New Herbicide-Resistant Seeds Entering Market?

ST. LOUIS – The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is lauding a January 3 announcement by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) that it will move forward with the process of deregulation of a specific strain of genetically engineered corn and soybean plants resistant to the 2,4-D herbicide. In a USDA news release, APHIS announced it would post its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the Federal Register on Jan. 10 for a public comment period of 45 days.

“NCGA is pleased USDA is moving forward with the process necessary to deregulate these important products and anticipates the release of the draft EIS next week,” said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotech Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman, in a prepared statement. “Furthermore, we urge APHIS to continue making progress toward the eventual deregulation of the three products under consideration. It is important that farmers have access to the proven, innovative technologies that continually allow them to improve American agriculture.”

APHIS has indicated that based on its preliminary finding that genetically engineered corn and soybean plants do not pose a plant pest risk to agricultural crops and other common plants in the U.S., deregulation of all three GE plants is APHIS’ preferred course of action. Look for much more on this story in 2014.

ICGA: Reduced Corn Demand, Expensive Fuel Among RFS Implications

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Corn is urging corn farmers and others to let their elected officials know they need to call the U.S. EPA and express their disappointment in the agency’s recommended RVOs (renewable volume obligations) for the 2014 RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard). According to Illinois Corn, 155 Illinois farmers have submitted concerns to the docket, letting EPA know that reducing ethanol volume obligations will have a significant impact.

500 million bushels of corn demand would be lost under the EPA’s 2014 RVOs, according to Illinois Corn. In addition, corn prices will fall below the cost of production, market potential will be lost as investment in ethanol decreases, gasoline prices at the pump will rise (ethanol is currently around $1 less per gallon than gasoline) and the long term environmental benefits and energy security implications of domestic, renewable fuel will be lost.

“If you are only going to spend the time to do one thing to prevent this reduction in the ethanol market, we’d ask you for a call to Senator (Richard) Durbin (D-Ill.) at 202-224-2152. Senator Durbin has always taken time to listen to the concerns of the agricultural community and we believe that his willingness to listen and his relationship with the Obama administration makes him the right person to call during this critical time,” Illinois Corn stated in a Jan. 4 “Daily Update” email to members.

Growing Good Employees Subject of IFCA Conference Session

PEORIA – When it comes to educating fertilizer and chemical retailers, farmers and the public about hot-button issues key to agriculture and consumers, the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association’s (IFCA) annual conference covers a lot of ground. The Bloomington-based IFCA will return to the Peoria Civic Center and newly-renovated Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel in downtown Peoria for their 49th annual conference January 20-22, armed with an impressive roster or presenters covering issues such as nutrient management, anhydrous ammonia regulations and the effects of the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion on the industry and agriculture. But what is the single most important issue on the minds of today’s ag chemical retailers?

“The number-one concern our members have, along with a lot of other employers in agriculture, is not regarding regulations but rather how to find and keep new employees and grow them into management,” said Jean Payne, IFCA president. “That is a real challenge for our industry.”

That is why IFCA has scheduled a special presentation, “The Velvet Rope Workplace: How to Attract, Keep and Grow an Effective Employee Team,” for the conference on the morning of Jan. 21. “Today’s generation has a different mindset than those of us born in the baby boomer years, and it can be a real challenge to retain new employees in our industry, where they tend to be stolen away by other agriculture-based employers,” Payne said.

For the complete conference itinerary and registration information, visit www.ifca.com.

AgWeb Issues Top 10 2013 Ag Stories

ROSEMONT – With 2013 in the rear view mirror, AgWeb, a division of Farm Journal, has announced its Top 10 agriculture news stories of the past year. And what a year it was!

AgWeb’s top ten stacked up like this: 10) Salesman Took 480K in Bribes from Iowa Farmer, 9) Corn Prices: Look Out for Unplanted Acres, 8) Tractor Withstood Mysterious Burial in Manure, 7) Advice Many Don’t Want to Hear: Sell the Farm, 6) “Tribine” Prototype Harvests and Carries 1,000 Bushels, 5) Just How Bad is It? An Aerial View of Crops, 4) High Profits Ahead for Farmers, 3) Full-Circle Fiasco: Stamp Farms (of Michigan), 2) Prepare for $2.75 Corn, and 1) Five Tax Changes Affecting Farmers.

While we’re confident that all of these stories were indeed noteworthy, we can’t help but note the omission of any story related to the 2013 Farm Bill, or, specifically, its lack of passage by a disorganized, ineffective Congress hamstrung by the government-busting actions of a few radical far-right members who engineered the decoupling of SNAP –or food stamp legislation– from the bill. Certainly this was one of the– if not the– top agricultural news stories of 2013, in this reporter’s humble opinion.

Illinois Beef Offers Internships, Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois beef cattle families with children entering or returning to college to study ag-related fields may want to urge their prodigy to apply for one of four, essay-based $1000 general scholarships offered to high school seniors and college students by the Illinois Beef Association (IBA). Eligible youth must be from a family currently involved in beef production who are IBA members. They must complete an application, available through the IBA website, before March 1. In addition, IBA is offering an internship to a college student to run from mid-May through the conclusion of the Illinois State Fair in August. Internship submission deadline is Feb. 15. See the IBA website, www.ilbeef.com, for more information.

Illinois Farm Fact:

61 percent of corn and soybean farmers in the Midwest are grappling with weeds that either resist herbicide or are hard to control. (Dow AgroSciences)

(Tim Alexander is a freelance reporter who writes agriculture, news and feature articles for the News Bulletin, Farm World and many other publications.)