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Logan
Hawkes
05/24/06
Crop News Weekly
Welcome to the Memorial Day Weekend and the
unofficial start to the summer season. The kids are getting out of
school, the weeds are making their annual appearance and the pests are
starting to buzz and fly and crawl and chew. Business as usual on the
farm.
Have you ever had difficulty finding a USDA document or publication you
needed to review? Who hasn't? But life may get a little easier now
thanks to the high technology of the Internet. The National Agricultural
Library has established an online digital repository providing
convenient public access to the full text of selected U.S. Department of
Agriculture publications. Also this week, while the 2002 farm bill is
not scheduled to expire until Sept. 30, already there's plenty of debate
over writing a new law -- and it's starting to get a little bit nasty.
Elsewhere, "never-till" is not just a tag on the bumper of his truck,
it's a way of life for New Kent, Va., farmer and Virginia Tech Extension
Agent Paul Davis. The 1,200 acre L.C. Davis and Sons family farm that he
helps manage has become a showplace for innovative farming techniques,
including a system Davis calls 'never-till'. Finally, there's a lot of
controversy brewing over disaster relief limitations for agriculture as
imposed by USDA last week.
You'll find these stories and a lot more in this issue of Crop News
Weekly. Happy reading, and have a great holiday weekend!
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USDA
Digital repository provides public access
05/19/06
The National Agricultural Library has established an
online digital repository providing convenient public access to the full
text of selected U.S. Department of Agriculture publications. NAL, the
largest and most accessible agricultural library in the world, is part
of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific research
agency. The NAL Digital Repository contains a wide variety of
publications that have been digitized and made available online at: http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/. -
Southwest Farm Press
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Conrad,
Johanns taking the gloves off
05/19/06
The 2002 farm bill is not scheduled to expire until
Sept. 30, 2007. But the debate over writing a new law is already
starting to heat up and getting a little bit nasty. Although USDA and
the House Agriculture Committee have held forums and hearings, the House
committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee aren't expected to begin
writing the 2007 farm bill until next spring. But that isn't stopping
would-be players from getting some early licks in on such issues as
disaster assistance legislation the Senate passed in an emergency
supplemental appropriations bill. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
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Cover
crops key to never-till systems
05/22/06
Never-till is not just a tag on the bumper of his
truck, it's a way of life for New Kent, Va., farmer and Virginia Tech
Extension Agent Paul Davis. The 1,200 acre L.C. Davis and Sons family
farm that he helps manage has become a showplace for innovative farming
techniques, including a system Davis calls 'never-till'. Never-till is
just that -- never till the soil to plant a crop. Critical to a
never-till system is finding a good cover crop -- the concept being to
always keep something green on the soil. To find the optimum cover crop,
Davis partnered with Virginia Tech Grain Crop Specialist Wade Thomason.
- Roy Roberson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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New
Holland leads the biodiesel revolution
05/23/06
New Holland informed the National Biodiesel Board
(NBB) May 17 it fully approves use of up to B20 blends (20%
biodiesel/80% petroleum-based diesel) on all equipment currently
produced with New Holland engines. "We are proud to once again take a
leading role in giving support to the biodiesel industry as it rapidly
moves toward fulfilling its fundamental role in the future of energy
use," says Dennis D. Recker, Vice President of New Holland Agricultural
Business in North America. "In this era of uncertainty on issues
relating to energy, we feel it is essential that New Holland reaffirm
its already established support for the biodiesel industry." - The
Corn & Soybean Digest
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New from the Top of the
Hill
05/19/06
National Hog Farmer
Pork & Beef Estimates -- USDA's latest
estimates are that total U.S. meat production in 2007 will grow at a
"considerably" slower rate than for 2006. Beef, pork, broiler meat and
turkey are forecast to increase around 2 percent. According to USDA's
projections, pork exports will reach record levels and beef exports will
continue to recover. The pig crop in 2007 according to USDA projections
will expand slowly and carcass weights will continue to gradually
increase. Cattle producers will expand herds and feedlot supplies and
slaughter is expected to slow.
Crop Estimates -- USDA released its crop estimates for the
2006/07 crop year. Corn: USDA is projecting the corn crop at 10.55
billion bushels. This is 5 percent below last year. Corn usage is
expected to be a record 11.6 billion which is 6 percent over last year.
Corn usage for ethanol production is expected to increase to 2.15
billion bushels which is a 34 percent. Exports are expected to increase
by 6 percent to 2.15 billion bushels. Soybeans: Soybean production is
estimated at 3.08 billion bushels. Soybean supplies are estimated at a
record 3.649 billion bushels. This is 9 percent higher than last year.
This is due to higher beginning stocks. Wheat: The wheat crop is
estimated at 1.9 billion bushels which is 11 percent lower than last
year. Total wheat use is projected to decrease by 5 percent due to lower
exports.
Farm Bill Feedback Form -- The House Agriculture Committee has
launched a web-based farm bill feedback form which will allow producers
to provide the committee with feedback about current farm policy and for
input about future farm policy. The form is available at http://www.agriculture.house.gov/inside/feedbackform.html.
Online Disaster Petition -- With the administration's
opposition to the Senate passed agricultural disaster assistance,
Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Mark Dayton (D-MN), Tim Johnson (D-SD),
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and John Salazar (D-CO) have established an
online petition to the President and House of Representatives' leaders
on their websites for producers to sign in support of the disaster
assistance. The petitions are available at http://www.dorgan.senate.gov, http://www.dayton.senate.gov, http://www.johnson.senate.gov,
http://www.lincoln.senate.gov,
and http://www.salazar.senate.gov.
Vietnam Trade Agreement -- The United States and Vietnam
reached an agreement on a bilateral market access agreement. This will
assist Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The
agreement will reduce tariffs on three-fourths of U.S. agricultural
exports to 15% or less. This will include beef products, pork, variety
meats, cotton, soybeans and various fruits. The agreement also
recognizes the U.S. inspection system which will reduce sanitary and
technical barriers for the meat industry.
AG Groups Call for Ambitious WTO Trade Talks -- The Ag Trade
Coalition called for "ambitious and balanced outcome" in the Doha Round
of agricultural negotiations for market access, domestic support and
export competition. The coalition stated that "Agriculture cannot afford
an outcome that only provides minimal gains. A final deal that provides
only modest liberalization and reforms will draw little support from
U.S. agriculture and will have difficulty gathering support in the U.S.
Congress." The coalition is comprised of over 50 agricultural
organizations and companies. The negotiators are now trying to reach an
agreement by the end of July.
Pork Board Appointments -- Secretary of Agriculture Mike
Johanns announced new appointments to the National Pork Board. Those
appointed to 3-year terms were: Dianne Bettin, Truman, MN; Dennis
Michael, Yankton, SD; Jeff Galle, Pittsfield, IL; Eugene Nemechek,
Wilson, NC; and William Brown, Nevada, OH. Alan Wilhoite, Labanan, IN
was appointed to a 2-year term.
AG Groups Support Schwab for Trade Ambassador -- Over sixty
agricultural associations and companies sent a letter to the Senate in
support of Susan Schwab to be the next U.S. Trade Representative. The
letter stated that "Schwab has dedicated her career to international
affairs and the pursuit of forging commercially meaningful trade ties.
Her desire to achieve tangible results for American agriculture and
agribusiness is precisely the leadership that is needed in the dynamic
and sometimes difficult to navigate world of agricultural trade." Those
organizations signing the letter included: American Farm Bureau
Federation, American Meat Institute, American Soybean Association,
National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken Council,
National Corn Growers Association, National Pork Producers Association,
The Fertilizer Institute, and U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Senate Confirms USDA Officials -- The Senate confirmed four
USDA officials. Those confirmed were Dr. Gale Buchanan, Under Secretary
for Research, Education and Economics. Buchanan previously served as
Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the
University of Georgia. Boyd Rutherford will serve as Assistant Secretary
of Administration. Rutherford currently serves as secretary for the
Maryland Department of General Services. Linda Strachan will serve as
Assistant Secretary of Congressional Relations. Strachan was director
of Federal Government Affairs of Monsanto. Marc Kesselman will serve as
General Counsel. He has been serving as Deputy General Counsel in the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). - Scott Shearer
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Thiesse's
Thoughts: Grain Marketing Opportunities
05/16/06
Many times the best grain marketing opportunities for
corn and soybeans in a given year come during or shortly after planting
season (April, May and June). The latest USDA Supply and Demand Report,
released May 12, projects a sharp increase in corn usage, less planted
corn acres for 2006, and a significant drop in the estimated corn
carryover for 2006-07, compared to current corn carryover levels. The
result has been a sharp upturn in both cash corn and new crop corn
prices. Closing cash corn prices on May 12 were approximately
$.25-.30/bu. higher than cash corn prices at local grain elevators in
late March, and are now near $2/bu. There is a lot of 2005 corn in
on-farm storage that is still not priced. - Kent Thiesse, The Corn &
Soybean Digest
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Administration
must consider farm disasters of all kinds
05/18/06
We applaud efforts to continue helping victims of
Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Folks affected by these
devastating storms need assistance to bring their lives back to some
semblance of normalcy. And for those who live along the Gulf Coast it
may be years achieving any measure of routine. And it is appropriate
that farmers who lost crops, property and homes to these destructive
storms receive emergency relief funds. But those hurricanes were not the
only natural disasters that affected farmers last year. Prolonged
drought, especially in South Texas but also in parts of Central, West
and High Plains, as well as in neighboring New Mexico and Oklahoma,
caused enormous losses to crop and livestock producers. - Ron Smith,
Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Road
Warrior: Unfavorable Circumstances: Part 1
05/16/06
Agriculture Road Warrior Dave Kohl writes: "I
was asked an interesting question by one of the trainees in the Farm
Credit University blended education class for agrilenders. Which
unfavorable circumstance poses the largest threat to the United States'
ability to be a low cost agricultural producer in a global marketplace:
High energy and input cost, increasing land values, the 2007 farm bill,
rising interest rates, or immigration reform..." - The Corn &
Soybean Digest
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CBOT
launches first agricultural product side-by-side
05/16/06
The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) announced it is set
to begin the listing of Agricultural futures electronically during
daytime hours, beginning with South American Soybean (SAB) futures on
Monday, May 15. CBOT is also extending the trading hours in the product
by 30 minutes, with the electronic and open auction market for SAB
futures opening a half hour earlier at 9:00 a.m. (Chicago Time)
beginning on May 15. - The Corn & Soybean Digest
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Portman
says Doha Round talks still have a chance
05/17/06
U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman says he still
believes the WTO can successfully complete the Doha Development Round,
but only if its members "work together to get that done." Portman was in
Geneva, Switzerland, with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and Deputy
USTR Susan Schwab for what might be Portman's last trip as the chief
U.S. trade negotiator. (Portman has been nominated to become director of
the Office of Management and Budget.) - Forrest Laws, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
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Senator
criticizes Johanns' statements
05/17/06
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., says Agriculture Secretary
Mike Johanns' opposition to a new round of disaster assistance for U.S.
farmers and ranchers means the country may need a new secretary of
agriculture. Conrad is the principal author of an amendment to the
Senate-passed emergency supplemental appropriations bill that would
provide $3.9 billion in disaster relief to farmers for weather-related
losses in 2005. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill, which
also contains $92.5 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
hurricane recovery, if it exceeds the $92.5 billion. - Forrest Laws,
Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Ammonium
nitrate fertilizer becoming 'hot potato'
05/17/06
This summer, farmers and ranchers will find it harder
and harder to buy ammonium nitrate, a commonly used nitrogen fertilizer,
said a Texas Cooperative Extension expert. Past concerns with nitrogen
fertilizer have been linked to the cost of oil and natural gas. This
time the shortage has nothing to do with fuel costs, but has originated
from fears of terrorism. Ammonium nitrate can be used to make bombs such
as the one that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City in 1995. And federal regulations may soon make it just too
much trouble for fertilizer dealers to stock and sell the product. -
Robert Burns
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National
sorghum producers opposes lifting tariff
05/16/06
The National Sorghum Producers opposes lifting the
secondary tariff on ethanol because it will fail to deliver lower
gasoline prices to consumers while subsidizing foreign ethanol
production. "Our nation is struggling with high gasoline prices, but
U.S. ethanol production is not to blame," said NSP President Greg Shelor
of Minneola, Kan. "According to the Energy Information Administration,
there is more than twice as much ethanol produced in the U.S. than is
needed by refiners to replace MTBE. We are also importing ethanol, some
of it duty-free through the Caribbean Basin Initiative. If there is any
more available ethanol not already entering the market, it would not
help significantly in lowering gasoline prices." - Farm Press
Editorial Staff
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Your Last Chance for
MarketMaxx
05/24/06
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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