News Update
August 13, 2014
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden Announces Funding for Research to Benefit Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
On Aug. 12, 2014, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced the availability of $400,000 in funding to establish the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center. The Center will be established at an 1890 land-grant college or university and will specialize in policy research impacting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Qualifying universities across the country are now invited to apply to be the Research Center’s home.
“America’s farmers and ranchers are more diverse than ever before, and it is critical that our policies and programs reflect that,” said Harden. “This Center will serve as another tool for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to get the resources they need. It will also assist us in our efforts to help beginning farmers from all walks of life get their start in agriculture.”
According to the 2012 Agricultural Census, minority and historically under-represented communities are part of the continued growth among new and beginning farmers and ranchers. According to the census, 22% of all farmers were beginning farmers in 2012. That means 1 out of every 5 farmers operated a farm for less than 10 years.
Universities seeking to apply to host the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center must apply in the next 30 days. Proposals must be received by Sept. 11, 2014, at 5 p.m. EST, at www.grants.gov.
Last month, Harden announced the availability of more than $9 million in outreach and technical assistance for minority farmers and ranchers and military veterans that are new to farming and ranching through the 2501 Program. The deadline for applications for 2501 Program funding has been extended to Aug. 27, 2014, and applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov. More information about the 2501 Program is available at www.outreach.usda.gov/grants/index.htm.
Worldwide Corn, Wheat, Cotton and Soybean Yields Up
The USDA’s latest report on agricultural supply and demand for the 2014-2015 marketing year suggests supplies will continue to be on the tight side for key U.S. crops despite record harvests, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) said August 12.
“The most interesting feature of today’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report is the projected corn yield of 167.4 bushels per acre,” Farm Bureau Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson said. “That is up from 165.3 bushels per acre a month ago, which pushes projected U.S. corn production to just over 14 billion bushels. That’s a record.”
Increases in projected corn use largely offset the higher production, leaving stocks projections almost flat at just 7 million bushels (bu.) above last month’s estimate, Anderson said.
Prices are expected to trend upwards even so, since earlier forecasts had put production at about 170 bu. per acre. “Projected corn production of 14.032 billion bushels is still massive, but it is probably about 200 million bushels below what the market had expected,” he said.
The bullish U.S. corn numbers were offset by less favorable world numbers for feed grains and wheat. Global feed grain production estimates, for example, rose by 4.9 million metric tons (MMT) over last month due to higher U.S. production, higher EU corn production and higher barley production in the former Soviet zone. Projected global feed grain carryover for 2014-2015 rose 2.7 MMT month over month.
Projected global wheat production, meanwhile, rose 10.9 MMT to an expected record 716.1 MMT. Carryover is expected to rise 3.4 MMT as a result.
Soybeans held few surprises as the WASDE yield estimate rose 0.2 bu. to 54.2 bu. per acre. The slight increase in production went straight into carryover, raising projected carryover to 430 million bu.
Cotton acreage forecasts got significant adjustments, too. Projected harvested acreage rose from 9.7 million acres to 10.24 million acres over the month. Projected yield was up 4 pounds (lb.) to 820 lb. per acre, adding about 1 million bales to expected production this year. The USDA consequently raised ending stocks projections from 5.2 to 5.6 million bales, which would result in the largest U.S. carryover since 2008-2009, if realized. Changes in the U.S. cotton market will likely be offset by declining stocks abroad. China, meanwhile, is expected to hold even, exerting continued downward pressure on cotton prices.
Watch for Sorghum Midges in Late-Blooming Sorghum
Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cooperative Extension entomologist and Integrated Pest Management coordinator, recently noted high populations of sorghum midge adults actively swarming on some late-blooming heads in sorghum test plots at the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources’ Cimarron Research and Extension Center in Perkins.
“Favorable climate and abundant Johnsongrass may allow them to become a problem in late-planted sorghum this year,” he said. “Johnsongrass establishes and spreads well in disturbed areas, such as crop fields and roadsides. As the season progresses, midge numbers build on Johnsongrass and sorghum, and will concentrate on later plantings, underscoring the need to control Johnsongrass in and around sorghum fields.”
A sorghum midge is a tiny fly, measuring less than 1/32 inches (in.) long. It has a reddish abdomen with one pair of grayish transparent wings.
“The female fly lays eggs in open florets and the maggots feed inside the developing seed,” Royer said. “The contents of the seed are usually completely consumed. The lifecycle from egg to adult is completed in 14 to 16 days.”
Heads that have sorghum midge injury are referred to as “blasted.” The adults live for one day, but one female can lay 30 to 100 eggs.
“Scouting a field is essential to achieve effective control with an insecticide,” Royer said. “Use a 10x magnifying hand lens to aid in identification.”
There are two ways to scout: One is to carefully move to a plant without disturbing it, quickly put a plastic bag over the head, and shake it vigorously. Remove the bag and contents and look for midges inside the plastic bag.
“The other way is through direct observation,” Royer said. “Without disturbing the plant, look for small gnat-sized flies moving about the head or laying eggs on flowers with extended anthers. A sorghum midge is most active from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., so that is the best time to scout.”
Producers should begin scouting when sorghum heads first emerge and begin pollinating, continuing to scout every three days until the field is finished blooming. The economic threshold insecticide application is one midge per head for susceptible plant varieties and five midges per head for resistant varieties. There are numerous insecticides labeled for control.
“Apply the first when the threshold is reached, and 25% to 30% of the heads are blooming,” Royer said. “A second application may be necessary in three to five days, and producers should always take care to follow all label restrictions.”
For a list of registered insecticides, consult OSU Current Report CR-7170, “Management of Insect and Mite Pests in Sorghum,” available online at http://osufacts.okstate.edu.
For more information, please view the full release here.
USDA Announces Selection of Advisory Committee Members to Help Guide Management of Public Forests and Grasslands
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced August 12, the selection of 21 new members to the Planning Rule Federal Advisory Committee (FACA), which provides guidance and recommendations on management of America’s national forests on Planning Rule implementation of the 2012 Planning Rule. The planning rule continues to guide stewards of national forests and grasslands in developing, revising or amending land management plans.
“Members of the Planning Rule Advisory Committee help us strengthen ecological, social, economic and cultural sustainability objectives,” said Vilsack. “The rule will allow the creation of management plans that will protect and restore National Forest System lands in order to sustain communities and protect natural resources.”
The initial planning rule committee presented its first set of recommendations for the implementation of the 2012 planning rule to USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell in November 2013, supporting strengthened collaboration, improved planning efficiencies and more informed decision making. These recommendations are intended to deepen the level of stakeholder collaboration in forest planning, as well as a focus on adaptive management, monitoring, wilderness, climate change, intergovernmental relations, species protection and water resources.
“The recommendations provided by the FACA Committee are critical to the successful implementation of the planning rule,” said Chief Tidwell. “We value their commitment to land management planning that promotes healthy, resilient, diverse and productive national forests and grasslands.”
The committee is composed of 21 members with diverse backgrounds, who represent the full range of public interests in management of National Forest System lands and geographically diverse locations and communities. The current committee’s membership expired in June 2014. The new committee members were selected from the candidates who responded to the Secretary’s request for nominations in March 2014.
The charter, background information, and other information for the Planning Rule Advisory Committee can be found www.fs.usda.gov/main/planningrule/committee.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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