A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Hurshman Recognized for Service | |
Last week, Agribusiness Association of Iowa CEO Bill Northey made a visit to eastern Iowa to officially recognize Terry Hurshman, Eldon C. Stutsman Inc, for his service as a member of the board of directors. Hurshman's term as the Animal Sciences director ended in September.
As of October 1, the Animal Sciences director seat is held by Al Muhlenbruck, TriOak Foods. For a full listing of the Board of Directors, visit the AAI website:
https://www.agribiz.org/about-aai/board-of-directors/
Committees provide direct input to the board of directors on important industry topics and concerns. If you or someone in your company would be willing to contribute industry insight to a committee, contact us at aai@agribiz.org, call 515.262.8323, or use the committee request form.
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As the unions continue to vote on the railroad contract, the possibility of a strike continues to be a real possibility. Two of the twelve rail unions that would be covered by the contract have not accepted the terms. If the contract fails, a strike could take place as soon as November 19.
Letter to Congress
In addition to the letter sent recently to President Biden, a letter was sent to the House and Senate leadership urging swift action if a strike or lockout does occur. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa has signed onto this letter along with more than 90 other ag-related associations.
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Mississippi River Issues and Considerations When Dealing With Force Majeure | |
Shipping on the Mississippi river south of St. Louis is suffering from significant challenges. The following summary of the situation is a condensed version of an analysis provided by Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition.
The conditions of the inland waterway system continue to be very concerning. The situation with the amount of grain that needs to be moved during the prime shipping and export portion of the year in conjunction with the low water levels and largely stopped transport in some areas means it’s like hooking up a garden hose to a fire hydrant – plenty of supply but a very restricted flow.
A few details and stats to put things in perspective –
Where shipping is possible on the lower Mississippi, tugs are moving lighter and shorter loads. The reduced water flow is creating a combination of depth restrictions and load length restrictions that reduce single tug movements by 38% to 54%. (Currently about 1.05 million bushels of soybeans per load; typical loads are between 1.7 million bushels and 2.28 million bushels).
More stats and details here:
Mississippi River Shipping Issues
The following summary of Force Majeure clauses, their impact, and questions to ask about their use is provided by Doug Gross and Thomas Story at Brown Winick Law:
We saw it with the pandemic, and we will see it again. Any time the market takes a severe downturn (or upturn) for unexpected reasons, there will be winners and losers. For those sellers of grain holding contracts based on futures prices, their buyers may suddenly find themselves in an uneconomical deal if transportation difficulties drive grain prices up. On the flipside, those buyers of fertilizer may find themselves in the same situation due to the decreased northbound traffic on the Mississippi and the consequent increase in shipping prices. One or the other party will naturally look to their agreement (and their lawyer) and ask, “Can I get out?”
Read the rest of the text here:
Force Majeure Considerations
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EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION OPEN | |
YOUR POTENTIAL ISN'T LIMITED BY THE SKY. | |
Your business is about building the right relationships. That's why scores of agribusinesses take part in the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference every year.
Whether you make new contacts among the hundreds of attendees who visit the show annually, or spend scheduled time one-on-one with an invited client in a meeting room, Showcase is the place to make it happen.
Register now to claim your spot and harness the potential. The possibilities are endless.
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Election Information - Vote November 8 | |
The upcoming mid-term elections will take place on Tuesday, November 8.
Below are a few resources for getting registered, finding your voting location, and absentee voting.
REGISTER TO VOTE
If you are not currently registered to vote in the state of Iowa, the following link provides information and access to voter registration options:
https://voterready.iowa.gov/registertovote/
FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE
As part of redistricting, your polling place may have changed. Visit the following website to find your polling location:
https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx
IMPORTANT DATES
Saturday, November 5
- Auditors’ Offices Open for Absentee Voting
Monday, November 7
- Absentee Ballot In-Person Deadline
Tuesday, November 8
- General Election Day
- Absentee Ballots Receipt Deadline
HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
Visit https://voterready.iowa.gov/ to find detailed information and answers to voting and election questions.
Visit your county auditor site to find sample ballots and detailed election information specific to where you live:
https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/auditors/AuditorsList.html
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Iowa Economic Development Authority Seminar | |
Ag Webinar-Nov. 16: Fall Grain & Protein Insights
- Perspectives from Iowa State University ag economists Dr. Chad Hart and Dr. Lee Schulz
- Insights from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig
- Hosted by Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA)
With harvest wrapping up and livestock markets ever-changing, we look to Iowa State University Ag Economists Dr. Chad Hart and Dr. Lee Schulz to help sort out current grain and livestock outlooks. Both experts will provide insights into market dynamics, both nationally and on a global perspective, with relation to supply, demand and export opportunities. All of this kicked off by our Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Join us on Nov. 16 at 10 am Central Time for Global Crystal Ball – Fall Grain & Protein Insights.
Register at IEDA for the free webinar: click here.
On-Demand recording available following the program.
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Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Seeks Participants for Rate Trials | We encourage AAI members to identify farmers, crop advisors, and variable rate applicators willing to take part in this initiative. | |
Participating in the nitrogen trials is easy. Farmers commit to reserving a small portion of their farm field (four to seven acres) for a personalized variable rate nitrogen prescription. All other farming decisions, including the nitrogen application for the rest of the field, remain with the farmer. A well-calibrated yield monitor and variable rate nitrogen application are required.
Farmers, crop advisers, and variable rate applicators interested in participating should contact Melissa Miller, Project Director for the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, by emailing millerms@iastate.edu or calling 515-567-0607. Learn more at agron.iastate.edu/ini.
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Asian Copperleaf Found In Iowa - IDALS Urges Reports Of Sightings | |
Full details for identification can be found here:
https://iowaagriculture.gov/news/report-asian-copperleaf
Contact IDALS If Found
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa State University are interested in determining how widespread the weed is across the state. By determining how much area is infested with this weed, a better estimate of the risk it poses to Iowa crop production can be made.
If you detect the plant, please contact IDALS at 515-725-1470 or e-mail entomology@iowaagriculture.gov.
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | | |
Source: Agricultural Retailers Association
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A lengthy letter was sent by the US Environmental Protection Agency in response to a request by an environmental group to ban neonicotinoid pesticides. The letter states that the EPA will not ban neonics and that the EPA has done it's due diligence on the registration of these products. The following is a paragraph from the letter conclusion:
The Petition claims that EPA fails to fully assess the adverse effects of seed treatment pesticides generally and in particular those that have systemic properties, specifically those listed in Table 1 of the Petition. However, EPA explains in the above responses why its assessment of these pesticides is thorough and that such concerns can and are being addressed in the context of registration and registration review actions. Specifically, the human health and ecological risk assessments for each pesticide identified in the Petition consider all exposure scenarios and make appropriate estimates of exposures, and therefore fully assess human health and ecological risks. These assessments have been announced for public comment, including more recent public comment opportunities in the registration review process. Moreover, EPA has recently issued BEs and initiated formal consultation for these pesticides, to comply with ESA requirements, and has sought additional public comments on those assessments. Finally, EPA is planning to work with the registrants to identify appropriate mitigation to avoid adverse effects estimated by the BE. In addition to the thorough assessment, the Agency believes that the seed treatments provide
benefits including reducing the use of other pesticides that may have more harmful effects, preserving crop quality, and preventing pest damage.
Read the full 56 page response letter from the EPA at the link below
[...] Read Full Story
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Since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) began this spring, more than 7.5 million turkeys depopulated in an effort to mitigate the disease. That number continues to climb, with new cases being announced weekly.
According to a new research brief from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, these losses are just the latest blow to the national turkey flock, which was already shrinking due to a series of production challenges and industry contraction in recent years.
The combination of tight supplies and strong holiday demand will send retail turkey prices to record highs this year, the firm said. Seasonal cold storage inventories of whole birds are at their lowest level since 2006, and wholesale prices for frozen turkeys are currently running about 30% higher than last year.
“The good news is that we do not anticipate a shortage of turkeys for the holidays this year,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist with CoBank. “But they will definitely be more expensive and probably a bit smaller than what consumers are used to seeing in their grocers’ meat case.”
Over the last decade, the retail price for whole turkeys has historically hovered between $0.90 - $1.00/lb. ahead of Thanksgiving. In its Oct. 21 National Retail Report, USDA put the price of frozen turkeys at $1.58/lb. That’s up 47% compared to the same time last year and would drive the average price of a 20-lb. bird $10 higher to $31.50.
[...] Read Full Story
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Most of us involved in agriculture live in the middle of nowhere. To this day, I have never used DoorDash, Uber Eats, or any of those other kinds of delivery services. Heck, the nearest pizza place is 10 miles away and doesn’t even deliver to my house. But DoorDash and Tractor Supply are banking on there being lots of people close by who want farm and ranch supplies delivered directly to them. Consumers can now purchase Tractor Supply products directly on the DoorDash app.
The service is available from almost 2,000 of Tractor Supply’s 2,100+ stores. And for those who may balk at the delivery fees, all participating Tractor Supply stores will be available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program that offers members $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders that meet minimum subtotals from restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores nationwide. DashPass members can now get these benefits from Tractor Supply.
DoorDash data shows that the most ordered items from Tractor Supply on DoorDash are firewood, poultry feed, and animal bedding, and DoorDash consumers are most likely to order supplies from Tractor Supply earlier in the week. This data also indicates that consumers are using DoorDash to replenish supplies from a busy weekend and stock up on daily rural-life essentials.
[...] Read Full Story
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A U.S. Senator says Congress is ready to step in to avoid a railroad strike.
Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley tells Brownfield in late September there were enough votes to pass a bill that would keep freight moving if rail companies and labor unions could not come to terms voluntarily.
“And I think we’re in a position to do that again (and) it’s a ‘must be’ position to be in (because) we can’t let the railroads stop. It would affect not just agriculture, but it would enhance the price of food all over the country.”
He says lawmakers would need to act quickly once Congress returns to session following the midterm elections.
“Seems to me that either the President gets the unions to abide by it, or Congress has to take this action. And I would hope that Congress would take this action without any problem, in other words not take five days that it normally takes to pass a bill.”
[...] 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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