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Johanns part of Homestead Act commemorative event

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Homestead National Monument near Beatrice, Nebraska will host a special commemorative event this Sunday, May 20th, as part of the park’s ongoing celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Homestead Act of 1862.

Among the many activities will be a panel presentation on President Abraham Lincoln’s Legacies, including the Homestead Act and establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is also celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year. 

Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns will be one of the panelists.

“These two efforts had such a profound impact on the kind of country we live in and the settlement of the country,” Johanns says. “They tend to get forgotten, but they are just huge. 

“They just had a remarkable impact.”

The panel presentation begins at 4:00 p.m. Sunday.  For more information on Sunday’s activities, go to the Homestead National Monument web site.

By the way, the original Homestead Act document is still on display at the park through May 28th.  It is thought to be the first time that all four pages of the original document have ever been displayed outside of Washington, D.C.

The Homestead Act of 1862 provided settlers with 160 acres of free land.

AUDIO: Mike Johanns (1:47 MP3)

 

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

Fairly quiet week for export sales

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

USDA reports corn, soybean meal, soybean oil, and wheat export sales for the week ending May 10 were within pre-report estimates, while soybeans were below expectations. Physical shipments of soybeans were above what’s needed to meet USDA projections for the 2011/12 marketing year but corn and wheat fell short of their respective marks.

Wheat came out at 321,800 tons (11.8 million bushels), up 45% from the week ending May 3 and 5% higher than the four week average. South Korea was the top buyer at 87,700 tons followed by Nigeria with 70,000 tons. With less than a month left in the 2011/12 marketing year, wheat sales are 1.022 billion bushels, compared to 1.301 billion in 2010/11. Sales of 389,600 tons (14.3 million bushels) for 2012/13 delivery were mainly to South Korea (129,900 tons).

Corn was reported at 339,400 tons (13.4 million bushels), 51% more than the previous week but 46% less than the four week average. Japan bought 259,500 tons but Egypt canceled on 111,300 tons. So far this marketing year, corn sales are 1.491 billion bushels, compared to 1.665 billion this time last year. Sales of 525,700 tons (20.7 million bushels) for 2012/13 delivery were primarily to unknown destinations (316,200 tons).

Soybeans were pegged at 616,300 tons (22.6 million bushels), 32% lower than the week before and down 7% from the four week average. Unknown destinations purchased 159,500 tons and China picked up 119,100 tons. At this point in the marketing year, soybean sales are 1.290 billion bushels, compared to 1.518 billion a year ago. Sales of 57,100 tons (2.1 million bushels) were mostly to Japan (38,100 tons).

Soybean meal came out at 114,300 tons, a decrease of 17% from the prior week and 36% under the four week average. Turkey bought 34,500 tons and Venezuela purchased 22,000 tons. For the marketing year to date, soybean meal sales are 6,599,200 tons, compared to 6,850,800 last year. Sales of 81,300 tons for 2012/13 delivery were mainly to Poland (27,000 tons), unknown destinations (25,000 tons), and Mexico (24,000 tons).

Soybean oil was reported at 8,100 tons, with sales to Nicaragua (8,700 tons) and Guatemala (800 tons) partially offset by cancellations from Canada (900 tons) and Morocco (600 tons). 2011/12 soybean oil sales are 411,000 tons, compared to 1,177,100 tons in 2010/11. Sales of 40,000 tons for 2012/13 delivery were to unknown destinations.

Net beef sales totaled 14,400 tons, down 31% on the week and 22% lower than the four week average. The listed buyers were Mexico (2,600 tons), Japan (2,400 tons), Russia (2,200 tons), South Korea (2,000 tons), and Canada (1,700 tons).

Filed Under: Markets, News, USDA/Government, World Ag News/Trade Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Proposal to limit premium subsidies has Grassley’s attention

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A call for a 40-thousand dollar payment limit to be imposed on crop insurance premium subsidies has garnered the attention of Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.

Two of Grassley’s colleagues, Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, have proposed the payment limit.  They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that outlined possible savings of up to one billion dollars a year on crop insurance if such a cap were in place.

Grassley, a long-time advocate for payment limitations, says he’s willing to take a look at the proposal.

“The extent to which five percent of the people are getting so much of the benefit of the crop insurance program is going to cause me to take a serious look at what Coburn is proposing,” Grassley told reporters in his weekly conference call.

But the Republican senator and Senate Ag Committee member says he doesn’t want to hurt the crop insurance program.

“When 92 percent of the farmers are risk management, I don’t want to do anything to hurt the whole program that benefits 92 percent of the farmers,” Grassley says.  “But on the other hand, I don’t think people that have the capability of operating successfully ought to be subsidized through one program that—other programs I don’t think they ought to be subsidized through.”

Durbin and Coburn have not yet formally introduced legislation related to the premium subsidies.

AUDIO: Grassley comments on proposal and farm bill timetable (3:57 MP3)

 

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

Stabenow and Roberts talk Farm Bill

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The 2012 Farm Bill moved out of the Senate Ag Committee with strong bipartisan support earlier this month.  Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says she anticipates continued support as the bill makes its way to the full Senate.  “People are very pleased to see that we’ve come together around a farm bill that represents the most significant reform in American agricultural policy in decades,” she says. 

Ranking Member, Kansas Senator Pat Roberts said throughout the Senate’s Farm Bill hearings – the biggest concern voiced was support for a strong crop insurance program.  “Our goal was to look at what farmers and ranchers wanted,” he says, “not what an individual member of congress may have on their mind”.

Stabenow says this bill contains a very fair, risk management program to be there when farmers need it.  “It treats every covered commodity – of every farmer – in every state exactly,” she says.  “It uses actual planted acres, actual prices, and actual yields in the same way for all crops.”  Stabenow emphasized the proposal is a “market oriented program”.

Stabenow says they are working with Senators Reid McConnell to bring the 2012 Farm Bill before the full Senate for a vote. 

She anticipates that happening sooner – rather than later.

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

2011 crop indemnity payments approching $11 billion

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Losses paid out by crop insurance companies to farmers for 2011 crops have now exceeded $10.7 billion and are edging ever closer to the $11 billion mark, according to data from the Risk Management Agency (RMA). This surpasses the previous record of $8.76 billion set in 2008 by almost 25 percent.

 

National Crop Insurance Services reports corn, cotton, wheat, soybeans grain sorghum, pastureland and rangeland, and tobacco suffered the most damage by value.

The average loss ratio across the country is at 0.90, which means that for every dollar purchased in coverage, 90 cents was paid out in indemnities although those numbers are much higher in some key states.

Top among them is Vermont, which felt the brunt of Hurricane Irene’s wrath last summer and is currently at a loss ratio of 2.59. Texas and Oklahoma are not far behind, having fallen victims to an historic and prolonged drought, registering a 2.35, and 2.15 respectively.

As Congress considers the next farm bill, National Crop Insurance Services president, Tom Zacharias notes that while damages from last year approach the $11 billion mark; “there has not been a single call from farmers and ranchers for a federal disaster bill”. He calls that testimony to the efficacy and importance of crop insurance.

Read more from NCIS here:

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

R.J. O’Brien asks for futures trade suspension

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Futures brokerage and clearing firm R.J. O’Brien is asking for a halt to futures trade on the 15 days a year USDA releases crop production, acreage, and quarterly stocks reports at 7:30 AM Central.

According to a statement from the company, O’Brien’s requesting activity be suspended from 7:15 AM Central to 9:30 AM Central to give market participants adequate time to receive and analyze the comprehensive global reports.

The firm adds that suspension would reduce unnecessary volatility and exaggerated price moves.

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

Allendale sees drop in placements, marketings

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ahead of USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report out Friday afternoon, Allendale Inc. expects declines in placements and marketings.

Allendale sees April placements down 8.1% on the year on lower cash prices and smaller available supplies of feeder cattle.

Marketings are expected to be down 3.6% from a year ago while the total number of cattle on feed as of May 1 could be up 1.1% from last year.

The report is out Friday, May 18 at 2 PM Central.

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

Corn planting in Ohio ahead of average

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The planting pace slowed in Ohio last week, as of Sunday, May 13, corn planting was 84 percent complete, which was just a five percent increase from the previous week, but still well ahead of the 5-year average of 51 percent. 58 percent of the corn has emerged.

Soybean planting jumped 11 percentage points in the last week, with 46 percent of the intended acres planted. Like corn, soybean planting is well ahead of the 5-year average of 29 percent. 17 percent of the soybeans have emerged.

The latest weekly crop and weather report has 93 percent of the wheat crop jointed, with 53 percent of the crop headed. The condition of the wheat crop improved slightly from last week, with 75 percent in fair-to-good condition.

90 percent of the oats crop has emerged and 78 percent of the acres are in fair-to-good condition.

The Ohio field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) reports topsoil moisture 96 percent adequate to surplus and four percent short.

Other crops in Ohio

First cutting of alfalfa was 12 percent complete.

Cucumber planting was 16 percent complete, nine points ahead of the average planting pace.

Strawberry harvest, 6 percent complete.

Potato acreage was 75 percent planted, 20 points ahead of average.

11 percent of the processing tomato crop has been planted.

Apples rated 61 percent fair-to-good, a drop of 9 points from a week ago.

Peaches rated 48 percent fair-to-good, down 12 points from last week.

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

Wisconsin livestock dealer fined, loses license

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A Clark County livestock dealer has been fined for illegally removing official identification from cattle he was transporting. Tim Heck pleaded “no contest” to one charge of illegally falsifying, removing, altering and tampering with official identification. He is ordered to pay Clark County Circuit Court $1,270 plus court costs and fees totaling $1,458.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection was notified in January 2011 that Heck was frequently observed illegally importing cattle from Minnesota and also illegally removing permanent identification in the form of metal ear tags and paper back-tags from bovine cattle and then reselling those animals. At that point, the Department asked Clark County District Attorney Darwin L. Zweig to issue a search warrant. Further investigation revealed that Heck frequently and habitually removed official identification tags and resold animals. The investigation began in January 2011 and concluded in October 2011. During this time, Heck’s Animal Dealer/Trucker license renewal was denied.

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

The growing dispute over the Dairy Security Act

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There is growing pressure on Congress to pass the 2012 Farm Bill yet this year since it is one of the few pieces of legislation which enjoys bipartisan support…and bipartisan opposition as well. The dairy industry is sharply divided over the Dairy Security Act contained in the bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee. The DSA will most likely be introduced in the House Ag Committee by ranking member Collin Peterson.

The plan, which evolved out of the National Milk Producers Federation “Foundation for the Future” plan, it offers a margin security safety net for producers but participants would have to agree to production limits if the margin falls below a trigger level. Supporters say the production cap is needed in extreme cases when overproduction pushes milk prices down. Opponents say any possible cap would make dairy producers and processors think-twice about expanding at the risk they would have to cut back right after expanding. They also argue it would be hard to build export business if we are an unreliable provider.

Wisconsin is a prime example of the division, while Wisconsin Farm Bureau president Bill Bruins, a dairy producer says “Congress should grab this win-win proposition, insert it into the dairy section of the farm bill and move on.” The Dairy Business Association in the state says it will continue to work to defeat the proposal. Executive Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, John Umhoefer says the “dairy industry is poised for solid growth and job creation. A Dairy Stabilization program designed to cut back on U.S. milk production is out of step with the free market and the opportunities we see for Wisconsin’s dairy industry.”

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