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Lafayette USDA Rural Development office transfers

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Effective Wednesday the USDA Rural Development office in Lafayette will close and transfer to the USDA Service Center in Crawfordsville, Ind.  The Crawfordsville office will provide information on Rural Development Programs and services to Benton, Boone, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, and Warren counties.

The contact information for the new office is:

USDA Rural Development
Crawfordsville Area Office
2028 Lebanon Road
Crawfordsville, IN  47933

Phone:  (765) 362-0405 ext. 4

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

Indiana corn planting continues at record pace

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Corn planting in Indiana continues at a record pace.  As of Sunday 70 percent is in the ground with 24 percent emerged.  Last year at the time just 2 percent of the corn crop had been planted with none emerged.  By area – 66 percent of the crop has been planted in the north, 73 percent in the central, and 71 percent in the south. 

Twenty-eight percent of soybean acres is planted.  By area – 27 percent has been planted in the north, 30 percent in the central, and 25 percent in the south.

Frost continues to be a concern as temperatures hit the high 20’s last week.  Because of frost damage – some winter wheat fields are being torn up.  Eighty-eight percent of the winter wheat is jointed and 34 percent has headed.  Winter wheat condition has declined slightly from last week – 75 percent is in good to excellent condition.

In other crops around the state – pasture condition is rated 70 percent good to excellent compared to 50 percent last year. 

Alfalfa weevils have emerged early and are prevalent in many fields.

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

Planters continue to roll in Ohio

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The 5 days suitable for field work last week in Ohio allowed corn planting to advance to 57 percent complete in the state, an increase of 23 points from a week ago. Six percent of corn has emerged.

As of Sunday, April 29, 16 percent of the intended soybean acres were planted, up from seven percent last week.

The Ohio field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) reports 73 percent of the winter wheat has jointed, well ahead of both last year and the five year average. 75 percent of the crop is rated fair-to-good, a decline of 2 points from last week.

Topsoil moisture is 78 percent adequate to surplus, 19 percent short and 3 percent very short.

Other crops in Ohio:

Apples – 78 percent full bloom or beyond, 72 percent in fair-to-good condition

Peaches – 82 percent full bloom or beyond, 58 percent in fair-to-good condition

Pastures – 77 percent fair-to-good

Oats – 66 percent emerged, 86 percent rated fair-to-good

Potato acreage – 48 percent planted

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

Wisconsin still dealing with frosty mornings

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Despite some frosty morning, the corn planters were rolling in Wisconsin fields last week. The National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office reports as of Sunday, 18 percent of the state’s corn crop is in the ground, a 12-point gain for the week and 6 points ahead of the five-year average. Oats planting is 80 percent complete and 39 percent emerged compared to 47 percent planted and 15 percent emerged usually by now. Soybeans are 1 percent planted.

Some frost damage to the winter wheat reported in Rock, Kenosha and Waukesha Counties. It is still too early to assess frost damage to apples, grapes and berries, a Waupaca County reporter says there seems to be at least a 50 percent loss to strawberries in his area. There are some reports of frost hurting alfalfa leaves, first crop hay is being cut in Calumet, Dane, Green, Walworth and Waukesha Counties.

A little rainfall across the Badger State last week, soil moisture is listed as 81 percent adequate although it is still quite dry in the Northwest District where 59 percent is listed as short or very short on moisture.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: ,

Ikes to hold South Dakota farm bill forum

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Izaak Walton League is holding a farm bill forum Wednesday, May 2, at the Ike’s Club, located east of Sioux Falls. The forum will focus on a specific part of federal farm policy, according to Brad Redlin, director of agriculture programs for the Izaak Walton League.

“We’ll be concentrating in particular on conservation programs and conservation within agriculture generally at that forum,” Redlin told Brownfield, “not to eliminate other discussions, other components of the farm bill; we recognize that they’re almost all intertwined.”

Among those addressing the group are South Dakota Agriculture Secretary Walt Bones and Representative Kristi Noem. Knowing there would be conservation cuts; Redlin tells Brownfield the farm bill that emerged last week from the Senate Agriculture Committee could have been worse. Redlin says ultimately, it’s not so much what specific program is saved, but he says it’s important that farmers are given the opportunity to apply useful conservation practices.

“So it’s a case of just maintaining the ability to restore a wetland or to put some highly erodible land under permanent cover, that sort of thing, so as long as those are still available to producers, then we’ll ultimately be happy,” said Redlin.

The afternoon features a panel discussion among South Dakota farmers and representatives of commodity and general farm organizations. Redlin says the session will help South Dakotans understand how the Farm Bill impacts food, soil, air and water and how it can shape sustainable food and farm policy.

The forum is scheduled from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sioux Falls Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, located at 5000 North Oakview Place, Sioux Falls.

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

CFTC wants some answers on BSE announcement

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is asking USDA for some information regarding last week’s announcement that a BSE-positive cow had been found in California. Rumors of the discovery started circulating some two hours prior to the actual announcement. During that time, cattle futures declined the 3-cent daily limit. The rumors started circulating around noon Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, USDA sent an email to reporters at 1:45 announcing a news briefing would be held at 2:15 for an unspecified announcement. At the start of the briefing, USDA announced the news was embargoed until 3 p.m., obviously that was ignored.

Dow Jones Newservice says the ag department originally wanted to hold-off on the announcement until 5 p.m. but it was moved up as the story started to get out.

Live cattle prices recovered on electronic trading after the news was released and it was confirmed the animal had not entered the food chain.

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

Farmers made a little less last month

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Preliminary Index of Prices Received by Farmers in April declined 3.8 percent from March. The National Ag Statistics Service says farmers received lower prices for corn, cattle, broilers and eggs; higher prices for soybeans, hay, onions and oranges. The Index is 0.6 percent above April of 2011.

In the Crop Index, the average price for corn was $6.14 per bushel down 21 cents from March. Soybeans averaged $13.80 per bushel up 80 cents for the month, all wheat was down 32 cents to $6.87 per bushel while all-hay was up $47 per ton to average $190.

In the Livestock Index, the average beef cattle price was down $3.00 for the month to $125 per hundredweight, hogs were $2.60 lower at $62.60. Broilers were 6 cents a pound lower averaging 51 cents and turkeys were 4.4 cents higher at 73.4 cents per pounds.

The April all-milk price is down 30 cents from March at $16.90 per hundredweight. $2.70 below April of last year.  The average price for milk cows in the U.S. in April was $1,440 per head, down $20 from the end of January but up $20 from a year ago.

The Index of Prices Paid by Farmers was unchanged from March to April. Higher prices for complete feeds, concentrates, hay and forages and supplements were offset by lower prices for feeder cattle, feeder pigs, feed grains and LP gas. The prices paid are 10 percent higher than a year ago.

Read the full NASS report here:

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

Profitability tightens for dairy producers

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Preliminary Index of Prices Received by Farmers in April shows The April all-milk price is down 30 cents from March at $16.90 per hundredweight. $2.70 below April of last year. The highest preliminary milk price for April is $20.40 for Florida producers while the lowest is $15.00 in California.

Corn prices in April were down 21 cents to $6.14, soybeans up 80 cents to $13.80 and alfalfa hay up $7.00 a ton to average $207. That puts the milk-to-feed price ratio is 1.45, the lowest since June 2009.

The average price for milk cows in the U.S. in April was $1,440 per head, down $20 from the end of January but up $20 from a year ago. Cows in Vermont and Michigan averaged $1,600 while Missouri and California averaged $1,300. Wisconsin averaged $1,560, up $10 from January.

Read the full NASS report here:

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Foremost Farms, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 866,417 pounds of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 1.570 million pounds of butter to customers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. The product will be delivered May through July 2012.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 46.9 million pounds and butter totaling 40.8 million pounds to 26 countries on four continents.

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

Strong rally in grains and oilseeds

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans closed higher on commercial and speculative buying. Contracts were down on outside pressure and profit taking early in the session but the weekly export inspections were bullish and China bought 220,000 tons of new crop U.S. beans ahead of the open. New crop did outgain old crop as traders try to buy more acres and gains in the May were limited by much heavier than expected first notice day deliveries. USDA reports as of Sunday 12% of this year’s crop has been planted, compared to 2% a year ago, and 5% for the five year average. Soybean meal was up on that rally in beans while oil was lower on spillover pressure from crude oil, spread adjustments with meal, and heavy first notice deliveries. AgRural, via Dow Jones Newswires, lowered its 2011/12 Brazilian bean estimate by another 0.7% to 66.24 million tons, citing drought related losses.

Corn was higher on commercial and fund buying. Planting conditions look generally good but there are at least a few concerns about heavy rains and flooding in some areas of the Midwest. As expected, first notice day deliveries on May corn were extremely light. According to the Ag Department, 53% of corn is planted, compared to 12% last year and 27% on average, while 15% has emerged, compared to 4% last year and 6% on average. Ethanol futures were higher.

The wheat complex was higher on short covering, commercial buying, and spillover from corn and soybeans. Feed demand is improving and the weekly export inspections were bullish with a little more than a month left in the marketing year. The near term fundamentals do remain a little daunting, especially on the global supply side and there’s some rain in the forecast for dry parts of Eastern Europe. USDA states that 54% of the winter crop has headed, compared to 29% last year and 24% on average with 64% in good to excellent condition, up 1% on week and 30% on year, while 74% of spring wheat is planted, compared to 9% a year ago and 32% on average and 30% has emerged, compared to 3% a year ago and 8% on average. According to Dow Jones Newswires, Saudi Arabia bought 450,000 tons of 12.5% protein hard wheat while DTN adds Taiwan is tendering for 56,600 tons of U.S. wheat and Israel is in the market for 45,000 tons of U.S. feed wheat.

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

Iowa farmers plant lots of corn

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Corn planting in Iowa advanced at least 25 percentage points in each district of the state last week before wet weather moved in and put an end to field activities. Corn planting is now at 50 percent complete, compared with 7 percent at this time last year and the average of 32 percent. 5 percent of the crop has emerged, 10 days ahead of normal.

As of Sunday evening only 3 percent of the soybeans had been planted with Southeast Iowa leading the way with 12 percent planted.

Oat seeding is virtually complete, well ahead of last year. 76 percent of the oat crop has emerged, compared to 38 percent last year and the average of 36 percent.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service, Iowa Office reports soil moisture levels have improved with top soil now rated 92 percent adequate to surplus and subsoil at 72 percent adequate to surplus.

 

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