Cracking Chinese and Russian Markets High on USMEF's List for 2014 

The United States Meat Export Federation is holding its Strategic Planning Conference in Fort Worth this week. The conference affords those in the red meat industry an opportunity to get an international view on issues of timely importance.

Issues topping the conference's agenda this year include how trade policies affect market access for U.S. exports, the top growth markets for the coming year, the effect of global standards on U.S. production practices, and the trend of consumer preferences in export markets.

I was able to speak with USMEF's CEO Phil Seng about the importance of this conference.

"We derive a lot of our funding both from the government, but also from the industry-beef checkoff, pork checkoff, you take a look at corn, soybeans, they all checkoff and contribute significantly to the USMEF," Send said. "And this is the first attempt for us to sit down with the wider industry and discuss our strategies and what we see in the markets and lay this out before them so we collectively can work together to establish a plan going forward. As we know, these markets are constantly changing. There's access. Sometimes there's not access. And, so, looking at the current situation and trying to make a plan is really what this is all about."

Seng said that 2013 has been a very good year for the beef industry. It is up ten percent in the value of product exported this year even with the closure of the Russian market beginning last February.

"The highlight, I guess you would have to say for the whole year, would be the opening of the Japanese market where it opened more from 20 months to 30 months which made, instead of about 25 percent of our cattle eligible to about 95 percent of our cattle eligible for the Japanese market. And Japan has performed very well in that regard."

You can read more or listen to my full interview with Phel Seng by clicking here.  

FSA Urges Farmers and Ranchers to Vote in County Committee Elections 

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced that the 2013 FSA County Committee Elections began Nov. 4, with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 2, 2013.

"The role and input of our county committee members is more vital than ever at a time when our country faces important choices regarding the funding and operation of our government," said Garcia. "New county committee members provide input and make important decisions on the local administration of disaster and conservation programs. With better participation in recent years, we have also seen promising increases in the number of women and minority candidates, helping to better represent the richness of American agriculture."

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

Click here to read more. 

Researchers Trying to Find Best Soybean for Climate Change

USDA researchers are studying which soybean varieties react the best to a changing climate.

Soybeans are a $187 billion a year crop worldwide. With that in mind, U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers are studying how climate change might affect soybean production.

James Bunce, Research Plant Physiologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service says, "We're looking for variation among soybeans in how they respond to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration."

Bunce says he wants to find which soybean varieties farmers should grow to take advantage of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide.

You can read more about this research by clicking here.

NCBA's Masters of Beef Advocacy Program Proving its Value to Beef Industry

Daren Williams of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association spent last week at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, signing up FFA members for the Masters in Beef Advocacy program. Williams talked with me about the success of the MBA program, how he believes the beef industry has handled the Zilmax situation and how beef sustainability is in the eye of the beholder.

Williams said he had a lot of success signing up FFA members at the convention and that Oklahoma played a key role in getting him to attend this year's convention.

"Oklahoma has been a leader in getting the FFA involved in the Masters of Beef Advocacy program. They started a pilot program two years ago to get FFA chapters in Oklahoma to go through the program. That's actually what prompted us to be here this week. We see a lot of opportunity here to get FFA chapters involved. There have been a lot of advisors here who have been interested in having their classes go through the program."

Already, Williams said, the MBA program has more than 4,500 graduates. One of the things graduates are asked to do is to participate in periodic calls to action addressing issues of importance to the beef industry. 

Daren joins me for the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to listen in or to read more of this story. 

Leading Biofuel Groups Ask to Intervene in Latest Legal Challenge to Renewable Fuel Standard

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and Growth Energy filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to intervene in support of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) 2013 final rule, which is currently being challenged by Monroe Energy, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). The filing was made on Friday, Nov. 1.

RFA, BIO, and Growth Energy represent the broadest spectrum of biofuel producers, advanced biofuel technology developers, and energy crop developers, all of whom depend on stable implementation of the RFS. The groups are asking the Court's permission to intervene in this lawsuit on behalf of their member companies, who have a direct and substantial interest in this case that cannot be adequately represented by any other party. With this lawsuit, Monroe Energy, API and AFPM are seeking a reduction of the 2013 volume obligations for all renewable fuels. That would have a direct impact on the interests of the biofuel trade groups' member companies. "Moreover, a reduction in the volumetric requirement for any one type of renewable fuel under the RFS could affect the demand for other types of renewable fuels," the groups stated in the filing.

Click here to read more of this story. 

New PorkSquare is Virtual Town Square for Youth Interested in Pork Careers

At a conference literally packed with the agricultural industry's future leaders, the Pork Checkoff introduced PorkSquare - a website, driven by the innovation and real-time nature of social media, connecting young agriculture professionals with internships and training.

"For some time, the National Pork Board has bounced around the concept of a youth careers website - one focused specifically on the pork industry," said Bryn Jensson, producer outreach marketing manager for Pork Checkoff. "After hours of brainstorming, ideation and discussing the purpose and options, PorkSquare emerged as an ideal way to combine the best of all our ideas."

Moving beyond the concept of simply a job bank, PorkSquare is a virtual town square where internship and scholarship seekers and companies can connect.

For more information, please click here.   

ThisNThat--Big Iron, Leaf Rust and US Canola Fall Board Meeting   

It's Wednesday--and each Wednesday morning beginning at 10 o'clock the latest BigIron.com auction comes to a close.  This week's auction features 268 agricultural, construction and transportation items.  Click here to check out the full lineup of items available to the highest bidder today on Big Iron.

And remember- our friend Mike Wolfe, District Sales Manager for Big Iron, is just a phone call away when it comes to helping you learn more about either buying or selling on Big Iron- his number is 580-320-2718.

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OSU plant disease guru Dr. Bob Hunger is on the case when it comes to checking for early disease problems in the newly planted 2014 winter wheat crop- he writes us in an email yesterday "Fall of 2013 has been quiet for wheat diseases with no wheat samples coming into the Diagnostic Lab. Otherwise, the only report of a wheat disease in the state has been a report I received from Brian Vincent who indicated that Keith Castner (BASF) had observed leaf rust in late October on early planted 'Duster' near El Reno, OK. This finding is not surprising as leaf rust often is observed in Oklahoma in the fall."

Click here to read more of Dr. Hunger's posting.

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Dr. Ron Sholar of the Great Plains Canola Association and his Board have arranged for the US Canola Fall Board of Directors meeting to be in Oklahoma City next Monday through Wednesday- headquarters will be the Colcord Hotel in downtown OKC.

Dr. Sholar says that this national group coming to Oklahoma is another acknowledgement that the winter canola industry is reaching that level of critical mass where it's here to stay- and that it's likely to continue to see increased acres in the next few years as wheat farmers look to this fall planted- June harvested crop as the ideal rotational crop with their hard red winter wheat. 

We plan on having coverage from that meeting early next week for you.