Surprising Acreage Report from USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite the challenging planting conditions this spring USDA is saying that farmers have planted even more corn than last year and the most acres in 77 years, according to Friday’s Acreage report.

northey-cornCorn planted area for all purposes in 2013 is estimated at 97.4 million acres, up slightly from last year. This represents the highest planted acreage in the United States since 1936 when an estimated 102 million acres were planted. Growers expect to harvest 89.1 million acres for grain, up 2 percent from last year. Corn acreage is up in 23 states, but most of them are not major corn producing areas. In fact, acreage is down in the big corn states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri but small increases are noted in states like Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio.

Not only that, soybean acreage is a new record. Soybean planted area for 2013 is estimated at a record high 77.7 million acres, up 1 percent from last year. Area for harvest, at 76.9 million acres, is up 1 percent from 2012 and will be a record high, if realized. Record high planted acreage is estimated in New York, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota. Wheat acres are up one percent and cotton is down 17% – no surprises there.

Considering what the spring has been like, the numbers are being met with some skepticism by market watchers in particular. “It’s a shockingly big number and it will be questioned,” said Jack Scoville of The Price Futures Group during a crop conference call from the Minneapolis Grain Exchange today.

Listen to Jack’s commentary here: Jack Scoville, MGEX Crop Call

The question is whether USDA will resurvey farmers now, based on the spring planting issues. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has already announced it will collect updated information next month for acres planted to soybean in fourteen states, but no word on corn.

Photo credit – Iowa Secretary of Ag Bill Northey who has a great set of 2013 crop photos on Facebook.

Audio, Corn, Soybean, USDA

Aasness New Exec. Dir. MN Agri-Growth Council

Chuck Zimmerman

Perry AasnessThe Minnesota Agri-Growth Council has announced that Perry Aasness will become the new Executive Director in July.

Aasness currently serves as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. He is replacing the previous Executive Director, Daryn McBeth, who took a position with Land O’Lakes in May 2013.

Aasness will be transitioning from the Minnesota Farm Bureau to Agri-Growth in the coming weeks, and plans to begin full time on July 22, 2013. Perry lives with his wife and three children in Woodbury, MN. He also continues to work on and manage his family farm near Fergus Falls, MN.

Ag Groups

Rural Radio Dream Realized

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 401Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’ll learn more about the newly announced Rural Radio channel on Sirius XM.

Rural Media GroupI visited with Randy Bernard, CEO, Rural Media Group, who says that a full time satellite channel of rural news and information has been a dream of Patrick Gottsch, Founder of Rural Media Group, Inc, for years. Randy says it was the first project he was handed when he came on board. The launch date for programming on Sirius XM channel 80 is July 15 and Randy says the anchors are already practicing in Nashville to be ready. You can hear him review the programming lineup.

Randy says that Rural Radio was the missing piece in the group of media channels that includes RFD-TV, Rural TV, the RFD-TV Magazine and more. He says that besides communicating with the rural audience they hope to be a bridge to the mainstream urban public.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Rural Radio on Sirius XM

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

Audio, Media, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Registration is now open for the 2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference held in Denver Colorado on August 7-10.
  • Swanson Russell announces the addition of eight employees to its Lincoln office: Jack Christie, Peter Morris, Cameron Nelson, Kayla Ott, Sarah Prettyman, Kelsey Richard, Jenni Schroeder and Kelly Tyrrell.
  • Landmark Services Cooperative broke ground for a new state-of-the-art grain facility in Fall River, Wis., on June 24.
  • Allison Skare has joined the staff of Farm Foundation, NFP as Program Coordinator, with responsibility for event management and implementation.
Zimfo Bytes

Soybean Farmer Recognized as Friend of Biodiesel

John Davis

kraus1A Kansas farmer has been recognized by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) for his work for the biodiesel industry. The Kansas Soybean Commission announced that their primary representative on the NBB for the past 12 years, Harold Kraus from Hays, picked up NBB’s Friend of Biodiesel award during a membership meeting in Washington, D.C.:

“Harold has been a tremendous advocate for the biodiesel industry who will definitely be missed,” NBB CEO Joe Jobe said. “The industry has grown out of infancy to a billion-gallon industry due in large part to the efforts of champions like Mr. Kraus.”

“Any time your peers pat you on the back you have to feel better,” Kraus said. “When I came on board, there were 55 members. Now, we’re in the hundreds. We’ve got a good number of people, and they’re doing their job.”

“From the start, the soybean checkoff has played a major role in developing the U.S. biodiesel industry, and soybean farmers like Harold have invested a lot of time, energy and resources into bringing American-made, high-performing biodiesel to the marketplace,” said Dennis Hupe, KSC director of field services. “The award never can express fully the thanks that Harold deserves for his dedication to the development of the biodiesel industry.”

Kraus is retiring from his position on the board.

Ag Groups, Biodiesel, Soybean

Corn Growers Provide Trade Negotiation Advice

Cindy Zimmerman

During a House Committee on Small Business hearing this week in Washington, National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson provided policy recommendations for the U.S. Trade Representative on growing export opportunities, particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

pam-ttip“Agricultural producers succeed when industry and government work side-by-side,” NCGA President Pam Johnson said during her testimony. “It is critical that U.S. negotiators have an appreciation for how increasing exports translates into benefits for family farmers. The U.S. economy will not benefit from agriculture issues being placed on a ‘to do’ list. Now is the perfect time to eliminate long standing barriers to agricultural exports and promote policies that bring economic opportunity back to rural America.”

Johnson stressed the importance of dealing with trade barriers to genetically modified crops. “For NCGA members, the biggest challenge is the approval of corn and corn products that are derived through biotechnology,” she said. “Unjustified regulations are costing family farmers millions in lost sales to the EU and could result in even great losses of U.S. exports if they are adopted by other countries.”

The main point Johnson said the corn growers want to get across to USTR in these trade negotiations is – “nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to.”

Listen to or download Pam’s testimony and answers to questions from lawmakers: NCGA president Pam Johnson Testimony

Audio, NCGA, Trade

Senate Passes Immigration Reform

Cindy Zimmerman

senate-immigrationUnlike last week’s farm bill vote in the House, it was no real surprise to see the Senate pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation Thursday by nearly the 70 vote margin supporters had predicted. And the email reactions from agriculture groups are coming in fast – again, unlike last week when prepared statements on farm bill passage had to be furiously rewritten.

“The Senate’s passage today of a balanced immigration reform bill that includes a fair and workable farm labor provision is welcomed by America’s farmers and ranchers. A comprehensive agricultural labor plan that works for all sectors of agriculture and across all regions of our nation is long overdue. We commend the Senate for addressing this very important issue, which will help ensure the continued success of agriculture in our nation,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman.

“It also allows for peace of mind for all parties in agriculture to know that a more easy-to-use and effective system will be enacted, says National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson. “I look forward to continuing to work with the House of Representatives to pass immigration legislation that achieves many of these same ends.”

But about that, Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a press conference today, “The House is not going to take up and vote on whatever the Senate passes. We’re going to do our own bill, through regular order.” Audio and video below. (Also see previous post on concerns about ag provisions in the bill.)

Boehner on Immigration Reform

AFBF, Audio, labor, Video

China Approves Monsanto DroughtGard Hybrids

Cindy Zimmerman

The drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids recently received final import approval from China, a major market for U.S. corn grain and dried distillers grain solubles (DDGS).

droughtgardThe approval was granted last week as part of a broader series of approvals and represents a significant step forward for technology approvals in China, according to Monsanto officials.

“The import approval of this trait is great news for U.S. farmers,” said Lisa Safarian, U.S. Row Crops Lead for Monsanto. “With full import approvals in key export markets, farmers can market their grain more broadly this year and plant with confidence in 2014.” Safarian added, “This approval also provides expanded access to another tool that can help farmers more sustainably manage their risk.”

More than 250 farmers in the Western Great Plains planted DroughtGard Hybrids last year on their farms as a part of Monsanto’s Ground Breakers® program. This year, the product was introduced in the Western Great Plains under stewardship requirements. Farmers who purchased DroughtGard Hybrids for planting in 2013 signed a grain stewardship agreement committing to use the grain as on-farm feed or to sell the grain for domestic use due to pending import approvals in key export markets. With the approval in China, Monsanto will remove the grain stewardship requirements, and grain will no longer be required to remain in the domestic market.

Read more from Monsanto press release.

Corn, Farming, Trade

John Block Reports

Chuck Zimmerman

John BlockOne of my all time favorite U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture is John Block. Here he is speaking on a panel at last fall’s NAFB convention. John is currently Senior Policy Advisor in the law firm of Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC and serves on numerous boards. He also produces a long running commentary, John Block Reports from Washington. His most recent episode touches on immigration reform, spending and budgets and Syria. You can listen to it here: John Block Reports

John encourage everyone to access his website which archives his radio commentaries dating back 10 years and will go back 20 years when complete. Check on what he said back then.

Audio, Media

Sing a Song of Hot Dogs

Chuck Zimmerman

Hot Dog Idol ContestIt’s summer hot dog time and National Hot Dog Month is almost here. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday alone, part of the 7 billion hot dogs eaten over the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That’s a lot of dogs!

If you’re a hot dog lover and want to “sing for your supper” then check out the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Hot Dog Idol Contest.

Fans across America have a chance to win a $250 gift card to use to create their perfect summer picnic; all it takes is a catchy tune. Fans can submit a video or audio post singing a song about hot dogs—the more creative the better. Songs can be an original tune or changed lyrics to a popular song, but the goal is the same: sing to profess a love of hot dogs. Entries must be submitted to contest@hot-dog.org by noon on July 11, 2013.

Finalists will be posted on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council Facebook page on July 12 for fans to choose their favorite. The songs with the most votes will be announced on National Hot Dog Day, July 17th, 2013 with the grand prize winner receiving a $250 gift certificate to the grocery store of their choosing to build the perfect summer picnic. First runner-up will receive a $100 gift certificate to the grocery store of their choosing, and second runner-up will receive a $50 gift card to the grocery store of their choosing. All three top vote-getters will receive complimentary National Hot Dog and Sausage Council T-shirts featuring the slogan Hot Dogs: Relish the Moment, chosen by hot dog fans during last year’s Hot Dog Month. Full contest guidelines and rules are available at www.hot-dog.org.

Ag Groups, Food, Meat