A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
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Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund Board Votes
to Reinstate Assessment Beginning on July 1
Source: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
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The following information was provided by IDALS:
The board that oversees the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund (Grain Indemnity Fund) voted today, as required by Iowa law, to reinstate fees on grain sold to or deposited at Iowa-licensed grain dealers and warehouses. The Grain Indemnity Board and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship are following the process and fee schedule as required in Iowa Code 203D.
Created by the Iowa Legislature in 1986 during the Farm Crisis to provide financial protection to farmers, the Grain Indemnity Fund covers farmers with grain on deposit in Iowa-licensed warehouses and grain sold to state-licensed grain dealers. In the case of a failure of a state-licensed grain warehouse or grain dealer, the Fund will pay farmers 90 percent of a loss on grain up to a maximum of $300,000 per claimant. Over the history of the Grain Indemnity Fund, more than $16 million in claims have been paid to more than 1,500 grain producers. The Fund has generated approximately $9 million in assessed fees, which were last collected in 1989. Interest income, combined with the Fund’s ability to recover losses from defunct grain dealers and warehouses, has provided additional revenue.
Due to claims made to the Grain Indemnity Fund following the failures of Pipeline Foods, LLC of Fridley, MN, Global Processing, Inc. of Kanawha and B&B Farm Store of Jesup within the last two years, the balance of the Fund has fallen below $3 million. The balance of the Grain Indemnity Fund after all approved claims have been paid is expected to be approximately $377,000. Current law requires that if the Fund falls below $3 million, the Grain Indemnity Fund Board must reinstate participation fees for grain dealers and warehouses as well as a ¼ cent per bushel assessment that can be passed on to producers beginning on July 1. The assessment must remain in effect for at least one full year. Current law also requires these fees – which only apply to cash sales and not grain sold on credit sale contracts – to remain active until the Fund reaches a balance of $8 million.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Grain Warehouse Bureau regulates and examines the financial solvency of grain dealers and grain warehouse operators to protect Iowa farmers. The Grain Warehouse Bureau is responsible for administering the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund. The Department has commenced assessment implementation steps with industry stakeholders and has begun education efforts with farmers and grain producers. Members of the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund are appointed by the Governor and are subject to confirmation by the Iowa Senate.
Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund Details
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AAI Joins Industry Coalition Letter Supporting Change of SBOC Rule | |
Over the past two years, there has been an increase in the presence of soybean seed coat discoloration, introducing some uncertainty to the marketing of the U.S. soybean crop.
Agricultural Marketing Service announced on Nov. 8, 2022, that Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) intended to publish a proposal to make changes to the U.S. Standards for Soybeans. USDA implemented the notice and comment rulemaking process, as required by the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA), to receive comments from the public regarding whether soybeans of other color (SBOC) should be considered an informational factor that does not impact soybean grade determinations.
On March 31, FGIS published a proposal to revise the U.S. Standards for Soybeans by removing SBOC as an official factor and revising the table of Grade Limits and Breakpoints for Soybeans to reflect this change.
The National Grain and Feed Association drafted comments supporting the change. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa has signed onto this letter of support for changing the SBOC rules along with many national and state organizations.
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Ag Retailers Invited to Operation SAFE June 6 | |
The Iowa Agricultural Aviation Association (IAAA) will hold their annual Operation SAFE event on June 6 at the Jefferson Municipal Airport in Jefferson, Iowa. Rain date is June 7.
Ag retailers are invited to attend to see firsthand how aerial applicators make sure their equipment is performing efficiently and accurately as well as interact with pilots and others in the industry.
Each year, IAAA holds an Operation SAFE clinic in June for aerial applicators (SAFE stands for Self-regulating Application & Flight Efficiency).
Operation SAFE consists of a comprehensive program of education and professional analysis of application. The backbone of Operation SAFE is the Professional Application Analysis Clinic (Fly-In). Participating at a Fly-In involves the standardized measurement of collected samples from test passes made by an aircraft. These measurements provide relative deposition and (for liquid applications) droplet size. NAAREF-recognized Operation SAFE Analysts, including USDA and University scientists, industry experts and operators are trained to interpret these measurements and provide the pilot or operator with recommendations for equipment adjustment (if needed) and projected in-field performance.
If you plan to attend, it is recommend to call ahead on the day of the event. Adverse weather conditions will postpone the fly-in to June 7. For more information, and for confirmation on the day of the event, contact IAAA Executive Director Quentin Childs at 515.229.1856 or qchilds@insmgmtgrp.com.
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Need To Renew Your Commercial Pesticide Certification? | |
If you need commercial applicator training, or are looking to renew your company pesticide license or commercial applicator certification, visit the Pesticide Bureau website for links to the self-service portal and other applicator related information:
https://iowaagriculture.gov/pesticide-bureau/applicator-licensing-certification
Need Dicamba Training?
Links to the online training sites from the various manufacturers, along with product label links, can be found on the Agribiz.org website:
https://www.agribiz.org/dicamba-training/
Completion of any of the online dicamba training modules fulfills the requirement for the year.
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May 4
Showcase Committee Meeting
1:00 PM | AAI Main Office Board Room
June 5
AAI Membership Committee Meeting
3:00 PM | AAI Main Office Board Room
June 21
AAI Animal Industry Committee Meeting
11:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
June 29
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | |
Deadline Extended to May 15 for 2023 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award Nominations | |
The deadline to nominate individuals or families for the 2023 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award has been extended to May 15, 2023.
Farmers and landowners who invest in conservation practices, such as cover crops, wetlands and edge-of-field practices and incorporate best management practices into their operations to improve and protect the state’s natural resources are eligible for the award. Successful nominees must also actively serve as leaders in the agriculture community.
An appointed committee representing conservation and agricultural groups will review the nominations and select the winners. The recipients will be recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon at a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
Seven hundred thirty-eight farm families have been recognized since the creation of the award in 2012. The nomination form and a list of previous awardees can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.
Nominations for the 2023 awards will now be accepted through Monday, May 15, 2023.
Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award Website
Nomination Form
Past Recipients
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Conservation Districts of Iowa Seeking Executive Director | |
Conservation Districts of Iowa is looking for a highly qualified, driven and passionate candidate to support elected statewide soil and water conservation commissioners and to spread our conservation message through public outreach and marketing. Position is located in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Executive Director is the key management leader of CDI and is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs, and strategic plan of the organization. Other key duties include fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors.
Full Job Description Online
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Participate in ISU’s Nitrogen Rate Trials
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The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is looking for farmers, crop advisors, ag retailers, and fertilizer applicators to conduct nitrogen rate trials utilizing variable rate technology. ISU researchers will use the data collected to provide the best nitrogen science in the world for the benefit of productivity, profitability, and environmental performance. Put your variable rate technology to use and be a part of this innovative project!
For more information, visit:
Iowa Nitrogen Initiative - Department of Agronomy (iastate.edu)
or email Ben Gleason at AAI, bgleason@agribiz.org
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The agricultural sector is always innovating with new practices and technology. Biologicals have become a popular segment of the ag industry and most U.S. row-crop farmers say they are aware of agriculture “biologicals.”
Those farmers who use biologicals rate them generally positive according to topline results of a benchmark study released by Stratovation Group.
Stratovation Group CEO Cam Camfield says that the Fertilizer Institute, the Agricultural Retailers Association and DCLRS, a bipartisan government relations firm, were strategic partners with Stratovation Group for the project.
More than a third of the farmers, those reporting they were currently active users of biologicals on their crops, rated them positively, giving them a score of 7.14 out of 10. Camfield says there are many reasons farmers are choosing biologicals.
[...] Read Full Story
Additional Reading: Stratovations Biologicals Study
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In the dry, red dust of Western Australia’s vast Pilbara region, something green is growing. In October 2022, construction began on a massive solar photovoltaic and battery installation, around 40 soccer fields in size, that will soon power a 10-megawatt electrolyzer—a machine that uses electricity to convert water into hydrogen. But that hydrogen isn’t going to fuel cars or trucks or buses: It’s going to grow crops.
The Yuri Project—a joint venture between global fertilizer giant Yara, utilities company Engie, and investment and trading company Mitsui & Co.—is producing green hydrogen that’s combined with nitrogen to create ammonia for fertilizer production.
Given the long-running conversation about hydrogen-fueled vehicles, fertilizer probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about green hydrogen. But in the past few years, the discussion around the fuel has shifted and broadened as more industries see this zero-carbon fuel’s potential to decarbonize carbon-intensive industrial processes and sectors.
The production of ammonia for fertilizer contributes around 0.8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the industry is a major consumer of hydrogen, which is produced from natural gas or coal and generates significant carbon emissions. Green hydrogen, on the other hand, uses electricity from renewable sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using a process called electrolysis, which means the process generates zero carbon emissions.
[...] Read Full Story
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the temporary blockage of its Black Sea ports have redirected the flow of grain from Ukraine.
One of the world's leading producers of wheat, corn and vegetable oils, Ukraine shipped much of its grain internationally prior to the war, with seven of the 10 most important destination markets for Ukrainian grain exports in 2021 located in Asia and North Africa (eight when including Turkey).
That changed drastically in 2022. Much of Ukraine's grain exports ended up in Europe last year, with Romania, Poland and Hungary seeing particularly large increases in inflows of grain from their embattled neighbor. Meanwhile, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Morocco and Tunisia all dropped out of the top 10, as the flow of Ukrainian exports via maritime trade was severely disrupted.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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Illinois may have set a record statewide average corn yield in 2022, but the nation's highest-yielding county can be found in Idaho.
Six of the nation's top 10 county corn yield averages come from Illinois, according to data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service Quick Stats database. Two of the top county averages come from Idaho, while two are found in western Colorado.
On the other end of the spectrum, the nation's worst county corn yield averages are found in the Southern Plains. Texas claims four spots, while Kansas and Oklahoma sport three apiece.
For context, we've included the number of planted corn acres. Some of the counties with the highest average yields also have small acreage like Mesa County, Colorado, which typically doesn't grow much corn. On the other hand, the more than 300,000 acres of corn grown in McLean County, Illinois, means it vastly outproduced the other counties on the list.
Among the states with the lowest yields, higher acreage matters, too. Rawlins County, Kansas, planted more than 100,000 acres of corn, but averaged only 34.1 bushels per acre, signifying major losses for producers.
[...] Read Full Story
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THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT
Follow host David Geiger on Twitter:
@geigerreports
Watch daily broadcast live:
KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids
WHO-TV Des Moines
KYOU-TV Ottumwa
Watch online any time:
https://agribiz.org/report
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