AgDay Daily Recap - 11/05/09
11/5/2009
TODAY ON AGDAY:
November 5, 2009
South Dakota Frost: MOISTURE LEVELS ON CORN ARE MUCH HIGHER THIS YEAR THAN IN RECENT YEARS. WE'RE GETTING REPORTS OF LEVELS AS HIGH 30-PERCENT... AND OF COURSE THAT MEANS ADDED PRODUCTION COSTS. EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE WERE IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA NEAR HURLEY. TEMPERATURES DIPPED DOWN IN THE LOW 20'S AND FROST WAS ABUNDANT. DELAYS ARE ABUNDANT, AS WELL. AS OF MONDAY ONLY 12-PERCENT OF THE STATE'S CORN CROP WAS HARVESTED. THAT'S 43 POINTS BEHIND. THERE'S A SIMILAR DELAY IN THE SOY HARVEST. WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT HARVEST TOMORROW MORNING ON AGDAY.
Hoosier Harvest: INDIANA FARMER MIKE PITTS SAYS THEY'RE LOGGING ALOT OF ROAD MILES RIGHT NOW. THEIR FARM IS IN AMBIA, INDIANA - THAT'S NEAR THE ILLINOIS STATELINE. PITTS TOLD FARM JOURNAL CONSERVATION EDITOR DARRELL SMITH THAT THEIR CORN HARVEST IS ABOUT 65-PERCENT COMPLETE. PITTS SAYS "WE MOVE AROUND, TRYING TO FIND THE DRIEST FIELDS WE CAN." THERE'S ANOTHER REASON THE FAMILY IS LOGGING EXTRA ROAD TIME THIS FALL: AREA ELEVATORS WON'T ACCEPT ANYMORE TRUCKS AT NOON. PITTS SAYS THEY HARVEST FOR THE ELEVATOR UNTIL NOON. IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY GO BACK TO PICKING FOR THE FARM DRYERS. OFTEN, THAT REQUIRES MOVING TO A DIFFERENT FIELD.
Additional Costs: MIKE SAYS THEY'RE PAYING ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS AN ACRE IN DRYING COSTS -- THAT'S SOMETHING THEY HAD NOT BUDGETED. THAT'S A COMMON THEME THIS FALL THROUGH-OUT MUCH OF THE CORNBELT. TODD GLEASON LOOKS AT THOSE COSTS IN THIS REPORT PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
Indiana H1N1: THE AG DEPARTMENT SAYS AN INDIANA COMMERCIAL SWINE HERD HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE NOVEL H-ONE-N-ONE VIRUS. THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE OF SWINE FLU IN A COMMERCIAL HERD IN THE U-S. THE USDA SAYS WORKERS PASSED THE DISEASE ONTO THE HERD. BOTH THE LIVESTOCK AND WORKERS HAVE RECOVERED.
Ohio Issue 2: BY A VOTE OF ABOUT TWO-TO-ONE, OHIO VOTERS APPROVED A MEASURE THAT WOULD CREATE A LIVESTOCK CARE STANDARDS BOARD. VOTERS APPROVED "ISSUE TWO" WITH 64-PERCENT OF THE VOTE. SUPPORTERS SAY ISSUE 2 WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT ANIMAL-RIGHTS GROUPS FROM DICTATING HOW FOOD IS PRODUCED IN OHIO. THE BOARD WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING AND OVERSEEING GUIDELINES FOR THE CARE OF OHIO LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY. THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES THE ORGANIZATION SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO BAN CAGES FOR HENS AND SWINE GESTATION CRATES IN THE STATE.
Texas eminent domain: MEANWHILE TEXAS VOTERS APPROVED A MEASURE THAT COULD LEAD TO REFORM OF EMINENT DOMAIN LAWS IN THE STATE. 80-PERCENT OF VOTERS APPROVED THE ISSUE WHICH REQUIRES A CHANGE TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION. IT BANS GOVERNMENTAL BODIES IN TEXAS FROM SEIZING LAND AND GIVING IT TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. THIS IS AN ISSUE WATCHED CLOSELY BY FARMERS AND RANCHERS. THE TEXAS FARM BUREAU SAYS IT'S PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME, BUT THEY WARN IT'S ONLY A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO PROTECT FARMLAND FROM DEVELOPERS.
Texas drought disaster: ALSO IN TEXAS, THE U-S-D-A HAS DESIGNATED 69 COUNTIES IN TEXAS AS PRIMARY NATURAL DISASTER AREAS BECAUSE OF THE EXTENDED DROUGHT THIS YEAR. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO 70 COUNTIES ALREADY DECLARED AS AG DISASTERS. THIS NEW BATCH OF COUNTIES INCLUDES ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS. SOME NEIGHBORING COUNTIES IN NEW MEXICO AND OKLAHOMA ARE UNDER THE SAME DECLARATION.
CALI water reform: IN CALIFORNIA, LAWMAKERS HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD RESULT IN AN OVERHAUL OF THE STATE'S WATER SYSTEM. THE PLAN INCLUDES POLICIES THAT IMPROVES WATER CONSERVATION, GROUNDWATER MONITORING, AND WATER RIGHTS. IT ALSO PLACES A BOND ISSUE ON THE BALLOT NEXT YEAR TO HELP PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES. THE ELEVEN BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE RESTORATION TO THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA. THAT'S KEY TO CALIFORNIA'S AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY, WHICH RELIES ON A RELIABLE SUPPLY OF WATER RUNNING THROUGH CANALS TO IRRIGATE FARMLAND IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
AEM: AS WE MOVE THROUGH FALL AND HEAD TOWARDS WINTER, WE KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE MAKING TRAVEL PLANS TO ATTEND A VARIETY OF AGRIBUSINESS SHOWS. ONE TO KEEP IN MIND IS THE BRAND NEW AG-CONNECT EXPO. IT'S SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 13TH-THRU-THE 15TH IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA. ORGANIZERS SAY THIS EXPO WILL PROVIDE PRODUCERS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION TO MAKE YOUR OPERATION RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY. FARM JOURNAL MEDIA IS PROUD TO HAVE A KEY ROLE IN THIS SHOW. WE'LL HAVE OUR EXPERTS THERE TO DISCUSS CROP MARKETING, FAMILY SUCCESS PLANS AND A LOT MORE. GO TO AG-CONNECT-DOT-COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Analysis: Charlie O’Brien VP Ag services at AEM
In the Country: SOUTHEAST OREGON CLAIMS SOME OF THE MOST ISOLATED RANGELANDS IN THE UNITED STATES...IT'S GOOD COUNTRY FOR RAISING CATTLE. IT'S ALSO HOME TO LONG-TIME RANCHER JOHN SCOTT. HE'S DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO ANIMAL CARE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. IN THIS REPORT PROVIDED BY THE OREGON CATTLEMEN'S AND AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATIONS, WE HEAR FROM JOHN ABOUT HIS LOVE OF LAND AND FOR HIS HERD.
CALI wine grapes: THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA GRAPE PRODUCERS...BECAUSE CONSUMERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR WINE-DRINKING HABITS. ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU, WINE-GRAPE GROWERS ARE CHANGING THEIR MARKETING PLANS. SOME GROWERS HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SELLING THEIR FRUIT TO WINERIES. WINERIES ARE REPORTING SLOWER SALES OF THEIR HIGH-END WINES. CONSUMERS ARE GOING TOWARDS LESS EXPENSIVE VARIETIES. ECONOMISTS SAY DEMAND FOR HIGHER PRICED WINE WILL RECOVER, BUT NOT IN THE SHORT-TERM.
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