Progress Made for Resumption of Black Sea Grain Exports – The resumption of grain exports out Ukrainian ports is becoming more of a possibility. Officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations met Wednesday to find a solution to global food shortages. Turkey’s defense minister said an agreement was reached regarding the safe movement of grain out of Black Sea ports. However, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is optimistic, but more technical work needs to be done. Another meeting is in the week ahead.

Brazil Turns to Russia for Fuel – According to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, negotiations are underway for his country to purchase diesel fuel from Russia. Bolsonaro said the fuel will be much cheaper than what is available in his country today and the first shipments should arrive within the next two months. Thousands of protesters have gone to the streets over the past year due to inflation and high fuel prices.

New York Times Reports on Fufeng Project – The New York Times put the proposed Fufeng corn processing plant in Grand Forks on the front page of its popular Sunday edition. The story highlights the economic impact of this project and the community backlash against its Chinese ownership.  The Grand Forks City Council approved the Fufeng project with votes in February and June. This past week, North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer asked for a federal investigation into the corn wet milling project.

Bill Would Prevent China From Purchasing U.S. Ag Companies – South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson introduced a bill that would blacklist China, Russia and other countries from buying U.S. agriculture companies. It also calls on USDA to determine the risks associated with foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture companies. In a news release, Johnson cites the Fu Feng corn processing project in Grand Forks and its location near the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Johnson says China’s efforts are a threat to U.S. security.

North Dakota Senators Ask for Federal Investigation of Fufeng Group – North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer want the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Treasury to review the Chinese food manufacturer Fufeng Group’s recent purchase of land near Grand Forks, North Dakota. The senators believe a full investigation by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States would clarify whether the purchase of land by the Fufeng Group carries any national security implications. Read a letter sent by the two senators last week.

International Trade Commission Rejects Fertilizer Tariffs – The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled against imposing tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers imported from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago. The decision comes after CF Industries filed a petition with the ITC in 2021, seeking tariffs on urea ammonium nitrate. The ITC decision take effect immediately.

No End in Sight for Supply Chain Headache – The investment bank, Carl Marks Advisors, surveyed more than 100 U.S. supply chain executives. More than half of the people surveyed do not expect a return to a more normal supply chain until 2024 or beyond. Another 22 percent said these disruptions will likely continue until the second half of next year. Ocean shipping was cited as the biggest logistical breakdown. Eighty percent of the executives surveyed said supply chain costs have risen between 20-and-60 percent between December of 2020 and December of 2022.

Rail Strike Averted For Now – President Biden used his emergency powers to prevent 115,000 rail workers from going on strike this week. The railroad companies and labor unions have 30 days to come to terms on a new contract. If either side rejects that proposal, another 30 day cooling off period is available. A work stoppage would shut down rail movement at a time when supply chain is already backed up.

Hoeven Meets With STB Official on Rail Issues – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven is urging the Surface Transportation Board to address the ongoing rail service problems. In a meeting with STB Vice Chair Robert Primus, Hoeven said rail shipments need to be moving on a current basis before the fall harvest season. Class I railroads have blamed labor shortages for the backlog in rail movement.

Access to Capital, Access to Credit – Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Vice President Nathan Kauffman testified in the House Agriculture Committee farm bill hearing Thursday. “Most lenders indicate that loan repayment rates continue to rise, problem loans have remained sparse, and credit is readily available to meet borrower’s needs.” Credit conditions for young, beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers was the focus of the hearing. “Looking ahead, demand for farm loans in the Kansas City Fed district are expected to rise notably with capital spending expected to decline for the first time since 2020.”

Help for Small Cattle Operations – House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott plans to introduce legislation to help small family farmers and ranchers while addressing the nation’s beef supply chain. “In our hearing examining beef market consolidation earlier this year, I was very disheartened to learn that the cattle industry has lost an average of 17,000 cattle ranchers per year.” Scott said farms with 100 or less head of cattle account for 90 percent of all farms and 44 percent of the beef cattle inventory. Scott’s bill is designed to strengthen the safety net for these operations, enhance insurance products and develop more direct-to-consumer opportunities.

Crop Protection Politics – Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson are upset with the Environmental Protection Agency. A letter has been sent to EPA claiming there is a trend at the agency of “disregarding scientifically-sound, risk-based regulatory process’ and denying crop protection products. In 2021, Boozman and Thompson sent a similar letter to EPA over its decision to rescind all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos.

AURI Update – The AURI has a new Entrepreneurship in Residence Program that supports value-added agriculture. Hear more about the program in this week’s AURI Update.

New Food Safety Agency Proposed – A bill has been introduced in Congress to create a new food safety agency within the Health and Human Services Department. This proposal would transfer all of the FDA’s food responsibilities to this new agency. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro introduced the bill, saying more focus needs to be placed on food safety.

MN Farmers Union Minute – The House Agriculture Committee will have a farm bill listening session in Minnesota later this month. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish has more about the new farm bill and the listening session in this week’s update.

Farm Bill a Top Priority for Soybean Growers – Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Bob Worth is back home from a trip to Capitol Hill. “I met with lawmakers from Minnesota and it’s always a good discussion for them to hear about what’s happening on the farm and our priorities.” Worth says the biggest ask from soybean growers is an increase in the baseline funding for the farm bill. “One thing we’d like to see happen is the pool of money increase for the farm bill; we’re asking for them to put more money in this pool to boost crop insurance, conservation and nutrition.”

NAWG Wants Boost in Reference Prices in Next Farm Bill – Like other agricultural groups, the National Association of Wheat Growers wants to protect crop insurance in the next farm bill. NAWG CEO Chandler Goule says there are additional issues important to the U.S. wheat industry. “There is clearly a strong desire to increase the reference price, looking for additional budget authority so we can afford to raise the Price Loss Coverage reference price to more accurately reflect input costs,” says Goule. “The board did not make a distinction whether or not they want a more permanent disaster program.” Goule also sees a different political landscape heading into the next farm bill. “I think you’ll see a large emphasis after the election about what to do about the cost of production and rising input costs.”

Corn Congress Delegates Reject Reference Price Resolution – The Minnesota and South Dakota corn grower groups offered a resolution during the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Congress to increase reference prices under the PLC and ARC programs. This proposal was designed to address rising production costs. However, Corn Congress delegates did not approve this resolution. The vote reflected demands to stay within existing farm bill funding levels.

Specialty Crops Hope to Protect Farm Bill Funding – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is opposed to the use of specialty crop funds for non-specialty crops, including hemp. This alliance is a coalition of more than 200 organizations representing the fruit, vegetable, tree nut and horticulture industries. In a letter to House and Senate agriculture committee leaders, the Alliance said the specialty crop industry developed important research marketing and trade programs in the past 20 years. The coalition does not want its limited funding to go to hemp and other new commodities.

Supply/Demand Forecast Updated – USDA dropped its demand forecast for corn while boosting its supply projection. The Tuesday report also reduced the estimated size of the U.S. soybean crop. The wheat supply forecast increased.

Grain Markets Fighting Gravity – The risk-off action in the grain market continued following the release of Tuesday’s USDA supply and demand numbers. Brugler Marketing and Management President Alan Brugler thinks the grain traders were taking weather premium out of the market. “After we got the report out, the markets basically sold off,” said Brugler. “Essentially, we’re fighting gravity here.” Brugler says market fundamentals pushed the market lower. “The grain elevators are trying to unload the shorts and cash grain. We need a hot and dry or an export sale argument or else we’ll drift lower here.”

USDA Lowers Forecast for Ukrainian Wheat Production – The Ukrainian crop is estimated at 19.5 million tons. That’s 13 million tons below last year and down 2 million tons from last month’s estimate. USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says satellite images were used to come up with that number. “You can see progress where the conflict is not occurring and you can see damage to the crops in areas in the border region between the occupied zone and the Ukrainian-held zone; there’s fields that are burned and action not taking place simply because it is not safe to do it.”

Small Grain Production Forecast Released – In North Dakota, spring wheat production is expected to be up 53 percent from last year with yield forecast at a record 51 bushels per acre. South Dakota’s spring wheat production is expected to be up 50 percent with an average yield of 54 bushels per acre. In Minnesota, a ten percent increase in spring wheat production is being predicted. Minnesota’s statewide yield is forecast at 53 bushels per acre.

Inflation Moves Higher – U.S. inflation continues to jump higher hitting levels not seen in 40 years. The U.S. Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index jumped 9.1 percent in June, up from 8.6 percent in May. June’s increase was led by an 11.2 percentage increase in gasoline prices, now up 60 percent year-over-year. Food prices increased one percent in June, 12 percent higher than last year. Housing costs increased 5.6 percent in June, the largest year-over-year increase since 1991.

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 soybean market has unexpectedly seen some strength. “Weather is the main driver.”  Outside markets, including copper and lumber, have seen weakness tied to the recession talk.

Investors Leaving the Commodity Markets – The grain market has been a two-sided affair. AgriSompo North America market analyst Sterling Smith says traders have concerns about the economy. “I think we are having this ongoing investor exit from the commodity trade; they are fearful of the Fed taking overly aggressive action and that is taking that money out of the commodity market.” Fundamentals have gone to the wayside. Smith cited the cotton market where the crop is in very poor condition, but prices are going lower. “The market isn’t trading facts. It’s trading managed money.”

Fielding Questions: Nervous Grain Markets – Money managers continue to pull money out of the commodity markets. “We’ve been so focused on what else is going on. There’s a three-quarters of a percentage point interest rate hike in June. More is expected,” says Katie Tangen, market education specialist, AgCountry Farm Credit Services. “If you’re an investor, a lot of that money could be better used somewhere else or it’s costing you more money to keep in commodities.” Economic concerns have the market very nervous. “We have readjustments. Inflation, as a whole, is not generally bad for commodities, but at some point, it gets to be too much.” Hear more in the latest Fielding Questions podcast episode.

Adding Value to Ag Economy – The National Pork Producers Council has released a new economic report, saying hog production and pork processing supports more than 600,000 jobs nationwide. In 2021, 66,000 pig farms sold more than 140 million hogs worth over $28 billion in gross receipts. The number of U.S. hog farms has increased over the past ten years.

Hotter and Drier Conditions Ahead – Hotter and drier conditions are in the forecast for the Northern Plains this week. DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick says these conditions will be a trend for the rest of July through August. “Not only during pollination, but also during grain fill. The ridge looking out over the plains won’t be stuck there the rest of the summer, but it’s driving the storm trek further north into Canada. This will only produce isolated showers and thunderstorms, but many areas are expected to miss out.”

Give and Take – Matthew Krueger, who farms near East Grand Forks,  says his crop is a week to ten days behind the normal pace. “We’re looking at the middle of August before being able to starting to harvest small grains. It’ll be a long harvest.” Krueger is pleased with the condition of his corn and sunflowers. “The soybeans are slow, but they’re getting to the stage where they’ll start taking off.”

Corn Matters – The warmer weather is helping the corn grow quickly to make up time from delayed planting. Hear more in the latest Corn Matters, presented by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

A Constant Struggle – Ron Truax, who owns Spring Creek Ag at Litchville, North Dakota, says the crop that was planted in his area looks good. However, at least 25 percent of the ground is prevented plant. “Especially, if you’re on wheat or corn ground from last year, the ground struggled to get fit to plant.” The weed spectrum in the region has changed over the years. “Kochia is a problem, but waterhemp is the bigger issue. There are pockets of Palmer amaranth to watch; it’s a constant struggle.” Hear the story.

Pollination Will Drag Into August – The corn in central and western North Dakota is slightly behind the normal stage of development for mid-July, but the moisture conditions are a big improvement over last year. Pioneer Field Agronomist Larry Lunder says pollination will be delayed. “I suspect a lot of the pollination and tasseling will drag into August. It’s always good to get it done in July, but considering the planting dates and how cold it was during the season, I think it will be pushed back ten days to two weeks.” There is wide variation with the soybean crop. “We’ve had soybeans planted from extremely early May all the way into June. I’ve seen development from the vegetative stages to R1. It’s a mix.” Hear the story.

The Sugarbeet Report – How do you spray to maximize weed control vs. cercospora control? NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Tom Peters has more in the Sugarbeet Report, presented by Amity Technology, H&S Manufacturing, SESVanderHave and REGEV from SummitAgro.

MN Wheat Minute – Minnesota’s spring wheat crop is variable. On-Farm Research Coordinator Melissa Carlson has more on the crop in this week’s Minnesota Wheat Minute.

Start of SD Winter Wheat Harvest – According to South Dakota Wheat Commission Executive Director Reid Christopherson, the hard red winter wheat harvest has just started this week. “In the southern portions of South Dakota, the harvest for hard red winter crop started off this past week. We’re starting to get preliminary reports that the crops going to look really good with moisture, protein, and test weights.” Christopherson expects the spring wheat crop to be in a little rougher shape. “We expect that to be a little bit more variable with how hard the heat hit.”

Tackling Tough Weeds – A series of Enlist Executive Plot Tours took place this past week in North Dakota and Minnesota. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Corteva Enlist Field Specialist Steve Snyder discussed restrictions for the Enlist system. “With this system, we don’t have any calendar date cutoff. We’re labeled up until full flower with the system. We also don’t have temperature restrictions.” Videos from the Monday and Friday events can be found on RRFN’s YouTube channel.

Timely Fungicide Application Necessary for White Mold – Significant white mold pressure is possible in both soybeans and dry beans this season. BASF Technical Service Representative Ken Deibert gives the credit to the moisture seen this season. “Not only the subsoil moisture but we have been receiving some timely rain, heavy dews in the morning and the higher humidity that we are experiencing is certainly going to allow white mold pressure to thrive.” The fungicide application should happen when the crop is in the early R2 stage of development which coincides with row closure. Deibert also recommends the selection of a spray nozzle that will produce a medium-to-course size droplet. “They create a little bit more velocity or weight to drive those droplets into the canopy,” Deibert told RRFN. “White mold generally starts in the lowest part of the canopy when the oldest flowers start to dry down; that’s where the white mold infection enters the plant.”

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, North Dakota State University Extension Cropping Systems Specialist Greg Endres talks about dry bean conditions. Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by SRS Commodities, BASF, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, and Johnstown Bean Company.

Trade Trip to the Philippines – Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota are represented on a USDA trade mission to the Philippines this week. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and South Dakota Agriculture and Natural Resources Secretary Hunter Roberts are part of this delegation, which also includes grower leaders from the wheat, corn and soybean industries.

SD Corn Comments – In the latest South Dakota Corn Comments, hear more about making summer memories on the farm.

Double-Crop Option Advocated – Following up on an announcement that was made in May, USDA is expanding options double-cropping. The Risk Management Agency is increasing the number of counties eligible for crop insurance when raising two crops on the same land in one year. More than 1,500 counties are now eligible, and RMA is also being more flexible in areas where this policy is not automatically offered.

Grassland CRP Enrollment Reaches New High – USDA is accepting offers for more than 3.1 million acres from farmers and private landowners through this year’s Conservation Reserve Program Grassland Signup. This is the highest number of offers to date. This year’s Grassland CRP Signup surpasses last year’s 2.5 million acres by 22 percent. So far, producers have enrolled two million acres through the General Signup and more than 464,000 acres through the Continuous CRP Signup.

North Dakota Lifts Poultry Event Ban – The North Dakota State Board of Animal Health ended the ban of poultry events and exhibitions, effective immediately. The risk of spreading Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is declining with warmer weather and fewer migratory birds flying around the state. A positive diagnosis in the state will cause a reinstatement of the ban.

Northern Crops Institute: Ancient Grains Conference – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting its first-ever Ancient Grains Conference on Wednesday at the Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota. The conference will consider characteristics and utilization of ancient grains. There will be presentations on health and nutrition, agronomics and industry trends. There is an online option for more information about the conference and to register.

MN Beef Update – In this week’s Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council President Kelly Schmidt recaps the summer beef tour.

Wolves and Weather – The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Allison VanDerWal says wolves and weather received attention during their quarterly meeting. “A lot of my northern guys are still having trouble with wolves and elk depredation and of course weather is always a concern.” The big topic was the Conservation Reserve Program. The MSCA is seeking for an expansion of acres eligible for emergency haying and grazing at a D2 level. “We brought policy to NCBA looking to expand CRP acres when we go from a D2 to a D3 and making sure the rules stay at a D2 level.”.

MDA Working Through Drought Relief Applications – Applications for the Minnesota Agricultural Drought Relief program closed last week. Nearly 3,000 farmers and ranchers applied. “The average request is around $6,500,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “We’re going through an approval request right now, but we’re hoping by the end of the month, there’ll be payments going out the door.” There was more demand for relief from the livestock sector. “I’d say about 70 percent applied under livestock and 30 percent under specialty crop.”

Ag H2O Forums Scheduled This Week – Minnesota Farm Bureau is partnering with the Red River Watershed Management Board and Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Coalition to host Red River Valley Agriculture Water Issues Forums starting Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. MFBF Membership and Marketing Specialist Whitney Pittman says a similar forum was held in 2017. “The goal is to have farmers learn more about water issues in the Red River Valley and how organizations are working together to tackle them.” Topics will include a legislative update, watershed efforts, and program reports. The forums will take place in  Ada, Wheaton, and Greenbush.

HOS Regs Eased for Truckers Hauling Fuel – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has issued an emergency executive order, easing hours-of-service regulations for truckers hauling fuel. Walz said the measure will make sure gas and diesel fuel is more accessible and affordable for people across the state.

ND Carbon Capture and Storage Project Online – Carbon storage operations at the Red Trail Energy ethanol plant at Richardton, North Dakota has started. This project allows CO2 to be stored deep underground and is the first of its kind to operate under state-led regulatory authority for carbon storage.

Planning Commission Approves Permitting for SD Crush Plant – The Davison County Planning Commission has given a green light to the proposed South Dakota Soybean Processors plant at Mitchell. A conditional use permit was granted for the $500 million soybean crush plant. Construction is expected to start in the fall of 2023 and be completed in time for the 2025 harvest season.

Parade of Champions: Keep Trying – The Red River Farm Network Parade of Champions is celebrating 4-H and FFA across the region. Macy Monson from North Dakota’s McIntosh County joined 4-H and FFA as soon as she could. “I’ve been in FFA since 7th grade and 4-H since I was five or six. I’ve shown a variety of species including dairy goats, dairy cows, and beef heifers.” Monson recently participated in her county fair in Wishek, North Dakota where she took home a grand championship in dairy cattle and dairy goat showmanship. Monson has a word of advice for younger generations looking to get involved. “Keep trying; you’re not always going to win, but you’ll learn new skills from doing it.” This salute to our next generation is sponsored in NDFB, Associated Milk Producers Incorporated and Dinner Bell Creamery. Hear Monson’s story.

Special Local Needs Label Granted – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has approved a special local needs label for Agri Tin Flowable and Super Tin 4L for control of cercospora in sugarbeets. These products were already approved in North Dakota.

Celebrating 125 Years – Merchants Bank-Rugby is celebrating its 125th anniversary on Wednesday. The Red River Farm Network will join KZZJ-Rugby in a remote broadcast from Merchants Bank.

MN Organic Farmer Charged With Fraud – A Jeffers, Minnesota farmer has been indicted in a $46 million case of fraud. Between 2014 and 2020, James Wolf allegedly sold non-GMO corn and soybeans that was falsely labeled as organic. Wolf also raised conventional crops, which violates the certified organic farming standards. Wolf is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court on July 22.

Naessens Joins Ag Lobbying Firm – Minnesota native Katie Naessens has been hired as a vice president with Michael Torrey & Associates. Most recently, Naessens has been part of Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow’s senior professional staff. Previously, worked at USDA during the Obama Administration.

New President and CEO for DFA – Dennis Rodenbaugh succeeds Richard Smith as president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America. Smith was with DFA for 16 years. Most recently, Rodenbaugh was the DFA executive vice president of council operations and ingredient solutions.

IDFA Promotions Announced – The International Dairy Foods Association has promoted Robert Rosado and Andrew Jerome. Rosado is now the vice president of legislative affairs. Before joining IDFA, Rosado had worked on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Jerome moves up to the role of associate vice president of communications. Jerome’s previous experience was at Michael Torrey Associates and the National Farmers Union.

SHIC Welcomes New Board Members – Kent Bang of Bang Ag Consulting in Omaha and Dr. Paul Ruen of Fairmont Veterinary Clinic have joined the board of the Swine Health Information Center. Founding board members Matt Anderson of Suidae Health and Production and Mark Greenwood, formerly with Compeer Financial, have concluded their service. Dr. Daryl Olson, AMVAC, will serve another term as chair. Dr. Howard Hill of Ames will return as vice-chair and Bang will serve as secretary/treasurer.

An Exit for VanDerWal at MSCA – The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association has started to search for its new executive director. Allison VanDerWal has accepted a position with Form-A-Feed as a nutritional formulation specialist. VanDerWal was hired by the MSCA in February of 2020.

From a Bison to a Falcon – The head of the agriculture budget office at North Dakota State University, David Ruhland, has been named the vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Ruhland has been at NDSU for 15 years and will start in River Falls in mid-August.

Pillatzki Gets Nod for SDSU Position – Angela Pillatzki is the new department head and director of the South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory. Pillatzki has been the interim department head since February and has 22 years of experience in veterinary diagnostics and pathology.

Williston Research Extension Center Adds Weed Specialist – NDSU Extension has hired Charlemagne Lim as a weed specialist. Lim earned his doctorate at Montana State University. In his new role, Lim is based in Williston.

ND Soybean Council Elects Officers – The North Dakota Soybean Council has elected their executive board officers. Chris Brossart of Wolford, North Dakota was elected chairman of the board. Wimbledon, North Dakota farmer, Rob Rose was elected as vice chairman. And Mike Schlosser of Edgeley will serve as the new secretary.

Management Restructuring at WCAS – With the planned retirement of Chief Operating Officer Wes Roll at the end of the year, West Central Ag Services has announced a restructuring of the management team. Jesse McCollum will continue to serve as CEO. Bryan Mueller will take over as general manager. Mueller is now the Beltrami location manager and grain merchandiser. Brad Fronning transitions from territory sales manager to the head of agronomy operations. Senior Sales and Supply Manager Rick Walker will become the procurement and senior sales manager. Grain merchandiser Tim Petry will take over as grain location manager at Beltrami. WCAS is based in Ulen, Minnesota.

Eischens Passes – Funeral services were held Saturday for Curt Eischens. Eischens 70, farmed at Minneota, Minnesota and served on the CHS board of directors for 27 years.