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Unmanned aircraft could be a good thing in agriculture

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A number of states have introduced legislation and three have passed bills prohibiting the use of unmanned aircraft in their states. But there are proponents who say unmanned aircraft could be used for all sorts of good including agriculture. Gretchen West is executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a non-profit trade association with 7,500 members from around the globe. She says the unmanned aircraft technology started decades ago and has been developed mainly for the military but we are now seeing a shift into the civil market, law enforcement, federal agencies and such. West says they would like to see the technology move into the commercial market and believes agriculture will be a big use.

First off, the Federal Aviation Administration has to clear the commercial use of unmanned aircraft. The first step in that journey could come in September of 2015. Beyond that, the technology would need to be refined for agricultural use but that could evolve quickly. West says Yamaha is already using unmanned helicopters to spray crops in Japan.

West says efforts by states to limit or completely ban unmanned aircraft could become a roadblock to development of the technology.

AUDIO:West talks about the possibilities 11:55 mp3

Visit the AUVSI website here:

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

Exec VP of Nebraska Cattlemen stepping down

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The executive vice president of Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) is leaving for his home state of Oklahoma.

Michael Kelsey will become the new executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.  He has been the top executive for Nebraska Cattlemen for the past eight and a half years.

NC president Dale Spencer says the search for new executive vice president will begin immediately.

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

Illinois Soybean says House bill lacks flexiblity

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Planting flexibility and market orientation fall short in the House Ag Farm bill, according to the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA).

ISA Chairman Bill Wykes, a soybean farmer in Yorkville, Illinois, says unlike the Senate’s Agricultural Risk Coverage, or ARC, program, the House wants to “recouple” target prices with much higher support levels. And that, he tells Brownfield, can distort the market.

“We need to continue to let the market tell us what we should be planting and not having the government, because of a support program they’ve laid out there, that you can’t plant this, that, or whatever.”

But to see the farm bill process get underway this past week, says Wykes, is very encouraging.

“There’s hope when you see movement {laughter}. So, we’ll go with that.”

Reference target prices under this House Ag farm bill’s Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program, are the same as last year’s proposed farm bill with soybeans at $8.40 per bushel. Farmers would have to make choice between Price Loss Coverage or Revenue Loss Coverage, RLC.

AUDIO: Bill Wykes (3:00 mp3)

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

Soybeans, nearby corn up on commercials

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans were higher on commercial and technical buying. Unknown destinations bought 138,000 tons of combined old and new crop U.S. beans and China picked up 120,000 tons of new crop. Out of the purchase by unknown, 18,000 tons is for 2012/13 delivery and 120,000 tons is for 2013/14. Fundamentally, the near term supply remains tight and there are continued shipping delays out of major ports in Brazil, from both rain delaying loading and labor issues. Soybean meal was up on spillover from beans and oil was mixed in consolidation trade.

Corn was mixed on old crop/new crop spread adjustments, with nearbys up on commercial buying and deferreds down on speculative selling. The trade does expect good planting progress on Monday, but there has been rain in some already very wet areas and there’s more in the forecast in some key growing areas. In any event, those numbers are out Monday at 4 PM Eastern/3 PM Central. Ethanol futures were higher. South Korea’s Corn Processing Industry Association bought 45,000 tons of food grade corn from South Africa.

The wheat was lower fund and technical selling. There was no new buying interest for the winter wheat pits, despite domestic and international weather concerns. Losses in Minneapolis were limited by the slow spring planting pace and good demand for high protein wheat. European wheat was lower on recent rainfall in the Black Sea region and Australia. In sell-buy-sell export activity, Japan is tendering for 37,000 tons of food wheat, 2,000 tons of malting barley, and 1,000 tons of food barley.

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

Cattle trade was slow to develop on Friday

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

USDA Mandatory reported cattle trading and demand was light in Kansas on Friday, with live sales .50 to 1.00 lower than last week at 125.00, a few at 125.50. Cattle traded on a limited basis in Nebraska and Iowa with a few cattle on a live basis trading from 125.00 to mostly 126.00. Dressed deals in Iowa and Nebraska from 200.00 to 202.00. The Texas Panhandle traded about 7,000 head on Thursday at 125.00, a 1.00 lower than last week.

Boxed beef cutout values were weak on select and firm on choice on light to moderate demand and offerings. Choice beef was up .74 at 209.51, and select was .40 lower at 192.31.

The weekly cattle kill at was at 652,000 head, 21,000 more than last week and 8,000 greater than last year. The last time the weekly slaughter total reached 652,000 head level, was August last year.

Live cattle contracts settled 30 to 117 points lower on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday. Despite the ability to keep June cattle futures contained to narrow losses on Friday, the overall tone of the market weakened further through the session. The strong support in the dollar index and stock markets added to commodity market liquidation. Boxed beef prices were steady to weaker at midday and provided no support to the futures market. June settled .50 lower at 119.40, and August was down 1.17 at 118.55.

Feeder cattle settled 112 to 175 lower. Traders posted moderate to sharp losses as weakness through the livestock markets drew additional trade into the complex. May settled 1.12 lower at 133.90, and August was down 1.75 at 143.37.

[Read more...]

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

MO multi-issue ag bill heads to governor

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A multi-issue agriculture bill has been passed by Missouri lawmakers and sent to the governor for his signature, on this last day of the legislative session.

Among other provisions, the omnibus ag bill protects the right of children under 16 to work on family farms.

It makes the theft of Missouri livestock a Class B felony.

It allows for additional civil penalties to be imposed for violations of the Missouri Livestock disease control law.

It creates farmer market tax exemptions for producers with annual sales of less than 25-thousand dollars.

It expands the definition of eggs for inspection to include not only chicken but turkey, duck, goose and guinea eggs that are intended for human consumption.

It allows for the creation of University of Missouri Extension councils.

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

Placements larger than expected

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

USDA’s monthly cattle on feed update came out fairly close to pre-report estimates, but placements were larger than anticipated, while marketings were a little slower than what analysts were projecting.

Placements during April 2013 totaled 1.750 million head, up 15% on the year, and exaggerated by the extremely low April 2012 placement figure. By size, placements on cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 375,000 head and placements for the 600 to 699 pound category were 270,000 head, while 700 to 799 pound placements were 455,000 head and placements on cattle 800 pounds and heavier were 650,000 head. Before the report, analysts, on average, expected placements to be up 12.1% from a year ago.

April marketings were 1.855 million head, a 2% year to year increase, compared to the pre-report projection for a 2.9% rise.

The total number of cattle on feed in the U.S. as of May 1 was 10.735 million head, down 3% from May 1, 2012, when analysts were anticipating a 3.7% decline.

Other disappearances during April were 69,000 head, 12% less than last year.

USDA’s next cattle on feed report is out June 21.

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

Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: May 17, 2013

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jul. corn closed at $6.52 and 3/4, up 11 and 1/4 cents
Jul. soybeans closed at $14.48 and 1/2, up 21 cents
Jul. soybean meal closed at $425.10, up $10.20
Jul. soybean oil closed at 49.52, unchanged
Jul. wheat closed at $6.83 and 1/4, down 4 and 1/2 cents
Jun. live cattle closed at $119.40, down 50 cents
Jun. lean hogs closed at $91.52, down $1.35
Jun. crude oil closed at $96.02, up 86 cents
Jul. cotton closed at 86.41, up 38 points
Jun. Class III milk closed at $18.36, down 9 cents
Jun. gold closed at $1,364.90, down $22.20
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 15,354.40, up 121.18 points

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

Lucas clarifies his vision of farm bill

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

2013_Frank_LucasThe day that the U.S. House Agriculture Committee completed and passed their markup of the farm bill, Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) told farm broadcasters on Capitol Hill he was anticipating a long day, but not as long as the committee’s consideration a year ago. It turns out he was right, but the body still worked their way through about 100 amendments before passage late Wednesday evening. The congressman’s perspective was drawn on the principle of whether the farm bill is a document to assure the production of enough food and fiber, or whether it’s a document for Washington lobbyists to decide how farmers live their lives. Representative Lucas maintains that the legislation’s purpose is the former.  Below is the entire session between Rep. Frank Lucas and farm broadcasters.

AUDIO: Frank Lucas (15 min. MP3)

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

Friday midday cash livestock markets

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Cattle country is slow to start on Friday following light to moderate trade in Texas yesterday at 125.00 1.00 lower than the previous week. The rest of cattle country just saw a little scattered trade on Thursday. Significant trade volume could be delayed until after the release of the cattle on feed report is this afternoon. Asking prices are around 127.00 to 128.00 in the South and 205.00 in the North.

Boxed beef cutout values were near steady in the morning report with the choice up .18 at 208.95 and the select was .19 lower at 192.52.

Feeder cattle receipts at Missouri auctions this week totaled 32,692 head. Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady although there were instances of 5.00 lower to 4.00 higher noted throughout the state. Yearling feeders sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower.  Feeder steers, medium and large 1 averaging 525 pounds averaged 158.78 per hundredweight, and 713 pound steers brought 139.15. 524 pound heifers averaged 141.17, and 722 pound heifers brought 120.20 per hundredweight.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade opened .97 higher at 91.20 on a carcass basis, the West was up 1.41 also at 91.20 and the East was down .33 at 90.31. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady from 85.00 to 86.00. Terminal hogs are 1.00 lower to 2.00 higher from 58.00 to 64.00 live.

The pork carcass cutout value FOB plant is down .11 at 92.61 in the morning report on a negotiated basis.

The pork carcass value remains on fire, surging sharply higher on Thursday with both the rib and belly primal exploding by more than $6.

Filed Under: Livestock, Markets Tagged With: , ,
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