Farm Bureau Press for April 18

APRIL 18, 2019 • VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 8

Farm Bureau Press A PEEK INSIDE

STAY IN THE KNOW Arkansas Rural Development Conference, the state’s annual event geared toward anyone interested in improving the quality of life in Arkansas’ rural communities, is hosted by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division of Rural Services. This year’s conference will be held May 14-16 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Visit http://bit.ly/ArkRuralDev for more information.

The ArFB Foundation is teaming up with the Arkansas 4-H Foundation this year for the 2019 ArFB Foundation Trap Shoot. The trap shoot will be held June 7 at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville. email amanda.williams@arfb.com for more information.

Scholarships awarded to agriculture majors, page 2.

Miller County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee members Barbara Sutton and Angie Conaway visited Fouke High School to view the new addition of a greenhouse funded through a grant facilitated by the school district and contributed to by Miller County Farm Bureau.

AFBF calls for disaster aid, page 3.

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

PECAN MONTH RECIPE April is National Pecan Month. Celebrate this wonderful Arkansas-grown treat by making this easy recipe of salted maple-glazed pecans. This weet and savory treat won’t last long.

Salted Maple-Glazed Pecans 1 cup pecan halves ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper ¼ cup maple syrup kosher salt to taste Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and cover with a nonstick spray.

Combine the brown sugar and crushed red pepper and dry stir well. Add the pecans and maple syrup a gently stir, completely coating the pecans with the mixture. Spread the mixture onto the sheet pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the glaze thickens, stirring every 4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, spreading the pecans on parchment paper. While still warm, use a spoon to separate the nuts and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Allow them to cool completely. Eat immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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ArFB AG YOUTH SEMINAR ArFB is hosting a three-day seminar that will provide high school students entering the junior or senior year in the 2019-20 school year with an in-depth look at agricultural degrees and careers, as well as an introduction to the policy development process and issues affecting agriculture and rural Arkansas. AYLS participants will be given the chance to tour and learn about several aspects of the agricultural industry such as; agriculture agencies and companies, on-farm tour, a look into agricultural technologies and a tour of the Arkansas State Capitol. The seminar will give participants a look at career opportunities in agriculture and what educational path is needed for those careers. Representatives from a few of the universities and colleges in the state offering agricultural degrees will be guest speakers during the seminar. We will conclude with a drawing of a $500 scholarship to one of the participants.

Applications are due May 24. To apply and for more information, email Amanda.williams@arfb.com.

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Mark and Shay Morgan of Johnson County were recognized ArFB President Randy Veach Wednesday evening for their service to the ArFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.

The Morgans recently completed their tenure as chairs of the YF&R committee.

Program, which funds the development of essential community facilities in rural areas, and $500 million to help farmers and ranchers rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters through the Emergency Conservation Program.

The disaster assistance bill would also give a boost to Puerto Rico, which encountered its own humanitarian crisis from hurricanes Irma and Maria, by adding $600 million for Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico, which is not part of USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The agriculture provisions in the House bill are similar to those in the Senate disaster bill, but only the House measure currently includes disaster relief for on-farm stored commodities.

AFBF CALLS FOR DISASTER AID The American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 2157) to help farmers, ranchers and rural communities devastated by catastrophic weather events.

Estimated agricultural losses in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina total nearly $5.5 billion. Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri currently estimate losses at more than $3 billion.

The bill provides $3 billion for farm disaster assistance administered through USDA’s Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program, which will help farmers hurt by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019 with expenses related to the loss of crops, trees, bushes, vines, milk and harvested adulterated wine grapes. Part of the program funding will go toward the loss of peach and blueberry crops in 2017 due to extreme cold.

Additionally, the measure provides $150 million for the Rural Development Community Facilities Grant

As spring planting season begins, Bill Robertson, cotton extension agronomist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, talks about last year’s season and what farmers need to know to get the most out of their 2019 crop in the latest Arkansas AgCast.

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

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MARKET NEWS as of March 21, 2019 Contact Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com

Rice The rice crop is off to a slow start this spring. As of April 14, Arkansas farmers have planted 19 percent of their crop, compared with 25 percent last year and a five-year average of 34 percent. Nationwide, the numbers aren’t much different. Farmers currently have 26 percent of the crop planted, compared with 30 percent last year and a five-year average of 35 percent. Heavy rains and flooding in some areas of the Mid-South in recent days could lead to some replants as well.

The monthly supply/demand report contained all bearish news for the market. All rice ending stocks were increased to 53.6 million hundredweight, up from 49.6 million in the previous month’s report, all in medium grain. Long grain stocks were unchanged. The increase was due to a 4 million hundredweight cut to projected exports.

Weekly exports, however, were up 61 percent from the prior fourweek average at 102,300 metric tons for the 2018-19 marketing year, but shipments were 24 percent from the prior four-week average.

May has found support at $10.21 for the time being, and is attempting to build on that support, but the fundamentals don’t necessarily suggest a tremendous amount of upside at the present time.

The market could continue to be supported by the slow crop progress if the weather doesn’t improve.

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Corn Corn futures continue to chop along sideways, just above the lows set in reaction to the planting intentions report on March 29. That sideways action could be seen as a positive, since the market hasn’t continued to post losses after the initial blow, leaving support at $3.84 1/4 for December. Farmers are estimated to plant 92.8 million acres of corn this year, and while the weather so far has been less than favorable, it’s still early.

Demand also continues to be a concern for corn, and this month’s supply/demand report showed cuts to the feed/residual use, export, and corn-for-ethanol estimates. Weekly exports are running in line with trade estimates, but aren’t enough to provide much support. For the week ending April 11, 38 million bushels were sold, up from the previous week of 21.6 million bushels, so at least we are moving in the right direction.

Soybeans Not much has changed for soybeans. This market is going to need a positive outcome from a trade agreement between the U.S. and China in order for things to turn more optimistic. Weekly exports and shipments continue to disappoint.

For the week ended April 11, sales came in at 14.8 million bushels and shipments were only 17.3 million.

Cold, wet weather in the Mid-west and excessive rains in parts of the Mid-South aren’t great for planting progress, but we are still too early to be worried about soybean planting progress at this point. However, further delays in corn planting progress will start to cause concern about acres moving from corn into soybeans.

This week the market has moved to its lowest price levels since November. The nearby May contract has support at $8.71, while the

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

November contract has support at $9.10.

Cotton Cotton futures continue to trend higher. Nearby May had a setback early in the week in reaction to the monthly supply and demand report, but has recovered most of those losses. Resistance will be at the recent high of 79.31. The report in question raised U.S. cotton carryout to 4.4 million bales, up 100,000 from the March estimate. A reduction in domestic consumption lead to the increase. World ending stocks also increased.

The cotton crop is right on schedule with the five-year average, with 7 percent of the crop in the ground as of April 14. Weekly exports were down 25 percent from the previous week and 9 percent from the prior four-week average.

Arkansas Cattle Inventory In the recent Cattle Inventory report, the total number of cattle and calves in the state was pegged at 1.78 million head as of Jan. 1. The cow herd size totaled 940,000 head. Most notable in the report was the drop in number of beef cattle replacement heifers – the first such decline in four years. Also of note was another significant decline in number of dairy cows – dropping to from 6,000 to 5,000 this year.

These Arkansas inventory levels largely mirrored the total U.S inventory across all categories.

The total US population of cattle totaled 94.8 million head, 41 million of which were cows – and of the cows 9.3 million were dairy animals.

EDITOR Maddison Stewart Stone maddison.stone@arfb.com