s pizza for a year
- Spin the Iowa FFP trivia wheel and test your knowledge of food and farming topics (and did we mention that everyone’s a winner!?)
- Embark on a scavenger hunt throughout the fair to learn more about agriculture. “AgVenture Discovery Trail” maps are available throughout the fairgrounds and can be turned in to the Iowa FFP booth for a special prize upon completion.
- Also, farmers will be on hand at various times throughout the fair to share their personal and first-hand knowledge of food production including a commitment to conservation, sustainability and animal care.
“Iowa farmers work from the ground up, both literally and figuratively, in an effort to provide quality food while caring for their animals, the land and their communities,” said Iowa FFP coordinator Lindsey Foss of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). “The exhibit will be a visual reminder of all that farmers do and provide a unique opportunity for consumers to learn about today’s farms and the food system in a fun and inviting way.”
Iowa FFP partners assisting with “Vote Farmers!” exhibit include the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Casey’s General Stores, ISA and the United Soybean Board.
The Iowa FFP champions the continuous improvement of Iowa’s farm families and their dedication to providing wholesome food for everyone for the purpose of building greater understanding and confidence among food-minded Iowans. It proudly sponsors Live Healthy Iowa and supports the Iowa Games and is backed by more than 30 partners including a variety of farm organizations, restaurants and retailers throughout the state.
USSEC Announces EU Approval of Three Soy Events
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) is pleased to announce the long awaited European Union approval of three biotech soy traits for import and processing. The three stacked events are:
- Monsanto’s Xtend (dicamba x glyphosate MON87708 x MON89788)
- Monsanto’s Vistive Gold (high oleic x glyphosate MON87705 x MON89788)
- Bayer CropScience’s Balance GT (glyphosate x HPPD inhibitor FG72)
"The EU’s approval of these events is welcome news for U.S. soybean farmers," said USSEC chairman Laura Foell, a soybean grower from Schaller, Iowa. “We’re happy that we can supply our European customers with a reliable supply of safe food.”
Europe is one of the largest customers of U.S. soybean farmers with over 165 million bushels of soybeans in exports already this year.
In 1996, U.S. growers began to adopt biotechnology on their farms. Today, twenty years later, growers are expected to plant 94 percent of their soybean acres with biotech soybeans. The technology allows U.S. soybean farmers to produce a healthy, affordable protein source sustainably with increased yields on less land, which helps to feed a growing world population. Biotech seeds allow farmers to limit their impact on the land as they apply fewer pesticides and herbicides, along with employing sustainable practices such as no-till that helps them to achieve a better moisture content in the soil in addition to reducing erosion and cutting carbon dioxide emissions and also helps to reduce energy consumption. Biotech also reduces the amount of crops that are lost due to variables such as insects or drought, which helps keep food prices more affordable.
Three Soybean Traits Receive Long-Awaited EU Approval
According to representatives from the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC), three biotech soybean traits have been approved by the European Union for import and processing. The three stacked events are:
· Monsanto’s Xtend (dicamba x glyphosate MON87708 x MON89788)
· Monsanto’s Vistive Gold (high oleic x glyphosate MON87705 x MON89788)
· Bayer CropScience’s Balance GT (glyphosate x HPPD inhibitor FG72)
Greg Greving, a farmer from Chapman and director on the United Soybean Board, welcomed the news of the announcement. “This is very exciting news for soybean producers,” Greving said. “Europe is a large market for U.S. soybean exports, and this approval gives farmers another option to help control weeds and produce quality products that meet the needs of our customers.”
Soybean exports are an important part of the American farm economy. In 2015, U.S. soybean farmers exported 1.69 billion bushels of soybeans to foreign end users, or 43 percent of overall production. European countries represent a large market for U.S. soy, importing more than 165 million bushels already this year.
U.S. soybean farmers began to adopt biotechnology on their farms in 1996. Today, U.S. soybean farmers plant an estimated 94 percent of their acres with biotech traits. Biotechnology is an important tool for farmers, allowing them to produce a healthy, affordable protein source in a sustainable manner. Biotech seeds allow farmers to maximize yields while utilizing fewer pesticides and herbicides. The use of biotechnology, along with other best management practices such as no-till, has allowed U.S. soybean farmers to meet global demand in a more sustainable manner.
Tony Johanson, a farmer and Nebraska Soybean Board member from Oakland, said he was pleased to hear about the long-awaited announcement. “These approvals allow growers to utilize multiple platforms to combat weed pressure,” Johanson said. “Having choices benefits growers because it gives them the flexibility to choose the mode of action that works best for them and their operation.”
Soy Growers Welcome European Approval of New Biotech Traits
American Soybean Association (ASA) President and Greenwood, Del., soybean farmer Richard Wilkins welcomed news this morning out of Brussels that the European Union (EU) has approved three outstanding biotech soybean traits for import and processing. The approved traits include the Xtend dicamba-tolerant soybean and Vistive Gold high oleic soybean products from Monsanto, and the Balance GT FG72 soybean from Bayer CropScience. In a statement, Wilkins welcomed the action of the EU, while noting that improvements still are needed in the timeliness of EU approvals. The three soybean events had received positive scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Agency over a year ago, and had been waiting for final approval by the EU Commission since January.
“We are very relieved to see these three traits approved for import into the European Union, as today’s announcement represents a clearing of an important hurdle for the commercialization of these valuable products in the U.S. In Europe, the approval means that the EU’s livestock and feed industry, which is more than 70 percent dependent on imported feed, can get the high-quality protein it needs. In the U.S., American farmers need an ever-increasing range of tools to tackle the challenge of resistant weeds that now impact nearly every soy-growing state. Similarly, with the continuing move away from trans-fats in American diets, farmers need additional tools to produce soybeans that meet that market demand as well.
“With today’s announcement, we hope that we can take solid steps to ensure that the approvals of new biotech traits in our major markets continues to improvebut there is still work to be done. Given the commoditized nature of our soybeans, we simply can’t take the risk that unapproved traits make their way into the grain export stream and result in rejected shipments abroad. But the longer and more tedious that process is, the more barriers stand between soybean farmers and their productivity, and the less incentive our technology partners have to bring these new products to market.”
Soy Checkoff Sets Tone for Future Farmer Profitability
Together, the U.S. soybean industry can achieve more. That’s a key takeaway from the five-year plan the United Soybean Board (USB) put further into motion this week. Through a portfolio of programs, the national soy checkoff looks to collaborate with industry more than ever to bring solutions that will improve profit potential for U.S. soybean farmers.
The checkoff has seen successful partnerships in the past, including working with John Deere and Ford to bring new industrial uses to the market. This model of working with industry will help frame the direction of the board moving forward. It will also allow the checkoff to understand different perspectives within the industry.
“To maximize soybean farmer profitability, we can’t just wear the farmer hat. We have to look at the needs of other stakeholders in the value chain and find ways to work together so everyone wins,” says Jared Hagert, USB chair and farmer from Emerado, North Dakota. “Our end users are no longer looking for just a bulk commodity; they want quality, too. It’s time for us to start thinking beyond the bushel and working with industry to help meet the needs of those users.”
USB met this week to provide direction on key strategies that have the biggest opportunity to impact U.S. soybean farmer profitability: meal, oil and sustainability. Farmers looked at issues affecting the marketplace that U.S. soybean farmers currently operate in and what that marketplace might look like in the future. They invested checkoff dollars in programs aimed at maintaining supply, ensuring demand and addressing factors in between.
“Our conversations continue to look for ways to add value beyond the bushel, we have discovered more opportunities to meet the needs of those purchasing our soy,” adds Hagert. “We’ve seen the need for high oleic soybeans and the oil they produce for the food industry and reacted aggressively. Now, we also have to focus on the needs of our meal customers and the sustainability demands of those purchasing meal, oil and whole U.S. soybeans.”
In addition to the work of the board, the soy checkoff also heard insights from key industry experts discussing transportation, sustainability and marketplace dynamics. Major players Syngenta and DuPont Pioneer also took the opportunity to address the board and get feedback directly from farmer-leaders who represent their customers.
“We heard from the top minds in the industry to learn more about our key issue areas and to brainstorm ideas of ways to address them,” says Hagert. “The more we understand from industry perspectives the better our programs can be in delivering profit opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers.
Earlier this month, USB Chief Executive Officer John Becherer announced his retirement, set to take place December 2017. This week, the farmer-leaders approved a transition process and farmer team to lead the transition.
Latin American Product Showcase Continues to Pay Big Dividends for U.S. Meat Industry
Now in its sixth year, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase has become a premier event for connecting exporters of U.S. beef, pork and lamb with buyers from Central and South America and the Caribbean. The 2016 showcase was held July 20-21 in the city where the event began – Panama City, Panama. Funding support was provided by the Nebraska Beef Council, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Beef Checkoff Program and the Pork Checkoff.
“For the inaugural showcase in 2011, Panama City was an excellent venue and we were able to attract a strong turnout of buyers and exporters,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF senior vice president of marketing. “But that early success really pales in comparison to what the showcase has become today. Exhibitor space sold out weeks ago, and the event just seems to gain more momentum year after year.”
This year’s event attracted 120 buyers representing 14 countries, and 42 USMEF member companies exhibiting U.S. red meat products. During the main showcase, exporters were given ample time for one-on-one meetings with buyers to discuss their specific product needs. The event also included educational sessions that provided buyers with detailed information about the positive attributes of U.S. red meat and highlighted value opportunities offered by underutilized pork and beef cuts. In addition, keynote speaker Josue Merced Reyes, president of market research firm InterEmarketing, outlined several important consumer trends impacting red meat demand.
One factor fostering recent growth in red meat exports to Latin America is the implementation of several free trade agreements – including the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) as well as bilateral agreements with Chile, Peru, Colombia and Panama. But as Halstrom explained, capitalizing on these agreements still requires strong marketing efforts that connect buyers and sellers and differentiate U.S. red meat products from the competition.
“FTAs have definitely reduced tariffs and eliminated many trade barriers, making U.S. products accessible to a much broader range of Latin American consumers,” Halstrom said. “But penetrating these markets still requires relationship building and education, as buyers in these emerging regions are hungry for information about our products and about our industry. That’s where an event like the Latin American Product Showcase really shines. It brings an entire hemisphere of buyers to one location and allows dozens of solid business contacts to be made in a very short period of time.”
This sentiment was echoed by Dean Freese of FPL Food, LLC, who participated in the showcase for the third consecutive year.
“This showcase is very effective for us, both in terms of meeting new prospects and solidifying relationships with existing customers,” Freese said. “I walked away from today’s show with many new orders and renewed some valuable contacts we developed as a result of our participation in this event.”
Sami Rizk, president of Mirasco Inc., used the showcase to spotlight beef livers, which Mirasco has successfully marketed in the Middle East as an economically priced table meat and sandwich ingredient.
“In much the same way that you see hot dog carts in U.S. cities, liver sandwiches have become a very popular street food in Egypt,” Rizk said. “So Mirasco is taking the concept that was developed in Egypt and introducing it in markets here in Latin America. We believe there are similar tastes in terms of palate, and that the sandwich application has great potential in Central and South America.”
Buyers also showed great appreciation for the showcase, as it allows them to access a wider range of product options and helps them market these products to their clientele. Abel Machin of Prime Line Meats, who supplies U.S. beef and pork to retail outlets and restaurants in Panama, said the showcase is an excellent complement to the educational seminars and other outreach efforts USMEF conducts in Central America.
“When we started in Panama about 15 years ago there were no U.S. products here, except maybe at the military bases,” Machin explained. “What we needed was to educate people about U.S. products – how to use them, and how to prepare them. USMEF has filled this need by providing great information and helping customers understand the advantages of U.S. meat.”
U.S. producers attending the Latin American Product Showcase were also pleased with their experience, and came away feeling confident that the event is effective in building demand for their products.
“My biggest takeaway is the relationships that are being built between importers and exporters, and the trust they are gaining,” said Rod Gray of Harrison, Nebraska, a rancher who serves on the Nebraska Beef Council board of directors. “I visited with several of the U.S. exporters who have participated in this showcase the past two or three years, and they are selling a lot more product as a result.”
Doug Wolf, a Lancaster, Wisconsin, pork producer who serves as chair of the National Pork Board’s International Trade Committee, was especially impressed with the level of meat industry knowledge among the buyers in attendance.
“We had an opportunity to spend some time with a few of the importers here and I have to say, they are very well-informed people,” Wolf said. “They know about U.S. pork production practices and the rules and regulations we deal with – and in the areas in which they did have questions, we were able to fill the gaps for them. Meeting them was a very rewarding and enlightening experience.”
David Lowe, who produces soybeans, corn and livestock near Dunkirk, Indiana, and serves as a director for the Indiana Soybean Alliance, also viewed the showcase as a very positive investment for U.S. agriculture.
“I was really impressed with USMEF’s organization of the program and the quality of the attendees at this event,” Lowe said. “It was also encouraging to see how excited the exhibitors are about this showcase, because it clearly creates new business opportunities for them.”
USDA Reminds Nebraska Producers of Aug. 1 Deadline to Enroll in ARC/PLC Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nebraska Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Dan Steinkruger reminds farmers and ranchers they have until Aug. 1 to enroll in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and/or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2016 crop year.
“Producers have already elected ARC or PLC, but they must enroll for the 2016 crop year by signing a contract before the Aug. 1 deadline to receive program benefits,” said Steinkruger. “Producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to enroll.”
The programs trigger financial protections for participating agricultural producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. Nationwide, more than 1.76 million farmers and ranchers are expected to sign contracts to enroll in ARC or PLC. Covered commodities under the programs include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
GOP PLATFORM CRITICAL OF GMO LABELING, ‘GIPSA’ RULE, ‘WOTUS’ REGULATION, EPA
The Republican Party platform cobbled together and unveiled at the GOP presidential convention in Cleveland touches on a number of agricultural issues. Among other things, the 58-page document urges Congress to remove the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – food stamps – from the Farm Bill. More than 75 percent of Farm Bill funding goes to SNAP.
The platform also opposes mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Congress last week approved legislation requiring such labeling as a way to avoid a patchwork of 50 state GMO-labeling laws.
It also calls for a “fundamental restructuring of the regulatory process,” citing the pending “draconian” rules on the buying and selling of livestock and poultry – the so-called GIPSA Rule – from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
The platform calls the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule a “travesty” that will micro-manage and over regulate “puddles and ditches on farms, ranches and other privately-held property.” The document proposes eliminating EPA in its current form.
Dropped from the 2016 platform was any mention of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. A draft document urged Congress not to “rush” passage of the 12-nation TPP deal; the final platform simply states that “significant trade decisions” should not be rushed. (The 2012 GOP platform said a Republican president should finish the trade talks begun in 2008 “to open rapidly developing Asian markets to U.S. products.”)
AGRICULTURE GROUPS COMMENT ON FDA RISK ASSESSMENT ON MANURE USE
Nine agricultural groups this week submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its proposal to conduct a risk assessment of foodborne illnesses associated with pathogens found in manure applied to land on which produce is grown. The risk assessment could lead to regulation of manure use.
The groups expressed concern that if FDA doesn’t have current and emerging scientific research and doesn’t consider existing conservation and environmental standards, its decisions on manure use could adversely affect animal agriculture. They also suggested that FDA consider including expert stakeholders from the animal agriculture community in its “summit” meeting planned for next year, which would “prove invaluable in providing a necessary perspective and informing the risk assessment.”
Click here to read the comments... http://nppc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FDA-Risk-Assessment-Comments-July-19-2016-Final-Submittal.pdf.
June Egg Production Up 9 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.21 billion during June 2016, up 9 percent from last year. Production included 7.10 billion table eggs, and 1.11 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.02 billion were broiler-type and 96 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during June 2016 averaged 359 million, up 8 percent from last year. June egg production per 100 layers was 2,285 eggs, up 1 percent from June 2015.
All layers in the United States on July 1, 2016 totaled 358 million, up 8 percent from last year. The 358 million layers consisted of 300 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 54.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.70 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on July 1, 2016, averaged 76.1 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from July 1, 2015.
Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 23 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during June 2016 totaled 58.1 million, up 23 percent from June 2015. Eggs in incubators totaled 44.1 million on July 1, 2016, up 1 percent from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 244 thousand during June 2016, down 24 percent from June 2015.
Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up Slightly
Broiler-type chicks hatched during June 2016 totaled 789 million, up slightly from June 2015. Eggs in incubators totaled 650 million on July 1, 2016, down slightly from a year ago. Leading breeders placed 8.56 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during June 2016, up 10 percent from June 2015.
NEBRASKA CHICKEN AND EGGS
All layers in Nebraska during June 2016 totaled 9.20 million, up from 6.43 million the previous year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during June totaled 223 million eggs, up from 162 million in 2015. June egg production per 100 layers was 2,423 eggs, compared to 2,519 eggs in 2015.
Iowa egg production during June 2016 was 1.19 billion eggs, up 56 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last month, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during June 2016 was 51.3 million, up 49 percent from last year, and up 2 percent from last month. Eggs per 100 layers for June were 2,321, up 5 percent from last year, but down 3 percent from last month.
Washington State’s Proposed Clean Air Rule Ignores Biofuels’ Climate Benefits
Washington state’s proposed Clean Air Rule (CAR) fails to recognize the climate benefits associated with biofuels and in fact penalizes their use, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) told the Washington Department of Ecology in comments submitted today. The proposed rule is inconsistent with virtually every other program designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could have the perverse effect of reducing or eliminating the production and use of liquid biofuels in Washington state.
In an effort to address climate change, Washington state has proposed its first-ever rule to cap carbon pollution. The rule, which would take effect next year, would regulate a number of emissions, including those from biofuels. However, “the CAR proposal eschews globally accepted bioenergy carbon accounting methods out of fear that properly recognizing the carbon benefits associated with biofuels would trigger the so-called ‘poison pill’ legislative provision that would shift funding from climate-friendly transportation investments to road and highway construction projects,” according to RFA comments.
Analyses from the California Air Resources Board, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and U.S. Department of Energy show that first-generation ethanol is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30–60 percent compared to petroleum, while second-generation ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent or more. Washington state’s proposal fails to recognize those clean air benefits from biofuels. “The proposed CAR treats biofuels and fossil fuels identically, which sets a dangerous carbon accounting precedent with potentially far-reaching impacts,” RFA wrote in its comments. “Other GHG cap-and-trade programs exempt biofuels from a compliance obligation because it is broadly understood that bioenergy combustion emissions are ‘carbon neutral’ (i.e., the biomass recently removed an amount of atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis that is equivalent to emissions from combustion).”
Curiously, Washington state seems to understand this point, as it exempts emissions from biomass combustion in stationary sources, such as the use of woody biomass to generate electricity. “It is perplexing that this approach would be (properly) applied to stationary emissions from bioenergy production from biomass combustion, but not to emissions from liquid biofuel combustion,” RFA wrote.
“Implementing the CAR as proposed would set a perilous regulatory precedent, deter investment in the state’s biofuels market, and compel reduced consumption of low-carbon biofuels,” the comments continued. If implemented, developers of advanced biofuel technologies would avoid the Washington state market and instead shift focus on investments in California, Oregon, British Columbia and elsewhere.
“For these reasons… we strongly urge the Department of Ecology to exempt biofuels from compliance obligation in the final CAR,” RFA added.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Thursday July 21 Ag News
Rural Mainstreet Economy Weakens in July - Negative Cash Flows Likely for Many Crop Farmers
The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for July fell from June’s weak reading, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: After improving for four of the last five months, the index, which ranges between 0 and 100, sank to 39.8 from 43.9 in June. This is the 11th straight month the overall index has remained below growth neutral.
“Over the past 12 months, farm prices have fallen by 9 percent, and livestock prices are off by 16 percent. These weak agriculture commodity prices are pushing the overall Rural Mainstreet economy lower,” said Ernie Goss, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University's Heider College of Business.
As a result of weaker farm economic conditions, bankers expect almost one in five crop farmers, or 19.5 percent, to suffer negative cash flows where cash expenses exceed cash revenues for 2016.
Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for July slumped to 31.3 from 32.3 in June. This is the 32nd straight month the index has languished below growth neutral 50.0.
This month, bankers estimated, on average, farmland prices have fallen by 6 percent over the past 12 months. However, as in previous months, there is a great deal of variation across the region in the direction and magnitude of farmland prices, with prices growing in some portions of the region.
The July farm equipment-sales index sank to 10.7 from 12.8 in June. “Weakness in farm income and low agriculture commodity prices continue to restrain the sale of agriculture equipment across the region,” said Goss.
This month, bankers were asked to assess the likelihood of loan defaults in their area. On average, farm loan defaults are expected to rise by 5.4 percent over the next 12 months. However almost one-fifth, or 18.3 percent, of bank CEOs estimate loan defaults will expand by more than 10 percent.
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for July shrank to 51.5 from a regional high of 63.2 in June. The state’s farmland-price index slipped 49.3 from June’s 49.7. Nebraska’s new-hiring index declined to 55.2 from 58.8 in June. Nebraska’s job growth over the last 12 months; Rural Mainstreet, 1.5 percent; Urban Nebraska, 1.4 percent.
Iowa: The July RMI for Iowa sank to 51.9 from June’s 59.1. Iowa’s farmland-price index for July dipped to 49.7 from 51.5 in June. Iowa’s new-hiring index for July fell to 55.4 from 59.4 in June. Iowa’s job growth over the last 12 months; Rural Mainstreet, 1.5 percent; Urban Iowa, 0.9 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.
Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Maintain Optimism in the Face of Tougher Economic Times
The future of agriculture relies upon the ability of young people to maintain and grow their farms and ranches. While the recent downturn in the agricultural economy could lead one to be pessimistic about the future, after a recent National Affairs visit to Washington D.C., the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, continue to remain optimistic about the years ahead.
“Given the importance of agriculture to the overall health of Nebraska’s economy, it isn’t hard to see why Nebraska has successfully weathered and even prospered through the economic uncertainty of the past. Yet, recent USDA projections of an over 30 percent reduction in net farm income, as compared to 2013, along with continued tax and regulatory challenges, could signal trouble on the horizon. These continued challenges make it more important than ever for our state’s young farmers and ranchers to speak out about the challenges they face on their operations,” Steve Nelson, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau said July 21.
“Of particular concern is a 33 percent rise in operating debt since 2012. As farmers and ranchers are adding debt, they have also been drawing down financial assets, such as cash or equity. Young and new farmers and ranchers are of particular concern as their ability to handle such a downturn is significantly less than a well-established farmer or rancher,” Nelson said.
However, with great challenges comes even greater opportunities. Throughout the trip, increased agricultural trade, Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), was highlighted as a way to provide a necessary boost to the agricultural economy. Passage of TPP continues to be a Farm Bureau priority. According to analysis conducted by the American Farm Bureau (AFBF), the TPP will increase annual net farm income by $4.4 billion and increase U.S. agricultural exports by $5.3 billion per year.
“Nebraska also stands to make significant annual gains from the TPP with a $378.5 million increase in ag cash receipts and a $229.2 million boost to ag exports. According to the Nebraska Farm Bureau analysis, Cuming, Custer, Platte, Dawson, and Lincoln counties would be among the biggest winners under TPP, as those counties would each experience more than $10 million in additional cash sales of agriculture commodities per year once TPP trade protocols are fully enacted. Congress needs to pass the TPP quickly as we continue to lose market share in many of the TPP member nations each day this agreement is not in place,” Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Chairman Todd Reed said.
Another issue front and center during the trip was the GMO Labeling bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives while the group was in town. This important piece of legislation will help provide certainty to food companies who would have been unable to work through a patchwork of state GMO labeling laws.
“As with all compromises, there are pieces we like and pieces we don’t. The bill’s mandatory nature continues to be a problem for us, however we simply could not allow a system of state-based GMO labeling to occur. While not perfect, the Roberts-Stabenow compromise bill will set a national standard on GMO labeling utilizing digital disclosure technologies,” Reed said.
Those attending the National Affairs visit are:
Steve Nelson, president Nebraska Farm Bureau – Kearney/Franklin County
Todd and Julie Reed, chairman YF&R Committee – Lancaster County
Brian and Amy Gould, District 3 representative YF&R Committee - Cedar County
Matt and Elizabeth Albrecht, District 7 representative YF&R Committee - Dawson County
James and Katie Olson, District 6 representative YF&R Committee - Holt County
Besides visiting with Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers met with the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss recently released rules regarding the commercial use of “unmanned aircraft systems”, or “drones”, and met with CropLife America and Syngenta to discuss the latest efforts to remove the well-known product Atrazine from their toolbox of crop protection products.
“The list of challenges young farmers and ranchers face is no doubt long. However, the need for young producers to answer the call of growing food for our nation and world remains as strong as ever. Continuing to communicate our message to key decision makers is vital to the future success of our nation as well as for farm and ranch families,” Reed said.
Central Valley Ag’s 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days
Central Valley Ag is announcing their 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days, a customer appreciation event. Stop by Central Valley Ag located at 445 South Main West Point, NE 68788 on Friday, August 26th for special savings on select items throughout, prize giveaways, complimentary burgers, live remote radio from 11 AM – 1 PM plus a Purina® Animal Nutrition Specialist will be on-site to answer any questions.
Customers will also have the opportunity to enter in the national 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days Sweepstakes for their chance to win a 2016 John Deere™ Gator TS, a Trip-for-Two to the Purina® Animal Nutrition Center, or Purina® Gear YETI® Tundra Cooler. See store for official rules.
“We are proud to serve the residents of our community and thank them for their continued loyalty,” Brandi Salestrom of Central Valley Ag. “We invite everyone to come celebrate our 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days with us!”
Cyclists will have a chance to fuel up on lean protein at stops along the RAGBRAI route this year.
Beef is an excellent source of protein and plays a vital role in muscle repair and recovery. Beef is considered a nutrient dense and energy-packed food that can be a high powered source of nutrition for athletes participating in RAGBRAI. According to the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, a single 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides 10 essential nutrients in about 150 calories – including nutrients like iron, zinc and B vitamins that are critical for development and optimal health throughout life.
Riders can find beef in Fremont county at the old Randolph lumber yard. The Fremont County Cattlemen will be grilling ribeye steak sandwiches from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, July 24, and the Page and Fremont County Corn Growers will also be roasting sweet corn.
On Monday, the Adams County Cattlemen will be grilling at the Central Park in Corning, near the Beer Garden. They will serve ribeye steak sandwiches, ribeye wraps, and beef brats.
Washington County Cattlemen will be grilling ribeye steak sandwiches at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 29 from 10 am to close. There will also be a potato bar and live band playing.
Brewer Family Farms of Dallas Center has teamed up with the Iowa Craft Beer Tent and will be offering beef brats at 13 stops along the route.
Record High Red Meat Production for June
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.23 billion pounds in June, up 5 percent from the 4.02 billion pounds produced in June 2015.
Beef production, at 2.19 billion pounds, was 10 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.71 million head, up 10 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 1,335 pounds.
Veal production totaled 6.4 million pounds, 8 percent below June a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 37,600 head, up 7 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was down 45 pounds from last year, at 291 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.01 billion pounds, up 1 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.57 million head, up 1 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was down 2 pounds from the previous year, at 280 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 13.2 million pounds, was down 2 percent from June 2015. Sheep slaughter totaled 195,200 head, slightly above last year. The average live weight was 135 pounds, down 3 pounds from June a year ago.
June '16 Prod
State million lbs. % of June '15
Nebraska .....: 689.0 114
Iowa ............: 567.5 98
Kansas .........: 469.1 108
January to June 2016 commercial red meat production was 24.4 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2015. Accumulated beef production was up 5 percent from last year, veal was down 7 percent, pork was up 1 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up slightly.
June Milk Production up 1.6 Percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during June totaled 16.7 billion pounds, up 1.6 percent from June 2015 according to USDA. May revised production at 17.4 billion pounds, was up 1.2 percent from May 2015. The May revision represented a decrease of 2 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,926 pounds for June, 26 pounds above June 2015. This is the highest production per cow for the month of June since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.65 million head, 17,000 head more than June 2015, and 3,000 head more than May 2016.
IOWA MILK PRODUCTION
Milk production in Iowa during June 2016 totaled 413 million pounds, up 2 percent from the previous June according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during June, at 211,000 head, was the same as last month but 1,000 fewer than a year ago. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,955 pounds, up 45 pounds from last June.
April-June Milk Production up 1.2 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the April - June quarter totaled 54.4 billion pounds, up 1.2 percent from the April - June quarter last year.The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.33 million head, 8,000 head more than the January - March quarter, and 6,000 head more than the same period last year.
Nebraska Milk Production
Milk production in Nebraska during the April – June 2016 quarter totaled 354 million pounds, up 8 percent from the April – June 2015 quarter, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 61,000 head, 5,000 head more than the same period last year.
ASA Continues to Press EU on Approval of Xtend Soybeans and Dicamba Use
The American Soybean Association (ASA) has continued to pressure the European Commission to provide final approval of Xtend soybeans that have been awaiting final authorization from the Commission since January. ASA also met separately with Monsanto and companies like Pioneer, that have in-licensed the trait , to discuss each company’s planning to keep Xtend soybeans planted in 2016 out of EU export channels should EU approval be further delayed.
ASA is aware of reports of potential inappropriate and unauthorized use of dicamba over Xtend soybeans in the mid-South that reportedly caused crop injuries. Below are updates on all three issues.
Final Authorization in the European Union
While Xtend soybeans are approved for import into China and other major U.S. soy export markets, final approval in the European Union (EU) has been pending since January. ASA has continued its pressure on the EU to provide final authorization; we hope and anticipate that final approval will be received in the next number of days. We will keep the ASA board and states informed of developments.
Xtend Soybeans and EU Approvals
In recent weeks ASA has met separately with Monsanto and Pioneer (which was in-licensed by Monsanto to sell Xtend soybeans in 2016) to discuss the status of Xtend soybeans in the EU, and planning to keep Xtend soybeans out of EU export channels should approval be further delayed. The EU commission has communicated to government agencies and been quoted in the press on multiple occasions that the final import approval for Xtend soybeans would be completed soon. The companies are very cognizant of the need to keep unapproved biotech events out of export channels so that U.S. soy exports are not disrupted and U.S. soybean farmers do not suffer losses. The companies remain in dialogue with ASA and key industry partners, including the grain handling sector, on this important issue. Farmers are encouraged to talk with their seed dealer with any questions.
Reports of Dicamba Injury to Crops
Over the past week there have been news stories reporting on potential dicamba injury to crops, and that the Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee Departments of Agriculture are investigating such reports.
Some Key Points:
- ASA is aware of recent news reports of potential injury to crops from suspected dicamba herbicide use, and that appropriate state departments of agriculture are investigating such reports.
- Susceptible crops can sustain injury from dicamba herbicides due to non-complete cleanout of spray equipment, wind drift, or volatilization in certain climatic conditions (in which the liquid turns into a vapor in certain climatic conditions and moves from its placement on a field).
- In the case of drift or volatilization, injury to nearby susceptible crops could occur if dicamba was being used to “burn down” the weeds in a field prior to planting of a double-crop, if dicamba was being used to control weeds in nearby corn fields or other crops for which dicamba use is approved, or if dicamba was inappropriately used in an over-the-top application on a dicamba tolerant soybeans or cotton (Xtend soybeans and cotton).
- If dicamba was sprayed by an operator on Xtend soybeans or cotton, such in-season crop use was inappropriate and unauthorized because the labels for such use still are in the process of being finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Growers were advised by ASA, Monsanto, Pioneer, BASF, and other sellers of Xtend soybeans and cotton that dicamba use was not approved for over-the-top application during the 2016 growing season.
- Both Monsanto and BASF have developed dicamba formulations that significantly reduce volatilization and thus will help avoid any non-target crop damage. Labels for these formulations currently are pending review by the EPA. ASA is working with Monsanto, BASF, and EPA for approval of these labels this summer/fall so that these low-volatility dicamba formulations will be available to growers in the 2017 growing season.
New Leaders Conclude 2016 Program with Washington Meetings
A busy week of meetings focused on our nation's capital concluded the 2016 class of the NCGA DuPont New Leaders Program. Twenty-six farmers from 15 states took part in the overall program, which was generously co-sponsored by DuPont and is aimed at preparing participants to be strong advocates and leaders for today's agriculture.
"It was great to meet many of those participating in our events this week, like the action team meetings, our Corn Congress policy sessions, and visits to their members of Congress," said NCGA Chairman Martin Barbre. "These new leaders are the future of our organization, and it was inspiring to see the passion and energy these men and women bring into everything they do. We're also very grateful for DuPont's support in this growing effort."
For the participants, the week began with Monday spent in Wilmington, Del., learning about the history of DuPont and the important work the company is doing specifically in the area of crop protection. In Washington, they attended policy meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Completing their DC experience, the team had an opportunity to thank members of Congress and their staff for the GMO labeling vote, encourage revision of EPA's draft risk assessment of atrazine, and urge support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
This is the second plenary session of the program, which kicked off in January in Des Moines, followed by activities at the Commodity Classic convention and trade show and month webinars April through July focused on key issue areas and reports from participants on their interim activities. 2016 marks the third year of this program.
This year's overall program participants were: Jonathan and Bridget Hitchcock, Georgia; Casey and Teresa Schlichting, Iowa; Matthew DeSutter, Illinois; Sam and Stephanie Halcomb, Kentucky; Corey Pace, Kentucky; Greg Dell, Maryland; Brent and Bryce Krohn, Minnesota; Ben Storm, Minnesota; Brian Martin, Missouri; Phillip and Lindsay Sloop, North Carolina; Ben Bakko, North Dakota; Deb Gangawish, Nebraska; Joel and Jenna McAfee, Nebraska; Tyler and Whitni Drewes, Ohio; Rob Holman, Tennessee; Bert and Brittney Ring, Texas; Robert Baylor, Virginia; and Trent Jones, Virginia.
Forty Senators Call for Higher Biodiesel Targets in RFS
Forty U.S. senators from across the country Thursday called on the EPA to strengthen biodiesel volumes in the pending Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposal.
The senators emphasized that biodiesel and renewable diesel are leading the way in delivering Advanced Biofuels under the RFS and said the EPA should do more to encourage their growth.
“The biodiesel industry has met RFS criteria for growth, exceeding the goals that Congress envisioned when it created the RFS with bipartisan support in 2005 and supporting over 47,000 jobs,” the letter states. “To date, biodiesel and renewable diesel have delivered the majority of the advanced biofuels under the RFS. We believe it is clear that these fuels offer the best opportunity for growth in the near future.”
The letter, which can be found here, was led by Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. It was signed by a bipartisan group of additional senators from California to Minnesota to Maine.
Biodiesel – made from a diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats – is the first and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel to reach commercial-scale production nationwide. It has made up the vast majority of Advanced Biofuel production under the RFS to date.
According to the EPA, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 percent to 86 percent compared with petroleum diesel.
“I think this letter reflects a growing consensus on Capitol Hill that biodiesel and renewable diesel are successfully delivering the economic and environmental benefits that Congress had in mind when it created the RFS,” said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). “This is a success story, and hopefully this letter helps show the Obama administration and the EPA that we need to do more. We need to embrace growth in our cleanest fuels, and the EPA proposal as it stands falls short of that.”
“On behalf of biodiesel producers around the country we want to thank all the senators who signed this letter, particularly Sens. Blunt, Murray, Grassley and Heitkamp for their leadership in organizing the effort,” Steckel added.
The RFS – a bipartisan policy passed in 2005 and signed into law by President George W. Bush – requires increasing volumes of renewable fuels in the U.S. fuel stream, and specifically calls for increasing volumes of Advanced Biofuels in the coming years.
Biodiesel and renewable diesel – a similar diesel alternative – fall under the Biomass-based Diesel category of the RFS, which is an Advanced Biofuel category intended to ensure that the policy also addresses the diesel fuel market, not just gasoline. Under the law, Advanced Biofuels must reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to petroleum fuels.
The EPA proposal would establish a 2.1-billion-gallon Biomass-based Diesel requirement in 2018, up only slightly from the already established 2-billion-gallon requirement for 2017. Citing unused industry capacity and data showing that Biomass-based Diesel consumption is already exceeding 2.1 billion gallons annually, the senators called for at least 2.5 billion gallons for 2018.
The additional senators signing the letter were Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Angus King (D-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for July fell from June’s weak reading, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: After improving for four of the last five months, the index, which ranges between 0 and 100, sank to 39.8 from 43.9 in June. This is the 11th straight month the overall index has remained below growth neutral.
“Over the past 12 months, farm prices have fallen by 9 percent, and livestock prices are off by 16 percent. These weak agriculture commodity prices are pushing the overall Rural Mainstreet economy lower,” said Ernie Goss, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University's Heider College of Business.
As a result of weaker farm economic conditions, bankers expect almost one in five crop farmers, or 19.5 percent, to suffer negative cash flows where cash expenses exceed cash revenues for 2016.
Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index for July slumped to 31.3 from 32.3 in June. This is the 32nd straight month the index has languished below growth neutral 50.0.
This month, bankers estimated, on average, farmland prices have fallen by 6 percent over the past 12 months. However, as in previous months, there is a great deal of variation across the region in the direction and magnitude of farmland prices, with prices growing in some portions of the region.
The July farm equipment-sales index sank to 10.7 from 12.8 in June. “Weakness in farm income and low agriculture commodity prices continue to restrain the sale of agriculture equipment across the region,” said Goss.
This month, bankers were asked to assess the likelihood of loan defaults in their area. On average, farm loan defaults are expected to rise by 5.4 percent over the next 12 months. However almost one-fifth, or 18.3 percent, of bank CEOs estimate loan defaults will expand by more than 10 percent.
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for July shrank to 51.5 from a regional high of 63.2 in June. The state’s farmland-price index slipped 49.3 from June’s 49.7. Nebraska’s new-hiring index declined to 55.2 from 58.8 in June. Nebraska’s job growth over the last 12 months; Rural Mainstreet, 1.5 percent; Urban Nebraska, 1.4 percent.
Iowa: The July RMI for Iowa sank to 51.9 from June’s 59.1. Iowa’s farmland-price index for July dipped to 49.7 from 51.5 in June. Iowa’s new-hiring index for July fell to 55.4 from 59.4 in June. Iowa’s job growth over the last 12 months; Rural Mainstreet, 1.5 percent; Urban Iowa, 0.9 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.
Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Maintain Optimism in the Face of Tougher Economic Times
The future of agriculture relies upon the ability of young people to maintain and grow their farms and ranches. While the recent downturn in the agricultural economy could lead one to be pessimistic about the future, after a recent National Affairs visit to Washington D.C., the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, continue to remain optimistic about the years ahead.
“Given the importance of agriculture to the overall health of Nebraska’s economy, it isn’t hard to see why Nebraska has successfully weathered and even prospered through the economic uncertainty of the past. Yet, recent USDA projections of an over 30 percent reduction in net farm income, as compared to 2013, along with continued tax and regulatory challenges, could signal trouble on the horizon. These continued challenges make it more important than ever for our state’s young farmers and ranchers to speak out about the challenges they face on their operations,” Steve Nelson, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau said July 21.
“Of particular concern is a 33 percent rise in operating debt since 2012. As farmers and ranchers are adding debt, they have also been drawing down financial assets, such as cash or equity. Young and new farmers and ranchers are of particular concern as their ability to handle such a downturn is significantly less than a well-established farmer or rancher,” Nelson said.
However, with great challenges comes even greater opportunities. Throughout the trip, increased agricultural trade, Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), was highlighted as a way to provide a necessary boost to the agricultural economy. Passage of TPP continues to be a Farm Bureau priority. According to analysis conducted by the American Farm Bureau (AFBF), the TPP will increase annual net farm income by $4.4 billion and increase U.S. agricultural exports by $5.3 billion per year.
“Nebraska also stands to make significant annual gains from the TPP with a $378.5 million increase in ag cash receipts and a $229.2 million boost to ag exports. According to the Nebraska Farm Bureau analysis, Cuming, Custer, Platte, Dawson, and Lincoln counties would be among the biggest winners under TPP, as those counties would each experience more than $10 million in additional cash sales of agriculture commodities per year once TPP trade protocols are fully enacted. Congress needs to pass the TPP quickly as we continue to lose market share in many of the TPP member nations each day this agreement is not in place,” Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Chairman Todd Reed said.
Another issue front and center during the trip was the GMO Labeling bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives while the group was in town. This important piece of legislation will help provide certainty to food companies who would have been unable to work through a patchwork of state GMO labeling laws.
“As with all compromises, there are pieces we like and pieces we don’t. The bill’s mandatory nature continues to be a problem for us, however we simply could not allow a system of state-based GMO labeling to occur. While not perfect, the Roberts-Stabenow compromise bill will set a national standard on GMO labeling utilizing digital disclosure technologies,” Reed said.
Those attending the National Affairs visit are:
Steve Nelson, president Nebraska Farm Bureau – Kearney/Franklin County
Todd and Julie Reed, chairman YF&R Committee – Lancaster County
Brian and Amy Gould, District 3 representative YF&R Committee - Cedar County
Matt and Elizabeth Albrecht, District 7 representative YF&R Committee - Dawson County
James and Katie Olson, District 6 representative YF&R Committee - Holt County
Besides visiting with Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers met with the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss recently released rules regarding the commercial use of “unmanned aircraft systems”, or “drones”, and met with CropLife America and Syngenta to discuss the latest efforts to remove the well-known product Atrazine from their toolbox of crop protection products.
“The list of challenges young farmers and ranchers face is no doubt long. However, the need for young producers to answer the call of growing food for our nation and world remains as strong as ever. Continuing to communicate our message to key decision makers is vital to the future success of our nation as well as for farm and ranch families,” Reed said.
Central Valley Ag’s 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days
Central Valley Ag is announcing their 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days, a customer appreciation event. Stop by Central Valley Ag located at 445 South Main West Point, NE 68788 on Friday, August 26th for special savings on select items throughout, prize giveaways, complimentary burgers, live remote radio from 11 AM – 1 PM plus a Purina® Animal Nutrition Specialist will be on-site to answer any questions.
Customers will also have the opportunity to enter in the national 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days Sweepstakes for their chance to win a 2016 John Deere™ Gator TS, a Trip-for-Two to the Purina® Animal Nutrition Center, or Purina® Gear YETI® Tundra Cooler. See store for official rules.
“We are proud to serve the residents of our community and thank them for their continued loyalty,” Brandi Salestrom of Central Valley Ag. “We invite everyone to come celebrate our 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days with us!”
Cyclists will have a chance to fuel up on lean protein at stops along the RAGBRAI route this year.
Beef is an excellent source of protein and plays a vital role in muscle repair and recovery. Beef is considered a nutrient dense and energy-packed food that can be a high powered source of nutrition for athletes participating in RAGBRAI. According to the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, a single 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides 10 essential nutrients in about 150 calories – including nutrients like iron, zinc and B vitamins that are critical for development and optimal health throughout life.
Riders can find beef in Fremont county at the old Randolph lumber yard. The Fremont County Cattlemen will be grilling ribeye steak sandwiches from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, July 24, and the Page and Fremont County Corn Growers will also be roasting sweet corn.
On Monday, the Adams County Cattlemen will be grilling at the Central Park in Corning, near the Beer Garden. They will serve ribeye steak sandwiches, ribeye wraps, and beef brats.
Washington County Cattlemen will be grilling ribeye steak sandwiches at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 29 from 10 am to close. There will also be a potato bar and live band playing.
Brewer Family Farms of Dallas Center has teamed up with the Iowa Craft Beer Tent and will be offering beef brats at 13 stops along the route.
Record High Red Meat Production for June
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.23 billion pounds in June, up 5 percent from the 4.02 billion pounds produced in June 2015.
Beef production, at 2.19 billion pounds, was 10 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.71 million head, up 10 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 1,335 pounds.
Veal production totaled 6.4 million pounds, 8 percent below June a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 37,600 head, up 7 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was down 45 pounds from last year, at 291 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.01 billion pounds, up 1 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.57 million head, up 1 percent from June 2015. The average live weight was down 2 pounds from the previous year, at 280 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 13.2 million pounds, was down 2 percent from June 2015. Sheep slaughter totaled 195,200 head, slightly above last year. The average live weight was 135 pounds, down 3 pounds from June a year ago.
June '16 Prod
State million lbs. % of June '15
Nebraska .....: 689.0 114
Iowa ............: 567.5 98
Kansas .........: 469.1 108
January to June 2016 commercial red meat production was 24.4 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2015. Accumulated beef production was up 5 percent from last year, veal was down 7 percent, pork was up 1 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up slightly.
June Milk Production up 1.6 Percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during June totaled 16.7 billion pounds, up 1.6 percent from June 2015 according to USDA. May revised production at 17.4 billion pounds, was up 1.2 percent from May 2015. The May revision represented a decrease of 2 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,926 pounds for June, 26 pounds above June 2015. This is the highest production per cow for the month of June since the 23 State series began in 2003.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.65 million head, 17,000 head more than June 2015, and 3,000 head more than May 2016.
IOWA MILK PRODUCTION
Milk production in Iowa during June 2016 totaled 413 million pounds, up 2 percent from the previous June according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during June, at 211,000 head, was the same as last month but 1,000 fewer than a year ago. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,955 pounds, up 45 pounds from last June.
April-June Milk Production up 1.2 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the April - June quarter totaled 54.4 billion pounds, up 1.2 percent from the April - June quarter last year.The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.33 million head, 8,000 head more than the January - March quarter, and 6,000 head more than the same period last year.
Nebraska Milk Production
Milk production in Nebraska during the April – June 2016 quarter totaled 354 million pounds, up 8 percent from the April – June 2015 quarter, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 61,000 head, 5,000 head more than the same period last year.
ASA Continues to Press EU on Approval of Xtend Soybeans and Dicamba Use
The American Soybean Association (ASA) has continued to pressure the European Commission to provide final approval of Xtend soybeans that have been awaiting final authorization from the Commission since January. ASA also met separately with Monsanto and companies like Pioneer, that have in-licensed the trait , to discuss each company’s planning to keep Xtend soybeans planted in 2016 out of EU export channels should EU approval be further delayed.
ASA is aware of reports of potential inappropriate and unauthorized use of dicamba over Xtend soybeans in the mid-South that reportedly caused crop injuries. Below are updates on all three issues.
Final Authorization in the European Union
While Xtend soybeans are approved for import into China and other major U.S. soy export markets, final approval in the European Union (EU) has been pending since January. ASA has continued its pressure on the EU to provide final authorization; we hope and anticipate that final approval will be received in the next number of days. We will keep the ASA board and states informed of developments.
Xtend Soybeans and EU Approvals
In recent weeks ASA has met separately with Monsanto and Pioneer (which was in-licensed by Monsanto to sell Xtend soybeans in 2016) to discuss the status of Xtend soybeans in the EU, and planning to keep Xtend soybeans out of EU export channels should approval be further delayed. The EU commission has communicated to government agencies and been quoted in the press on multiple occasions that the final import approval for Xtend soybeans would be completed soon. The companies are very cognizant of the need to keep unapproved biotech events out of export channels so that U.S. soy exports are not disrupted and U.S. soybean farmers do not suffer losses. The companies remain in dialogue with ASA and key industry partners, including the grain handling sector, on this important issue. Farmers are encouraged to talk with their seed dealer with any questions.
Reports of Dicamba Injury to Crops
Over the past week there have been news stories reporting on potential dicamba injury to crops, and that the Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee Departments of Agriculture are investigating such reports.
Some Key Points:
- ASA is aware of recent news reports of potential injury to crops from suspected dicamba herbicide use, and that appropriate state departments of agriculture are investigating such reports.
- Susceptible crops can sustain injury from dicamba herbicides due to non-complete cleanout of spray equipment, wind drift, or volatilization in certain climatic conditions (in which the liquid turns into a vapor in certain climatic conditions and moves from its placement on a field).
- In the case of drift or volatilization, injury to nearby susceptible crops could occur if dicamba was being used to “burn down” the weeds in a field prior to planting of a double-crop, if dicamba was being used to control weeds in nearby corn fields or other crops for which dicamba use is approved, or if dicamba was inappropriately used in an over-the-top application on a dicamba tolerant soybeans or cotton (Xtend soybeans and cotton).
- If dicamba was sprayed by an operator on Xtend soybeans or cotton, such in-season crop use was inappropriate and unauthorized because the labels for such use still are in the process of being finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Growers were advised by ASA, Monsanto, Pioneer, BASF, and other sellers of Xtend soybeans and cotton that dicamba use was not approved for over-the-top application during the 2016 growing season.
- Both Monsanto and BASF have developed dicamba formulations that significantly reduce volatilization and thus will help avoid any non-target crop damage. Labels for these formulations currently are pending review by the EPA. ASA is working with Monsanto, BASF, and EPA for approval of these labels this summer/fall so that these low-volatility dicamba formulations will be available to growers in the 2017 growing season.
New Leaders Conclude 2016 Program with Washington Meetings
A busy week of meetings focused on our nation's capital concluded the 2016 class of the NCGA DuPont New Leaders Program. Twenty-six farmers from 15 states took part in the overall program, which was generously co-sponsored by DuPont and is aimed at preparing participants to be strong advocates and leaders for today's agriculture.
"It was great to meet many of those participating in our events this week, like the action team meetings, our Corn Congress policy sessions, and visits to their members of Congress," said NCGA Chairman Martin Barbre. "These new leaders are the future of our organization, and it was inspiring to see the passion and energy these men and women bring into everything they do. We're also very grateful for DuPont's support in this growing effort."
For the participants, the week began with Monday spent in Wilmington, Del., learning about the history of DuPont and the important work the company is doing specifically in the area of crop protection. In Washington, they attended policy meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Completing their DC experience, the team had an opportunity to thank members of Congress and their staff for the GMO labeling vote, encourage revision of EPA's draft risk assessment of atrazine, and urge support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
This is the second plenary session of the program, which kicked off in January in Des Moines, followed by activities at the Commodity Classic convention and trade show and month webinars April through July focused on key issue areas and reports from participants on their interim activities. 2016 marks the third year of this program.
This year's overall program participants were: Jonathan and Bridget Hitchcock, Georgia; Casey and Teresa Schlichting, Iowa; Matthew DeSutter, Illinois; Sam and Stephanie Halcomb, Kentucky; Corey Pace, Kentucky; Greg Dell, Maryland; Brent and Bryce Krohn, Minnesota; Ben Storm, Minnesota; Brian Martin, Missouri; Phillip and Lindsay Sloop, North Carolina; Ben Bakko, North Dakota; Deb Gangawish, Nebraska; Joel and Jenna McAfee, Nebraska; Tyler and Whitni Drewes, Ohio; Rob Holman, Tennessee; Bert and Brittney Ring, Texas; Robert Baylor, Virginia; and Trent Jones, Virginia.
Forty Senators Call for Higher Biodiesel Targets in RFS
Forty U.S. senators from across the country Thursday called on the EPA to strengthen biodiesel volumes in the pending Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposal.
The senators emphasized that biodiesel and renewable diesel are leading the way in delivering Advanced Biofuels under the RFS and said the EPA should do more to encourage their growth.
“The biodiesel industry has met RFS criteria for growth, exceeding the goals that Congress envisioned when it created the RFS with bipartisan support in 2005 and supporting over 47,000 jobs,” the letter states. “To date, biodiesel and renewable diesel have delivered the majority of the advanced biofuels under the RFS. We believe it is clear that these fuels offer the best opportunity for growth in the near future.”
The letter, which can be found here, was led by Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. It was signed by a bipartisan group of additional senators from California to Minnesota to Maine.
Biodiesel – made from a diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats – is the first and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel to reach commercial-scale production nationwide. It has made up the vast majority of Advanced Biofuel production under the RFS to date.
According to the EPA, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 percent to 86 percent compared with petroleum diesel.
“I think this letter reflects a growing consensus on Capitol Hill that biodiesel and renewable diesel are successfully delivering the economic and environmental benefits that Congress had in mind when it created the RFS,” said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). “This is a success story, and hopefully this letter helps show the Obama administration and the EPA that we need to do more. We need to embrace growth in our cleanest fuels, and the EPA proposal as it stands falls short of that.”
“On behalf of biodiesel producers around the country we want to thank all the senators who signed this letter, particularly Sens. Blunt, Murray, Grassley and Heitkamp for their leadership in organizing the effort,” Steckel added.
The RFS – a bipartisan policy passed in 2005 and signed into law by President George W. Bush – requires increasing volumes of renewable fuels in the U.S. fuel stream, and specifically calls for increasing volumes of Advanced Biofuels in the coming years.
Biodiesel and renewable diesel – a similar diesel alternative – fall under the Biomass-based Diesel category of the RFS, which is an Advanced Biofuel category intended to ensure that the policy also addresses the diesel fuel market, not just gasoline. Under the law, Advanced Biofuels must reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to petroleum fuels.
The EPA proposal would establish a 2.1-billion-gallon Biomass-based Diesel requirement in 2018, up only slightly from the already established 2-billion-gallon requirement for 2017. Citing unused industry capacity and data showing that Biomass-based Diesel consumption is already exceeding 2.1 billion gallons annually, the senators called for at least 2.5 billion gallons for 2018.
The additional senators signing the letter were Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Angus King (D-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
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