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Logan
Hawkes
08/09/06
Crop News Weekly
Happy National Elvis Week! I've never been much
for all these special week or special day observances.
Sure Mother's Day, Father's Day and a dozen or so other legitimate
holidays should always be observed. But there is now something for every
day of the year it seems. Next week is "National Friendship Week". I
guess that's a good one. Especially if it could be observed in the
troubled Middle East. The following week, by the way, is "National Be
Kind To Humankind Week". And here's one I bet you didn't know: The third
week in September is "National Farm Animals Awareness Week". I can
hardly wait. But here's the topper: Today, Wednesday, is "National
Underwear Day". I don't want to know why.
In the news this week, according to a university economist, farm costs
are increasing. Not that it comes as a surprise to farmers. The slim
wallet and bank account were our first clues. Also this week, the U.S.
government always has had a knack for manipulating the English language.
They're at it again. How would you define "U.S. farm exits"? Elsewhere,
hot temperatures and extremely dry conditions have existed across much
of the Upper Midwest during most of July. These conditions have put the
2006 corn and soybean crop in much of western and central Minnesota
under varying degrees of drought stress. Rains over the last few days
are helping, but warm weather is expected to return. Speaking of
returning, now that the latest DOHA Round is over, farmers want to get
back to the subject of the farm bill. Farm groups didn't waste much time
fretting over what might have been. Three days after the suspension of
DOHA talks, the nation's largest farm organization began pushing for a
renewal of the 2002 bill. In other news, there are two tools for Iowa
soybean producers and agricultural professionals to help them manage
Asian soybean rust should it arrive in Iowa this year.
There's a lot more news to cover in this issue of Crop News
Weekly, so dig in and get started. Happy reading.
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Farm
costs increase
08/08/06
Rising grain production costs are attributable to much
more than what goes in the tractor's gas tank, says a University of
Illinois Extension farm management specialist. "Of the $50 increase in
per acre costs between 2003 and 2005, less than half are directly
attributable to rising energy prices," says Gary Schnitkey, who
co-authored the study with Extension colleague Dale Lattz. -
University of Illinois
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USDA
report disputes claim that farmers are vanishing
08/05/06
The U.S. government always has had a knack for
manipulating the English language. If you hear the term "revenue
enhancements," you should hold on to your wallet, because a tax increase
is inevitable. And if any government official -- appointed, elected or
otherwise -- starts to talk about "transitioning to a world economy,"
you can be assured that U.S. jobs soon will be shipped overseas. One
example of our government's clever use of the language is the recent
USDA report, "Understanding U.S. Farm Exits," a much more palatable
title than perhaps, "The Disappearing U.S. Farmer," or "U.S. Farmers: A
Vanishing Breed." - Paul Hollis, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Thiesse's
Thoughts: Hot, dry weather pattern
08/04/06
Hot temperatures and extremely dry conditions have
existed across much of the Upper Midwest during most of July. These
conditions have put the 2006 corn and soybean crop in much of western
and central Minnesota under varying degrees of drought stress. This is
probably the widest spread drought stress seen in Minnesota since the
severe drought-year of 1988. The drought situation is even more extreme
in North and South Dakota. Crop conditions are somewhat better in south
central and southeast Minnesota, where timely rainfalls have been more
frequent and in higher amounts in recent weeks. - Kent Thiesse, The
Corn & Soybean Digest
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Road
Warrior: Farm Family Living Withdrawals
08/04/06
The Road Warrior writes: "I am in the middle of
teaching my summer agrilending schools. It is a treat to discuss some of
the challenges and issues facing ag lenders at the different schools
around the country. At the Kansas/Nebraska school in Kearney, NE, the
issue of family living withdrawals was raised. The average family living
withdrawal for a farm family made up of three or four individuals is
slightly over $50,000 annually. However, there is a wide range of
withdrawals depending on the family lifecycle, lifestyle expectations
and region of the country." - Dave Kohl, The Corn & Soybean
Digest
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Farm bill
moves to front burner
08/04/06
Farm groups didn't waste much time fretting over what
might have been in the Doha negotiations. Three days after the
suspension of the talks, the nation's largest farm organization began
pushing for a renewal of the 2002 farm bill. But Farm Bureau's call for
a one-year extension of the current law and the reaction in Congress and
the Bush administration may foreshadow more difficult debates ahead for
it and other farm groups. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial
Staff
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News from the Top of the
Hill
08/04/06
National Hog Farmer
Vietnam PNTR -- The Senate Finance Committee
passed permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) legislation for Vietnam.
This would allow Vietnam to become a member of the WTO. Approximately
three-fourths of U.S. agricultural exports to Vietnam will face base
bound duty rates of 15% or less. This includes cotton, selected beef,
pork, and variety meats, dairy products, grapes, apples, pears, and
soybeans. The Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-Vietnam Trade said earlier
this summer in a letter to Congress, "the United States will gain
significant new access to Vietnam's growing market, while Vietnam will
gain no greater access to the U.S. market, making it an undeniable win
for American agriculture." Coalition members include the American Meat
Institute, American Soybean Association, Grocery Manufacturers
Association, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken
Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers
Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation,
North American Equipment Dealers Association, and USA Rice Federation.
The legislation is expected to be considered by the Senate in
September.
Extend Current Farm Bill -- Now that the WTO Doha negotiations
have been suspended, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is
advocating that the current farm bill be extended for one year. AFBF
President Bob Stallman said, "With the suspension of the Doha Round of
WTO trade talks on agriculture, the time has come for American
agriculture to clearly focus on the need to extend our farm program for
at least one year. By extending the current farm program, with minor
changes to take into account recent trade rulings, we will move forward
with the kind of policy that helps ensure U.S. farmers have the support
they need to survive in today's contentious global trading
environment."
NFU Farm Bill Listening Sessions -- The National Farmers Union
(NFU) has announced it will be holding a series of listening sessions on
the 2007 Farm Bill. The sessions are designed to allow rural Americans
to voice their opinions on agriculture policy. Sessions will be held:
August 5 -- Point, TX; August 14 -- Springfield, IL and Turner County
Fair, SD; August 19 -- Chippewa Falls, WI; August 19 -- Aberdeen, SD;
August 22 -- Tremonton, UT; August 24 -- Fresno, CA; August 25 --
Michigan; August 27 -- Columbia, MO; August 30 -- Lincoln, NE; and
September 2 -- Huron, SD.
Senate Farm Bill Hearings -- The Senate Agriculture Committee
will complete its farm bill field hearings this month. Hearings will be
held August 15 in Redmond, OR; August 16 in Grand Island, NE; and August
17 in Great Falls, MT.
Congress Gone Until September -- The Senate is expected to
complete its business by the end of this week before it leaves for its
summer recess. The House of Representatives adjourned last week. There
will be a number of issues for Congress to consider when it returns
after Labor Day. Some of the issues important to agriculture include:
fiscal year 2007 agriculture appropriations, Vietnam PNTR, Peru Free
Trade Agreement (FTA), CAFO legislation, and mandatory price reporting.
Many Senators and Congressmen during this recess will be attending
county fairs, state fairs, town hall meetings and various events in
their states and Congressional districts. This is a good time to let
them know your opinion on vital issues facing American agriculture.
Contact your Senators or Congressman's office and ask to meet with them
or ask where they will be having town hall meetings. Remember "all
politics is local." - from the desk of Scott Shearer
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Tools
available to help manage soybean rust in Iowa
There are two tools for Iowa soybean producers and
agricultural professionals to help them manage Asian soybean rust should
it arrive in Iowa this year. The first tool is a new publication, Asian
Soybean Rust Management Strategies 2006 (PM 2028). It offers management
guidelines on when it is appropriate to use fungicides, which class of
fungicides to use at various growth stages and a current listing of
approved of fungicides approved for use in Iowa to treat Asian soybean
rust. - The Corn & Soybean Digest
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Nematodes
add to farmers' woes in 2006
This is the kind of year nematodes appreciate. The
soil is hot, and farmers' crops are stressed. It's ideal for the tiny,
soilborne organisms which thrive on plant roots. "The reality is that
nematodes are showing up in a lot of cotton fields this year," said
Terry Kirkpatrick, professor and nematode expert for the University of
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Nematode damage to plant roots
leads to a range of problems, including poor plant growth, poor fruit,
seed, or fiber production, or plant death. - Lamar James, Arkansas
Extension Communications Specialist
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Agritourism
brings farm life to city kids
08/03/06
Stanley Wise's neighbors thought he had lost his mind
when they saw him planting a field of corn in early August one year.
"Uh, Stanley, that corn is not going to get ready," one after another
said. It didn't help much when he explained he was in the process of
building a corn maze. They'd think for a second, then reply, "That corn
still isn't going to get ready, Stanley." Stanley and his wife,
Shelaine, are partners in Wise Farms, Boonesville, Miss., where they
grow and market fresh produce in the summer and operate an agritourism
business in the fall. Both also work for the Mississippi Extension
Service. - Elton Robinson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
|
Soybean
growers tracking rust developments
08/03/06
Soybean rust has been found at two sites in Jefferson
County in southwestern Mississippi. While rust was heavy on kudzu, it
was difficult to find on soybean in sentinel plots. Growers in southwest
Mississippi, with beans at the R5 or younger growth stage should
consider spraying with a protective fungicide. At this time rust is not
a threat to growers in the Delta and northern Mississippi. Rust spore
counts and populations found on soybeans in the southwest part of the
state have been low. Plus, extreme heat and dry weather in the Delta and
further north in the state have further slowed the movement of soybean
rust. - Roy Roberson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
|
Administration
schedules conservation sessions
08/02/06
The Bush administration has scheduled a series of
listening sessions aimed at addressing issues that are expected to be at
the center of the debate over conservation programs in the 2007 farm
bill. Farmers in the Mid-South may have to travel some distance to make
their opinions heard during the sessions, which will begin at Washington
State University-Spokane, Spokane, Wash., Aug. 9. The closest sessions
now scheduled to the Mid-South will be held in Jefferson City, Mo., Aug.
29 or Enid, Okla., Aug. 30. - Farm Press Editorial Staff
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Harvest concerns for drought-damaged
crops
08/04/06
Drought is taking a toll on crops, writes Terry Mader,
University of Nebraska animal science professor, at beef.unl.edu/. With
little rain and depleted subsoil moisture in some areas, he says crops
may not survive the growing season for fall harvest. "In the present
immature stage of growth, green chopping, haying, or grazing are options
which can be considered for corn, sorghum hybrids and soybeans," Mader
writes. "If silage is to be made, some fields could be ready by
mid-August or earlier, after that the plant may become too dry for good
fermentation to occur. Optimum plant moisture for silage is 65%."
Drought-damaged crops can be harvested as hay. With coarse-stalked
crops, adequate drying time is needed. Plants will dry more quickly if
crimped as they're cut. Since the stalks are coarse and leaves dry, corn
plants in particular can be baled in round bales at around 20% moisture.
- -- Terry Mader, University of Nebraska
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Farm
program statutes cause payment problems
08/02/06
The Washington Post's two recent articles, "Farm
Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Don't Farm" (July 2, 2006) and
"Growers Reap Benefits Even in Good Years," (July 3, 2006) point out
some examples of problems with the current farm program -- non-farmers
receiving "direct payments" on subdivided housing tracts that were once
part of farm fields and farmers who receive substantial loan deficiency
payments on a crop that sells for more than the loan rate.?? It would be
very easy for someone unacquainted with crop agriculture and who reads
these articles to jump on the "eliminate farm programs" bandwagon. -
Daryll E. Ray
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Doha Round
may get one more try, president says
08/02/06
The Doha Development Round negotiations may be about
to start on their eighth -- or is it their ninth? -- life after
President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to
try to give the talks one more chance. The leaders apparently made the
decision in a meeting at the White House last Friday, but only made it
public in separate speeches -- Blair in Pebble Beach, Calif., Sunday
night and Bush in remarks before he toured the Port of Miami Monday
(July 31). - Farm Press Editorial Staff
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USDA to help
revitalize Iraq's Extension Service
08/01/06
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and Iraq's Deputy
Prime Minister, Dr. Salam Zukam Ali Al-Zawba'I, have signed a joint
statement of intent to "strengthen and broaden" Iraq's agricultural
extension system and universities. The effort will be carried out
through a series of partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi universities,
Johanns said during a stopover in Baghdad following a trade mission to
Kazakhstan. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
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