Cotton Council Reveals Planting Intentions Survey

Cindy Zimmerman

According to the National Cotton Council’s 41st Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey, U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 12.0 million cotton acres this spring, up 7.3 percent from 2021.

Upland cotton intentions are 11.9 million acres, up 7.1 percent from 2021, while extra-long staple (ELS) intentions of 158,000 acres represent a 24.8 percent increase. The detailed survey results were announced during the 2022 National Cotton Council Annual Meeting.

Dr. Jody Campiche, the NCC’s vice president, Economics & Policy Analysis, said, “Planted acreage is just one of the factors that will determine supplies of cotton and cottonseed. Ultimately, weather and agronomic conditions are among the factors that play a significant role in determining crop size.”

Cotton newsline audio with Dr. Jody Campiche (4:04)

The National Cotton Council also provided the annual economic outlook for the industry at the annual meeting.

This past year can be characterized as a year with significant uncertainty and volatility in the global economy and the world cotton market. The global economy recovered at a much faster pace than expected as COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed and world economies reopened. Strong world cotton demand has resulted in the highest cotton prices in a decade. However, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic’s shock to global trade have created an unprecedented level of stress and disruption on the entire supply chain, from transportation costs to labor availability.

Audio, Cotton

Animal Ag News 2/14

Carrie Muehling

  • Zoetis announced it will support the Folds of Honor Foundation by donating a portion of purchases from the industry-leading Zoetis anti-infective portfolio to support the legacy of America’s fallen and disabled military members.
  • Zoetis, CowManager and Select Sires Inc. announced the launch of a strategic collaboration to integrate genomic tools and predictive sensor systems. The goal of this collaboration is to create value for cattle producers in farm management through better advice supported by more accurate, intelligent cow data.
  • Cattle producers Norman Voyles, Jr., Jimmy Taylor and Andy Bishop are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board. This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2022.
  • Michelle Sutton, a senior at Texas A&M University, was named the Frank Perdue Scholarship Student of the Year during the USPOULTRY Foundation College Student Career Program, held in conjunction with the 2022 International Production & Processing Expo.
  • Register today for the Beef X Dairy: Hits and Misses webinar on February 17th, 2022 @ 6:00 p.m. Central time.
  • For more than a decade, the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program has been celebrating dairy farms, businesses and partnerships for their dedication to advancing sustainability across the industry. The nominations period deadline for the 2022 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards has been extended to March 4.
  • The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is announcing the expansion of wild bird surveillance for avian influenza to include the Mississippi and Central Flyways. This expansion also enlarged the existing surveillance program in the Atlantic and Pacific Flyways, which is in place to conduct surveillance of birds that may interact with wild birds from Europe and Asia.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council expressed opposition to the U.S. District Court’s ruling to remand and vacate the gray wolf Endangered Species Act delisting announced by the Trump administration in 2020.
  • The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame awarded the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award during the final round of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo to WPRA barrel racer Sissy Winn.
  • On behalf of U.S. dairy producers and manufacturers, the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council lauded the industry’s decades of work that’s led to a record year for U.S. dairy exports after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced record sales of $7.75 billion in 2021, accounting for over 17% of U.S. milk production.
  • Josh Meissner, a dairy farmer in central Wisconsin, will serve an interim term on the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative board of directors, the co-op announced.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Crop Insurance Premium Benefit Offered for Cover Crops

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced details of the 2022 Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP) that both benefits farmers and supports climate smart production practices.

Agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) if they planted cover crops during the 2022 crop year. To receive the benefit from this year’s Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), producers must report cover crop acreage by March 15, 2022. The new program comes on the heels of the recently announced Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities which creates market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart production practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits.

RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger attended the 2022 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) Annual Meeting this week where she talked about the program. “It is exciting that we are able to offer this again,” said Bunger. “I’m anticipating there will be even more acres that will fall under that premium credit option.”

PCCP was first offered in 2021, and producers with crop insurance received $59.5 million in premium subsidies for 12.2 million acres of cover crops. PCCP helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems, despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic and is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, a bundle of programs to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions.

Listen to an interview with Bunger from CIRB here:
CIRB22 interview with RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger (3:58)

2022 CIRB Annual Meeting Virtual Newsroom

Audio, CIRB, cover crops, Crop Insurance, USDA

Industry Ag News 2/11

Carrie Muehling

  • From the first Commodity Classic in 1996 through the upcoming 2022 event March 10-12 in New Orleans, one person in particular has been a constant guiding force for the annual agricultural trade show and educational event. Peggy Findley, the show director for the past 26 years, has announced that she will be retiring later this year, once her replacement is hired and the transition of duties for managing the 2023 event in Orlando is complete. Commodity Classic is actively recruiting candidates for the position at commodityclassic.com/join-the-classic-team.
  • Ag groups representing thousands of farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives that will be harmed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revoke all tolerances of chlorpyrifos are taking legal action against the agency: They are frustrated over EPA’s disregard for its own science confirming the crop protection tool can be used safely, effectively, and without dietary or environmental risk.
  • Joe Boddiford, peanut farmer from Sylvania, Georgia, was elected chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission during the February monthly board meeting. Boddiford succeeds Armond Morris, peanut farmer from Tift County, who retired after serving as chairman for the past 16 years.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association welcomed Wolf Carbon Solutions and Predictive Search as its newest associate members.
  • Farm Journal’s The Scoop announces the Business Innovation Award to recognize ag retailers who have demonstrated a digital transformation in their business. EFC Systems is the presenting sponsor of the award, which will be given in cooperation with the Ag Retailers Association. To nominate an ag retailer for the award, go to thedailyscoop.com/techaward. The deadline for applications is Aug. 1, 2022.
  • U.S. Custom Harvesters (USCHI) hosted the 38th annual convention January 27-29 at the Amarillo Civic Center. This year’s annual convention saw record-breaking auction and attendance. USCHI members donated over $45,000 for a fallen member’s widow and children, and raised more than $16,000 for cancer research at the Mayo Clinic.
  • Individuals across the country can make a difference in the lives of the more than 735,000 FFA members by participating in Give FFA Day. For the seventh year, during National FFA Week, individuals will have an opportunity to step up and support FFA and agricultural education through Give FFA Day on Thursday, Feb. 24.
  • The American Agri-Women Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2022 Daughters of American Agriculture Scholarships. Get an application at https://americanagriwomen.org/scholarships. The application deadline is March 1, 2022.
  • Narrative, the world’s #1 data commerce platform, announced a partnership with AWIS Weather Services and the launch of the AWIS Weather Services Data Shop. The online store allows businesses to easily find and purchase weather and climate-related datasets via a familiar e-commerce workflow.
Zimfo Bytes

CIRB Highlights Crop Insurance Industry Resilience

Cindy Zimmerman

Resilience is the theme for the 2022 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting and part of being resilient means adapting quickly to change.

“As an industry, we have a desire to meet the needs of the farmers out there,” said Crop Risk Services President and CEO Brian Young, who serves as acting chair for CIRB. “So, it’s really trying to understand what are those needs, what’s changing, and how can we adapt to that.”

Young says it is already time to be talking about the 2023 Farm Bill. “You have a lot of newer members of Congress maybe have not been through a farm bill, so there’s an education component,” he said. “We want to make sure we are keeping an eye on what issues are there.”

CIRB22 interview with Brian Young, Crop Risk Services (4:12)

2022 CIRB Annual Meeting Photo Album

Audio, CIRB, Crop Insurance

U.S. Agricultural Exports Shattered Records in 2021

Cindy Zimmerman

The American agricultural industry posted its highest annual export levels ever recorded last year, according to the final 2021 trade data from the Department of Commerce. The report shows exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world in 2021 totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18 percent and eclipsing the previous record, set in 2014, by 14.6 percent.

The United States’ top 10 export markets all saw gains in 2021, with six of the 10 – China, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines and Colombia – setting new records. Worldwide exports of many U.S. products, including soybeans, corn, beef, pork, dairy, distillers grains and pet food, also reached all-time highs. China remained the top export destination, with a record $33 billion in purchases, up 25 percent from 2020, while Mexico inched ahead of Canada to capture the number two position with a record $25.5 billion, up 39 percent from last year.

The healthy export demand for meat and dairy was a big topic of discussion at last week’s Cattle Industry Convention. “The beef export results are truly remarkable, especially considering the COVID-related obstacles in the global foodservice sector and all the supply-side and logistical challenges faced by the U.S. industry,” said U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Obviously our large Asian markets accounted for much of the growth, but it really takes broad-based global demand to reach these impressive levels. So this success story is not just about Korea, Japan and China – but also a strong performance in Taiwan, excellent growth in Central and South America and a rebound in Mexico and Southeast Asia.”

Listen to an interview with Halstrom from #CattleCon22.
CIC22 Interview with Dan Halstrom, USMEF 4:09

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Exports, Markets, Meat

New Holland Methane Power Tractor Debuts

Cindy Zimmerman

New Holland Agriculture North America has announced the U.S. launch of the world’s first production T6 Methane Power tractor, which is making its public debut this week at the 2022 World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.

The T6 Methane Power tractor is a key element in New Holland’s Energy Independent Farm concept, closing the loop of a true circular economy, from fields to energy generation and back to fields, a complete CO2-neutral cycle. Farmers can grow energy crops and use agricultural waste to generate biomethane and power their T6 Methane Power tractor with this sustainable fuel to achieve near-zero CO2 emissions. Livestock and dairy farmers can take this virtuous cycle even further by producing biomethane from manure, which subtracts CO2 from the environment, resulting in a carbon-negative footprint. Farmers can also use the byproducts of bio digestion as natural fertilizers on their fields, orchards, or vineyards, closing the circular economy loop.

The launch of this tractor is the result of a multiyear development project to create and bring to market a tractor lineup that furthers the use of more sustainable fuel sources in U.S. agriculture. A concept tractor was developed several years ago and was on display at the 2017 Farm Progress Show when we talked with New Holland Brand President Carlo Lambro about the company’s pursuit of sustainable and efficient technology through innovation.

Listen to that interview here: 2017 ZimmCast with Carlo Lambro, New Holland

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Energy, Livestock, New Holland, Tractor

Precision Ag News 2/9

Carrie Muehling

  • Salford Group welcomes David Webster as their new Director of Commercial Application.
  • Rob-See-Co now carries Streamline Ag seed-driven crop input products. Streamline Ag’s product line, which address the full crop cycle, from pre-plant to post-harvest, will offer Rob-See-Co’s growers improved plant and soil health, and increased crop yields.
  • WOLF TRAX® Dry Dispersible Powder (DDP®) micronutrients, from Koch Agronomic Services (Koch), has a new look, but is still specially formulated and designed to simplify micronutrient management, boost crop performance and maximize a grower’s nutrient use efficiency.
  • Complete with greater tank capacity, a superior parallel-link row unit and new productivity-enhancing features, the Case IH Precision Disk™ 550 air drill is designed to boost yield potential in a variety of crops and tillage practices. Available to order for spring 2023, the new model will help producers get the most out of every seed.
  • With the 2150S Early Riser® front-fold trailing planter, Case IH brings a productivity-boosting, split-row configuration to its lineup of 2000 series Early Riser planters. A 525-gallon fertilizer tank capacity — along with more seed capacity — enables operators to cover more acres between fills and make the most of their time in the field.
  • Members of Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) say the group continues to pick up momentum heading into 2022. Members, leaders and industry partners met for a first annual meeting Jan. 20 at the Dairy Strong conference. FSF membership has grown to 40, including 14 newcomers in 2021. By partnering with six farmer-led conservation groups across Wisconsin, FSF now works with 231 farmers who represent 288,925 acres and 243,720 head of livestock.
  • Direct Enterprises, Inc. (DEI) and TerraMax, Eagan, Minn., announced a new strategic marketing agreement. Under the agreement, DEI will now carry TerraMax’s unique in-furrow product, MicroAZ-IF, a biological shown to enhance nutrient take-up and plant vigor in corn and soybeans.
  • Meristem Crop Performance Group and Talc USA, have joined forces in a strategic product development agreement focused on using Talc USA’s world-class talc-graphite seed fluency platform to deliver a wide-range of new in-furrow products to boost crop performance and reduce crop nutrition costs.
  • Abundant Robots – a startup automating the apple harvesting process to deliver high-quality produce to consumers – has launched to raise up to $20 million in seed capital via equity crowdfunding site WAX.
  • New Holland Agriculture North America announced the U.S. launch of the world’s first production T6 Methane Power tractor. The launch is a culmination of a multiyear development project to create and bring to market a tractor lineup that furthers the use of more sustainable fuel sources in U.S. agriculture.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

ZimmCast 685 – Cattle Industry Convention

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.

Last week I traveled to Houston for the annual Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. We produced a customized virtual newsroom for NCBA on AgNewsWire.com. It is loaded with content including photos, interviews and session audio that is all available all media.

In this week’s episode I’m going to feature some of my interviews. Included are now-past NCBA president Jerry Bohn and new president Don Schiefelbein. They each bring their perspective to the last year and the year ahead. Also in this week’s program you’ll hear from NCBA staff members CEO Colin Woodall and VP of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane. A very well attended each year is the Cattlefax Outlook. Afterward I spoke with Cattlefax VP of Industry Relations and Analysis to get a summary of what the outlook is for the cattle industry. Finally, I thought you might enjoy hearing Markie Hageman who received the Beef Advocacy Program Advocate of the Year.

It was a great conference. Like in Florida, there were no mask requirements or other ones. Over 6,000 people had a great time and that is the way I’d like to see all conferences from now on. No good reason not to.

This week I’ll be back on the agriblogging highway to the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting near Palm Springs, CA. See you from there.

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

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 685 - Cattle Industry Convention (36:09)

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, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA, ZimmCast

USDA to Invest $1 Billion in Climate Smart Commodities

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Jefferson City, Missouri yesterday to announce $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.

The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits. USDA is now accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022.

“Now, this program is not a carbon market program. It’s focused on commodity production,” said Vilsack. “And working alongside some of the great activity that we’re already seeing out in the market. We’re hopeful that we’ll see additional adoption of climate-smart practices across all regions of the country and all commodity types for those producers by themselves or their partner to obtain those private sector markets, another revenue source if you will, for farmers.”

Listen to Vilsack’s address here.
Secy Vilsack - Climate Smart Commodities (30:30)

Audio, carbon, climate, USDA