Seven Governors Urge Administration to Reconsider Proposed Reductions to RFS 

A group of Midwestern governors, all members of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition, have sent letters to President Barack Obama expressing their support for the Renewable Fuel Standard. These letters come in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal which would scale back the volume of renewable fuels required under the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2014.

In a joint letter to the president, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard argue in defense of the ethanol standard. The letter stresses the importance of ethanol as it diversifies America's energy portfolio, gives consumers choices at the pump, supports economic development in rural communities and reduces harmful emissions across the nation.

Providing evidence of their claims, the governors point to an Iowa State University estimate that says "corn prices alone could drop 19 cents per bushel based on the proposed rule, which could bring corn prices below the cost of production for many farmers. The proposed EPA rule could also cause a ripple effect on agri-business, our communities, and the entire economy."

"Specifically, we hope that you will encourage the EPA to increase the biodiesel volume to reflect current production levels, modify the cellulosic target to match production expectations, and reinstate the statutory conventional renewable fuel target since there is clearly no domestic supply shortage."

In a separate letter to the president, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn directly requested that the EPA reconsider the proposed rule. Quinn stresses the economic and environmental importance of ethanol while pointing to the role the domestically-produced biofuel plays in providing jobs in rural America.

Click here to read more.  

Colin Woodall- NCBA Members to Set Policy for the Organization This February in Nashville 

On the latest Beef Buzz, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs, Colin Woodall talks about the upcoming Cattle Industry Convention and the grassroots policy making process. The policy that is discussed and voted upon by members at the February 2014 meeting in Nashville will provide Woodall and his Washington, DC based lobbying staff their marching orders for the coming year as they represent cattle producers in the halls of Congress and in dealings with the Obama Administration.

Click here to listen in and to find a link for more details about the upcoming Cattle Industry Convention planned for the first week of February in Nashville.
 

K-State Economist Projects 2014 Grain Prices will be Significantly Below Record Levels

The USDA released its monthly Crop Production and WASDE reports earlier this month and Kansas State University Extension Agricultural Economist Dan O'Brien has been crunching the numbers to see what they portend for grain prices in 2014.

The reports made no major changes in projected U.S. wheat market supply-and-demand balances for the wheat crop in the 2013/14 marketing year which ends May 31, 2014. O'Brien said competition from world wheat export competitors, however, will impact U.S. wheat exports, total use and ending stocks. These impacts will, in turn, influence prices. He said the countries which will are likely to have the most impact on wheat prices will be Canada, the Black Sea region countries, Australia, the European Union and Agrentina.  

In the latest reports, the USDA figure for projected U.S. wheat ending stocks stood at 575 million bushels for marketing year 2013/14. That was up 10 million bushels from the previous report, but it was down 29.7 percent from the MY 2012/13 average. The resultant prices for the 2013/14 crop are expected to be in the $6.65 to $7.15 range. That's down from the record high of $7.77 per bushel.

You can read more of this story and find a link to Dan O'Brien's full analysis by clicking here.  

Rabobank Beef Quarterly Q4: High Global Prices to Continue as Supply Remains Tight

The Rabobank Global Cattle Price Index has risen by 6 percent since June, driven by lower-than-expected beef supply in the main exporting countries and strong Asian demand, according to a new report from the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness (FAR) Research and Advisory group.

According to the report, supply will remain tight, especially in 1H 2014, driven by lower feed costs, induced herd rebuilding in the U.S. and the strong export demand from Brazil and Argentina, which will continue to support strong prices. In 2014, Rabobank forecasts continued high prices while global beef supply is expected to rise only slightly, meanwhile China's demand for imports are expected to increase. The recent announcements to (re-)open import markets will benefit beef trade going forward.

Rabobank analyst Albert Vernooij says, "the Rabobank Global Cattle Price Index improved further in H2 2013, supported by both continuing strong Chinese import growth and lower-than-expected supply in the main export markets making cattle prices mainly positive."   

Click here to read more of this report.

'Law of the Minimum' Prioritizes Management Actions

James Locke, soils and crops consultant with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, writes in their latest Ag News and Views newsletter:

Justus von Liebig's Law of the Minimum is an agronomic theory that states yield is proportional to the amount of the most limiting nutrient - whichever nutrient it may be. As a soils and crops consultant, it means I am going to tell you to collect and analyze soil samples so we can identify the limiting nutrients and recommend the appropriate fertilizers to correct those limitations. As Noble Foundation agricultural consultants have said many times, "unless you test, it's just a guess." But I want to encourage you to expand the Law of the Minimum to more than just soil fertility and include all facets of your operation.

Start by identifying the factors that have prevented you from fully reaching your goals. Once you list these limiting factors, rank them according to significance. Next, separate the items by those that you can control and those you cannot. Make plans to correct the most limiting factor that you can control first, then continue through the list of items you can reasonably accomplish. The list may be long, so concentrate on those you can expect to complete in one year.

Click here to read more from James Locke.

Premium U.S. Pork Promotion Makes Waves in Taiwan

The people of Taiwan love home-grown pork, but high-quality American pork is becoming the media darling in this meat-loving island nation of 23 million.

U.S. pork typically goes into processing in Taiwan, but a crowd of gourmet bloggers and reporters from newspapers, television and magazines showed that Taiwanese are hungry for news about premium consumer-ready U.S. pork by covering a U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) event produced with support from the Pork Checkoff.

Celebrity chef Chen of ShenYen Teppenyaki entertained the assembled reporters while serving samples of French-cut bone-in loin, Boston butt and spareribs combined with local ingredients in six delicious dishes. Interviews with the chef discussing the attributes of U.S. pork and his distinctive recipes were carried in the many media outlets attending including the China Post, Taiwan News, China Times, Commercial Times and SET-TV.

"Using high-quality ingredients is a delightful experience," said Chef Chen. "You know that they are special and different from other ingredients." 

You can read more of this article on our website by clicking here.
 

Hog and Pig Numbers Slide One Percent Nationally- Oklahoma Market Hog Numbers Slip by 17%

USDA's final big livestock report of 2013 showed all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2013 totalling 65.9 million head. This was down 1 percent from December 1, 2012, and down 2 percent from September 1, 2013.  

Breeding inventory, at 5.76 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down 1 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.2 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down 2 percent from last quarter.

Oklahoma's sow herd remained stable in the latest report- at 420,000 sows residing in the state- but market hog numbers dropped 17% from December first, 2012.  The overall hog count in the state dropped below two million head at 1.99 million head- which dropped the state by one notch in the states with the most hogs- in recent years- it has always been eighth- in this report, Ohio slipped ahead of Oklahoma on hog numbers- Ohio is now eighth and Oklahoma stands in ninth place by US states on hog population. 

Analysts continue to debate how much impact the outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) has had on number of market hogs in the US- but in the case of Oklahoma- that apparently is a significant factor.  By a couple of mesurements- Oklahoma is the number three state in the testing positive for the Virus- behind the two largest US hog producing states of Iowa and North Carolina.  

Independent Hog Industry Consultant Bob Brown who is from Edmond, Oklahoma tells us that for now-- while hog numbers are down- the industry is making up for some of the pork loss by adding pounds to hog carcasses- however, that solution will only go so far before tighter supplies will impact the market.

Click here to take a look at the full USDA Hog and Pigs Report as released last Friday afternoon- and Click here for the latest PEDV infection numbers on a state by state and weight group basis.