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Rollins talks tough on NWS… USDA says it will take “decisive action” to protect the U.S. cattle industry from New World Screwworm that is now dangerously close to the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s gone from 370 miles away in July to less than 70 miles now. It’s a threat, USDA Secretary Rollins said last month, the U.S. is taking very seriously.
Rollins said in a written statement Mexico is not cooperating to combat the pest, while reassuring the U.S. will act and ‘act decisively’ to protect its borders. “Because it endangers the livelihood of our livestock, it endangers our livestock industry, and it threatens the stability of beef prices for consumers across America,” the Secretary noted.
USDA launched a multi-million-dollar action plan last month which includes sterile fly production facilities in Texas, the release of sterile flies from a facility in Panama, investments in new eradication technologies, and stepped-up surveillance using thousands of traps.
Trade delegate from China meets with Midwesterners… According to a Reuters report, Senior Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang met political and business leaders from the U.S. Midwest, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday, with analysts speculating the region’s food exports will be key to any U.S.-China trade deal. U.S.-China commercial ties had featured in Monday’s talks, the ministry said in a statement, without giving details.
Trade analysts anticipate U.S. President Donald Trump will want China to commit to buying more American agricultural goods and Boeing jet planes, among other items, as part of any deal to end the two largest economies’ current tariff war. But Chicago soybean futures, already near 5-year lows, fell further on Friday, after neither side reported any update on agriculture, following Trump’s telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
NCGA Continues to Sound Alarm… Citing near-record production costs in a low-price environment, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently launched a task force to identify solutions to bring costs more in line with today’s commodity prices.
“Corn growers have been sounding the alarm for a while that on-farm economics are not working,” said Kenneth Hartman Jr., Illinois farmer and NCGA president. “This is a time to look at all pieces of the farm profitability picture. Low prices of course contribute to one side of the equation, but we must also look at the extremely high prices growers are paying for essential inputs on the other side.”
The creation of the task force is the latest in a series of actions taken by NCGA over the last several years to address input costs. Click here to read NCGA’s full article.
Newsome drags feet on E15… A measure passed by the California Legislature would authorize the immediate sale of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol (E15) in the state if approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom. As of [this afternoon], Gov. Newsom has not acted on the legislation. Reports say he has until October 12 to sign or veto it, although the governor has hinted he might veto the bill. He has said E15 should be reviewed by the California Air Resources Board before being authorized and indicated the measure would cost the state more dollars to enforce. -source: Susan Littlefield, American Ag Network
Cyberattacks on agribusinesses in recent years have demonstrated hackers’ ability to shut down processing plants, halt livestock purchases, and cost corporations millions. The University of Nebraska educational system is working to strengthen agricultural cyber defenses. Multiple NU projects with various funding sources, including federal government grants, are at the forefront of analyzing and addressing vulnerabilities.
“Many technologies used in precision agriculture, such as drones, have been designed for use and affordability before data security,” said Meghan Jackson of the University of Nebraska. “Disruptions of an automatic irrigation system or hacking a dairy’s control system could mean the failure of an entire season or the death of livestock.”
Notable closes…
Nearby lean hogs firmed to a fresh contract high amid wholesale support. Cutout values rose $1.25 on Monday to $113.30 amid respectable movement.
- October hogs added $1.72 ½ to $100.52 ½
- December hogs gained $1.97 ½ to $90.72 ½
Its not often enough we get to feature wheat here. Wheat futures were higher in today’s trade after a lackluster performance in the overnight.
- December HRW wheat futures were 9 ¼ cents higher at $5.11 ½
- December SRW wheat gained 9 ¾ to $5.20 ½
- December spring wheat closed at $5.67 ¾, up 3 ¾ cents on the day