Virginia horse trainer Tommy Garland has faced a lot of horses for which their owners have long lost patience. Some are mean, some stubborn, but almost all can be trained to be of good use doing what horses are expected to do. Problems arise when a horse learns that it can avoid activity when it chooses to. But Garland’s program of CPR – Confidence, Patience and Respect – almost always results in a horse that an owner can enjoy.
Anxious to bring ‘next wave’ of technology
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s ten years since the formation of Syngenta. The entity, according to Syngenta Seeds President David Morgan, has a long history prior to that through the several companies that came together to form Syngenta. Morgan tells Brownfield that the company must develop technology with consideration to what growers need, otherwise they won’t be able to come up with the technology to meet the needs of those who use it. “We’ve really got to put ourselves on the farm in our mindset,” says Morgan. The company now has what Morgan refers to as “a whole range of different genetic pools that we’ve acquired…really creating some products that are looking outstanding at this time.” Morgan stops short of predicting a wave of acquisitions, however. “I think the path for our future growth really comes out of taking our technology forward through the companies that we already have.”
Ohio will not pursue rehearing in rBST label ruling
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Ohio Department of Agriculture says it will not seek a panel rehearing before the Sixth Circuit regarding a three-judge panel ruling which allows the use of the term “rBST-free” on milk. The department says it cannot comment further as to whether it may seek to pursue an appeal of the ruling. The agency says there are various issues still to be decided by the District court so they will make a decision on an appeal once those are decided.
The three-judge panel struck down a provision of an Ohio labeling law thus allowing the use of the term “ rBST-free” on milk. The judges’ ruling also stated that there is a compositional difference between milk from cows using synthetic rBST and milk from those not using it. That is in direct contradiction with the Food and Drug Administration which has determined there is no difference.
The Dairy Business Association in Wisconsin says this was a legal evaluation not a scientific evaluation. The court’s definition of compositional difference was based on a production claim – not content.
Class III milk futures drop
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Class III dairy futures dropped on Friday, the December contract lost 37 cents and 2011 contracts lost up to 24 cents. Cash cheese barrels held steady on Friday but did lose 1.5 cents for the week. Blocks were down 0.75 on Friday and lost 2.75 cents for the week. Jacquie Voeks with Stewart-Peterson says some outside money may have pulled out of dairy and moved into other commodities…our out of the markets completely, choosing to wait on the sidelines until after the election on Tuesday.
As for producers, Voeks says there are a number of options for producers right now but just sitting back and waiting “is not a strategy.”
Heavy out of state financing of Prop B
October 29, 2010 By 3 Comments
The Missouri Farm Bureau says the majority of financing for Proposition B, which aims to further regulate the state’s dog breeding industry, comes from groups and individuals in other states. As of October 21st, total Prop B campaign receipts exceeded 4.3 Million dollars, of which more than 3 million comes from out of state organizations, with over 2 Million from the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS). Other group contributors: the ASPCA, The Fund for Animals and Animal Welfare Advocacy in New York, Best Friends Animal Society of Utah, The Doris Day League in DC, and Big Cat Rescue of Florida.
Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse says out of state interests have no business here. Kruse says there are already Missouri laws regulating dog breeders and Prop B will do “absolutely nothing to shut down unlawful dog breeders and will instead cause reputable and lawful dog breeders to close their businesses.”
As witnessed in other states, Kruse says “these radical animal rights groups and individuals will work to further regulate Missouri farmers, driving them out of business as well and driving up food costs.”
Proposition B is heavily favored in recent election polls.
Grains and oilseeds end Friday narrowly mixed
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Soybeans closed narrowly mixed on a combination of profit taking, good demand and end of the month consolidation trade. There was no fresh news and contracts saw solid gains for most of the month of October. Also, conditions in Brazil continue to improve, aiding planting and development, with more rain for dry areas in the forecast for the coming week. Soybean oil was lower on profit taking and product spread trade while meal was higher on that spread activity and spillover from beans.
Corn was mostly firm on technical buying. There was no real fresh news for corn either, but traders continue to keep an eye on the generally lower than expected yields ahead of USDA’s update November 9. Past that – domestic demand remains solid, offsetting part of the impact of the slow export demand. In any event, USDA expects record demand this marketing year and many traders anticipate a lower production estimate, leaving the balance sheet tight. Ethanol futures were higher.
The wheat complex was narrowly mixed on crop weather concerns and profit taking. Traders continue to watch the drier than normal conditions across large portions of the U.S. winter wheat growing area, which support contracts for most of the session. Near term fundamentals remain bearish, but those weather concerns have longer term outlooks moving closer to neutral. European wheat was uneven in pretty thin trade; January Paris was up .6% and January London was down .1%.
Negotiated cash cattle trade very light
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The cash cattle trade was very quiet on Friday afternoon with business apparently done for the week. A light to moderate trade volume was reported in the North at 156.00 to 157.00 about 3.00 to 4.00 lower than last week. Packers should start out Monday closer to the knife, but with uncertain chain speed plans. Negotiated cash trades through Friday afternoon amounted to only 94,418 head. The weekly cattle slaughter is estimated at 668,000 head, 6,000 more than the previous week and 15,000 greater than a year ago.
Boxed beef cutout values were weak to lower Friday afternoon on light to moderate demand and moderate to heavy offerings. Choice boxed beef closed .96 lower at 161.31, and select was down .52 at 153.44.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled 12 to 185 points lower with traders quickly liquidating positions as they squared positions before the end of the month. Lower boxed beef cutout values and concern over future beef demand weighed on futures. The October contract expired at 98.85 down 1.85 points, and December was .45 lower at 98.82.
Feeder cattle settled 37 to 65 points lower on the weakness in the live pit and the upward movement in corn futures. Nov settled .62 lower at 110.32, and January was down .37 at 110.80.
Feeder cattle receipts at Missouri auctions this week totaled 32,199 head. Compared to last week feeder steers weighing less than 450 pounds traded 6.00 to 10.00 higher, 450 to 600 pounds were 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Steers over 600 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher. Steers, medium and large 1 weighing500 to 600 pounds brought 97.00 to 135.25, 7 to 8 weights from 100.00 to 124.00. 500 to 600 pound heifers brought 90.50 to 120.50 and 7 to 8 weights from 89.00 to 113.85 per hundredweight.
Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade closed .61 lower, and the West was down .51 with both at 58.93 on a carcass basis. The Eastern markets were down .78 at 58.51. Missouri direct base carcass meat price ended the week steady at 59.00.
The weekly hog slaughter was estimated at 2,311,000 head, 35,000 less than last week, but up 17,000 from last year. The leverage of hog buyers seems to be getting stronger and stronger with producers unable to sell barrows and gilts fast enough to check heavier carcass weights.
The pork carcass cutout was .07 lower at 73.68.
Lean hogs settled 10 to 97 points lower. The continued pressure through the complex focused on the combination of weakness in market fundamentals and lack of interest by non commercial traders at the end of the month. The December contract hit an 8 1/2 month low. December settled .85 lower at 66.20, and February was down .97 at 71.92.
Iowa ag secretary race gets national attention
October 29, 2010 By 1 Comment
The campaign for secretary for agriculture in Iowa has garnered some national attention this fall because of the two candidates’ widely divergent views on agriculture.
The race pits incumbent Bill Northey, a fourth generation corn and soybean farmer from northwest Iowa, against Francis Thicke, an organic dairy farmer from southeast Iowa. Northey is considered a friend to modern agriculture and agribusiness, while Thicke is seen as a champion of the organic and local food movement.
Northey says one area that he and Thicke disagree on is the need for more regulation of Iowa’s livestock industry.
“I certainly believe that we need some regulations to do things right—and we always want to figure out how to do a better job,” Northey says, “but I also think that regulations can cause a real concern to those that are investing in a 10 or 20 year—or longer term—business. And my opponent advocates more regulation that I think certainly would cause some real problems to some of those producers.”
Thicke says there are areas of livestock production where more regulation is appropriate.
“For example, putting manure on snow. Science shows that that’s not a good practice–it’s a very bad practice and sometimes it can result in a lot of pollution to our water resources,” Thicke says. “So that’s one case where, I think, regulation is appropriate. However, I think that voluntary measures are important as much as possible.”
Thicke and Northey also disagree on state versus local control of CAFO’s. Thicke favors more local control, while Northey feels state regulation is important.
AUDIO: Bill Northey (6 min MP3)
Animal ag groups to release GIPSA analysis
October 29, 2010 By 1 Comment
Four groups representing animal agriculture say they will release an economic analysis of the proposed GIPSA rule at a news conference on November 10th.
The groups involved are the National Pork Producers Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Turkey Federation and the National Meat Association. The cost-benefit analysis was conducted by Informa Economics.
The news conference will take place at the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.
In a recent interview with Brownfield, Gregg Doud, chief economist for NCBA, said he is unable to find any justification for what is being proposed in the GIPSA rule.
“The craziest thing that I see argued is that we have a thinning cash market and that somehow affects prices,” Doud says. “The reality is, the thinnest cash markets that we have in the cattle business are where we have the highest prices today.”
Doud says the rule would “completely change” the risk management practices being used in the cattle industry.
“I think we have a lot of people that are involved in legal aspects and regulatory aspects of this that just, frankly, don’t understand the livestock industry in this country,” he says, “and, from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s perspective, we’re going to fight this thing—because we don’t want government involved in how we do our business.”
The GIPSA rule comment period runs through November 22nd.
One bite in three depends on pollinators
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
There are 4,000 species of native bees that make their home around farms provided there’s appropriate habitat. Michigan State University berry crops entomologist Rufus Isaacs is trying to be sure that those bees have a place to thrive. If they don’t, there are plenty of crops that either won’t bear fruit or won’t yield very well from a lack of pollinating help from wild bees. And that goes for forage crops grown to feed livestock. Domestic honey bees do their part, and are a concern because their numbers have dwindled for yet unknown reasons. But Isaacs, along with researchers in other parts of the country, is working on ways to establish flower patches close to blueberry fields that attract and make a good home for wild bees. The program is Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator and results are not only visually appealing, but they’re the bees knees for the bees.
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