Tag Archives: USDA

Rain and snow last week pushed the nation’s soybean harvest further behind the average pace and also slowed the corn harvest, USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

As of Sunday, Oct. 14, 38% of the soybean crop was harvested, up just 6 percentage points from the previous week and 15 points behind the five-year average of 53%. That’s further behind normal than the previous week when harvest lagged the average pace by just 4 percentage points.

 

Listen to the report here: https://post.futurimedia.com/krvnam/playlist/futures-one-crop-progress-report-10-15-5292.html

Though the national average good-to-excellent condition rating for soybeans dropped by only 2 percentage points from 68% the previous week to 66% last week, crop conditions in some key soybean-growing states worsened last week.

The percentage of soybeans rated as very poor to poor in Iowa rose 2 percentage points from 9% the previous week to 11% last week. In North Dakota, soybeans were rated 20% very poor to poor, up 4 percentage points from the previous week. Missouri soybeans’ very-poor-to-poor rating was also up 4 percentage points from 19% the previous week to 23% last week.

The wet conditions last week also slowed the corn harvest. Nationwide, 39% of corn was harvested as of Sunday, still 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 35% but nearer to the average pace than the previous week when harvest was 8 percentage points ahead of normal.

Corn condition held steady nationwide last week at 68% good to excellent.

Winter wheat planting was 65% finished as of Sunday, ahead of 58% last year at the same time but slightly behind the five-year average of 67%. Winter wheat emerged, at 44%, was ahead of last year’s 35% and also ahead of the average pace of 41%.

Forty-two percent of the sorghum crop was harvested as of Sunday, behind the average pace of 48%.

Eighty-eight percent of rice was harvested as of Sunday, behind last year’s 90% but near the five-year average of 87%.

Eighty-five percent of cotton had bolls opening as of Sunday, ahead of the average of 83%. Thirty-two percent of cotton was harvested, slightly ahead of last year’s 30% and also ahead of the average pace of 25%. Nationwide, cotton condition dropped 7 percentage points from 42% good to excellent the previous week to 35% last week.

To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov. Look for the U.S. map in the “Find Data and Reports by” section and choose the state you wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state’s “Crop Progress & Condition” report.

National Crop Progress Summary
This Last Last 5-Year
Week Week Year Avg.
Corn Mature 96 93 89 91
Corn Harvested 39 34 27 35
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 95 91 93 92
Soybeans Harvested 38 32 47 53
Winter Wheat Planted 65 57 58 67
Winter Wheat Emerged 44 30 35 41
Cotton Bolls Opening 85 78 81 83
Cotton Harvested 32 25 30 25
Sorghum Mature 81 73 79 82
Sorghum Harvested 42 39 39 48
Rice Harvested 88 79 90 87

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
This Week Last Week Last Year
VP P F G E VP P F G E VP P F G E
Corn 4 8 20 47 21 4 8 20 47 21 3 8 24 50 15
Soybeans 3 8 23 48 18 3 7 22 49 19 3 9 27 48 13
Sorghum 6 11 28 44 11 5 11 29 44 11 2 6 27 52 13
Cotton 11 20 34 29 6 6 19 33 32 10 5 8 29 43 15

USDA on Thursday called for record soybean production and large ending stocks in its October round of World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) and Crop Production reports.

Farmers are expected to harvest 53.1 bushels per acre of soybeans, up from last month’s 52.8 bpa forecast. Overall production, at 4.69 billion bushels, is slightly lower than last month’s estimate. Both are within the range of pre-report expectations.

New-crop (2018-19) soybean ending stocks were pegged at 885 million bushels on higher beginning stocks. USDA left soybean use unchanged.

On corn, USDA estimated national average yields at 180.7 bpa with production at 14.8 billion bushels. While that’s down slightly from last month’s estimate of 181.3 bpa and 14.83 bb, respectively, it’d still be the highest yield on record and second highest level of production.

This month’s Crop Production forecast is noteworthy because it becomes statistically more accurate.

Thursday’s new U.S. ending stocks estimates were bullish for corn and neutral for soybeans and wheat, said DTN Analyst Todd Hultman. World ending stocks estimates from USDA were neutral for corn, bearish for soybeans and slightly bullish for wheat, he said.

You can access the full reports here:

— Crop Production: https://www.nass.usda.gov/…

— World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE): http://www.usda.gov/…

SOYBEANS

The U.S. soybean crop was projected at 4.69 billion bushels, down slightly from last month and lower than the pre-report average estimate. Still, soybean yield was bumped up to 53.1 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bpa from the September estimate of 52.8 bpa.

USDA lowered harvested soybean acres to 88.3 million acres, down 600,000 acres from the September projection.

Ending stocks were projected at 885 million bushels for soybeans, up 40 mb from last month’s forecast. USDA increased carryover from the 2017-18 crop by 43 mb, but dropped production by 3 mb to bump up the 2018-19 ending stocks.

Despite the export battles, USDA held pat on soybean exports for the 2018-19 crop at 2.06 billion bushels, the same as the September forecast.

The average farm-gate price for soybeans remained at a forecast of $8.60 a bushel with a wide range stretching from $7.35 to $9.85 a bushel.

Globally, USDA raised soybean carryover from the old crop by 1.91 million metric tons, which translated into boosting the ending stocks for the 2018-19 crop as well by 1.78 mmt. USDA did not change production estimates for major exporters such as Brazil (120.5 mmt) and Argentina (57 mmt).

CORN

USDA expects farmers to harvest 81.8 million acres of corn, down slightly from the agency’s previous estimate and 1% below 2017. When combined with its record national average yield projection of 180.7 bpa, production comes out at 14.78 billion bushels.

New-crop (2018-19) domestic ending stocks came in at 1.813 bb, which incorporates the 138 million extra bushels from September’s Grain Stocks report as higher beginning stocks as well as the slightly lower production estimate. USDA lowered feed and residual use by 25 mb while boosting exports by 75 million bushels.

It left the range of national average farm-gate prices unchanged at $3.00 to $4.00 per bushel.

Globally, USDA forecast 2018-19 stocks at 159.35 million metric tons, up 2.32 mmt from last month. However, it’s still less than the 198.21 mmt ending stocks forecast for 2017-18.

WHEAT

Ending stocks for the 2018-19 crop were forecast at 956 mb, up 21 mb from last month’s estimate of 935 million bushels.

USDA bumped up projected 2018-19 yield 0.2 bpa to 47.6 bpa. That increased production 7 million total bushels to 1.884 bb.

USDA also held wheat exports pat at 1.025 bb, but slightly lowered domestic demand 10 mb overall.

The average price was pegged at $5.10 a bushel, but USDA lowered the possible price range by 10 cents a bushel.

Globally, USDA lowered world wheat production by 2.08 mmt for 2018-19 and lowered global imports 1.34 mmt as well. With lower global production, USDA lowered the 2018-19 world wheat ending stocks by 1.11 mmt as well.

U.S. CROP PRODUCTION (Million Bushels) 2018-2019
Oct Avg High Low Sep 2017-18
Corn 14,778 14,851 14,969 14,700 14,827 14,604
Soybeans 4,690 4,733 4,890 4,623 4,693 4,392
U.S. AVERAGE YIELD (Bushels Per Acre) 2018-2019
Oct Avg High Low Sep 2017-18
Corn 180.7 181.8 183.0 180.6 181.3 176.6
Soybeans 53.1 53.4 55.0 52.0 52.8 49.1
U.S. HARVESTED ACRES (Million Acres) 2018-2019
Oct Avg High Low Sep 2017-18
Corn 81.8 81.7 81.9 81.4 81.8 82.7
Soybeans 88.3 88.7 88.9 88.2 88.9 89.5
U.S. ENDING STOCKS (Million Bushels) 2018-2019
Oct Avg High Low Sep
Corn 1,813 1,932 2,352 1,774 1,774
Soybeans 885 860 975 492 845
Wheat 956 960 1,020 895 935
WORLD ENDING STOCKS (Million metric tons) 2018-2019
Oct Avg High Low Sep
Corn 159.3 159.2 165.9 156.0 157.0
Soybeans 110.0 109.4 113.0 105.5 108.3
Wheat 260.2 261.1 263.7 259.0 261.3

 In spite of rain, the U.S. corn harvest has pushed forward, USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service said in its weekly Crop Progress report on Tuesday, which was delayed a day due to Columbus Day.

Listen to the report here: https://post.futurimedia.com/krvnam/playlist/futures-one-crop-progress-report-10-9-5248.html

As of Sunday, Oct. 7, 34% of corn was harvested nationwide, 8 percentage points ahead of the average pace of 26%. That was further ahead of normal than the previous week when harvest was even with the of average.

The soybean harvest, on the other hand, is slowing down. As of Sunday, 32% of the crop was harvested, which is 4 percentage points below the five-year average of 36%. That compares to the previous week when harvest was slightly ahead of the average.

Meanwhile, both crops continued to reach maturity ahead of the normal pace. Ninety-three percent of corn was mature, 10 percent ahead of the average of 83%. Soybeans were 91% dropping leaves, 6 percentage points ahead of the average of 85%.

Nationwide, condition ratings for corn is now at 68% good to excellent, as opposed to the 69% good to excellent rating seen last week. Soybeans were unchanged from the previous week with a rating of 68% good to excellent.

Winter wheat planting was 57% finished last week, ahead of 46% at the same time last year and also slightly ahead of the five-year average of 54%. Winter wheat emerged, at 30%, was ahead of last year’s 23% and ahead of the average pace of 28%.

Thirty-nine percent of the sorghum crop was harvested as of Sunday, behind the average pace of 42%.

Seventy-nine percent of rice was harvested as of Sunday, behind last year’s 84% but equal to the five-year average. Seventy-eight percent of cotton had bolls opening, ahead of the average of 74%. Twenty-five percent of cotton was harvested, slightly ahead of last year’s 24% and also ahead of the average pace of 18%.

To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov. Look for the U.S. map in the “Find Data and Reports by” section and choose the state you wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state’s “Crop Progress & Condition” report.

National Crop Progress Summary
This Last Last 5-Year
Week Week Year Avg.
Corn Mature 93 86 80 83
Corn Harvested 34 26 21 26
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 91 83 88 85
Soybeans Harvested 32 23 34 36
Winter Wheat Planted 57 43 46 54
Winter Wheat Emerged 30 14 23 28
Cotton Bolls Opening 78 67 71 74
Cotton Harvested 25 19 24 18
Sorghum Mature 73 62 68 72
Sorghum Harvested 39 34 35 42
Rice Harvested 79 70 84 79

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
This Week Last Week Last Year
VP P F G E VP P F G E VP P F G E
Corn 4 8 20 47 21 4 8 19 47 22 3 8 25 49 15
Soybeans 3 7 22 49 19 3 7 22 49 19 3 9 27 49 12
Sorghum 5 11 29 44 11 6 11 29 44 10 2 6 28 52 12
Cotton 6 19 33 32 10 6 19 33 32 10 8 7 25 42 18

Land O’Lakes International Development today announced it has been awarded funding from the

(USAID) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support new agricultural capacity building and food safety programs in Georgia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Rwanda and Malawi.

“Land O’Lakes International Development welcomes the ongoing partnership of USAID and USDA as we continue leveraging the expertise of a nearly century-old, farmer-owned cooperative to improve livelihoods and enhance agriculture worldwide,” said John Ellenberger, executive director of Land O’Lakes International Development. “We’re excited to build collaborative efforts for international economic development that unite host country agricultural stakeholders, Land O’Lakes, Inc. farmers and technical staff, government leaders and academic experts to maximize results.”

The five new programs focus on agricultural capacity building, food safety and cooperative development. The projects include:

  • Lebanon (Food Safety): The Lebanon Investment in Quality (LINQ) Program, funded by USAID, is a three-year project focused on enhancing food safety and quality expertise in the agribusiness and fresh products sectors. The project will leverage technical support from Land O’Lakes, Inc. quality assurance experts, including both in-country volunteers and distance mentoring assignments.
  • Rwanda and Malawi (Cooperative Development Program): Land O’Lakes International Development’s strong business relationships and cooperative management expertise will help provide assistance to Rwandan and Malawian agricultural cooperatives through USAID. In addition to technical advice from the Land O’Lakes, Inc. Member Relations team, Land O’Lakes, Inc. member cooperatives will also provide technical assistance for the project.
  • Georgia (Food Safety – Food for Progress): Working alongside experts at Michigan State University and the Georgian Farmers Association, Land O’Lakes International Development will work with Georgian dairy and livestock agribusinesses to improve food safety and quality protocols. We will build up food safety best practices through a strong private sector-led effort, supported by the project partners and incorporating food safety expertise from Land O’Lakes, Inc. Funding for this five-year program is provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service via the Food for Progress Program.
  • Egypt (Food Safety – Food for Progress): A five-year project will focus on work alongside the Government of Egypt and Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority to inspect and coach food businesses in new food safety standards. The program will leverage the expertise of the International Food Protection Training Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The program has been awarded funding from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service via the Food for Progress Program.
  • Egypt, Lebanon and Bangladesh (Farmer-to-Farmer Food Safety and Quality): Farmer-to-Farmer Food Safety and Quality (F2F FSQ) is a five-year USAID-funded program that will provide technical assistance to host organizations by utilizing volunteer expertise. Land O’Lakes International Development began implementing Farmer-to-Farmer programs in 1987 and has sent more than 1,400 volunteers — including over 160 Land O’Lakes, Inc. staff and cooperative members — on F2F assignments in 27 countries.

About Land O’Lakes International Development: Land O’Lakes International Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping businesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. Since 1981, Land O’Lakes International Development has implemented over 300 dairy, livestock and crops development programs in nearly 80 countries — growing farmer, cooperative and commercial businesses along the way.

Land O’Lakes International Development’s long-standing affiliation with Land O’Lakes, Inc. sets them apart. Land O’Lakes, Inc., a $14 billion farmer-owned agribusiness, offers the nonprofit nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights and technologies. This gives development projects like the ones listed above a unique view of agriculture, food and the power of well-functioning market systems. Land O’Lakes, Inc. supports these efforts as part of its enterprise purpose of feeding human progress at home and around the world.

More than 1,100 scientists and economists from across the country sent a letter to congressional leaders today, opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize and relocate key research branches at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The proposed changes threaten scientific integrity at the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and could further marginalize their critical research from policymaking, according to the letter. If Secretary Perdue’s plans are realized, the ERS and NIFA will be relocated from their current offices in Washington, DC, and the ERS will be transferred to the aegis of the Office of the Chief Economist, which reports to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

The outcry from scientists comes on the heels of a letter last week from Secretary Perdue defending the plan to a bipartisan pair of Senate leaders who have also questioned it. Responding to Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Perdue claimed—without providing evidence—that relocating researchers outside of Washington, DC, would attract highly qualified staff and foster closer collaboration between researchers and stakeholders. More likely is that the move would have the opposite effect. Many NIFA and ERS staff are drawn to the national capital region, where they can work alongside legislators and other federal agencies, and more seamlessly integrate agriculture research with the greater national science community.

“As a former national program leader at NIFA and a farmer, I have firsthand experience of how the USDA serves customers,” said Diana Jerkins, research director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation. “Stakeholders travel to DC to meet with NIFA, ERS and other government officials including members of Congress, all in a single trip. If NIFA and ERS are moved, it will make interaction with these agencies more challenging. Additionally, the ability of these research agencies to work on joint programs, collaborate with other researchers and government officials and serve the customers of USDA—it would be greatly diminished.”

The signers also worry that moving ERS from the Research, Education and Economics (REE) mission area will undermine the agency’s work to objectively collect and analyze data on issues ranging from agriculture and conservation to food and rural development.

“The mission of ERS is to generate research free from the ideological positions of a particular administration,” said Ricardo Salvador, senior scientist and director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Placing ERS in the Secretary’s office means that ‘inconvenient’ data can be more readily suppressed or manipulated.”

Recent nonpartisan ERS analyses have undercut Trump administration messaging on issues including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, trade agreements, climate change, the Clean Water Act and crop insurance.

“ERS produces valuable analysis to inform policy decisions with real impacts on farmers, consumers, rural communities and the natural resources we all depend upon,” said Carol Adaire Jones, a former associate director of the agency’s Resource and Rural Economics Division and now a visiting scholar at the Environmental Law Institute. “Congress should act to preserve its mandate and protect its integrity.”

The scientists’ letter calls for congressional committees with jurisdiction over the USDA and its budget to delay the reorganization until agency employees, federal researchers, Congress and other stakeholders have been given the opportunity for input into the process. Other recommendations include keeping the ERS within the REE branch of the USDA, and ensuring that the agency continues to have access to data and statistical resources.

USDA’s quarterly Grain Stocks report indicates higher stocks on hand at the end of the 2017-18 crop year than analysts expected.

Corn stocks as of Sept. 1 were 2.14 billion bushels, higher than the range of pre-report estimates. The average estimate was 2.002 bb.

Soybean stocks came in at 438 million bushes, significantly higher than the average pre-report estimate of 392 mb.

For corn and soybeans, September’s stocks figures will become the ending stocks numbers for the 2017-18 crop year. USDA economists will use these figures to update the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report on Oct. 11.

USDA also released its Small Grain Summary with finally tallies of this year’s wheat production.

USDA’s grain stocks estimates were bearish for corn, soybeans and wheat, said DTN Analyst Todd Hultman. USDA’s wheat production estimates were slightly bearish for all wheat, spring wheat and durum but neutral for winter wheat, he said.

Because DTN and other news outlets no longer have pre-release access to the reports, instead of one story, we are now sending a series of updates with each including more information as our analysts and reporters digest and analyze the new numbers.

Check this page throughout the morning for important highlights from the reports and commentary from our analysts on what the numbers mean.

You can also access the full reports here:

Grain Stocks and Small Grains Summary: https://www.nass.usda.gov/…

GRAIN STOCKS

Soybeans:

Soybean stocks as of Sept. 1 totaled 438 billion bushels, up 45% from last year, USDA said.

On-farm stocks came in at 101 million bushels, 15% higher than last year, while off-farm stocks came in 337 million bushels, up 58% from last year.

USDA said the industry used 781 million bushels, suggesting record fourth-quarter demand. The previous record for fourth-quarter disappearance, 673 million bushels, was set in the 2015-16 crop year.

USDA also revised its 2017 soybean production based on an analysis of year-end stocks estimates, disappearance data for exports and crushing and farm program administration data. It revised production upward by 19.1 million bushels. USDA adjusted yields to 49.3 bushels per acre, up 0.2 bpa from its previous estimate.

Corn:

USDA said corn stocks totaled 2.14 billion bushels as of Sept. 1, down 7% compared to the same time last year.

Of that, 620 million bushels were stored on-farm, 221% lower than in September 2017, and 1.52 billion bushels were stored off-farm, 1% above year-ago levels.

Total usage from June to August totaled 3.16 billion bushels, compared to 2.94 billion bushels during the same period last year.

Wheat:

As of Sept. 1, USDA said total wheat stocks in storage were pegged at 2.38 billion bushels, up 5% from a year ago.

Of that, 631 million bushels were stored on-farm, up 28% from the same time last year. Off-farm stocks were reported at 1.75 billion bushels, down 1% from a year ago.

Total wheat usage was pegged at 605 million bushels, down 8% from last year.

Barley:

Barley stocks in all positions were pegged at 175 million bushels, down 3% from 2017. On-farm stocks were estimated at 91.4 million bushels, up 1% from last year. Off-farm stocks were listed at 83.2 million bushels, 7% below 2017. Total usage was listed at 73.1 million bushels, 6% higher than last year.

Barley production was pegged at 153 million bushels, up 8% from 2017.

Sorghum:

Old-crop grain sorghum totaled 34.9 million bushels in all positions, up 4% from a year ago. On-farm stocks were pegged at 3.36 million bushels, down 22% from last year while off-farm stocks were at 31.5 million bushels, up 8% from a year ago. Usage was reported at 30.5 million bushels, down 41% from the same time last year.

SMALL GRAINS SUMMARY

All-wheat production in 2018 reached 1.88 billion bushels, up 8% from revised 2017 figures of 1.74 billion bushels. Average yield for 2018 was 47.6 bushels per acre, up 1.3 bushels from 2017. Area harvested for all wheat totaled 39.6 million acres, up 5% from 2017 as well.

Winter wheat production in 2018 was pegged at 1.18 billion bushels, down 7% from last year. Spring wheat production was pegged at 623 million bushels, up 50% from a year ago and durum wheat was pegged at 77.3 million bushels, up 41%.

**

Editor’s Note: Join DTN Analyst Todd Hultman at 12 p.m. CDT on Friday, Sept. 28, as he explains what the day’s numbers mean to grain prices. To register, visit: https://dtn.webex.com/…

QUARTERLY STOCKS (million bushels)
(Report date 9/28/18) 9/1/18 Avg High Low Sep-17
Corn 2,140 2,002 2,099 1,953 2,293
Soybeans 438 394 408 385 302
Wheat 2,379 2,350 2,443 2,155 2,266
SMALL GRAINS SUMMARY (million bushels)
2017-2018 Production 9/28/18 Avg High Low 2017
All Wheat 1,884 1,871 1,907 1,848 1,741
Winter 1,184 1,188 1,200 1,170 1,269
HRW 662 661 666 645 750
SRW 286 290 294 285 292
White 217 237 247 230 227
Spring 623 610 635 591 416
Durum 77 72 74 70 55

USDA released it’s quarterly hogs and pigs report. The report came in similar to how analysts expected.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on September 1, 2018 was 75.5 million head. This was up 3 percent from September 1, 2017, and up 3 percent from June 1, 2018.

Breeding inventory, at 6.33 million head, was up 3 percent from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 69.2 million head, was up 3 percent from last year, and up 4 percent from last quarter.

The June-August 2018 pig crop, at 34.2 million head, was up 3 percent from 2017.

Listen to Jerry Stowell of Country Futures break the report down:

Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.19 million head, up 3 percent from 2017.

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd.

The average pigs saved per litter was a record high of 10.72 for the June-August period, compared to 10.65 last year.

United States hog producers intend to have 3.16 million sows farrow during the September-November 2018 quarter, up 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2017, and up 4 percent from 2016. Intended farrowings for December-February 2019, at 3.12 million sows, are up 2 percent from 2018, and up 4 percent from 2017.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 48 percent of the total United States hog inventory, up from 47 percent the previous year.

USDA Actual:

All Hogs Sept. 1 103.0%

Kept for Breeding 103.0%

Kept for Marketing 103.0%

WEIGHT BREAKDOWN:

180# Plus 103.0%

120-179# 103.0%

50-119# 103.0%

Under 50# 103.0%

FARROWINGS/INTENTIONS:

Jun-Aug 103.0%

Sep-Nov * 102.0%

Dec-Feb * 102.0%

Summer Pig Crop 103.0%

Jun-Aug Pigs per Litter 101.0%

The next report will be released on December 20, 2018 at 3:00 P.M. EST at www.nass.usda.gov.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University plans to give former Kansas congressman and U.S. secretary of agriculture Dan Glickman an honorary doctorate.

The Manhattan Mercury reports Glickman will receive the doctorate during fall commencement Dec. 7 in Bramlage Coliseum.

Glickman represented the state’s 4th Congressional District from 1977 to 1995. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 1995 and served until 2001.

Since leaving his cabinet post, Glickman has remained active in several organizations involved with agriculture, public health and others.

NEBRASKA CHICKEN AND EGGS

All layers in Nebraska during August 2018 totaled 8.13 million, up from 7.76 million the previous year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during August totaled 211 million eggs, up from 201 million in 2017. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,596 eggs, compared to 2,593 eggs in 2017.

U.S. August Egg Production Up 3 Percent

United States egg production totaled 9.16 billion during August 2018, up 3 percent from last year. Production included 7.96 billion table eggs, and 1.20 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.11 billion were broiler-type and 87.2 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during August 2018 totaled 385 million, up 3 percent from last year. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,379 eggs, down slightly from August 2017.

All layers in the United States on September 1, 2018 totaled 386 million, up 3 percent from last year. The 386 million layers consisted of 325 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 57.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.53 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on September 1, 2018, averaged 77.1 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from September 1, 2017.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 16 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during August 2018 totaled 53.4 million, up 16 percent from August 2017. Eggs in incubators totaled 51.3 million on September 1, 2018, up 26 percent from a year ago.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 192 thousand during August 2018, up 33 percent from August 2017.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 1 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during August 2018 totaled 840 million, up 1 percent from August 2017. Eggs in incubators totaled 672 million on September 1, 2018, up slightly from a year ago.

Leading breeders placed 8.41 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during August 2018, up 3 percent from August 2017.

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $398.5 million (PDF, 105 KB) to improve rural electric service in 13 states.

“Reliable and affordable electricity is undeniably a necessity in today’s world,” Hazlett said. “Under the leadership of Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner in keeping our rural communities connected to this essential infrastructure.”

USDA is making the investments through the Electric Infrastructure Loan Program. Below are a few examples of the projects USDA is funding:

  • In Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative will use a $47.7 million loan to add 2,578 customers, build 136 miles of line and make other system improvements. The loan amount includes $269,536 for smart grid projects. Southside, headquartered in Crewe, has approximately 8,250 miles of power line that provides service to 56,000 customers in 18 counties and one independent city in south central Virginia. Its customers are within commuting distance to the Richmond, Petersburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Roanoke areas. Southside serves predominantly residential loads and a small percentage of large commercial loads, including a correctional facility, a meat processing plant, pipeline companies, a bearing manufacturing facility and several facilities engaged in the production of forestry products.
  • In Indiana, Marshall County REMC is receiving a $9.5 million loan to build 11 miles of line, improve 59 miles and make other system improvements. The loan amount includes $5,130,130 for smart grid projects. Marshall County provides electric service to 7,200 customers over 1,070 miles of line in Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, St. Joseph and Starke counties in northern Indiana. The economy of the service territory has historically relied on agriculture and agriculture-related industries.
  • In Colorado, San Miguel Power Association will use an $11 million loan to build 205 miles of line, improve 47 miles and make other system improvements. The loan amount includes $571,654 for smart grid projects. San Miguel is headquartered in Nucla. It serves 13,473 customers through 3,800 miles of line in Dolores, Hinsdale, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan and Miguel counties.

These projects will help improve the quality of life in rural communities in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

The investments USDA is making today include nearly $43.7 million for smart grid technology to increase system efficiencies. Smart grid includes computer applications, two-way machine-to-machine communications, geospatial information systems and other tools to increase the reliability and efficiency of electric power systems.

The Department’s support for rural cooperatives and utilities underscores Secretary Perdue’s priority to promote rural economic development by centering around three principles: infrastructure, partnerships and innovation. Investing in electric infrastructure has increased productivity and improved the quality of life in rural areas for nearly 80 years.

In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.