May 18, 2012

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House Ag Subcommittee talks crop insurance & commodity programs

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The House farm bill process is under way again this week, with House Ag Committee subcommittees continuing a series of hearings on key farm policy issues ahead of mark-up. Hearings Wednesday and today covered commodity programs and crop insurance.

Witnesses focused on the need for meaningful price protection, payments that would kick in only when needed and policy that is fair to all commodities and producers.

When addressing crop insurance, University of Illinois’s Gary Schnitkey says that there are gaps in the program, but the Senate plan accounts for them.

Schnitkey

But, Dee Vaughan, President of the Southwest Council of Agribusiness in Texas disagrees.

Vaughan 1

And Vaughan says that protecting against multi-year deep prices declines is not just a rice or peanuts issue.

Vaughan 2

The witnesses did agree that the farm bill needs to get done this year to ensure producers will have certainty this fall when planning for the 2013 growing season.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Stallman…

Stallman

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Filed Under: Crops, National News, News

Pioneer moves to sell soybean products by seed count per unit

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pioneer Hi-Bred announced that it will sell its soybean products by seed count per unit, rather than by weight, beginning in the fall of 2012 for varieties sold throughout North America for the 2013 planting season. The number of soybean seeds sold per unit by Pioneer will be 140,000.

The company says it is an advantage to its customers because buying by seed count provides a simple, convenient and more accurate means of planning their soybean crop.

“Our customers will benefit because they can more easily calculate the number of units they need based on their desired planting rates because the seed quantity per unit will always be consistent,” says Don Schafer, senior marketing manager, soybeans. “This change is in response to customer demand for consistent seed count packaging for more efficient field-by-field planning.”

Prior to this change, Pioneer sold soybean seeds by weight (50 pounds of seed equals one unit). Soybean seeds can potentially vary in size, based on genetics and growing conditions, affecting the number of seeds per unit. With this change to selling by count, the number of seeds per unit will be consistent for Pioneer customers.

Pioneer brand soybeans will continue to be sold by count in traditional paper bags, PROBOX units and jumbo bags, as well as through PROBulk systems.

Source: Pioneer

 

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Filed Under: Crops, News

South Dakota crop & livestock report

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Winter wheat is at 76 percent boot and 14 percent headed. Spring wheat is 96 percent emerged, with 9 percent in the boot stage. Barley is at 95 percent emerged. Oats are reported at 90 percent emerged, with 3 percent in the boot stage.

Corn is at 79 percent planted with 39 percent emerged. Soybeans are at 28 percent planted with 4 percent emerged. Sorghum is at 5 percent planted and sunflowers are at 1 percent planted.

Cattle are rated 4 percent fair and 96 percent in good to excellent condition. Calving was at 91 percent complete. Cattle moved to pasture is rated at 64 percent complete.

Sheep are rated 4 percent fair and 96 percent in good to excellent condition. Lambing was at 91 percent complete.

Stock water supplies are 3 percent very short, 5 percent short and 92 percent adequate to surplus. Feed supplies are 2 percent very short, 1 percent short and 97 percent adequate to surplus. Range and pasture conditions are rated 75 percent good to excellent, 23 percent fair, 1 percent poor and 1 percent very poor.

Source: USDA NASS SD Field Office

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Filed Under: Crops, Livestock, News, Regional News
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