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EEOC files two suits against JBS

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed two suits against JBS Swift on behalf of Muslim workers at the company’s Greely, Colorado headquarters and its Grand Island, Nebraska packing plant. The suits allege JBS Swift created a hostile work environment for its Somali and Muslim employees due to their race, national origin, and religion. The Commission says JBS should allow Muslim workers time for prayers.

Back in 2008, JBS altered scheduled breaks at the Nebraska facility to allow Muslims at the plant to pray at sundown during the month of Ramadan. Non-Muslims at the plant protested the change so the company ended up putting the break time back to where it was. 86 Muslim workers walked off the job and were fired.

The lawsuit seeks a safe work environment and prayer time for Muslim employees at sundown along with back pay for those who were fired.

Read the EEOC statement here:

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , ,

Farmer profitability improved in August

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The monthly Agricultural Prices Report from the National Ag Statistics Service on Tuesday says the prices farmers received for their products in August increased 2.1 percent from July. The Crop Index was 3.3 percent higher and the Livestock Index was 0.8 percent higher. Producers received higher prices for corn, wheat, milk and cattle, lower prices for broilers, lettuce, onions and cantaloupes. Compared to a year ago, the prices received by farmers are 15 percent higher.

In the Crop Index, the August all-wheat price was $5.56 per bushel, up $1.06 from July. Corn averaged $3.65 per bushel, up 16 cents while soybeans increased 31 cents to average $10.10 per bushel and sorghum grain also gained 31 cents to average $6.28 per cwt. The all-hay price was down $1.00 at $111 per ton.

In the Livestock Index, the average hog price in August was $61.30 per cwt up $2.80 from July while beef cattle were $1.60 higher at $93.20 per cwt. Broilers were 3 cents lower at 48 cents per pound while the August turkey price was up 1.6 cents to average 66.3 cents per pound. Eggs were 9.6 cents higher than July at 62.4 cents per dozen.

Dairy prices were up 3.3 percent from July and 37 percent higher than August of last year. The August all milk price is $16.60, up 60 cents from last month and $4.50 more than a year ago. The fluid price is 60 cents higher than July at $16.60 while the manufacturing grade price is $1.00 higher at $15.10. Dairy profitability improved for the fourth month in a row, the cost of feed to produce 100 pounds of milk comes in at $7.03 putting income over feed cost at $9.57…47 cents better than in July.

The Index of Prices Paid by Farmers increased 0.5 percent from July; lower prices for feeder pigs, feeder cattle, nitrogen, hay and forages were offset by higher prices for feed grains, concentrates, diesel and LP gas.  Prices paid by farmers are 2.8 percent more than August, 2009.

Read the full NASS report here:

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

NCBA questions rival’s partnership with animal rights group

August 31, 2010 By 1 Comment

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is questioning the affiliation that rival cattle organization R-CALF has developed with the animal rights and environmental activist group Food and Water Watch.

According to NCBA, R-CALF and Food and Water Watch have joined forces on the campaign to support the proposed GIPSA rule on livestock marketing.  NCBA president Steve Foglesong says that Food and Water Watch is one of the groups working “obstruct the success of U.S. agriculture and its efforts to feed a growing global population.”  Foglesong says it is concerning that another cattle organization “is admittedly partnering with a group that spreads fiction as fact to 98 percent of the population removed from production agriculture.”

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: , , ,

Farmer-leader sees great opportunity with corn crop

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Garry Niemeyer, who farms near Auburn, Illinois, will take over as Vice President of National Corn Growers on October 1. Niemeyer along with other NCGA leaders spent the day at the Farm Progress Show.

With a large corn crop, Niemeyer told Brownfield that there is great opportunity for American corn farmers and plenty of room in the industry for the next generation of American farmers.

AUDIO with Garry Niemeyer

Filed Under: 2010 Events, 2010 Farm Progress Show, Featured, Special Reports Tagged With: ,

Vilsack touts reports on ag economy, exports

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Two new USDA reports confirm a strong rebound in the overall rural economy and in agricultural exports.

USDA projects net farm income, which declined more than 20 percent in 2009, will be up 29 percent in 2010.  And the agency has raised its forecast for ag exports to 107-point-five billion dollars, an 11 billion dollar increase over last year.

In an interview with Brownfield, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack suggests the rest of the economy could take a lesson from the ag sector.

”I think this is an indication of the way you recover,” Vilsack says. “You keep an eye on debt and make sure that it’s manageable.  You invest in productivity and innovation, the way American agriculture has—and you promote, like the dickens, new opportunities both here and abroad—and that’s what American agriculture does and is doing it very well.”

Vilsack says several factors have contributed to the recovery, including the 2008 Farm Bill, the efforts of the Obama administration—such as the Recovery Act—and, in his words, “the hard work and resilience of America’s farmers and ranchers.” 

AUDIO: Tom Vilsack (3 min MP3)

Link to USDA news release

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News, Top Stories, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

Wheat lower on profit taking, lack of fresh news

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans were lower on profit taking, fund selling and a lack of follow through buying. The crop continues to develop faster than average and 66% of beans are in good to excellent condition. However, there are concerns about sudden death syndrome and parts of the Eastern Midwest and Delta still need rain, which limited losses. In any event, harvest activity remains incredibly light, so there have been very few yield reports, and fundamentals continue to turn towards the bearish on the expected record U.S. crop and projections for a big South American crop. The 2010/11 marketing year for soybeans starts September 1. Soybean meal and oil were lower on spillover from beans. Losses in meal were limited by its comparatively better supply and demand situation.

Corn was lower on profit taking and spillover from beans and wheat. Also, the Dow sold off late in the session, it did eventually settle firm, and crude oil closed sharply lower. There are a lot of questions about yield and Demand continues to look solid ahead of USDA’s supply and demand update with unknown destinations buying 100,000 tons of new crop U.S. corn and Taiwan picking up 60,000 tons ahead of the open. The 2010/11 marketing year officially starts September 1 and corn’s gotten a very good jump on sales due to global concerns over feed supply availability. Ethanol futures were lower. According to China’s National Grain and Oil Information Center, via Dow Jones Newswires, Beijing sold 33.1% of its total offering at the weekly auction, down sharply on the week.

The wheat complex was sharply lower on profit taking, along with fund and technical selling. Overall, outside of reports of slow winter planting in Russia, there was no real fresh fundamental news. At this point, it looks like contracts are pretty much taking the path of least resistance. The trade definitely remains concerned about global production, but there is rain in the forecasts for dry portions of Argentina and Australia, while Germany is expected to get a break from its recent harvest delaying precipitation. European wheat was mixed in consolidation trade, but demand helped keep a firm tone in the market; November London was up 1.7% and November Paris was .1% higher. Egypt issued a tender for 55,000 to 60,000 tons of wheat and Japan put out a tender for 138,857 tons, all U.S. origin (68,520 tons dark northern spring, 38,731 tons hard red winter and 31,606 tons western white).

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: , , , ,

Barrow and gilt prices close higher in the West

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Except for a few bids in the South from 95 to 97 live and Iowa and Colorado offerings of 152 dressed the feedlot trade was quiet on Tuesday. The asking prices are around 100.00 plus in the South and 160.00 plus in the North. USDA Mandatory reported late in the day that some cattle had traded in Western Nebraska and Colorado on a live basis 2.00 to 2.50 lower than last week on light volume. Tuesday’s cattle slaughter was estimated at 130,000 head, 2,000 more than last week, but the same as last year.

 Boxed beef cutout values were steady to weak, with light demand and light to moderate offerings. Choice boxed beef ended the day .10 lower at 163.64, and select was down .74 at 156.88.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled 50 to 77 points lower with the exception of the August contract that expired at noon unchanged at 97.25. August had been as much as 90 points higher in the morning trade, but slipped at midday along with the other nearby contracts. Traders turned their attention to this week’s cash cattle prospects and the softness in the wholesale beef trade ahead of the Labor Day weekend. October was down .77 at 97.27, and December ended .60 lower at 100.05.

Feeder cattle contracts settled 15 to 100 points lower on the downturn in the live pit and lower prices at this week’s feeder auctions. September was down 1.00 at 114.10, and October finished .82 lower at 115.10.

Tri-State Livestock Auction, Mc Cook, Nebraska had receipts of 1200 cattle on Monday. There was no comparison with last week due to weight differences. Feeder steers medium and large 1, 200 head described as fancy averaging 534 pounds traded at 146.00. 108 heifers averaging 715 pounds traded at 113.28 per hundredweight.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade closed 2.03 higher at 79.36 on a carcass basis, the West was up 1.80 at 79.18, and the East was down 1.33 at 77.56. Missouri direct base carcass meat price closed steady to 1.00 lower at 74.00.

Tuesday’s hog slaughter was estimated at 408,000 head, 3,000 more than last week, but 27,000 less than last year. Packers found it necessary to raise bids in order to put together sufficient numbers for a profitable slaughter schedule before breaking for the long weekend. Generally speaking hog buyers have a shorter shopping list this week as they head toward the long holiday weekend and limited slaughter schedules for Saturday and Monday.

Lean hogs settled 10 to 92 points higher with traders finding some stability in market fundamentals at the end of the month. Higher cash prices in the direct trade helped to support the market despite the faltering pork carcass cutout value to start the week. October settled .27 higher at 75.15 but well off the days high, December was up .52 at 73.27.

Pork trading was moderate, with very light retail demand and moderate to heavy offerings, while processing  cuts experienced moderate demand and light offerings. The Pork carcass cutout value was down 2.03 at 91.23.

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: ,

Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: August 31, 2010

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

September corn closed at $4.24 and 1/2, down 1 cent
September soybeans closed at $10.08, down 10 cents
September soybean meal closed at $304.20, down $3.40
September soybean oil closed at 39.48, down 47 points
September wheat closed at $6.52 and 1/2, down 18 and 3/4 cents
August live cattle closed at $97.25, unchanged
October lean hogs closed at $75.15, up 27 cents
October crude oil closed at $71.92, down $2.78
December cotton closed at 86.20, down 23 points
September Class III milk closed at $16.07, up 21 cents
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 10,014.72, up 4.99 points

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

New combine technology at Farm Progress Show

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A joint effort between HillCo Technologies, John Deere and Iowa State University has produced some advances in combine technology. Lenny Hill, the president of HillCo Technologies says the three organizations have developed a new way to collect biomass and have integrated it into combines. Hill says the machine has the ability to switch between crops while harvesting and has the versatility to transfer material to a cart pulled behind the combine or to a tractor pulled cart.

AUDIO: Lenny Hill (6 minutes, mp3)

Filed Under: 2010 Events, 2010 Farm Progress Show, Featured, Special Reports Tagged With: , , ,

Early start to harvest

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

For Keith Willett who farms just west of Ladoga, Indiana in southern Montgomery County, the 2009 harvest got underway on September 11th, his 2010 harvest got underway on August 27th, the earliest ever for Willett.

Last year Keith’s soybeans averaged 55 to 60 bushels per acre, this year his early soybeans are below that.

“I’m getting around 45 to 50 on my early beans,” said Willett. “The test weight’s been 56-57, which is pretty good,.”

Willett tells Brownfield his late planted soybeans look better than the early planted, but how they’ll yield, he says he’ll have to wait to see what the yield monitor says.

AUDIO: Keith Willett, Ladoga, IN (3:10 MP3)

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , ,
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