Crop News Weekly: ASA Celebrates 90th

It wouldn't take much to convince me there's a conspiracy going on with this year's weather pattern. Rain throughout the growing season in much of the Midwest, a November hurricane in the Southland -- how much does it take before one starts to feel like the cards are stacked? In spite of that, harvest progresses and farmers are facing hard decisions about late field crops. Much of the corn belt has yet to be harvested and the growing threat of winter and more unwelcome rain showers have complicated the already difficult decision process. On the encouraging side, a few days running of sunshine and nearly clear skies in the Upper Midwest have helped to soothe the pain a little. Here's hoping for that late Indian summer.

The American Soybean Association has turned 90! Happy anniversary to our colleagues. Also this week, the USDA has announced the award of more than $17 million in grants to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture. In other news, if you think the Midwest is the only region adversely affected by the rain-shocked growing year, check out reports from Arkansas where farmers are concerned about a total ag meltdown.

You'll find these stories and many others in this issue of Crop News Weekly. Happy reading.

Soybean farming has changed dramatically since 1920. But even then, decisions made on Capitol Hill were having a direct effect on the production and profitability of soybean farmers.

That’s why the American Soybean Association (ASA) was established 90 years ago and continues to be the advocate and grassroots voice of the nation’s soybean farmers when important policy is being discussed and created.

During the past 90 years, ASA has helped the soybean industry grow dramatically. In 1919, only about 1 million bushels of soybeans were produced on 112,826 acres at a value of about $4.5 million. - The American Soybean Association

A new economic study conducted by the University of Tennessee’s Bio-Based Energy Analysis Group has determined that there are significant market opportunities for agriculture if Congress enacts a national renewable energy standard (RES) policy. Presented Oct. 23 during a briefing at the United States Senate, the report suggests that RES policies would create a large new market for biomass from the agricultural and forestry sectors, and therefore have a positive effect on farm income.

By now, most farmers have heard the story of Norman E. Borlaug, the scientist who saved millions of people from starvation by developing higher-yielding wheat varieties that could be planted in third-world countries.

Borlaug, who died in September at age 95, received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal and countless other awards for his contributions to the fight against hunger.

What most may not know is how close his story came to not happening. Throughout his career, as related in Noel Vietmeyer’s biographical series, Borlaug, the scientist received helping hands that put him in a position to make a difference in the lives of millions. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff

The USDA has announced the award of more than $17 million in grants to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.

"Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges and need educational and training programs to enhance their profitability and long term sustainability," Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said. "The training and education provided through these grants will help ensure the success of the next generation of farmers and ranchers as they work to feed people in their local communities and throughout the world."

Developing the next generation of agricultural industry leaders is the focus of a joint project between The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program (OALP).

Charles Rohla, Ph.D., horticultural consultant and researcher at the Noble Foundation, and Drs. William Weeks and Penny Pennington of OSU’s Department of Agricultural Education, Communications, and Leadership, recognized a need to support agricultural leadership programs at two-year colleges. The trio became co-principal investigators on a project that received a $46,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to initiate or further fund programs at six, two-year colleges in Oklahoma and Kansas.

The rain-shocked 2009 growing season may prove to be devastating for Chicot County, Ark., where more than 65 percent of the county is farmland.

On Monday and Tuesday, Gus Wilson, Chicot County Extension staff chairman for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, made the rounds, visiting farmers and getting a first-hand look at what record rain has left of crops in the state’s southeasternmost county.

He said on Tuesday that he believed Chicot and neighboring Ashley and Desha counties were the hardest hit by the 2009 rain. - Mary Hightower, University of Arkansas

Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Ron Sparks is calling it a “potential crisis” — the rainy weather conditions throughout most of September and October that have frustrated growers who were eyeing pretty good cotton, peanut, soybean and corn crops.

The same holds true for producers in Georgia and north Florida, where harvest has been delayed by almost continuous rainfall, during what is usually the driest months of the year.

“Prior to September, many producers were expecting to harvest a bumper crop and were very optimistic for the upcoming harvest season,” says Sparks. “Uncommon and unfavorable precipitation during September and October have degraded various crops and caused poor harvesting conditions, which caused the harvest to be behind schedule by around four to six weeks.” - Paul L. Hollis, Farm Press Editorial Staff

China reopened imports of pork from the United States, increasing domestic demand for soy meal and feed grain. India has increased vegetable oil imports by 48 percent. Egypt bought 30,000 tons of U.S. vegetable oils.

Soybean exports out of South America are slow. Planting progress in Brazil is 7 percent above average. Argentine soybean planting is 7 percent ahead of average. Argentina’s soybean exports are down nearly a million tons this year due to farmer strikes. Most of the Argentine crop is now processed.

Last week’s soybean exports were in excess of markets expectations at 691,000 tons. Total soybean export sales for the year are 24 percent above USDA predictions at 64.5 percent of total predictions. Export inspections were up 10 percent.

Last week 2.74 billion pounds of soybeans were crushed, bullishly exceeding expectations. Biodiesel production is up 25 percent this month. - Ray Nabors, Heartland Ag Network

I was greatly disappointed in Morgan Freeman’s recent comments referring to the base stock of this state as a mule-headed bunch of farmers (see Behind the curtain: ‘mule-headed farmers’?). I think Mr. Freeman is very shortsighted when he refers to the progress that has been made in Mississippi and to the bulk of the population as being agriculture.
I would remind Mr. Freeman that, as the result of the farmers of this state and nation, the food we consume requires less than one-tenth of our take-home pay to purchase.

I would also remind Mr. Freeman that, as a result of the America farmer, instead of 50 percent of our population being involved in the labor force to produce the food and fiber we consume, less than 1.5 percent of the population is required in agriculture’s workforce today. - David Waide, Mississippi Farm Bureau

The only Louisianan on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Bill Cassidy tries to keep his state’s agricultural interests at the forefront. That was very clear during an October committee hearing when Dave White, National Resources Conservation Service chief, testified about several conservation initiatives.

Cassidy, who hails from Louisiana’s Sixth District, wanted answers about the state’s rapidly degrading coastline.

“Part of our issue is how to restore, in part, the distribution of the sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild our vanishing coastline,” said Cassidy to White. “Is (the NRCS’ Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds) Initiative elastic enough so we not only attempt to restrict sediment entering the river but we also think imaginatively about restoring its distribution of sediment? - David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

A wetter-than-normal growing season has cut into Arkansas’ farm receipts by more than $224.8 million as of Nov. 1, according to a preliminary report issued by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

The report is a snapshot of current conditions and the dollar amount is expected to grow as harvest progresses.

“There are some farmers that are devastated by the events of this growing season,” Eric Wailes, professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness, said today. “We want to be sure that is recognized and reflected in the estimates in the report.”

The report, created by Wailes, Scott Stiles, instructor of agricultural economics; Brad Watkins, associate professor of agricultural economics; and Jeffrey Hignight, a program associate at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart; is based on data from USDA, the National Agricultural Statistical Service, current marketing prices, quality loss estimates from local elevators, and yield loss and additional fieldwork from Extension specialists from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. - Mary Hightower, U of A Division of Agriculture

EDITOR'S NOTE

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