News Update
September 12, 2014
Tickets to the 109th National Western Stock Show
It’s not too early to start thinking about the National Western Stock Show (NWSS). Tickets to the January 10-25, 2015 Show go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, September 13, at 10 a.m. Once again, Stock Show guests will receive free parking in all NWSS lots across the complex grounds and outlying lots.
The 2015 NWSS will include all the traditions of the West with the “Super Bowl” of livestock shows, world-class horse shows, professional rodeos, mutton bustin’, super dogs, and more than 300 events, activities, exhibits and shopping that are included in a grounds admission ticket.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.nationalwestern.com, by phone at 1-866-464-2626, at the NWSS Box Office or any King Soopers & select City Markets.
Montana Establishment of Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Montana Governor Steve Bullock signed an executive order establishing the Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program. The program has been in the works for some time with several Montana groups having opportunity to provide input on maintaining state management of the sage grouse species and its habitat in the state of Montana.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association has been involved in this process from the earliest stages, representing the interests our ranching family members and property owners across the state.
The series of planning meetings provided a platform in which all stakeholders could participate and provide science-based information for the council to consider. The Montana Stockgrowers Association along with colleagues from other important ag groups, like the Montana Farm Bureau, were able to express their interests in a fair and transparent way.
Stockgrowers feels that in-state management of the sage grouse is critical as 64% of the species’ Montana habitat is in private ownership and livestock grazing is the most common land-use activity across the sagebrush spectrum.
For more information on how sage grouse programs affect Montana ranching families and land owners, please contact the Montana Stockgrowers Association, 406-442-3420, or visit www.mtbeef.org.
Farm Bureau on USDA Projections for Corn, Soybean Yield
The Agriculture Department’s latest report on agricultural supply and demand for the 2014-2015 marketing year confirms that U.S. grain producers can expect record yields and low market returns, the AFBF said Sept. 11.
Yield estimates for both corn and soybeans are even higher than anticipated, with corn at 171.7 bushels (bu.) per acre and soybeans coming in at 46.6 bu. per acre. Although projected usage is also looking higher to help absorb the excess supply, prices are still expected to be the lowest since 2009-2010, Farm Bureau Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson said.
“With a price forecast mid-point of $3.50 for corn, we’re looking at the lowest marketing year average price since 2006-2007,” Anderson said. “It is unlikely these prices will improve as the season’s projected carryover is at 2.002 billion bushels, the largest carryover since the 2004-2005 marketing year.” Carryover for soybeans is also expected to increase from a record low 130 million bu. at the end of 2013-2014 to 475 million bu., the largest since 2006-07.
Global production continues to reach record highs, as well. Outside the United States, soybean production is estimated at 311.13 million metric tons (MMT) — a record level. Global carryover is expected to reach just over 90 MMT, a record level of carryover. Global wheat production is also expected to reach a record level of 720 MMT.
ASA Director Asks for ‘Adequate and Timely’ Rail Service
at Surface Transportation Board Hearing
American Soybean Association (ASA) Director Lance Peterson joined other concerned growers in Fargo, N.D. Sept. 4 at a public hearing before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to testify on rail-service issues and the negative impacts on soybean growers. Also testifying for soybean growers at the hearing was Eric Broten, representing the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association.
As the backlog of rail cars in the upper Midwest continues, many elevators are still full of 2013-crop grain ahead of a looming 2014 harvest. This backlog negatively affects basis levels and cash bids, and could create a grain storage crisis as a new crop harvest begins.
Peterson, a soybean farmer from Underwood, Minn., represented ASA and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association at the hearing, and re-emphasized points he made at a previous STB hearing in the spring.
“The message that I delivered was that inadequate rail service through delays and increased freight costs is not just a business challenge, but creates massive losses which are passed directly on to the agricultural producer — the farmer.
Peterson said the rail industry discussions in the spring centered on slow shipments due to the coldest winter in 30 years and assured correction before the 2014 harvest. Now, half way through the wheat harvest there’s still an abundance of last year’s crops that have not been moved, grain bin companies are so busy they can’t take any more business and farmers are in a difficult position of adding storage to avoid piling grain on the ground during this year’s harvest.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NFU Praises Bipartisan Senate STB Reform Bill Introduction
National Farmers Union (NFU) praised Sens. Thune (R-SD) and Rockefeller (D-WV) for the introduction of a bipartisan bill that would improve the functioning of the STB and ensure that the agency is more responsive to the needs of its many customers.
“I commend Chairman Rockefeller and Ranking Member Thune for addressing this important issue on behalf of our family farmers and their cooperatives’ shipping commodities,” said Doug Sombke, chairman of NFU’s legislative committee and president of the South Dakota Farmers Union.
S. 2777, “The Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2014,” would establish STB as an independent agency, streamline rate case procedures, give STB limited investigative authority, and codify arbitration procedures for disputes between shippers and railroads.
Sombke noted that while addressing many of the issues facing farmers and shippers who are dependent on shipping by rail, it was unclear if the bill would address the issue of whether the fines assessed to shippers for late or non-delivery could be assessed to the railroad for not meeting delivery deadlines. “I surely hope railroads are held to the same standards as our cooperatives,” he said.
In the upper Midwest, where shipping by rail is often the only option for the region’s farmers, rail transportation is months behind schedule, resulting in farmers and cooperatives being assessed hefty fines for late deliveries. In South Dakota, some farmers have already been forced to pile wheat on the ground because elevators can’t accept the increased liability. At one particular elevator, 3 million of the yearly 15 million bushels of grain will not move before this year’s harvest begins.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Ranch Management University fall session
set Oct. 20-24 in College Station
The intensive five-day Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Ranch Management University will be hosted Oct. 20-24 on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.
The workshop will meet in the G. Rollie White Visitor’s Center, 7707 Raymond Stotzer Parkway, said Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension state forage specialist in College Station.
“Our program is designed for the new landowner, who may have questions about how to manage their piece of Texas,” Redmon said.
Registration is $500, with attendance limited to the first 50 who enroll. Redmon advised those interested to not wait to register. To register online and for more information, go to http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter “ranch management” into the search window.
Redmon said the workshop is offered twice a year, with the fall session covering fundamentals of soils and soil fertility; forage establishment; pasture, livestock, wildlife and grazing management; stocking rates and body condition scoring.
Additionally, there will be wildlife management sessions on white-tailed deer, turkey, quail, feral hogs and farm ponds. Various forage species, including Bermuda grass and other introduced forages, native forages, small grains, annual ryegrass and clovers will be studied by workshop attendees.
Approximately one-third of the workshop involves lectures and discussion, Redmon said, with the remainder consisting of field demonstrations.
“Field demonstrations will include learning how to properly calibrate a sprayer, assess body condition scores of cattle, obtain proper soil and hay samples, and assess the fish populations in ponds,” Redmon said.
There will also be a discussion regarding pond weeds and a demonstration on hog trap design.
Meals and break refreshments are covered by the registration fee, along with a resource CD containing more than 100 publications covering ranch resource management.
For additional information, contact Redmon at 979-845-4826 or l-redmon@tamu.edu.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.