DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal agriculture officials say the virus that killed more than 8 million baby pigs in 2013 and 2014 likely came into the United States on reusable tote bags used in international trade. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also said Wednesday that the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus closely matched one found in China in 2012. The virus killed nearly 10 percent of the nation’s hog population, reducing pork supplies and causing record prices last year.

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SERGEANT BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – More than 3,600 workers are helping construct a $2 billion fertilizer plant being built near Sioux City, and hundreds more workers will be hired soon. The Sioux City Journal reports the workforce at the sprawling CF Industries plant is more than double what the company originally had planned.

Project director Nick DeRoos says the construction peak will be in late October or early November, when more than 4,000 workers will be employed. Work on the three-year project is about half complete and will likely continue into March. Inclement weather and other problems had slowed construction, prompting contractors to increase staffing to meet the targeted completion date.

When finished, the plant will triple the complex’s production of ammonia, which is used in nitrogen-based fertilizer.

Red Oak, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office will host an Aquatic, Forest, and Right-of-Way Continuing Instructional Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. The program can be seen at office locations across Iowa through the ISU Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) team.

The local attendance site for the Oct. 21 CIC is the Montgomery County Extension office. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before Oct. 14 and $45 after Oct. 14. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact Jodie Smith at the ISU Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office at 712-623-2592.

The course will provide continuing instruction credits for commercial and public pesticide applicators certified in categories 2 (Forest Pest Control), 5 (Aquatic Pest Control), 6 (Right-of-Way Pest Control), and 10 (Research and Demonstration). Topics to be covered are equipment calibration, safe application techniques, phytotoxicity, pesticide drift reduction, principles of limited area application, control of aquatic, right-of-way, and forest weeds, use of rotenone, and a forest health update.

Additional information and registration forms for this and other courses offered through the PSEP Program can be accessed at www.extension.iastate.edu/PSEP.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the nation has reached a new record for the number of hogs and pigs on farms. The national inventory on Sept. 1 was 68.4 million animals, up 4 percent from a year ago and the most since the USDA began keeping national quarterly records 27 years ago.

The industry has been rebuilding herds after a virus killed an estimated 9 million baby pigs last year. Higher inventories should help drive down prices for pork at the grocery store, after they reached record highs last year.

Iowa is the nation’s leading pork producer. The report released Friday says the state has 21.2 million hogs and pigs, up 2 percent from year ago and the second-highest inventory ever. The record was 21.3 million hogs last December.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed a proclamation to allow the transportation of overweight loads of soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover. The proclamation takes effect today, September 25, 2015, and expires after 60 days.

“I am pleased today to sign this proclamation to allow Iowa farmers to move their crop yields in an effective and efficient manner,” said Branstad. “Iowa’s farmers are a critical component of Iowa’s economy and this proclamation will ensure they’re able to transport their crop ahead of deteriorating weather conditions.”

“Governor Branstad and I continue to look for ways in which government can assist Iowans and today’s harvest weight proclamation is another way we’re able to ensure producers can get their yield out of the fields and to market,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

This proclamation is intended to allow vehicles transporting soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight, not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight, without a permit, but only for the duration of this proclamation. This action is intended to allow loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the interstate system, and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code §321.463(5) (b), by more than twelve and one-half percent (12.5%), do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to assure the public’s safety and facilitate the movement of the trucks involved.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Chinese officials agreed at a ceremony in Des Moines to buy 13.18 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans.

The officials signed 24 contracts Thursday that The Des Moines Register reports are valued at about $5.3 billion.

Ray Gaesser, an Iowa farmer and chairman of the American Soybean Association, says the amount China will import is roughly equal to all the soybeans grown in Iowa, expected to be the second-largest soybean producer this year behind Illinois.

China uses most of the soybeans it imports to feed livestock and poultry.

Don Roose, the president of U.S. Commodities, a commodities broker in West Des Moines, says the giant contract is good news for farmers, but he didn’t think it would change soybean prices.

Cass County: Corn $3.37, Beans $8.28
Adair County: Corn $3.34, Beans $8.31
Adams County: Corn $3.34, Beans $8.27
Audubon County: Corn $3.36, Beans $8.30
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.40, Beans $8.28
Guthrie County: Corn $3.38, Beans $8.32
Montgomery County: Corn $3.39, Beans $8.30
Shelby County: Corn $3.40, Beans $8.28

Oats $2.18 (always the same in all counties)

(Information from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency offices)

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DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.

“The warm and windy weather helped the crop continue to mature and widespread harvest will likely start in the next week or two,” Northey said. “We are in the midst of National Farm Safety and Health week, which runs from September 20 to 26, and is a great reminder to everyone working on the farm or traveling through rural areas to be careful and stay alert during the harvest season.”

CROP REPORT

A windy, warm, and mostly dry week aided crop maturity for the week ending September 20, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Fieldwork for the week included harvesting seed corn, chopping silage, cutting hay, and reports of scattered corn for grain and soybean harvest. Farmers were also preparing farm equipment for the upcoming harvest. Reports indicated seed corn harvest was wrapping up, and corn harvested for grain has had widely varying moisture content.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 86 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 6 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.

Ninety-five percent of the corn crop was in the dent stage or beyond, with 49 percent mature, 5 days ahead of last year, but 5 days behind the 5-year average. Corn condition rated 79 percent good to excellent. Eighty-three percent of soybeans were starting to turn color or beyond, while 48 percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 5 days ahead of 2014, and 2 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 76 percent good to excellent.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 89 percent complete, 1 week ahead of last year, but a week behind the average. Pasture condition rated 67 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as good.