In Farm Bureau Bailey joins ArFB John Bailey has been hired as director of environmental and regulatory affairs for the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Bailey has 20 years’ experience working on air and water issues in both the public and private sectors. In his new role, Bailey will help evaluate agriculture’s impact on the environment and examine issues such as Bailey water and watershed management, air- and water-quality measurement, regulatory compliance, new technologies and farming practices. Bailey previously served as senior operations manager at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). He also served ADEQ as National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System engineering supervisor, water permits branch
(Left to right) Troy Buck, ArFB board of directors; Andy Guffey, ArFB Director of Education; Warren Carter, ArFB Executive VP; and Chuck Tucker, ArFB Senior VP of Organization and Administration, honored Marion Fletcher (center) at the state FFA Convention in Hot Springs. Fletcher is retiring as Arkansas FFA Association state adviser after 53 years. The convention was dedicated to Mr. Buck who is retiring from teaching agricultural education for 55 years. manager and air permit engineer. “Farm Bureau’s focus is to ensure sound science drives the production practices of our farmers and ranchers, and ensuring that regulatory controls being applied to farmers and ranchers employ the same sound science,” said Warren Carter, executive vice president for ArFB. “John has a deep understanding of environmental issues, the legal and regulatory environment and modern farming practices, and we believe his expertise will be critical to our ongoing work on behalf of Arkansas On June 7, Harper Martin (left) and Briar Morrow, both of Paragould, learned how to give chest compressions as part of their M*A*S*H camp CPR training at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Greene County. Sixteen students from seven area schools are attending the twoweek summer medical program designed to expose students to a variety of health professions.
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farmers and ranchers.” Bailey is a 1996 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas. “John is taking on an important role at an important time,” said Evan Teague, ArFB vice president, Commodity and Regulatory Affairs. “It’s critical that we have someone who can help the agriculture industry in Arkansas face the growing challenges of environmental regulations.
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
June 10, 2016 • Vol. 19, No. 12
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Evan Buckner of Pine Bluff High School won the Soybean Science Challenge award at the 2016 Arkansas State Science Fair and the Southeast Arkansas Regional Science Fair. He received a $1,000 award at the state level and $300 at the regional level. His project determined which of three fungicides showed the most resistance to a certain plant pathogen.
my dad has worked for Farm Bureau for more than 20 years. I’m excited to have a chance to learn handson how Farm Bureau works.” Southard is the intern for the public relations department. Southard, the daughter of Rodney and Lisa Southard of Rolla, MisSouthard souri, is a graduate
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ArFB summer interns Arkansas Farm Bureau welcomes Grant Wilson and Hanan Southard to the staff as summer interns. During the 12-week program, the interns will gain professional experience while learning more about Arkansas agriculture and the role that Arkansas Farm Bureau plays in the state. Wilson will share his time between three departments: Organization and Member Programs, Public Affairs and Wilson Government Relations, and Commodity and Regulatory Affairs. Wilson, the son of Tim and Sharon Wilson of Mountain View, is a senior at Arkansas State University studying agricultural business with an emphasis in economics. His father is a Farm Bureau agent for Stone County. “I chose Farm Bureau because they play such an important role in the ag community, from the local level all the way to the national level,” Wilson said. “I’ve been around Farm Bureau my entire life because
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Arkansas farmers and ranchers are great stewards of the land, and John’s knowledge and experience will help us ensure that this remains the case for years to come.”
ArFB education coordinator Matt Jackson (right) received an Honorary State FFA Degree from Arkansas FFA President Sam Harris at FFA’s June meeting in Hot Springs. The award is presented to those who have provided exceptional service on a state level to agriculture, agricultural education and the FFA.
Phillips Co. FB agency manager Mike Fielder (left) recently presented $500 scholarships to graduating seniors (left to right) Raegan Helton, Natalie Ryan and Hannah Gibbs of Barton High School and Katie Reed of DeSoto High School. Scholarships also were awarded to Cole Davis and Michael Hall of Marvell Academy.
On May 16 at the Farm Bureau office in Lonoke, the Lonoke Co. FB board of directors honored State Representative Camille Bennett with a reception and plaque for her service to local agricultural interests. Bennett represents District 14, which includes portions of Lonoke, Jefferson, Pulaski, Arkansas and Prairie counties. President Robby Bevis presented her plaque.
student at the University of Arkansas studying agricultural and extension education with an emphasis in agricultural communications. “I am incredibly honored to spend my summer with Arkansas Farm Bureau,” Southard said. “To be immersed in the organization that epitomizes agricultural advocacy will surely be a valuable experience.” Wilson will be working with the Organization and Member Programs division to assist county Farm Bureaus across the state and will participate in both state and federal policy development for the organization. Southard will assist with a variety of Arkansas Farm Bureau publications and summer activities, as well as contribute to social media efforts. Farmers want data control Farmers and ranchers want to control the information their equipment collects every time it passes through a field, a survey released May 11 by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) shows. Farmers also believe that creating a cooperative-style central repository for their data is the best way to enhance its security and maximize its value. “We asked our members what they thought about data, and it is clear that boosting farmer confidence in security and data management will be critical to unlocking the potential this technology
In Arkansas
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Triplett wins photo contest Lindsey Triplett of Conway, a student at Arkansas Tech and former intern with
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holds,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “This survey also shows we are on the right track with various ag group initiatives designed to improve data integration and promote transparency about how the data is collected and used.” AFBF is a founding member of the Ag Data Coalition (www.agdatacoalition.org), an organization created by several leading agricultural groups and companies to help farmers better store and manage their information in a central location. The ADC will establish a repository for agricultural data, with farmers having a governing role over the group. Duvall said that is consistent with survey findings that 71 percent of respondents said they are interested in having access to the kind of databank ADC is developing, while 82 percent say it is important that farmers have a voice in the ag data co-op. This year’s poll follows a 2014 survey that led to the development and publication of a set of Thirteen Principles on Data Privacy and Security that same year. Thirty-eight different agricultural companies and farm groups have signed on to the principles, to date.
The biggest Arkansas M*A*S*H group ever assembled for this photo June 6 at Mercy Hospital in Ft. Smith. Fifty-one students from Barling, Booneville, Cedarville, Cecil, Charleston, Ft. Smith, Greenwood, Lavaca, Mansfield, New Blaine, Paris, Scranton, Subiaco and Van Buren are participating. This is the largest number at a single camp since the M*A*S*H program began in 1988. Arkansas Farm Bureau, has won a firstplace award in the 2015 American Farm Bureau Federation national photo contest. Triplett’s photo, a colorful scene at one of Arkansas’ farmers markets, took top honors in the Consumer Outreach category. Winners were selected in Farm Family, Farm Labor and Technology categories as well. The winning entries will be shown at the AFBF Annual Convention, Jan. 6-11 in Phoenix, and the top three placing photos in each category, as well as Best in Show, will receive monetary prizes. Placing photos also will be used by AFBF in publications and promotions. A list of winners and their photos can be viewed at www. fb.org/programs/photocontest2015/.
Elsewhere Each year, Arkansas Business honors 40 intriguing leaders under 40 years old who bear watching. Arkansas Farm Bureau congratulates two of its leaders chosen for the 2016 class of honorees: Zac Bradley (left), ArFB’s director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, and Rep. Jeremy Gillam, state chairman of ArFB’s Specialty Crops Division and White Co. FB board member.
Cotton support program U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on June 6 announced he is using his administrative authority to implement a onetime initiative providing $300 million to cotton farmers through a special assistance program that will defray ginning costs. The move should help farmers facing tough economic conditions brought on by the substantial decrease in cotton prices the past year. The secretary made it clear he is using authorities and resources that avoid the need for legislative changes to the farm
bill or any other law. “Farm Bureau commends Secretary Vilsack’s decision to provide a temporary Agriculture Department program to help U.S. cotton farmers defray processing costs, giving them hope as they face some of the most difficult market conditions in more than a decade,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. FB hails Supreme Court victory The Supreme Court has ruled that landowners may challenge the federal government whenever the Army Corps of Engineers tries improperly to regulate land with regulations designed to protect water. Danielle Quist, American Farm Bureau Federation’s senior counsel for public policy, explained the ruling means farmers and ranchers can challenge the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers on jurisdictional determinations. “When a farmer or rancher gets an improved jurisdictional determination that’s issued by the Corps of Engineers, if they believe that the Corps of Engineers has overstepped the bounds of the Clean Water Act after they exhaust all of their administrative remedies, they can file a lawsuit in federal court,” Quist said. The unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court will save farmers and ranchers time and money when it comes to jurisdictional determinations. Editor Keith Sutton
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In the Market As of June 8, 2016
Glyphosate licensing Members of the European Union were unable to agree on a proposal for a limited extension of the license for glyphosate, a pesticide used in Monsanto’s Roundup, according to a spokeswoman for the German environment ministry. Since there was no qualified majority, the EU executive may submit its proposal to an appeal committee of political representatives for the bloc within a month. If no decision is reached at that point, the European Commission may adopt its own proposal. Monsanto’s Xtend soybean plan Monsanto Co. is working with the U.S. farm sector to keep Xtend soybeans separate from varieties approved in all major export markets, according to Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. These Xtend soybean seeds have been engineered to resist the herbicides glyphosate and dicamba. The variety was launched before garnering approval of shipments from Europe, something that has yet to come. As a result, some of the world’s top grain handlers have said they will reject deliveries of such soybeans. Richard Wilkins, president of the American Soybean Association, also said the company is working on a plan for Xtend soybeans in case approval from Europe does not come over the summer as expected. Frost threatens Brazilian corn Reports around midday June 7 that temperatures could drop to freezing levels in Parana, Brazil’s No. 2 corn producing state, garnered some attention as this could clip yields of the safrinha crop that the country’s meat industry desperately needs to ease
domestic corn shortages. Thomson Reuters’ Weather Dashboard indicates that frost is most likely for the southern half of the state on June 9-10. Edmar Gervasio, a corn specialist at Parana’s state agriculture secretariat, said only around 26 percent of the state’s crop would be at risk of damage or loss from the event, based on crop development and the expected footprint of the event. Cotton ginning cost-share program An estimated $300 million in costshare assistance payments to cotton producers will be provided through the new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program in order to expand and maintain the domestic marketing of cotton, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced June 7. The program is aimed at helping with ginning costs and facilitating marketing. Eligible producers can receive a one-time cost share payment, which is based on a producer’s 2015 cotton acres reported to FSA, multiplied by 40 percent of the average ginning cost for each production region. Eligibility requirements for the program will be the same as those used for the 2014 Cotton Transition Assistance Program. Sign-up for the program will begin June 20 and run through Aug. 5 at the producer’s local FSA office. Payments will be processed as applications are received and are expected to begin in July. Global food prices continue climb The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index climbed 3.2 points from April to 155.8 points in May, which is still down 7 percent from year-ago levels. This marks the fourth consecutive increase for the index. “The values of all sub-indices moved up in May except for the vegetable oils, which dropped for the first time in four months,” FAO said. “Sugar prices surged while meat, cereals and dairy registered some increase.” It also raised its 2016-
17 global wheat crop peg by 7.1 MMT from the month prior to 724 MMT. This would still be down from 734.1 MMT in 2015-16. Japan suspends some cattle imports from Australia Australia’s ag department has confirmed that Japan has suspended some cattle imports after several cattle tested positive for Johne’s disease, a contagious bacterial disease that causes muscle wasting. A representative for Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said, “Japanese authorities have announced that they will temporarily stop accepting feeder and breeder cattle from Australia in response to a number of cattle testing positive for Johne’s disease in post-arrival quarantine.” Japan is Australia’s second largest market for beef exports but its smallest market for live cattle shipments. Brazil to increase farm funding Brazil’s government promised to free up as much as 21 billion reals ($5.87 billion) in additional credit for farmers and cattle producers as part of an effort to pull the country out of a two-year recession. The National Monetary Council will allow farmers to use the proceeds from a sale of securities that is backed by agriculture receivables for purchases beyond short-term operating activities, effective June 8. The council also raised the threshold on ag credit from BNDES, a state development bank. This will take effect July 1. These efforts are intended to stimulate machinery purchases and other investment activity.
CONTACT • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.