Drought
Today’s USDA report is seen as bearish for corn prices, moderately bullish for livestock producers.
Only the individual dairy farmer – after much discussion with family members and input from lenders and other key advisers – can make the decision to exit.
South Dakota Extension’s iGrow program has created a free mobile app for livestock producers to use when comparing the cost and nutritional value of feed.
Livestock producers affected by natural disasters need to keep thorough records of their livestock and feed losses.
Hurricane Isaac could offer enough moisture to to germinate and grow emergency fall grains such as oats, rye or wheat in the southeast and as far north as Missouri.
Thunder clapped and rain fell just before Bionce, Sassy and the rest of Mark Argall’s prize-winning dairy herd went up for auction.Had the storm come a few weeks earlier, and if the drought had eased, it might have saved the cows -- some of which were named with a bit of poetic license (“You can spell names however you want,” he said) for pop-culture divas and celebrities.As it was, however, Argall’s pasture was so dry that his cattle had nothing to eat, and the farmer was losing $75 a day just trying to feed them.Five generations of his family have milked dairy cows in this secluded stretch of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, but the inch or so of rain that fell on this recent Thursday was too little, too late. Argall -- a 54-year-old with a wiry, broomstick mustache -- had no choice but to sell nearly all of his cows at a livestock auction.
President Barack Obama, campaigning in Iowa Monday, announced $170 million in government meat purchases to help farmers struck by drought, helping to send hog prices to a one-week high.The purchase of as much as $100 million of pork, $50 million of chicken, and $10 million each of lamb and catfish come on top of $30 million in assistance announced last week. Farmers and ranchers are struggling with the worst combination of heat and dryness since the 1950s, the administration said.Obama said he also directed the Defense Department to speed up purchases and hold the meat for later use. The buying will help farmers, and the government will get a better price on products than if they were bought later, he said.
Bipartisan group cites the “economic catastrophe” facing California’s dairy families.
State’s senators and congressman join request for EPA to scale back Renewable Fuels Standard in wake of the drought.
A two-ton per acre forage yield is worth about $300 in forage feed value.
US: Rain, Cooler Weather Helping Crops; Drought Not OverVOA NewsAugust 14, 2012U.S. officials say cooler weather and recent rain showers in the drought-stricken Midwest have largely stabilized crop conditions, but add that the drought is not over.
“Even the best performing financial result showed not enough revenue to cover variable costs. The lowest breakeven price was $23.41/cwt.” Robert Tigner, University of Nebraska Extension.
August-planted oats can yield two to three tons of dry matter per acre, more than double that of other fall-seeded small grains or winter wheat.
“The first significant rainfall to moisten the upper soil profile will stimulate microbial activity, causing a flush of nitrate nitrogen to be released into the soil system,” says Kurt Steinkewith Michigan State University.
National dairy leader says U.S. dairies are approaching a crisis comparable to or worse than 2009.
ROBERT SIEGEL: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I’m Robert Siegel.AUDIE CORNISH: And I’m Audie Cornish. We begin this hour with the drought and how it could affect your grocery bill. Today, the U.S. Agriculture Department designated 76 more counties as disaster areas because of the drought and excessive heat. And it said that severe drought will likely affect prices for corn and other field crops, although it’s too soon to know how much prices will go up.We have two stories on drought and food. Our first comes from NPR’s Allison Keyes.
Close to half the corn crop in Wisconsin and other corn-producing states is in poor to very poor condition, the U. S. Department of Agriculture said Monday, as one of the nation’s worst-ever droughts continues to turn the growing season into a nightmare for many. In Wisconsin, 43% of the corn crop is in very poor to poor condition, the report said. About a third of the state’s corn - 31% - is considered to be in good or excellent condition by the USDA, and 26% of the state’s corn crop is in fair condition.
Harvesting drought-stressed corn silage will take extra testing for moisture and nitrates.
Weigh the potential crop yield versus your need for forage.
If it’s harvested, ensiled and fed correctly, drought-stressed corn silage can have up to 70% of the feed value of normal.
Much of Ohio has slipped officially into drought, creating economic and wildfire concerns for emergency-management officials, as well as for agriculture and farmers statewide. A drought-assessment committee led by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency will meet Friday to begin to plan for the state’s response to the drought. Potential agricultural responses include mandatory water conservation, emergency livestock-feed distribution, and emergency payments and loans to producers who lose property or production.