Ag News for America
Ronald Rosati
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis has named a new dean.
He is Ronald Rosati, who currently serves as the provost of Southeast Missouri State University. Rosati will begin his new duties this summer.
Rosati replaces Weldon Sleight, who retired last year.
South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem questioned Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack at Tuesday’s House Ag Committee hearing on sequestration cuts about a leaked internal email from a USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regional director. The director, Charles Brown, said in that email that a clarification from his superiors of APHIS said that in managing cuts, in this instance, to aquaculture, he needs to – quote – “make sure you are not contradicting what we said the impact would be.”
Noem pressed Vilsack on the email, which he said he had not seen. Noem said, “My concern from the email is that it intends, I believe, in the way that it is worded is that it prioritizes staying consistent with the administration on what they previously said than what they may decide to do to protect producers. And, I’m hopeful that isn’t an agenda that’s been put forward.”
Vilsack said using flexibility where possible with the sequester cuts is the policy of the USDA. Some lawmakers have criticized the administration for “over-stating” the impact of sequestration cuts.
A reminder from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture applications for Dairy 30X20 grants are due by 4:30 p.m. March 15th. The purpose of this funding is to provide support and technical assistance to all dairy farmers, regardless of type or size, to improve their operation. Funding is available for projects up to $5,000. Farmers need to provide 20% in matching funds.
Funding is flexible and customizable to farmer needs. There are two categories of financial assistance available: Dairy Profit and Planning & Preparation.
Dairy Profit grants will bring together an on-farm team to identify opportunities to improve the day-to-day management of the farm to increase profitability. Examples of Dairy Profit Teams are: forming a nutrition plan, managing herd health, planning for managed grazing, transitioning to organic, implementing new technology or meeting environmental challenges.
Planning & Preparation grants will assist farmers who are considering a change in business structure or investment in facilities. Funding could be used for: financial analysis, transition planning, farm transfers, business planning or professional service costs related to siting, engineering or design.
Additional information and application materials are available at GrowWisconsinDairy.wi.gov.
While cash cheese prices have nudged higher on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange the last couple of days, there is still a lot of apprehension. Ag Market News says there is a lot of milk being produced out there keeping cheese makers very busy while retail demand is “underwhelming”. They note the CME actually trades cheese up to 30 days old so the increases on Wednesday “is to focus on the market for cheese up to 30 days old.”
The National Dairy Retail Report says the most advertised cheese in the country is eight-ounce shredded at $2.30 down 8 cents from two weeks ago and the lowest of the year. In the Midwest, eight-ounce shredded is 24 cents below the national average.
National Dairy Products Sales Report for the week ending March 2nd: cheddar cheese blocks averaged $1.66 per pound down 0.1 cent from a week ago. Barrels were up 2.1 cents to average $1.65. Butter increased 1.4 cents to average $1.59, dry whey increased a half-cent to 63.5 cents and nonfat dry milk decreased 2.3 cents to average $1.55 per pound.
With sign-up for the ACRE program - Average Crop Revenue Election – for 2013 underway, a farm management specialist says it might be a good idea for producers to sign up because it’s good insurance against price declines.
Gary Schnitkey, with the University of Illinois, tells Brownfield Ag News, “All farmers will have the opportunity to sign up for ACRE, so, it might be a good idea not because it’s likely to make payments. But, if it does, we’re likely looking at much lower yields.”
Schnitkey says 2012 ACRE payments are likely for corn, not so much for soybeans, “It does depend on what happens at the market year average price. If we get market year average prices below about $6.90 we’ll get ACRE payments for corn in Illinois.”
ACRE was replaced in the Senate and House Ag farm bill proposals that advanced last year. However, the 2008 farm bill that was extended early this year keeps the program active. The sign up deadline for ACRE is June 3rd, 2013.
Soybeans were mixed with nearbys down on profit taking and deferreds up on commercial demand. Beans are watching South American harvest activity along with continued shipping delays out of key ports in Argentina and Brazil. Dow Jones Newswires adds the cash basis was up again Wednesday, reflecting the strong fundamentals. Past that – grain and oilseed traders are all getting ready for Friday’s supply and demand update out at Noon Eastern, 11 AM Central. Soybean meal was down and oil was up on the adjustment of product spreads. USDA’s weekly export sales report is out Thursday at 8:30 AM Eastern, 7:30 AM Central. Soybeans are pegged at 700,000 to 1.1 million tons, meal is seen at 150,000 to 300,000 tons, and oil is placed at 5,000 to 20,000 tons.
Corn was lower on fund and commercial selling, in addition to spillover from wheat and the dollar. Corn’s keeping an eye on weather ahead of widespread planting with conditions generally expected to be good for most of the Cornbelt. Still, the near term supply remains extremely tight. USDA’s prospective planting report is out March 28. Ethanol futures were lower. According to Ukraine’s Ag Ministry, via Dow Jones Newswires, corn exports since the start of the marketing year July 1 are 9.36 million tons. Weekly U.S. corn exports are expected to be between 500,000 and 700,000 tons.
The wheat complex hit new eight month lows on commercial and speculative selling, along with spillover from the dollar. The winter crop’s about to come out of dormancy so the complex is eyeing conditions in the Plains and Midwest with USDA’s national weekly crop progress reports resuming Monday, April 1. It looks like there’s more rain on tap for both the hard red and soft red winter regions. Additionally, unlike corn and soybeans, wheat’s fundamentals are, at best, neutral due to the slow export demand. In sell-buy-sell activity, Japan bought 80,130 tons of feed wheat and 100,500 tons of feed barley, while tendering for another 120,000 tons of feed wheat and 200,000 tons of feed barley. Ukraine’s Ag Ministry states that wheat exports this marketing year are 6.2 million tons with another 500,000 tons “likely” to be exported before the end of the marketing year. Russia’s Ag Ministry reports total grain exports are 13.85 million tons, down 30% from the same period a year ago. Weekly U.S. wheat sales are estimated at 300,000 to 600,000 tons.
A Missouri dairy industry economic impact study will be rolled out at a hearing at the state Capitol next week in Jefferson City. The University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Extension did the report which includes processing and production numbers and will present it to lawmakers next Tuesday, March 12th.
Cash cattle activity was limited on Wednesday afternoon following light to moderate business in the morning. Trading in Texas seemed to be especially active with prices fully steady with last week at 128.00. On the other hand business in the North was generally spotty at 203.00 to 204.00, with most cattle waiting to be traded until Thursday or Friday. Asking prices on the balance of the showlists are around 130.00 in the South and 205.00 plus in the North. Cattle slaughter was estimated at 115,000 head, 6,000 smaller than last week, and down 11,000 from last year.
Boxed beef cutout values were higher to sharply higher on moderate demand and light to moderate offerings. Choice beef was up 2.21 at 196.08, and select was 3.28 higher at 194.80.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled 35 to 100 points lower, but late short covering worked to lift most contracts significantly above session lows on the close. The lack of support in the market seemed to be unraveling any hope for increased market stability through the early part of March. Traders appeared to give little or no credibility to higher boxed beef values in the morning report due potentially to the light trade volume. April settled .82 lower at 128.80, and June was down .52 at 123.95.
Feeder cattle ended the session 82 to 167 points in the red. Pressure in the live cattle futures did not allow the weaker corn market to create support through the feeder cattle complex. March settled .82 lower at 140.92, and April was down 1.35 at 142.25.
Mar. corn closed at $7.08, down 24 cents
Mar. soybeans closed at $14.84 and 1/2, down 12 cents
Mar. soybean meal closed at $434.20, down 70 cents
Mar. soybean oil closed at 50.06, up 14 points
Mar. wheat closed at $6.76 and 1/4, down 20 cents
Apr. live cattle closed at $128.80, down 82 cents
Apr. lean hogs closed at $79.25, unchanged
Apr. crude oil closed at $90.43, down 39 cents
May cotton closed at 87.24, up 26 points
Mar. Class III milk closed at $16.99, up 5 cents
Apr. gold closed at $1,574.90, unchanged
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 14,296.24, up 42.47 points
Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska has been honored by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
AFBF presented Johanns with its “Golden Plow” award, the highest recognition the organization grants to members of Congress. Johanns was nominated for the award by the Nebraska Farm Bureau “because of his dedicated work as a member of Congress on issues important to Farm Bureau members”.
While the award is based on Johanns’ congressional achievements, AFBF president Bob Stallman said his commitment to agriculture can be traced throughout a career of political service—first as governor of Nebraska and then as secretary of agriculture under President George W. Bush.
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