USDA Officials Visit CIRB Annual Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger and USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie

Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, and USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator Marcia Bunger visited the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) Annual Meeting last week in Scottsdale, Arizona, ahead of this week’s National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) conference.

Bonnie discussed USDA’s commitment to supporting farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. “We’ve now funded about 135 projects across the country,” said Bonnie. “The idea here is to create markets. The government can play an important role here but if we’re going to be successful, the investment has to come from the private sector.”

Bunger was happy to brag about the crop insurance program. “I can now say truthfully, we have the best crop insurance in the world,” she said, noting that she attended an international meeting last fall. “It was hosted by the country of Spain with other countries in attendance and while they are each proud of their own crop insurance, they’re looking to us. They acknowledge we have the best in the world.”

Listen to their joint remarks and interviews with each below:

Robert Bonnie and Marcia Bunger, USDA 45:58

Interview with Robert Bonnie, USDA 3:42

Interview with Marcia Bunger, USDA 2:57

2024 CIRB Annual Meeting Photo Album

Audio, CIRB, Insurance, USDA

CattleFax Forecasts at #CattleCon24

Cindy Zimmerman

One of the highlights of the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show is always the CattleFax Outlook Seminar, and there was a full house in Orlando, Florida last week when the experts shared their market and weather analysis.

Kevin Good, vice president of market analysis at CattleFax, reported that U.S. beef cow herd declined 2% with inventories at 28.2 million head at the beginning of this year. “Though drought conditions did improve in many regions, over a third of the cow herd was affected by drought in 2023, causing limited heifer retention and more liquidation in some regions. This will limit growth to the cow herd near-term,” Good said.

Cow and bull slaughter is forecast to be 6.5 million head in 2024, down around 800,000 head, from 2023. CattleFax predicted feeder cattle and calf supplies outside of feedyards will be 1 million head smaller than 2023 at 24.1 million head.

Randy Blach, CattleFax chief executive officer, concluded the session with an overall positive outlook, and noted that the current cattle cycle will be much slower and prolonged compared to the last as heifer retention has not yet started on a nationwide basis. He expects the peak in cattle prices is likely to occur in 2025-2026 and, in the meantime, industry profitability will continue to swing in favor of the cow-calf producer as excess feeding and packing capacity chases a declining supply of feeder cattle and calves.

Listen to the entire presentation and interviews with Good and Blach below.

CattleFax Outlook Seminar 1:57:36

Interview with Randy Blach, CattleFax 8:16

Interview with Kevin Good, CattleFax 7:00

2024 CattleCon Photo Album

Find more content from CattleCon24 in the official virtual newsroom.

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, NCBA

Wyoming Cattleman Becomes New NCBA President

Cindy Zimmerman

Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele became the new president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association during the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention last week in Orlando. Eisele, along with his wife, Trudy, and their children, operate the historic King Ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming, grazing both public and private lands.

Eisele’s focus during his time as president is to advocate for opportunities to strengthen the industry for future generations and for producers’ freedom to operate. Protecting property rights and reinforcing the cattle industry’s position as an ally in preserving open spaces and wildlife habitat through managed grazing practices will be a top priority.

During the year ahead, Eisele also expects to tackle ongoing Farm Bill negotiations as NCBA works to secure reauthorization of animal health provisions, expand the accessibility and funding of risk management and disaster relief programs, and protect voluntary conservation programs. The significant challenge posed by federal government tax policies, particularly the Death Tax, will also be top of mind.

Interview with new NCBA presdient Mark Eisele 7:37

NCBA President-elect Buck Wehrbein of Nebraska

The 2024 NCBA officer team, approved by the NCBA Board of Directors, took office at the end of this year’s convention. Buck Wehrbein of Nebraska was named president-elect and Gene Copenhaver of Virginia was elected vice president. Kim Brackett of Idaho was elected chair of the NCBA Policy Division and Skye Krebs of Oregon was elected policy vice chair. Dan Gattis of Texas and Nancy Jackson of Mississippi were elected as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the NCBA Federation division. Brad Hastings of Texas will continue to serve as NCBA treasurer.

Interview with NCBA president-elect Buck Wehrbein 7:27

2024 CattleCon Photo Album

Find more content from CattleCon24 in the official virtual newsroom.

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, NCBA

#CattleCon24 Regional Winners for Environmental Stewardship

Cindy Zimmerman

ESAP Region I winner – Tuck Farms

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recognized six of the nation’s top cattle operations as Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) regional winners for their environmental conservation efforts during a ceremony at CattleCon24 in Orlando last week.

And the winners are:
Region I: Tuck Farms, Moneta, Virginia
Region II: JB Ranch, Immokalee, Florida
Region IV: G Bar C Ranch, Rosston, Texas
Region V: Tower Rock Ranch, LLC, Mansfield, Washington
Region VI: Hart Ranch, Montague, California
Region VII: Bartholomay Kattle Kompany, Sheldon, North Dakota
(There was no winner for Region III this year)

The regional winners will compete for the national award, which will be presented during NCBA’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., April 17-19, 2024.

ESAP Region II winner JB Ranch

Established in 1991 by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to recognize outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) is generously sponsored by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Corteva Agriscience, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation.

We were able to catch two of the regional winners for interviews at CattleCon and you can listen to them here:
Region I: Tuck Farms, Moneta, Virginia – Keith Tuck
Interview with ESAP regional winner Keith Tuck, Virginia 3:15
JB Ranch, Immokalee, Florida – Liesa and Russell Priddy
Interview with ESAP regional winner Liesa and Russell Priddy, Florida 7:00

2024 CattleCon Photo Album

Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Environment, NCBA

Industry Ag News 2/2

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that most farm loan borrowers will be able to make payments to their direct loans online through the Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov in early February. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, especially for producers who may have limited time during the planting or harvest seasons to visit a local FSA office; modernize and improve customer service; provide additional customer self-service tools; and expand credit access to assist more producers.
  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investments designed to support the U.S. specialty crops industry. The launch of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative will provide $65 million for projects that will help the specialty crop sector increase global exports and expand to new markets. Additionally, USDA is announcing $72.9 million in grant funding available to support the specialty crops industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
  • U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) announced the launch of the bipartisan Congressional Agricultural Trade Caucus to advance and promote policies vital to U.S. agriculture, including boosting agricultural exports, facilitating food and agriculture trade, and knocking down unnecessary trade barriers.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation and West Virginia Farm Bureau presented Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) with the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress, the Golden Plow award.
  • Individuals across the country can make a difference in the lives of the more than 945,000 FFA members next month by participating in Give FFA Day during National FFA Week. For the eighth 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. 22. Funds raised support various programs on local, state and national levels. During the 24 hours of giving, donors can donate to the National FFA and the state FFA associations of their choice.
  • Protect The Harvest, the 501(c)3, not-for-profit, educational and advocacy organization founded in 2011 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, has a new look for 2024 with an updated logo, new tagline – A Free and Fed America and revamped website.
  • From research to stories from the field, the 2023 GAP Report explores the opportunities and barriers to farmer access and adoption of proven, appropriate tools for sustainable agricultural productivity growth. The full report is available now.
  • The National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) new Fields-of-Corn.com photo contest site attracted new participants as well as seasoned contest alumni, resulting in a record-breaking number of entrants and high-quality photo submissions.
  • Mary Stratton joined Association of Equipment Manufacturers as the Public Relations Manager and will work with the PR team on many things including, serving as the point of contact for media registration for our tradeshows, working with internal staff to schedule and plan media interviews, drafting press releases for distribution.
  • Beekeepers now have a valuable resource at their fingertips with the release of the latest comprehensive Honey Bee Nutrition Guide from the Honey Bee Health Coalition. The guide is a review and manual for supplemental feeding in bee hives, giving beekeepers a simple approach to the complex and nuanced world of honey bee nutrition.
  • Joe Boddiford, peanut farmer from Sylvania, Georgia, was elected chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission during the January monthly board meeting. This is Boddiford’s third consecutive term serving as chairman. He previously served as chairman in 2000.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    CIRB Celebrates 60 Years Serving Farmers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    At it’s annual meeting this week in Scottsdale, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) is celebrating 60 years of serving farmers with safety net products to help them keep feeding the world.

    The numbers show that crop insurance is more important than ever for farmers. “A four billion dollar industry 15 or 20 years ago is now an 18 billion industry,” said CIRB Chairman Brian Young with Great American Insurance Group. “There’s been a big push to try to get insurance available to all farmers who wish coverage for the crops that they grow.”

    While CIRB always works to protect crop insurance from detractors, it’s especially important during farm bill negotiations, so Young says they will be very busy on Capitol Hill this year.

    In this interview, Young also talks about CIRB’s very successful Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) which has 20 participants this year.

    Interview with Brian Young, Great American 6:07

    2024 CIRB Annual Meeting

    Audio, CIRB, Crop Insurance

    2024 CattleCon Attendees Enjoying the Sunshine State

    Chuck Zimmerman

    2024 CattleConIt’s winter but Florida has whipped up sun and warmer temps for cattle producers at the newly named CattleCon. We had a great sunset yesterday and today has been a busy one as sessions have started and the trade show will open with a welcoming reception.

    I have started a virtual newsroom for NCBA that will include my photo album along with interviews and selected session audio. You can find it here on AgNewsWire. I’ll be uploading the content throughout the week so check back when you can.

    Here’s an example of what you’ll find.

    D.C. Issues Update: Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane will provide a State of the Industry update; Expert policy speakers will share updates on tax policy, animal health, conservation, trade, supply chains, and more; NCBA’s Political Action Committee will report on the impact of your financial contributions that are helping to elect pro-cattle industry members of Congress across the country.
    NCBA D.C. Issues Update Session 1:34:33

    Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Farm Policy, NCBA

    Precision Ag News 1/31

    Carrie Muehling

  • For years, farmers have had to navigate a complex landscape of digital tools to harness the power of their on-farm data. Corteva Agriscience and John Deere announced a partnership to make it easier for farmers to access Corteva’s industry-leading agronomic recommendations through the John Deere Operations Center.
  • Azotic Technologies Ltd announced that Envita SC has received certification from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in compliance with the USDA National Organic Program.
  • Agriculture technology innovator Terra Vera announced the launch of Brawndo TS, a portable system that utilizes the company’s proprietary biomimicry solutions for protecting crops and delivering nutrients – without harmful chemicals and synthetic fertilizers.
  • At the end of each growing season, AgriGold ranks its Field GX genetic families by overall performance. Family H topped the list for 2023, but don’t take that as a nudge to go all in on Family H in 2024. AgriGold ranks its hybrid families not to point farmers toward any one family, but rather to showcase how much the leaderboard changes from year to year.
  • Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC)’s Eco-Harvest is one of only two agricultural carbon programs to achieve 3rd party SustainCERT validation and verification for project Impact Units. SustainCERT conducted a rigorous audit of Eco-Harvest project outcomes for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and removals to be used for corporate partner agricultural supply chain reporting. Eco-Harvest Impact Units, and supporting programmatic documentation, are listed on SustainCERT’s VIVID platform.
  • The proposed combination of the legacy companies Novozymes and Chr. Hansen is successfully completed, establishing the company Novonesis. Novonesis is a world-leading biosolutions partner for better business, healthier lives, and a healthier planet. The combined company brings together 10,000 people worldwide and an expertise that spans more than 30 different industries. Novonesis is already assisting companies around the world in meeting both business needs and the needs of the planet.
  • U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Don Beyer (D-Va.), and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) introduced the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act, bipartisan legislation to improve soil health on farms and support sustainable alternatives to annual agriculture by improving United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs to ensure they are better able to support farmers who incorporate perennial systems and agroforestry into their operations.
  • AcreShield, a developer of innovative agricultural solutions focused on helping farmers achieve profitable operations, introduces Yield Optimizer, the first independent seed selector program that arms farmers with objective seed performance data and helps them choose the best hybrids for their farms backed by an industry-first warranty program.
  • HELM, a leading provider of agricultural solutions, announced the expansion of its Plant Advantage portfolio with the introduction of two groundbreaking products designed to reshape the soil and unlock the full potential of plant growth. With the addition of Contour and UpLink, these technologies can help unlock that potential in the plant creating additional yield through nutrient utilization.
  • RhizoSorb is setting a groundbreaking industry standard for phosphorus fertilizer efficiency. To help growers adopt RhizoSorb 8-39-0 in 2024, corn growers who purchase a minimum of 200 acres will receive a warranty that will reduce their risk of adopting the new fertilizer technology. The RhizoSorb Grower Guarantee is designed to empower growers to embrace “The Next Generation of Phosphorus Fertilizer” TM with confidence.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Envita® SC Receives OMRI Certification

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Azotic Technologies announces that Envita® SC has received certification from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in compliance with the USDA National Organic Program.

    Tom Tregunno, Global Business Development for Azotic, says OMRI certification introduces Envita SC to one of the fastest growing segments in agriculture. “Growers supplying bio-rational and organic products will now be able to take advantage of the many benefits of nitrogen fixation in a variety of crops and growing environments.”

    Envita SC is a unique nitrogen-fixing biological based on the microbe Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd), originally discovered in sugarcane. This highly effective solution was introduced to the North American market in 2019. Since then, it has experienced phenomenal uptake by farmers around the world as it has consistently delivered exceptional results in a multitude of crops.

    AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management, Organic, Precision Agriculture

    AgGateway Part of VISION Conversations

    Cindy Zimmerman

    AgGateway CEO Brent Kemp (right) chats with Jacob Koelin, MentorMate, at the VISION Conference

    AgGateway is one of the organizations that supports the work of the VISION Conference because CEO Brent Kemp says its important for them to be involved in conversations about interoperability and ag tech adoption.

    “The conversations have been great, the networking is outstanding, the panel discussions have been particularly insightful,” said Kemp about the conference this year. “Sparking the discussion, sharing ideas around issues like AI and integration and infrastructure in new ways.”

    Kemp said the theme of the conference was really centered around adoption, and that’s what AgGateway is all about. “And it allows organizations to build value for their customers, and whoever their customers’ customers may be.”

    Listen to this interview with Kemp at the VISION conference.
    2024 VISION interview with Brent Kemp, AgGateway 2:22

    2024 VISION Conference Photo Album

    AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Technology