Dr. John Lory, nutrient management specialist at the University of Missouri says that with hog prices where they are, manure is one of more valuable products coming off hog farms today.
Doug Caruso to lead Wisconsin Farmers Union
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Wisconsin Farmers Union President Sue Carlson is stepping down effective this Wednesday, September 30th. Carlson, who has been president of the organization since 2003, recently married North Dakota Farmers Union President Robert Carlson. The couple is going to reside in Jamestown, North Dakota.
The WFU board has named Doug Caruso to replace Carlson. Caruso had been the CEO of the WFU’s Wisconsin Farmers Specialty Cheese Company from 2003 until earlier this year when he was appointed to head up the U.S. Farm Service Agency. Citing differences of opinion with how FSA should be run, Caruso resigned that position in July and returned to Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Farmers Union president serves as the organization’s full-time chief executive.
Kick-off at plant where Kixor will be made
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The kickoff for BASF’s Kixor herbicidal products was held at the plant where the new patent-protected products will be made. Top BASF officials, along with state and local officials and BASF employees, took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at the BASF crop protection unit at the Hannibal, Missouri plant where Kixor will be made. “This production unit will provide our customers, the farmers, with a solution they are really waiting for,” says Stefan Marcinowski, Executive Board Member of BASF-SE. He is the first board member to visit the Hannibal site.
Markus Heldt – president of the BASF Global Crop Protection Division – says the Kixor family of products will be rolled out later this year in both North and South America, “Where Roundup Ready crops are important. So, it’s the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Brazil and some of the other Latin American markets.”
Kixor herbicide technology received EPA approval last month. It is designed to tackle weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate.
State Representative Rachel Bringer says the $50 Million plant expansion at the Hannibal/Palmyra facility is significant, “This is a real affirmation of this site. This site was competing with several other BASF sites for this project.” While not creating new jobs at the plant, Bringer says the expansion solidifies BASF’s place in Marion County and the economic and community benefits it provides.
Marcinowski says BASF is serious about keeping ahead of Mother Nature by investing heavily in continuing research, “Ten percent – this is a lot of money which comes close to the R&D spending you find in the pharmaceutical industry.”
Starting this fall, four formulations Powered by Kixor herbicide – Sharpen™ herbicide, OpTill™ herbicide, Integrity™ herbicide and Treevix™ herbicide – will be available for use in the 2010 growing season. They are targeted at corn, soybean, cotton and tree crops.
AUDIO: Kixor Ribbon Cutting Celebration, BASF Hannibal, Missouri plant (20 min., MP3)
Vilsack, Salazar visit Scottsbluff, Nebraska
September 28, 2009 By 1 Comment
The Obama Administration’s Rural Tour came to western Nebraska Monday with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visiting Scottsbluff. Secretary Vilsack says the ideas and concerns that he heard in Scottsbluff reminded him of the strength and optimism that he’s seen in communities throughout rural America.
Nebraska Farm Bureau President Keith Olsen says part of the discussion centered on how USDA Rural Development can keep that part of the state vital.
“How do we develop infrastructure in our rural areas to encourage young people to stay, to encourage businesses to expand, and just to make sure that rural areas stay populated and that there’s economic vitality out there,” Olsen told Brownfield after he had attended the event.
AUDIO: Keith Olsen (5 min. MP3)
Vilsack cited millions of dollars in Rural Development as well as operating loans directed toward Nebraska. The stop at Scottsbluff is the twentieth in the series of the administration’s rural tour.
Wisconsin crops prepare for frost
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
What a difference a week can make. After several weeks of warm, dry weather, fall has arrived in Wisconsin. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office shows up to 4 inches of rain fell in some parts of the state last week improving what had been a pretty dry soil moisture profile. As of Sunday, soil moisture is listed as 12 percent very short, 37 percent short, 46 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. That is a substantial improvement over the previous week when 72 percent was in the short and very short category. Temperatures were still 4 to 8 degrees above normal for the week but that changed drastically on Sunday afternoon. Everyone in the state is bracing for frost by Wednesday morning but thankfully, it looks like the crops are in the clear.
The Badger State corn crop is now 84 percent dented, just 3 points behind the five-year average. The crop is still just 20 percent mature compared to the 47 percent normally on this date. Corn silage chopping is picking up as producers are getting it off before it gets too dry, 28 percent is now chopped compared to 67 percent normally on this date.
The soybean crop has 87 percent of the leaves turned and 52 percent dropped compared to 92 percent turned and 73 percent dropped normally by this date. The beans are rated 66 percent in good to excellent condition while the corn crop is 62 percent good to excellent.
Illinois corn, soybean harvest just underway
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Crop maturity in Illinois got a boost last week from warmer weather, but on the whole, the rates remain quite a bit behind average.
Also, early harvest activity was delayed by rain late in the week.
84% of corn has dented, 24% is mature, most of that in the southern half of the state, and 2% has been harvested.
For soybeans, 75% is turning yellow, 41% is dropping leaves and 1% has been harvested.
85% of sorghum is coloring with 24% mature and 1% harvested.
5% of the winter wheat crop has been planted and 1% has emerged.
Corn up modestly on weather concerns: September 28, 2009
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Soybeans were modestly lower on technical selling and profit taking. Crop weather looks generally non-threatening over the next few days and traders expect harvest pressure to increase in the near future. According to the USDA, 63% of soybeans are dropping leaves, compared to 77% for five year average, with 5% harvested, compared to 18% on average and 66% of the crop in good to excellent, down 1% from last week. Soybean meal and oil were mostly lower on the weak beans and supply implications of a record U.S. crop. China bought 225,000 tons of 2009/10 U.S. soybeans.
Corn was higher on short covering and technical buying along with spillover from crude oil. There was some light frost in the Western Belt over the weekend, maturation rates are considerably behind normal and conditions early this week look cooler than normal. The USDA reports that 90% of this year’s crop has dented, compared to 97% on average, 37% is mature, compared to 72% on average and 6% is harvested, compared to 18% for the five year average with 68% good to excellent, unchanged from a week ago. The U.S. Grains Council annual China tour pegs that nation’s corn crop at 148.79 million tons, almost 10% below last year due to drought. China’s not expected to import corn but may need to buy feed grain products down the line.
The wheat complex was higher on technical buying and short covering. Contracts are oversold and due for a bounce after the recent losses. Past that, there was no new news, weekly export inspections were towards the low end of estimates and the dollar was firm. For spring wheat, 94% is harvested, compared to 98% on average and for winter wheat, 36% is planted, compared to 39% on average and 13% has emerged, compared to 14% on average. European wheat was modestly lower on harvest pressure and a large available supply; November Paris and London were down .2%. Iraq’s Grain Board issued a tender for at least 100,000 tons of hard wheat. Egypt issued a 55,000 to 60,000 ton wheat tender.
China’s corn crop shrinks by 10 percent
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
China’s corn production this year is expected to be almost 10 percent under a year ago because of drought. The US Grains Council estimates China’s corn crop to be 5.86 billion bushels. That compares to 6.53 billion bushels of corn harvested last year in China.
Despite the decrease, US Grains Council Senior China Director Cary Sifferath doesn’t look for China to increase imports.
“Right now they probably will continue to have enough corn to meet their needs even with the short crop this year,” Sifferath told reporters Monday, during a conference call from China. “But I think with that, we will still see some fairly high corn so that actually, imported corn is cost competitive even still today, and was even more cost competitive two or three weeks ago.”
Sifferath cites political sensitivities as another factor limiting corn imports by China.
Corn production acreage has been capped because the government is trying to set up regulations to contain the loss of farmland, according to Sifferath. Any increases in corn acreage are done at the expense of another crop.
The smaller Chinese corn crop has resulted in a jump in other export opportunities. “We are seeing U.S. DDGS (distiller’s dried grains with solubles) exports to China skyrocket in a very short amount of time,” said Sifferath.
The Council projects exports of U.S. DDGS to China in 2009 to reach 250,000 to 300,000 tons. That’s more than 18 times the 8,000 tons exported in all of 2008.
The Chinese corn crop estimate is the result of five groups touring about 300 cornfields in northeastern China. The Grains Council yield estimate for this year’s Chinese corn crop is 79 bushels an acre compared to 88.5 bushels to the acre last year.
Corn maturity 35% behind five year average
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
After a slow start to planting, variable weather during the growing season and recent cool temperatures, corn development and maturity remain quite a bit behind the average pace.
As of Sunday, 90% of the crop has dented, compared to 97% on average, only 37% is mature, compared to 72% for the five year average and 6% is harvested, compared to 18% on average.
It’s nearly the same story for soybeans with 63% dropping leaves, compared to the five year average of 77% and 5% harvested, compared to 18% on average.
However, both crops are still in better than a year ago condition with 68% of corn in good to excellent condition and 66% of soybeans rated in the good to excellent category.
36% of the winter wheat crop is planted, compared to 39% on average with 13% having emerged, compared to 14% for the five year average.
The spring wheat harvest is nearly complete at 94%.
48% of U.S. pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, up 1% from last week and 7% more than last year.
Iowa’s corn and soybean harvest delayed
September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Iowa’s corn and soybean harvest was slowed by rain last week. Corn and soybean crop progress continues to fall behind the five-year average as skies remained cloudy for the majority of the week.
Two percent of the corn crop has been harvested, equal to last year, but four percentage points behind average. Moisture content of all field corn is estimated at thirty-two-percent. Seventy-five-percent of the corn crop is in good or excellent condition. Forty-seven-percent of the crop is now safe from frost, nine days behind average.
Soybean harvest reached six percent complete, just one percent behind last year, but fourteen percent behind the five-year average. Seventy-four-percent of the soybean crop is rated good to excellent.
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