NCBA Concerned About Loss of USDA Report

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced this week that it is canceling the July Cattle report as well as all County Estimates for Crops and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year.

“The decision to discontinue these surveys and reports was not made lightly, but was necessary, given appropriated budget levels,” NASS said in its official statement.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) criticized the decision because the reports “provide critical data and the decision to end them is completely misguided.”

“It is disingenuous for the same agency which touts its commitment to transparency in livestock markets to arbitrarily cease publication of reports which provide just that. While it may be politically expedient to blame appropriators in Congress for today’s decision, cattle producers know better than to believe discontinuing a handful of reports will result in substantive cost savings for the Department,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA calls on USDA-NASS to immediately reverse this decision and continue delivering on its stated mission of providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.”

NCBA is urging USDA to reverse the decision. NASS also announced cancellation of the Cotton Objective Yield Survey.

Beef, Livestock, NCBA

Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall

Chuck Zimmerman

Celebration of Modern Ag on the National MallIn case you missed it.

The second Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall will take place Monday, May 6 – Wednesday, May 8 between the Smithsonian Museums in the heart of Washington, DC.

The 2024 theme of the Future of Food and Farming aims to highlight the benefits of today’s agricultural equipment technology along with gains achieved by producers, agri-business, food processors, and retailers. AEM is striving to have the full spectrum of agricultural equipment represented, including livestock, specialty and row crops.

“We are taking lessons from the inaugural Ag and CE events to make 2024 the best yet,” said AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades. “Showcasing the sustainability of our food system on the National Mall is an unparalleled opportunity to influence regulations and legislation.”

Blades spoke about the event during the National Ag Day celebration in Washington DC. Learn more in this interview. 2024 Ag Day Curt Blades interview 2:21

AEM, Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment

Animal Ag News 4/8

Carrie Muehling

  • Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) announced applications for financial aid through the TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund remain open for those cattle raisers impacted by wildfires in the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma. The TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting ranchers and landowners impacted by disasters, will distribute financial assistance to reduce the economic burdens incurred by cattle raisers from recent wildfire damages that were not covered through insurance or other means of aid.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), in partnership with Feedstuffs, named ADM’s animal nutrition feed facility in Bluffton, Ind., as its 2023 Premix/Ingredient Feed Facility of the Year. Gary Huddleston, AFIA’s director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, presented the award Wednesday to plant manager Brent Weedman during AFIA’s Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference in San Antonio.
  • The Meat Foundation is now accepting undergraduate and graduate scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 academic year. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2024. The Meat Foundation will be awarding one $10,000 Barry Carpenter Scholarship, along with several $5,000 scholarships. These scholarships are merit-based and open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at an accredited university who are majoring in animal, meat, poultry, or food sciences; enrolled in a culinary arts program; or are interested in pursuing a career in the meat industry.
  • Global animal feed production remained steady in 2023 at 1.29 billion metric tons (BMT), a slight decrease of 2.6 million metric tons (MMT) — or 0.2 percent — from 2022’s estimates, according to the 2024 Agri-Food Outlook, released by Alltech. The annual survey, now in its 13th year, includes data from 142 countries and more than 27,000 feed mills.
  • In the coming weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to release a final rule revising the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package. With it, the food and nutrition benefits of nearly 6 million mothers and children under the age of 5 are at risk of being cut. Now, new polling of 815 WIC participants shows growing concern among participants that USDA’s proposed cuts to milk and dairy benefits will make their lives more difficult. Nearly half expressed uncertainty about re-enrolling in the program if USDA cuts their milk and dairy benefits.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is accepting applications for the Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards. Now in its 21st year, the awards honor dairy processing facilities and trucking operations for outstanding worker safety performance and management.
  • Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) members gathered for the cooperative’s 104th Annual Meeting in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Members joined cooperative staff and leadership to engage in cooperative business, as well as learn from outside experts. The two-day meeting featured remarks from Dairy Management Incorporated CEO Barb O’Brien, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr, Virginia Senator Timmy French, National Dairy Promotion and Research Board Chair Joanna Shipp, CoBank Dairy Economist Corey Geiger, James Farrell & Co. CEO Jeff Vandel, and numerous others. Animal Care Expert Temple Grandin made a guest appearance. CEO Jay Bryant announced he will retire from his position at the end of this year, concluding more than 22 years of leading and 37 years of working at MDVA.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative announced that Paige Kirnberger has joined the organization as a sustainability project specialist to support farmers in all aspects of the Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart Program, from enrollment through data collection and analysis.
  • Simplot Animal Sciences announced Samuel G. Etay, Ph.D., has joined its in vitro fertilization (IVF) team as a research scientist. In this role, Etay will work to improve efficiency of Simplot’s IVF system, enhance the quality of in vitro-produced beef embryos and ultimately improve pregnancy outcomes.
  • GEA Farm Technologies acquires Northern Ireland-based agricultural software company CattleEye Ltd., adding a pioneering artificial intelligence system to its existing portfolio of solutions for dairy farms. The acquisition reinforces GEA’s strong commitment to improving animal health and welfare.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    MyLand Welcomes Nicole Small

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Soil health company MyLand welcomes Nicole Small to the team as Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications.

    Charged with driving comprehensive marketing campaigns, Small will lead efforts to enhance brand visibility, amplify research and development results, and emphasize MyLand’s commitment to Exceptional Service for growers. Small oversees the marketing team and reports to Shelley Baugh, MyLand Vice President, Marketing & Culture.

    “We are delighted to welcome Nicole to the MyLand team,” expressed Baugh. “Nicole will play a pivotal role in our marketing activities and is what we need to propel our marketing efforts forward. We are confident that Nicole will make an immediate impact and help us to connect with our customers in new and meaningful ways.”

    Small will lead initiatives to optimize campaign management, attract new growers, and enhance customer engagement. As part of MyLand’s ongoing collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Small will contribute to greater access to soil health education.

    AgWired Precision, people, Precision Agriculture, Soil

    Industry Ag News 4/5

    Carrie Muehling

  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting project proposals now through July 2, 2024, that will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. These projects in turn can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity.
  • Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo (CO-08) recently announced a bill to address the impending transfer of over 370 million acres of farmland in the next two decades. The Farm Transitions Act is co-led by two Democrats and two Republicans: Rep. Caraveo (CO-08), Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01), Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03), and Rep. Don Davis (NC-01). The Farm Transitions Act would reauthorize the Commission on Farm Transitions included in the 2018 Farm Bill.
  • According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, multiple years of record margins have left U.S. soybean processors well-prepared to weather the inevitable downturn in margins. However, overbuilding U.S. soybean crush capacity, combined with sustained levels of low processing margins could threaten the viability of new, high-cost plants in the long term.
  • The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcomes Elizabeth Rivera as the new Director of Communications and Partnerships. Elizabeth comes to NAWG with experience on Capitol Hill, interning with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules and serving as Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  • Officers, committee chairs, and staff from the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) visited the Red River Valley as part of their Bayer Leadership Training Program. Northern Crops Institute (NCI) at North Dakota State University (NDSU) facilitated the training, which consisted of parliamentary procedure review, public speaking practice, board and officer responsibilities, and more. The national wheat leaders and staff had a reception with wheat boards from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, traveled to the North Dakota Mill and Elevator in Grand Forks, and heard from keynote speaker Collin Peterson about advocating for the Farm Bill.
  • Registration is now open for the 2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference July 17-19, with the theme Rollin’ on the River. The 25th annual conference for peanut growers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi will be held at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Savannah, Georgia. The three-day event provides farmers with information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is now accepting nominations for its 2024 Hall of Fame, which honors the trailblazers, inventors, and leaders whose work has left a legacy on the off-road equipment industry. Nominations are open until June 14, 2024, and can be submitted here.
  • Saying growers need reliable access to essential farming tools, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Harold Wolle warned the U.S. International Trade Commission of the consequences for America’s farmers if the agency grants a petition to levy tariffs on imported 2,4-D, an often-used herbicide that has been on the market for decades.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative announced Kayla Mayer as the newest addition to the company’s communication team. Mayer will serve as the marketing and communications manager. She works closely with Director of Communications Laura Hensley to oversee strategic direction, create creative assets and offers overall communications support on behalf of the association and its affiliates.
  • Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (FMH) announced the acquisition of Global Ag Insurance Services from commercial and specialty insurer AXA XL. Global Ag is a leading crop insurance provider headquartered in the western U.S. that offers crop insurance solutions through the USDA multi-peril crop insurance program as well as specialty private and named peril products designed to meet the unique needs of crop producers and growers.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Farmers and Ethanol Workers Call for E15 Waiver

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Nearly 1,000 farmers, ethanol industry workers, and other supporters from across the country sent a letter to President Biden this week calling for action to allow continued access to E15 throughout the upcoming summer driving season.

    “With the 2024 summer driving season just a few months away, we are urging your administration to take additional action that will ensure consumers across the nation have uninterrupted access to lower-cost, lower-carbon E15,” the letter states. “Allowing gasoline blenders and retailers to sell E15 this summer would help moderate prices at the pump, extend fuel supplies, and deliver relief to American families at a time of year when gasoline prices typically are at their highest. Today, E15 is selling for 10- 25 cents per gallon less than standard E10 gasoline, allowing the average American household to save $125-200 on its annual gasoline bill.” (Read the letter)

    According to a Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) analysis of data released by state agencies in Minnesota and Iowa, total U.S. sales of E15 (15% ethanol fuel) are estimated to have hit a record 1.11 billion gallons in 2023, up 8% over 2022. The increase was due to a combination of an expansion in the number of retail stations offering E15 and the savings that E15 continued to offer to consumers.

    A key reason why the average E15 volume per station has increased over the last five years is that sales have been allowed during the summer months in conventional gasoline areas. However, if the administration does not take action within the next month, E15 sales will drop precipitously in most of the country this summer, as occurred in conventional gasoline areas prior to 2019. In February of this year, EPA granted a petition from eight Midwest governors to allow year-round sales of E15. However, the petition only applies to those eight states and does not go into effect until 2025.

    RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper says right now the only practical solution this summer is for waivers to be issued again by EPA as it has done in the past two years due to market conditions. “And frankly the market conditions that justified those waivers last year and two years ago still exist and in fact, you could argue that the the circumstances are worse,” said Cooper. “We have actually lower inventories of crude oil and petroleum products today than we had a year ago or two years ago. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve remains at a 40 plus year low. You’ve still got the the situation in Ukraine and now you’ve got a situation in the Middle East that is affecting global global energy markets.”

    RFA joined several other organizations last week in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging him to act swiftly on an emergency waiver for E15 sales.

    Listen to Cooper’s comments on the need for a waiver.
    RFA CEO Geoff Cooper need for E15 waiver 1:43

    Audio, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, RFA

    ZimmCast 728 – Global Center for AgComm

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    I started in a career of agricultural communications back in 1983 and in all these years it is amazing how much has changed. Technology has played a major role and that includes the ability today to easily communicate about agriculture everywhere in the world. Having said this I’m going to have a conversation with Dr. Owen Roberts, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a good friend and we first met being involved at events of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.

    He is also involved with a new initiative at the University of Illinois’s College of Agriculture. And that’s the subject of this podcast episode. Plans have been made for a global center for food and agricultural communications and it is named after another good friend, Dr. James Evans – The James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications.

    If you would like to contribute to this initiative you can do so online here.

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 728 - Global Center for AgComm (12:40)

    That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    AgCareers, Audio, Education, ZimmCast

    How GHX Improves Seed Buying Experience

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Christy Schrader, GHX Marketing Manager, at Commodity Classic

    More farmers have been able to improve their seed buying experience with the GHX™ Mobile App in the past year

    With GHX Yield Intelligence for example, Christy Schrader, GHX Marketing Manager for Syngenta, says farmers can turn data into decisions with customized MaxScript™ seeding recommendations focused on getting the right products and the right seeding rates for their fields, backed by the support of the GHX team.
    Classic24 Christy Schrader, GHX 3:17

    Syngenta made the GHX™ Mobile App available to anyone last year by creating a guest account. “The app is all based around how to we help farmers grow a better crop,” said Digital Product Manager Justin Welch. “Any farmer, not just our customers, can now have access to the GHX Mobile app and insights that can help them better run their business and, in the end, maximize profit potential by the acre.”
    Classic24 Justin Welch, Syngenta 3:12

    2024 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    Audio, Commodity Classic, Seed, Syngenta

    Precision Ag News 4/3

    Carrie Muehling

  • Ten new members representing diverse sectors of agriculture and sustainability have joined the Board of Directors of the Soil Health Institute, ushering in the organization’s next phase of enhancing life by enriching soil.
  • Farm Journal Intelligence has issued the Smart Farming Intelligence Report: Navigating Ag Data & the Smart Farming Change Journey, which brings insights to assist the value chain in identifying the human dimensions of agriculture decision making. Among the findings, 58 percent of farmers agree new ag tech gives them a competitive advantage and that quickly adapting to trends is critical in today’s industry and nearly half are willing to pay a premium for higher performance inputs.
  • Taranis and Mississippi-based Steward Link have teamed to provide farmers with simplified application and practice validation opportunities for USDA conservation funding programs.
  • Syngenta has three new crop protection technologies on the market that are on track to each achieve at least $1 billion a year in global sales. TYMIRIUM technology is a nematicide and fungicide that can help young seedlings thrive in the first few weeks of life. PLINAZOLIN technology is a broad-spectrum insecticide that’s Syngenta’s fastest-growing technology to date, due to its versatility and effectiveness with a broad variety of crops. ADEPIDYN technology is a long-lasting fungicide that requires very few applications and can extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and also protects wheat crops against the fungus fusarium.
  • AGCO Corporation and Trimble announced the closing of their joint venture (JV) transaction. The JV, known as PTx Trimble, combines Trimble’s precision agriculture business and AGCO’s JCA Technologies to form a new company that will better serve farmers with factory fit and retrofit applications in the mixed-fleet precision agriculture market.
  • Concept AgriTek, a leader in the development of plant and soil health technologies, is pleased to announce the addition of Seda Klachko to its expanding agronomy team.
  • Intelinair, the makers of AGMRI and a leading ag data analytics company, today announced the achievement of Systems and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 (Type 1) compliance certification and a major milestone for the company. The rigorous SOC 2 compliance is a widely recognized framework comprising standards of data security, privacy, and operational integrity. Meeting the security criteria and validation through a third-party audit are required to successfully complete the certification.
  • FloraPulse, the first easy-to-install water sensor that provides accurate and low-cost water-sensing technology, is enhancing the lives of farmers and researchers who want real-time data that will enable them to make the quick, accurate decisions that will benefit their crops.
  • Ceradis Crop Protection B.V., a global developer and marketer of environmentally friendly plant nutrition and crop protection solutions, has been granted a Section 2(ee) label for the use of CeraMax biological seed treatment for the suppression of Red Crown Rot in soybeans.
  • Greeneye Technology, the pioneer of AI-enabled precision spraying technology that is proven to improve weed management and reduce herbicide use in farming, has appointed Tobias Menne to its advisory board.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Alltech Releases 2024 Agri-Food Outlook

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Global animal feed production remained steady in 2023 at 1.29 billion metric tons (BMT), a slight decrease from 2022, according to the Alltech 2024 Agri-Food Outlook annual survey, now in its 13th year, which includes data from 142 countries and more than 27,000 feed mills.

    The overall lower demand for feed was due, in part, to the more efficient use of feed made possible by intensive production systems that focus on using animal nutrition, farm management and other technologies to lower feed intake while producing the same amount of protein, or more. A slowdown in the overall production of animal protein, in response to tight margins experienced by many feed and animal protein companies, also contributed to lower feed demand. Changing consumption patterns caused by inflation and dietary trends, higher production costs and geopolitical tensions also influenced feed production in 2023.

    According to the survey, the top 10 feed-producing countries, which produce over 63% of the world’s production, are China (262.71 MMT), the U.S. (238.09 MMT), Brazil (83.32 MMT), India (52.83 MMT), Mexico (40.42 MMT), Russia (35.46 MMT), Spain (27.53 MMT), Vietnam (24.15 MMT), Japan (23.94 MMT) and Türkiye (23.37 MMT). Nearly half of the world’s global feed production is concentrated in China, the U.S., Brazil and India.

    The survey also found a decrease in feed production for 2023 in pigs, dairy, beef, aquaculture and equine feed, with pet and broiler feed higher and feed for layers nearly steady.

    Read more from Alltech.

    Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Aquaculture, Beef, Feed, Livestock, Poultry