In Farm Bureau
Carter named EVP Warren Carter, a 28-year employee of Arkansas Farm Bureau, has been named the organization’s executive vice president, replacing Rodney Baker, who recently retired. The organization’s board of directors met Jan. 5 to determine the selection. Arkansas Farm Carter Bureau’s executive vice president serves as the chief executive officer, manages the staff functions for the organization and reports to the board of directors. Carter, 52, has served as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s director of commodity and regulatory affairs since 2002. In that role, he managed staff responsibilities for support of the state check-off programs, economic research in support of Farm Bureau policies and programs and the organization’s commodity market information and education programs.
Members of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers state committee visited Washington D.C. Dec. 14-17 where they attended American Farm Bureau communications training, visited the U.S. Department of Agriculture and met with congressmen and representatives. Those on the trip were (left to right) Kristy Morrison, Tyler and Randi McDonald, Kristian and Trent Dabbs, Krystal Groves, Lori and Brad Henley, Erin Hill, Chase Groves, Kallem Hill, Melissa Cureton, Harry Willems and Josh Cureton. A native of Mantee, Miss., Carter holds bachelors and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Mississippi State University. He first joined Farm Bureau in 1987, where he had responsibility for the wheat and feed grains, forestry and aquaculture commodity programs. “Warren has deep respect within the agricultural industry and will help lead the organization’s effort as the unifying voice of agriculture in Arkansas,” said ArFB President Randy Veach. “While there are fewer farmers than before, there is not less farming. The issues affecting agriculture Garland Co. FB Women’s Committee members (left to right) Angee Adcock, Sarah Goodeaux, Cindy Rucker and Penny Thornton built a “Commodity Wreath” featuring Arkansas-grown products to benefit Safe Haven Shelter for Women and Children in Hot Springs. The wreath was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Safe Haven’s Festival of Hope fundraiser.
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are more acute than ever as government support decreases and regulation increases.” Commodity meetings Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2016 Winter Commodity Division meetings will take place Feb. 3 at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. The purpose of these meetings is to review Farm Bureau policy and make recommendations to the state board of directors for implementation. Actions taken will determine the organization’s program of work on commodity issues during the coming year.
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
January 8, 2016 • Vol. 19, No. 1
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All 12 of the organization’s commodity divisions will meet at this time. The format will be similar to last year, with half the meetings in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The schedule of activities is as follows: • 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Registration • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Beef Cattle, Cotton, Forestry, Soybean, Specialty Crops and Swine divisions meet • 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Lunch. President Randy Veach will speak. • 1–3 p.m. Aquaculture, Dairy, Equine, Poultry, Rice and Wheat & Feed Grains divisions meet
Lacey Mitchell (right), a reporter for the Batesville Daily Guard, writes about agricultural issues and Farm Bureau activities year-round. To thank her for her work on behalf of local farmers and ranchers, Sharp Co. FB board member Sue Billiott (left) visited the newspaper office on Dec. 8 and presented her a plaque of appreciation from the county.
YF&R and Collegiate Conferences The Arkansas Farm Bureau YF&R and Collegiate Conferences are scheduled for Feb. 27-28 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock. The two conferences have been combined to provide better outreach to both these important leadership programs. Registration starts at 10 a.m. Feb. 27. A variety of workshops will cover key issues affecting Arkansas agriculture and research. There will be child care for children 5 and up so members can attend the workshops. Adult and children’s Farm Bureau Olympics activities will be Saturday night after dinner. The conference will close Sunday morning after a devotional
and speaker. The registration deadline is Jan. 26. Contact MaLeta Stephens at event@arfb.com for more information. New Farm Bureau e-letter In 2016, Arkansas Farm Bureau is launching The Feed e-letter, which will feature all the latest news about Farm
Peanut acreage in Arkansas reached its highest level in four years as some growers in the Delta shifted acreage away from cotton. Travis Faske, extension plant pathologist for UA’s Division of Agriculture, said 16,325 acres were planted, nearly a 60-percent increase over 2014. A substantial increase in that number is expected in 2016. Bureau and Arkansas agriculture. If you’re interested in ArFB member discounts or farming and ranching news and issues, sign up at www.arfb.com/media-communications/eletter/. The Feed will be delivered twice monthly and will offer interviews, videos, photos and membership benefit updates.
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In Arkansas
Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Print Shop and Mail Services is now the newly renovated “Production Hub.” Staff and supervisors— (left to right) Steve Mooningham, Leslie Poe, Bryan Pistole, Vicki Benson, Jennifer Patterson and Steve Eddington — posed for this photo during the Jan. 6 grand opening celebration of the new facility in the lower level of Farm Bureau Center.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Arkansas may see a record low for harvested acres of cotton this year. “Harvested acreage is estimated at 205,000 acres, down 125,000 acres from 2014,” the agency reports. “If realized, this would be a record low for cotton harvested acres for the state.” The final production estimate will be released Jan. 12.
State loses friends of agriculture Morris L. Bowman, the fifth president of Arkansas Farm Bureau, died Dec. 12 at the age of 95. Mr. Bowman served as ArFB’s president from 1971-76, was a member of the board of directors from 1958-1976 and served on the American Farm Bureau board from 1974-1976. He was honored for his excellence in agriculture several times, including being selected as “Man of the Year in Service to Arkansas Agriculture” in 1972 by Progressive Farmer magazine, his induction into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1988 and his honorary membership in the University of Arkansas Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Delta agriculture society. A farmer, Bowman’s ingenuity led him to start Bowman Manufacturing in 1973, which continues today and provides a number of products related to agriculture production, particularly spray equipment for rice fields.
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Tripp wins corn contest After finishing second last year, Billy W. Tripp of Griffithville kicked his corn-growing skills up a notch and placed first in this year’s Arkansas corn yield contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. For 50 years the NCGA has sponsored the contest, providing corn growers the opportunity to compete with their colleagues to grow the most corn per acre, helping feed and fuel the world. This has given participants not only the recognition they deserved, but the opportunity to learn from their peers. The contest includes two main cate-
Mike Richardson, chairman of the Corn and Grain Sorghum Board, opened the Jan. 7 Corn, Grain Sorghum and Soybean Producer Conference in Dumas with a recap of 2015 production numbers. More than 50 farmers from throughout the region attended the event, which included a variety of speakers on commodity markets, new technology, crop insurance and more.
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“We extend our condolences to the Bowman family,” said Randy Veach, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. “Mr. Bowman was a gracious man who shared so much of himself with agriculture. Our state benefited from his leadership and direction.” Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator, died Jan. 1 at age 90. A Democrat and county lawyer from Charleston in Franklin County, he was Arkansas’ governor from 1971-75 and U.S. senator from 1975-99. He was a member of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame and namesake of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science at the University of Arkansas. He was a dear friend to agriculture and will be missed by many as his considerable contributions to Arkansas agriculture live on.
Farmers and ranchers across Arkansas are still weathering problems caused by severe flooding adjacent the state’s rivers. High water caused by heavy December rains has inundated crop fields, swept away cattle and destroyed farm homes, buildings and equipment. To date, 38 counties have been declared disaster areas by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. gories, non-irrigated and irrigated. Tripp won the Arkansas Irrigated Division with a yield of 343 bushels per acre of DeKalb DKC67-72 corn seed. “There are a lot of good farmers in Arkansas,” Tripp said. “It is rewarding to win the competition after placing second last year. 2015 was a challenging year with planting delays caused by a cool wet spring. This helps offset some of the pressure. Winning the contest is a good way to finish the year.” Tripp, along with his wife Kim and his parents, farm approximately 3,000 acres near Griffithville. Grazing lands conference On March 11, at the Arkansas Grazing Lands Conference sponsored by the Arkansas Grazing Lands Coalition, farmers, ranchers and landowners who want to have more profitable and resource-rich operations can learn from fellow producers how to graze their cattle more and feed less hay. The featured speaker will be Jim Gerrish, owner of American GrazingLands Services in Idaho. The conference will be held 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. at the Arkansas Tech University campus in Ozark. The $35 admission fee includes lunch and materials. To register, email debbie.morelandpr@gmail.com or phone 501-682-2915. For more information, visit www.argrazinglandscoalition.org. Rice scholarship winner On Dec. 11, Haven McElhanon of
Forrest City was awarded the 2015 USA Rice Federation National Rice Month Scholarship. As the grand prize winner, she received a $4,000 scholarship and a trip to attend the USA Rice Outlook Conference. McElhanon’s initiative, “Rice – a Health Happy Hand,” touted the health benefits of rice, which she promoted through classroom visits and community events. She also enlisted support from a local judge who signed a proclamation to make September Arkansas Rice Month. McElhanon, a senior at PaletineWheatley High School, is the daughter of Dana Crisp and Steve McElhanon and is part of a fifth-generation Arkansas farming family.
Elsewhere Beef event for science coordinators The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced an onfarm experience for science-curriculum coordinators, funded by the Beef Checkoff. Selected participants will receive a $2,000 stipend to attend. The “On the Farm STEM Experience” will be held March 28-30, immediately prior to the National Science Teachers Association annual convention in Nashville, Tenn. The application and additional information can be found at www.agfoundation.org/projects/ beef-educator-event. Editor Keith Sutton
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In the Market As of Jan. 6, 2016
Greenpeace: Chinese farmers illegally growing GM corn Farmers in northeastern China are growing genetically modified (GM) corn, which is illegal in the nation, according to a report from the environmental nonprofit Greenpeace. The organization says 93 percent of the samples it took from corn fields in five counties in the Liaoning province in 2015 tested positive for GM contamination. Also, nearly all of the seed samples taken from grain markets and samples of corn-based foods at supermarkets in the region tested positive. While Beijing has spent billions developing GMO crops, it has not yet approved them for commercial cultivation due to strong anti-GM sentiment across its population. There has long been talk that GM plants being tested in field trials have been illegally sold to farmers for commercial use. Group forecasts record-high Brazilian soybean exports The addition of new northern ports will help Brazil increase its soybean exports by 4 MMT from 2015 levels to a record 57 MMT this year, according to Anec, a cereal exporters association. New ports in northern Brazil shipped 9.5 MMT of soybeans in 2015, and that tally is likely to rise this year, Anec says. Brazil is the world’s No. 1 soybean exporter, and in 2015, China accounted for 78 percent of its shipments. Beef recalled from Walmart stores The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has recalled 89,568 lbs. of Sam’s Choice Black Angus Vidalia Onion-brand beef patties that are sold exclusively at Walmart as the product may be “contaminated with extraneous wood materials.” The beef patties came from the Minnesota-based Huisken Meat Company. No illness has thus far been confirmed in association with con-
suming the product. The recalled items were produced between Nov. 19, 2015 and December 9, 2015, and they have use-by dates of May and June of 2016. Walmart has pulled the product off its shelves and destroyed it. Those who purchased the beef can return it for a refund. Argentina forecasts less corn, soybeans Jesus Silveyra, Argentina’s sub-secretary for agricultural markets, says Argentina will likely produce a soybean crop of around 60 MMT in 201516, which would be down slightly from last year’s 61.4 MMT crop. Silveyra estimated the nation’s 2015-16 corn crop at 26 MMT, down 7.8 MMT from 2014-15. Meanwhile, Argentina’s government said it has been disappointed by the amount of soy stocks sold by farmers in the three weeks since it lowered the tax on soybean exports. Grain companies have sold a total of $2 billion from soybean exports to the central bank in the past three weeks, according to CIARA CEC, Argentina’s chamber of grain exporting and soy crushing companies. Higher wheat export forecast UkrAgroConsult has raised its 2015-16 wheat export forecast for Ukraine by 1 MMT to 14 MMT, citing expectations for a larger crop and lower ending stocks. The consultancy also raised its barley export forecast by 400,000 MT to 4.0 MMT. Rainfall in central, northern Brazil Much-needed rains fell in northern areas of Brazil over the past week, easing crop concern and weighing on soybean prices. The southern Brazilian states of Parana and Rio Grande do Sul also saw rain, but these areas could benefit from drier weather as conditions have been excessively wet in that part of the country. FDA extends comment period on “natural” food labeling The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) will extend the comment period for a proposed rule on the use of the term “natural” on food labels. The comment period was originally slated to end Feb. 10, but stakeholders now have until May 10 to comment. FDA has a long-standing policy of considering the term “natural” to mean nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in or added to a food that would not normally be expected in that food. The term was not intended to address food production methods or food processing/manufacturing methods, nor was it used to describe any nutritional or other health benefits. Specifically, FDA is seeking comments on questions like: 1) whether it is appropriate to define the term “natural,” 2) if so, how should the agency define “natural,” and 3) how the agency should determine appropriate use of the term on food labels. IMF director says 2016 global economic growth will be disappointing International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the outlook for the medium-term has deteriorated, via comments in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt published today. She said the prospect of rising interest rates in the U.S. and an economic slowdown in China were contributing to uncertainty and a higher risk of economic vulnerability worldwide. In October, IMF forecast that the world economy would grow by 3.6 percent in 2016. Lagarde said the start of a normalization of U.S. monetary policy and China’s shift towards consumption-led growth were “necessary and healthy” changes but needed to be carried out as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Emerging market companies with debt in dollars and revenue in sinking local currencies could struggle as the Federal Reserve begins what is expected to be a series of interest rate increases.
CONTACT
Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com