South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota is one of a number of higher education institutions represented at World Dairy Expo working to recruit dairy students. I talked with SDSU Professor Vickram Mistry who’s head of the Dairy Science Department. He says they’re one of only two schools that offer degrees in both dairy production and dairy manufacturing. Mistry says “dairy is just a great career” to have.
Colleges recruiting for dairy industry
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
More harsh criticism of EPA at D.C. forum
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was the target of some very harsh criticism at a forum in Washington, D.C. Wednesday.
The event, which was hosted by the GOP-sponsored Rural America Solutions Group, was entitled “The EPA’s Assault on Rural America”. One of those testifying was Tamara Thies, chief environmental counsel for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Thies accused the EPA of, in her words, “waging an unprecedented war to end modern production of animal agriculture.
“EPA exhibits reckless indifference to scientific fact and instead imposes stringent regulations based on nothing more than its biased, anti-animal agriculture agenda that will leave many cattle operations with no recourse but to shut down and eliminate jobs,” said Thies.
Thies cited several examples of EPA’s over-regulation, including its proposal to regulate dust. She says under such rules, farmers and ranchers could be fined for everyday activities like driving a tractor down a dirt road or tilling a field.
“It’s is unlikely these realities are lost on the EPA,” she said, “making one wonder if the real goal of the agency is to do away altogether with economic activity throughout the breadbasket of the country and turn it into a vast national park.”
Wednesday’s forum comes on the heels of last week’s Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, at which EPA administrator Lisa Jackson was grilled by Senators from both parties.
Chef says cheese a popular ingredient
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Chef Consultant John Esser says cheese is more than a “topper”, it’s a terrific ingredient. John is on duty with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board at the World Dairy Expo offering cheese recipes and tips and to “coat-check” cheese that Expo-goers buy.
Cattle trade develops at lower prices on Wednsday
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
USDA Mandatory reports the cash cattle trade was moderate on moderate demand in the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday. Live sales sold 1.00 lower at 97.00. A moderate to active trade with moderate demand developed in Kansas with prices steady to mostly a 1.00 lower than last week at 97.00. Western Nebraska saw moderate trading and demand, with light trading in the remainder of the state. Live sales in the West were 1.50 lower at 96.50 to 87.00. Live sales in Eastern Nebraska were at 96.00. There were a few dressed sales at 155.00 in the West and 153.00 in the eastern part of the state. Cattle slaughter was estimated at 129,000 head, 1,000 less than last week, but 4,000 more than last year.
Boxed beef cutout values were lower on light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Choice boxed beef was down .91 at 156.71, and select was .82 lower at 148.36.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled 47 to 92 points lower on fund selling. There was some spreading, selling October and buying 2010 December contracts. Some traders expressed disappointment over this week’s cash markets lower price levels. October was down .92 at 96.22, and December was down .72 at 98.57.
Feeder cattle ended the session 50 to 125 points lower on the spillover weakness for m the live pit. The September contract expires on Thursday and there was some selling of the contract ahead of its expiration. September was down .52 at 109.47, and October ended .85 lower at 109.55.
Feeder cattle receipts at the Ozarks Regional Stockyards at West Plains, MO on Tuesday totaled 3100 head. Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves were steady to 5.00 lower. Yearlings were steady to firm. Feeder steers medium and large 1 and 1-2 weighing 500 to 600 pounds traded from 104.50 to 116.50, 7 to 8 weights from 100.00 to 107.50. Feeder heifers weighing 500 to 600 pounds brought 94.00 to 105.50 per hundredweight. Couple of part loads of heifers weighing 750 to 800 pounds traded at 98.00 to 99.50.
Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade closed 1.37 lower at 79.83 on a carcass basis, the West was down 1.35 at 79.59, and the East closed .60 lower at 77.86. Missouri direct base carcass meat price closed steady to 5.00 lower at 70.00 to 74.00. The Wednesday hog kill was estimated at 418,000 head, 1,000 more than last week, but 14,000 less than last year. Seasonally speaking, cash hogs should typically decline for the next six to eight weeks. As far as the board is concerned, the fact that prices are now trading right up against five-year highs for this time of year makes the odds of higher prices rather remote.
The pork carcass cutout value was down .13 at 87.77. Pork trading was very slow, with light to moderate demand and offerings.
Lean hog contracts experienced sharp losses and ended 130 to 207 points in the red. The lower pork carcass cutout value on Wednesday along with losses in the cash markets at midday pressured futures.Fund selling and spreading were the main features. October closed 1.40 lower at 77.17, and December was down 2.05 at 73.85.
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: September 29, 2010
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
December corn closed at $5.05, up 5 cents
November soybeans closed at $10.99, down 11 cents
October soybean meal closed at $302.50, down $1.00
October soybean oil closed at 44.06, down 50 points
December wheat closed at $6.83 and 1/2, down 1 and 1/4 cents
October live cattle closed at $96.22, down 92 cents
October lean hogs closed at $77.17, down $1.90
November crude oil closed at $77.86, up $1.68
December cotton closed at 101.24, down 400 points
October Class III milk closed at $16.53, up 6 cents
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 10,835.28, down 22.86 points
Marketing assistance for Limousin breed
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The voluntary Limousin checkoff program, designed to market the breed to the mainstream commercial sector of the beef industry has been adjusted. In a unanimous decision, the North American Limousin Foundation Board of Directors has adjusted the voluntary checkoff marketing program from $4 to $2 per head registered.
“Marketing and breed recognition are an important aspect of the cattle industry,” said Mike Smith, Liberty Ranch, Plainville, Kansas and Chairman of the Commercial Marketing committee. “There is excitement in the breed and amongst producers. Commercial cattlemen believe in Limousin cattle and now is the time to increase our market share.”
Since 2006 when the checkoff marketing program began, the program has funded over $250,000 in national and regional advertising.
Southern Ohio yields better than ‘09
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tammy Dobbels, Pioneer Area Manager in Southern Ohio says yields in her marketing area are surprisingly better than a year ago.
“We do have some weather event areas that will definitely change that, as an overall average,” said Dobbels. “But on the whole we’re seeing a very good year with yields.”
At Farm Science Review Dobbels said farmers were talking about the dry start to harvest and debating whether or not rain would be a blessing or a curse. And some were sharing their concerns with the health of the crop as the fall progresses.
“Stalk quality is going to be an issue,” said Dobbels, Pioneer Area Manager in Southern Ohio. “We have a saying, ‘the crop is as good as it is today,’ we’ll see about tomorrow.”
Green Plains acquires two more ethanol plants
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Omaha-based ethanol producer Green Plains Renewable Energy—North America’s fourth largest ethanol producer—says it is acquiring two plants owned by Global Ethanol.
The plants are located in Lakota, Iowa and Riga, Michigan. They have a combined annual production capacity of approximately 157 million gallons.
The acquisition will bring to eight the number of ethanol plants owned by Green Plains and will increase the company’s production capacity by 31 percent to approximately 657 million gallons.
Historic Kansas ranch up for auction
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A historic slice of the Kansas Flint Hills is about to go on the auction block.
The seven-thousand acre White Ranch near Peabody, Kansas will be auctioned off on October 19th and 20th. According to a story in the Wichita Eagle, the land was homesteaded in 1886 by T.B. Townsend, who built the ranch from its original 300 acres to include nearly three-thousand acres with stockyards, a post office, a general store, hotel and rail depot. Later owners expanded the ranch to its current acreage.
The broker says the ranch will be auctioned in sections, but a large enough bid could buy the entire ranch. Speculation is that bidding could reach seven million dollars to ten million dollars—or more.
Higher corn prices may prevent hog expansion
September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The recent climb in corn prices has dampened hog producer thoughts of expanding herds—and that may keep them making money through 2011.
That analysis comes from Purdue University extension economist Chris Hurt, who says pork producers should avoid expansion, increase feed efficiency and reduce marketing weights. If they do that, Hurt says, margins should remain positive.
In his latest outlook report, as reported by meatingplace.com, Hurt predicts hog prices will average about 55 dollars per hundredweight on a live weight basis for the final quarter of 2010, with a breakeven corn price of $5.15 per bushel. A 56 dollar average hog price is expected for the first quarter of 2011 with a breakeven corn price of $5.30.
Hurt sees hog prices rebounding in the second and third quarters, averaging 60 and 57 dollars, with corn breakevens of $6.10 and $5.50. He says if production is up as much as four percent in the final quarter of 2011, hog prices will drop back to near 50 dollars and corn breakeven prices drop to $4.10.
“This demonstrates how even a modest expansion can put margins at risk,” Hurt warns. “The clear message for the industry is ‘Don’t expand and margins will be OK.’”
Hurt says the state to watch is North Carolina, where breeding herd numbers are down 110-thousand head from last year. “One key to watch is large corporate producers with production in North Carolina. There is likely little appetite for expansion over the next 12 months that would throw the industry back into losses.”
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