Animal Ag News 5/6

Carrie Muehling

  • At 1 p.m. EDT on May 8, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will host a free, public Agricultural Data Webinar to spotlight available data for recently discontinued programs. Speakers at the event include Lance Honig, Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB) chair, and Troy Joshua, ASB executive director and director of NASS’s Statistics Division. Data from other NASS products as well as from USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency will be discussed. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during the Q&A section. Register to attend at www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Meeting/index.php.
  • The Meat Institute has created a best practices document to help the meat and poultry industry prevent child labor and identity fraud. The document, the “Meat and Poultry Industry Best Practices: Workforce Age Verification” can be found here.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is announcing a staff change in their Washington, D.C. office. Sigrid Johannes, currently serving as Director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA Government Affairs, has been promoted to Senior Director of Government Affairs. Along with this promotion, Sigrid will take on a new portfolio including lab-grown meat, cattle health and welfare, food safety, and animal disease traceability.
  • With baseball and softball season underway and the kickoff to summer grilling season fast approaching, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand, funded by the Beef Checkoff, is excited to announce the perfect partnership between beef and baseball/softball as a proud partner of the Little League World Series this year.
  • U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, along with Representative Jim Costa (CA-21), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), led 70 of their colleagues in penning a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, urging him to reverse the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to cancel or discontinue several National Agricultural Statistics Service reports.
  • New school meal standards announced by the USDA include major steps to promote the health of America’s children through school meals. The new standards will be gradually updated to include less sugar and more flexibility in menu planning between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027, according to the USDA announcement. Included in the updates was the continuation of allowing schools to offer flavored and unflavored milk to students. The new guidelines recognize the important role milk plays in providing the essential nutrients students need, such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium. The update did include a new limit on the amount of added sugar allowed in the milk, a requirement school milk processors have committed to meeting the limit on added sugar.
  • Tony Rice testified before USTR on how U.S. trade policy can strengthen supply chain resiliency and ensure that U.S. dairy continues to grow as a global leader. The U.S. dairy industry exported more than $8 billion worth of products in 2023, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the national economy. Rice in his testimony highlighted the need for a more proactive U.S. trade policy agenda that aggressively tackles global trade barriers and enhances market access to key partners.
  • Nine universities recently participated in the 75th USPOULTRY Foundation Ted Cameron National Poultry Judging Contest, held at Louisiana State University (LSU). Texas A&M University won the high team overall category, and The Ohio State University took second place. Additionally, Cade Davis with Mississippi State University won the high individual overall category, with Marissa Askew from Auburn University finishing second.
  • Alltech announced that the company will serve as the primary importer and distributor of Agolin products in the United States and Canada beginning May 1, 2024. Agolin’s high-quality essential oil blends are scientifically proven to optimize feed intake and performance, including improved milk and meat production, for both ruminant and non-ruminant animals.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Ag on the Mall Showcases Future of Food and Farming

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The Future of Food and Farming on the National Mall kicked off today on the National Mall to showcase America’s equipment manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, and innovators, working together to drive the tradition of producing more with less environmental impact.

    The event is coordinated by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and is held the National Mall to allow the public, lawmakers, and federal employees to interact with the equipment and get an up-close look at the machines that are often only seen on America’s farm fields. “The real intent of this event is to bring the message of the innovation that is occurring in the ag industry today to Washington,” said AEM Ag Chair Bill Hurley, AGCO vice president, global government affairs.

    USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small welcomed visitors to the event on Monday and talked some about how agriculture has changed since USDA was created in 1862. “For one thing, there were a lot more farmers in terms of the population of the United States, and that’s part of the reason why it was called ‘The People’s Department,'” said Torres Small. “We’ve been able to feed the world with the innovation that farmers have brought to food production.”

    The Future of Food and Farming takes place today through Wednesday, May 8, with exhibits open from 9am – 5pm on the National Mall near the Smithsonian Metro. Over 50 agricultural equipment manufacturers, associations and trade groups on hand to talk about how they help produce food, fiber and fuel for the nation and the world.

    AEM Ag Chair Bill Hurley, AGCO vice president, global government affairs
    AEM Ag on the Mall - Bill Hurley, AGCO 4:34

    Remarks from USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small
    AEM Ag on the Mall - USDA Deputy Secretary Torres Small 7:45

    2024 Celebration of Modern Agriculture on the Mall

    AEM, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment

    Rabo AgriFinance Names New Head of Rural Business Economics, NA

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Rabobank subsidiary Rabo AgriFinance has named John Steeves as its new Head of Rural Business Economics, North America, effective May 1, 2024.

    Steeves, a financial services veteran with more than thirty years of experience, will relocate from Edmonton, Canada, to Rabo AgriFinance’s headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. He succeeds the current Head of Rural Banking, Shawn Smeins, who retires on May 15 after 31 years with Rabobank in several North American roles.

    Most recently, Steeves served as the Executive Vice-President of Banking at Canadian Western Bank following his role as Senior Vice-President for Prairies / Northern Alberta Regions. He led the commercial, personal and cash management business for Northern Alberta and later oversaw all banking activities across Canada. His transformative leadership revamped the sales force and personal banking teams, launched a broad agriculture banking business and initiated revenue optimization strategies.

    Steeves said, “Rabo AgriFinance’s reputation of leadership across the entire food value chain starts with our people and I look forward to driving a differentiated employee experience while nurturing a pipeline of future talent.”

    Agribusiness, people

    Industry Ag News 5/3

    Carrie Muehling

  • In the presence of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield and U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, the UN General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The resolution, and the U.S. government’s efforts to generate support for it, were spearheaded by USDA and garnered more than 100 co-sponsors, underscoring the global importance of uplifting women throughout the agriculture sector.
  • Agriculture Future of America announces new board leadership. For the past two years, the board has been led by Gwyn Schramm, North America Talent and Human Resources Lead at Bayer Crop Science. In March, Schramm’s term ended, and AFA welcomed Scott Kay, Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions, as the new board chair.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) named 10 outstanding young agricultural journalists to receive the IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Award. The awards will be presented at IFAJ’s Global Congress in Interlaken, Switzerland, in August 2024.
  • Syngenta Group sales for the first quarter of 2024 were $7.4 billion, down $1.8 billion or 20 percent compared to a strong first quarter 2023. Syngenta Crop Protection sales in the first quarter 2024 fell by 24 percent to $3.2 billion compared with a very strong first quarter 2023. Syngenta’s Crop Protection, driver of approximately 40 percent of Syngenta Group’s sales, declined amidst a still challenging crop protection market. Syngenta Seeds overall was 8 percent lower than in the first quarter last year.
  • Agri-Pulse is pleased to promote Executive Editor Philip Brasher to the position of Editor-in-Chief, effective May 1. He will be responsible for overseeing the entire editorial team for daily, weekly and special project coverage.
  • Brownfield Ag News is pleased to announce Erin Anderson has joined the Brownfield team as Anchor/Reporter for Indiana and Ohio. She is a former NAFB Foundation scholarship recipient and a two-time NAFB Foundation intern. Erin currently resides in rural Rankin, Illinois with plans to move to the Greater Lafayette, Indiana area.
  • AGCO Corporation is excited to announce the eighth annual Massey Ferguson Sowing Good Deeds contest. The award recognizes charitable services, civic involvement and educational activities of local Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) rodeo committees to their schools, towns and the greater ag community. Nominations for 2024 are now open and will run through September 1, 2024. Finalists will be announced October 11, 2024, with the grand prize winner named at the PRCA Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 4, 2024. The winning rodeo committee receives a new Massey Ferguson 4700 Series tractor, valued at over $60,000, as part of the prize package.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission’s referendum received reaffirmation with a vote of 91.99 percent during the recent referendum, held March 8 through April 8, 2024.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is announcing a staff change in their Washington, D.C. office. Sigrid Johannes, currently serving as Director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA Government Affairs, has been promoted to Senior Director of Government Affairs. Along with this promotion, Sigrid will take on a new portfolio including lab-grown meat, cattle health and welfare, food safety, and animal disease traceability.
  • The Corn Refiners Association announced the hiring of Shawna Newsome as its Vice President of Food Policy. In this role, Newsome will leverage her years of expertise in food and agriculture policy to deliver science-based solutions for CRA’s members in the legislative and regulatory arena and represent the organization in critical coalitions.
  • A long-time veteran of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Casey Bean will join the American Sugar Alliance (ASA) as the organization’s trade consultant on May 1. Bean will work with ASA to analyze the complex global trade issues that impact U.S. sugar farmers and shape America’s no-cost sugar policy.
  • The SCN Coalition’s National Nematode Day campaign, sponsored by BASF, Bayer, Nufarm and Syngenta, took home first place in the Unique Sponsorship Campaign category at the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) “Best of NAMA” awards show.
  • The North American Millers Association, U.S. Wheat Associates, National Association of Wheat Growers, and American Bakers Association are joining the Celebration of Modern Agriculture on the National Mall near the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquarters on May 6, 7, and 8, 2024. The event will showcase the constant improvement in American agriculture from farmers, ranchers, equipment manufacturers, and input innovators on the cutting-edge of science and technology.
  • The California Walnut Board (CWB) and California Walnut Commission (CWC) are pleased to announce that Christine Lott has been named director of integrated communications. As Director of Integrated Communications, Christine will work proactively to help drive more visibility to activate sales for California walnuts.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Awards Announced

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The latest crop of talented IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award recipients have been announced and will be attending the 2024 IFAJ Congress in Interlaken, Switzerland this August.

    The 10 scholarship winners will also participate in a unique three-day professional development workshop immediately prior to the IFAJ Congress. The workshop emphasizes reporting skills and leadership training and includes agriculture tours.

    Since 2006, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and Alltech, a global leader in agriculture and animal nutrition, have partnered to support the Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Awards that recognize the leadership potential of young members (under 35 years of age). As young agricultural journalists and communicators, they have the important role of sharing the stories of agriculture with the world.

    The winners are:

    Alex Black, United Kingdom
    Emma Davies, Ghana
    Courtney Girgis, United States
    Kristina Hansén, Sweden
    Wiebke Hermann, Germany
    Brooke Littlewood, Australia
    Duncan Masiwa, South Africa
    Daniel Plaiasu, Romania
    Michaela Sandmayr, Austria
    Carola Urdangarin, Argentina

    “Alltech is proud to partner with IFAJ to support the Young Leaders program, as we all share a commitment to supporting journalists who give voice to farmers and producers and ensure that agriculture stories continue to be told around the world,” said Jenn Norrie, North American and European communications manager at Alltech.

    Alltech, IFAJ, Journalism

    Ethanol Report on 40B SAF Tax Credit and Beyond

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The 40B tax credit guidance and modified GREET model released April 30 by U.S. Treasury lays the groundwork for U.S. ethanol producers and farmers to participate in the emerging market for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

    But since 40B expires at the end of this year, all the attention will now turn to implementing the 45Z credit to start next year, and the Renewable Fuels Association is already working on the next steps.

    In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast we get some of the details from US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, RFA Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs, Troy Bredenkamp, and Mitchell Hora, Continuum Ag.

    Ethanol Report 5-2-24 22:11

    The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

    Choose an option to subscribe

    Audio, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA, SAF

    Precision Ag News 5/2

    Carrie Muehling

  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President & CEO Daren Coppock released a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s announcement updating the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technology (GREET) model and including regenerative agricultural practices in the sustainable aviation fuel emissions calculation.
  • For more than 15-years, the CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence, sponsored by the Global Ag Tech Alliance, has honored individuals who demonstrate exceptional work in the use and adoption of precision and digital agriculture technologies and practices. There will be one winner from each of the following categories: Crop Advisor/Entrepreneur, Educator/Researcher, Precision Farmer, and Ag Technology Legacy. The award program has honored more than 60 individuals and organizations since the program commenced in 2007. The winners will be honored during the awards ceremony at the 2024 Tech Hub LIVE Conference and Expo July 29 – 31 in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • AgTech PR, a global communications firm specializing in agriculture technology, announced its inaugural Advisory Board composed of leaders driving transformative change in agriculture. Advisors will provide AgTech PR with industry insights and strategic guidance to help advance the organization’s purpose.
  • DPH Biologicals’ RegenAphex received the first runner-up BioAgTech Innovator Award at the annual BioAgTech World Congress, a gathering of leaders from across the agriculture industry to share the latest technological advances in biologicals. RegenAphex, a plant-based liquid humus extract, fosters biological product innovation to improve soil and crop health by providing a superfood base of readily available organic carbon.
  • Rantizo announced the addition of a new drone option – the XAG P100 Pro.
  • The BioAgTech World Congress 2024, held in Raleigh, NC April 22-26, included a visit to the N.C. State Plant Sciences Initiative, including opening remarks from North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, highlighting North Carolina’s agricultural challenges and opportunities. Three awards were presented at the event – BioAgTech Sustainable Grower, Lifetime Achiever, and Innovator Awards.
  • In a first of its kind effort to assess the environmental footprint of pesticide use, CropLife America (CLA) commissioned the University of Arkansas, led by researchers Dr. Marty Matlock and Dr. Greg Thoma, to conduct an independent three-year cradle-to-farmgate Life Cycle Assessment that comprehensively evaluates the environmental benefits and impacts of pesticide application in the cultivation of corn, cotton, and soybeans in the U.S.. The study examined crop productivity with and without pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) for three crops. The completed assessment successfully underwent an independent third-party ISO review.
  • The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) and AgGateway, two global non-profit associations working to ensure the interoperability between agricultural brands and technology platforms, announced their participation in the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) second “Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall” event. The event will provide the opportunity for the Nation’s policymakers to see that together the associations are providing a foundation that is critical in shaping sustainable agriculture.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    AgSwag Golden Update

    Chuck Zimmerman

    AgSwagRight across from the ZimmComm booth at the Agri-Marketing Conference was AgSwag. I got out the ZimmComm Golden Mic for an update interview with Jordan Van Trump and used his AgSwag Golden Ticket for a free cap. I picked the limited edition “Farm Strong” cap you see Jordan wearing.

    You may wonder about the AgSwap Golden Ticket. It has nothing to do with our well-known Golden Mic or Golden ZimmComm Mic Award winners. Instead, think Willy Wonka and the gold ticket to get into the Chocolate Factory. In our interview Jordan explains and how it has spawned a new venture for his company.

    The Van Trumps not only farm but have several ventures like their own farm show, FARMCON. The next one will be January 8-9, 2025 in KC, MO. Besides FARMCON, Jordan updates us on the Van Trump Report and Farm Tank. There’s more but I’ll let him talk about it in our interview.

    Interview with Jordan Van Trump, AgSwag
    NAMA24 Jordan Van Trump, AgSwag 6:48

    2024 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Shows, Farming

    Chris Turner Joins Pivot Bio as Chief Commercial Officer

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Sustainable agriculture company Pivot Bio announces the appointment of industry veteran Chris Turner as Chief Commercial Officer to lead the company’s global growth agenda and commercial sales organization. He will be a member of Pivot Bio’s executive leadership team, reporting to Chris Abbott, CEO.

    “Chris is a highly regarded, results-oriented leader in the ag industry, and we couldn’t be more excited that he is joining our team,” said Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio. “With nearly three decades of industry experience, Chris has effectively led extensive global commercial, strategic and operational teams. Chris certainly exemplifies commercial leadership with a consistent focus on performance and results.”

    Turner joins Pivot Bio from Bayer Corporation, where he has served as Head of the U.S. Crop Science division. Before joining Bayer, he was with Monsanto Company for more than 20 years. Raised on a farm in Northeast Missouri, Turner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of Missouri and continues to participate in the operations on his farm.

    Agribusiness, people

    Vilsack Explains SAF Tax Credit for Farm Broadcasters

    Cindy Zimmerman

    USDA photo – Vilsack speaks to NAFB members

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent the majority of his time meeting with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Tuesday talking about the 40B sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit guidance and modified GREET model released that day by the Biden Administration.

    “You need to understand this because you’re the folks who have to explain that it’s a point system,” Vilsack told the farm broadcasters. “And if you get enough points, you qualify for an enormously beneficial tax credit, which is how you start industries.”

    Vilsack discussed the importance of the tax credit guidance and what it means for agriculture. “The key message here for farm country is, you’re in the game,” said Vilsack. “For the first time ever, we have a recognition by the IRS that climate smart agriculture has a positive impact on reducing greenhouse gases and carbon storage.”

    Listen to some of Vilsack’s remarks to NAFB:
    USDA Sec. Vilsack to NAFB members 16:03

    Audio, Biofuels, Corn, cover crops, Ethanol, NAFB, USDA