WOTUS Override Vetoed – President Joe Biden delivered a veto. rejecting a congressional effort that would have overturned the Waters of the United States rule. In a statement, Biden said the attempt to block WOTUS would increase uncertainty and threaten agriculture’s economic growth. The House and Senate used the Congressional Review Act to invalidate the controversial EPA rule. WOTUS is also being reviewed in the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rounds Introduces Wetlands Bill – South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds has introduced a bill to change the way the Natural Resources Conservation Service handles wetlands compliance. Rounds says the bill would prohibit NRCS from entering into permanent easements with landowners, only allowing term agreements for conservation easements.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn was in Washington D.C. for their fly-in. Hear more from Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Richard Syverson in the latest Corn Matters.

Corn Growers Push for Year-Round E15 – Eighteen state corn grower groups and the National Corn Growers Association sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging him to continue open access to E-15 during the summer months. North Dakota Corn Growers Association President Andrew Mauch says the benefits go beyond cost savings. “We’ve had access the last four years and we just want it to continue through the 2023 summer driving season.” Mauch says it is an issue of choice. “With the high fuel prices and the uncertainty in Ukraine, we just want to provide consumer and retailers with another option at the pump.”

Modernizing the Next Farm Bill – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is taking its story to Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers. “We want to make sure that they know crop insurance is the number one priority for Minnesota farmers,” explained President Richard Syverson. Modernizing the ARC and PLC programs is important. “They should be looking for resources to make these program relevant to today’s input prices; the last time those prices were adjusted was in 2012.”

Farm Bill Listening Sessions Begin This Week – North Dakota farm groups are hosting farm bill listening sessions throughout the state over the next few weeks. American Soybean Association Vice President Josh Gackle, who farms at Kulm, North Dakota, says it is a critical time. “It’s just a good opportunity for farmers themselves to provide input on what’s been working well and what needs improvement on the next farm bill.” All North Dakota producers are invited to attend the meetings. Find more details at ndsoygrowers.com.

A Rugged Month – Weather concerns are impacting the hard wheat markets. “I’m still watching the southwest corner of the winter wheat belt,” said Jim Bower, president, Bower Trading. “I think half of the hard red winter wheat has some kind of stress on it.” Bower says a little bit of rain can help rectify the dry situation within hours, but this spring weather has been rough. “March has just been a rugged month from the tornadoes in Indiana to the blizzards in the Upper Midwest.

India Wheat Subsidies Challenged – The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office has joined Australia, Canada, Paraguay, Thailand and Ukraine in submitting a counter notification to the World Trade Organization on India’s wheat and rice subsidies. Similar to a filing made in 2018, the U.S. claims India is not adequately reporting its trade-distorting subsidies.

Intentions, Not Plans – USDA’s Planting Intentions Report was released in late March, but MinnStar Bank Farm Management Analyst Kent Thiesse says a lot can happen that will impact the action acreage mix. “The title of the report is ‘planting intentions’ so we all know that can change.” Thiesse also said USDA’s quartlerly grain stocks report provided more insight into market trends. “That really indicates what our supply is and depending on demand, what could happen here with prices.” Listen to the full interview with Thiesse here.

Spring Planting Optimism – Despite a deep snowpack and historically cold temps, Channel Seed Regional Sales Representative Mike Dufault does not expect planting plans to change. “I really believe that we’re probably going to stay the course, especially when you look back at last year and remember what a late planted crop can do.” Dufault is still getting a positive vibe from his growers. “It is just the beginning of April and a lot can happen between now and our planting season.”

Labor Issues Continue at West Coast Ports – The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have reopened after a 24-hour work stoppage late last week. The dockworkers have been working without a contract since last summer and were looking for leverage in the negotiations. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the largest in the country, especially for containerized shipments.

Russia’s Involvement in Black Sea Grain Deal in Jeopardy – Russia’s foreign minister is hinting his country may opt out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Last month, Russia agreed to a 60-day extension rather than the previous term of 120 days. The Russian official said Moscow will reconsider its involvement if the restrictions on its grain and fertilizer exports don’t end. The Russia foreign minister met with his Turkish counterpart Friday, saying the two countries my cooperate rather than agree to another extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

U.S. to Shore Up Support for Russian Sanctions – The Biden Administration will be in Europe later this month, meeting with countries still doing business with Russia. They will outline the penalties for failing to comply with international sanctions. The trade restrictions were imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tensions Escalate in Southeast Asia – China is stepping up its military drills near Taiwan with naval and aerial blockades. This military exercise began over the weekend after Taiwan’s president met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China considers Taiwan as its territory and the issue increases the tensions with the United States.

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn celebrates spring and the beginning of new life on the farm.

Argy Implements ‘Soy Dollars’ – To boost farm exports and pump more dollars into the economy, Argentina is creating a preferential exchange rate for the sale of soybeans. This same situation happened twice in the past year. The new rate is being applied immediately as an export incentive for soybeans and will be in place for the next three months.

Ag Trade Deficit Forecast – The current agricultural trade surplus may turn into a deficit later this year. “We’re not talking about breaking records each month like we were at this time last year,” said Bart Kenner, USDA economist. Kenner said export numbers have slipped in the past five months. USDA’s current trade forecast for the entire year calls for a trade deficit of 14.5 percent.

A Long Upswing in the Cattle Cycle – Momentary impacts were seen in the feeder cattle markets due to weather in the Northern Plains and the cancelation of some weekly sales. Bagley Livestock Exchange co-owner Billy Bushelle says “the general market has been very strong though.” It may take a long time to rebuild the cattle herd. Bushelle believes farming areas may be the slowest areas to rebuild. With high feed and input costs, more farmers may choose to focus on crops or simply backgrounding cattle. For those that stay in the business, Bushelle predicts “there’s going to be a lot longer profitable side to it than most cycles we’ve seen in the past.” The full interview with Billy Bushelle is available here.

A Sluggish Slaughter Pace – Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel is watching beef numbers decline. “The last four weeks, beef production has been down over six percent due to cattle slaughter being sluggish across the board.”  Peel says the cull cow market is lagging right now, but replacement females are still in demand. “We’re down over 14 percent on a year-over-year basis, but we’re seeing some strength in breeding cow prices.”

A Peek at Calving Season – Montpelier, North Dakota rancher Wade Dally was closely monitoring his herd during the recent blizzard. The snow was the immediate issue, but mud is the next problem. “We got about a foot of snow, give or take. We’re pretty flat so we have better luck when it’s cold and we can get them in the barns versus fighting with mud.” Dally, who owns and operates Dally Angus Ranch, says they were fortunate the storm came between calving groups. Their first calf hit the ground the first of February, so preparing for the blizzard mostly included bedding pairs.

Snow Stress During Calving – Clifford, North Dakota rancher Kevin Elliott is halfway through his calving season and started preparing for last week’s storm over a week in advance. Elliott received  12-to-15 inches of snow in the recent blizzard. Elliott, who’s an owner in Elliott Livestock, says the days following the storm are filled with cleaning up pens and bedding animals. “When we synchronize, we don’t have the facilities to calve everything at once so we’ve been pushing our calving date back. Last year was a complete muddy mess and honestly I think I prefer this year.”

Cold Rains in the Forecast – The Overby Ranch at Binford, North Dakota has about 20 percent of its calving complete. After digging out from last week’s snowstorm, Megan Overby says additional weather challenges are on the way. “We’re finally getting some melting weather, but they’re talking cold rain this weekend which for fresh baby calves is probably more detrimental than any blizzard ever would be; we’re just making preparations to get pens cleared, bedding down and finding places for those new calves to take shelter.” County and township roads are still dealing with incredible snow drifts. “I definitely applaud anybody who has had to work in a plow this winter because it hasn’t been an easy feat to keep up.” These gravel roads are soft and impassable in many areas.

MN Beef Update – In the latest Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council Director of Industry Relations Jon Dilworth talks about this year’s “Retail Beef Backer” award recipient.

Alarmingly Low Hay Stocks – SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist Jack Davis says hay stocks across the U.S are low, but the Midwest is sitting in an okay position. “As a nation, our December 1 stocks are the lowest they’ve been in history at 72 million tons.” The early snowfall and consistently colder temperatures meant livestock producers burned through hay supplies quicker than normal. Upper Midwest states like North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota had higher December hay stocks than in 2021, however southern states are drawing the national average down.

Fielding Questions – In this edition of Fielding Questions, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Insurance Specialist Megan Huether discusses the Livestock Risk Protection insurance policy. Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

An LIP Reminder – Inclement weather can cause newborn calves and other livestock to freeze or become smothered and trampled. These death losses can cause an emotional and financial burden for livestock producers, especially after last year’s harsh calving season. Minnesota Farm Service Agency Executive Officer Dan Mohoney reminds producers to document loss for compensation through the Livestock indemnity Program. “We need documentation of what livestock were lost and it doesn’t have to be complex. We also recommend producers take pictures of the lost livestock for visual proof.” Livestock producers must file a notice of loss within 30 days of when it took place.

Support for Federal Milk Order Reform – The National Milk Producers Federation board of directors has unanimously endorsed a plan to update federal milk marketing orders. This would be the first comprehensive update since 2000. The International Dairy Foods Association previously submitted its own proposal.

HPAI Risk on the Agenda This Afternoon – A meeting will take place in Willmar this afternoon to evaluate the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the implications for the new farm bill. The meeting will include Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, Farm Service Agency Director Whitney Place and officials from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. The farm bill discussion will be held at the Minnesota Poultry Testing Lab in Willmar.

Poultry Industry Outlook – It has been a good year for poultry prices, but a bad year for production. Rabo AgriFinance Senior Animal Protein Analyst Christine McCracken says it is an uncertain market at the moment. “In broilers, layers, and turkeys, we’ve had a horrible time with losing birds, but had record-high prices.” McCracken says Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is keeping the market on its toes, while producers are trying to be diligent about keeping outbreaks to a minimum. “We’re in the midst of heavy migration, but the industry has been doing a proactive job on getting ahead of biosecurity.”

MFU Minute – In this week’s Minnesota Farmers Union Minute, Minnesota Farmers Union Director of Government Relations Stu Lourey talks about budget bills in legislature.

Supporting Agriculture at the Minnesota Legislature – Minnesota Farm Bureau Director of Public Policy Pierce Bennett says soil health, energy funding, and meat processing support are all issues being addressed at legislature. “What all that looks like, is making sure that our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities can make a good living and run a successful business. That’s really what we’re all about at this legislative session.”

Animal Agriculture Bill Moves to Conference Committee – The plan to change North Dakota’s corporate farming law to provide more opportunities for animal agriculture is heading to a House-Senate conference committee. The bill includes language saying farmers and ranchers must control 75 percent of corporate ownership and 51 percent of a limited liability company.

An Agreement on Corn Checkoff Funds – State Representative Mike Beltz says the North Dakota Legislature may not need to act on proposed corn checkoff legislation. According to Beltz, there is a chance an agreement will be met between the North Dakota Corn Utliization Council and North Dakota Corn Growers Association. “It sounds hopeful that they can work it out; the best outcome for them to agree amongst themselves.” With this agreement, the NDCGA would receive a grant from the checkoff rather than making requests for individual projects. The original bill would have split checkoff funds 50-50 between the two organizations.

North Dakota Legislative Report – Conference committee deliberation is underway at the legislature. North Dakota Grain Growers Association Executive Director Dan Wogsland has an interest in HB 1020. Listen to this week’s North Dakota Legislative Report to hear more.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says the cattle market is continuing to contract highs. “Packers are short bought and that’s helping to drive that market.” Dry weather in the Southern Plains and the late spring in the Northern Plains are pulling wheat prices higher.

A Limited Commodity – Farmers National Company has released its biannual Regional Land Value Report which includes record sales and overall increases in land values across the nation. FNC Senior Vice President of Real Estate Operations Paul Schadegg says the build-up in land values started in 2021. “The momentum of the agland market in 2021 carried into 2022. The second quarter of 2022 still had double digit increases.” As interest rates and inflation drive up input costs, farmland values are pressured. “Commodity markets, the limited amount of land offered and inflation have the biggest impacts on the land market.”

MN Wheat Minute – Weather has been the headliner for the past few weeks. Tune in to Minnesota Wheat CEO Charlie Vogel in the latest MN Wheat Minute to hear about the latest Northern Crops Institute webinar, which features a weather outlook.

SDSU Recieves USDA CIG Grant – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a $40 million investment for 31 new projects through its Conservation Innovation Grants. South Dakota State University is one of the grant recipients, earning $1.2 million to overcome climate-smart adoption barriers. This project considers no-till, cover crops and smart fertilizer technologies on the frigid soils of South Dakota.

Food Costs Drop – Global food prices declined for the 12^th straight month in March. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization food-price index is at its lowest level since July of 2021. The price for cereal grains declined nearly six percent, helped by a large Australian wheat crop and the flow of grain out of the Black Sea region.

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest Bean Growers Association Research Committee Chairman Norman Krause joins us to talk about the Plant Protein Innovation Center’s 4th Annual Research Spotlight. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

UPL: Ask the Expert – In the latest UPL edition of ‘Ask the Expert, UPL Technical Services Lead Lynn Justesen says the disease threat in potatoes increases with a wet spring. “As we move on in the season and continue to get moisture, we’ll see the formation of white mold becoming an issue.” Treatment options include Topsin. Listen to the full interview.

Ready for a Strong Fertilizer Season – Farmers and ag retailers are finalizing crop nutrition plans for the upcoming growing season.  According to CHS President and CEO Jay Debertin, the industry is ready to go. “Supplies are strong; we’re full and ready to go. We just have to see how spring unfolds from here on out and that determines how much fertilizer can get on on and the pace.” Debertin believes “agriculture remains in a good window” and he is optimistic about the year ahead. Earlier this week, CHS announced second quarter net income of $292 million, up from $219 million in the same quarter last year. The full interview can be heard online.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – American Crystal Sugar Company is seeking an agriculturist in the Drayton district. This position requires a four-year degree in agronomy, ag economics or a related field with two to three years of related experience. Apply by sending a resume and cover letter to www.americancrystalcareers.com by Monday, April 10th. Find out more on the RRFN Job Opportunities in Agriculture website.

Linking Farmers for Land Access – Minnesota FarmLink began 15 years ago with a spreadsheet and an idea. The program is now a legislatively funded tool to connect farmers for employment and land availability. Minnesota Department of Agriculture Livestock Specialist Jim Ostlie says this program has grown since its inception and is available to anyone. “The web application is self-serviceable. The public can view all the listings without private contact information. You’re not getting any cold calls and you have the opportunity to review the information before someone contacts you.” Land access has become a challenge and this tool can help navigate the process of finding farm land, employees, or employment.

Beet Stock Values – There we no brokered American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock trades last week. According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, 3,679 shares have been brokered for an average price of $4,567.70 per share for the season.

Full Year Financials for Buhler Industries – Buhler Industries reports annual revenue of $179 million. That’s down nearly $58 million from last year. The ag equipment manufacturer suffered a net loss of $750,000. As supply chain issues ease, Buhler Industries expects sales to increase in 2023.

Intelinair Acquires Digital Ag Company – Intelinair has acquired Aker Technologies. With this deal, Intelinair will continue to expand in the agricultural market with additional drone-based agronomy tools. The two companies have been part of a multi-year distribution agreement since November.

Bayer Invests in Seed Corn Production Site in Ukraine – The facility includes a new seed dryer, storage facilities, field equipment and two bomb shelters to protect the Ukrainian workers. Bayer has been a strong supporter of the Ukrainian people for many years, increasing that commitment after the Russian invasion.

Learn About Specialty Milling and Blending at Latest NCI Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting another Cereal Innovators webinar on Wednesday at 9 AM. This webinar will feature Peter Matthaei. Matthaei is the CEO of  DakotaMB, and Tarrand Fiesel and vice president of sales and marketing at DakotaMB. The focus will be on specialty grain milling and blending. Highlights of the presentation will include managing the supply chain, processing capabilities and industry trends. This interactive webinar series focuses on new and unique ways to use cereal grains. Go online to learn more and to register for the webinar.

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman joins us to talk about the use of canola oil in the biofuels industry.

Rousseff Takes Over Leadership of New Development Bank – Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is the new president of the China-based New Development Bank. This lender supports economic development in the BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Rousseff led Brazil from 2011 until 2016 and helped found the New Development Bank.

Hawkins to Lead ADAMA – Effective May 1, Steve Hawkins will take over as president and chief executive officer for ADAMA. Hawkins is now ADAMA’s senior vice president for the Americas. Hawkins succeeds Ignacio Dominquez, who is retiring.

A Promotion for Eichlin – Kathy Eichlin is the new head of corporate communications for Syngenta North America. Eichlin has been with Syngenta for 15 years and has more than 30 years of corporate communications and public relations experience.

Black Gold Welcomes Webber as CFO – Heath Webber joined Black Gold Farms as chief financial officer. Webber has more than 30 years of finance experience and succeeds Bob Hoffert, who is retiring after 30 years of service with Black Gold Farms.

Dorn and McCullough Added to WDE Board – World Dairy Expo has welcomed Kami Dorn of the Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders’ Association and Annie McCullough of Farm Journal to its board.

Skaug Appointed to State Board – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has appointed Beltrami farmer Mike Skaug to the Agricultural Chemical Response Compensation Board. Skaug is a past president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and chairs the Ag Innovation Campus.

AURI Board Members Announced – Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Research Institute has three new board members. Bird Island farmer Joe Serbus will represent the Minnesota soybean checkoff on the AURI board. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam and House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang were also added to the AURI board.

Teacher Receives Ag Literacy Award – Haley Madson is the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Madson is a first-grade teacher at St. Anne’s School in Le Sueur.