White House Fuel Price Plan Overlooks Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuel organizations are baffled by the White House “Plan to Respond to Putin’s Price Hike at the Pump” released last week that completely ignores increasing use of renewable fuels.

“It is baffling to us that President Biden continues to overlook ethanol, which is the most readily available, lowest-cost, and lowest-carbon option for extending our nation’s fuel supply,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Today, ethanol is selling for $1 per gallon less than gasoline and we are sitting on record ethanol inventories and ample spare capacity; yet access to the marketplace continues to be limited by decades-old regulatory barriers that never made sense.”

President Biden has been sent letters from lawmakers, organizations, and individuals over the past month urging him to simply allowing gasoline blenders to sell E15 year-round, which could be accomplished by administrative action.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) led the six bipartisan Co-chairs of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus and 23 additional Members of Congress in a letter to President Joe Biden Thursday urging him to direct EPA to both allow the summer sales of E15 this year and to reverse course on proposed retroactive reductions to 2020 and 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations.

“This is one of the most simple and most environmentally friendly way to address the issue,” said Rep. Craig in an interview.

Interview with Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) (13:28)

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Industry Ag News 4/1

Carrie Muehling

  • The Agribusiness Association of Iowa has announced that Bill Northey, former Secretary of Agriculture for Iowa, has been named as its new CEO. Northey will be succeeding Joel Brinkmeyer, who will be retiring on May 1, 2022.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance board of directors has announced that Hannah Thompson-Weeman, currently serving as the Alliance’s vice president, strategic engagement, has been named the organization’s new president and CEO.
  • Sixteen farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the spring session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Boot Camp graduates are Sharla Mortimer, Arizona; Shawn Wood, Arizona; Jana Carroll, Arkansas; Roxi McCormick, Colorado; Jennifer Duvall, Georgia; Theresa Gottbrath, Indiana; Melissa Huggett, Kentucky; Kayla Griffith, Maryland; Barbara Rogers-Scharneck, Massachusetts; Stacey Lauwers, Michigan; Emma Alexander, Missouri; Allison Cooper, North Carolina; Carie Moore, North Dakota; Melanie Fink, Pennsylvania; Megan Jernigan, Tennessee; and Sarah Scyphers, Virginia.
  • McLain Farms was named the 2021 “Grower of the Year” and long-time Director of Markets for the Georgia Department of Agriculture Bob Meyer was inducted into the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame during the Vidalia Onion Committee 2021 awards banquet.
  • The 2022 U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook is now available on FAPRI’s website.
  • U.S. corn farmers raised the bar in 2021, setting a new record-high national average yield. To highlight the many achievements of corn farmers and explore the data, the National Corn Growers Association delves into the facts about corn production, using a historical comparison in its newest edition of the World of Corn.
  • March is National Peanut Month. Throughout the month of March, the Georgia Peanut Commission donated 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, 10,080 jars of peanut butter to Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., and 7,200 jars of peanut butter to Second Harvest of South Georgia in celebration of National Peanut Month. GPC also sponsored the annual ACFB Hunger Walk/Run held March 6 in Atlanta. The annual event brings approximately 5,000 attendees to help support the food bank by walking or running in the event. GPC distributed packs of peanuts to attendees and promoted the humanitarian relief efforts through Peanut Proud.
  • Farm Credit and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) announced the winners of the 2022 Farm Credit/MANRRS VIP Scholarship.
  • As Women’s History Month comes to a close, ASTA is excited to announce the next Women in Seed Luncheon, being held as part of the NEW ASTA Leadership Summit, June 25-29 in Indianapolis. ASTA is proud to honor the women of the seed industry who have already been making history in our business for many years. Join us for a special session on cultivating leadership skills, focusing on your values and how they come into play in your work, featuring special consultant Heather Lowey.
  • The Agricultural and Biological Engineering AgrAbility Program at Purdue University has received $2,124,000 in funding for the National AgrAbility Project and $720,000 for the Indiana AgrAbility Project from the United States Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing a solicitation for nominations to serve on its Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee. Established in 2008, the FRRCC provides independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to EPA’s Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities.
Zimfo Bytes

Agri-Pulse Newsmakers Spotlights Cattle Price Discovery Bill

Chuck Zimmerman

The newest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is now live and the focus this week is on cattle price discovery bill.

An updated piece of legislation seeks to reform the way cattle are bought and sold across the country, but the new bill includes a provision that caused two major farm groups to oppose the initial version. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., explains why the regional cash trade mandate remains in the bill and what she sees as the path forward for the legislation.

Then, a panel of beef producer group leaders explain their stances on the new bill and take a look at the state of ranchers as a whole.

Newsmakers is also available as a podcast and/or you can sign up to get free access to Newsmakers.


Agri-Pulse, Audio, Farm Policy, Livestock, Podcasts, Video

2022 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has announced the recipients of the 2022 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award. The program, sponsored by Alltech, honors 10 young agricultural journalists and communicators who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in reporting as well as excellent potential as leaders of the industry in the years to come. The honorees were chosen by an international jury among applicants from many of IFAJ’s 56 member countries.

This year’s IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders are:
Megan Hughes, Australia, ABC
Becky Zimmer, Canada, Pattison Media
Maria Wehrle, Germany, Badischer Landwirtschafts-Verlag
Hannah Binns, Great Britain, Farmers Guardian
Tracey Donaghey, Ireland, Ulster Farmers’ Union
Tamba Tengbeh, Sierra Leone, Regional Rice Value Chain Project
Daud Abdi Daud Dimbil, Somalia, Freelancer
Cecilia Persson, Sweden, Lantbrukets Affärstidning
Yero S Bah, The Gambia, Mansa Banko Online Newspaper
Megan Schilling, USA, Successful Farming

The 10 honorees will attend the 2022 IFAJ Congress in Vingsted, Denmark, in June. The Young Leaders will also participate in a Boot Camp in the days prior to Congress which includes professional development and networking workshops and farm visits in the region.

Alltech, IFAJ, Media

NAMA Names Next Gen Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has named the winners of the Next Gen NAMA Award who will be honored at the 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 6-8 in Kansas City. This award was developed to celebrate the next generation of leaders. Honorees are nominated from within their company or through chapter or national leadership.

The recipients for 2022 are:

Rachel Peabody, Director of Communications, Illinois Soybean Association –
Beginning as a publication’s coordinator, Rachel Peabody next worked in an agency setting to support Fortune 500 agricultural companies throughout the Midwest. Today, as the Director of Communications for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), Peabody manages a team of six, which she built from the ground up.

Brittany Phillips, Account Director, Brighton Agency –
In just five years at Brighton, Brittany Phillips has risen from an entry-level position to Account Director. Phillips’ passion to build content that accurately represents agriculture made her the perfect NAMA programming chair for the 2019 NAMA Fall Conference.

Caitlyn Ross, Account Executive, Hunt Marketing –

Where some people see a challenge, Caitlyn Ross recognizes an opportunity to shine and grow. Since her early days as an intern at Hunt Marketing, Ross has stood out from the pack. As an Account Executive, Ross is an invaluable member of her team.

Advertising, Ag Groups, Agencies, NAMA

Plantings Report Expects More Soybeans, Less Corn

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. farmers expect to plant more soybeans and less corn acreage, according to the 2022 Prospective Plantings report released today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Producers surveyed say they intend to plant a record high 91.0 million acres of soybeans in 2022, up 4% from last year, at the same time decreasing corn acres by 4% to 89.5 million acres.

Planted acreage intentions for soybeans are up or unchanged in 24 of the 29 estimating states. The largest increases are expected in Illinois and Missouri, where producers in each state intend to plant 400,000 more acres than in 2021. If realized, the planted area of soybeans in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin will be the largest on record.

Corn acreage decreases from last year of 200,000 or more are expected in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Record high corn acreage is expected in Nevada and South Dakota with record low acres expected in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

For wheat, all wheat planted area for 2022 is estimated at 47.4 million acres, up 1% from 2021. Winter wheat planted area, at 34.2 million acres, is down less than 1% from the previous estimate but up 2% from last year. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2022 is expected to total 11.2 million acres, down 2% from 2021. Durum wheat is expected to total 1.92 million acres for 2022, up 17% from last year.

All cotton planted area for 2022 is expected to total 12.2 million acres, 9% above last year.

Brian Hoops with Midwest Market Solutions provided commentary on the report for MGEX.
Brian Hoops, Midwest Market Solutions (5:32)

Audio, Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA, Wheat

Syngenta Group Sales Up 23% in 2021

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Group today announced sales for 2021 grew 23 percent ($5.2 billion) year-on-year to $28.2 billion.

In 2021, Syngenta Crop Protection sales grew 19 percent to $13.5 billion with sales in North America up 14 percent. VAYANTIS®, a broad-spectrum novel seed treatment fungicide dedicated to protecting soybean and corn from key diseases such as pythium, was launched in the U.S. and Canada.

ADAMA sales grew by 24 percent in 2021, with 18% in North America, resulting in full-year sales of $5.8 billion.

Syngenta Seeds sales grew 24 percent to $4.1 billion last year with a five percent increase in North America. ENOGEN™ corn for feed saw record sales in North America, offering better digestibility for livestock as well as greenhouse gas reductions.

At the recent Commodity Classic in New Orleans, Enogen Head of Marketing and Stewardship Duane Martin talked about how livestock producers feeding Enogen® corn can see an increase feed efficiency.

Learn more about Enogen corn in this interview.
Interview with Duane Martin, Enogen (5:33)

Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Seed, Syngenta

Precision Ag News 3/30

Carrie Muehling

  • Following the thorough review of a proposed label amendment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of Enlist One and Enlist Duo in 134 additional counties, providing growers with additional weed management options for the 2022 growing season.
  • Grower groups including the American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and National Cotton Council welcomed and expressed appreciation for an announcement from EPA that will restore use of Enlist herbicides to many U.S. counties.
  • Wehmeyer Seed has entered a dealership agreement with Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC, a fast-growing supplier of high-quality crop inputs. Under the new relationship, Wehmeyer Seed will carry the Meristem Crop Performance product line and become Meristem’s ally in helping Corn Belt farmers make every acre even more profitable.
  • GROWERS, a solution and service provider for ag retail, and Arva Intelligence, a leader in carbon marketing technology, announced a partnership to provide a seamless way for ag retailers to assist customers in selling carbon through Arva’s Carbon Ready program and GROWERS Rally sales platform.
  • Cotton growers have a convenient new tool to battle nematodes in-furrow with Averland® FC nematicide/insecticide/miticide from Vive Crop Protection. Averland FC combines abamectin and Vive’s patented Allosperse® nano-polymer delivery system, making it the only abamectin in-furrow solution registered for nematodes in cotton that also mixes perfectly with liquid fertilizers and other crop inputs.
  • AgSource Cooperative Services announced their acquisition of Dairyland Laboratories, Inc. Agronomy Services Division in Stratford, Wisconsin. Effective March 23, all soil, plant tissue and manure analyses, as well as nutrient management services, will be provided by AgSource. Another change for the AgSource brand was recently announced by URUS, the parent company of the AgSource and VAS brands. Effective March 1, both companies will operate as independent brands under the URUS umbrella.
  • The National Corn Growers Association released a video offering tips from perennial high-yield entrants of the National Corn Yield Contest during a breakfast at Commodity Classic in New Orleans honoring the state winners of the 2021 contest.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

ZimmCast 689 – Preview of 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

Trips on the agriblogging highway continue with the Agri-Marketing Conference coming up next week. After that conference it will be on to Lexington, KY for the Alltech ONE Conference in May.

2022 Agri-Marketing ConferenceZimmComm will be exhibiting in the Connection Point at the Agri-Marketing Conference once again, in booth 201. The ZimmComm Golden Mic will be there to conduct interviews with attendees. All you have to do is stop by and we can chat about what is new in the world of agribusiness with you. You can also stop by to enter a drawing for a blue Apple HomePod mini while you’re at it.

To get a preview of this year’s NAMA conference I’m sharing a conversation with Tom Posta, Bader Rutter, who is Chair of this year’s event.

If you would be interested in sponsoring the podcast please let me know. Just email chuck@zimmcomm.biz or message me on social media.

I hope you enjoyed this episode and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 689 - Preview of 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference (11:06)

So, that’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you like it and thank you for listening.

Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Ag Groups, Agencies, Agribusiness, Audio, Media, NAMA, ZimmCast

Excitement Growing for 2022 Alltech ONE

Cindy Zimmerman

The excitement is growing for the first in-person Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) conference since 2019, featuring tracks that will uncover the challenges and opportunities in agriculture, business, health and wellness, and professional development.

Now in its 38th year, Alltech’s global agri-food conference continues to be an invaluable resource, uniting thought leaders and changemakers in an exploration of the power of science, sustainability and storytelling. This annual flagship event will be held May 22–24, both in person in Lexington, Kentucky, and virtually on a first-class platform, with live-streaming keynote and select on-demand track presentations available to ensure accessibility to everyone, everywhere.

Keynote speakers announced include Mick Ebeling, Not Impossible Labs; Paul Polman, co-author of “Net Positive”; Heather White, OneGreenThing; Nikki Putnam Badding, Acutia; Alltech Scientific Advisor Dr. Karl Dawson; and of course, Alltech President and CEO Dr. Mark Lyons.

There are several fun and exciting community events planned during ONE Weekend, including Beer Yoga, Alltech Street Science, and ONE Community Concert.

Learn more and register today – see you in May in Lexington!

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture