Following the release of the USDA’s latest quarterly hogs and pigs report, Chris Hurt, Purdue University Extension ag economist shared his price outlook, and the factors influencing the numbers.
Gluten info, not all accurate
June 27, 2011 By 1 Comment
When a health topic turns into a buzz word, there’s bound to be some misinformation. Gluten…you hear about it, read it on product labels, and listen to celebrities talk about their personal experiences with it. But not all of the information is accurate says Executive Director of the Gluten Intolerance Group, Cynthia Kupper. For starters, she says the gluten intolerance and celiac disease aren’t the same thing.
Ozark chinquapin not endangered species
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not list the Ozark chinquapin under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Ozark chinquapin is a medium-sized chestnut tree which once grew to 65 feet, but now rarely reaches heights of more than 30 feet because of chestnut blight which has plagued the tree since 1940. It develops from stump sprouts as well as seeds, but in recent years, new growth is generally from sprouts due to blight.
A private citizen from Oklahoma petitioned for Endangered Species status for the chinquapin in 2004 but an analysis by Fish & Wildlife found the species is currently widespread on both public and private highlands throughout Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. In fact the study found a majority of the trees are on state and federal lands and are being managed to benefit the species.
Brazilian to head FAO
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For the first time in history, the head of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) will be from Latin America; Jose Graziano da Silva of Brazil will become Director General of the FAO on January 1, 2012. Graziano da Silva defeated the former foreign minister of Spain in the second ballot on Sunday after four other candidates withdrew after the first ballot.
He becomes the eighth person to lead the organization since it was established in 1945 succeeding Jacques Diouf of Senegal, who held the position for 18 years. He takes over an organization facing near-record food prices which drove 44 million people into poverty in the last year. The Brazilian says he believes ending hunger is possible stating it: “is not a charity, but an investment in our poorest people and a key to sustainable development.”
The FAO has a budget of $2.2 billion for the two-year period ending this year.
Wind does damage in Missouri
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Photos Courtesy of Chris Chinn
Storms overnight Sunday raised havoc across northern Missouri. A lot a trees were down because of high wind and many were without power.
“We’re told that it’s straight line winds and it hit our family-owned feed mill which supplies all the feed to our hogs,” said Chris Chinn, who raises hogs with her husband Kevin at Clarence, Missouri.
A half-million-bushel grain bin was destroyed, another damaged along with damage to other smaller bins. With help from their neighbors, the family scrambled Monday to save the grain from the wrecked bin.
“You really see what a local community is made of,” said Chinn. “I just can’t say enough thanks and praise for our neighbors and our friends who have offered their grain trucks and who have offered to help us clean up the mess, you know it’s just overwhelming how compassionate a rural community can be.”
Chinn is confident the bins are adequately covered by insurance, and says that even considering the damage, they’re fortunate.
“We were making feed again today by noon, which was great,” she said, “because that was our top priority, making sure that our hogs were cared for and that they were being fed.”
Yield contest provides valuable data
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
South Dakota soybean growers have until August 20th to sign up for the South Dakota Soybean Yield Contest. Kevin Scott, a farmer from Valley Springs, South Dakota, tells Brownfield the competition is important because it provides data to help improve the state’s soybean crops in the future.
“We’re trying to gather agronomic information from producers across South Dakota in their specific zones of growing, whether it’s Group Zero soybeans or to Group 3 in the south,” said Scott recently in an interview. “This contest will gather that information, we’ll compile the results, and after a year, or two, or three, we’ll have some template to give back to [growers] as to how they can possibly improve their yields on their farm.”
The winners in each of a dozen yield categories get $1,000 as well as up to $1,500 to be used to attend next winter’s Commodity Classic in Nashville. Smaller cash prizes are given to growers who place 2nd and 3rd in each category.
Growers can also enter the optional quality component of the contest, providing data that Scott says is just as important.
“The quality issues are very critical,” said Scott. “We get compared with other countries as to quality, so we need to know what we can do to improve the quality of our product to the end user and what agronomic things we can do to improve those quality issues.”
The fee to enter is $25 and each grower is allowed two entries. Entering and credit card payment can be done at sdsoybean.org.
Brancel says budget is good for Wisconsin ag
June 27, 2011 By 1 Comment
Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel says the new state budget signed by Governor Walker on Sunday contains some good provisions for agriculture. For starters, ten additional meat inspectors will be hired, five funded by state dollars, five by USDA. The additional inspectors are needed so Wisconsin can fully implement the new interstate meat shipment program.
The budget continues the investment tax credits for dairy producers, processors and meat plants, Brancel says the $2.8 million in credits available could leverage up to $28 million in private investment.
The Dairy 2020 program is transferred to the Department of Agriculture from Commerce.
The Secretary notes the spending package also retains nearly $18 million per year for conservation programs and personnel; maintains the state’s farmland preservation program and provides funding for the 16 projects selected for the Purchase of Agriculture Conservation Easement (PACE) program in 2010.
Iowa crops need sunshine and heat
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Most Iowa farmers were kept out of the fields last week due to rain and storms. Saturated ground is hampering spraying and hay making efforts. The Iowa Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service reports some fields are very weedy. In the Western third of the state ponding and flooding was occurring. Straight line winds caused some corn to lay over.
80% of the corn crop is rated in good to excellent condition. 76% of the soybean crop is in good to excellent shape.
The first cutting of alfalfa is now 79% complete, slightly ahead of last year but behind the normal of 89%. The condition of the hay crop is reported at 65% percent good to excellent.
78% of the oat crop has headed compared with 88% in 2010 and the average of 81%. 65% of the oat crop is in good to excellent condition.
Livestock conditions have been good with the cooler than average temperatures and lush pastures.
Haymaking halted in Wisconsin
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Not a lot of hay made in America’s Dairyland last week. The Weekly Crop Progress Report from the National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office says the wet, cool weather made only 2.4 days suitable for fieldwork last week allowing only 5 percent progress in first-crop hay. It is now 88 percent complete, two points behind the five-year average. A lot of what was cut down at the beginning of the week is lost and what is still standing has lost a lot of quality. One “plus” though, the rain gave the second crop a shot-in-the-arm.
Precipitation ranged from 0.68 inches in Eau Claire last week to more than 3 inches in Green Bay. Soil moisture is pretty-well replenished across the state with 68 percent rated adequate and 31 percent surplus.
Weeds are becoming an issue in corn and soybean fields across the Badger State although the crops are progressing. The average corn height is 18 inches, up six from a week ago but still eight percent behind the five-year average. Soybean emergence improved 11 percent from last week now at 95 percent, three-points off the five year average. The oats crop is 32 percent headed, a 15-point improvement from a week ago but still 35 percent behind average. The crops are in pretty good shape, corn is 83 percent, soybeans 80 percent and oats 84 percent good to excellent condition.
Monsanto donates to MO Ag disaster relief
June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Monsanto has donated $100-thousand dollars to a new disaster relief fund for Missouri producers impacted by weather disasters this year.
John Raines, Monsanto’s customer advocacy leader, says Missouri is home to Monsanto and they hope others join them in donating to the fund, “Working with the (Missouri) Department of Ag and specifically Director Hagler, Monsanto has donated money and, hopefully, it will encourage others in our industry and many other walks to support farmers and our rural communities.”
Raines says it’s been a tough spring for producers, with tornadoes, storms and flooding…and they need help getting back on their feet. With that, he says Missouri farmers ARE resilient, “You know, our corn in the state looks good. We’ve got our cotton in the southeast parts of the state and still a lot of people still planting soybeans. So, there are many places where we’ve had very difficult situations and that is not to be minimized in any way.”
When Monsanto presented its check to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon on June 14th, Raines said nearly all of Missouri agriculture was represented,
“We had nearly every commodity organization in the state represented there. So, I think it speaks a lot to the way Missouri agriculture comes together in times of need and works together as one whole for the good of the farmer and the industry and I’m quite proud of that.”
The Missouri Agriculture Disaster Relief Fund is set up to “address the immediate needs of farm families, extend grants to non-profit organizations for infrastructure repair and clean-up and help individuals or organizations with major disaster grants.”
The Republic of China (Taiwan) also contributed $50-thousand to the disaster fund making the initial amount $150-thousand.
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