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Butcher shop settles lawsuit

October 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

The Missouri Attorney General says a St. Louis area butcher shop has reached a settlement with the state. John’s Butcher Shoppee of Overland and Festus, Missouri, was sued by the state, which alleged the shop had sold products labeled as “ground beef” which contained ground cattle hearts.

Attorney General Kris Koster says “consumers must be able to trust that food products they purchase are what the seller and manufacturer have advertised.”

Koster says John’s Butcher Shoppee settled the lawsuit for $50-thousand dollars and must label all products correctly and submit product samples to the Missouri Department of Agriculture at any time.

Filed Under: Livestock, News Tagged With: , ,

Cash cheese drops 9 cents

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A day of mixed-signals in the dairy markets on Tuesday, after holding steady for more than a week, cash cheese prices dropped 9-cents each on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. A couple of uncovered offers set the market. Butter lost 5.5 cents with an uncovered offer setting the price as well. Class III futures reacted accordingly with November losing 73 cents, December fell 62 cents and January was 29 cents lower.

A rather interesting development that cheese, butter and futures prices would go down on the same day the business news reports are quoting DMI CEO Tom Gallagher predicting retail milk prices will increase as much as 15 percent in 2013. Citing the drought and resulting feed prices, Gallagher says cow numbers are going to go down and a number of dairy farms, most notably in California are going to go out of business. Eventually, the higher prices are going to reduce consumption both domestically and for exports.

The bi-weekly Global Dairy Trade auction at Fonterra on Tuesday saw a 1.8 percent increase in the overall average prices. Cheddar cheese was down 9.9 percent from two weeks ago, anhydrous milk fat was 3.2 percent lower and casein was down 2.2 percent. Meanwhile the skim milk powder price increased 0.8 percent, milk protein concentrate increased 4.2 percent, butter milk powder increased 4.3 percent and while milk powder was 9.2 percent above the last auction.

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted seven requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold and Upstate Niagara Cooperative to sell 2.798 million pounds of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and 302,033 pounds of butter to customers in Asia, Central America and the Middle East. The product will be delivered October 2012 through March 2013.

In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 99.7 million pounds, butter totaling 58.4 million pounds (adjusted for reductions) and anhydrous milk fat totaling 127,868 pounds. The product will be shipped to 34 countries on four continents.

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

Willard, Ohio, girl receives award at her first show

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Morgan Baxter of Willard, Ohio, proudly displays her first Brownfield Youth Ag Award.

It was an exciting year for 4-H participant Morgan Baxter of Willard, Ohio.

During her first showing at the Huron County Fair, she placed 3rd overall in the Feeder Calf Show.

Morgan went home with a Brownfield Youth Ag Award, sponsored in part by WKFM-FM.

Congratulations, Morgan!

Filed Under: 2012 Ag Youth Awards, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Narrowly mixed day for grains, oilseeds

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans were firm on light short covering and spillover from the outside markets. Contracts are down almost three dollars since the start of September but just couldn’t follow through on the early gains. The global supply is tight and overall demand is strong with unknown buying 110,500 tons of U.S. beans Tuesday morning. Soybean meal was down and bean oil was up on the adjustment of product spreads. China’s National Grain and Oils Information Center lowered its soybean production outlook 200,000 tons to 12.8 million, anticipating a 14.43% year to year decline in planted area.

Corn was mostly firm with nearbys up on short covering. Domestic end user demand continues to look solid and the long term commercial outlook remains bullish. Export demand has been slow but that may be due to the relatively high price. Japan bought 250,000 tons of corn from Ukraine, which according to Allendale’s David Kohli is at a discount to U.S. supplies. Year to date corn sales for Ukraine are 1.85 million tons; the marketing year started July 1. Ethanol futures were mixed. China’s National Grain and Oils Information Center projects 2012 corn production at 201 million tons, up 4.26% from a year ago, thanks to a 3.15% rise in planted area.

The wheat complex was mixed in consolidation trade. The near term fundamentals look bearish but the long term outlook is bullish due to continued global crop production issues. Exports from Russia and Ukraine are ahead of normal and will have to slow down at some point. The latest data from Kiev has wheat sales since the start of the marketing year July 1 at 3.35 million tons, 2.38 million tons of that milling quality, with total sales 73% ahead of last year’s pace. Also, Ukraine’s grain stocks are down 11% from a year ago at 19.4 million tons. European wheat was lower on the higher trade in the Euro. China’s National Grain and Oils Information Center estimates 2012 wheat production at 118 million tons, up 0.51% on the year with a 0.35% rise in planted area. Japan issued a tender for 128,144 tons of milling wheat (49,656 tons U.S. dark northern spring, 42,385 tons U.S. hard red winter, 28,068 tons Canadian western red spring, and 8,035 tons U.S. western white).

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

2012 World Food Prize events underway

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

More than 1,500 people from some 70 countries are in Des Moines this week for World Food Prize festivities — annual events focused on the effort to end worldwide hunger. Another group is using the spotlight to promote its philosophy about how food should be grown, by whom and how the profits in the food system should be shared.

Jan Corderman is a member of the Iowa chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) which hosted WhyHunger of New York City and the winner of the 2012 the Food Sovereignty Prize.  The prize was created by a number of food justice groups and presented this year by WhyHunger.

“Food sovereignty, in the context that it is used here, it really encompasses the right to food, to adequate nutrition and the resources that are necessary for each person to be able to feed him or herself and do it with dignity and, really, culturally appropriate ways,” says Corderman.

That prize was created in response, she says, to the World Food Prize, “With really putting the focus on sustainable growing methods and removing barriers that are there due to age or sex or gender or income, etc,” Corderman says.

The 2012 Food Sovereignty Prize was presented earlier this year to Jeomok Bak, with the Korean Women’s Peasants’ Association in South Korea. Bak was in Des Moines Monday to talk about her work.

The World Food Prize was founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner, the late Dr. Norman Borlaug of Iowa, known as the father of the “Green Revolution” for his groundbreaking work that led to new wheat varieties and improved crop management practices.

~Radio Iowa contributed to this report~

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, Livestock, News, Top Stories, World Ag News/Trade Tagged With: , , ,

Economic improvements boost U.S. wheat demand

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Economic changes in Indonesia have an impact on U.S. wheat growers. U.S. Wheat Associates is helping Southeast Asian millers and bakers use more U.S.-grown wheat.

U.S. Wheat’s South Asia Vice President Mike Spier says Indonesian consumers today eat one-third more wheat than they did in 2000.

“They’re better off financially and they want different products, so as those economies improve, they’re demanding higher quality products and their diets are changing,” said Spier, in an interview provided by U.S. Wheat. “Rice in Southeast Asia is the main staple, but wheat-based products are gaining in popularity.”

U.S. Wheat is conducting seminars demonstrating performance to help bakers in the region use more U.S. wheat.

“We’re not the cheapest wheat that’s out there, so we really have to show the value of our wheat and we do that through showing the baking performance,” said Spier. “That’s where we have our competitive advantage for the U.S. wheat classes, is in baking performance.

After a visit with an Indonesian customer a few years ago, North Dakota wheat grower David Clough was surprised to hear of the baker’s expansion plans creating greater demand for U.S. wheat in that part of the world.

“He used roughly 1,500 bags of flour a month there, which is about 55 pounds [per bag], so that’s a lot of flour that he was using in this one bakery,” said Clough, “and then he was opening this new one that was going to be five times as big.”

Last year, total U.S. wheat sales to South Asia reached more than 1.4-billion bushels representing a 40-percent increase from the previous five-year average.

The NAFB News Service contributed to this article.
AUDIO: Mike Spier and David Clough (3 min. MP3)

Filed Under: News, World Ag News/Trade Tagged With: , , ,

USDA announces biofuels projects in northeast

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The USDA has announced partnerships to spur advanced biofuels research and production in seven northeast states. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says it is the final region across the country where these projects will be in effect.

Vilsack tells reporters, “This particular project is going to look at miscanthus and switchgrass and willow – and it’s going to do it in a very innovative and creative way. Obviously a lot of mining has taken place in a number of these states.” Vilsack says the biofuels project will focus on old strip mines and marginal flood plains — in his words “killing two birds with one stone.” Penn State will be the lead partner.

Northeast states where project will be going on: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Vermont.

AUDIO: U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack

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

Purdue student running for National FFA office

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Former Indiana FFA State officer and current Purdue student Micah Matlock is Indiana’s National FFA officer candidate.  Matlock began preparing for this adventure over a year ago but says running for national office has been a dream of his since his junior year of high school.  He says he has spent much of his time the last year practicing for the interview rounds that will take place during National FFA Convention.  Matlock is one of over 40 national officer candidates from across the country.

After a rigorous interview process the week of the 85th National FFA Convention and Expo, the Nominating Committee will present the 2012-2013 National FFA Officer team that will be installed on the final day of convention.

Filed Under: 2012 FFA Convention, Feature Programs, Featured, Human Interest, News Tagged With: , ,

All cattle on feed categories are expected to decline

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ahead of USDA’s cattle on feed update Friday, analysts, on average, expect smaller placements and marketings to go along with a year to year decline in the total number of cattle on feed.

Via Dow Jones Newswires, placements are expected to be down 15% on the year due to continued losses on outgoing cattle.

Marketings could see a 10.2% decline, at least partially because of fewer work days.

The total number of U.S. cattle on feed as of October 1 may be down 2.1% from October 1, 2011.

The report is out October 19 at 3 PM Eastern/2 PM Central.

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

American Agri-Women to meet in Denver

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Threats presented by the growing animal rights movement will be one of the topics discussed at the 37th Annual Meeting of American Agri-Women, coming up November 8th through the 10th in Denver.

Karen Yost of Billings, Montana is the president of American Agri-Women.

“Animal rights activists have been having a really strong agenda, trying to stop agriculture that involves raising animals—giving them human rights,” Yost says.   “So, yes, that is a huge one.”

Other priority issues for the group are the farm bill, the estate tax, over-regulation, and immigration reform and ag labor shortages.

For more information, go to americanagriwomen.org.

AUDIO: Karen Yost (3:56 MP3)

 

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