Industry Ag News 1/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Farmer and rancher delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 104th Convention adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2023. Key topics ranged from expanding risk management programs and improving dairy pricing transparency to battling hunger. Delegates were polled regarding their farms at the beginning of the voting session. The results show almost 99% (334 delegates) of those who cast votes operate family farms and almost 65% represent small- to mid-size farms as defined by USDA.
  • Only a few days remain to take advantage of early registration discounts for the 2023 Commodity Classic to be held March 9-11 in Orlando. Friday, January 20, 2023, is the last day the early registration discount will be in effect.
  • Once again, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) invites all its guilds to participate in the IFAJ Star Prize. Online entry forms are now open, and entries will be accepted until February 28, 2023. New this year, individual members of IFAJ member guilds can nominate themselves and enter their work directly into the online form.
  • Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., an agricultural bioscience company, announced that it has signed with Mitsubishi Corporation a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate the establishment of a partnership to supply, offtake and market Camelina as a low-carbon feedstock oil for biofuels. Mitsubishi Corporation recently announced its aim to mass produce sustainable aviation fuel to decarbonize commercial aviation.
  • The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to announce the promotion of Sarah Novak to chief operating officer. Novak has served the association for over 15 years as the vice president of membership and public relations.
  • Farm Journal’s 26th annual Top Producer Summit is set for Jan. 23-25, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville. The event will bring forward-thinking farmers and ranchers together to share business opportunities and ideas to take their operations to the next level.
  • Minneapolis Grain Exchange, a Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization, reported full-year 2022 trading volume of 3.3 million contracts, representing a 15.0% year-over-year decrease from the same period in 2021 and the second highest annual volume total in its history.
  • Mike King has joined Blank Page Marketing (BLNKPG) as a new Account Director. King brings more than 25 years of experience in both agricultural communications and public relations to BLNKPG. In his new role, King will assist in managing BLNKPG’s client services team and its members.
  • The Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) is excited to announce a major sponsorship to ring in the new year. Farmers Union Enterprises, which comprises Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin’s Farmers Union organizations, is lending substantial financial support to the future crush and research facility in south Crookston.
  • The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is excited to announce Jared Palmer as its new Communications Manager. Palmer’s responsibilities will include overseeing IRFA’s social media networks and press communications.
  • KCoe Isom, doing business as Pinion*, and Anderson ZurMuehlen, two leading U.S. accounting and business advisory firms, announced they have combined businesses, effective January 1, 2023. Pinion will provide expanded advisory services, resources, and outstanding career opportunities, building the foundation required for long-term growth and a stronger national presence with a gateway to global expansion. *Pinion is a public-facing brand under the legal entity KCoe Isom, LLP. Attest services provided by KCoe Isom, LLP.
  • The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Government Relations department has hired four new team members whose expertise and relationships will strengthen advocacy efforts with policymakers and stakeholders that will benefit Illinois soybean farmers by developing and executing complex policy initiatives.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Corn, Soybean and Cotton Production Down in 2022

Cindy Zimmerman

Production for corn, soybeans and cotton all declined in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the 2022 Crop Production Annual Summary from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

U.S. corn growers produced 13.7 billion bushels, down 9% from 2021. Corn yield in the United States is estimated at 173.3 bushels per acre, 3.4 bushels below the 2021 record high yield of 176.7 bushels per acre. Area harvested for grain, at 79.2 million acres, is down 7% from 2021.

Soybean production for 2022 totaled 4.28 billion bushels, down 4% from 2021. The average soybean yield is estimated at 49.5 bushels per acre, 2.2 bushels below 2021, and 0.7 bushel below the Nov. 1 forecast.

For 2022, all cotton production is down 16% from 2021, at 14.7 million 480-pound bales. The U.S. yield is estimated at 947 pounds per acre, up 128 pounds from last year’s yield. Harvested area, at 7.44 million acres, is down 28% from last year.

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA

Cotton Policy Update at #BWCC23

Cindy Zimmerman

Attendees at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences this week in New Orleans were updated on current policy issues relating to cotton by Bart Fischer, Co-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center Texas A&M University.

Fischer says one of the big policy issues on the plate this year is the next farm bill. “The 2018 Farm Bill expires on September 30,” said Fischer. “We’re not quite off to the races but we’re very soon going to be if we’re going to get a farm bill done this year.”

Fischer says he is optimistic about getting a farm bill done this year because the members of the Agriculture Committees in both houses of Congress are motivated, especially Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) who has announced she is retiring and probably would like to get one more farm bill done before she departs.

Listen to Fischer’s update remarks and interview below.
2023 Beltwide Cotton Policy Update - Bart Fischer, Texas A&M 34:30

2023 Beltwide Cotton interview - Bart Fischer, Texas A&M 6:44

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Farm Bill

DWFI Podcast 21 – Peter McCornick, New Year at Water for Food

Cindy Zimmerman

In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, DWFI Communications Specialist Arianna Elnes discusses exciting projects coming out of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) and what lies ahead in the upcoming year with Executive Director, Dr. Peter McCornick.

McCornick leads the institute in delivering on its vision of a water and food secure world, building its partnerships and collaborations in Nebraska, nationally in the US, and other key food producing regions in the world. He is a tenured professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Robert B. Daugherty Chair of Water for Food.

McCornick was recently re-elected to the Board of Governors of the World Water Council; and is a member of the steering committee of the Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) initiative, a global partnership organized by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO). Prior to joining DWFI, Peter was the deputy director general of research at the International Water Management Institute. With an international career focused on improving the sustainable management of water resources, he has led inter-disciplinary research and development programs on water, agriculture and the environment in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Canada and the U.S.

View DWFI’s 2021-2022 Annual Report: https://go.unl.edu/annualreport
Watch Peter McCornick’s end-of-the-year video: https://go.unl.edu/2022year

Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI Podcast 21 - Dr. Peter McCornick, DWFI 34:54

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

How to subscribe:

Audio, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Cotton Pesticides and the Endangered Species Act

Cindy Zimmerman

L-R: Leah Duzy and Ashlea Frank, CSI; Jack Royal, Royal’s Ag Consulting Company; Rogers Leonard, Integrated Crop Consulting

The future of pesticides under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was a topic for a panel at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences Consultants Conference this week in New Orleans.

The panel was composed of Leah Duzy and Ashlea Frank, Compliance Services International (CSI); Jack Royal, Royal’s Ag Consulting Company, Leary GA; and Rogers Leonard, Integrated Crop Consulting, St. Josesph, LA.

“EPA must comply with the Endangered Species Act,” explained Duzy. “Any products currently registered have to go through registration review every 15 years and have to meet their ESA obligation.”

EPA now has a work plan which was updated in November which outlines strategies and actions for EPA to meet that ESA obligation. “Because of this work plan there are going to be changes to labels with Endangered Species specific information,” said Frank. That includes a directive to check an EPA website which contains species and geographically specific mitigations.

According to Frank, number of endangered species varies around the country, but virtually every county has at least one and the total nationwide is around 1700.

Listen to the panel conversation and an interview with Duzy and Frank below.

2023 Beltwide Cotton Pesticides and Endangered Species Act panel 44:59

2023 Beltwide Cotton interview Leah Duzy and Ashlea Frank, CSI 7:54

2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album
Beltwide Cotton Conferences Virtual Newsroom

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, EPA, pesticides

Precision Ag News 1/11

Carrie Muehling

  • Deere & Company has released the names of eight companies chosen for its 2023 Startup Collaborator program. The Startup Collaborator was launched in 2019 and helps John Deere enhance precision technology in its agriculture and construction equipment.
  • At the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several major developments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will benefit farmers, ranchers and producers across the nation. Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA continues to make progress by assisting producers facing high input costs to access domestic, innovative fertilizer capacity; improving risk protection for underserved producers; investing in new choices and meat processing capacity for livestock producers; and providing relief for producers impacted by disaster and the pandemic.
  • Soiltech Wireless, the leader in remote crop monitoring and traceability, announced the appointment of Shane Thomas to its board of directors.
  • Deere & Company is adding to its lineup of balers with the introduction of the new L341R High-Density Large Square Baler. The new baler creates 3×4 high-density bales. For straw bales, farmers can expect bale weight increases of up to 30% when using the new baler.
  • Premium denim label Citizens of Humanity Group announced a long-term partnership with regenerative agriculture leader Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) and regenerative advocacy group Kiss the Ground Foundation (an inspiration for the highly-acclaimed Kiss the Ground Film, available on Netflix) to work with farmers to grow cotton regeneratively. The Citizens of Humanity Group and its family of brands, Citizens of Humanity, AGOLDE, and GOLDSIGN will launch Kiss the Ground Cotton as part of their Fall 2023 Collections and beyond to supply regeneratively grown cotton that consumers can believe in.
  • As the official agricultural seed of John Force Racing (JFR) for the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NK Seeds was literally on the fast track last year. More importantly, NK Seeds helped farmers race toward their own yield and profit potential by offering the newest standouts and tried-and-true favorites.
  • Another leading agronomic professional has joined Meristem Crop Performance, one of the fastest-growing crop input suppliers in America. Eli Swenson becomes a Meristem sales representative in North Dakota and the Red River Valley. Swenson has great experience in helping growers boost their profitability with the right products and practices.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

US Cotton Trust Protocol Update

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences kicked off in New Orleans Tuesday with the consultants conference and an update on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol from president Gary Adams.

Launched in 2020, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a farm level, science-based program designed to set a new standard in more sustainably grown cotton. Adams says membership in the program grew from about 600 growers in 2021 to between 800 and 900 in 2022 and increased substantially across the value chain as well. “We enroll mills and manufacturers…and now that’s about 1100 companies from over 30 countries that have joined,” said Adams. “And then those end use customers and we have approximately 30 major brands and retailers, such as Gap and Levi’s.”

Adams notes that the Cotton Trust Protocol was the recipient of a USDA Climate Smart project grant that will be undertaken in 2023. “The objective is to enroll 1,650 U.S. cotton farmers into the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol,” said Adams, who is also president and CEO of National Cotton Council.

Listen to Adams’ remarks at the Beltwide and a summary interview below:
2023 Beltwide Cotton - U.S. Cotton Protocol Update 25:34

2023 Beltwide Cotton - interview with Gary Adams, NCC/US Cotton Protocol 7:17

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Agri-Pulse Webinar – Farming in an Integrated World

Cindy Zimmerman

An upcoming Agri-Pulse webinar will address “Farming in an Integrated World,” how disparate global crop protection standards disrupt trade, exacerbate food insecurity and restrict farmers’ ability to grow and export safe, high-quality food.

“U.S. farmers and ranchers have long been some of the most productive and efficient in the world but they need access to safe, modern farming tools in order to be competitive,” said Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “This webinar will provide an update on current regulatory challenges that are impacting ag exports around the world.”

Speakers include:
• Sabina Neumann, senior trade advisor, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service;
• Paula de Vera, senior policy advisor, Copa-Cogeca in Europe;
• Luis Osorio, executive director, PROCCYT in Mexico; and
• Ted McKinney, CEO, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

The webinar will also feature the voice of an American farmer, Jason Sandahl, sharing his perspective on the impact that varied crop protection standards have on their ability to grow and trade. Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant will serve as moderator.

The free webinar takes place January 19 at 1 p.m. ET and is sponsored by the Crop Protection Action Coalition for Trade (CPACT).

Register here.

Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, Exports, Trade

Animal Ag News 1/9

Carrie Muehling

  • EmGenisys, Inc., an animal health technology company on the path to revolutionize the bovine embryo industry, was one of the ten semi-finalists competing in the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation Ag Innovation Challenge this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Under the theme of “The Bison Benefit – Good for US, Good for our Planet”, preparations are in full swing to welcome roughly 400 North American bison ranchers, processors and marketers who will convene at the Westin Westminster Hotel January 18-21. This is the annual meeting of the industry’s largest bison organization, the National Bison Association (NBA).
  • From National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern: “NMPF is disappointed that once again dairy farmers, who every day strive to be leaders in environmental stewardship, may need to live under a WOTUS rule that is cumbersome, unclear and overly complicated. Because the EPA’s most recent iteration fails to resolve what is now a 50-year struggle to define what constitutes a water body subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act, our members will face continued uncertainty as they attempt to comprehend and comply with unclear regulations.” Read the full statement here.
  • Chad Vincent, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW), is featured in BizTimes Media’s “The Wisconsin 275” highlighting Wisconsin’s Most Influential Business Leaders of 2022.
  • Individuals 8-21 years of age are invited to compete in the Larry Higgins Bison Junior Judging Contest on Friday, January 20th at 9 a.m. in the Yards at the National Western Stock Show. This event is hosted by the National Bison Association and the Rocky Mountain Bison Association and held in conjunction with the Gold Trophy Show and Sale (GTSS) during the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.
  • U.S. beef exports to East Asia in 2022 are again on record pace after a record year in 2021. Despite economic uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continued global supply chain challenges, and a competitive global beef market, U.S. beef exports to East Asia, both in value and volume, were outstanding in the first half of 2022. East Asia’s relatively robust middle class has supported the demand for high-quality beef, and a developed e-commerce retail sector has provided flexible avenues for suppliers to promote beef products during the pandemic.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced that registration is now open for the 2023 Stakeholders Summit, themed “Partners in Progress: Building a Sustainable Future for Animal Ag.” The event is set for May 4-5 in Arlington, Va. An outline of the Summit agenda has been posted on the event website and the full speaker lineup will be announced soon. To register, visit bit.ly/AAA23Summit. Early registration discounts are available through March 10. Discounted hotel rooms are available to attendees through April 11 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View hotel.
  • With over twelve million dollars raised for livestock operations, Harvest Returns continues to successfully raise capital in this agricultural sector. The crowdfunding platform recently assisted American Beef Ranch (ABR) in completing a $470,000 raise.
  • Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), the largest and oldest livestock association based in Texas, announced the opening of registration for the 2023 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo. The annual event, which will be held March 24-26 in downtown Fort Worth, is the largest gathering of livestock producers in the Southwest, drawing more than 3,500 landowners together.
  • The nation’s premier bison show and sale will culminate with a live animal auction at the National Western Livestock Auction Arena starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, January 21 at the National Bison Association’s Gold Trophy Show and Sale (GTSS).
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 25

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

Success is in the Science – How CENTURO Protects your Nitrogen

In this episode, our experts go through the science behind the KAS nitrification inhibitor, CENTURO. They explain the truth of how the field-proven, EPA-registered formula works with anhydrous ammonia and UAN to help protect growers’ nitrogen investments. Lacie Thomas, technical agronomist for KAS, and Stacey Wertz, KAS senior research chemist, also discuss how Pronitridine, the active ingredient in CENTURO, offers highly effective below-ground protection against leaching and denitrification for fall- and spring-applied nitrogen.

You can listen to the program here: Success is in the Science – How CENTURO Protects your Nitrogen (14:31)

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Agribusiness, Audio, Fertilizer, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil