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Logan
Hawkes
10/08/08
Crop News Weekly
We hear a lot about financial relief these
days. Uncle Sam is bailing out insurance companies, the auto industry,
financial markets and mortgage companies. Congress is willing to buy up
declining assets and it seems just about every politician is worried
more about re-election and party politics than they are about the
economy, especially as it applies to America's business farmers. While
it can't be argued that swift and impacting action is required to save
us all from economic ruin, it seems to me we could keep it a little more
simple. For instance, someone suggested a federal bail out for every
man, woman and child in America as an alternative to bailing out Wall
Street. If each American, regardless of age, were to get a check from
Uncle Sam for $2 million, then who would need insurance or a mortgage
anyway? A family of four or more could just about retire and grow
flowers if they wanted. It makes for a fun thought, but it's not that
simple of course. But for Washington to think that Wall Street and the
financial district are the only American institutions suffering through
tight times is unfair to every American. They should try budgeting for
next year's seed and fertilizer on the farm. Tough times have hit just
about every industry and every American in recent times. Will it last? I
suggest that it will pass in due time. But solid leadership in
Washington will be required to take us forward. And investors and
business will need to avoid over-reacting to the crisis. With that
thought in mind, remember that election day is less than a month
away.
Both corn and soybean harvest have started in much of the Midwest thanks
in large part to warm, sunny days. Overall, according to USDA, about 14%
of the nation's crop has been harvested, down from a 30% five year
average for this time of year. More important, however, is a USDA report
that indicates lower corn and soybean yields and one of the lowest
stocks-to-usage ratios in history for corn. That sets up another intense
battle for acres for next year's crop. Demand is higher than estimated
and production losses are going to cut deeply into the one billion
bushel ending stock, erasing hopes that supply will continue to meet
demand in the months ahead.
Also this week, with downed and leaning corn stalks resulting from
tropical storm damage, it's time to remember the basics of farm safety.
Windblown corn in various conditions, from leaning stalks to plants on
the ground, are plaguing parts of the lower Midwest and harvesting may
be a challenge this fall. Randall Reeder, Ohio State University
Extension agricultural engineer, reminds us to keep safety first in mind
to avoid serious accident or injury. On another issue most of us have
been following, we knew there would be a hangover from $6 corn, but who
would have thought that subprime lending might cause it? Or did it? Our
interconnected world has some growers wondering where Wall Street ends
and Main Street begins. Get the full skinny below. Finally, who doesn't
like a good rodeo? Farm Industry News was on the scene recently with
their cameras and captured some great video of the ATV Rodeo, including
farmer reviews and live demonstrations. It's colorful, it's informative,
and we've got the hot video for you in this newsletter.
You'll find these stories and more in this issue of Crop News
Weekly. Happy reading.
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Farm
Bureau praises financial relief bill
As the U.S. House of Representatives, on the second
try, passed a bill designed to rescue the nation’s troubled financial
system, Texas’ largest farm organization praised members of the Texas
Congressional delegation that voted yes on the plan. “This was a tough
vote,” said Steve Pringle, Legislative Director of the Texas Farm
Bureau. “No one feels really good about this situation, but this vote
and this rescue plan was necessary.” In a statement earlier this week,
the American Farm Bureau Federation said, “There are many hard-working
farm families in this nation who have been financially conservative.
They have paid their bills every month. Rural residents, among others,
have sacrificed to keep their mortgages current. All of these families
will be severely hurt through no fault of their own if action is not
taken soon to bring stability to the financial markets.” (To read
the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Corn,
soybean harvest picks up slowly
Corn and soybean harvest activity started to pick up
last week, but continues to lag well behind normal with crops maturing
slowly. Warm temperatures helped boost crop maturity, but both corn and
soybean maturity remained well behind normal. USDA’s weekly crop
update pegged corn harvest at 9% complete as of Sept. 28, up from 5% a
week earlier, but behind last year’s rapid pace of 29% and five-year
average of 21%. - Richard Brock, Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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How
could Wall Street impact the farm gate?
Road Warrior Dave Kohl writes: "You would have
to be a recluse not to be aware of the huge financial challenges
awaiting the U.S. in the next few months. While everyone has been
discussing the impact of Wall Street on Main Street, let’s go beyond
that to the farm gate. First, many of you deal with community banks, the
Farm Credit System, FSA and other financial institutions. Is your money
safe and will they continue to loan money? Many of the lenders involved
in this crisis were shadow bankers, who are apart from the mainstream
regulated lenders that must play by the rules. However, some banks have
invested in financial instruments or made loans in areas facing a major
correction of asset values. These institutions may face challenges..."
- Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Energy
balance of corn-based ethanol more favorable
Using current data to examine the energy balance of
corn ethanol, when looking at both corn production and the ethanol
conversion process, it is clear that ethanol production is at the
favorable end of the measurement, says Alan Tiemann of the Nebraska Corn
Board. Tiemann is a corn grower from Seward. “Several recent studies
have made this abundantly clear,” he says, “including one at the
University of Nebraska.” Ken Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center
for Energy Sciences Research, says earlier studies that examined
ethanol’s energy balance sheet were based on backward looking data.
- Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Remember
safety when harvesting downed corn
With windblown corn in various conditions, from
leaning stalks to plants on the ground, harvesting may be a challenge
this fall, but Randall Reeder, Ohio State University Extension
agricultural engineer, cautions not to forget safety in the haste to
salvage crop losses. “Safety will be an issue this fall," says Reeder.
"Because of downed corn, harvest will drag on longer than usual; the
header will plug more often and operator stress and frustration will be
higher. Under these conditions, it is more important than ever to
emphasize safety in and around equipment." Reeder says that the main
issues farmers will face when harvesting downed corn include slower
operating speeds, more frequent header plugging, more rocks picked up by
the header and more corn stalks going through the combine along with the
grain, slowing grain separation and contributing to more grain thrown
out the back of the equipment. - Corn & Soybean Digest>
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Is
the party over?
Most of us knew there would be a hangover from $6
corn, but who would have thought that subprime lending might cause it?
Or did it? Our interconnected world has some growers wondering where
Wall Street ends and Main Street begins. “It’s one long street, and
always has been,” says Michael Swanson, agricultural economist, Wells
Fargo Bank. “The farm economy has never been an island, but it used to
take longer for the waves to reach distant shores.
“As margins compress, farmers will have to compete with other segments
of the economy for operating capital. Capital is like water; it flows to
the best return.” - Corn & Soybean Digest>
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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ATV
Rodeo results are in
So you're in the market for just the right ATV for the
coming year. But which one can deliver the work to meet your specific
application? The results of the Farm Industry News 2008 ATV Rodeo are
now online at farmindustrynews.com. View the online videos of farmers
reviewing each of the vehicles as well as a video on the results and
take the guess work out of selecting just the right brand and model.
- Farm Industry News>
(To view the video, click on the headline above)
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Congress
approves ghost crop designation
Congress passed a measure this week designating
uninsured sorghum and other crops planted behind failed first crops as
ghost crops, meaning that the crop’s revenue will not reduce a
farmer’s Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) payment.
“This represents a huge victory for sorghum growers,” said Toby
Bostwick, National Sorghum Producers chairman of the board. “It is
very important that, especially in these uncertain economic times,
farmers are not discouraged from planting a second crop at their own
risk. Congress has done the right thing by passing a bill that exempts
the value of uninsured second crops from their calculation of revenue in
determining disaster payments.” The change was a part of a Senate
amendment to H.R. 6849, which suspended the so-called 10-acre rule.
Under the 10-acre rule, farmers with less than 10 base acres were not
eligible for direct or counter-cyclical payments. (To read the
complete article, click on the headline above)
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U.S.
producers to help feed global food, feed demand
With global grain stocks at historically low levels,
economies strengthening in some countries and production problems in
others, U.S. growers are positioned to play a key role in satisfying
growing demand for food, according to two Kansas State University
agricultural economists. "Global wheat production is up 9 percent this
year," said Mike Woolverton, speaking at the K-State Risk and Profit
Conference Aug. 14-15. "Farmers have responded to higher prices by
producing more, but there is still plenty of demand for that wheat."
Woolverton cited Iran´s recent purchase of 1 million tons of U.S. wheat
- its first from the United States in more than 25 years. That purchase
and others were sparked in part by a drought in the Middle East, he
said. (To read the complete article, click on the headline
above)
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Becker
Underwood expands inoculant production capacity
Becker Underwood will significantly expand the
production capacity of its St. Joseph, Mo., facility to meet increasing
demand for inoculants for soybeans, peanuts, peas and lentils grown in
North America. According to Chris Feiden, manager of the St. Joseph,
Mo., plant, Becker Underwood is currently installing new
state-of-the-art fermentation units. “This is a very aggressive
project that will nearly triple our production capacity for the 2009
growing season compared to 2008. “The expansion is taking place now.
We’re targeting Jan. 1, 2009, as our completion date, which will
ensure that we’re up and running to produce inoculants for the 2009
growing season.” (To read the complete article, click on the
headline above)
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Congress
urged to minimize unnecessary changes
A bipartisan group of Cotton Belt Senators and House
members, led by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Representatives
Etheridge (D-NC) and Emerson (R-MO), has written Secretary of
Agriculture Ed Schafer to stress that it is inappropriate and
unnecessary for USDA to cause serious disruptions in current farming
operations by proposing unwarranted changes in the way it makes
actively-engaged-in-farming determinations. Twenty Senators and more
than 40 House members signed separate letters that also request that the
U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) publish rules and regulations
pertaining to new Adjusted Gross Income and payment limit reforms as
soon as possible. (To read the complete article, click on the
headline above)
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Lawmakers
want quick farm bill implementation
A bipartisan group of Senators and House members, led
by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Representatives Etheridge
(D-N.C.) and Emerson (R-Mo.), has written Secretary of Agriculture Ed
Schafer to stress that it is inappropriate and unnecessary for USDA to
cause serious disruptions in current farming operations by proposing
unwarranted changes in the way it makes actively-engaged-in-farming
determinations. Twenty Senators and more than 40 House members signed
separate letters that also request that the U.S Department of
Agriculture (USDA) publish rules and regulations pertaining to new
Adjusted Gross Income and payment limit reforms as soon as possible.
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Efficient
nutrient management may save farmers money
Tapping into deep nitrogen and phosphorus reserves,
applying fertilizers in a timely manner, and using the appropriate
fertility rate based on soil tests and a realistic yield goal, will help
grain farmers maintain yields and improve nutrient use efficiency. Soil
testing, as basic a principle as exists in crop management, remains the
crucial factor in production efficiency. Yet many farmers have ignored
the practice in the past and can no longer afford to with fertilizer
prices at record levels. Texas AgriLife Extension Agronomist Brent Bean
says fertility requirements differ between grain crops but the basics
are the same. Bean addressed corn, wheat and grain sorghum fertility
during the recent West Texas Agricultural Chemical Association annual
conference in Lubbock. - Ron Smith, Farm Press Editorial
Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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USDA to
collect county-level land rent rates
As directed by the new farm bill, USDA’s National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will for the first time collect
and publish county-level data regarding the cash rental rates producers
pay for cropland and pastureland. “The Farm Service Agency (FSA) and
other USDA agencies rely on cash rent data to administer commodity,
credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs,” said Herman
Ellison, director of the NASS Virginia Field Office. “Until this year,
NASS only published this information at the national and state levels.
But there’s great interest in the county-level data, which will be of
particular use in FSA’s administration of the Conservation Reserve
Program, allowing their programs to adequately reflect the prevailing
rental rates in each community.” (To read the complete article,
click on the headline above)
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N
savings by the row
Precision Agriculture technologies can help take a
bite out of higher nitrogen costs. Just ask Mike, Bob and Jim Ellis, who
grow several thousand acres of corn in northern Kentucky, near Eminence.
They estimate that this year they reduced N costs at least 10% with a
new farm-built sidedress setup that enables them to shut off individual
rows. This allows them to reduce waste from fertilizer overlaps along
field borders and waterways. The rig is harnessed to an electronic
controller linked to a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS antenna
that automatically turns off coulter drop tubes as they pass into areas
that already have been fertilized, or in waterways or outside of the
field where fertilizer also would be wasted. - Farm Industry
News
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