7 WAYS TO INCREASE PORK DEMAND

Cash hog prices this winter are as low as they’ve been in years, with losses for producers in the first quarter of 2017 of around $27 per head, says Chris Hurt, ag economist, Purdue University. More packer capacity, growing exports, and falling retail prices will help hog prices later this year, but for now, the industry needs to move a lot of pork.

“This is a challenging time for agriculture and especially for our producers,” says Jan Archer, National Pork Board (NPB) president and a pork producer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. “Our goals are to help producers during this time and to provide consumers with a great value and quality pork.”

Archer shared a few things the NPB, using Pork Checkoff funds, is doing to keep pork moving through the retail chain.

1. PARTNERING WITH GROCERY RETAILERS.

The NPB is working with the top 10 U.S. grocery retailers, including Walmart, Costco, and Kroger. Promotions include on-pack recipe labels, digital marketing, email blasts, in-store pork promotions and product demos, instant rebate coupons on featured pork cuts, and radio and digital ads.

2. FOCUSING ON FOODSERVICE.

NPB is working with high-volume restaurants to present a clear message around the opportunity pork presents through versatility, profitability, availability, and customer appeal. To reach the industry, at large, the foodservice team will launch a print and digital brand campaign with custom ads from February through May 2017.

3. USING MARKETING AND PR.

The Make It A Moment campaign encourages consumers to make every moment – big or small – one worth celebrating. “Using social media, we connect social media users with great-tasting pork recipes to match their meal plans,” says Archer. When people visit the Pork Be Inspired Facebook page, they can open Facebook Messenger to help find the right recipe.

4. MAXIMIZING MULTICULTURAL MARKETING.

The Grill For It and Make It A Moment campaigns both feature a Spanish-language site, including one-minute videos to help consumers become more comfortable with cooking pork. Pulled pork in tamales and sandwiches has helped grow consumption.

5. INSPIRING NEW TRENDS.

To help bolster pork sales, the Pork Checkoff is working with retailers to encourage consumers to broaden their options. New ham flavors include salted caramel. Along with ham, NPB is promoting pork roast as a special -occasion meal. A pork loin roast can be ready in an hour. 

6. PROMOTING U.S. PORK EXPORTS.

The high value of the U.S. dollar and competition from other countries in key export markets have curbed U.S. pork export demand.

“About 25% of U.S. pork production goes overseas, and we need to keep moving product to keep producers profitable,” says Archer.

Mexico, China, Japan, Korea, and Canada are pork’s big five buyers. The Pork Checkoff, through the U.S. Meat Export Federation, continues to invest in pork promotions overseas, and they are making progress, says Archer.

7. REACHING ONLINE CONSUMERS.

As consumers search for recipes online for meal planning, the Pork Checkoff’s ads remind them about pork’s great taste and value, says Archer. NPB is also working directly with food bloggers on PorkBeInspired.com.

“Together, we can get through this time,” says Archer. “Pork producers are resilient. We’ve faced challenges before. We want to help our producers in any way we can.” 

MICHIGAN FARMER USES TRIMBLE AG SOFTWARE TO FINE-TUNE HIS FARMING OPERATION

When corn was $7, Michigan farmer Ed Groholski could do no wrong.

“Now I’m back to the times I grew up in,” says the third-generation farmer. “It’s the pennies that keep me in business – not the dollars.”

Tracking every cent that flows in and out of his business means Groholski has to employ a farm-management system that will allow him to easily and efficiently see where those pennies will matter most. Two ways he’s achieving that goal are by leveraging technology he invested in years ago and taking advantage of his Trimble representative’s technical expertise.

“When I met Ed, he had done his research on how he wanted to expand his use of technology, and I was looking for someone who had a basic understanding of what he wanted to accomplish,” says Jeff Moore, Farm Depot. “I was sometimes playing catch-up to him when it came to utilizing a product or a service to accomplish specific tasks he had in mind.” 

EARLY ADOPTER

Groholski, who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat, and feeds out 250 head of cattle each year, has been using Farm Works software since he began farming over two decades ago. 

“In the early 1990s, some companies had their own spin on what farmers needed to be better managers,” he recalls. “I was part of a farmer user group who looked at several different programs. Farm Works offered a complete package I could purchase in modules for crops, livestock, accounting, etc.”

When Connected Farm came out, Groholski was one of the first to spend money on the software because he kept running into problems with data – either the USB didn’t make it back to the office or it was lost entirely. So, the gaps in information were too wide to ignore. 

“You can imagine the variances I saw. Connected Farm eliminated the middleman and gave me the advantage of a much easier way to return the data back to the main frame,” he says. 

“Ed was an early adopter of precision technology and has remained in the top 5% of early adopters in my customer base,” says Moore.

FIXED ON FEATURES

As margins tightened, Groholski dug deeper into the software to fine-tune his operation.

“For example, I was able to draw a better boundary for a management zone by noticing the speed of a tractor pulling a strip-till machine,” says Groholski. “All of a sudden, it dropped a half mile per hour. When I pulled the field up, it was going through a different soil type, which caused the change.”

By changing the legend, the software also allows him to break down yield maps and to look for variations. 

“If I want to look at something like speed vs. yield because I have a different operator in the combine, Farm Works lets me do that. That operator may be doing a great job because he’s covering a lot of acres. But is he costing me in yield because he’s moving through a field too fast?” he asks. 

Groholski is also able to manage from afar. “I can track a driver from my tablet or laptop and know that in three hours he will be done in a field or that in two hours he will need to refill,” he says. “I am able to multitask at that point.”

If he is using the harvest function with yield monitoring and mapping, he can see when 50% of the field is harvested and how much grain it has produced. “Based on that information, I know if I’m going to need more bin space or if I should sell some grain,” he says.

Data also provides an audit trail. “If there is a question on the amount of fertilizer or pesticide I used in an area, I can generate a report to show where and when a product was applied,” notes Groholski.

Attention to detail will sustain him through tight times. “I’m trying to grow a crop in as economically and environmentally friendly way as possible – yet, still produce a quality product for the marketplace,” he says. “Trimble Ag Software is verifying that the practices I employ are providing an economic return.”

MYTHS ABOUT TICKS

A TICK’S GOAL IS TO REACH YOUR HEAD, BUT IT’S A JOURNEY THAT BEGINS AT YOUR FEET.

A walk through the woods or even playing in the yard could expose you to ticks. They can be harmful, so it’s important to understand the facts – and the misconceptions about them – in order to protect yourself.    

Michael Dryden is a distinguished professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University and one of the world’s leading experts on ticks. He says the most common myth is that they fall onto our heads out of trees. In reality, ticks hang out in grasses and low shrubs. When you walk by, they ambush you and rapidly crawl up your body.

“The first piece of bare skin they hit is right above your collar. So you feel that and you reach back and you grab at it. This tick is on the base of your neck by your ear or your hairline, and you look up. It’s a natural thing that we do,” says Dryden. “There is no indication or evidence that these ticks are falling out of trees.”

Another commonly held notion is that all ticks carry Lyme disease. Dryden says it depends on where you are and the tick population. In most areas, only a small percentage of ticks carry Lyme disease or other pathogens. 

However, he says if you find one on you, it has to be removed. There are plenty of old wives’ tales on how to do it.

“There was a study done back in the 1980s that looked at these various tick-removal methods. They tried using petroleum jelly and even a lit match. Those techniques don’t hold any credence, but they’re really common myths,” says Dryden.

“The best way to remove a tick is to use a pair of tweezers. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and then pull it straight out,” he says.

Most people say the tick’s head has to come out. Dryden says if you can’t remove it, don’t fret. The worst thing that will happen is that the area will develop a small welt.

STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS

Ticks love to hang out in tall grass where it’s fairly shaded and moist. So a good defense is to keep areas like these mowed and dry. If that’s not possible and you find yourself in tick habitat, be sure to wear a repellent.

Ken Holscher is an Extension entomologist at Iowa State University. Instead of using the typical mosquito spray, he recommends a tick repellent. 

“It’s not meant to be applied to your skin; it’s meant to be applied to your clothing, where it will remain active for a long period of time,” says Holscher.

“If you understand that ticks start from the ground and work their way up, you only need to apply that product from the knees on down. You don’t need to spray down all of your clothing. You just need some protection down to where the ticks are going to start,” he says.

It’s also important to wear the appropriate clothing. That includes long pants, socks, and boots. Stick your pant legs into your socks to prevent ticks from getting to your skin. 

Holscher has another trick that makes it tough for the creepy crawlers.

“Right where the pant legs are tucked into the boots or socks, wrap that with masking tape. Wrap it a couple of times and then twist the tape so the sticky side is facing outward. Wrap it again a couple of times. It’s amazing how many ticks will get stuck on that sticky side as they start to crawl,” says Holscher. “Since they can’t crawl underneath your pants, they’ve got to crawl over them. When they hit that sticky masking tape, they get stuck there.”

Ticks can’t transmit Lyme disease unless they’re attached to you and actively feeding. That’s why it’s very important to thoroughly check your body for ticks after you’ve been outside.

NIRSAL to establish $300m loan project for youth farmers

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has disclosed plans to establish a $300m agribusiness loan project for youth farmers across the country.

NIRSAL Executive Director, Babajide Arowosafe, who made this known in Ibadan, informed that the project known as “Youth Enable’, would enhance economic diversification while creating business opportunities and employable skills for young men and women across varying value chains.

He said, “we need youths that are secondary and university graduates who are willing to go into green business, fresh food business, agri-commodities where Nigeria has comparative advantage”.

Highlighting some of the value chains that youth farmers can explore, he noted that the project will drive youths into looking for opportunities within the agricultural value chain and develop business models that will be sustainable over the years.

The executive director also affirmed that the organisation would support the farmers with its risk sharing facilities and supervise farmers using technology.

“NIRSAL is bringing on board its risk sharing facility, its technical assistance, cutting edge technology to make sure that we monitor activities of those youths using technology”  he said.

Assuring youth farmers of low interest rates, he said the project would be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), and would be funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB).

NIRSAL is a subsidiary of the Central Bank of Nigeria designed to enable the flow of affordable financing to all players in the agricultural value chains.

The project is expected to commence within the next few weeks

#FACTSFEED

Bell Apple: Protects the skin from developing various infections and boost the strength of the immune system against infectious diseases.

CONNECT MOBILE APP LETS YOU MONITOR PLANTER AND SPRAYER IN REAL TIME

Monitor, adjust, and learn about your planter or sprayer’s performance as it travels through the field with John Deere’s Connect Mobile app. 

“By using Connect Mobile, you will know you’re doing the best possible job with the investment you’ve made in your John Deere equipment,” says John Mishler, production and precision ag marketing manager for John Deere.

Know what’s happening in real time with your planter or sprayer in row-by-row and nozzle-by-nozzle detail to better understand what’s going on.

“It’s managing the job at a micro level to make macro improvements,” Mishler says.

By having the ability to visualize job performance, you can quickly and easily identify possible issues. In addition, multiple map layers across the production process add insight that you can consider to improve productivity and reduce operating costs.

Due to Connect Mobile’s common user interface, the app can be moved seamlessly from one John Deere machine to the next and from one production step to another.

“The result is a better understanding of the job being performed. Data is saved on the iPad so it goes where you go. At any time or in any location as the data is saved, you can quickly review past work,” Mishler adds.

The app allows you to also easily compare data layers from previous production steps with what’s seen when scouting fields. 

“This information can help you better understand what might have caused what you’re seeing in the field,” Mishler explains.

There are also more options to view data in the cab including the John Deere Gen 4 CommandCenter, which shows performance data averaged across the field, the boom, or the planter section.

“Connect Mobile takes this one step further and maps specific details at specific points – row-by-row or nozzle-by-nozzle,” Mishler adds. “You can use your iPad with Connect Mobile to monitor planter performance while using the Gen 4 CommandCenter for AutoTrac, Section Control, and other precision ag applications. Regardless the operation being performed, the application has the same look and feel.”

In John Deere 4 Series sprayers, you can view mapping of critical job-quality information that includes as-applied rates, rate deviation, spray pressure, and ground speed. In addition, Connect Mobile delivers high-definition documentation for ExactApply Nozzle Control and provides real-time visibility to estimated droplet size information. 

“This ensures on-target application, mitigating the risk of product drift and avoiding the need for reapplication. You can more quickly see and react to any problems and optimize job performance,” Mishler says.

John Deere Connect Mobile is available as a free download from the Apple App Store. Subscriptions are free in 2017. If you have been using SeedStar Mobile, the data stored on your iPad will migrate to Connect Mobile after the new app is installed.

In the future, John Deere plans to add other operations to Connect Mobile including harvesting and the ability to add more data – all to help you make better-informed decisions with greater confidence. 

3 BIG THINGS TODAY, FEBRUARY 23

SOYBEANS, GRAINS LOWER IN OVERNIGHT TRADING; NOPA CRUSH SHOWS STRONG DEMAND FOR BEANS.

1. SOYBEAN, GRAIN FUTURES LOWER IN OVERNIGHT TRADING

Soybean and grain futures were lower in overnight trading on favorable weather in countries with which the U.S. battles for exports.

The weather in central Argentina is expected to be “quite wet” for the next 10 days and then drier in the days after that, according to Commodity Weather Group. Brazil fieldwork is expected to accelerate in the next 10 days, and rain will benefit wheat production in Germany and Poland next week, according to the forecaster.

Prices also may be depressed on speculation that while Mexico won’t cut all U.S. corn imports as one senator from the country has suggested, it may seek supplies elsewhere. Marisa Bircher, the secretary of agro-industry markets in Argentina, told Reuters yesterday that it wants to increase exports of the grain and would like improved relationships with Mexico.

Soybean futures for March delivery fell 4¾¢ to $10.56½ a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soy meal declined $1.20 to $345.70 a short ton, and soy oil lost 0.18¢ to 33.76¢ a pound.

Corn futures for declined 1¼¢ to $3.77½ a bushel in Chicago.

Wheat futures for March delivery were unchanged to $4.54¾ a bushel. Kansas City futures fell 1½¢ to $4.67¾ a bushel.

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2. DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR SOYBEANS STRONG AS NOPA CRUSH BEATS EXPECTATIONS

Domestic demand for soybeans was reported stronger than expected yesterday, following increased local demand for corn.

U.S. processors crushed just north of 160 million bushels in January, beating estimates by about 1 million bushels, analysts said, citing the National Oilseed Processors Association. The figure is almost 7% higher than the same month a year earlier.

Meal exports last month were reported at 891,143, and while that was down 6% from December, it’s up by almost a third from January 2015, analysts said, citing the report.

Allendale’s Paul Georgy noted in a report that even using a “mild” 2% increase in soybean processing from February through the end of the marketing year on August 31, crush will beat projections by the Department of Agriculture by 4 million bushels.

Facilities from which the NOPA crush data is derived, which account for 94% of U.S. production, have processed 776 million bushels of soybeans since September 1, he said.

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3. PARTS OF KANSAS, MISSOURI UNDER RED-FLAG WARNING, BURNS NOT RECOMMENDED

Much of eastern Kansas and western Missouri are in a red-flag warning this morning, meaning extremely dry conditions may lead to wildfires.

Winds are forecast from 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph, the National Weather Service said in a report on Thursday morning. Humidity is pegged from 21% to 26% – extremely low – this afternoon, according to the agency.

“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the NWS said. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.”

The weather in the rest of the Midwest and Plains looks quiet this morning, though residents on the East Coast and in New England are seeing another round of heavy snow today. Some lake-effect snow is also falling in the Great Lakes region, the NWS said.

RESOLVE TO 'AGCERCISE'

YOUR FARM MAY BE THE ONLY GYM YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR FITNESS GOALS.

Getting fit is one of the top New Year’s resolutions people make every year. Often, this means an expensive gym membership that ends up going unused after a couple of months. It’s hard enough to get motivated to go to the gym when it’s a few blocks away, but when you have to drive to town to work out, the chances are even greater that the resolution will fall by the wayside. That’s where a home gym comes in – or rather, a farm gym. Why just exercise when you can “agcercise” at home?

Sure, you can buy exercise equipment and set up a gym in your basement or a corner of the farm shop, but chances are, you already have everything you need to get a complete workout. Of course, before you begin any exercise routine, see your physician for approval and recommendations. 

FIND YOUR TOOLS

Take some time to establish an on-farm fitness routine. Go for a walk around the farm (also great exercise) and look for opportunities to work out. Then write down a plan and get your family involved. Following are a few ideas.

Every farm has a few old tires lying around. Take a page from the football coach’s handbook and flip a tractor tire several times, or place smaller tires in a zigzag pattern on the ground and run down the line.

Get your shoulders into shape with old-fashioned pull-ups. Grab the top of the kids’ swing set or install a pipe across the top of a doorway in the barn or shop.

If you don’t already have a rope hanging from the hay mow, tie one from a rafter in the barn and climb it. Add a few knots to get yourself started. You can also use hanging ropes for suspended push-ups. Or, place two heavy ropes on the ground, grab the ends, lift them, and slam them down for a battle ropes workout.

Write down a plan and get your family involved!

Use any long-handle tool to tone your obliques or side muscles. Place the handle behind your head, rest it across your shoulders, and steady it with your hands. Twist to the left and right several times. Just make sure you don’t hit anything!

Grab a yoga mat or horse blanket, find a peaceful spot by the pond, on the porch, or even on top of a hay bale, and practice yoga, tai chi, or meditation. Never mind the curious looks you will no doubt get from the livestock.

GET FARMER STRONG

While personal trainers offer all kinds of great advice, many of their workouts are actually inspired by agriculture. 

The farmer’s walk is a popular exercise in gyms, and the idea comes from farmers carrying buckets of water or feed. To do the farmer’s walk, pick up (carefully so you don’t hurt your back; wear a weight belt, if needed) something heavy in each hand. You can use dumbbells, of course, but buckets of feed or water work just as well and let you do some chores at the same time. Let the weights hang at your side and take small steps, moving as fast and as far as possible without losing control. Work on increasing your distance and the amount of weight you can carry. This exercise is popular in strongman competitions, where lifters will often carry up to 1½ times their body weight in each hand. 

OLD-SCHOOL CHORE WORKOUT

Nathan Eason of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension says doing chores the old-fashioned way every now and then can help replace some of the physical activity in farming that has been reduced by technology. 

Eason suggests walking to check property and livestock once in a while instead of always taking the four-wheeler. “You will be more in tune with the needs of your property, and you will burn calories and get fit,” he says. Likewise, use a shovel and wheelbarrow sometimes instead of automatically hopping on the tractor or skid steer to clean the barn. 

Keep track of the time you spend doing these chores and add them to your exercise tracker. Even though it’s part of your job, the exercise still counts!

Aregbesola launches “Ofada Osun Rice”

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has unveiled the locally produced”Ofada Osun Rice”, which places Osun among major rice producing states in Nigeria.

Aregbesola who  visited farmers at  Onilapa Rice Farm Ogbaagba earlier in the week,  reiterated his government’s commitment towards  ensuring adequate food production for self sustenance of Osun State, emphasizing  the need for Nigerians to feed themselves.

AgroNigeria recalls that Lagos and Kebbi  in December 2016  launched a rice  christened ”Lake rice”  which was jointly produced by the two states, nine months after  both governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce 70 per cent of Nigeria’s rice requirements.

DOGARA URGES YOUTHS TO EMBRACE AGRICULTURE

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged youths in the country to embrace agriculture to ensure sustainable self reliance.

Dogara made the call while speaking during an empowerment programme organised by member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Wayo (Benue-APC) for his constituents in Adikpo, headquarters of Kwande Local Government of Benue state.

According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Iliya Habila,  the Speaker also urged the youths not to over-rely on white collar jobs which were difficult to come bye .

He also advised Nigerians to support the current policy of diversification by the Federal Government in order to enhance their incomes and boost revenue for development purposes.

“As citizens, we will rally around, engage in gainful ventures that will promote our economy and assume leadership in agriculture rather than just leave it for the older generation and my own generation.‎ The corpers (NYSC members) that I have seen here, some of them may think they can’t go back to the farm. But there is money in farming, there is dignity in labour and some of you may find honour in agriculture.”, he said.

The Speaker said the Federal government would soon embark on massive infrastructural projects especially roads and power as part of efforts aimed at achieving the objective of becoming one of the competing economies of the world.

“And then a lot of our citizens that were sent away from work because of the recession by most of these construction companies, will now go back to work and those companies that are owing will be able to pay.

“And through that we will be able to reflate the economy, we will be able to put a lot of money in the hands of our people and by that we will start the journey to exiting the recession together.”, he said.

Dogara however  urged Nigerians to ensure that they engage in jobs that will contribute towards stimulating the diversification of the economy.

“I like to call on all the citizens, especially the youths, those who believe that it is only white collar jobs that bring prosperity, as a matter of fact, jobs on their own do not bring prosperity, it is your work.”, he stated.