Vilsack Faces Senate Ag Committee – On Groundhog Day, Tom Vilsack ironically found himself back in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee for a confirmation hearing. Vilsack is returning to the job he held for eight years during the Obama Administration. The former Iowa governor kicked off the hearing by saying this is a fundamentally different time in agriculture. “I recognize the unprecedented challenge we face with COVID and while pursuing these ‘why not’ opportunities will not shirk the duties and responsibilities of the Department.” Regarding the use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds, Vilsack said he’d ask for the same flexibility that was given to Secretary Perdue. Climate change, food security and market transparency were also highlighted.

Conservation Should Be Less of a Burden and More of an Opportunity – That perspective was advocated by Robert Bonnie during a virtual forum hosted by AGree. Bonnie, who is the deputy chief of staff for returning Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, addressed the use of the CCC for climate change initiatives. “Carbon is a commodity right now and the CCC was built to help think about we stabilize that and think about how we can work with producers to market them.” Bonnie said any carbon program must be workable and have a low cost of entry. At the AGree forum, House Agriculture Committee Chief of Staff Anne Simmons said climate change will be the topic of the first hearing. The status of black farmers, crop insurance and food security will also be addressed by new House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott. AGree is a bipartisan initiative that focuses on conservation, risk management and other long-term policy issues.

EPA Nominee Talks WOTUS and Biofuels Policy in Confirmation Hearing – The Waters of the United States rule, the Renewable Fuel Standard and other regulations were part of EPA Administrator Nominee Michael Regan’s confirmation hearing. Regarding WOTUS, “I think courts will give us a ruling, but I also don’t want to lose an opportunity to take a look at what we’ve learned. As a state secretary, I’ve been on the receiving end of both rules. I’ve had conversations with farmers and we have a clear opportunity to look at how we protect our water quality without overburdening small farmers.” Regan also said the Renewable Fuel Standard is a top priority for the administration.

Three New Democrats Join Senate Ag Committee – This group includes New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock and New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan. Booker, who is a vegan, has the most extensive resume on agriculture issues. The bills introduced by Booker include proposals to end discrimination at USDA, implement a moratorium on agribusiness mergers and reform commodity checkoff programs. Warnock is an Atlanta pastor who won a high-profile runoff election against incumbent Kelly Loeffler. Lujan grew up in a small farming community and served in Congress before being elected to the U.S. Senate this past fall.

Newly Elected Senators to Join Ag Committee – The new Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee are Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

Ranking Members Named for House Ag Subcommittees – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member GT Thompson has announced subcommittee leadership for the Republicans. Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach is the ranking member on the commodity exchanges, energy and credit, research and development and broadband subcommittee. South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson is the minority lead for the livestock and foreign agriculture subcommittee.

Ag Policy, Trade and Climate Change a Focus at ASGA Annual Meet – American Sugarbeet Growers Association board member and Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Chair Pat Freese is looking forward to hearing the policy and trade discussions at the ASGA virtual annual meeting. “With the new administration coming in we want to get some thoughts as to what the policies could look like going forward.” said Freese. “This will help us improve circumstances for sugarbeet growers across the country.” Climate change is a priority in the Biden administration. “Agriculture will need to work with climate change policy, including energy use. There’s also carbon sequestration. With that, there are options for sugarbeet growers including cover crops. I think there are programs similar to that sugarbeet growers can use which fall under the climate change approach. It’s new to everyone and I think technology will be key.”

Peterson Does Not Expect the Dems to Retain the Majority – While not in office, former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson plans to stay involved in farm policy issues. In his address to the American Sugarbeet Growers Association virtual annual meeting. Peterson voiced concern about the current ag committee. “I think the Democrats are going to have a hard time finding enough people that are going to be willing to serve on the ag committee. I think they’re going to have to draft people to serve and these may be people that don’t have that big of an interest in being on the committee.” Peterson said the direction of the next farm bill will depend largely by who is in charge. “It depends if the Democrats retain the majority in 2023 or not. Reading tea leaves, given what some of these so-called Progressives are pushing, my guess is that Democrats will not be in charge in 2022.”

Beet Stock Snapshot – Last week was one of the busiest American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock trading weeks of the 2020-21 season. According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, 475 shares were brokered at an average price of $3,714.26 per share.

2020 Sugarbeet Crop Processing Going Well for American Crystal – Cummings, North Dakota farmer David Mueller said the processing of the 2020 sugarbeet crop is going well for American Crystal Sugar Company and will wrap up sooner than usual. “This is one of the warmest winters on record and we haven’t thrown many beets away. The management team is doing an excellent job of moving trucks around and finding spots warming up,” said Mueller. “There are a few months left for processing, but the end is in sight. We’ll be okay. They’re managing things well.” Mueller is also the chairman of the ACSC board.

Younggren Touts ASGA Successes – Despite the headwinds of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, American Sugarbeet Growers Association President Dan Younggren said the organization accomplished great things this past year. “We have a new five-year suspension agreement with Mexico; we defeated anti-sugar amendments in Congress and we have a new crop insurance option available to us.” With a new Administration and fresh faces on Capitol Hill, Younggren said the ASGA must step up.  “We must appreciate the growing threat our opponents represent; they will be emboldened against us.” Younggren farms at Hallock, Minnesota.

Optimism in Beet Industry – Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association President Neil Rockstad is seeing more smiles and excitement as farmers prepare for the 2021 growing season. “A year ago, we came off a terrible 2019 fall harvest and there was a lot of standing crops, a lot of wet fields that froze up unworked. It is night and day difference this year.”

Importance of Crop Insurance Stressed at ASGA Meeting – Jason Schatze, who is a member of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association executive committee, sees crop insurance as a priority policy issue. “If you can remember, 2019 was a disastrous year and we had a very average 2020. We’re moving into 2021 with soils may be dried out a bit and a good solid crop insurance program is needed.”

Sugarbeet Growers Consider Climate Risks to Agriculture – During the American Sugarbeet Growers Association’s annual meeting, attendees considered how climate risks impact agriculture’s future. “This is about understanding the evidence in front of us, the observations we have and putting the pieces together,” said Bill Hohenstein, director, USDA Office of Energy and Environmental Policy. “Several things are clear including concentrations of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide in particular, increasing in the atmosphere. That’s been happening since the early 1900s. This creates longer growing seasons and longer frost-free periods. Climate change is also looking at changes in precipitation patterns.” Hohenstein said the USDA is building capacity to provide improved access to climate information and tools to help farmers in decision making and welcomes input from farmers and ranchers.

South American Harvest Delays Attract U.S. Ag Buyers – South America’s crop is widely variable. Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says Brazil needs dry weather for harvest while Argentina needs rain. “It’s the tale of two cities where the central and southern parts of Brazil want it to stop raining to get a break. Producers there received one inch of rain each day for the last 20 days. You can imagine how soggy it is and it’s slowing down harvest. I think this brought China in as a buyer of U.S. ag products.” Martinson says traders will be watching the February supply and demand report closely. “USDA may have an increase in corn exports, but definitely in soybean crush and exports. We’ll see a tightening of stocks in soybeans.”

U.S. Soybean Shipments Keep Up, Outstanding Corn Shipments Remain – Strong export sales for corn and soybeans have been a story for the markets. In monitoring shipment follow-through, Zaner Ag Hedge Chief Market Strategist Ted Seifried thinks the soybeans are keeping up well. “We are selling soybeans and shipping them almost immediately,” said Seifried. Corn is a different story. “We have a lot of outstanding sales to ship. To hit the USDA’s target by the end of the year, we’ll have to really get on the horse and start shipping corn in a much bigger way,” explained Seifried. “We need to average a record between here and the end of the marketing year each week. Will we do that? That’s the question for corn.” Photo credit: United Soybean Board

Record U.S. Agricultural Export Sales in 2020 – In 2020, the U.S. had record agricultural export sales totaling more than $161 billion. That’s according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This tops a record set in 2018 of more than $159 billion. Globally, soybeans accounted for $25.7 billion in ag exports, corn exports accounted for $9.2 billion and wheat exports at $6.3 billion. For the phase one agreement with China, ag exports are at $28.7 billion, short of China’s commitment to buy $36.5 billion in ag products in the first year of the agreement.

A Reduction in Ending Stocks Expected in USDA Report – The February USDA report will be released tomorrow. The Gulke Group President Jerry Gulke says market analysts are looking for USDA to reduce ending stocks due to the strong demand. “When there are these big exports for soybeans, there’s already been an improvement in the soybean carryout. We don’t have to ship many more per week to meet the objective of USDA. It’s the same thing in corn. They lowered the exports last month and USDA may have to add them back on due to the exports to China. The market is anticipating more supporting news.” The report will be out at 11 a.m. central.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – The demand in the grain market has been incredible. The stock market is also at all-time highs. Find out What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets with Tommy Grisafi from Advance Trading.

Farm Futures Survey: Corn Acres to Increase Four Percent – According to a new Farm Futures survey, farmers plan to increase their corn and soybean acreage this year. Corn acres are forecast to increase more than four percent, totaling 94.7 million acres. The survey put soybean acreage at 84.5 million, up 1.4 million acres from last year. An inverted price situation for soybeans is seen as the reason for less growth in acreage. Farm Futures said the market needs soybeans now, but lower new crop prices will influence planting decisions. The survey found spring wheat farmers plan to increase acres three percent from one year ago, seeding 12.6 million acres.

Canola Stocks Fall in Canadian Stocks Reports – Statistics Canada released their Stocks of Principal Field Crops report Friday. As of December 31, 2020, all wheat stocks fell 1 million metric tonnes to 24.8 million tonnes. Barley stocks fell to 5.6 million metric tonnes, while durum and oat stocks increased. Canola stocks came in at 12.1 million metric tonnes, down 23.7 percent year-over-year to 3.8 million tonnes. The decline in on-farm stocks was attributable to low beginning stocks on farm and production for the 2020 crop year, combined with higher deliveries. Total stocks of corn for grain rose 3.3 percent year-over-year to 11.1 million tonnes. Despite a higher supply, soybean stocks fell nine percent to 3.7 million tonnes. View the report.

Russia to Implement a Permanent Grain Export Tax – Russia is developing a formula-based grain export tax to restrict food prices starting April 1. Russia’s economy minister described this system a ‘permanent price damper’ to soften the impact of a volatile global grain market. Russia has been trying to slow exports since December through a series of export taxes.

SD Farm Bureau Health Benefit Plan Moves Forward, Additional Bills Monitored – A bill allowing South Dakota Farm Bureau to provide a health benefit plan to members passed the Senate on Wednesday. Farm Bureau state lobbyist Michael Held says this plan isn’t considered insurance. “It would be a full wide range of benefits. It’s scheduled to be heard in the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday.” That’s not the only legislation being closely watched. Held says there are a number of property tax bills being watched in the Senate. Farm Bureau is also watching the discussions on the merger of the South Dakota Agriculture Department and Department of Natural Resources. “SDFB has been the lead agricultural group in getting legislative acceptance. We have not seen a resolution of disapproval written yet.”

MN House Ag Committee Reviews More Ag Budget Proposals – The Minnesota House Agriculture Committee continues to review the state agriculture department’s budget. Committee chairman Mike Sundin says lawmakers will dive deeper into the governor’s budget in the next few weeks. “There’s a February forecast coming up and I’m hoping for good news there so we can do more for rural Minnesota.” This week, the committee will continue reviewing programs and budget proposals. Sundin is also eager to discuss a broadband bill in committee. “House File 14 will provide $120 million for broadband grants in the next biennium. I’m really interested in that. We need better connectivity in rural Minnesota. This will be targeted for underserved areas.”

MFBF Update – The legislative budgeting process has begun in Minnesota. Find out more from Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Associate Director of Public Policy Josie Lonetti in the MFBF Update.

Farmers Supportive of Streamlined Drain Tile Permits – Testimony was heard in the North Dakota House Thursday morning on HB 1437 that would streamline the process of applying for drain tile permits. In supportive testimony, Carrington farmer Doug Zenk said this would help remove local politics. “This bill removes property rights disputes. All landowners downstream of the tile project must address damage claims through civil litigation,” Zenk stated. “I feel this will be a great benefit for local water boards and should remove local politics from the board’s decisions.” A representative from the North Dakota State Water Commission said the proposed changes would not cause delays in obtaining permits. A new application would just have to be developed. Others supporting the legislation included small grain, corn and soybean growers, along with private industry folks. There were no individuals or groups present that provided testimony in opposition of the bill. Watch the hearing video.

Soil Health Bill Debated in ND Legislature – Thursday morning, the North Dakota Senate held a hearing on SB 2342 bill that would create a new chapter in the North Dakota Century Code for soil health grants, assessments and education programs. Several groups, including North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and the Dakota Resource Council, provided testimony in support of the legislation. However, NDFB public policy liaison Emmery Mehlhoff said several definitions within the bill are vague. “We’re concerned that the definition for soil health is vague. Including words like enhance, increase and improve doesn’t provide districts with a qualitative definition.” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring also spoke out against the legislation, along with Kulm, North Dakota farm Bart Schott, who chairs the state Soil Conservation Committee. “I believe the existing programs and organizations are better equipped to promote soil health and the programs created in this bill.” View the hearing video.

ND House Ag Committee Moves Ag Innovation Fund Bill Forward – The North Dakota House Agriculture Committee heard a bill considering the ag innovation fund on Friday. North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne testified at the hearing. “We got a pass out of the committee in support. The bill will take 20 percent of the legacy fund earnings and dedicate it to value-added projects. It has a ways to go and must be heard in the Senate and appropriations. Hopefully, we can hold dollar levels. We’ve been focusing on beef processing and that’s one of the things we’ve identified as a key issue. Of course, there’s been challenges regarding the concentration of livestock.” Watne said it’s essential to get more processing for beef producers in North Dakota. “If this bill passes, hopefully we’ll have capital we can access to get a processing plant in the state.”

North Dakota Legislative Report – It was a busy week in the North Dakota legislature for agriculture, according to North Dakota Grain Growers Association Executive Director Dan Wogsland. Hear more in the North Dakota Legislative Report, made possible by the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, NDFB, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Wheat Commission and North Dakota Grain Growers Association.

North Dakota Ranchers Show Up and Speak Out on Beef Checkoff Bill – Cattle ranchers and industry stakeholders from across North Dakota filled Room 327C and the lined the hallways of the state capitol building Friday. That’s because the House Agriculture Committee took over 65 written statements and heard nearly three hours of in-person testimony from ranchers, agricultural groups and others in the state. House Bill 1487 would change one word with how state Beef Checkoff dollars are collected in North Dakota, turning the word ‘must’ to ‘may’ and therefore making it voluntary. Mandan rancher Dwight Keller spoke in favor of the bill. “Is the checkoff really working for us? No, it’s not,” said Keller. “The dollars are funneled through the Federation of State Beef Councils, an arm of NCBA, where we lose total control. We should be able to advertise our own product.” Jacy Hauge, an upcoming young rancher from Carson, opposed the legislation because it seems to be an issue between organizations of the industry. “This is a deeper issue and shows how divided we are as beef producers within our state”s industry,” stated Hauge. “I believe in the importance of the Beef Checkoff. Without it, who is going to pick up the slack of promoting our product to consumers?” Video of the full hearing is available here. Listen to the full story.

Both Sides of the Beef Bill Story – A bill introduced in the North Dakota House would makes changes to dollars allocated to the state Beef Checkoff Program. “I was initially asked to introduce the legislation by a lone constituent,” said Representative Sebastian Ertelt during a House Agriculture Committee hearing. “Little did I know there would be so much support for it.” After hearing from both supporters and opposers of the bill, the committee called on North Dakota Beef Commission Executive Director Nancy Jo Bateman to serve as an educational resource. A main concern from supporters of the legislation was difficulties in the state dollar refund process. “We need proof of the market (sold at), date of the sale and the number of head. Some markets do that differently,” explained Bateman. “If a receipt comes in with one person’s name on it, the only person we can make sure and be accountable for is that person on receipt.” Bateman concluded by saying the commission tries to make the refund process as simple as possible. Watch the hearing video.

NCBA Makes Improving the Cattle Business Climate a Top Priority – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will continue to improve the business climate for cattle producers in 2021. That, along with several other policy priorities, were established during the association’s Winter Business Meeting held virtually this past week. “There is no doubt the past year has been difficult for cattle producers. It’s crucial that we focus our attention on the legislative and regulatory areas that will give U.S. cattle producers the most added value,” said NCBA President Jerry Bohn. Other priorities for the coming year include ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts; price discovery and transparency in the cattle markets; truthful labeling of plant-based or cell-grown proteins; and removal of non-tariff trade barriers. View the 2021 NCBA Policy Priorities here.

Meatpacking Industry Recovers From COVID Losses – COVID took its toll on the meatpacking industry nearly one year ago. Minnesota Pork Producers Association/Minnesota Pork Board CEO David Preisler says the sector is now doing well. “Once they figured out what was needed from a personal protective equipment standpoint and the overall human side of this, the end result is very few outbreaks after the initial cases. Unfortunately, we were first, but the learning that came from that really served those businesses well.” The MPPA and MPB hosted virtual meetings on Thursday.

CRP Enrollment Period Extended – USDA has extended the CRP signup period. This upcoming Friday was the previous deadline. With the change, USDA will continue to accept offers as the administration considers ways to increase enrollment. With the announcement, USDA touted the benefits of CRP, including carbon sequestration and the prevention of soil erosion.

Changes Coming to Crop Insurance in 2021 – Crop insurance changes were highlighted during the Countryside Insurance Agency annual farmer meeting on Tuesday. A Quality Loss Option is now available and if selected, farmers can improve actual production history for years when they suffered a quality loss. “That’s a nice option,” said Kayla Pederson, agent, Countryside Insurance Agency. “The best example of that was in 2019 when we had falling numbers on wheat. Farmers can go back and get that higher yield put in the database.” Another change for 2021 is prevented plant. Farmers can now be paid for prevent plant based on a crop other than the crop planted on the acreage under certain conditions.

Doing More With Less – With the changing times in agriculture, it seems like farmers have less time to cover more acres. This is one point made by U of M Extension small grains specialist Jochum Wiersma.  “How do we manage that,” asks Wiersma.” Apply the economies of scale. Equipment is getting larger and faster. The challenge of that is that physics and logistics are going to create an upper boundary. According to Wiersma, another solution when it comes to economies of scope is diversification. “That means using the same equipment on other parts of the farm.” Wiersma was part of the Strategic Farming webinar. This 12-part series is designed to help farmers optimize crop management strategies for the upcoming growing season. Listen to the story.

NDSU Extension Hosts “Getting It Right” Dry Bean Workshop – NDSU Extension, with support from the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, hosted a “Getting It Right” virtual dry bean workshop. During the event, NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center cropping systems specialist Greg Endres discussed the pros and cons of dry bean production and marketing. “Certainly the profit potential is there with dry beans, and it fits nicely into a crop rotation,” said Endres. “Also, the planting window is later compared to the cool season crops farmers plant in the north.” However, there are a few factors farmers should consider before adding dry beans into their crop rotation. “Plant establishment is more challenging compared to soybeans. Weed and disease control also requires more attention.” Hear the full story and view a recording of the webinar.

January Ag Economy Barometer Shows Slight Decline – The January 2021 Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped seven points from the December survey to a reading of 167. Most of the decline was in the Index of Future Expectations. Survey results suggest the decline is driven by concerns about policies that could impact U.S. agriculture like environmental policies, higher taxes and the on-going trade dispute with China. On the flip side, producers are more optimistic in the short-term about their farm’s financial performance. One-third of survey respondents expect better financial performance this year than 2020 and farmers think now is a good time to make large investments in farming operations. Read more survey findings.

Line 3 Project Continues Despite Court Challenge – The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied a motion to stop construction of the Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa and the White Earth Band of Ojibwe filed the motion, saying this project would damage land that is protected by treaty agreements and violate religious rights. Construction for the Minnesota portion of the Enbridge project began in December.

Students at Work in the New LRCS Precision Ag Center – This past month, students began class in the new Lake Region State College Precision Agriculture Center at Devils Lake. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, LRSC President Doug Darling said this next generation is in tune with precision agriculture technology. “These are digital natives; they grew up using cell phones as babies almost so they can really help producers and folks in industry to use the technology as a tool.” LRSC students participated at Agronomy on Ice. Darling reported one of those students left the event with a new job in the ag industry.

A Positive Attitude for Farmers Heading into Spring – There is a positive attitude for farmers heading into spring. BASF Agronomic Solutions Advisor Sara Swenson, who is based at Hillsboro, gives a lot of credit to the fall field conditions. “A lot of growers in the region got their fertilizer down. They got everything off the field this past year, which was great considering the year before.” A large percentage of seed was booked early this year, but Swenson expects more seed business to happen. “With the uptick in the soybean markets, people may be switching acres from wheat to soybeans so I think we’ll still see soybean purchases going into spring.”

95th Little “I”: The Show Must Go On – Students part of the Saddle and Sirloin Club at North Dakota State University are gearing up for the 95^th Little International. While the past year was filled with so much uncertainty, Little “I” manager Kadey Holm, a senior from Forbes, North Dakota, remained hopeful that the show would go on. “Since Cass County is now in the green risk level, we can have an audience of 750 people. It is first come, first serve and they will need to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.” During the weekend of events, the student-run organization will also present the Agriculturist of the Year award. Little “I” Queen Samantha Pernsteiner, who hails from Ellendale, says this year’s honoree is North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Executive Vice President Julie Ellingson. “She truly represents what our theme is about – Pursuing Our Passion.” Students also compete in ham curing, prepare speeches and participate in the coveted livestock showmanship contest the weekend of February 13. More information is available on the Saddle and Sirloin Facebook page. Listen to the full interview.

Minnesota Beef Update – Are you up-to-date on your Beef Quality Assurance training? Learn more from Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt in the Beef Update.

Sunflower Survey Sent – Researchers at North Dakota State University are seeking information on blackbirds’ impacts on sunflowers. The farmer survey asks about planting practices, damage levels, management techniques and more. The responses will then help researchers understand economic losses and explore new management tools and methods to improve production. A paper version of the survey has been mailed, and an online version is also available.

Improving Planter Performance – During challenging times, farmers delayed updates for the planter. Premium Ag Services President Beau Jacobson, who is a Precision Planting dealer, says that is not the case this winter. “We have had the earliest planter season that we have had in many, many years. I would advise people if they haven’t thought about their planter yet, I would get on it earlier than normal.”  Jacobson credits the spike in commodity prices and optimism for the 2021 growing season for the demand for planter enhancements. Premium Ag Services is hosting its Ag Day Tuesday at 1 PM at its location near Hitterdal, Minnesota. Speakers include NDAWN Director Daryl Ritchison, Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi and Precision Planting regional manager Matt Grove.

A Positive Attitude for Farmers Heading into Spring – There is a positive attitude for farmers heading into spring. BASF Agronomic Solutions Advisor Sara Swenson, who is based at Hillsboro, gives a lot of credit to the fall field conditions. “A lot of growers in the region got their fertilizer down. They got everything off the field this past year, which was great considering the year before.” A large percentage of seed was booked early this year, but Swenson expects more seed business to happen. “With the uptick in the soybean markets, people may be switching acres from wheat to soybeans so I think we’ll still see soybean purchases going into spring.”

An Early Spring is an Advantage – With an open winter, the prospects of an early spring planting season have increased. “We always have a better crop when we get early planting done,” said SES VanderHave Regional Sales Manager Nick Revier. “The record crop was in 2012 when 90 percent of the crop was planted in April. However, the dry weather pattern and the amount of black fields is a worry. SES VanderHave will have a record number of plots to test new varieties this season. “We’re going to have some new things to offer for 2022. We’re looking at increasing the tolerance for root rot disease, especially fusariam and cercospora.”

A Lay-by Strategy Used to Control Resistant Weeds – After a beautiful fall and an open winter, growers are looking forward to planting season. Bayer Field Sales Rep David McGlynn says farmers are also prepared for crop fertility. “In the fall of 2020, guys had really good fall application where the past couple of springs there was a lot of pressure for the spring workload.” For sugarbeets, the Roundup PowerMax has been a standard. Due to resistance issues, McGlynn says lay-by products, like Warrant, will help late-emerging weeds. The lay-by strategy has become more commonplace. “It is all about resistance management to preserve the technology. The more modes of action, the less resistance there will be.”

New CR+Trait Available From Betaseed – During this COVID era, virtual meetings and contactless seed delivery has become the norm. It may be a different year, but Betaseed Brand Sales Leader Jason Evenson is seeing an optimistic attitude in farm country. “It looks like beet payments are at a level that is better than what we’ve seen in the recent past, commodity prices have come around and grower attitudes are just more optimistic.” Betaseed has launched a new disease tolerant trait called CR+. It is available for planting this spring for the Minn-Dak, Southern Minn and Michigan markets. That same trait will be sold in the American Crystal area in 2022. Longer-term, a new trait is being evaluated for release in the middle of this decade. “The trait will have tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba; it is another game-change for weed control in the sugarbeet industry.”

Trait Uses Novel Mode of Action – China’s approval of Bayer’s third-generation corn rootworm trait paves the way for the commercial introduction of its SmartStax PRO Technology. Bayer North American Corn Lead Denise Bouvrette says this trait uses a novel RNAi mode of action. “It works a little different from the Bt protein and it certainly is incredibly specific. It is exciting because it is a different type of technology that the pests have not seen before.” Bayer is expanding its commercial testing and doing on-farm trials this year. The trait is expected to be available to growers in 2022.

Bayer Settlement Announced – Bayer will provide $2 billion over the next four years to settle current and future legal claims over the use of Roundup herbicide. In June, Bayer reached a wider $9.6 billion settlement that would resolve most of the more than 100,000 U.S. lawsuits that were already filed. The allegations surrounding glyphosate and a type of cancer called non-Hodgkins lymphoma has kept Bayer’s legal team busy since it acquired Monsanto in 2018.

A New Owner for Verdesian Life Sciences – A New York-based private equity group is the new owner of Verdesian Life Sciences. AEA Investors focuses on leveraged buyouts of middle-market companies. Past investments include Traeger Pellet Grills and Burt’s Bees. The Verdesian brands include AVAIL Phosphorus Fertilizer Enhancer and NUTRISPHERE-N for nitrogen management. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Syngenta Will Build Research Center in China – Syngenta, which is owned by ChemChina, plans to build a $230 million research and development center in Nanjing. The facility will concentrate on biologicals and the company’s digital platform.

A Collaboration for Syngenta and Insilico – Syngenta Crop Protection is collaborating with Insilico Medicine to accelerate the invention and development of new, more effective crop protection solutions. With this effort, the two companies will use artificial intelligence and deep learning to create more sustainable products.

A Milestone for Syngenta’s Digital Offerings – The Syngenta Group has announced a milestone of 125 million acres of farmland being managed digitally. The digital services include advanced scouting, seed selection, imagery, financial planning and crop management. Syngenta is the only ag company to have digital platforms in the top four agricultural markets: the U.S., Brazil, China and Eastern Europe.

Canola Minute – In USDA’s annual Crop Production Summary, the average canola yield in North Dakota was increased for the 2020 harvest season. Find out more from Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman in the Canola Minute.

Price Cut for Impossible Burger – Impossible Foods, a maker of plant-based burgers, is cutting the price of fake meat patties by 20 percent at U.S. grocery stories. This move comes as the company plans to ramp up production. The suggested retail price drop for Impossible burger is to $5.49 in 17,000 stores.

TruCarbon’s Carbon Credit Program Has Its First Buyer – The Land O’Lakes subsidiary, Truterra, has launched a program called TruCarbon. This is the first and only farmer-owned carbon program in the U.S. It helps farmers generate and sell carbon credits to private sector buyers. Microsoft is the first secured buyer.

Corn Matters – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association took part in the “Let’s Kick Hunger” fundraiser. Find out more from Public Relations Manager Brent Renekke in the latest Corn Matters.

Celebrating 25 Years – During the Agronomy on Ice event, the Red River Farm Network was able to recognize KZZY 103.5 FM in Devils Lake for its 25 years as an affiliate. Thanks to KZZY General Manager Curt Teigen and the entire staff for being such an important part of the Red River Farm Network. The RRFN roster of radio stations recognize agriculture is the Number One industry in their communities.

Former Klobuchar Staffer Takes USDA Post – USDA has named Anne Knapke as its deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations. Most recently, Knapke was a senior program officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Knapke was a legislative director for Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Doud to Join Aimpoint Research – Gregg Doud, who was the chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office in the Trump Administration, will be the chief economist for Aimpoint Research. Doud previously served on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee, was president of the Commodity Markets Council and chief economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

From Capitol Hill to the Private Sector – Savannah Block is the new government relations associate with Novozymes. Most recently, Block was a legislative aide for North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and worked on agriculture issues. Judson Mork takes over that role in Hoeven’s office. Previously, Mork was a staff assistant.

McGillis Joins NDCGA Board – The North Dakota Corn Growers Association has added Corey McGillis of HUB International Insurance to its board of directors as an industry representative. McGillis said risk management will be a priority as a board member. NDCGA has also named Andrew Mauch of Mooreton as its secretary/treasurer. Mauch joins President Rob Hanson of Wimbledon and Vice President Clark Price on the board’s executive committee.

Newly Elected Senators to Join Ag Committee – The new Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee are Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

State Senator Recognized by SDSGA – The South Dakota Soybean Association has presented State Senator Mary Duvall with its Advocate of the Year Award. Duvall, who lives at Pierre, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. She previously served four terms in the House.

MN Pork Checkoff Board Elects Four New Members – Four individuals have been elected to the Minnesota Pork Board executive board. Chris Compart of Nicollet, Amber Portner of New Ulm, Abbie Redalen of Lanesboro and Brian Schwartz of Sleepy Eye will serve three-year terms.

Four Elected to MPPA Board – During the virtual annual meeting, Minnesota Pork Producers Association delegates elected four people to the board. Those members are John Anderson of Belgrade, Bill Drager of Mapleton, Todd Marotz of Sleepy Eye and Mike Mouw of Leota.

Spieker Transitions to Agweek – The Sugarbeet Grower magazine is now part of Agweek. The magazine’s editor, Mike Spieker, will continue in that role, along with serving as a staff writer for the Fargo-based publication.

Local Cattle Producers Join the New NCBA Officer Team – Jerry Bohn of Wichita, Kansas is the new president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Kimball, Minnesota cattle producer Don Schiefelbein is now president-elect, and Todd Wilkinson of De Smet, South Dakota is the new vice president. The new officer team was approved during the association’s Winter Business Meeting held virtually this past week.

Tuppers Honored at Black Hills Stock Show – Justin and Brooke Tupper, owners of St. Onge Livestock, are the 2021 Black Hills Stock Show Agribusiness of the Year.  =In addition to selling livestock, Justin also serves as vice president of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. The Tuppers were selected for this award because of their commitment to customer service and steadfast support of the agriculture industry.

Aberdeen Man Goes to Prison for Role in Grain Blending Scheme – A former employee of a Sioux Center, Iowa grain warehouse has been sentenced to three months in prison and must pay a $7,500 fine. Calvin Diehl of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was charged with conspiracy to defraud USDA. The individuals involved in this scheme allegedly layered soybeans on top of oats in storage bins and trucks to deceive inspectors and buyers about the quantity and quality of the grain. False statements and documentation were also made to federal grain inspectors and the company’s bank.