Melissa Hammer Joins RRFN Team – The Red River Farm Network is pleased to introduce the latest addition to our farm broadcast team. Melissa Hammer is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Crookston where she studied agriculture business and animal science. Melissa was raised on a hobby farm at Aldrich, Minnesota. She joins Don Wick, Randy Koenen and Tyler Donaldson in ‘Reporting Agriculture’s Business. Melissa can be reached at melissa@rrfn.com.

An Awesome Start – CHS Ag Services Sales Agronomist Mackenzie Derry serves an area from Hillsboro to Grand Forks and reports the planters are rolling again. She has farmers in her area just starting to get into the field and others who are very close to finishing with corn planting. “I’m really excited to see everything coming out of the rows,” said Mackenzie. “The sugarbeet stands are absolutely awesome; the early planted wheat has been fantastic.”

Spring Wheat Stand in Good Shape – University of Minnesota Small Grains Specialist Jochum Wiersma is pleased with the condition of the small grain crop. “I think, overall, the earliest seeded which was in the first and second week of April looks good. I don’t see any stand problems. We’re going to see a little bit of drown-outs with some standing water in the fields. The crop that got seeded late, in the third week of April, especially in the Southern (Red River) Valley, is all coming through and popping out of the ground now so I think we’re in good shape.”

WestBred Wheat Report – In the latest WestBred Wheat Report, WestBred Technical Product Manager Justin Berg highlights weed control for the newly-seeded crop. “I’d encourage them to think about what weeds they’ll be dealing with, whether it is kochia, thistle or something of the sort.” Crop rotation flexibility is also part of the decision process.

Early Detection Is the Key – The combination of cool, wet soils is a perfect breeding ground for plant disease. “We anticipate a lot of the residue-born diseases, such as Tan Spot and Septoria, could be a problem this year,” said Connie Strunk, plant pathologist, SDSU Extension. “We’re also hearing reports of Stripe Rust in southern Nebraska already, so we’ll have to watch out for that.” The South Dakota Pest Management Guide can assist with fungicide application decisions.

Patience – Grand Forks-based Asgrow/Dekalb Technical Agronomist Derek Pruitt doesn’t think much corn or soybeans were planted in his territory before the rain. Pruitt expects field conditions to improve rapidly. “We’ve got really good equipment to where we can go pretty quick,” said Pruitt. “Be patient, wait for the fields to be ready but go when they’re ready.”

Subsoil Remains Dry – After numerous rain delays, field conditions are improving. “The moisture helps,” said Derek Haug, regional sales manager, Thunder Seed. “We’re still dry, it was just a few days ago when we had the 40, 50 and 60 miles-per-hour winds and you saw those big dust clouds of topsoil blowing around. Even with the moisture, we’re still dry, but, we’re at least planting into some fairly good conditions.”

Much Needed Moisture – The early May rain was welcomed by many of the farmers on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. “We really needed the moisture, it was extremely dry,” said Wolford, North Dakota’s Chris Brossart. Planting has resumed after the weather-related pause. “We probably got about 50 percent of our small grains planted before the rains came.”

Heading Back to the Field – Farmers in Belgrade, Minnesota are starting to get back into the fields following the recent rains.  “We had close to five inches of rain, the ground got pretty saturated,” said John Mages. Mages said area farmers were able to get a decent amount of corn planted before the wet conditions and now that the weather is calming down, planting has resumed.

Ready to Resume Planting – JS Ag Consulting agronomist Jason Hodous says the recent rains had many farmers itching to get back into the fields. “We needed it, we were real dry before all the rain.” Hodous is based in Devils Lake, North Dakota.

A Great Window of Opportunity for Corn – Planters were parked for a portion of this past week due to rain delays. “The first two inches of rain we had were much needed, we had soils in very dry condition,” said Pat Radermacher, district sales manager, AgriGold. “The last two or three inches (of rain) created delays in planting progress.” Radermacher, who is based at Battle Lake in west-central Minnesota, is not concerned about the weather delay. “We’ve still got a great window of opportunity to get our corn acres planted using adapted hybrids across the area.”

The Drought is Over – Southwest Minnesota has seen four-to-six inches of rain in the past couple of weeks. “The drought is over; we’ve got water standing, tiles are running full and the subsoil (moisture) is definitely recharged,” said Jim Nesseth, who operates Extended Ag Services at Lakefield, Minnesota. “Tremendous progress was made. I’d estimate 75 percent of the corn is planted and maybe 40 percent of the beans”  The trend in the region has been to plant soybeans before corn.”We’ve got some producers that got all their beans in and haven’t started their corn so they’re getting a little bit nervous.”

Replants Likely in SW MN – Farmers made decent planting progress in early April in the Worthington, Minnesota area. Matt Widboom says emergence has been slow. Replants will be a necessity for some of those acres. “I think we’ll have more soybeans replanted than corn,” said Widboom. “A lot of the beans were planted first in early April and some of those beans did come up early. We had 27-degree mornings that mowed them off and they’ll need to be replanted.”

Planting Pushes Forward – Early-season crops are off to a nice start. “There’s a lot of good-looking wheat fields and the beet acres in the southern part of the (Red River) Valley are about 98 percent complete,” said Vicki Dekkers, regional manager, Vive Crop Protection. For corn, Dekkers advises the crop planted in cold, wet soil could benefit from a fungicide application for even emergence and overall plant health.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – With cool soil conditions and the off-and-on again showers, there are questions about tightening up maturities. In the latest Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Field Agronomist Larry Lunder has the answer. “In data collected from 2012 to 2023 would say do not switch.” Lunder cites a comprehensive study that found the best planting date for yield ranged from May 10 to May 20 with no yield dropoff until after May 20.” Listen to the update.

Evaluate Corn for Imbibitional Chilling Injury – In the latest NDSU Crop and Pest Report, Extension Agronomist Clair Keene advises farmers who planted early to check corn for imbibitional chilling injury. “A day or two after planting, if it’s cold or wet soil, that cold water that the seed absorbs could be cold enough to damage the seed.” Damage could lead to malformed roots and shoots and poor germination.

A Majority of the Crop Planted in Southern MN – As of the first week of May, Golden Harvest Seeds Sales Representative Brian Langeland said most of the corn crop and half of the soybeans in southcentral Minnesota were in the ground. “We’ve got a lot of planting done in between all the rain.” Langeland describes the soil conditions as “great.”

SCN is a Likely Problem in ’24 – In the latest NDSU Crop and Pest Report, NDSU Plant Pathologist Wade Webster shares his thoughts on the soybean disease outlook. With a warm and dry 2023 season, Soybean Cyst Nematode counts were high so the number of eggs in the soil is likely to cause yield losses. Due to the moisture-rich environment, seedling diseases and white mold also have conditions to thrive. Webster will also be on the lookout for Frogeye Leaf Spot this season.

A Big Payback for a Pre – Weed management begins early to set the crop up for success. “Put a pre on the beans if you can,” recommends Ron Truax, who leads the Spring Creek Ag Pioneer Agency at Litchville, North Dakota. “That pre-emergence herbicide is always a big payback if a guy can get that on; it really helps with the weed control later on.”

Enlist + Liberty Interview #3 – Enlist Field Specialist Steve Snyder offers recommendations for applying postemergence herbicide. “We’re finding the use of adjuvants to be critical.” The proper nozzle is also important. In the third interview in our series, Snyder has more details. Listen to the interview.  More details can be found on the Enlist website.

Beet Crop Doesn’t Like the Windy Days – For Wolverton, Minnesota farmer Jay Nord, soil conditions have been good for planting. It’s the wind that’s been giving Nord and other farmers trouble. “The wheat is pretty much all planted in our area. The sugarbeets were planted, but some were lost (due to strong winds).”

S/D Report Bumps U.S. Corn Supply – The Agriculture Department calls for larger corn supplies, greater domestic usage, higher ending stocks, and higher exports. Corn ending stocks are projected to be up 80 million bushels from last year. The season-average farm price is projected to be $4.40 per bushel, 25 cents lower than last year.

Still Bearish, But Better Than Anticipated – Zaner Group ag hedge lead Ted Seifried says the May WASDE Report was slightly friendly for the corn market. “The old crop corn carryover came down by a 100 million bushels which was more than the trade was expecting,” said Seifried. “The first look at the new crop carryover came in a little bit below expectations at a 2.1 billion. These are all still rather bearish numbers, but less bearish than we were expecting.” In Seifried’s view, this report may pull the whole planting delay narrative back into the limelight.

U.S. Wheat Projections – U.S. wheat supplies are estimated to be up six percent from last year on larger carry-in stocks and production. Wheat ending stocks are projected to be 766 million bushels, up 11 percent whe compared to last year. The projected season average price forecast is $6 per bushel, down $1.10 from a year ago.

World Wheat Production at Record Levels – USDA lowered global wheat supplies by 2.2 million metric tons to 1.05 million tonnes. Global wheat production is projected at a record 798 million tonnes but lower carry-in projection from several countries more than offset the production increase. World Corn production is forecast to decline to 1.22 billion metric tons, partially offsetting larger production for South America, the E.U., China and Mexico. Global soybean production is forecast to increase 28.9 million tonnes on larger crops in South America, the United States and South Africa.

Brazilian Corn Estimate May Boost U.S. Demand – Following the release of USDA’s monthly Supply and Demand Report, Total Farm Marketing Senior Market Advisor Naomi Blohm said it offered friendly news for corn. “Because there was nothing unexpectedly bearish, the market has every reason now to hold the gains it has made in the past week.” Blohm said the lower Brazilian corn crop estimates could lead to more demand. “If that Brazil number comes down anymore, we may see more export business come to the United States.”

Little Change to South American S/D Numbers – USDA made only minor changes to Brazil’s soybean production, lowering it by one million metric tons. Traders expected USDA to lower Brazil’s soybean production number to 152.2 million metric tons. USDA also lowered Brazil’s corn production by two million tons to 122 million tons. USDA made no changes to Argentia’s soybean production and lowered corn production by two million tons.

Sugarbeet Outlook – According to the USDA, old crop beet sugar production declined to just over 5 million short tons, raw value. Processing continues for another month in the Red River Valley where the beet pile shrink is at nine percent but sucrose has decreased to 14.75 percent with increased impurities in sliced beets. Projected beet sugar production for this year is 5.1 million short tons, raw value with the area planted at 31.52 tons per acre due to the high number of sugarbeets already planted by May 5.

Sugarbeet Report – Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Dr. Tom Peters is featured in this week’s Sugarbeet Report. Peters discusses the rain and how it has affected weed control. “There’s a lot lambsquarter out there; kochia has been more spotty and I don’t see it growing a lot yet and that may be due to the cooler weather.”

El Nino and La Nina – According to a U.S. government forecaster, the El Nino weather pattern will likely disappear by June. La Nina is expected to take its place in the second half of the year. The period between these two patterns is generally detrimental for farmers as it can create wildfires, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts. La Nina is expected to affect wheat and corn in the U.S. and soybeans, barley, wheat, and corn in South America.

Waiting for the La Nina – The transition from El Nino to the upcoming La Nina is being closely monitored. “Every El Nino and La Nina has a different flavor and we’re curious what the flavor of this La Nina is going to be,” said Nutrien Ag Solutions Senior Science Fellow Eric Snodgrass. The change in climate patterns will influence the potential for drought. “We watch the North Pacific Ocean temperatures right up around the Gulf of Alaska. If those temperatures get colder and colder, that is the strongest signal you’ll find that the whole Cornbelt has a greater drought risk.”

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 cites the Dow Jones Industrial Average as one of the ‘hot’ aspects of the market. “That’s had eight stronger sessions,” said Martinson. “It is hopefully showing that the economy is improving.” The wheat market is another positive story. Soybeans, crude oil and gold are on the other side of the market.

AURI Update – AURI invites you to join the webinar on regional models for aggregation and marketing of novelty and specialty crops. It will be held Thursday at noon. This is the final in the three-part series on supply chain development of specialty crops. Get more details in this AURI Update.  

Leafhoppers Gobble Up Argentine Crop – Argentina is facing floods in the south and drought in the center of the country. Argentine farmers are also dealing with significant insect pressure. An analysis from the Rosario Grains Exchange found leafhopper numbers in northern Argentina are ten times the normal level. In the main corn-growing region of Cordoba, leafhoppers have caused losses of nearly $1.2 billion in corn.

More Rain in Southern Brazil – Since Friday morning, central and northeastern Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil received 3.5-to-7.5 inches of rain. Much of that area received 12-to-25 inches in the last wave of heavy rains in late April and early May. More rain is in the forecast for later this week.

Crop Losses in Southern Brazil – Heavy rains have left the conclusion of southern Brazil’s soybean harvest a big question mark. Soybean and Corn Advisor President Michael Cordonnier says the damage done to the soybean crop is unknown. “Widespread flooding and they still had about 25 percent of the soybeans left to harvest,” said Cordonnier. “They had about 4, 5 million tons left in the fields and most people think they lost one-to-two million tons, some of the plants are underwater or just not harvestable.”

Assessing Frost Damage in Russia – Wheat markets reacted this past week to freezing temperatures in Russia. World Weather Incorporated says temps dropped into the mid-to-upper 20s in central and southern Russia and extremes in the upper teens in the north. Weekend temps were much warmer. Crop damage assessments are continuing, but damage likely was seen in the small grains and rapeseed crop north of Ukraine and east into northwestern Kazakhstan.

Markets Remain Murky Amidst Wartime – The war between Russia and Ukraine, has caused significant disruptions to the U.S. wheat industry. USDA Foreign Agriculture Service Administrator Daniel Whitley says the issue goes beyond supply and demand issues. “It’s our knowledge base,” said Whitley. “We had two offices in Russia and we don’t have any offices now in Russia so we’re not able to get a good idea of what’s happening and there’s not a lot of trust in the data they report.” Since Russia is such a large player in the wheat export market, the lack of accurate information puts the rest of the world at a disadvantage.

Tariff Decision May Impact Soybean Oil – The Biden Administration is scheduled to raise tariffs on products produced in China as soon as this week. The list of products has not been released, but there is speculation used cooking oil will be impacted. Market analysts believe a tariff increase would drive more demand for soybean oil.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, USDA Foreign Ag Service Administrator Daniel Whitley highlights opportunities for exporting high-value specialty crops, like dry edible beans. Listen to the report. 

More Farm Bill Details Released – House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has released a title-by-title summary of his farm bill. It increases support for the Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage programs to account for inflation and rising production costs. It reallocates Inflation Reduction Act conservation dollars to increase the investment in the conservation title. Regarding crop insurance, Thompson’s bill will expand premium assistance for beginning and veteran farmers. The full text of the legislation will be released on Friday and marked up in the committee on May 23.

Baseline Worries – A major piece of legislation, like the farm bill, requires compromise. North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer is concerned that the compromise will include changes to the baseline, citing the spending devoted to nutrition programs and conservation during the pandemic and the Inflation Reduction Act.  “We knew that would change the baselines and we still need to fight back so that that doesn’t become the permanent baseline and I worry that is in the making.”

FARMER Act Introduced in House – Minnesota Representatives Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad have introduced the FARMER Act in the House. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven proposed this bill in the Upper Chamber. It increases premium support, allowing farmers buy up higher levels of crop insurance. It also expands the coverage level for SCO. The goal is to include the crop insurance provisions in the new farm bill.

EPA Administrator Addresses E15 Waiver – Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday. Regan was asked to comment on E15 waiver for year-round use. “We have worked on satisfying that waiver request for eight states and for fiscal years 2025 and beyond. Those waivers will be permanent for those states to use E15 throughout the summers so that gives those eight  states a level of certainty for future investments in the production of biofuels.” Minnesota and South Dakota are among the eight Midwestern states that petitioned for the E15.

Devil’s in the Details – The new guidelines for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits specify certain farming practices. Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad does not like the direction taken with the new guidelines. “The devil’s in the details and the devil is all over the place in those details,” said Finstad. “What works on my farm doesn’t work on a farm 20 miles away from me, let alone 200 or 2,000 miles away from me. This heavy-handed top-down approach thinking they have all of the environmental answers just doesn’t make sense.” Finstad farms at New Ulm, Minnesota and is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

NASS Reports Victim of Slow Budget Approval – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service dropped key reports last month, including the July Cattle Report and the county grain and livestock estimates. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack blames Congressional budget delays for the decision. “October 1 comes and no budget, it’s a continuing resolution,” said Vilsack. “Now if they would have attached the same budget on October 1, we would have had the entire year to make adjustments, but when you basically have a budget that is flatlined where you have to absorb pay increases and Congress takes more authority away from you and you only have seven months to absorb the cut, it’s really hard.”  Vilsack said the NASS budget was cut. “So you don’t have much option.”

USDA Responds to Loss of NASS County Reports – During a National Agricultural Statistics Service webinar,  Agricultural Statistics Board Chair Lance Honig downplayed concerns about the decision to drop county-level crop and livestock reports.  “We did reach out to FSA and FPAC (Farm Production and Conservation Business Center) and had a conversation on how they utilize that data,” said Honig. “The bottom line is it will have minimal impact on the work they’re doing there.” Agricultural Statistics Board Executive Director Troy Joshua does see value in these reports. “If funding is restored, we would definitely bring that program back., we have heard from our data users how valuable that information is to them.”

Rounds Seeks Ban on Electronic ID Mandate – South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds has introduced legislation to block USDA’s mandate for electronic identification ear tags on interstate cattle shipments. R-CALF USA praised the bill, saying it preserves the rights for farmers and ranchers to choose the ear tags that work best in their management systems.

Farming for the Future – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Red River Farm Network and the Linder Farm Network to provide information on soil health events and topics. This week, Jonathan Kilpatrick, farmer education director, Sustainable Farming Association, joins Farming for the Future to talk about how he works with and promotes the certification program for farmers. Listen to the update. 

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, Northern Canola Growers Association Communication Director Lindy Coutts joins us. With the release of the new sustainable aviation fuel guidelines, Coutts said there is opportunity for canola. 

Supplemental Ag Budget Bill Gets House Approval – The Minnesota House has passed the agriculture budget bill. “We all share a common goal to have clean water, good food and a strong agricultural economy and these things make up the building blocks of Minnesota and why people continue to thrive in our state,” said House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang. “We all have a duty to be good land stewards, to thrive and raise healthy communities, and be resilient on emerging issues we’ve heard this year like avian influenza and nitrate contamination.” This bill includes a significant investment to address groundwater contamination in southeastern Minnesota. There’s also money for the AGRI program that pays for everything from farm-to-school nutrition programs and pollinator research.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Director of Public Policy Pierce Bennett is preparing for the last day of the legislative session May 20. “It is a fluid environment, but we are noticing some movement as we approach the finish line.” Listen to the update.  

Senate Ag Legislation Combined With Non-Related Bills – The Minnesota Senate passed the Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Environment, and Climate supplemental budget with a vote of 36-to-30. The Republican lead for the agriculture committee, Senator Torrey Westrom, said he likes the agriculture segment of the bill. However, Westrom said the ag bill was tied to two more controversial measures. “I wish we could be voting on this subject matter alone in this bill because I think you’d see a vastly different result in the vote.” The ag section of the bill includes a significant investment to address the water quality issues in the Karst Region of southeast Minnesota. There’s special language to deal with High Path Avian Influenza and funding for the AGRI grant programs.

Crunch Time for Minnesota Legislation – The Minnesota legislative session is in the final stretch with just one week remaining. According to Minnesota Farmer’s Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey, the ag bill is moving in an unorthodox way. “The House and Senate agriculture bills were combined with the Energy and Commerce proposals, which makes it a bigger supplemental budget.” The bill addresses many issues including groundwater contamination and the H5N1 threat.

A Proposal to Limit Train Length – State Senator Rob Kupec sponsored two railroad safety bills in the Minnesota Legislature this session. One provision would limit train length to less than 8,500 feet. “When I’ve checked, there are no ag facilities within the state of Minnesota that can load trains of that length,” said Kupec. “Most grain trains are 110 or 120 cars, well short of this (total) so it really would not have any impact on that. Also, with longer trains, we don’t have the sidings and it sometimes congests traffic.” Monday, May 20, is the last day of the Minnesota legislative session.

H5N1 Surveillance Continues – The health risk to people from H5N1 or avian influenza is extremely low. In a webinar hosted by the World Health Organization, WHO Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkkove said the work is continuing on the consequences from H5N1. “We’re not sitting back and monitoring the situation and watching the situation. There’s a lot of active surveillance ongoing in different animal species and we’re asking for more.” Kerkkove asked for help from scientists, public health professionals and animal health professionals to help assess these viruses.

Cattle Prices Expected to Remain Strong into ’25 – In its supply/demand report, USDA reduced 2024 U.S. red meat and poultry production from last month. Output is forecast to be lower for broilers, turkeys and pork. Beef production rose due to increased cattle slaughter and heavier dressed weights. For 2025, cattle prices are expected to continue upward due to tighter domestic supplies and higher heifer retention rates. This year’s milk production was adjusted higher with rising per-cow milk production and a larger dairy herd.

Fall Calf Prices – According to NDSU Livestock Marketing Specialist Tim Petry, 2024 calf prices will be affected by calf supplies, corn prices, and fed cattle prices. Lower retention rates from last year will create a smaller calf crop this fall. The volatility of the corn market will also play a big role in prices. Petry says price fluctuation will continue and setting price floors using futures or livestock risk protection can help to lower risk.

MN Beef Update – The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association has been busy meeting with lawmakers at the national and state level. MSCA Executive Director Kaitlyn Root has an update on the association’s recent policy work in this week’s Minnesota Beef Update.

Canada Cattle Import Restrictions – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has created more requirements when importing dairy cattle from the U.S. This is in response to the first confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a dairy herd in late March. Since April 29^th, breeding cattle have been required to have milk tested and a negative test to cross the border. Farmers must be willing to voluntarily test asymptomatic cattle as well.

Pastureland Values Rise – For the fourth year in a row, pastureland values in North Dakota have increased. According to North Dakota Department of Trust Lands Annual Land Survey, cash rents for pasture ground will go up more than four percent this year, topping $23 per acre. The average value of pastureland in the state increased 6.6 percent to $1,355 per acre. NDSU Extension Agriculture Finance Specialist Bryon Parman expects this trend to continue with the good grass and strong beef cattle prices this spring.

ND Beef Commission Represented on Southeast Asia Trade Mission – Bismarck rancher Jess Nehl has gained a first-person perspective about the beef checkoff and international markets. Nehl, who is the secretary-treasurer of the North Dakota Beef Commission, has been part of a U.S. Meat Export Federation trade mission to South Korea and Japan. Nehl learned about consumer trends when in South Korea. “We learned about the cuts that they’re consuming,” said Nehl. “I find it interesting that the amount of rice they consume has decreased exponentially over the last 20 years while their beef consumption has drastically increased in the last two or three years.” Reflecting on his experience, Nehl said it is great to know the beef checkoff dollar is being put to good use.” Listen to the full interview.

Texas Wildfire Losses – Economists at Texas A&M AgriLife Service estimate the Panhandle wildfires have caused $123 million in agricultural losses. More than 1.2 million acres were been burnt by the wildfires. Cattle losses include 12,000 head and an estimated $68 million in facilities, supplies and feed. These estimates are predicted to keep climbing as more details emerge.

Federal Relief on the Way for Dairy Farmers – There’s financial support coming for dairy farmers dealing with H5N1 in their cattle. That includes reimbursements for veterinarian costs associated with the virus. “We’re going to provide funding for heat treatment to dispose of milk in a bio-secure fashion,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This is going to provide producers a safe option for disposing of milk.” Vilsack also announced increases in federal surveillance and testing of human and animal health.

Milk Price Recovery Moderates, But Remains Positive – The Rabobank quarterly dairy report forecasts global milk production to expand modestly in the third quarter. Low feed costs are expected to improve margins at the farm level. Global dairy demand will likely increase slowly in the second half of this year. A difficult economy is expected to keep consumer demand flat in Europe. A reduction in dairy prices should help U.S. consumers, but significant sales growth is not being forecast.

Dairy Consensus – The United States and Mexico have renewed their commitment to work together on mutually beneficial dairy policies. This agreement calls for improving trade relations between the two countries, promoting dairy consumption and defending common food names. The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council led the U.S. delegation.

California Lawmaker Criticizes Prop 12 – California’s Proposition 12 regulates the housing standards for pregnant sows, laying hens, and veal calves. California Republican Congressman John Duarte does not support this animal welfare measure. “This is disgusting,” Duarte told farm broadcasters. “This is just somebody’s morality exercised in policy in California affecting the affordability of animal protein for California residents.” Duarte compares Prop 12 to the mining of critical minerals overseas. “I’m a lot more concerned about human slave labor in the Congo than I am about telling the farmer who raises pigs and has a very economic and deep interest in their health and welfare how to raise a pig or how a chicken should lay an egg.”

New Herbicide Resistance Test Available – A new rapid test that detects Group 14 herbicide resistance in kochia and pigweeds could be a game-changer for combatting herbicide resistance. According to NDSU Extension Weed Specialist Joe Ikley, the test should shave months from the old testing process. “We’ll be able to collect leaf tissue, extract DNA and within a week get results back to see if the plants have the genetic mutation that causes herbicide resistance.” The new test, developed by the National Agricultural Genotyping Center at NDSU, can detect Group 14 PPO-inhibiting resistance in kochia and pigweeds. It also tests for resistance to glyphosate, Group 9 and ALS-inhibitors Group 2. For more information on testing and how to participate go to https://genotypingcenter.com/

Managing Weeds in Cereal Grains – The crop is going to go in the ground within a tight window. Bayer Cropscience Field Sales Representative Carter Medalen has weed management recommendations for cereal grains. Listen to the interview.

Polish Farmer Protests – In the Polish capital of Warsaw, thousands of protestors showed their objection to European Union environmental regulations. Farmers and representatives are protesting cheap food imports from Ukraine and restrictions due to the European Union’s Green Deal. While the Polish government has allocated nearly $527 million to compensate for low grain prices, the farmers say it is not enough.

Canadian Rail Strike Looms – The Agricultural Transportation Working Group is asking the Canadian labor minister to take “swift action” to avert a Canadian rail strike. The Canadian National and CPKC railroads are facing a strike that could begin as soon as May 22. This coalition, which includes 20 U.S. farm groups, said a disruption in rail service would impact all of North America.

China Approves Gene-Edited Wheat – The Chinese government has approved its first gene-edited wheat variety. This is a disease-resistant variety that is being grown for the food market. The agriculture ministry also approved a new biotech corn with herbicide and insect-resistant traits and a high-yielding gene-edited corn hybrid. China has been slow to adopt biotechnology, but has ramped up its approvals in the past year.

A Joint Regulatory Plan for Biotechnology – USDA, EPA and Food and Drug Administration have issued a joint plan to streamline and clarify regulations for biotechnology. A whole-government approach includes oversight of biotech crops, animals and microorganisms.

SD Corn Comments – South Dakota Corn Comments is a presentation of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. This week, Corn Comments features Shauna Nickeson, who is a wife, mother and teacher from Pierpont, South Dakota. Nickeson shares a special Mother’s Day message. The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council wishes all the moms a very Happy Mother’s Day. 

Support for Underserved Farmers – USDA has announced more than $22 million is being made available to non-profits, universities and tribal entities to help underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. Grant applications will be accepted through July 5.

Devils Lake Discharge Operations Begin – The North Dakota Department of Water Resources has started its annual discharge operations on the Devils Lake West End Outlet at 200 cubic square feet per second. The East End Outlet could start running as soon as next week. At full capacity, the Devils Lake outlets can discharge 600 square feet per second combined. The goal is to remove as much flood water as possible from Devils Lake.

Wheat Tour This Week – The Wheat Quality Council Winter Wheat Tour will be held this week. WQC Executive Vice President Dave Green says interest in the Kansas wheat crop remains high. Per usual, a widely variable crop is anticipated in Kansas. “The southwest is the hardest hit with a lack of rain and I think it stretches a little further east and north than they would like,” said Green. “It’s always a little different when we’re actually out there counting and measuring and I think we will get a little better feel for it then.”

MN Ag in the Classroom Teacher Tours Coming Up – Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is preparing to host its summer teacher tours. “Our summer teacher tours are definitely the highlight of our summer,” said Sue Knott, education specialist, MAITC. “This summer we are offering three different one-day experiences and kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers can register to join us. We have a curriculum connections portion where we provide lesson plans and activity ideas and supporting resources so teachers can bring those experiences back to their students and use them in their classrooms.” Each tour is different and has its own focus points within Minnesota’s agriculture. More information as well as registration for the tours can be found on mn.agclassroom.org.

RRFN Interview: AgCountry Business Development EVP Marc Knisley – The collaboration agreement between AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit has been in place for nearly a month. This is the largest collaboration of its kind in the Farm Credit System. Marc Knisley, who is the executive vice president of AgCountry Business Development, said this collaboration protects the local brand presence. “It is an opportunity to keep these local associations more local, let them leverage the scale of working together and maybe slow down the merger trend that we’ve seen.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Knisley said this was a board-driven decision. The three entities will share leadership, planning and technology while local boards, offices and programs will be maintained. “It’s not really a take-away, it is more of the added value that the broader leadership team can bring and the depth of knowledge and experience that we can bring in a collaboration.” The full interview with Knisley is available on the Red River Farm Network website.

MT Beet Plant, Equipment Up for Bids – The Sidney Sugars facility at Sidney, Montana is being sold by auction. The sugarbeet processing plant is owned by American Crystal Sugar Company and shut down over a year ago. Sealed bids are due by June 26.

Bayer Submits XtendiMax Label Proposal – Bayer has submitted an updated label proposal for the dicamba herbicide XtendiMax. The new label would suggest a maximum of two applications and a cutoff date of June 12 for soybeans. According to the proposed label, over the top application is not regulated. The Environmental Protection Agency has 17 months to review the label and make a decision which could affect the 2025 crop.

Comment Period Opens for New Glufosinate-P Herbicide – The Environmental Protection Agency has a public comment period open until June 8 regarding the proposed registration of a new glufosinate formulation. This is for the active ingredient in BASF’s Liberty ULTRA herbicide. This registration would be for glufosinate-resistant corn, soybeans and canola to control grass and broadleaf weeds, like waterhemp and kochia.

FMC Quarterly Financials Released – At $918 million, FMC’s first-quarter revenue was down 32 percent from last year. Income was affected by channel destocking in all regions. North American sales dropped 48 percent from a record-breaking quarter one year ago. Fungicide sales outpaced the rest of the portfolio with the introduction of two new products, Xyway and Adastrio.

Nutrien Quarterly Update – Nutrien Ag Solution’s first quarter financials showed net earnings of $165 million, 12 percent less than last year at this time. The downturn is due to lower fertilizer selling prices. Increased retail earnings, high fertilizer sales volume and lower natural gas costs partially offset that. Nutrien President and CEO, Ken Seitz expects growth in retail earnings and fertilizer sales volume as the year continues.

Difficult Q1 for Beyond Meat – The plant-based food company, Beyond Meat, posted a larger-than-expected loss in the first quarter. Overall revenues totaled nearly $76 million, down from $92 million one year ago. The company suffered a net quarterly loss of $54 million. Looking ahead to the balance of the year, Beyond Meat officials said its financial outlook remains uncertain due to inflation, high interest rates and weak demand for the plant-based meat category.

World Food Prize Honorees Named – The World Food Prize will be presented to Global Crop Diversity Trust Founding Director Geoffrey Hawton and the U.S. special envoy for global food security Cary Fowler. Hawton and Fowler are responsible for the development of the Global Seed Vault. The World Food Prize will be awarded in mid-October in Des Moines.

Kay Leads AFA – Scott Kay is the new board chair for Agriculture Future of America. Kay is the vice president of BASF Agricultural Solutions and has been on the AFA board since 2018. Joel Mathiowetz of Mathiowetz Family Farms at Morgan, Minnesota is the vice chair. Mathiowetz is the executive director of the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation and owns Farm Gate Consulting. AFA connects students pursuing careers in agriculture and food with industry leaders and resources.

Broton to Succeed Nelsen at AgriGrowth – The Minnesota AgriGrowth Council has named its new executive director. Darin Broton has spent the past 25 years at the cross-section of communications, policy and politics. Broton is now with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and has previous experience in the Attorney General’s Office and the Tunheim consulting firm. Broton says AgriGrowth has a role as an advocate for Minnesota agriculture. “The ag community can either be in the driver’s seat and helping drive these changes and conversations or we can be in the backseat,” Broton told RRFN. “If we’re in the backseat, we’re going to have things thrust upon us versus being a proactive, thoughtful convener and problem solver to help solve multiple challenges.” Broton’s start date is June 10. AgriGrowth’s current executive director, Tamara Nelsen, is retiring. Listen to the full interview. 

Clark Named Farm Rescue Executive Director – Nate Clark has been named as the new executive director of Farm Rescue. Clark was previously with John Deere where he held titles of global director of corporate social responsibility and president of the John Deere Foundation. Founder and President of Farm Rescue, Bill Gross, said Clark has strength in his expertise, industry knowledge, and commitment to farm families and rural communities.

Northfield Vet to be Recognized at Leman Swine Conference – Northfield, Minnesota veterinarian Dr. Matt Allerson will receive the Science in Practice Award at the Leman Swine Conference in September. This award recognizes swine practitioners who use science to solve critical health and production problems for pork producers. Allerson leads a team of veterinarians at one of the largest family-owned swine production systems in the country, Holden Farms.

Stump Joins Workforce Council – National FFA Organization CEO Scott Stump has been appointed to the National Workforce Readiness Council board of directors. NWRC was created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to focus on workforce development, training and advocacy.

Ingalls to be Inducted into SD HOF – The South Dakota Hall of Fame recognizes individuals in the fields of business, education, entertainment and agriculture. In the agriculture category, Hugh Ingalls will be inducted this fall. Ingalls is being recognized for his work in the development of the Angus beef breed and his commitment to genetic research.

NDSU Extension Hires Pires as Soil Health Specialist – North Dakota State University Extension has welcomed Carlos Pires as a soil health specialist and assistant professor for the School of Natural Resource Sciences. Pires received his doctorate and post doctorate from Kansas State University where he studied enhancing soil health and sustainable winter wheat production. A Brazil native, Pires also founded AgroConnection, which aims to connect agricultural stakeholders worldwide and facilitate the exchange of knowledge.

After 44 Years, Hellevang to Retire – NDSU Extension Engineer Ken Hellevang will retire at the end of the month. Hellevang has been with NDSU for 44 years and has made significant contributions to grain storage and grain drying business. Hellevang will be honored at a farewell reception May 21 on the NDSU campus.