Farm Bureau Press for Jan. 26

In Farm Bureau Second Veterans 4 Ag Summit A second Veterans 4 Ag Summit has been scheduled for Feb. 22 at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, designed to educate and prepare military veterans for potential careers in the agriculture field. This session follows a successful kickoff event last October at Arkansas State University.

Arkansas Farm Bureau will join Arkansas veterans, the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, the Arkansas Agriculture Department and other agriculture leaders at the John F. Gibson University Center. Roughly 100 attended the inaugural Veterans 4 Ag Summit in Jonesboro.

As Arkansas’ largest industry, with an economic contribution of $20 billion annually, agriculture presents many possible opportunities for Arkansas’ 225,000 veterans.

At the Veterans 4 Ag Summit, leaders in both agriculture and veteran affairs will participate in panel discussions focused

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is greeted Jan. 19 by Dow and Amy Brantley and their daughters at their rowcrop farm near England.

Perdue visited the state as part of his national tour during his first year leading the department.

He also met with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Agriculture Sec. Wes Ward and state ag leaders, including ArFB President Randy Veach, during a roundtable discussion of ag issues. on how to get started in agriculture and why veterans are a great fit for careers in the industry. In addition, a showcase of agriculture and veteran’s organizations will provide attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to speak to industry partners one on one.

Nominate a teacher The Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program will honor an Benton Co. Judge Barry Moehring signs a proclamation declaring Feb. 5-9 as Farm Bureau Week. Pictured standing (L-R) county Women’s Committee chairwoman Brenda Patton; agency manager Doug Miller; membership chairman Cody Anglin; information chairwoman Susan Anglin and county president Kevin Smith.

KEN MOORE photo

www.arfb.com

Arkansas teacher that integrates the concepts of agriculture into nonagricultural curricula. Agriculture is an important part of everyone’s life, and is the largest business sector in Arkansas. The concepts and issues of agriculture can support the teaching of many academic disciplines. This award was created to recognize and honor an educator in Arkansas for efforts and achievements in teaching students the importance of

BENTON CO. FB photo

A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

January 26, 2018 • Vol. 21, No. 2

t

KEN MOORE photo

KEITH SUT on photo

agriculture.

Any certified teacher currently engaged in classroom instruction at the Pre-K through grade 12 levels who is integrating agricultural concepts into non-agricultural curricula is encouraged to apply. Prior winners of this award are ineligible for future awards under this program.

Teachers must use agricultural information and/or materials within the classroom curriculum in an effort to assist students in learning the importance of agriculture while also mastering required educational standards. Learning activities may include but are not limited to, understanding agriculture’s impact on personal lives, the environment, the economy, our national heritage, and national security. Innovative and interdisciplinary programs are encouraged.

The teacher selected will receive a $1,000 stipend, as well as a scholarship to attend the 2018 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference to be held June 25-29 in Portland, Maine. The scholarship

Hayli Fendley (far left), a senior at Bismarck High School, was one of 16 members of the Hot Spring Co. Veterinary Science Club who toured the LSU Veterinary School Jan. 19-20.

The Veterinary Science program introduces students to the field and how to apply for acceptance into schools in the region. Hear about Fendley’s experience in an interview on the ArFB Facebook page.

will cover the teacher’s full registration, lodging, travel and meals.

Self-nominations, as well as nominations from school faculty,

Chair of ArFB’s equine division Steve Jones explains Department of Transportation regulations affecting the transportation of horses and other key issues for the equine industry Jan. 23 during the Equine Division Meeting at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. To hear more about the industry, visit the ArFB website to listen to our latest podcast with Jones at bit.ly/arfbequine.

community leaders or parents are invited.

The deadline to apply is March 16.

For more information and to find the nomination form, visit bit.ly/aitcaward.

KEITH SUTTON photo

In Arkansas

The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, a charitable foundation established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, made a $65,150 donation to the Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation to support the Medical Applications of Science for Health (M*A*S*H) program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Attending the Jan. 19 check presentation at Farm Bureau Center in Little Rock were (left to right) Amanda Williams with Arkansas Farm Bureau; Warren Carter, executive vice president of Arkansas Farm Bureau; Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach; Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation; Robin Howell, University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS) program manager; and Amber Marshall, statewide pre-health program coordinator for UAMS. To learn more about the M*A*S*H program, visit bit.ly/arfbmash.

C&H Hog Farms update The state Pollution Control and Ecology Commission voted in an emergency meeting Jan. 17 to grant a stay that will enable C&H Hog Farms to continue to operate, pending appeal of the recent decision by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to deny C&H’s Reg. 5 permit. The commission voted 10-0-2 (10 for, zero against, 2 abstentions) in favor of the stay. C&H owner Jason Henson, ArFB’s Evan Teague and several others spoke in support of the stay. The appeal process offiicially began on Thurs., Jan. 18, as a request for review was submitted to ADEQ. AgHall of Fame adds six members The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame will induct six individuals whose leadership and service have brought distinction to the state’s largest business sector.

The newest class includes weed scientist Dr. Ford Baldwin of Austin, attorney Bill Bridgforth of Pine Bluff, retired agriculture educator Dr. Lew Brinkley of Jonesboro, renowned fruit breeder Dr. John Clark of Fayetteville, timber executive Peggy Clark

KEITH SUTTON photo

2018

Arkansas Grazing Lands

CONFERENCE On Jan. 24 in Little Rock, Mina Jo Atwood, an Executive Account Underwriter, was named ArFB’s 2017 Spirit Award of the Year recipient. Presenting the award were Warren Carter (left), executive vice president of the Federation, and David Moore, executive vice president of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company. of Arkadelphia and the late Adam McClung of Vilonia, who served eight years as executive vice president of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association.

The group will be honored with an induction luncheon set for 11:30 a.m.

March 2 at Little Rock’s Embassy Suites Hotel.

“This is a wonderful class of inductees for the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame,” said Butch Calhoun of Des Arc, chairman of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame committee and forme Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture. “The broad reach of these six individuals has been felt in every corner of Arkansas, from the Delta to the hills of western Arkansas.

“I have said this before and it bears repeating; agriculture is one of the great success stories of our state. We are pleased to bring recognition to these individuals who have impacted our state’s largest industry in such a positive way.”

The new selections will bring to 164 the number of honorees in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame, encompassing 31 classes of inductees.

Elsewhere Trump pledges to promote rural broadband A new executive order, signed by President Donald Trump at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual

Choose From Two Locations

Thursday—March 8, 2018 9 am to 4 pm

Friday—March 9, 2018 2017 9 am to 4 pm

U of A Community College — Hope — 2500 South Main Street Hope, AR

The Castle at Harmon Ranch — Greenbrier — 227 Hwy 25N Greenbrier, AR FEATURING

Mark Kennedy

Rotational Grazing and Soil Health

George Owens Silvopasture

Matt Boatright Multispecies Grazing

Plus Other Local Producers

Dr. Alan Hunnicutt, DVM and Dr. Tina Cone, DVM Extended Grazing Season (AR Producers)

Registration:

$35 per person

(includes lunch & materials) Registration forms available at: www.argrazinglandscoalition.org Or Call Michael at: 501-329-4418

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Convention, makes it easier for internet companies to build broadband towers on government buildings and land by reducing the bureaucratic red tape private companies encounter while building out infrastructure to deploy broadband services.

Too many Americans, particularly in rural areas, lack broadband internet service, according to the executive order.

Without access to this “basic tool of modern connectivity,” rural communities have a harder time increasing economic prosperity, attracting new businesses, enhancing job growth, enriching student learning, extending the reach of health care and facilitating access to the digital marketplace.

The order also stated, “It shall therefore be the policy of the executive branch to use all viable tools to accelerate the

deployment and adoption of affordable, reliable, modern high-speed broadband connectivity in rural America, including rural homes, farms, small businesses, manufacturing and production sites, tribal communities, transportation systems, and healthcare and education facilities.”

Specifically, the president has directed the General Services Administration to develop within 180 days a common form and master contract for wireless facility locations on property owned by the federal government. Additionally, all federal property managing agencies must provide a quarterly report to the GSA on the number of applications, approvals and rejections based on the newly developed common form application.

Editor Maddison Stewart

maddison.stewart@arfb.com

In the Market As of January 25, 2018

Arkansas bans dicamba

Last week, Arkansas state lawmakers voted to ban sprayings of dicamba-based fertilizers between April 16 and Oct. 31, dealing a blow to manufacturers Monsanto Co. and BASF SE. This comes after reports that dicamba-based fertilizers drifted to other fields in recent years, damaging crops not meant to tolerate the herbicides.

Monsanto has sued the state to stop the ban. A number of other states have also limited dicamba sprayings.

Farm bill principles released

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Bill and Legislative Principles for 2018. The list includes the following goals: • Provide a farm safety net that helps American farmers weather times of economic stress without distorting markets or increasing shallow loss payments.

• Promote a variety of innovative crop insurance products and changes, enabling farmers to make sound production decisions and to manage operational risk.

• Encourage entry into farming through increased access to land and capital for young, beginning, veteran and underrepresented farmers.

• Ensure that voluntary conservation programs balance farm productivity with conservation benefits so the most fertile and productive lands remain in production while land retired for conservation purposes favor more environmentally sensitive acres.

• Support conservation programs that ensure cost-effective financial assistance for improved soil health, water and air quality and other natural resource benefits.

Trump administration’s infrastructure plan

The six-page infrastructure plan for the

Trump administration describes “funding principles” and “principles for infrastructure improvements” for the Trump administration’s infrastructure plan. The spending breakdown: infrastructure incentives initiative (50 percent); transformative projects (10 percent); rural infrastructure (25 percent); federal credit programs (7 percent); federal capital financing fund (5 percent). The draft document does not contain any details on how much funding would be available or where it would come from.

New tariffs could spark retaliation from China

The U.S. slapped steep tariffs on washing machines and solar energy cells and panels from China, the first major step to erect the kind of trade barriers that Trump has said are necessary to protect American manufacturers. The decision is being seen as a prelude to coming actions on steel and aluminum imports, as well as a wideranging case that aims to punish China for intellectual property abuses and agricultural subsidies. U.S. agriculture stakeholders are watching China to see whether it will target imports of U.S. soybeans or other agriculture products as it responds to the duties. President Trump said he is not worried about a trade war; instead, he said, manufacturers will be coming to the United States to build both products. His comments on the North American Free Trade Agreement continue to make GOP lawmakers nervous.

“NAFTA’s moving along pretty well,” Trump said. “I happen to be of the opinion that if it doesn’t work out we’ll terminate it.”

U.S. poultry industry would be hard-hit by any NAFTA withdrawal

The U.S. exports around 20 percent of its poultry production to Mexico each year.

If the U.S. were to pull out of NAFTA, Mexico could put tariffs of up to 75 percent on U.S. chicken and turkey under its World Trade Organization commitments. Even a 25 percent tariff would make it difficult to sell poultry in Mexico, resulting in a glut of chicken legs and higher prices in the U.S., says Sanderson Farms Chief Financial Officer Mike Cockrell. He says any such development would be comparable to the impact of Russia’s 2002 ban on U.S.

chicken imports. If NAFTA is scrapped, the U.S. would face increased competition from Brazil, the world’s number one chicken exporter that has tariff-free access to the Mexican market through 2019.

ADM makes takeover bid for Bunge ADM made a takeover approach to crop trader Bunge, setting up a possible bidding war with Glencore. A Wall Street Journal article on the topic notes that, “An ADM-Bunge combination would likely face stiff regulatory hurdles, given the companies’ competing grain facilities, shipping terminals and processing plants.

Glencore’s agricultural division has a smaller presence than ADM’s and Bunge’s in key crop-exporting bread baskets like the U.S. and Brazil, so a Glencore deal could face fewer such hurdles.”

Final cold storage report for 2017

Total frozen poultry supplies on Dec. 31, 2017 were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 10 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 1 percent from the previous month but up 10 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 8 percent from last month and up 12 percent from Dec. 31, 2016.

Total red meat supplies in freezers were down 1 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 14 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 2 percent from the previous month but up 3 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 13 percent from last month and up 121 percent from last year.

CONTACT

Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com