Global Ethanol Summit Kicks Off in DC

Cindy Zimmerman

The first Global Ethanol Summit gets underway this morning in Washington D.C. with industry and government officials from 60 countries are meeting with U.S. officials to learn about prospects for expanded global ethanol use.

This week’s Summit, sponsored by the Council, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), features high-level government and industry officials from Algeria to Vietnam, who are working together to expand the global use of ethanol by developing policies with a role for trade.

Building on the success and momentum of 2017’s Ethanol Summit of the Americas and 2018’s Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific events, the Global Summit seeks to capitalize on potential markets around the world as demand increases for higher-level biofuels policies – including decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving clean air quality. The Council and its partners are working in all of these countries to highlight ethanol’s benefits and address constraints to expanding ethanol’s use.

The two-day conference will feature remarks from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky and Foreign Agricultural Service’s Associate Administrator Daniel Whitley, who will speak on collaboration and trade and the U.S. energy renaissance, respectively.

Ethanol, Events, Exports, RFA, USGC

Zimfo Bytes 10/11

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced that USDA is investing $152 million in 19 projects to provide or improve rural broadband service in 14 states.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins announced that the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has invested $11 million in research that will support specialty crop farmers.
  • Join seed industry professionals from around the world December 9-12 in Chicago for America’s largest seed conference! The American Seed Trade Association CSS 2019 & Seed Expo brings together nearly 3,000 attendees representing more than 30 countries for a week of collaboration, education, and the industry’s largest trade show.
  • Save the date for the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit on March 23, 2020 at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. from 8:30 – 4:30 p.m. with reception to follow at same location.
  • The American Soybean Association wants to recognize exceptional soy volunteers and leaders. During ASA’s annual awards banquet, individuals will be recognized and honored for state association volunteerism, distinguished leadership achievements and long-term, significant contributions to the soybean industry. The nomination period is open through Oct. 14, 2019.
  • The American Coalition for Ethanol recently welcomed two new ethanol producer members Heron Lake BioEnergy located in Heron Lake, Minnesota, and Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
  • Online registration is open for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 101st Annual Convention & Trade Show, Jan. 17-22, 2020, in Austin, Texas.
  • CommoditAg.com expands its network once again. The company announced it has expanded into Missouri and Arkansas with the addition of MFA Incorporated and its five distribution locations throughout the Midwest.
  • Sign up to participate in a new Farm Foundation forum which will bring together a panel of experts Oct. 22, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The topic is Incentivizing Conservation Agriculture.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission and Georgia Bankers Association will join forces Oct. 14-18, 2019, to promote the 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Bank Week.
  • Tractor Supply Company continues its mission to support youth in their local communities by launching its Fall Paper Clover campaign, a biannual fundraiser in partnership with National 4-H Council to provide scholarships for 4-H members.
  • Culver’s and its Thank You Farmers Project has raised $2.5 million to support agricultural education since its inception six years ago. So far in 2019, over $400,000 has been raised.
  • Expanding data-driven solutions for the ag industry, GROWMARK, Inc. and Growers Edge Financial, Inc. have announced a strategic partnership to help farmers become more efficient and profitable. Growers Edge will provide a yield guarantee program for GROWMARK’s expansive North American customer network and an extension to its AgValidity technology testing platform.
Zimfo Bytes

USDA Outlook Lowers Corn and Soybean Estimates

Cindy Zimmerman

The October World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates out today from USDA lowered the 2019-20 production outlook for corn and soybeans.

This month’s 2019/20 U.S. corn outlook is for slightly lower production, reduced exports and corn used for ethanol, greater feed and residual use, and lower ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 13.779 billion bushels, down 20 million as a decline in harvested area more than offsets an increased yield forecast. Corn supplies are forecast down sharply from last month on a reduced crop and lower beginning stocks based on the September 30 Grain Stocks report. Exports are reduced 150 million bushels reflecting smaller supplies and U.S. price competitiveness. Corn used for ethanol is down 50 million bushels based on weekly production data as reported by the Energy Information Administration during September.

Soybean production is forecast at 3.6 billion bushels, down 83 million, mainly on lower yields. The soybean yield is projected at 46.9 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from the September forecast. Harvested area is reduced slightly to 75.6 million acres. Soybean supplies for 2019/20 are forecast at 4.5 billion bushels down 175 million on lower production and beginning stocks. With a small increase in soybean crush, ending stocks are projected at 460 million bushels, down 180 million.

Corn, Soybean, USDA

Record Attendance for NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

2019 NAMA Fall ConferenceI was not able to attend this year’s NAMA Fall conference. I know I’m missing a good one.

Here are some highlights about the conference which wraps up today in St. Louis.

  • The Fall Conference kicked off with a record attendance of over 200.
  • Over 40 people turned out for the Gateway Ag Tour which included stops to Purina and Stumpy’s.
  • A welcome reception sponsored by Brownfield Ag Network kicked off the conference.
  • Keynote speaker Steve Lerch shared stories from a decade at Google.
  • The agency panel of area C-suite executives was well received and videotaped and will be pushed out to members later
  • A networking reception hosted by Brighton Agency concluded the near perfect day.

Watch Max Armstrong’s summary of the early activities:


NAMA

Precision Ag Bytes 10/9

Carrie Muehling

  • Sentera announces that its Tassel Count analytics product will be available to all FieldAgent™ customers in March 2020.
  • Expanding data-driven solutions for the ag industry, GROWMARK, Inc. and Growers Edge Financial, Inc. (Growers Edge) have announced a strategic partnership to help farmers become more efficient and profitable. Growers Edge will provide a yield guarantee program for GROWMARK’s expansive North American customer network and an extension to its AgValidity technology testing platform.
  • Join seed industry professionals from around the world December 9-12 in Chicago for America’s largest seed conference! The American Seed Trade Association CSS 2019 & Seed Expo brings together nearly 3,000 attendees representing more than 30 countries for a week of collaboration, education, and the industry’s largest trade show.
  • Dan Vradenburg, the former president of leading ag-retailer Wilbur Ellis, has joined Trace Genomics as chief executive officer.
  • A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. announced Brandon Yott has joined the company as Strategy & Business Development Manager of Precision Agriculture Technologies.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

First Florida Hemp Conference Next Month

Cindy Zimmerman

The inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference (FIHCE 2019) will be held November 3-5 in Orlando. FIHCE 2019 is a networking and educational event designed to foster the development of an industrial hemp industry in Florida.

Topics at the conference include the latest information on the hemp market, state and federal legislation, growing and cultivation, research, banking, and lots more.

Gene Jones is co-founder of the conference and in this interview he talks about this new agricultural crop and the information growers need to make it happen.

Interview with Gene Jones, Florida Industrial Hemp Conference 9:48

Audio, Cannabis, Events, hemp

Agriculture Wins With Japan Agreement

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump gathered farmers and ranchers and other stakeholders at the White House on Monday for the signing of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement.

In his remarks prior to the signing, President Trump talked about the many agricultural commodities that will benefit from the new agreement.

President Trump remarks on signing of Japan agreement
Audio, Trade

Trade Factors in Future of Farming

Cindy Zimmerman

Trade disputes, tariffs and negotiations are a significant factor when looking at the future of agriculture around the world.

The Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue last week included a panel on trade featuring Iowa farmer and former president of the National Corn Growers Association Pam Johnson.

Johnson says a free trade world is a necessity for agriculture. “Trade wars are not easy to win and the tariffs are killing us.”

The panel also included Dirk Backhaus, Bayer Crop Science division; Rodrigo C.A. Lima, Agroicone; and Okisegere Ojepat, Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya.

Bayer Future of Farming Trade Panel Discussion

In this interview, Johnson talks about USMCA and other trade issues for U.S. farmers.

Interview with Pam Johnson, Iowa farmer

2019 Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, Corn, Trade

Animal Ag Bites 10/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Hundreds of dairy farmers will come to Madison, Wisconsin on Jan. 22-23, 2020 for Dairy Strong – an exciting conference and trade show. Dairy farmers who register by Nov. 1 are invited to attend Dairy Strong for free. Registration is now open at dairystrong.org. To receive two complimentary registrations, farmers must register BEFORE NOV. 1. After Nov. 1, dairies can attend for $150 for two days or $99 for one day.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation released a proposal for the future of U.S. milk-pricing provisions and marketing-order reform. The recommendations aim to bring more democracy and a more equitable program for all dairy farmers.
  • A National Pork Board report shows U.S. Latinos’ affinity for pork and growing purchasing power make it a critical audience for the industry, but as Hispanics acculturate, their pork consumption declines. The new report, Time to Tango: Latinos are Pork’s Future, reveals steps food retailers and packers must take to connect with these influential consumers who represent the biggest growth opportunity of the next several decades.
  • Fuel Up to Play 60 – the nation’s leading in-school wellness program founded by dairy farmers and the NFL – is teaming with Chelan Fresh to increase access to more nutritious foods in schools, including dairy. Chelan Fresh, one of Washington state’s largest suppliers of apples and pears and the nation’s largest provider of fresh cherries, will provide 10 portable breakfast/salad bar carts to nine Fuel Up to Play 60 schools in Florida, Virginia and Washington.
  • Dr. Alfonso Clavijo has been appointed as Director of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a state-of-the-art U.S. Department of Agriculture research and diagnostic facility designed to protect the nation’s agricultural systems and stakeholders against the threat and potential impact of serious animal diseases.
  • The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to announce the addition of Cory Harris as its manager of government affairs, effective Sept. 16.
  • Harriet Hageman, Senior Litigation Counsel with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Casper, Wyoming representing the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and four ranchers from Wyoming and South Dakota, to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s effort to eliminate all animal identification options other than radio frequency identification (RFID) devices and premises registration for adult cattle and bison moving interstate. A fact sheet regarding the lawsuit is available here.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Industry Reaction to Administration Biofuels Plan

Cindy Zimmerman

Industry stakeholders reacted positively to the Trump Administration biofuels plan announced Friday, under which the Environmental Protection Agency will propose and request public comment on expanding biofuel requirements beginning in 2020 and on actions to ensure that more than 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, and that the volume obligation for biomass-based diesel is met. While it promises to account for small refinery exemptions going forward, it does not make up for the millions of gallons already lost under the SREs that have already been granted.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the plan is “a crucial step toward repairing the damage done by EPA’s small refinery waivers and re-establishes the RFS as a driver of growth in the production and use of low carbon renewable fuels.”

Interview with RFA CEO Geoff Cooper on administration biofuels plan

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings says it’s good EPA will account for waivers beginning in 2020 but bad that they are “doing nothing to reallocate the more than 4 billion gallons of RFS blending obligations waived for refineries from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 compliance years.”

Interview with ACE CEO Brian Jennings on administration biofuels plan

National Biodiesel Board Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik says, “Proper accounting of the exemptions is vital to ensure that the annual RFS volumes send a reliable signal to biodiesel producers, who are making investments and plans for the future.”

Interview with NBB VP Kurt Kovarik on administration biofuels plan (6:48)

The National Corn Growers Association President Kevin Ross, who personally spoke with President Trump when he visited an Iowa ethanol plant in June, thanked him for listening and putting the RFS back on track. “Corn farmers weren’t shy in telling the President that the impact of these waivers would lead to significant consequences for farmers, folks working at ethanol and biodiesel plants, and the countless other rural jobs that depend on this market.”

Ross participated in a press conference the day before the announcement was made last week, saying that all they were asking for is that EPA uphold the RFS.

Ag Groups, Corn, EPA, Ethanol