5 years, 6 months ago AFBF
President Donald Trump Tuesday moved forward with plans to allow year-round sales of E15 fuel blends. The move met applause from many U.S. biofuels and commodity groups, as year-round E15 has been a goal of the industry. Trump made the announcement at the White House before rushing off to a rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The move, according to biofuels groups, will bring a little bit more certainty into the marketplace for farmers. However, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers CEO Chet Thompson reportedly told Reuters that “the only certainty from today's actions are a lawsuit." Regardless, a small demand bump for corn is likely. National Corn Growers Association President Lynn Chrisp says corn farmers have advocated for the move because it will “grow demand, provide consumers with more options at the pump and improve economic conditions across rural America.”
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Stabenow: Commodity Title a Political Issue in Farm Bill Talks
Farm bill conference committee leaders are at orders over the commodity title. Senator Debbie Stabenow claims House Ag Committee Chairman Mike Conaway has politicized the farm bill with a provision that would take “tens of millions” of dollars from Midwestern farmers for cotton growers in the South, according to the Hagstrom Report. The 2014 farm bill expired last month, and lawmakers are expected to finish a farm bill following the November elections. However, the elections appear to be muddying the waters of the farm bill process, at least, from Stabenow’s view. She noted that cotton prices are up 20 percent, while all other commodity prices are down 50 percent, adding: “We just can’t do a political play that rewrites the commodity title for southern farmers ‘just because.’ We have to have a farm safety net that works.” She remains optimistic the farm bill can be completed this year.
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August Beef Exports Soar to New Heights, Pork Export Value Still under Pressure
U.S. beef exports set new records in August with export value topping $750 million for the first time. The U.S. Meat Export Federation says August pork exports were fairly steady with last year’s volume, but retaliatory duties in key markets continued to pressure pork export value. August beef exports totaled 119,800 metric tons, up seven percent from a year ago, valued at $751.7 million, and up 11 percent year-over-year. For January through August, beef exports totaled 899,300 metric tons, up nine percent from a year ago, while value climbed 18 percent to $5.51 billion. Meanwhile, August pork export volume was down 1 percent from last year at 182,300 metric tons, while export value fell three percent to $494.1 million. For January through August, combined pork and pork variety meat exports remained one percent ahead of last year’s record pace at 1.63 million metric tons, while value increased three percent to $4.32 billion. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom concluded that “Pork exports have posted an impressive performance in 2018, but the retaliatory duties are a clearly a significant obstacle.”
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K-State Focusing on How to Prevent African Swine Fever in the U.S.
Kansas State University is researching how the U.S. can combat African swine fever. The virus threatens to devastate the swine industry and is positioned to spread throughout Asia. The virus has already spread throughout parts of Eastern Europe and was reported in China in August. Kansas State University researchers and the Biosecurity Research Institute have several projects focused on African swine fever. Their research topics vary, but they share the same goal of stopping the spread of African swine fever and preventing it from reaching the United States. If African swine fever enters the U.S., it could cause billions in economic losses to swine and other industries, animal disease experts say. A Kansas State official says the research will “help to improve our understanding and preparedness” of the threat of the virus. The projects are funded in part by the $35 million State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Fund and also have received support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the pork industry.
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2018 Farmland Sales Increasing
Landowners are more interested in selling this year. The amount of land Farmers National Company has listed for sale is up 21 percent compared to last year at this time. Most of the sales are coming from individuals or ownership groups who are deciding that now is the time to sell. The company says landowners may have recently inherited the land or have owned it for years, but sellers have watched the land market, and some want to take advantage of the still historically good land prices. Some sellers are thinking that there is more downside risk in land prices than upside potential, so for them, now is the time to sell. Despite the slower land market, the past few years, Farmers National Company's real estate sales have grown each year including a five percent increase in sales volume this year.
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Canada Veterinary University Receives 20,000 Acre Donation
Canada’s University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine has received a substantial gift to continue its mission. A father and daughter duo have donated an entire working ranch and 1,000 head of cattle to the university. The Calgary Herald reports that in terms of monetary value, W.A. Ranches - which is valued at $44 million - is the largest gift of a ranch that has ever been made to a North American university. And, in terms of size, at nearly 7,700 hectares, or 20,000 acres, it represents the biggest gift of ranch property in Canadian university history. University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon called the donation “transformational,” adding that it “will propel our faculty of veterinary medicine to the global stage." The donation was made by businessman and philanthropist J.C. Anderson, 90, and his daughter Wynne. The two have operated the ranch since 2005.
