Food Security Concern – After a meeting with NATO leaders, President Joe Biden linked the Russian-Ukrainian war to a possible food security crisis. “Yes, we did talk about food shortages and it’s going be real. The price of these sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia, it’s imposed on an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country.” In a joint statement with the head of the European Union, Biden said direct food assistance will be provided as needed. Biden also said NATO leaders called for the elimination of trade restrictions on food.

Preparing for Spring Planting in a War Zone – Like most farmers, Nick Gordichuk is dealing with crop input shortages and tight margins this spring. However, he’s doing it in a war zone. Gordichuk farms less than 100 miles north of Kiev, where he raises winter wheat, corn and potatoes. In an interview with the Iowa Agribusiness Network, Gordiihuk said the Ukrainian government is trying to help, but access to the credit necessary to plant a crop is limited. The Russian military is also targeting ag businesses, grain storage and farm machinery. “Some farmers still have wheat from last season and they still have maize from last season which they stored hoping they could sell it more expensive after the season. What happens now when they have no access to the Black Sea with Russia bombing ships and cutting us from main ports in the south?” Gordichuk said Ukrainian farmers are facing major uncertainties for this growing season. “Nevertheless, I think it’s just like it is in America. It’s in our blood. When the sun is shining and the soil is the right temperature, we go and try to do something. For example, we could hear shelling while we were putting ammonia sulfate over winter wheat a week ago.”

Ukrainian Crop Production Will Decline – StoneX Group Chief Commodities Economist Arlan Suderman says the Ukrainian people are defending themselves well, but the war is far from over. Ukraine’s can-do attitude is expected to carry over into the agriculture sector, but that doesn’t mean farmers will be able to plant a crop this year. “We first saw acreage estimates coming out Ukraine at a 40 percent decline and expect that to continue to go lower due to abandonment or lack of planting,” said Suderman. “We also saw an estimate that roughly 34 percent of the arable land in Ukraine was unfarmable this year, because it was either occupied by Russian troops or there were unexploded mines on the ground that needed to be cleared.” Even if a crop is produced, it may not be a very productive crop.

Titan Stores in Ukraine Open on a Limited Basis – During Titan Machinery’s quarterly conference call, Chief Operating Officer Bryan Knutson updated investors on the company’s business in Ukraine. “While there’s total business disruptions in Ukraine, this market is less than five percent of our company’s total assets and less than 20 percent of our international revenue and assets. We initially closed our Ukraine stores to allow employees to focus on their families and their safety.” Some farms are able to continue to operate and Titan has partially reopened stores to support customers with parts and service. “In addition, we have begun to finalize equipment sales on customer’s request, taking into consideration safety and risk.”

Opening Up CRP – A coalition of agriculture groups is asking the Biden Administration to allow farmers to plant crops on land set aside through the Conservation Reserve Program. American Farm Bureau, National Grain and Feed Association, Agricultural Retailers Association and others are part of this group, saying the U.S. needs to produce more to offset the loss of Ukrainian crop production.  Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie said the CRP ground is too marginal to put into productive crop production. “Even if we were interested, we’re just too late in the crop year. These are marginal lands and the amount of additional production we’d get is less than what you’d see from typical productive crop land.” Bonnie says putting CRP into production could have ripple effects on habitat and commodity markets. “CRP is an incredibly important program from a climate, wildlife, and recreational standpoint.”

“Challenging” – That’s how SB&B Foods President Bob Sinner describes the current agriculture economy. Transportation will be an ongoing issue. “When you work in the identity-preserved industry, we ship soybeans by container. Those containers go into the large metropolitan areas and we need those containers in Rural America. There’s a logistical problem there and we’re trying to figure it out.” The Russia-Ukraine war is also a challenge. “It’s unfortunate, but someone’s pain is another person’s gain and unfortunately, that’s the way agriculture’s worked,” said Sinner. “Everyone knows we need a big crop in the United States and across the world because global stocks are at scary levels to some extent.” Sinner was a panelist at the Midwest Economic Outlook Summit in Fargo.

NCGA Calls for Executive Order to Maintain E15 Access – National Corn Grower Association leaders have sent a letter to President Biden, asking him to use his emergency powers to make E15 available year-round. A 2021 court decision limited the availability of the higher ethanol blends during the summer months. NCGA emphasizes the use of lower-cost E15 renewable fuels could replace previous oil imports from Russia.

Unpredictable Supply Chain – According to Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek, predictability is often viewed as more important than affordability and speed of transit for the supply chain. With fertilizer shipments being a concern for spring, Steenhoek says the supply chain’s ‘just in time’ delivery system philosophy needs to be revisited. “When you can’t count on something to be delivered as you expect, you increase the amount of inventory or storage you need. That ‘just in time’ model people are revisiting and realizing in many cases it doesn’t work for them. Even if there’s an economically compelling reason for that, it works when all of the actors are in-sync, but we’re clearly not in-sync.”

Significant Rail Service Issues Reported – The National Grain and Feed Association is urging the Surface Transportation Board to address rail service disruptions with Union Pacific, BNSF and the Norfolk Southern. The NGFA said its members have run out of grain and forced to shut down flour and feed mills while waiting for grain deliveries. In a letter to the STB, the group cited an example of a member that had to stop selling feed while a loaded train sat for seven days due to the lack of available rail crews.

Grain Movement Influenced by Rising Costs – Grain elevators in the country are trying to move grain as quickly as possible. North Dakota Grain Dealers Association Executive Director Stu Letcher says efforts are underway to get ahead of rising costs. It’s a situation where they need to move it now. Every day they open doors, it’s just getting more expensive.” Logistical issues appear to be limited. “I’ve heard there is some fertilizer movement north of the Mississippi and it sounds like there will be some barges of fertilizer coming up that way.”

West Coast Port Labor Contract Expires in July – The Agricultural Transportation Working Group is asking the White House to take an active role in the labor negotiations for West Coast ports. The current contract expires July 1. With the current supply chain situation, the coalition said any disruption at the ports would be devastating for the economy. This working group includes Farm Bureau, the Fertilizer Institute, the Agricultural Retailers Association, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and numerous commodity groups.

Egypt Considers New Wheat Import Options – Faced with trade disruptions out of the Black Sea Region, Egypt is considering wheat import options from the United States, Argentina, India and France. The Egyptian supply minister said there’s no immediate need, but they are preparing backup plans. Egypt is the largest wheat customer worldwide.

MN Wheat Minute – Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Board Chairman Scott Swenson reports on the recent board meeting to put the finishing touches on checkoff-funded research projects. Hear more in this week’s Minnesota Wheat Minute.

Brazil Suspends Import Taxes – Brazil’s economy ministry announced it would suspend import tax on some food items and ethanol to curb inflation. The ethanol import tax suspension will lower gas prices by 4.1 cents per liter.

Corn Matters – In this week’s Corn Matters, U.S. Grains Council Chairman Chad Willis recaps the recent Trade School event. Hear more about market development and more in this week’s update.

Trade Resumes Following Potato Disease in PEI – USDA will allow imports of table stock potatoes from Canada’s Prince Edward Island. In November, Canada voluntarily suspended exports from the region due to the detection of potato wart disease. Canada is implementing new standards to reduce the risk of introducing the disease into the U.S. The National Potato Council is upset with the announcement, saying the disease is not under control and the decision to allow potatoes from untested fields is unacceptable.

SD Corn Comments – This past week was National Agriculture Week. Farmers are responsible for feeding 172 people per farm. Hear more in the latest South Dakota Corn Comments. 

Key Trade Officials Need to Be Named – South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson says it’s hard to overstate the importance of free trade to U.S. agriculture. “I’m a little concerned that it’s March 2022 and we still don’t have a chief agriculture negotiator or a USDA under secretary for trade. We don’t have basic building blocks in place.” Johnson is a sponsor of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which has passed in the House. The Senate version was marked up last week. “There’s confusion about differences with the two bills, but let’s get a bill passed.” Johnson was part of a Farmers for Free Trade event on Wednesday.

Fielding Questions: Prospective Plantings – In the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services market education specialist Katie Tangen previews the USDA Prospective Plantings Report and considers market strategies during a very volatile time. Listen to the full podcast.

Trade Expects More Corn and Less Soybeans – USDA will release quarterly grain stocks and planting intentions report Thursday. The average trade estimate for corn acreage is 92 million acres. That compares to 93.4 million acres last year. Soybean acreage is expected to be 88.9 million which is above USDA’s Outlook Forum number of 88 million. All wheat acres are expected to be 47.9 million, down slightly from the Outlook Forum estimate of 48 million. Spring wheat and durum are expected to total 13.5 million acres.

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 said the market is correcting to the downside. In addition to this week’s USDA reports, weather is also a consideration in this market.

Pay Attention to the Stocks Number – Global Commodity Analytics and Consulting President Mike Zuzolo will be looking for the stocks numbers in Thursday’s USDA reports. “I think the stocks numbers will be the most important feature for the overall price action because it’ll tell us what supplies we have here that could benefit the rest of the world in terms of the export market.” Pre-report trade estimates are higher for corn and soybean stocks than last year.

Markets Bruised by Increased Volatility – AgriSompo North American market analyst Sterling Smith expects the grain market to consolidate ahead of this week’s stocks and planting intentions reports. “It may a wild and loud consolidated trade. The markets are still a little damaged from all of this increased volatility.” The energy markets may provide market direction for the grains. “If we saw crude reverse, that would change the game.”

Record Canola Acre Possible in ND – There are predictions being made that North Dakota canola acreage will increase this year. “We’re projecting between 1.8 and 2 million acres planted in North Dakota,” said Pat Murphy, past president, Northern Canola Growers Association. “If the top estimate is realized, that would be a record for the state.” Due to the demand for renewable diesel, Murphy sees long term demand for oilseeds. “The more people that want your product, the better it is for us.”

Flood Forecast – The spring thaw is going surprisingly well, reducing the threat of flood. National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Greg Gust made that point at the Red River Watershed Management Board conference in Moorhead. “Things just opened up so nicely; we expected to see much more runoff potential and what we’re seeing is a puddle one day and the next day it’s soaking in.” Some locations may be wetter-than-normal, but Gust says that won’t last long. “We’re going to need to have near-normal precipitation to kick in here from late March into April to make sure that we can kick off the growing season. Anyone that has looked at the outlook for summer has seen that June, July, August is looking at warmer and possibly drier conditions.”

RRWMB Brings Collaborative Approach to Water Management – The Red River Watershed Management Board has projects underway from one end of the Red River Valley to other. “We have a big project in the Bois de Sioux Watershed District by Wheaton, projects up and down the Red River Valley on the Minnesota side and a couple big projects up in the Roseau area,” reports Robert Sip, executive director. Statewide, the Minnesota Legislature will consider a $90 million bonding request for flood-related projects. RRWMB Treasurer Jason Braaten says $47 million is being sought in the region to bring many projects to the finish line. Rather than localized efforts, RRWMB takes a basin-wide approach to water management. “You have to be able to work with the DNR, with the Army Corps of Engineers and with your county commissioners. Everybody has to be on the same page.”

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, NDSU Extension Agronomist Hans Kandel talks about the latest survey published by NDSU and Northarvest. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

Climate Policy May Create Income Opportunities – Climate is a buzzword in policy circles. While attending the Red River Watershed Management Board conference, Minnesota State Conservationist Troy Daniell said that can create opportunity for farmers. “On a worldwide basis, you’re seeing more environmental markets and I think that is going to have a play or be an opportunity for folks in the Red River Basin,” Daniell told RRFN. “The region has sometimes had too much water and it needs more water other times so getting public-private partnerships to help manage water might be an opportunity to create income.” Daniell praised the RRWMB for its role in solving water-related problems.

Management Credited for MN Net Income Results – According to the Minnesota State Farm Business Management annual report, state farmers experienced the highest net farm income in 2021 than in the past seven years. “If we were to reflect back 12 months, we were worried about the high level of farm program payments,” said Keith Olander, executive director, AgCentric. “From that standpoint, it really became a management piece. With inflation, there’s a lot of challenges and a lot of dollars going through operations, so management is even more important.” According to the report, average net farm income was over $267,000, which was an increase of 54 percent from 2020. The average farm statewide spent $1.1 million on crop and livestock production and family living expenses. In the Red River Valley, that total was over $2 million “I think this just goes to show that the farmers have to realize that their decisions affect a lot of dollars.”

Investing in Innovation – Through its New Uses Forum, Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Research Institute considered the intersection of sustainability, innovation and investment in food and agriculture. AURI Executive Director Shannon Schlecht said there is an increasing appetite to invest in the ag sector. “With the food and agricultural ecosystem, there’s so many opportunities to plug in and engage. We don’t need to operate independently, there’s a great network of support in growing these opportunities in the food and agricultural industry.”

Beet Stock Values – According to Jayson Menke with Acres & Shares, 135 American Crystal Sugar Company shares were brokered last week at an average price of $4,487.04 per share.

Another Lawsuit Filed Over Endangered Species Act – The Center for Biological Diversity is suing EPA over the use of a key ingredient in phosphate fertilizer. The environmental activist group claims the agency failed to complete an Endangered Species Act review when it established water quality standards for the use of cadmium. Cadmium is a heavy metal used in many products, including fertilizer.

AURI Update – AURI is hosting Webinar Wednesdays that focus on different aspects of the food and ag sectors in Minnesota. Hear more in the latest AURI Update.

CRP Improvements Sought – South Dakota Senator John Thune and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar have introduced legislation to improve access to grazing within the Conservation Reserve Program. During last year’s drought, farmers and ranchers sought the ability to utilize CRP ground to feed their animals. This bill would formalize that language.

U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Proposition 12 Case – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case filed against California’s Proposition 12, an animal housing law that seeks to ban pork sales from hogs that don’t meet the state production standards. The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council petitioned the High Court to hear the case. In response to the news, AFBF said it looks forwards to presenting the facts to the court. AFBF describes Proposition 12 as “a misguided law that shouldn’t dictate farming practices for an entire nation.”

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in MN – Minnesota has two confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The infected flocks include a commercial turkey operation in Meeker County and a backyard mixed-bird case in Mower County. These are the first cases reported in Minnesota since 2015. The sites are quarantined and depopulation is underway.

Wild Birds Spreading Avian Influenza – South Dakota is tackling the first avian influenza outbreak since 2015. “It’s kind of like the human flu; there are different strains that go with it,” said Dr. Mendel Miller, assistant state veterinarian. “Some years the strains are mild and other years they’re devastating.” Miller says this particular strain appears to be more severe and is more transmissible among the wildfowl populations.

ND Cancels Poultry Events – The North Dakota State Board of Animal Health has canceled all shows, public sales, swaps, and exhibition of poultry and other birds within the state. “We’re seeing that this virus is traveling north with the migrating birds,” said Dr. Ethan Endress, state veterinarian. “We’re reaching our critical period where the most birds are coming into the state, especially in the next couple of weeks.” North Dakota produces over one million birds a year. Endress did say starter chicks will still be available to purchase at co-ops or businesses.

U.S. and Japan Reach Deal on Beef Safeguard Triggers – Japan’s safeguard mechanism on U.S. beef has been changed, increasing market access for the United States. The U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said this is a win for American ranchers and Japanese consumers. The timeline for implementation is not known since the agreement still needs approval by Japanese lawmakers.

Trade Deals Responsible for Beef Export Story – University of Nebraska Assistant Professor of Livestock Marketing Elliot Dennis credits trade agreements for the strong U.S. meat exports. “To put that into perspective, the U.S. hardly shipped any beef to China prior to 2019. China is now our third largest trading partner for beef products.” In an interview with RRFN, Dennis said China is impacting the global and domestic beef market. ” We’re going to start experiencing that demand pull in the fed cattle market price.”

MN Beef Update – In this week’s Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Allison VanDerWal recaps big issues discussed at the latest board meeting.

Bearish Cattle on Feed Report – According to the monthly USDA Cattle on Feed Report, 12.2 million head of cattle were on feed for the month ending March 1. That’s up one percent from one year ago and is the highest level ever recorded for the month. Placements are up nine percent from 2021. Marketings rose five percent.

Alfalfa Hay Production is Trending Lower – Livestock Marketing Information Center Director Katelyn McCullock says the hay market has been shaped by the drought and declining acres. Compared to one year ago, alfalfa hay prices are running about 20 percent higher this marketing year. McCullock says the forecast is for another 18-to-20 percent increase in the fall.

Margins Tight Despite High Milk Prices – Class III milk prices are trading in the $24-to-$25 per hundredweight range. “The dairy markets continue to see all-time strength,” said John Heinberg, market advisor, Total Farm Marketing. “The demand underneath these markets has some good support as we move into the summer months. With warmer weather we can expect cheese demand to pick up.” Margins are still a concern for dairy producers. “There’s great opportunity with these historical price levels, but the biggest problem we’re dealing with is the margin side of it. Prices are good but are they where they need to be in terms of maintaining some profit?”

NDGGA Invited Back to NAWG – The North Dakota Grain Growers Association received a letter from the National Association of Wheat Growers late Tuesday inviting them to rejoin the association. North Dakota Grain Growers Association President Tom Bernhardt says there’s no set timeline for when the letter will be discussed by the entire board. “Our next in-person meeting will most likely be during the Big Iron Farm Show in September. We may have a Zoom call in June, but most growers are quite busy at that time so it’s hard to gather.” After the 2019 Commodity Classic, the NDGGA left NAWG. Since then, NDGGA uses its own lobbyist to advance agricultural issues on the federal level. Bernhardt says that allows the group to address issues quickly.

NAWG Hopes for a Positive Response to NDGGA Letter – National Association of Wheat Growers CEO Chandler Goule hopes to hear a response from the invitation sent to the North Dakota Grain Growers Association as soon as possible. “We’d love for NDGGA to rejoin NAWG.” Goule says NAWG addressed all of North Dakota’s concerns, including passing a balanced budget. “In Fiscal Year 2021, 2022 and 2023, we passed a balanced budget. NAWG also addressed other things like setting up a process to address state specific issues.” Before leaving NAWG in 2019, North Dakota was one of the largest states for membership, providing a large portion of the association dues. “When North Dakota departed NAWG, we did have to make changes. I had to lay off staff and we had to reorganize how we operated internally to live within our means,” says Goule. “We’ve done that and found new, additional revenue resources that makes NAWG completely whole.”

MFU Minute – The Minnesota Legislature has passed one of the first deadlines of the session. Minnesota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey has more about policy priorities for the session in this MFU Minute.

Drought Relief Heard in Senate Finance Committee – The Minnesota Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved the drought assistance bill. Agriculture Committee Chair Torrey Westrom described it as “a shot in the arm for our farm community.” This assistance would primarily go to livestock and specialty crop farmers. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen testified about the urgent need for this relief. “By the time we put our RFP (Request for Proposal) together, put it out and farmers apply, it’s going to be a month-to-six weeks. The sooner we can do that, I feel strongly that we can help farmers pay a bill or two.” If the full Senate passes this bill, it will move to a conference committee to iron differences with the House version.

Questions Surface Over Proposed Indemnity Fund – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is seeking $5 million to establish an indemnity fund to protect farmers if a grain elevator goes broke. In addition, the proposal would require grain buyers to charge a premium on all marketed grain for this fund. Minnesota Grain and Feed Association Executive Director Laura Lemke testified before the House Agriculture Committee, voicing disappointment in the MDA’s handling of this issue. “What started as a rumor last fall that the MDA would be pushing for an indemnity fund this session, morphed into a vague commentary about general support for a fund by staff.”  Lemke said the proposal was finally confirmed, but no details were offered. “All session, the Department has shared random details like a bread crumb trail.” The bill has been heard in both the House and Senate agriculture committees without consultation from the state grain advisory group. “From my point of view, this proposal is a very top-down driven piece of legislation and stakeholder input has no value as it’s being treated like an afterthought,” said Lemke.

More Protection Needed for Farmers – Falk Seed Farm owner Jim Falk testified before the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee in favor of the grain indemnity fund. Falk, who is based at Murdock, said this fund would protect farmers from fraud and default. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen time and time again that elevators collapse leaving farmers holding the bag. We’ve had Porter go down in 2015, Ashby in 2018, Karlstad in 2019, and now in the past year it was Pipeline Foods. It should be obvious to everyone on this committee that the current law does little to protect farmers.” The indemnity fund is part of the supplemental budget request, which has been laid over for consideration by the entire committee.

MFBF Update – The Minnesota Farm Bureau board of directors met with state lawmakers. MFBF Director of Public Policy Amber Glaeser says it’s good to reconnect on priority issues. Hear more in the latest MFBF Update.

South Dakota Budget Approved – The South Dakota legislative session ends today. South Dakota Farm Bureau State Public Policy Director Matthew Bogue says there was an unprecedented budget request this year. “We had over $1 billion in one-time spending. To put that in perspective, our total budget was about $5.8 billion.” Over $15 million went towards projects that directly impact agriculture, including cybersecurity for agriculture. “As agriculture becomes more advanced with technology, the risks and cyber-hacks are becoming more prevalent, and we want to be able to protect producers across the state. “

Noem Signs Livestock ID Bill – The South Dakota Legislature is scheduled to wrap up its session today. On Friday, Governor Kristi Noem signed bill allowing the Animal Industry Board to develop and implement a livestock identification program.

DOJ & FTC Seek Firsthand Feedback on Ag/Food Mergers – The Biden Administration is stepping up its focus on consolidation. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission will host a virtual listening session about mergers and acquisitions in the food and agriculture sector this afternoon. The public is invited to share comments on how mergers and acquisitions in agriculture have affected them.

Fungicide University Brings Together Key Retailers – Extracting the most out of every acre was the focus of Bayer Crop Science’s Fungicide University. “With commodity prices, we just see a lot of momentum for getting as much yield as possible from these crops,” said Troy Sayler, regional commercial manager, Bayer Crop Science. Sayler is advising farmers to order fungicides earlier-than-normal. “It’s not that production was bad; it’s just supply and demand.”

Weed Resistance Cannot be Ignored – With the stress seen throughout the supply chain, UPL Strategic Marketing Manager James Coday is urging farmers to take a fresh look at their crop inputs. However, weed resistance cannot be ignored. “Look at different options and think about it beyond just a single crop. A multi-year, multi-crop program is needed to make sure that we are getting a strong weed resistance program.” UPL has launched a new preemergence soybean herbicide called PREVIEW 2.1 SC. This formulation was built to target difficult-to-control broadleaf weeds, like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.”

In-Furrow Technology Options Available for Specialty Crops – Vive Crop Protection National Sales Manager Mark Varner says the  sugarbeet and potato industries are seeing big benefits from in-furrow technology. “Potato growers are a prime example of farmers who can put in-furrow fertility in and put micronutrients in-furrow without the bother of them mixing. Potato growers use our Azteroid FC in-furrow for Rhizoctonia and they use Midac FC for the Colorado Potato Beetle and insect problems.” Varner says product availability is not an issue right now, but farmers should not wait until the last minute. “A lot of our active ingredients were purchased last June. Our supply of Azteroid is still good, but as we continue into spring, some of the products may get tight.” Hear the story.

Preparation is the Key to Every Growing Season – WinField United Services Adoption Manger Andrew Laney says that planning is more important than ever. “We’ve always got a Plan A and a Plan B. This year, I think we need to have a Plan C and D, too.” With herbicide supplies tight, Laney says growers must consider the amount of product available, application rates and the use of adjuvants. “This is year that your adjuvant should be correct to make that chemistry work so you don’t have to go back and do it again.” In the current economic environment, fertilizer applications also have to be as efficient as possible. “On the flip side of that, don’t skip fertilizer this year. That’s something that might not show up much this year, but it will in the next three or four years and you’ll be trying to dig out of a deficit.”

Synthetic Fertilizers an Option for Spring Fieldwork – Farmers may still need to secure key inputs, like fertilizer, this spring. Pivot Bio Vice President of Product Development Ernie Sanders says synthetic fertilizers are an option. “Pivot Bio PROVEN 40 delivers biological fertilizer and we’re doing our best to help cover for some of the shortages and provide growers with some extra nitrogen to be part of their program.” Since the product launched in 2019, Sanders says demand for Pivot Bio products has increased. “We’ve been growing, because we deliver a very predictable product that’s weatherproof and that farmers appreciate.”

JBS Earns Over $1 Billion in Q4 – JBS earned $1.31 billion in the final quarter of 2021. The meat packer had revenue growth of five percent from the same quarter a year ago. Beef exports to China pushed JBS’s revenue past previous records.

Titan Machinery Reports Fourth Quarter Income – Titan Machinery is reporting fiscal year 2022 fourth quarter net income of $22.4 million. That compares to 2021 fourth quarter income of $1.94 million. Chief Financial Officer Mark Kalvoda said all business segments performed well. “Our equipment business increased 16.7 percent versus prior year which was driven by strength in agriculture and our international segments.”

Strong Fiscal Year for Louis Dreyfus and a Warning for Year Ahead – The Louis Dreyfus Company is reporting net profits of $697 million for 2021. That’s up more than 82 percent from the previous year. Looking forward, the grain trading firm said the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is impacting grain export terminals in the region and will influence the financial outlook.

FuFeng Signatures Being Verified After Petition Gets Submitted – The GF Community Awareness of FuFeng Project collected more than 5,000 signatures in their bid for a citywide vote on the proposed corn wet milling project in Grand Forks. “The city has to look at the petition that came in and check the signatures just like any other petition,” Mayor Brandon Bochenski told RRFN. “Right now, there was a sufficient amount of signatures that came in to reach the threshold.” Bochenski says the city is looking at its next steps. “On our side, I think we need to look at what can we continue with and what can we hold off on. I know that the company is probably going to continue to work on their site planning and engineering. They already have some of those fixed costs that they’ve spent, so I imagine they’ll keep moving forward.”

AGP to Expand PNW Export Facilities – AGP will expand and upgrade project of export facilities at the Port of Grays Harbor in Aberdeen, Washington. The plan includes expanding its storage capacity as well as adding a new state-of-the-art ship loader with the ability to load Panamax size vessels. AGP expects operations to begin in 2025 with final construction contingent on federal, state, local and port environmental and regulatory approvals. Read the announcement.

Raven Industries Announces Facility Expansion – Raven Industries is opening a new engineering center in Scottsdale, Arizona and expanding its innovation campus in Sioux Falls. The expansion will support Raven’s work in precision farming technology, AI, autonomy and machine learning.

Changes Coming for Midwest Poultry Federation – The Midwest Poultry Federation has announced its leadership team for the year ahead. The president is Ross Thoreson of Iowa; the vice president is Lisa Beohm of Phoenix and the secretary/treasurer is Blake Renner Van Denburgh of Minnesota.  Van Denburgh works for Cargill. For 2023, the Midwest Poultry Federation will have a new name and logo.

From ASI to NPPC – Chase Adams is joining the National Pork Producers Council staff as its manager of congressional relations. Adams is now with the American Sheep Industry Association and previously worked for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Boubin Accepts New USGC Job – Mackenzie Boubin will join the U.S. Grains Council in May as its director of global ethanol market development. Boubin now serves as the biofuels and industry relations director for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. Previously, Boubin worked for the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association and CHS.

Canola Minute – On this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Executive Director Barry Coleman recaps the North Dakota District Elections for District 2.

Boesl Elected to ND Oilseed Council – Langdon farmer Paul Boesl has been elected to the North Dakota Oilseed Council board of directors. Boesl also serves on the National Sunflower Association board.

Northey Takes on New Role – Bill Northey has been named the new CEO for the Agribusiness Association of Iowa. Northey was the president of the National Corn Growers Association in 1995-1996 and was elected as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Most recently, Northey was USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation in the Trump administration. Northey will start the new role on April 18.

Appointments Announced for BWSR Board – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has made two appointments to the Board of Water and Soil Resources., Kurt Beckstrom of Milaca and Rich Sve of Two Harbors.

Dooley Endorsed for Ag Commissioner Race – A Bismarck attorney is making a bid for North Dakota agriculture commissioner. Fintan Dooley was endorsed by the Democratic Party during the state convention in Minot. Democrats also endorsed University of Jamestown professor Katrina Christiansen for U.S. Senate and University of Mary advisor Mark Haugen for the U.S. House seat.