R.F.D. NEWS & VIEWS

By Tim Alexander For Chronicle Media

Illinois Pork Producers met with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-17th), during the Fall Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. Jason Propst, (from left) Ken Maschhoff, Joshua Maschhoff, Pam Janssen, Phil Borgic, Bustos, Alan Kollmann, Lyron Blum-Evitts, Bob Frase, and Jennifer Tirey.

Illinois Pork Producers met with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-17th), during the Fall Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. Jason Propst, (from left) Ken Maschhoff, Joshua Maschhoff, Pam Janssen, Phil Borgic, Bustos, Alan Kollmann, Lyron Blum-Evitts, Bob Frase, and Jennifer Tirey.

In this week’s roundup of ag and rural news, farm-related legislative issues are front and center as the election approaches, including transportation infrastructure and trade. We also have news on crop production and county-by-county cash rents paid for farmland.

2016 WRDA clears Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk told farmers in Normal on Aug. 24 that he sponsored the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 that will improve waterway shipping, drinking and wastewater systems, flood protection and the Great Lakes. On Sept. 15, a bipartisan Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 95-3, with Kirk and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin in support.

Highlights of the bill to agriculture include rejection of lockage fees or tolls to finance public-private partnerships, and a provision to remove Inland Waterways Trust Fund capital projects from the five-year no funding, deauthorization rule until Ohio’s Olmsted Dam is substantially paid, freeing funding for a high priority project to enhance Illinois River infrastructure. It also contains a big win for livestock through an amendment that fully exempts animal feed from the EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure regulations.

In a prepared statement, Kirk lauded the measure for improving drinking water infrastructure for municipalities. “Families in Illinois and across the country should not need to worry whether their drinking water is clean and safe. I fought to include my bill which directly funds programs for Great Lakes restoration and additional financing for communities to upgrade water infrastructure so no community experiences what happened in Flint ever again,” said Kirk.

The bill authorizes $100 million over five years in grants for lead testing in schools and daycare centers, and $300 million over five years and $20 million in direct spending grants for replacement of lead pipes, among other measures.

Illinois Farm Fact:

At a 200 bushels per acre yield, the average 2016 cash rent for farmland in Illinois is $281 per acre. (USDA/NASS, Gary Schnitkey)

No change in projected corn acreage, harvest

SPRINGFIELD — It appears there will likely be no late-season rally for corn and soybean prices, based on the most recent Illinois Crop Production report issued Sept. 12 by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). That’s because the estimated planted area for corn was unchanged, along with harvested area and forecast corn yield, from the previous report. Planted area is estimated at 11.7 million acres, unchanged from last year, while harvested area, forecast at 11.5 million acres, also is unchanged from 2015. And based on Sep. 1 conditions, corn yield in Illinois is forecast at 200 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month but up 25 bushels from 2015. This would tie the record 2014 corn yield and be the second highest production on record next to 2014.

Soybean yield is projected at 61 bu./acre, up five bu./acre from 2015 and the highest yield on record for Illinois. Production is pegged at a record setting 600 million bushels.

Grain slump leads to farm diversification

ASSUMPTION — Persistently stagnant prices for corn and soybeans — coupled with high land and input costs — have farmers looking for ways to diversify their farm operations, including venturing into livestock production, according to Tim Maiers, whose Maiers Ag Consulting business is working with the Illinois Livestock Development Group to aid farmers looking to transition into pork, beef or poultry. Evidence of the shift is apparent by the record-setting number of producers who have filed notices of intent to construct or expand livestock buildings with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

“There have been 106 notices filed in 2016 with IDOA as of Sept. 1. During 2015, there were 140 in total filed,” said Maiers, who had just wrapped up an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for a new, 2,400-head wean-to-market hog barn at the Caleb and Tarcie Corzine farm near assumption in Shelby County. Around 200 neighbors, colleagues and community members attended the open house to wish the young couple well in their new endeavor.

Illinois cash rent estimates issued

URBANA — USDA-NASS released their annual Illinois Cash Rent County Estimates on Sept. 9, reflecting vast differences in farmland values across the state. County rents are used to imply average rents for different expected yields on non-irrigated cropland.

“There is considerable range in cash rents across Illinois. The highest cash rents tend to be located in central Illinois, with the highest cash rent of $301 per acre occurring in Sangamon County. Lower cash rents tend to be in southern Illinois, with the lowest county rent of $55 per acre occurring in Johnson County,” observed Gary Schnitkey, agricultural economist for the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences. “There is considerable variability around these averages. Two parcels with the same productivity next to one another could have cash rents that differ by over $100 per acre. Many factors influence cash rents, with interpersonal relations between landowners and farmers being important determinants.”

Schnitkey predicts that with downward pressures likely being placed on rents, average rents in 2017 should be lower than this year’s.

IPPA talks TPP in Washington

SPRINGFIELD — With the fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership unclear as both presidential candidates express non-support, a group from the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) visited with members of the Illinois delegation in Washington, D.C. last week. The group encouraged lawmakers to pass TPP sooner rather than later.
“The United States currently exports 25 percent of our pork products to other countries. Passing the TPP is critical to our industry and would allow us to increase that number,” said Bob Frase, IPPA president. While in D.C., the IPPA group attended the National Pork Producers Council’s fall legislative conference. Others in the group included Pam Janssen, Jason Propst, Alan Kollman, Jennifer Tirey, Phil Borgic and Ken Maschhoff. (IPPA news)

–R.F.D. NEWS & VIEWS–