Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, announced Thursday that government and agricultural leaders from the U.S. and China will hold the first ever U.S.-China Agricultural Symposium on Feb. 16 in Des Moines. Vilsack has been to China twice as agriculture secretary, which includes a trade mission last November.
Devotees of GRIP (Group Revenue Income Protection) insurance may be in the minority, but their beloved policy may be meeting a quiet death this crop insurance season--deliberately priced and nit-picked to the grave.
There's a notable list of crop weather concerns that are either playing out now or are forecast to be significant features ahead of the spring season--including La Nina.
The announcement Wednesday that ethanol stocks continue to ratchet higher did not contribute to the expected reaction in the ethanol futures market. Ethanol prices continue to rise even as inventories grow.
The news from Japan usually has a predictable quality about it. So American agriculture, which exports a lot to Japan, should take note when the country produces a genuine news flash, as it did recently.
2/9 2:02PM Despite a mostly neutral report (USDA numbers near pre-report estimates), grain contracts struggled Thursday. All three grains retreated under the weight of technical selling.
Weather
Scattered Rain, Snow Seen Friday2/9 1:31PM Friday will feature light to locally moderate rain showers moving from the southeast Plains across the Delta. Light snow or snow showers are expected through the southern and eastern Midwest Friday. Dry elsewhere in the key U.S. crop areas.
Crops
Gray leafspot has spread across much of the Midwest. Agronomists tell farmers that it has become a permanent guest. (Progressive Farmer image by E.L. Stromberg, American Phytopathological Society)
Disease Spreads Deep Into MidwestGoss's wilt and frogeye leafspot raise radar for yield-killing pathogens.1/3 12:25PM Count the Midwest a permanent home to leaf diseases like Goss's wilt, gray leafspot and northern corn leaf blight. They thrive because pathogens that cause these diseases survive in crop residue, while some pathogens enter healthy plants injured by strong storms, wind and hail.
Thu Jan 12, 2012 09:34 AM CST Any shortage of seed corn seems to be sporadic, and if one dealer doesn't have the preferred variety, the dealer down the road might.
Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:33 AM CST Some producers will need to tweak planters and drills to allow for smaller soybean sizes and higher planting rates due to lower germination percentages. It's a year to ask questions and read seed germination tags carefully.
Livestock
At Texas' Matador Ranch all employees are trained in the right way to work cattle and handle medications. (DTN/Progressive Farmer image by Janie Campbell)
BQA MastersTeamWork Takes BQA To The Next Level2/6 10:47AM The historic Matador Cattle Company is no "Johnny come lately" to the Beef Quality Assurance program. Truth be told, the company's three ranches began implementing quality-assurance principles more than two decades ago.
Mon Feb 6, 2012 10:50 AM CST If high fertilizer prices and hay costs are getting you down, it might be time to take a fresh look at rotational grazing. Rethink everything you thought you knew and try something completely different. That's what Greg Wade did.
Tue Jan 24, 2012 02:34 PM CST Tony Schroeder, of Plymouth County, Iowa, saw that with the way manure was applied to his fields -- disk blades throwing a low mound of dirt over manure applied by a honey wagon -- a lot of stubble was being covered.
Wed Feb 8, 2012 02:05 PM CST Who is legally required to pay for repairs and upkeep?
Farm Business
Crop Share leases can leave farmers feeling bent out of shape. (Photo courtesy bitshaker CC BY SA 2.0)
MBAg by Adam ErwinBent Out of Shape by Flex Leases2/6 12:25PM Crop Share Leases fell out of favor for good reason and their derivative -- the Flex Lease -- should, too, Midwest farmer Adam Erwin says. He makes his case against Flex Leases in the first of a two-part critique.
LightSquared's proposed cell/satellite network would provide broadband access to rural areas, but critics say signals from the network's cell towers would also scramble vital GPS guidance signals for farm equipment, airplanes and other vehicles. (DTN/The Progressive Farmer file photo by Jim Patrico)
Telecom Officials Challenge GrassleyLightSquared Investor, Fine Point Technologies CEO Deny Improper Contacts With Senator2/2 3:33PM Following allegations made by Sen. Charles Grassley that a LightSquared investor and the chief executive officer of another telecommunications company have tried to influence the senator to drop an inquiry into LightSquared, the company officials are firing back.
Tue Jan 24, 2012 03:01 PM CST Kawasaki recently announced an addition to its all-terrain vehicle (ATV) family: the Brute Force 300, the smallest member of its ATV lineup.
Tue Jan 17, 2012 03:23 PM CST DTN's Russ Quinn reminisces about decorating his family's farm for Christmas.
Ag Policy
The problem farm groups face in proposing new agriculture policies is the same one facing lawmakers: They don't know exactly how much money has to be cut from the farm bill. (DTN file photo)
Farm Groups Seek ConsensusMore Talks Needed to Find Common Ground on Farm Programs2/2 5:05PM Farm organizations issued a statement after two days of talks reflecting that there is a lot of work to do to reach a consensus on what direction to take commodity programs in the next farm bill.
Wed Feb 8, 2012 03:46 PM CST Dudley Butler wanted to make it clear he wasn't run out of office as head of GIPSA, but he was angry over the personal attacks in the fight over the failed provisions in the livestock marketing rule.
Wed Feb 8, 2012 06:38 AM CST Legislation would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to examine work already completed on pipeline in making a decision.
Mon Feb 6, 2012 06:50 AM CST Eminent domain, which gives a public entity the right to acquire private property for public purposes, such as highways, utility lines and recreation areas, has long been a bone of contention for agricultural landowners.
Farm Life
Major agribusiness players have the resources to support national youth organizations like 4-H and FFA. (Progressive Farmer image by Mike Stutler)
Agribusinesses Give BackAgribusinesses Are Major Donors to National/Local Youth Ag Orgs.2/6 12:16PM You plant their seeds, spread their fertilizers and buy their equipment; there's no doubt about it, global agribusiness companies reap handsome profits from sales of advanced technological products to farmers and ranchers. But many of them also give a lot back to the communities they serve.
Mon Feb 6, 2012 12:08 PM CST Communication is absolutely crucial for a long-term business relationship between landowner and tenant as the number of farm leases continues to grow.
Mon Feb 6, 2012 12:23 PM CST The key to good chain sawing -- and, therefore the downfall for many chainsawers -- is a sharp chain. Many landowners operate chainsaws. But few part timers will claim to be expert chain sharpeners.
Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:47 AM CST Avoiding some common pitfalls can help the transition and leave the next generation a lasting legacy.
Featured Column
USDA on Thursday trimmed world soybean ending stocks to 60.28 million metric tons from its January estimate of 63.43 mmt. (DTN/The Progressive Farmer file photo by Jim Patrico)
Sanow's Market SenseBeans in the Teens2/9 11:06AM While domestic soybean stocks were left unchanged, the global side of the ledger continued to grow more worrisome.
Chris Chinn is an advocate for family farms. When she speaks to public groups, she uses large photos of her young family as props. (Progressive Farmer image by Jim Patrico)
= Subcriber Content:
Twisted Logic in Flex Leases
