GIPSA Funding Cut in Ag Appropriations Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted 217-203 to pass the agricultural appropriations bill for fiscal 2012, cutting $2.7 billion in discretionary spending, including funds for USDA’s proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) regulation.

nppc doug wolfThe National Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), both opposed to the proposed rule, are pleased that the appropriations bill could put it on hold. “The National Pork Producers Council is grateful that the House is requiring USDA to take a time out on the GIPSA rule, which as proposed is bad for farmers and ranchers, bad for consumers and bad for rural America,” said NPPC president Doug Wolf of Wisconsin, who adds that the rule would cost the pork supply chain about $333 million a year.

ncba foglesongNCBA past president Steve Foglesong of Illinois says their beef cattle producer members are thrilled with the vote in the House. “When we had our annual meeting back in February, the priority coming out was this GIPSA rule,” Steve said. “It was one thing our members said absolutely cannot happen.”

Other organizations pleased with the action include the National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council and American Meat Institute. The appropriations measure still must go through the Senate and is likely to change substantially.

Listen to comments from Doug and Steve here: NPPC and NCBA on GIPSA Funding

Audio, Beef, GIPSA, NCBA, NPPC, Pork

Novus Developing Innovation With Integrity

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m on location for the big Novus 20th Anniversary Celebration. This Platinum Leed Certified building has continued to be developed, including the landscape. I’ve got some other views of the facility in the online photo album I’ve started.

To kick off my coverage I just met with Francois Fraudeau, President, Specialty Business. Francois is moving to the headquarters in St. Louis after having managed Novus business in the European and Asian markets. He says that his new position is part of the recent company organizational changes that have been made to position the company for future growth. He also says that Novus will use “Innovation with Integrity” to help meet the food needs of a growing world population. That he says required the development of new technologies, keeping in mind the need to focus on sustainability. Francois Fraudeau Interview

Novus 20th Anniversary Photo Album

Audio, Novus International

Novus International Celebrates 20 Years

Chuck Zimmerman

Novus International is having a birthday party today and I will be there. Actually Novus is having birthday parties all over the world this year in celebration of 20 years. The company will host more than 500 people from more than 30 countries this week at its headquarters facility in Missouri Research Park.

Confirmed to speak at the Novus 20th Anniversary Ceremony:
• Honorable Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon, Governor of the State of Missouri
• Susuma Katagiri, Mitsui and Company, Ltd. (representing Novus’ Board of Directors)
• Thad Simons, President and CEO, Novus International
• Dr. Joe Privott, President of Privotts, LLC and Former President of Novus International
• Dr. Jon Hagler, Director of Agriculture State of Missouri
• Roberto Kaefer, President, Globoaves
• Thanomvong Taephaisithphongse, Executive Vice President, Betagro Group
• Dr. William H. Danforth, Danforth Plant Science Center
• Dr. Marcos Fava Neves, Professor University Sao Paulo, Brazil & Author, The Future of Food Business

During World Pork Expo I spoke with Dan Meagher, President, Novus Global Animal Nutrition Solutions Business Unit. Dan attended the Novus celebration in Brazil and I’m sure I’ll see him today in St. Louis. You’ve got to like a company that has multiple birthday parties in different countries.

Novus has experienced significant growth. Dan says they are a lot closer to accomplishing the company vision which is “helping to feed the world affordable, wholesome food.” In our interview Dan talks about how the company has grown.

Novus was founded in 1991, and today, has employees working in more than 100 countries, serving more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Novus has facilities including corporate offices, research and development laboratories, and manufacturing operations in more than 50 countries.

Dan Meagher Interview

Agribusiness, Audio, Novus International

Take a Seat

Melissa Sandfort

When I was little, I always wanted to ride in the tractor with my dad. And even though my memory isn’t that great, I DO remember sitting in the hallway crying and throwing a tantrum because I had the chicken pox and mom wouldn’t let me go with him to feed the cattle .

The tractor he used didn’t have a passenger seat, so he cut a 2×4 that went from the arm rest to the window sill. That quickly became MY seat. In particularly rough fields, I really had to hang on because as dad’s seat flexed up and down, my 2×4 board bounced all over the place and nearly slid off. By the end of most rides, my rear was bruised but I was none worse for the wear.

This is a cast iron tractor seat saved from a seed drill from the Hoosier Drill Company. Hoosier Drill was acquired by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company in 1929, so this dates back pre-1929.

Can you imagine bumping around over a field in this seat with no padding? I’m no longer complaining about the 2×4.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Pam Johnson Elected National Corn Growers VP

Cindy Zimmerman

An Iowa farm woman is on track to be the first female president of the National Corn Growers Association next year.

pam johnson ncgaThe National Corn Growers Association Corn Board today elected Pam Johnson of Iowa to become the organization’s first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. When she becomes NCGA president in October 2012, Johnson will be the first woman to lead NCGA.

Johnson farms with her husband and two sons, raises corn and soybeans on a 2,700-acre farm in Floyd, Iowa. They also manage a seed business and are members in value-added businesses such as ethanol and biodiesel. Johnson is the board liaison to the NCGA Grower Services Action Team and has served on the Finance Committee and has chaired both the Bylaws Committee and the NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team.

Pam has already shown herself to be an advocate for agriculture and a leader in the industry. I interviewed her at Commodity Classic this year about how she stood up for women in agriculture in response to criticism by the Environmental Working Group. As liaison to the Grower Services Action Team, Pam had the pleasure at the Classic of presenting five college students with $1,000 scholarships as part of the NCGA Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program sponsored by BASF Crop Protection.

Chuck also interviewed Pam last fall during the TATT Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable in Des Moines.

Corn, NCGA

Brownfield Announces Charter Ohio Affiliates

Chuck Zimmerman

Brownfield Ag News announced the charter affiliates for its Ohio network today. Local ag coverage will be handled by Dave Russell. Meanwhile, new Brownfield farm broadcaster Meghan Grebner is getting some in-studio training at the company headquarters in Jefferson City, MO. Cindy and I had dinner with Meghan earlier this week and we look forward to her continued contributions to AgWired! Meghan is pictured on the left of Brownfield farm broadcaster Julie Harker.

Ohio Brownfield Ag News is pleased to introduce its outstanding line-up of Charter Affiliates. These radio stations are committed to serving the agricultural audience in their respective areas and are carrying Ohio Brownfield Ag News radio programs: WERT-AM 1220, Van Wert; WKSD-FM 99.7, Paulding; WLOH-FM 104.5, Lancaster; WLOH-AM 1320, Lancaster; WLOH-FM 99.3, Logan; WCSM-FM 96.7, Celina; WMTR-FM 96.1, Archbold; WFOB-AM 1430, Fostoria; WMVR-FM 105.5, Sidney; WVNU-FM 97.5, Greenfield; WKFM-FM 96.1, Huron; and WKTN-FM 95.3, Kenton.

Ohio Brownfield Ag News radio network provides news, markets, weather, event coverage and feature and commentary programming relevant to those who live and work on farms and in rural communities in Ohio, and to those with an interest in food and fiber production in the Buckeye state.

Ohio Brownfield is committed to local, on-the-ground coverage of agriculture, with Veteran Farm Broadcaster Dave Russell living and reporting in the Buckeye state. With the backing of an award winning team of nine other full-time farm broadcasters, two of whom are dedicated to market coverage, Russell has more time to focus on Ohio agriculture.

Media

GIPSA Heating Up

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s been almost exactly a year since USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) published a controversial proposed rule that would fundamentally change the way livestock is marketed in this country, and those opposed to it remain hopeful that the proposal itself will be fundamentally changed – or just eliminated.

Colin Woodall with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says they are encouraged that the U.S. House of Representatives could vote soon on the 2012 agriculture appropriations bill, which includes language to defund the proposed GIPSA rule. “So we are really working hard to make sure we preserve that language,” Colin says in the latest Beltway Beef Commentary. He encourages cattle producers and others in the industry to contact their Congressional representatives and send a signal to the secretary that we’re “serious about this rule being a huge burden on cattle producers.”

USDA’s official position on the appropriations language is that “The final rule has not yet been published and any concerns about the rule are better addressed through the standard rulemaking process than through an appropriations rider.”

Earlier this month, American Farm Bureau Appropriations Specialist R.J. Karney said they also believe funding for the rule should stay in place. “We want USDA to be able to review the 60,000 comments that were provided and also continue the economic analysis regarding this procedural rule,” he said. Colin explained that NCBA has a long-standing relationship with AFBF, “so this is not an issue that NCBA is now breaking a relationship with Farm Bureau, this is specific to trying to make sure that everybody understands exactly what this GIPSA rule does…take away marketing opportunities for cattle producers.”

Pork producers also remain concerned about the proposed rule. “The rule is so vague, we don’t know where it stands,” said National Pork Producers Council past president Sam Carney of Iowa at World Pork Expo last week. He says they are anxious to see what the USDA economic analysis will say, but that is not expected to be out until the fall.

Listen to or download Sam’s comments here: Iowa pork producer Sam Carney

AFBF, GIPSA, Livestock, NCBA, NPPC

Increasing Pork Producer Profitability

Chuck Zimmerman

The master carver working on a freshly roasted pig, pictured on the right, is Scott Moore, National Sales Manager, Pork, Novus International. Scott is from North Carolina. That was some very fine roasted pork he was preparing for us at World Pork Expo last week!

In his area Scott says that although the challenges producers have in his area aren’t unique they are more accentuated than other areas due to higher costs for grain brought in from the midwest. “If in fact $7 to $8 grain costs in the midwest is a problem, $9 to $10 costs is even more of a problem on the east coast,” he says. For this reason Scott says the new Novus Accelerating Finishing Profitability program contains specific elements to help producers deal with challenges, especially on a regional basis. Scott Moore Interview

2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
Animal Health, Audio, Novus International, World Pork Expo

Hidden Profit Robbers Hurt Pork Producers

Cindy Zimmerman

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) hosted a media event on the last day of World Pork Expo that focused on Keeping Food Safe and Profits Growing.

Controlling enteric diseases caused by ileitis and Salmonella can help both keep food safe and pork producer profits growing. “Enteric diseases are sometimes below the threshold of detection,” said Kent Schwartz, DVM with Iowa State University. “Feed is the largest input into the cost of production and anything that comprises intestinal function has a propensity to cost money and among many other factors are infectious diseases.”

Dr. Schwartz recommends that producers keep good records on animals and determine whether they are achieving their potential. “Lawsonia and Salmonella are very common infections,” he said. “These agents can cause disease that are not necessarily visual but can impact feed to gain and we do have for those two agents very effective vaccines that can take them out of the equation.”

Listen to or download an interview with Dr. Schwartz here: Dr. Kent Schwartz

Since control of Salmonella is a food safety concern, BIVI senior veterinarian John Kolb says it is is something producers can and should address. “Salmonella’s always going to be there,” he said. “One more thing that we can do to reduce the amount of Salmonella in the pig itself, is use vaccination.”

Dr. Kolb recommends producers get their vet involved and determine when exposure to Salmonella starts and make sure the vaccine gets in ahead of it.

Listen to or download an interview with Dr. Kolb here: John Kolb with BIVI

2011 World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by NOVUSAgWired coverage of the 2011 World Pork Expo is sponsored by boehringer-ingelheim
Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

Beef Rules ZimmPoll

Chuck Zimmerman

We’ve got some beef eaters in this community! In answer to our question, “What’s your favorite meat?” an overwhelming majority said Beef at 39%. Here’s how the other choices fared in order. Fish, 15%; Chicken, 12%; Pork, 10%; All of the above, 10%; Lamb, 5%; Venison, 5% and Other, 4%. I’ve spoken with some AgWired community members who voted that told me they voted for beef but definitely eat other meat choices. We just thought we’d ask the question this way to see if you had a favorite and it sure looks like you do. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Speaking of beef, the Beef Checkoff works with Chef Dave Zino to provide Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner how-to videos to consumers:

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Will ethanol be an issue in the presidential race?” Let us know what you think. And if you have any questions you want to suggest for future ZimmPolls please let us know.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll