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Ground beef recalled in Eastern U.S.

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cargill Meat Solutions is recalling 8,500 pounds of ground beef produced at its Wyalusing, Pennsylvania plant for possible E. coli O26 contamination. The beef was produced on June 11th, shipped to distribution centers in Maryland and Connecticut and then across eight East Coast states.

It has been linked to two illnesses Maine and one in New York. Officials said the recalled ground beef has a product code of W69032 and carries the establishment number EST. 9400 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

E. coli O26 is a bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

More details from USDA here:

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

GROWMARK reports good financial year

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It looks like a good Fiscal 2010 for GROWMARK. The regional cooperative reporting unaudited estimated sales of $6 billion and net income of $81 million for the fiscal year which will end August 31st. Senior Vice President of Finance Jeff Solberg reported the coop’s plant food division had the second-highest operating gross income on record rebounding significantly from 2009. The retail supply business segment had a good year with $1 billion in sales producing $18 million in pretax income.

As a result, an estimated $55 million in patronage refunds will be returned to local cooperatives. GROWMARK supplies cooperatives in 23 states and Ontario, Canada.

Read more here:

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

Southern Missouri shows continued impact from dry conditions

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A dry week across most of Missouri allowed for the completion of hay harvest and the start of corn silage harvest, but precipitation is needed to help fill out beans and revive pastures. In particular, the southern third of the state has been hit very hard by dry conditions. Across the state, there were an average of 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork, 51% of the state has adequate topsoil moisture and 56% of subsoil has adequate moisture. However in that southern third of the state, counties report 76% to 97% of soil is short to very short of moisture.

34% of corn is mature, with 48% in good to excellent condition, while 86% of soybeans are at the pod setting stage, with 45% rated good to excellent.

39% of pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, with 81% of the state reporting adequate stock water.

The hay supply is reported at 71% adequate, but the south-central district reports supply as 56% short to very short.

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

A dry week for most of Iowa

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Over the past week, outside of some light rainfall in Western Iowa, most of the state saw its longest span without rain this growing season. Temperature wise, conditions were mild most of the time prior to a late week move back into the mid-80′s.

Overall, there were just over 6 days suitable for fieldwork and the weather helped with crop development while livestock enjoyed a break from recent high heat.

94% of corn is at or past the dough making stage, with 54% denting and 8% mature. 69% of the crop is in good to excellent condition.

For soybeans, 14% of leaves are turning color with 69% of the crop in good to excellent shape.

96% of the second alfalfa hay crop is harvested and 69% of the third crop has been collected, while 59% of all hay is rated good to excellent.

Pastures have dried out some and 64% are in good to excellent shape, but weed pressure is becoming a concern in some areas.

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

CWT accepts two more butter export assistance bids

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cash cheese and butter markets held steady on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Monday, Class III futures drifted lower. Most analysts agree that butter is pushing cheese but question whether it can keep cheese prices up where they are now. Last week Dairy Market News noted that as the higher butter prices are working their way through to the dairy case in the supermarket and there are signs of some consumer reluctance at these prices. The question right now is how high is too high? There are also some signs the economic recovery is not happening that quickly and that could slow sales as well.

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted two export assistance bids to sell butter to customers in Europe and North Africa. One bid is from Land O’Lakes to sell 36 metric tons and once from CDI/Challenge for 96 metric tons.

Given current butter prices, some have questioned continuation of the export assistance program but CWT counters that the exports help producer milk prices in the short term and help cooperatives gain and maintain market share in the long run.

Since being reactivated on March 18th, CWT has assisted in the export of just under 42 million pounds of cheese and nearly 30 million pounds of butter and anhydrous milkfat to 23 countries.

Filed Under: Dairy, News Tagged With: , , ,

Dry and warm for the second week in Wisconsin

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Warm and dry for the second week in a row in Wisconsin last week. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office says temperatures ranged 1 to 2 degrees above normal and Eau Claire was the only station to report any rainfall and that was just 1-10th of an inch. Eau Claire is the only station reporting year-to-date precipitation below normal; all other cities are 4.7 to 6.5 inches above-average. Soil moisture across the state is in good shape with 82 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus.

The Badger State corn crop continues to run well ahead of schedule with 85 percent in the dough stage, 15 points above the five year average. The crop is 60 percent dented compared to 27 percent normally on this date and 7 percent is mature, usually 1 percent is mature by now. Corn silage chopping is 7 percent complete already. The corn crop is rated 82 percent in good to excellent condition.

The Wisconsin soybean crop is right about where it should be at this time of year with 96 percent setting pods with 10 percent of the leaves turning color and 1 percent dropping leaves already. The crop is rated 84 percent good to excellent condition although there are some reports of white mold and some sudden death syndrome. A number of reporters say the beans are showing signs of stress from the wet summer.

After being slowed by wet fields, the oats harvest made some progress last week now 94 percent combined. Many commented that the last two weeks have been the best hay-making weather we’ve seen this year, third crop is 80 percent made and fourth crop is 19 percent in and the quality is excellent.

Potato vines have been sprayed and killed in Langlade County and the harvest should begin shortly.

Read the full NASS report here:

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , ,

Wheat, corn higher on demand prospects

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans were lower on technical selling, spread trade against corn and outside market direction. The dollar was higher while crude oil was down and the Dow was sharply lower, giving back nearly all of Friday’s gains. Overall, there was just no real fresh news to start out the week. USDA reports 96% of the crop is at the pod setting stage, compared to 92% last year and 95% on average, with 8% dropping leaves, compared to 3% last year and 7% on average, and 64% of the crop in good to excellent condition, unchanged from last week. Soybean meal and oil were lower, following the lead of beans. Unknown destinations bought 35,000 tons of 2010/11 U.S. bean oil ahead of the open, but it didn’t have much of an impact. Tuesday’s the first notice day for September contracts with oil deliveries expected to be large and bean and meal deliveries seen as light.

Corn was higher on technical buying, short covering and spillover from wheat. Also, there have been continued reports of mixed to mildly disappointing yield results from early harvest activity and demand looks good. Many traders see at least some decrease in USDA’s next production update September 10. According to the USDA, 94% of corn is at the dough making stage, compared to 73% last year and 86% on average, while 73% is dented, compared to 30% last year and 55% on average, and 17% is mature, compared to 5% last year and 11% on average, while 70% of the corn is rated good to excellent, unchanged from a week ago. Ethanol futures were higher.

The wheat complex was higher on technical buying and short covering. Most contracts closed near the session lows on profit taking and a lack of follow-through. The trade continues to keep very close watch on a number of crop weather problems, including excess rain in Germany, continued dry conditions in parts of Eastern Europe and dry conditions in areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including Argentina and sections of Australia. Russia’s Economic Ministry sees the crop at 62 million to 63 million tons, down sharply from initial projections that topped 90 million. USDA: SW: 69% harvested, compared to 36% last year and 75% on avg. European wheat hit three week highs on weather worries; November Paris was up 3.2%. September CBOT wheat deliveries are expected to be heavy.

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

Dry weather continues in Indiana

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Another week of dry weather in Indiana continues to take its toll on late planted crops. As of Sunday, August 29, the Indiana corn crop had a rating of 57 percent good to excellent, but 16 percent of the crop was in the poor to very poor category. Soybeans weren’t fairing any better, 55 of the crop rated good to excellent, with 17 percent of the crop poor to very poor. Pastures though are really suffering, with 36 percent rated poor to very poor.

The Indiana field office of the National Ag Statistics Service(NASS) reports 96 percent of the Indiana corn crop in the dough stage, 77 percent of the crop is dented and 21 percent of the crop is mature, well ahead of both last year and the 5-year average.

97 percent of the soybean crop is setting pods and 14 percent of the crop is shedding leaves.

Topsoil moisture in the state is 73 percent short to very short.

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

Ohio animal welfare agreement back in news

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

We may not have heard the last of that controversial animal welfare agreement in Ohio. 

Ohio agriculture director Robert Boggs tells the Columbus Dispatch that he considers the agreement brokered by Ohio ag interests and The Humane Society of the United States to be “non-binding”.  And Boggs says it’s still up to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board to decide if it wants to follow the deal or not. 

Meanwhile, HSUS head Wayne Pacelle has reminded members of the Livestock Care Standards Board that HSUS could still proceed with an animal welfare ballot initiative in Ohio.  He says that will depend on what the board does as it works through tough policy issues related to confinement of swine and poultry.

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

Corn, soybean condition ratings hold steady with last week

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The 2010 U.S. corn and soybean crops continue to coast to the finish.

As of Sunday, 94% of corn is at the dough making stage, compared to 73% a year ago and the five year average of 86%, with 73% dented, compared to 30% last year and 55% on average. 17% has reached maturity, compared to 5% a year ago and 11% on average. 70% of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition, unchanged from last week.

96% of soybeans are at the pod setting stage, compared to 92% last year at this time and the five year average of 95%, with 8% dropping leaves, compared to 3% a year ago and 7% on average. 64% of soybeans are in good to excellent shape, steady with a week ago.

The winter wheat harvest has wrapped up and 69% of the spring crop is harvested, compared to 36% last year and 75% on average.

48% of U.S. pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent condition, down 4% from both last week and last year.

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