NCBA Plan to Voluntarily Increase Price Discovery

Carrie Muehling

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) hopes to voluntarily increase price discovery in the cattle industry with its new “75% Plan.”

A shortage of price discovery, particularly in the fed cattle market, has existed because people are using alternative market agreements instead of negotiated trade in many cases, said Tanner Beymer, NCBA Director of Government Affairs and Market Regulatory Policy.

“That decline in negotiated trade is problematic because that direct buyer/seller interaction between cattle feeders and packers is what sets the tone for the whole market. It gives everybody an idea of where the market is at any given time,” said Beymer.

Producers need access to good data and true price discovery to make informed marketing decisions, which is why industry leaders began to look for solutions at the organization’s summer business meeting in Denver. The member-developed approach lays out a framework to increase negotiated fed cattle trade and incentive each of the major packers’ participation in such cash trade. The plan provides benchmarks for the industry to strive toward, beginning at 75 percent with hopes of increasing that number over time.

2020 NAFB Interview with Tanner Beymer, NCBA 9:24

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Markets, NCBA

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 9

Chuck Zimmerman

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

The experts we’ve heard from on our previous episodes have covered topics ranging from how different crops use nitrogen to the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship and how growers and retailers work together to choose the best input for an operation. If you haven’t checked out the previous prior six episodes, you can find them on your favorite podcast platform.

Koch Agronomic Services & Koch Fertilizer

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between Koch Agronomic Services and Koch Fertilizer. You’ll hear from Tim Laatsch, director of agronomy for North America for Koch Agronomic Services, and Scott Boyd, director of sales for Koch Fertilizer in the western U.S. They’ll explain how the two businesses work together to bring innovative products to market to help growers protect their nitrogen investment and touch on what the fertilizer industry anticipates for spring.

You can listen to the program here: Koch Agronomic Services & Koch Fertilizer

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Agribusiness, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil

#ASTACSS Explores Hybrid Wheat

Cindy Zimmerman

The CSS in ASTA CSS & Seed Expo stands for corn, soybeans and sorghum, but in recent years a little wheat has crept into the rotation.

“Hybrid Wheat – What is Different This Time?” was the title of the last session at the 2020 Seed Expo, featuring a panel of experts from the world of wheat. One of them was Jessie Alt, Global Wheat Lead for Corteva Agriscience. You might remember Dr. Alt from a few years ago when she starred in a video on plant breeders for the American Seed Trade Association.

In this interview, Alt discusses the role of newer breeding techniques and genomic knowledge enabling and complementing hybrid wheat breeding.

ASTA Interview with Jessie Alt, Corteva Agriscience (8:20)

If you want to see the entire wheat session, it is still available on-demand for registrants of the 2020 CSS & Seed Expo. Just click here.

Interviews and other media content from the event is available in the 2020 ASTA CSS AgNewsWire virtual newsroom.

ASTA, Audio, Wheat

Precision Ag News 12/16

Carrie Muehling

  • Kinze Manufacturing has entered into an agreement with General Implement Distributors, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, to distribute Kinze planters, tillage equipment and grain carts to their dealers in 18 states, mostly in the western U.S.
  • U.S. farmers not only planted and harvested a large crop successfully in 2020, but they also rolled out some impressive yields in the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest despite weather challenges, wildfires, and a pandemic. Don Stall, Charlotte, Michigan, produced the highest yield in the contest with a yield of 476.9052 bushels per acre. The National Corn Yield Contest is now in its 56th year and remains NCGA’s most popular program for members.
  • Syngenta recently announced the global launch of spiropidion, an innovative new insecticide active ingredient. The technology will help farmers protect a broad range of crops against damaging and difficult-to-control sucking pests in a targeted, effective and environmentally sustainable manner. In North America, Syngenta has entered into an agreement with Gowan Company L.L.C., a family-owned agricultural solutions business headquartered in Yuma, Arizona. Gowan has been granted an exclusive license to market and sell a patented spiropidion 300 SC formulation in the United States and Canada.
  • ApisProtect, a bee monitoring innovator, announced the U.S. launch of its powerful commercial honey bee monitoring platform after extensive early successes.
  • AgGateway has announced its 2021 leadership and meeting dates, and released its Annual Report, entitled “Create, Engage, Grow”. The non-profit organization helps companies reduce errors in procurement, inventory, sales and reporting; achieve interoperability among myriad hardware and software systems; and leverage global digital resources and business relationships to enhance productivity, traceability and sustainability.
  • Farm tractor and self-propelled combine unit sales continue their growth across the U.S. in November 2020, while small to mid-size units continue growth in Canada according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. total farm tractor sales rose 41 percent in November compared to 2019 while U.S. self-propelled combine sales grew 33.1 percent. U.S. four-wheel-drive units nearly doubled in November, up 91.4 percent to 201 units, now up year-to-date 4.7 percent. 100+hp also grew in November, up 24.2 percent, keeping the big units positive for the year, now up 1.2 percent YTD. Total YTD farm tractors out the door are up 16.4 percent in 2020, while combines are now up 6.4 percent on the year.
  • BRANDT has begun the construction of a new 40,000 square foot expansion of its manufacturing facility in Pleasant Plains, IL. The expansion will allow for additional storage of finished dry and liquid fertilizer blends, as well as raw materials. The $1.5M expansion will increase storage capacity by over 30% and was built to support the growing needs of the business.
  • After participating in a virtual week-long program and pitching to a committee of AgLaunch Farmer Network members and investor partners Innova Memphis and AgVentures Alliance, six startup companies have been selected to participate in the full AgLaunch365 accelerator and to participate in on-farm trials in 2021.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Agricultural Leaders Release Roadmap for Trade

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers for Free Trade held a virtual press conference Tuesday to release a new report on the challenges and solutions for American agriculture on trade, supply chains and global competitiveness. The report is the culmination of a series of discussions across rural America with farmers, ag leaders and related industries including manufacturing and food producers and distributors.

The report, organized by Farmers for Free Trade and its membership, is being released to the incoming Biden administration, Congressional offices and the general public at a time when the ag community is facing enormous challenges, including the potential loss of a trade surplus it has enjoyed for decades.

Participating in the press conference were:
Brian Kuehl and Angela Hofmann, Co-Executive Directors of Farmers for Free Trade
Mary Andringa, Chair of the Board of Vermeer Corporation
Kevin Ross, Iowa farmer and chair of the National Corn Growers Association
Jaime Castaneda, National Milk Producers Federation Senior VP, Policy Strategy & International Trade
Chris Hoffman, PA pig farmer and 2020 Pig Farmer of the Year
Ryan Quarles, KY Agriculture Commissioner and NASDA President

Listen to the first part of the press conference here:
Ag Talks report announcement (33:36)

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Corn, Dairy, Pork, Trade

NK Corn Portfolio Offers Strong Genetics, Traits

Carrie Muehling

A focus on yield, consistency, and leveraging technology is bringing the NK corn portfolio into 2021, according to Joe Bollman, NK Corn Product Manager for Syngenta.

“We have depth in our portfolio,” said Bollman, who participated in the National Association of Farm Broadcasting virtual Trade Talk event. “What that goes to show is that we’ve been doing a good job with advancing and bringing products to the market that have consistency and strong agronomics that deliver farmers the choices that they want, that deliver the ROI that they need.”

Bollman said growers should look for products that fit both the soil type and management strategies of their operations, including products like Agrisure® Duracade and Agrisure® Viptera.

“We have great breeding advancements that bring strong performing genetics that can handle these weather stresses, but if you’re not getting that protection from the traits, as well, you’re giving up yield potential that you have out there,” he said.

NK plans to offer 11 new corn hybrids in 2021.

2020 NAFB Interview with Joe Bollman, NK Corn Product Manager 4:51

Audio, Corn, NAFB, Syngenta

ZimmCast 662 – ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Recap

Cindy Zimmerman

Each December, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) hosts America’s largest seed industry convention as the Christmas Season begins traditionally in the Chicago Hyatt Regency at the top of the Magnificent Mile.

This year, like everything else since March, the ASTA CSS and Seed Expo was virtual, and that allowed nearly 1000 attendees from around the world to participate and have access to timely industry content, like the annual outlook for the agricultural economy with Dan Basse. People are still registering for the event to see some of the great panels and presentations.

In this edition of the ZimmCast, we recap some of the highlights of #ASTACSS, including interviews with Basse, ASTA chair John Latham, Iowa farmer Pam Johnson, and ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne. Find more interviews and other media content from the event on the AgNewsWire virtual newsroom.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 661 - ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Recap (25:56)

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

ASTA, Audio, Podcasts, Seed, ZimmCast

Syngenta Saltro® Fungicide has Strong First Year

Carrie Muehling

Growers who have dealt with Soybean Cyst Nematode or Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) know that both are perpetual challenges, potentially creating substantial issues when planting into that environment.

Syngenta‘s Saltro fungicide proved to protect against these threats during the 2020 growing season, which was the first it was available commercially.

“It protects the plant against SDS, it protects the plant against Soybean Cyst Nematode,” said Paul Oklesh, Syngenta Seed Care Product Lead for the U.S. Soybean Portfolio. “It keeps that infection level in the roots low, so that if you get the right environmental conditions later in the season that would normally flush those toxins up into the canopy of the plant, you don’t have as much disease pressure in the roots so you don’t see as much disease pressure in the canopy later.”

Oklesh, who participated in the National Association of Farm Broadcasting virtual Trade Talk event, encouraged growers to visit whysaltro.com for more information about product performance and comparisons to ILEVO-treated soybeans.

2020 NAFB Interview with Paul Oklesh, Syngenta seedcare lead 6:13

Audio, Soybean, Syngenta

Animal Ag News 12/14

Carrie Muehling

  • The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced Starbucks intent to support the Net Zero Initiative, a partnership of the U.S. dairy community seeking to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, optimize water usage and improve water quality on farms.
  • The number of consumers who say they intend to eat beef at least weekly increased from 67 percent to 72 percent compared to 2019, and consumer positive perceptions of beef reached 70 percent for the first time, according to a new report released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, that examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer attitudes, behaviors and perceptions. The full “State of the Consumer” Report, with detailed statistics and graphs can be found here.
  • Our world is changing at a more rapid pace than ever before, and we are closing out one of the most memorable years in recent history. How has your business revolutionized to shift with such seismic change? Are you finding ways to adapt and thrive in the years ahead? Join the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience on December 15 for interactive discussions with four authors who are dedicated to inspiring reinvention and transformation for the future.
  • Members of the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) elected five candidates to the board of directors during the 2020 AGA Annual Membership Meeting held virtually on December 4. The newly elected board member is William McIntosh, Georgetown, Kentucky. Re-elected to serve a second term were Dustin Aherin, St. Charles, Missouri; Jeff Loveless, Spanish Fork, Utah; Dan McCarty, Rifle, Colorado; and Derek Martin, Bucklin, Kansas. The AGA board of directors also elected individuals to serve in leadership positions on the executive committee for 2021. Dan McCarty was re-elected president. Klint Sickler was re-elected vice president. Both John Carrel, Columbus, Montana, secretary, and Derek Martin, treasurer, were elected to serve a second term in their role.
  • As U.S. pork exports continue to break records in 2020, new reports from the National Pork Board demonstrate opportunities that may diversify U.S. pork exports in Vietnam and the Philippines. The reports also show how African swine fever outbreaks in Asia have impacted both countries’ pork industries and related supply chains. The full reports are available for download at pork.to/international.
  • The Beef Alliance is pleased to announce a new initiative, Feeding Innovation: The 2021 Startup Challenge. The Startup Challenge is a virtual pitch competition for innovators with solutions related to the cattle feeding industry.
  • The checkoff-founded GENYOUth organization and Campbell’s Chunky® are hosting an e-sports initiative that will raise money to deliver 100 million meals, including milk, as part of its COVID-19 Emergency School Meal Delivery Fund to help tackle hunger in schools.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service announced a groundbreaking treatment that prevents anemia, weight loss, poor wool and meat production, and even death in sheep.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Evaluating a John Deere Gator During 2020 Deer Season

Chuck Zimmerman

CPHC Hunting CrewHere is most of the team from the Chrystal Pig Hunt Club. We’re in front of a new John Deere Gator XUV 855M S4 that we put through its paces to evaluate and report on. I’ll have more photos and video to share after getting some time at ZimmComm World Headquarters.

We’ve had great weather this season and have seen more deer on our property than ever. And better yet, we’ve only seen a few feral hogs. That makes us happy. The harvest has filled a few freezers and we have room for more. The season here in Georgia lasts a few weeks longer so you can probably guess where we’ll be when we can.

I’m collecting photos of this Gator during our trips to hunting camp here: 2020 Hunt with a Gator Photo Album

Hunting, John Deere