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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says negotiations on the next Farm Bill have “taken a turn” in the wrong direction. Ernst is the only Iowan on the committee of House and Senate members assigned to come up with a new five-year Farm Bill by the end of the month. “I don’t think we’re close and, unfortunately, it’s just taken a turn over the last week or so,” Ernst said during an interview with Radio Iowa. “I was very optimistic. I’m going to remain optimistic, but it’s starting to wane right now. We could be looking at a one-year extension.”
That means the current Farm Bill provisions would be extended through 2019, giving congress 12 more months to negotiate. “Which I don’t want to see,” Ernst said. “I want to see the Farm Bill done.” The main sticking point is whether to enforce new work requirements for Americans who receive government nutrition assistance — commonly referred to as “food stamps.”
The proposal was included in the version of the Farm Bill that cleared the U.S. House, but not the one that passed the Senate. Ernst says conference committee members have worked through other points of friction. If the debate over work requirements for nutrition assistance continues into 2019, it could occur in a reorganized committee with new members and, perhaps, under Democratic rather than Republican control.
“Let’s get it done now,” Ernst said. “That’s what I keep pushing the chairman to do.”
Ernst spoke with Radio Iowa in the U.S. Capitol, near the Senate floor.
(Radio Iowa) — A newly formed company is planning to do business in a northwest Iowa Tyson Foods plant that was shut down in 2014. Bill Anderson, executive director for Cherokee Area Economic Development, says the Iowa Food Group has acquired the facility. The announcement falls on homecoming week for Cherokee Schools.
“Four years ago, during homecoming week, Tyson closed their doors for the last time. Now, here we sit four years later, during homecoming week, and the plant will be reopening,” Anderson said. Iowa Food Group plans to start operations in January with 100 workers.
“They will purchase boxed beef and cut that beef into steaks, fajita meat, and things like that. They’ll repackage it and resell it to (grocery stores) and restaurants,” Anderson said. “So, it’s value-added agriculture, I guess you would say. It may be processed by somebody else, as far as being harvested, then they will take it and further process it.”
Iowa Food Group owners hope to eventually employ up to 500 people at the plant. Around 450 people lost their jobs in 2014 when Tyson closed the Cherokee plant in 2014. According to Anderson, more positive economic news is on the way. A local business will break ground on a $2 million expansion project on September 28.
“Foundation Analytical Laboratory, which is here now, will be breaking ground on a new facility. So, it’s another tremendous announcement. We’ve had a great couple of weeks,” Anderson said. Cherokee has a population of roughly 6,000.
(Radio Iowa) – Officials with Green Plains Renewable Energy are rejecting a Reuters report this week claiming the company is shutting down a pair of Iowa ethanol plants in Kossuth and Dickinson counties. Jim Stark is Vice President of Media Relations for Green Plains. “We are not closing any ethanol plants,” Stark says. The Reuters report on Monday cited unidentified sources that two plants, in Lakota and Superior, would be closed due to low ethanol demand. Stark says production in Superior is on hold, but the plant’s 46 workers are still there.
“We flex our production capacity up and down depending on market conditions and right now market conditions are not favorable,” Stark says. The Lakota plant is still producing ethanol, according to Stark. Green Plains CEO Todd Becker says ethanol futures prices have dropped to a 13-year low. Becker places part of the blame on RFS waivers granted to oil refineries – cutting ethanol demand.
“Without a doubt, there was demand destruction from the refinery waivers,” Becker said. Becker also cited the trade dispute with China and a lack of federal action on allowing year-round use of E15 for the decline in ethanol demand. Green Plains owns 17 ethanol plants with a production capacity of about 1.5 billion gallons. The Omaha-based company ranks among the top five ethanol producers in the United States.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has handed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds a victory in temporarily halting enforcement of a Barack Obama administration clean water rule in the state. The Waters of the United States rule is disliked by conservative groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau Federation which claim it’s classic government over-regulation. It was challenged in court in June 2015 by a dozen states seeking to halt its implementation.
The rule, supported by environmental groups, provides a definition for which rivers, lakes and other water bodies may be regulated by federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency. Iowa was not one of the original states in the lawsuit, but Reynolds had asked the court to allow the state to join in. That would mean Iowa also could halt enforcement of the clean water rule until the issue is fully litigated in the courts. On Tuesday Judge Daniel Hovland granted Reynolds’ request.
Statewide Park Volunteer Day is this Saturday, Sept. 22. Iowans can help out at more than 40 state parks with activities that may include litter pick-up, staining or painting buildings, planting trees, clearing trails and more. Locally, volunteers are needed at Lake Anita State Park from 7-until 9-a.m., Saturday.
You’ll meet at the Primitive campground and pick up branches and rocks around the campground, and trash along the shoreline. Plan to stay aftward for a Dutch Oven cooking and sampling session from 9:00 – noon in the primitive campground.
Bring water bottle. Trash bags and gloves provided. Stay afterward for a Dutch oven cooking session and breakfast! For more info., contact: Anne Riordan at 641-295-6028 or anne.riordan@dnr.iowa.gov.
Volunteers are also needed at Prairie Rose State Park, near Harlan, Springbrook Park near Guthrie Center, Viking Lake near Stanton, and Waubonsie Park in Hamburg. Details including meeting times, locations and activities for each participating state park can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/volunteer .
Clean-up efforts are partly in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the Iowa state park system, which takes place in 2020. The DNR is working with several organizations to create park improvements and plan activities for the centennial event. Volunteers for the Sept. 22 clean-up day are encouraged to share their activities on social media with #iowastateparks.
(Radio Iowa) — A warm and dry week of weather has helped Iowa’s corn and soybean crops. Between September 10th and 16th, there was no measurable rainfall at any of Iowa’s National Weather Service stations. Chad Hart, an associate professor of economics and grain markets specialist at Iowa State University, says farmers are thrilled with turnaround – after a very wet start to the month.
“One of the biggest things you worry about is – you like rain to grow that crop, but you like to see that rain sort of stop as we go to harvest that crop,” Hart says. “Because if you get rain now, you can have issues with molds and other things growing on the crop before you get it harvested.”
The new USDA crop report, issued Monday, shows 53-percent of Iowa’s corn is mature. That’s about a week ahead of the five-year average. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of the state’s corn crop is rated in good-to-excellent condition. Soybean fields are also maturing more than a week ahead of normal and three-quarters of those fields are in good-to-excellent condition. Last week, the USDA projected the NATION’s corn production for 2018 at just over 14.8 billion bushels. The forecast for soybeans is 4.7 billion bushels.
“These would be massive crops,” Hart said. “It would be the second-largest corn crop, with the top one in 2016. This would be the largest soybean crop this country has ever seen.” The crop production report released last Wednesday led to a drop in corn prices. Hart says record yields tend to keep commodity prices down.
“At the same time, we’ve got really good demand, it’s just that the supply…is swamping that demand. That’s been the situation for the past several years,” Hart said. The USDA project Iowa’s average corn yield at a record 206 bushels per acre — with an overall harvest of just over 2.6 billion bushels. Iowa’s soybeans are estimated to match the 2016 record of 60 bushels per acre. Iowa is project to harvest 590.4 million bushels of soybeans this year.
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged ag businesses, farmers, rural residents and other Iowans that use propane to consider taking steps to ensure adequate propane supplies this fall and winter. “It is important for users to be prepared. By working with your supplier to fill tanks now and book future fills, users can help avoid any unforeseen price spikes later this year,” Naig said. As of Sept. 7, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports propane stocks in the Midwest “PADD 2” region at 25.9 million barrels. That is up from 25.8 million barrels a year ago. EIA reports that U.S. propane stocks as of that same date at 74.6 million barrels compared to 82.2 million barrels a year ago. Lower supply levels are attributed primarily to export pressures.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s most recent weekly heating oil and propane price report showed the average price for propane in Iowa at $1.26 per gallon. Last year’s price at this time of year averaged $1.13 per gallon. Actions that farmers and other propane users can take now in order to prepare for this fall and winter include:
· Make sure propane supplies for grain drying, livestock facilities, homes and machine sheds are full going into the fall season.
· Take advantage of early buy/booking programs.
· Consider expanding on-site capacity at facilities and homes.
· Communicate early and regularly with propane suppliers.
According to the Sept. 10 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Iowa Crop Progress & Condition report, 87 percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage or beyond with 28 percent mature, one week ahead of the five year average. “The Iowa Propane Gas Association and the state propane suppliers do a great job keeping abreast of supply and demand issues for this vital agricultural energy resource. We communicate regularly with all of our partners, especially during the harvest season, to ensure we are aware of and responding to any issues,” Naig said.
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