A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Rail Labor Agreement In Jeopardy After Getting Mixed Results From Union Votes | |
The railroad labor agreement negotiated in September has been rejected by two of the twelve unions that would be covered by the contract. The contract has been ratified by six of the railroad unions and there are four remaining unions still in the process of voting.
The no votes from the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED) and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) create the possibility for a strike sometime in November. Both unions have agreed not to strike until November 19 at the earliest, which would create an opportunity for Congress to return from its current recess on November 14 and intervene.
An in-depth article about the progress and struggles of the current railroad contract can be found at the following link:
Second rail union rejects deal, raising strike threat anew
Letter From Industry
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa has signed on to a letter along with more than 320 other food, ag, and retail sector trade associations urging President Joe Biden to stay involved in the discussions and work to prevent a strike.
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Dear President Biden:
On behalf of the undersigned trade associations, we are writing to you today urging you to continue to work with the railroad unions and railroads to ensure that the tentative agreement that you helped broker is ratified by the parties. It is paramount that these contracts now be ratified, as a rail shutdown would have a significant impact on the U.S. economy and lead to further inflationary pressure.
We applaud your Administration for leading on this issue from the onset. With your help, from establishing the Presidential Emergency Board to involvement in the direct negotiations among the parties, the tentative agreement was reached on September 15. We have seen six of the twelve unions ratify the agreement to date.
Unfortunately, we have seen one union reject the agreement and there are concerns that others may follow. If that were to be the case, we could witness a strike that would shut down the entire freight rail system. Because the White House played such a central role in the process, we believe it can be helpful in continuing to move the process forward in a positive direction. Otherwise, Congress will be called upon to act.
We continue to urge that the contracts be ratified to provide stability and predictability to the system. Your involvement can only help make that happen and ensure there is no interruption to rail service.
We thank you for your attention to this matter.
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Members of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa will receive additional details and updates as this issue progresses.
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Thank You 2023 AAI Members | |
The following list of members have recently completed their membership investment for 2023.
Thank you for your membership!
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- Mosaic Crop Nutrition
- Davis Equipment/Turfwerks
- TriOak Foods
- Farmers Coop Society
- Farmers Feed & Grain Co - Riceville
- Washington Ag Supply Inc.
- Mitchell-Maskrey Inc/Maquoketa Feeds
- MarshMcLennan Agency
- Bunkers Feed & Supply Inc.
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- Continental NH3 Products Co.
- Dave's Feed Store Inc.
- Farmers Win Coop
- FJ Krob & Co
- Marcus Construction Co Inc
- Montana Sulphur & Chemical Co
- Steve's Farm Supply Inc.
- Ray-Man Inc.
- AgraLiners
- Central Life Sciences
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EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION OPEN | |
CAPTURE THE POSSIBILITIES. | |
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
Wednesday, October 19
- First Day of Absentee Voting
Monday, October 24
- Pre-registration Deadline
- Deadline to Request Absentee Ballot to be Mailed
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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Meetings and events attended by AAI:
CAST 50th Anniversary Reception
In Attendance: AAI CEO Bill Northey
ISU Animal Ag Think Tank
In Attendance: AAI CEO Bill Northey
Iowa State University Guest Speaker for Renewable Energy & Ag Policy Classes
In Attendance: AAI CEO Bill Northey
AAI On The Air
WHO 1040 AM: Clean Water Wednesday interview on WHO Radio
Listen to Podcast
AAI CEO Bill Northey
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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. | |
Using the latest advances in precision agriculture, the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is seeking the help of farmers, crop advisers, and variable rate applicators to deploy hundreds of on-farm, scientifically robust trials every year.
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 | |
A weed first discovered in Black Hawk County in 2016 has again been spotted in 2022, nearly 30 miles away in Grundy County. Due to its potential threat to row crops, the Iowa Department of Agriculture is asking Iowans to report any sightings to determine the potential scale of the infestation.
Asian copperleaf was detected in both fields during crop harvest. Thus, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is requesting that farmers and others in the agricultural industry keep an eye out for this plant as fields are harvested.
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: Progressive Farmer
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As Mississippi River levels continue to hinder grain shipping, at least some Cargill grain terminals on the river now have stopped taking corn and soybeans.
Cargills' facilities in Hickman, Kentucky, and Keithsburg, Illinois, both posted on their websites that they have stopped taking deliveries this week. Hickman's website noted, "We are full on corn and YSB (yellow soybeans). Will not be taking until river levels change. Hickman Harbor was closed due to low water. We are filling our remaining space. Customers can expect slower unload times and we apologize for any disruptions this causes our producers."
Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, sent a river update on Wednesday, stating that the conditions of the inland waterway system remain "very concerning."
"The metaphor I routinely use -- 'Attaching a garden hose to a fire hydrant' -- continues to be very applicable," Steenhoek stated. "Farmers are continuing to harvest an overall strong crop, but the inland waterway system -- especially the lower Mississippi River -- does not currently possess the normal capacity to accommodate it."
Steenhoek said the low river conditions are a challenge for the soybean industry given how the September through February period accounts for 80% of U.S. soybean exports. More than half of the soybeans produced in the country are exported as well.
Steenhoek added, "Barge transportation is essential for connecting U.S. soybean farmers with international customers."
[...] Read Full Story
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The latest U.S. Drought Monitor showed 82% of the U.S. is currently experiencing some form of dryness or drought, a 20% jump from the same period last year. Unfortunately, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) newly released U.S. Winter Outlook does not hold great news for this scenario.
This year, La Niña returns for the third consecutive winter, driving warmer-than-average temperatures for the Southwest and along the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard, the forecasters noted. Starting in December 2022 through February 2023, NOAA predicts drier-than-average conditions across the South with wetter-than-average conditions for areas of the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest.
While the chance of La Niña conditions is currently at 75% due to persisting below-average sea surface temperatures, the Climate Prediction Center did forecast a 54% chance that conditions will return to ENSO-neutral in February-April 2023.
NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), continue to monitor extreme, ongoing drought conditions that have persisted in the Western U.S. since late 2020, as well as parts of the central U.S. where historic low-water conditions are currently present.
“Drought conditions are now present across approximately 59% of the country, but parts of the Western U.S and southern Great Plains will continue to be the hardest hit this winter,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief, Operational Prediction Branch, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “With the La Niña climate pattern still in place, drought conditions may also expand to the Gulf Coast.”
[...] Read Full Story
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A 2020 decree by Mexico’s President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador is set to phase out genetically engineered corn and glyphosate by 2024 — just 14 short months away. U.S. farmers have been urging the American government to challenge the ban — saying that economic damage to both countries could be devastating.
Corn is a symbol of Mexico: “Sin maiz, no hay pais,” or “Without corn, there is no country,” as the saying goes. The birthplace of modern corn, Mexico imports about 17 million tons of U.S. corn per year. Yet, currently, the country only produces enough white corn to sustain tortilla production for 130 million Mexican citizens.
Last month, a coalition of food and agricultural industry stakeholders in both countries released a study detailing the impacts that the ban may hold for both countries. The study, conducted by World Perspectives Inc., reported that the sudden shift of non-genetically modified corn imports by Mexico would lead to significantly higher non-GM corn prices.
“The U.S. -Mexico trading partnership has contributed greatly to the food security and economic vitality of both countries,” said National Corn Growers Association President Chris Edgington. “That’s why we should do everything possible to ensure that the relationship continues in a fair and mutually beneficial way.”
Almost 70 percent of Mexican diets contain some amount of corn, and 10 percent of the Mexican population already lacks access to adequate food supplies. With the proposed policy ban, the study anticipates that level to double or triple in the poorest Mexican states along with impacting food security, livestock production, and inflation.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Visual Capitalist
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As U.S. inflation remains at multi-decade highs, the Federal Reserve has been aggressive with its interest rate hikes. In fact, rates have risen more than two percentage points in just six months.
The 2022 rate hike cycle is the fastest, reaching a 2.36 percentage point increase nearly twice as fast as the rate hike cycle of ‘88-‘89.
On the other hand, the most severe interest rate hikes occurred in the ‘04 – ‘06 cycle when the EFFR climbed by almost four percentage points. It took much longer to reach this level, however, with the hikes taking place over two years.
Why are 2022’s interest rate hikes so rapid? U.S. inflation far exceeds the Fed’s long-term target of 2%. In fact, when the hikes started in March 2022, inflation was the highest it’s ever been in the last six rate hike cycles.
In contrast, three of the rate hike cycles started with inflation at or below the 2% target. Inflation was just 0.30% in December 2015 when the Fed announced its first rate hike since the global financial crisis.
[...] Read Full Story
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THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT
Follow host David Geiger on Twitter:
@geigerreports
Watch daily broadcast live:
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Watch online any time:
https://agribiz.org/report
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