News Update
October 13, 2014
Farm Bureau on Latest Harvest Projections from USDA
The Agriculture Department’s much-anticipated October report on agricultural supply and demand for the 2014-2015 marketing year delivered few surprises Oct. 10, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) said.
With planting numbers rolled into the latest USDA report, projections are honing in on the final harvest numbers.
“We’re seeing corn and soybean yields round out to what we have anticipated for this year’s bumper crop,” AFBF Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson said. Corn yield expectations are up to 174.2 bushels (bu.) per acre and soybeans are at 47.1 bu. per acre. Both numbers are slightly higher than last month’s estimate but remain well within anticipated ranges. Estimates on harvested acres of corn, now at 83.1 million, are down several hundred thousand acres from last month. With harvest expectations totaling 14.475 billion bu. of corn, the industry is certain to see the record crop expected.
According to Anderson, the interesting numbers from this month’s report came from the world wheat projections, where ending stocks came in lower than expected.
“The good news here,” Anderson said, “is that global demand for grain is holding strong, making this latest report on a record harvest season as positive as it can be at this point.”
NFU President Addresses Role of Family Farming and Cooperatives in Food Security, Food Sovereignty
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson discussed the role of family farming and cooperatives in food security and food sovereignty as part of a panel discussion at the International Summit of Cooperatives in Quebec City, Canada, Oct. 9.
“Family farms and ranches worldwide are the cultural, social, economic and security cornerstones of every nation,” said Johnson. “Forty percent of the world’s households directly depend on family farming, and every person who eats also depends on family farmers.”
The International Summit of Cooperatives, held annually, brought together nearly 200 leading experts and more than 2,500 participants from 42 countries to share their knowledge on innovation in sustainability, development, employment, food security and the economics of cooperatives.
Johnson noted that despite agricultural production in the United States shifting to large farms, trends also indicate an increase in new, yet smaller, farms. “Americans want families to own and operate farms and ranches,” said Johnson. “Consumers want local foods, and demand is creating new opportunities.”
Johnson also noted that in the United States, farmers and ranchers have been successfully involved in cooperatives for nearly 100 years. Farmers Union’s own history is closely tied with the cooperative movement, having developed and supported thousands of cooperatives over the decades.
“Cooperatives and agriculture go hand-in-hand,” said Johnson. “Co-ops provide farmers and ranchers with lower-cost inputs, higher income through marketing and processing, financial resources, access to electrical utilities and communications technology, and connections to consumers.”
The five panelists also discussed the idea that family agriculture is the basis for sustainable production to move towards food security. Johnson pointed out the many benefits of food security in the United States.
“Food security has allowed the U.S. economy to expand into technology, manufacturing, entertainment and heavy industry,” said Johnson. “Consumers spend less than 10% of their income on food and it also allows the U.S. to have programs to help feed the poor.”
New Farm Bill Program Dates Announced
The USDA has formally announced dates associated with the new farm programs authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill. These dates are important for farmers and ranchers to know.
USDA-announced dates include:
- Sept. 29, 2014 to Feb. 27, 2015: landowners may visit their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres
- Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: farmers make a one-time election of either Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for the 2014 through 2018 crop years
- Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015: farmers sign contracts for the 2014 and 2015 crop years
- In October 2015, payments for the 2014 crop year will be made, if needed
Details about the new programs are available online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=arpl&topic=landing.
To help farmers and ranchers in the decision process between ARC or PLC, USDA has helped create online tools. You can enter information for your operation and see projections that show what ARC and/or PLC will mean under possible future scenarios.
These decision calculators are available at these links:
- Decision Aid site: https://usda.afpc.tamu.edu/.
- Ag Policy Analysis System site: http://fsa.usapas.com/.
Oklahoma Wheat Producers Should Check
for Fall Armyworms Now
The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is recommending state wheat producers examine their pastures for the presence of fall armyworms.
“Window paned” leaves can indicate the presence of fall armyworms.
“I checked a field of wheat this past weekend that exhibited significant damage from fall armyworms and found an average of six to seven fall armyworms per square foot,” said Tom Royer, OSU Cooperative Extension Integrated Pest Management coordinator.
Producers should scout for fall armyworms by examining plants in five or more locations in the field. The presence of “window paned” leaves — where the green tissue has been scraped off, leaving a clear membrane — or chewed leaves is a tipoff a fall armyworm problem may exist.
Fall armyworms are most active in the morning or late afternoon. Take care to count all sizes of larvae. Examine plants along the field margin, as well as in the interior because fall armyworms sometimes move in from road ditches and weedy areas.
“The caterpillars were widely distributed in the field I checked, suggesting they were the result of a large egg-lay from a recent adult moth flight,” Royer said. “The suggested treatment threshold is two to three larvae per linear foot of row in wheat with active feeding.”
For control suggestions, consult the newly updated OSU Extension Fact Sheet CR-7194, “Management of Insect and Mite Pests of Small Grains,” available online at http://osufacts.okstate.edu and through all OSU Cooperative Extension county offices, usually listed in telephone directories under “County Government.”
Oklahoma will not get relief from fall armyworms until the first killing frost of the year, since they do not overwinter in the state.
Montana State University Extension, USDA
to Host Farm Bill Meetings in 28 Communities
Montana State University (MSU) Extension, in partnership with USDA, will be visiting 28 Montana communities this fall to conduct a series of informational meetings about important new programs authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014.
The meetings will focus on the PLC and ARC that will be administered by USDA’s FSA and the supplemental-coverage option administered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) through federal crop-insurance providers. MSU Extension will explain the new online Farm Bill Decision Tool that will be available this fall to assist producers in understanding their options.
The schedule of meetings runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 12.
For more information, including a printable schedule, visit MSU Extension’s Farm Bill website at www.montana.edu/farmbill and Montana FSA’s website at www.fsa.usda.gov/mt. Visit RMA’s Farm Bill website at www.rma.usda.gov/news/currentissues/farmbill/.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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