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Logan
Hawkes
04/19/06
Crop News Weekly
Is it just my imagination or has summer arrived
a little early? That's a joke to you highplainers who are actually
getting a blast of wintery weather. The Midwest begins feeling some of
that cooler weather today. Meanwhile, parts of the Midwest down into
Texas are on target for a record hot April if things keep up. Weather,
like life on the farm, can change quickly. We adapt. We survive. Weather
happens.
Speaking of surviving, in the spotlight this week, expect fewer corn
acres this year than last, thanks in large part to higher fuel and
fertilizer prices. How do you spell relief? And speaking of relief, both
the USDA and the American Soybean Association are cautiously optimistic
about U.S. preparedness for defense against Asian soybean rust. We're
not out of the woods yet, but there is reason to hope. Speaking of hope,
a biotech researcher says less regulation will allow public entities --
including universities -- to pursue more transgenic crop research, which
will help reduce the number of diseases found in plants. And speaking of
reductions - and back to the subject of warm weather - farmers in the
Southland are expecting lower crop yields thanks to an influx of pests -
and thanks to the warmer weather.
In the farm business, it seems everything starts and ends with the same
thought - weather. There's a lot more inside this issue of Crop Nerws
Weekly. Dig in and enjoy.
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more information on Syntinel RustTracker, please visit http://www.soybeanrust.com
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High fuel, fertilizer prices to lead to fewer corn
acres
04/17/06
The high cost of fuel and fertilizer is leading U.S.
farmers to switch from corn to less input-intensive crops such as
soybeans in 2006, according to the Prospective Plantings report released
by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Producers
plan to plant 78 million acres of corn in 2006, down 5 percent from
2005. Meanwhile, they intend to plant a record-high 76.9 million acres
of soybeans, up 7 percent. For all wheat, NASS expects planted area to
remain almost unchanged from last season at 57.1 million acres, despite
a major drop in durum wheat acres. Cotton area is expected to rise 3
percent, to 14.6 million acres. - The Corn & Soybean Digest
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Southeast
growers trying Early Soybean Production
04/18/06
Soybean producers in Alabama who tried an Early
Soybean Production System (ESPS) this past year generally enjoyed
better-than-average yields, thanks in large part to ideal weather
conditions, says Dennis Delaney, Auburn University Extension agronomist.
The majority of the ESPS soybeans are being grown in north Alabama's
Tennessee Valley, says Delaney, although they're also being grown in
other parts of the state, including south Alabama's Wiregrass Region.
- Paul Hollis, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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ASA
commends USDA for soybean rust assessment
04/17/06
The American Soybean Association (ASA) expressed
cautious optimism about U.S. preparedness for defense against Asian
soybean rust as outlined in a Government Accountability Office (GAO)
report released today by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), ranking Democrat on
the Senate Agriculture Committee. Overall, the GAO report found that
USDA has done a solid job of monitoring cases of soybean rust in the
U.S. and taking steps to help U.S. farmers prepare to combat the
disease. At the same time, the report warns that soybean rust still
poses a large threat to U.S. farmers and highlights shortfalls and
needed improvements. - The Corn & Soybean Digest
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Fewer
restrictions will lead to better transgenic crops
04/14/06
There's a great opportunity for plant biologists and
biotechnologists such as those within the Texas A&M University System to
contribute. Less regulation will allow public entities -- including
universities -- to pursue more transgenic crop research, which will help
reduce the number of diseases found in plants, a researcher said
recently. "The impact of regulatory costs on getting a transgenic crop
to the field and commercialized is very high," said Roger Beachy,
president of the Danforth Plant Science Center. - Blair Fannin, Farm
Press Editorial Staff
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News from the Top of the
Hill
04/14/06
National Hog Farmer
NPPC Urges Producers to Register Premises - The
swine identification implementation task force is urging pork producers
to register their premises. The task force, consisting of members of the
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board, hope
premises registration will be completed by December 2007. NPPC said
"Premises registration will help us trace back to a specific location so
a quick, appropriate response to an animal health emergency can help
protect our operations." NPPC will be urging producers to register their
premises at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa on June 8-10.
US-China Food Safety And Plant and Animal Health Agreement - The
United States and China signed a memorandum of understanding to improve
bilateral cooperation on animal and plant health and food safety. The
memorandum provides for the two countries to exchange information on
food regulations and standards, inspection and quarantine procedures,
and other issues such as pests and disease, harmful residues, and food
certification. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns said, "China is an
increasingly important market for U.S. food and agricultural products.
In 2005, U.S. farmers and ranchers sold more than $6 billion in
agricultural products to China, making it our fifth largest export
market. This memorandum of understanding will create a structure to
enable us to address sanitary, phytosanitary and food safety issues
before they become barriers to the thriving agricultural trade between
our two countries."
China Commits to Open Market to U.S. Beef - China has agreed
"conditionally" to reopen its market to U.S. beef, subject to the
finalization of a protocol by technical experts. USDA and China are
expected to conduct such negotiations in the near future. The U.S.
exported $100 million worth of beef to China in 2003.
US and Peru Sign Trade Agreement - This week, the United States
and Peru signed the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA).
According to USTR, more than two-thirds of current U.S. farm exports to
Peru will become duty-free immediately upon implementation of the
agreement. Tariffs on most U.S. farm products will be phased out within
15 years, with all tariffs eliminated in 17 years. The U.S. and Peru
have resolved the sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to agricultural
trade, including food safety inspection procedures for beef, pork, and
poultry. Congress is expected to consider the agreement later this
year.
CRP Sign-Up Deadline Extended - USDA announced an extension of
the sign-up deadlines for both the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
and the special CRP re-enrollment and extension opportunities until
April 28. The original deadline was April 14. For more information on
CRP, producers can contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
office or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crp.htm.
House Disaster Legislation - Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN)
has introduced bipartisan legislation concerning comprehensive emergency
disaster assistance for weather-related losses and increased energy
costs for 2005. The National Farmers Union (NFU) said, "The fact that
disaster assistance has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate
shows this is a serious concern that needs to be addressed to help
farmers and ranchers deal with circumstances beyond their control." The
legislation is similar to the disaster assistance legislation passed by
the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month. There are 25
co-sponsors of the House legislation. - Scott Shearer
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Deadline
for CRP sign-up extended
04/13/06
The sign-up deadlines for both the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) and the special CRP re-enrollment and extension
opportunities have been extended by USDA until April 28. The deadline
for both opportunities was originally April 14. "I encourage all
eligible farmers and ranchers to take advantage of the Conservation
Reserve Program enrollment options available now through April 28," said
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. "Farmers can improve our soil,
water, air and wildlife habitat resources by re-enrolling and extending
their CRP contracts." - Farm Press Editorial Staff
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ROAD
WARRIOR: South of the Border perspective
04/11/06
The Corn & Soybean Digest
Agriculture Road Warior Dave Kohl writes: My
travels provided me a unique perspective on one of our trading partners,
Mexico. I shared a morning program with Antonio Pedroza, CEO and
President of Malta Cleyton, the largest producer of animal and pet food
in Mexico. The following are some of the major highlights from his
program and discussion from his very informative talk..."
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Thiesse's
Thoughts: Custom rates increasing
04/11/06
As would be expected with rapidly increasing fuel
costs, average 2006 custom rates for most farm work have also risen,
compared to 2005 custom rates. The average cost of diesel fuel in the
upper Midwest is approximately 50 percent higher than a year ago, and
most custom rates for farm work in 2006 are 4-7 percent above the rates
a year earlier, with an average increase of about 5 percent. The largest
increases in custom rates in 2006 were for tillage and harvest
operations, which tend to use more fuel than some other farm operations.
In addition to higher fuel costs, increasing cost for new and used
machinery is also a factor in the higher custom rates for 2006. -
Kent Thiesse, The Corn & Soybean Digest
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Legislative
lunacy emerges from immigration reform
04/13/06
California is the leader in just about everything --
or at least it thinks everything trendy starts on the Left Coast.
However, the Golden State has achieved a dubious No. 1 distinction for
legislative lunacy. Immigration reform has long been one of the most
complex and contentious issues in America made even more controversial
and problematic by 9/11 and terrorism. In the midst of the current
immigration reform debate, Southern California U.S. Rep. Dana
Rohrabacher offers up the all-time inane, politically asinine solution
to the immigration issue: "I say let the prisoners pick the fruits."
- Harry Cline, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Mild
winter increases risk of mosquito-borne diseases
04/14/06
Farmers in the Southeast are bracing for increased
insect threats to their crops, created by an unseasonably warm, and in
some areas dry, winter. In addition to crop threats, the unusual weather
pattern brings with it some human risks and greater livestock risks that
are heightened for rural areas. Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE)
and West Nile Virus (WNV) are two mosquito-vectored diseases that are
now endemic to rural areas of the Southeast. Though the greater risk for
either disease is to livestock, there is significant risk to humans from
both diseases. - Roy Roberson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Peterson
introduces House disaster bill
04/12/06
Efforts to pass legislation to help farmers hurt by
last year's floods, droughts, hurricanes and high energy prices appear
to be gaining ground after Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., introduced new
disaster relief legislation in the House. The Peterson measure is
similar to an amendment to a supplemental appropriations bill passed by
the Senate Appropriations Committee April 4. The supplemental bill also
contains funding for the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina relief. -
Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Senate
leaves farmer-guest worker debate in limbo
04/13/06
The Senate left for its Easter recess without passing
an immigration reform bill, leaving farmers and documented and
undocumented farm workers from other countries in limbo for several more
weeks or months. For a little while, it appeared Senate leaders had
reached a compromise that would have granted citizenship to illegal
immigrants and established an expanded temporary guest worker program to
help farmers and other businessmen while tightening U.S. border
security. - Forrest Laws. Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Avian flu
pandemic not inevitable
04/12/06
To rip off a Bob Dylan lyric, avian influenza is a
slow train coming. And it appears to be building steam. Despite the
culling or vaccination of millions of Asian and European birds, the
virus continues its push west. Showing up in some 30 new countries over
the past two months, H5N1 is expected to soon reach North American
shores, vectored by migrating birds. - David Bennett, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
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U.S.
farmers say they'll plant more soybeans and cotton
04/10/06
U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 14.6 million
acres to the crop in 2005, up 3 percent from last year's 14.2 million
acres, according to USDA's March 31 Prospective Plantings report.
Plantings include 14.3 million acres of upland, also up 3 percent.
Growers intend to increase acreage in all cotton-producing states except
Alabama and South Carolina, where expected acreage is down slightly from
2005. American-Pima cotton growers intend to increase their plantings 24
percent from 2005, to a record high 334,000 acres. - Elton Robinson,
Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Consider
pest issues before planting corn
04/11/06
Kansas enjoyed a mild, albeit dry winter through much
of the state, but that doesn't necessarily mean farmers will see more
insects in their corn this year, a Kansas State University entomologist
says. "Populations of most below-ground insects, such as wireworms and
white grubs, probably were not greatly affected," says Randy Higgins,
field crop entomology specialist with K-State Research and Extension.
The mild winter may have an impact on other insects, however. - The
Corn & Soybean Digest
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Got a
good machinery idea?
04/19/06
Got a whiz bang machinery idea? Please tell our Corn
And Soybean Digest editors about it. They're searching for shop-built or
modified farm machinery projects that you've worked on over the winter.
No idea is too big or too small. They're interested in machinery that's
been built from scratch, or several pieces of equipment that have been
torn down and re-assembled as a single unit, or simple modifications to
existing equipment. It's always interesting to see planters, anhydrous
applicators, sprayers and tillage tools that farmers have constructed to
help them farm better, bigger or more efficiently. If you have an idea
you'd like to share, please send an e-mail to csd@prismb2b.com or click
on the link below to enter your project.
http://www.pbm3.com/trk/ct.aspx?x=3695.1188a.165020
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MarketMaxx
04/19/06
Sign up and play The Corn And Soybean Digest's fantasy
grain game called MarketMaxx. It's easy, fun and hopefully you'll learn
a little more about how to market the corn and beans your raise. It's
easy to sign-up. Just log on to http://www.marketmaxx.net and
register at the top left and begin trading your fictitious 100,000 bu.
of corn and 50,000 bu. of soybeans. If you're a winner at the end of the
game on October 31 you could take home the grand prize of a year's use
of a Massey Ferguson tractor or combine. Or, win additional prizes such
as a computer system from Syngenta Crop Protection, customized rugged
mobile computers from Grayhill Custom Mobile Solutions or a high-speed
satellite Internet service from Agristar Global Networks. - The Corn
& Soybean Digest
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