Both Senators signed a letter, dated May 7, to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Acting Ambassador Marantis that described regulatory asynchrony, zero tolerance policies and re-registration requirements as costly regulatory barriers. The one-page letter also acknowledged efforts currently underway by USDA and USTR to engage trading partners on these issues.

Biotech varieties accounted for 88-percent of corn planted last year in the United States. 90-percent of Kansas corn acres were planted with biotech varieties. As the world’s leading exporter of corn, corn growers associations across the country strongly support efforts to ensure the uninterrupted flow of corn and corn co-products in the international marketplace.

“Biotechnology has been and will continue to be critical for farmers to help manage challenges from weather, pests and weeds. It truly increases efficiency in our corn crop,” said Kansas Corn Commission spokesperson Sue Schulte. “We need to elevate the conversation on barriers to biotech with each of our trading partners.”

The letter was signed by Senators from Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Delaware, Indiana, Mississippi, Minnesota Illinois, North Dakota, North Carolina, Nebraska and South Dakota.

To read the letter, click here:

http://ncga.com/upload/files/documents/pdf/130507%20Ltr%20to%20Sec%20Vilsack%20and%20Amb%20Marantis.pdf

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The U.S. beef industry, with major help from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), has seen the benefits of increased beef exports to Japan, following the Asian country’s change in trade restrictions this year.

On February 1, Japan began allowing imports of U.S. cattle less than 30 months of age. This change has been long-awaited as Japan put a 20-month age limit on U.S. beef in place in 2006.

Kansas was the first state corn checkoff to fund USMEF efforts to build meat exports. Since the 1970s, the Kansas Corn Commission (KCC) has supported all exports of U.S. beef as the beef industry’s success encourages a healthy economy for corn and agriculture in general. American beef is noted in other countries for its taste, which stems from cattle consumption of corn and other grains.

“We can export corn as grain or as a value-added product – beef and other meats,” Kansas Corn spokesperson Sue Schulte said. “That’s why the work of the USMEF is so important to us.”

Japan is the world’s third biggest economy and last year purchased 152,763 metric tons of U.S. beef muscle cuts and variety meat valued at $1.03 billion. This change in Japan’s policy on beef imports is expected to contribute to a 45-percent increase in U.S. beef exports to that nation in 2013.

The importance of the U.S.-Japanese relationship regarding red meat exports was recently highlighted by U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Philip Seng.

“On Feb. 1, Japan rationalized its import restrictions to allow beef imports from U.S. cattle less than 30 months of age,” Seng said. “The U.S. beef industry is committed to the Japanese market and looks forward to an even closer partnership.”
Japan is also the number one value market and second in volume market for U.S. pork, buying 455,776 metric tons valued at nearly $2 billion last year. Seng anticipates the U.S. will see increased pork volumes available in the year ahead and continued exports to Japan, where U.S. pork has been the No. 1 imported pork for eight consecutive years.

Last year, beef from Australia accounted for 62-percent of Japan’s imports of 514,000 tons, a value of $2.2 billion. USMEF expects U.S. beef sales to Japan to rise to 217,000 tons in 2013, still a long way to go compared to 2003 numbers at 267,000 tons of U.S. beef to Japan.

“Although we work with our national association and state counterparts year-round,  the spring state staff meeting provides us with a concentrated time to learn more about issues that affect corn farmers, and focus on how our state and national groups can work together to better represent our grower members,” KCGA Communications Director Sue Schulte said.

In addition to sharing experiences and ideas about key issues, attendees participated in sessions that focused on a wide variety of areas, such as improving agricultural literacy programs, discussions on major market changes, analysis of consumer attitudes, and new technology workshops. Using the chance to fine-tune skills, update knowledge of rapidly evolving issues and tools and further discuss broader situations with important implications, state and national staff alike worked diligently to improve skill sets and hold constructive conversations that will aide them in forming and implementing programs.

“By working together, our state and national organizations magnify our effectiveness and, subsequently, our ability to create positive change for farmers,” said NCGA CEO Rick Tolman. “While each state organization faces unique opportunities and challenges resulting from their particular circumstances, America’s corn farmers share many common issues. Working collaboratively allows us to address these areas of commonality with the full force of our combined strengths while sharing insight and ideas that can be brought back to address unique issues in an innovative fashion.”

“The soil needs the moisture but that and the cold weather is pushing our planting progress back on the calendar,” Brzon said. “But forecasts show improving conditions for planting and we can plant a lot of corn in a short time.”

As of Monday, April 22, five-percent of the state’s corn crop has been planted. Due to the moisture on Monday evening and Tuesday across much of the state, this figure holds until growers can get back in the fields. The five-year average for this week regarding Kansas corn planting is 20-percent and last year at this time, the state’s corn growers were ahead with 30-percent planted.

Last year’s corn planting in Kansas, however, was extremely early. In 2012, 75-percent of the Kansas corn crop was in the ground by the first week of May. The five year average for the first of May for Kansas corn planting is around 50%.

In 2008, wet weather slowed corn planting in Kansas. Kansas farmers planted 45-percent of the corn crop, nearly 2 million acres, in the second and third weeks of May.

This week, temperatures are expected to remain below normal for two-thirds of the country, making soil preparations a slow grind. Still, Kansas farmers remain optimistic they can go full-force with planting soon.

“Believe me we are all ready to get into the fields,” Brzon said.” Given the chance, growers will take all the moisture we can get. It’s a priority. But we’re looking forward to warmer weather that will allow us to get our corn planted and off to a good start.”

A cool, wet spring has delayed planting across much of the country, according to recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is not cause for alarm but rather a delay as farmers seek to plant near-record acreage this spring.

Despite these delays, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report on the usual corn planting and harvesting dates across the United States issued in 2012 shows that most areas have not yet reached or are just now entering the period in which the most planting activity occurs.

American Ethanol is playing a big part in the NASCAR Green effort being highlighted this weekend at the NASCAR races at Kansas Speedway. The Kansas Corn Commission is a sponsor of the American Ethanol NASCAR partnership.

This weekend marks the first of two NASCAR race weekends at Kansas Speedway. The racing weekend leads up to Earth Day which is on Monday, April 22. In recognition of world’s sustainability holiday, NASCAR will promote green efforts with partnerships from major companies and sponsors during the weekend events.

Adding to the ethanol excitement is driver Jeff Burton, whose #31 car will feature an American Ethanol paint out at Sunday’s Sprint Cup Race at Kansas Speedway. Burton is a member of the Richard Childress Racing team, which partners with American Ethanol.

Two years ago, NASCAR began a partnership with Sunoco, the official fuel of NASCAR and the American Ethanol industry, and promoted using Sunoco Green E15, a renewable fuel grown from corn. The fuel emits 20-percent less greenhouse gas emissions than unleaded gas, helped engine performance and is utilized by all three of NASCAR’s top series.

Mike Lynch, managing director for NASCAR’s Green Innovation, said the green effort has been made through hard work, time and careful analysis. He said E15 fuel has benefited the environment and NASCAR racing engines.

“We needed performance without compromise and we’ve ended up with all the good things and no negative trade-offs,” Lynch continued. “We as an industry have made a ton of progress in terms of green practices and initiatives.”

American Ethanol, sponsored by Growth Energy, National Corn Growers, New Holland and several state corn organizations and others, provides an opportunity to reach millions of NASCAR fans with positive messages about ethanol.

NASCAR has implemented green practices in numerous ways including the use of renewable ethanol fuel; a tree planting partnership with 3M Company and recycling bottle and cans with Coca-Cola and Coors Light.  The official tire supplier of NASCAR, Goodyear, offers a recycling program for all NASCAR stock cars and trucks. After every race weekend, tires are transported to Charlotte, NC and recycled for use in power generation and asphalt mixtures. Nearly 121,000 tires from the Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series in NASCAR are recycled by Goodyear every year.

Other recycling efforts include Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc., a company that ensures all oil and lubricants used in racing are recaptured and re-used. Sprint is also a partner in green initiatives with its “Recycle for Victory” program, which benefits NASCAR’s children’s charity Victory Junction. Sprint provides pre-addressed, postage-paid envelopes for fans to recycle old cell phones, batteries and other accessories. Since 2001, Sprint has recycled more than 24 million phones, equaling more than 2,600 metric tons of material.

To find out race times on at the Kansas Speedway go to Kansasspeedway.com. To learn more about the NASCAR Green effort, visit  http://green.nascar.com/

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One Kansan, LaVelle Winsor, Grantville, has taken this a step further by volunteering her time with CommonGround Kansas, a grass-roots movement to foster conversation among women about where food comes from. The Kansas Corn Commission and Kansas Soybean Commission along with National Corn Growers Association, the United Soybean Board and other state affiliates developed CommonGround to give farm women the opportunity to engage with consumers through the use of a wide range of activities.

Last week, Winsor was among a group of women who shared the story of American farming to people across the country through interviews, blogs, television and radio. In one morning, Winsor took part in 25 live and taped interviews that will reach 21 specific national media markets, blog readers and radio listeners.

Answering questions on issues such as organic foods and biotechnology, CommonGround volunteers served as a trusted resource for consumers with questions about where their food comes from and how it is grown. Winsor said most Americans are now two or three generations removed from farming and that people are looking to find out more about the foods they eat and who grows them.

“For example, a lot of the people that I have met through CommonGround have been genuinely surprised to learn about 96-percent of American farms are family farms,” she said. “Personally, my husband and I farm with my in-laws. I have found that people are excited to find out families, much like their own, grow their food. Through honest, open dialogue with farmers, people might be surprised to find what an incredible story their food has to tell and how it just keeps getting better.”

The women also responded to a variety of specific questions about production practices, technology and the difference between the wide variety of food choices available to American consumers. Many of the stations involved in this tour aired interviews live while others taped segments to run over the coming weeks. Interviews will air in cities across the country and featured in blogs such as Celebrate Woman Today, Earnest Parenting and Motherhood Moment and on radio stations across the country through It’s Your Health Network.

Video from these interviews will be posted to the National Corn Growers Association’s website, www.ncga.com and FindOurCommonGround.com. 

Farmers play a significant role in the Kansas economy not only by what they produce but also the dollars they invest in locally for seed, machinery, fuel and fertilizer in order to grow their crops, according to Kansas Corn Commissioner Steve Rome, Hugoton.

“Most of the time, we simply look at how many bushels of grain are produced. But we should be more aware of economic activity that is created by Kansas farmers,” Rome said. “Depending on location and growing practices, you’ll spend somewhere between $250 and $400 per acre to get a crop in the ground and growing. If we spent only $250 an acre to start our corn crops, the investment statewide is over a billion dollars, and that’s on the low side.”

In addition to 4.6 million acres of corn being planted this spring, farmers will also plant 2.9 million acres of sorghum and 3.9 million acres of soybeans. This means Kansas growers will plant more than 11.4 million acres of land to fall-harvested crops this spring.

“Every year brings uncertainty,” Rome said. “That uncertainty is a reason farmers purchase crop insurance. It is a program that offers the ability to come back to work after a poor year and invest in planting the next crop.”

Following a drought year, Kansas farmers are showing their dedication to producing an abundant crop to meet the needs of their customers. Most Kansas corn is fed to livestock, or used as a feedstock for ethanol production, where a third of the grain used returns as distillers grains, a high nutrient livestock feed.

For 30 years, people from all over the world have traveled to Manhattan, Kansas to train with and tour the International Grains Program (IGP). Since its beginning, IGP has continued to increase its capacity to educate and train international buyers of Kansas commodities.

The Kansas Corn Commission has a long-standing partnership with IGP and supports the program’s mission of marketing and promoting export markets for corn and other feed grains. IGP and the K-State Department of Grain Science act as ambassadors for Kansas commodities and serve as a primary source of expertise when it comes to the use of Kansas feed ingredients.

Through its short courses and technical overseas assistance, IGP offers education on topics ranging from grain purchasing, transportation storage and handling to milling, marketing and processing. For example, next month IGP will offer an annual grain purchasing short course for international grain buyers from four countries. In addition, a short course on advanced risk management and merchandising will be held in May in conjunction with NCI of Fargo, ND.

“Foreign market development is an important part of the corn commission’s program,” according to Kansas Corn Commission Chairman Mike Brzon, Courtland. “IGP is considered to be a valuable resource to grain buyers throughout the world and we are lucky to have the program operating in our state. We’ve also had opportunities to host IGP classes on our Kansas farms, giving international buyers an understanding of the quality of grain we produce in the U.S.”

Jay O’Neil, senior agricultural economist at IGP, said the first question many people have is about the purpose and mission of the program. Due to its location in Manhattan and affiliation with Kansas State University, IGP is often assumed as a program for undergraduate education. However, this is not the case. Though there is an interest in working with and teaching young people about the global grains industry, IGP’s primary focus and efforts are centered on the promotion of Kansas commodities with foreign buyers.

“Our entire purpose and focus is to promote and educate foreign buyers on the use of Kansas and U.S. corn, wheat, soybeans and related products,” O’Neil said. “We provide innovative and relevant technical programs to encourage market preference, consumption and utilization of corn for the benefit of Kansas corn producers.”

Although IGP may not be a household name, the program enjoys global recognition among flour millers, feed manufacturers, grain buyers and governmental buying entities. This year IGP will conduct more than 25 short courses and customized training sessions to help familiarize international customers with U.S. corn and to promote its quality characteristics and best uses. O’Neil said IGP activities also include education on risk management and price control. In addition, IGP also works with trade teams and visitors and facilitates overseas technical assistance.

“Training is a part of the promotional element of marketing U.S. grains,” he said. “A foreign buyer may not understand the U.S. grading and quality system or how best to utilize corn or feed ingredients. Having that familiarity and knowledge gives them power and motivation to buy our products to use in the best way. It’s a classic case of the more you know the more you like it and we want to show how to use U.S. grains in the best way possible.”

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Kansas Corn Commission is a Partner in the NASCAR American Ethanol Effort

With the NASCAR racing season well underway, Kansas corn farmers are entering their third year as a sponsor of the American Ethanol partnership with NASCAR. E15, a 15-percent ethanol fuel, has been used in all NASCAR racing vehicles since 2011. When NASCAR switched to ethanol-infused fuel for its race cars, it proved to be an environmentally-beneficial decision and also boosted performance by lowering emissions and increasing horsepower of race cars in all three of the sport’s marquee series.

American Ethanol recently announced its plans to enhance its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and driver Austin Dillon for the 2013 NASCAR® season. Dillon will race the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ at Michigan International Speedway on June 16. He will also drive a RCR-fielded entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ at Eldora Speedway on July 24 with an American Ethanol paint scheme. Dillon was NASCAR’s 2012 Rookie of the Year.

“It feels good to help spread the news about American Ethanol and encourage every American to run the fuel of the future in their personal vehicles,” Dillon said. “If American Ethanol can withstand the rigors of NASCAR, it can withstand everyday driving. Homegrown biofuels like American Ethanol have stepped up to help our nation’s economy and are proving to be a better fuel.”

Veteran fan favorite Kenny Wallace is also returning as a spokesman for American Ethanol. This season, Wallace is aiming for his 900^th NASCAR start.

Survey results show that American Ethanol is making a positive impression on racing fans. NASCAR commissioned an online panel of more than 2,000 adults to assess the attitude of avid, casual and non-fans related to the environment. The survey showed that 78-percent of avid fans support the American Ethanol partnership and use ethanol in their own cars. This number has grown from the low 50-percentile for the program’s target audience and is compared to today’s numbers of 40-percent for non-fans and 53-percent for casual fans.

When the program started in late 2010 only 57-percent of the avid NASCAR fans supported the idea of using ethanol in NASCAR races. After two years of exposure and education that number is now 78-percent.

Since the beginning, the Kansas Corn Commission has been a strong supporter and partner in American Ethanol, along with the National Corn Growers Association and several state corn associations.

In Kansas, ethanol is making a big splash at the Kansas Speedway which will again host two NASCAR weekends in April and October this year. Last fall the Kansas Corn Commission and Nebraska Corn Board helped to sponsor the American Ethanol display, featuring an Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol showcar, a New Holland combine and an ethanol blender pump. The effort reached thousands who came to the midway area to see driver appearances and get information from the exhibitors.

“We reached thousands of race fans with a positive ethanol message when we were operating the American Ethanol display at the Kansas Speedway at the track last fall,” Kansas Corn Commission Communications Director Sue Schulte said. “Then when you look at the millions who watch NASCAR on TV you realize how powerful the American Ethanol effort is.”

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 A much-needed round of precipitation came to Kansas last week, just in time to help prepare the soil for spring planting season.

 “The back-to-back snowstorms meant extra work for those with livestock but whether you produce grain, cattle or both, our growers were happy to see some moisture on our fields and pastures.” according to Kansas Corn Commission spokesperson Sue Schulte.

 A range of four to 20- inches of snow and some rain fell across the majority of the state beginning on Feb. 20 and again on Feb. 25-26. The most snow reported on Feb. 21 was 18-inches of snow in western Kingman County while Pratt, Kan, saw nearly 20-inches of snow total in a five-day period.

 A rare thundersnow storm dumped several inches of snow on Wichita just before dawn on Feb. 21 and as the storm pulled out of the area by evening, the total was 14.2 inches. Only the storm of Jan. 17-18, 1962, delivered more snow in south central Kansas, totaling 15 inches.

 Kansas State University Associate Professor in cropping systems Kraig Roozeboom says the winter months tend to be low for rainfall and precipitation so any moisture during this season is helpful. Roozeboom has conducted research and extension projects for the Kansas Corn Commission for several years.

 The problem, he said, still exists that Kansas is in a severe drought situation, one that will require many more rainfalls to eliminate the moisture deficit.

 “When you look at subsoil moisture it is all short or very short,” Roozeboom said. “Snow fall is great in that it is has the potential for soaking in and replenishing soil moisture compared to heavy rainfall which is more likely to runoff. The downside with snow is that a lot of it is blown and it may not have even distribution across the landscape.”

 Roozeboom said another issue is that crops rely on stored soil moisture. During the upcoming planting season, typically in April, and the summer growing season, Kansas needs enough rain to support crop yields in all parts of the state.

 “We are still lagging behind in that regard,” he said. “A matter of several inches of rainfall over time will be necessary to alleviate that situation.”

 Replenishing subsoil moisture is the goal, Roozeboom said, and Kansas is not out of the woods yet even with record snowfall totals. He adds farmers should continue to practice tillage methods that will retain moisture for crop growth and manage weed populations.

 “Winter annuals can come in and early emerging spring weeds can use up moisture if we don’t control them,” he said. “It’s another year where moisture will trump other yield-limiting factors. Managing inputs like weeds and fertilizers and disease control are all still important.”

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