FEBRUARY 28, 2020 • VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 4
Farm Bureau Press A PEEK INSIDE
STAY IN THE KNOW The Homegrown by Heroes Scholarship deadline is March 16. Online applications can be found online at www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/ aadprograms. The deadline for Arkansas Ag the Classroom Teacher Award nominations is April 1. For more information and the nomination form, visit www.arfb. com/pages/education. The deadline for Arkansas Century Farm applications is May 31. For more information, contact Contact Mary Elizabeth Lea at 501-219-6363 or maryelizabeth.lea@agriculture.arkansas.gov visit www.agriculture.arkansas. gov/arkansas-century-farm-program.
M*A*S*H Camp Now Accepting Applications, page 2
Women in Ag Scholarship Opportunity, page 3
FOLLOW US ONLINE FFA Donation | Arkansas Farm Bureau EVP Warren Carter (left) and Senior Vice President Chuck Tucker (right) were proud to present Arkansas FFA Foundation president Jennifer Cook with a $10,000 donation for National FFA Day, held Feb. 25.
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ArFB NOW ACCEPTING M*A*S*H CAMP APPLICATIONS
Newton County Garden | Jason Kaufman (seated, right), ArFB education coordinator, presented $500 garden grant checks to Austin Evans (seated, center), ag teacher at Mt. Judea and Deer schools in Newton County on Feb. 27. County Farm Bureau board member Richard Campbell (seated, left) and members of the Mount Judea FFA were on hand for the presentation.
Applications are now available to high school students for the summer Medical Applications of Science for Health (M*A*S*H) camps. These two-week M*A*S*H camps will be offered at 35 different medical facilities throughout Arkansas and are designed to expose rising high-school juniors and seniors to healthcare-related careers. M*A*S*H combines hands-on learning with professional “shadowing” opportunities that provide students an in-depth look at various health care professions, while encouraging interest in the medical field. The majority of the camps are held in rural medical centers and seek to attract local students from surrounding areas. “The idea is that future medical students from a rural background are more likely to return to their roots, and rural communities across Arkansas have tremendous need for healthcare providers,” said Jennifer Craig, Director of Leadership Development for Arkansas Farm Bureau. “Also, students are often unaware of the variety of career opportunities available in healthcare, so M*A*S*H can be a game-changer for students at a time they’re trying to figure out what career track they want to pursue.” Applications are available through school guidance
Howard County Garden | Jason Kaufman, ArFB education coordinator, and Howard County Agent Laura Eckert presented a Garden Grant to Joann Walters Elementary School on Feb. 20.
counselors or by contacting the M*A*S*H director in your area. That contact information can be found at http://bit. ly/MASHinfo.
Arkansas YF&R | Adam and Sandy Cloningner were recognized Feb. 24 for their work as the outgoing chairs of the ArFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee. 2
County Farm Bureau organizations and the M*A*S*H Partnership sponsor students so they may attend the camps at no cost. The partnership includes the University of Arkansas for Medical Science’s Regional Centers, Arkansas Farm Bureau and Delta Dental. More information on the M*A*S*H program can be obtained by contacting Amber Marshall with UAMS, 501-686-6188, or Jennifer Craig of Arkansas Farm Bureau, 501-228-1269.
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REED, POLLARD ELECTED TO BOARD OF AMERICAN COTTON PRODUCERS Nathan Reed of Marianna was recently elected Vice Chairman of the American Cotton Producers (ACP) of the National Cotton Council (NCC). ArFB Cotton Division Chairman Terry Pollard of Greenway was elected the Arkansas Producer Chairman of ACP. The ACP is an organization of 24 cotton producer leaders elected by their peers from across the Cotton Belt. Membership is uniformly distributed among the major cotton-producing states. Unlike other segments of the cotton industry, producers are not represented by a national organization separate from the National Cotton Council. Instead, they rely on strong state and regional organizations. From a national standpoint, the ACP is the producers’ advocate within the NCC and has responsibility for developing recommendations on all matters affecting the production sector of the cotton industry.
ARKANSAS RICE NOW ACCEPTING RICE REP APPLICATIONS The Rice Rep 2020 applications are available. Do you know a current High School Junior who would be a great fit for the program? Deadline to apply is March 20. Participants will help tell the story of Arkansas rice while winning scholarship money. From April through September, Reps actively participate in a program designed to teach them about rice farming and the importance of this crop around the world through education and volunteerism. During this time they will have the opportunity to attend events and experiences, while also competing for multiple scholarships.
2020 WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS The Arkansas Women in Agriculture is accepting scholarship applications until March 6. Two $500 scholarships will be awarded to applicants who are accepted to an accredited agriculture program or currently enrolled in an agriculture program at an Arkansas college or university. Applicants should be a current member (or family member should be a member) of Arkansas Women in Agriculture. Visit www.arwomeninag.org/who-we-are/ scholarships/ for more information.
LOOKING FOR MORE? Arkansas Farm Bureau has several channels to communicate news, stories and upcoming events, including The Feed, and the Arkansas AgCast. To subscribe, visit http://bit.ly/ArFBeNewsSignUp.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2020RiceReps. A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
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MARKET NEWS as of February 27, 2019 Contact Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com
FSA DEADLINE FOR ARC AND PLC ENROLLMENT IS MARCH 15 Producers who have not yet enrolled in ARC or PLC for 2019 need to make an appointment to begin the enrollment process prior to March 15. Farmers can also enroll for 2020 during the same visit but have until June 30 to finalize 2020 elections. The 2018 Farm Bill provides a one-time opportunity to update PLC payment yields, which could prove beneficial to producers. CORN Corn futures continue to be under pressure with prices at multi-year lows. The initial USDA acreage estimate of 94 million acres, up from 89.7 million a year ago, is, of course, the key bearish factor in this market. Corn use for ethanol has been brisk, but the Energy Department says U.S. ethanol inventory has hit a record high of 24.8 million barrels, and that stockpile could limit production. Further declines in crude oil prices will impact the ethanol market as well. The market is also weaker on uncertainty surrounding coronavirus and the impact it will have on global markets. Several grain companies have announced a moratorium on travel for their employees, which could limit export prospects. This week’s export report was improved over last week at 864,600 metric tons, which wasn’t enough to spark any buying interest, but was within trade estimates and wasn’t bearish for prices. Both nearby March and newcrop December will have resistance 4
between $3.85 and $3.95 on a rebound. Rice The trade in rice futures has been erratic over the past couple of weeks. March looks to have topped out at the 5½ year high of $13.86. After a sharp selloff, the market found support at $13.08 and is attempting to build on that level, but has repeatedly found resistance at $13.50. Last week’s exports were down 39% from the recent 4-week average at 52,300 metric tons. The February supply/demand report was bearish for prices. All rice imports were increased 2.4 million cwt. to a record large 32.5 million cwt., with long-grain aromatics from Asia and medium-and short-grain imports from China making up the increase. Total rice exports were raised 1 million cwt, reflecting the robust pace of shipments already this marketing year. All rice ending stocks were raised 1.4 million cwt to 30 million cwt, and the season-average onfarm price was lowered by 20 cents to $13.00. The potential for a much larger crop in 2020 will be the focus of this market in short order. Soybeans March soybeans are currently holding within a relatively narrow trading range with support at $8.70 and resistance at $9 as the market weighs the potential for a much larger crop in 2020. The data coming out of USDA’s annual Outlook Forum was not particularly bullish for soybean prices. Soybean acreage is estimated to be 85 million acres, up from 76.1 million, and soybean prices are expected to average $8.80 per bushel as competition from South American beans and a stronger dollar limit the upside potential of the market. Weekly exports were extremely disappointing, coming in at only 339,300 metric tons. The average trade estimate was between 600,000 and 900,000 metric tons. Adverse weather conditions in South America
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could be providing some support. Dry conditions in Argentina are stressing the crop there, while parts of the Brazilian crop are threatened by potential flooding. Cotton Weakness in cotton futures has intensified and futures have sold off sharply this week. A strong U.S. dollar and global economic concerns continue to weigh on the market. Uncertainty about exports in light of the coronavirus outbreak is the focus of the market. New-crop December is now in position to test support at 63 cents, the lowest level of trading since October. Weekly exports were solid at 217,700 bales for 2019-20 and 198,900 for 2020-21. China did buy a modest 39,600 bales of U.S. cotton last week. Cattle Cattle futures continue to trend lower. The market has been under pressure from a fundamental perspective from weaker cash prices and uncertain demand due specifically to coronavirus. The February supply/ demand report increased the beef production forecast on higher slaughter numbers and higher carcass weights for the first half of the year. Exports were reduced due to demand concerns in several markets, including China. From a technical perspective, the April contract is now testing support at the August low of $109.37. Hogs Hog futures continue to be under pressure. The market is concerned about demand, especially from China as coronavirus continues to spread. The most-active April contract has support at the recent low of $61 and technical resistance above $67.
EDITOR Ashley Wallace ashley.wallace@arfb.com