In Farm Bureau Changes to member benefits Several changes regarding Farm Bureau’s Member Benefit programs have been announced. Unfortunately, the General Motors program will expire May 26 and will not be renewed. The decision by GM Corporate and was not based on any perceived shortcomings of Farm Bureau. ArFB is currently in negotiations with another national auto manufacturer to participate as a member benefit program. Several new companies will be added to the ValuePlus program. Strategic Value Media is an online buyer’s guide that will be accessed through the Farm Bureau website. It provides promotional ads for large and small businesses around the state. For example, someone wanting to buy fencing materials could visit the website, look for that category under the buyer’s guide and find a list of businesses around the state and their contact information. Also included in this buyer’s guide is a local classifieds section
Gov. Asa Hutchinson headlined a May 19 conference on the future of the Arkansas Delta. Agriculture was a focal point of his speech to several hundred attendees, with Hutchinson talking about his efforts to get Cuba and China to import Arkansas rice, and Shandong Riyu Technology Group’s investment in a Forrest City plant that will use 200,000 pounds of Arkansas cotton annually, bringing 800 new jobs to the area. for Arkansas Farm Bureau members only. This section will be free to Farm Bureau members who have items they wish to sell. Another addition to the Membership Benefit program is ADT Security, a nationally known company that will provide members a free standard security system; a monthly monitoring fee discount of up to $5; installation fee of $99; a 40-percent discount on additional ADT Equipment; and choice of a free smoke detector or remote key fob. Enterprise, National and Alamo car rentals have also been added. Enterprise On April 17, on behalf of South Mississippi Co. FB, Women’s Committee member Rhonda Worsham (second from right) made a food donation for use in the Backpack Program at Rivercrest Elementary School in Wilson. School representatives (left to right) Debbie Girdley, Dixie Baker and Gloria Phillips accepted the donation, which will help feed children in need.
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and Alamo will give Farm Bureau members 5 percent off, and National will offer up to 20 percent off online rentals. Finally, Silver Dollar City, White Water and Showboat Branson Belle in Branson, Missouri, are offering Farm Bureau members discounts up to 15 percent on tickets purchased online. A promo code is available through your county Farm Bureau office. Summer commodity meetings Mark your calendar for the 2017
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
May 26, 2017 • Vol. 20, No. 11
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Pope Co. FB held a legislative appreciation fish fry May 10 at the Farm Bureau office in Russellville. Approximately 80 people attended, including Pope County officials, area legislators and the county board of directors. ArFB state board member Tom Jones (at podium) thanked guests for their work on behalf of agriculture during the recent session of the state Legislature. For additional information, contact Evan Teague at 501-228-1335 or evan.teague@arfb.com. Safety poster contest winners Arkansas Farm Bureau has announced the winners of its annual safety poster contest. The theme this year was “Get Out of My Space.” The contest coincided with Ag Safety Awareness Week March 5-11 and was designed to increase awareness of potential hazards on farms and ranches. In all,
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Arkansas Farm Bureau summer commodity meetings. The date, place, time and coordinator for each meeting are listed below. (The times noted do not include registration.) Additional information about the meetings will be sent to county commodity chairmen at a later date. • Aquaculture: June 8, conference call, 2 p.m., Brandy Carroll; • Beef Cattle: June 20, Lake Point Conf. Center, Russellville, 9:30 a.m., Travis Justice; • Poultry: June 20, Lake Point Conf. Center, Russellville 9:30 a.m., Bruce Tencleve; • Swine: June 20, Lake Point Conf. Center, Russellville, 9:30 a.m., John Bailey; • Equine: June 22, conference call, 7 p.m., Travis Justice; • Specialty Crops: June 14, Fruit Research Station, Clarksville, 10 a.m., Bruce Tencleve; • Rice: June 28, FB Center, Little Rock, 9 a.m., Brandy Carroll; • Soybeans: June 28, multiple locations via webinar, 11 a.m., Matt King; • Wheat & Feed Grains: June 28, multiple locations via webinar, 11 a.m., Mark Lambert; • Cotton: June 8, conference call, 9 a.m., Brandy Carroll; • Dairy: June 1, Bill Haak Dairy Farm, Decatur, 10 a.m., Bruce Tencleve • Forestry: June 14, Farm Bureau Center, Little Rock, 9 a.m., Mark Lambert.
Scott Co. FB sponsored a farm day May 5 for local school children. The event was held at Mike and Laurie Richardson’s farm in Waldron. Laurie and Zoe Richardson showed the students a wide variety of things that have been found on the farm, from old farming parts to very old buttons, and talked about the many wild animals that can be seen on a farm.
Miller Co. FB members (left to right) Terry Reeves, Shannon Olsen, Clyde Davis, Barbara Sutton, Don Sutton, Cassie Olsen and Tom Olsen grilled and served burgers to 43 area farmers who attended a field day May 12 at the Cecil Adcock Farm in Texarkana. Attendees learned about wrapping tube and individual hay bales.
Stone Co. FB board member Dan Stewart participated in the 55th Arkansas Folk Festival parade in Mountain View along with fellow members of the Stone County Antique Tractor Club. Stewart’s wife Pat and a daughter and granddaughter rode in a trailer behind the tractor, representing Farm Bureau well by wearing caps and shirts with Farm Bureau logos. there were 40 entries from 20 counties. There are three categories in the statewide competition with cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50 being awarded to the top three winners in each category. In the first-and second-grade category, Mackie Hearn, a student at DeWitt Elementary in Arkansas County, won first place. Mackie is the daughter of Tiffanie Hearn. Tyrel Harris, a student at Fordyce Elementary in Dallas County, won second place. Tyrel is the son of Tyrel and Arnell Harris. Rainan Kacirek, home-schooled student from Benton County, was third. She is the daughter of Randy and Tina Kacirek of Rogers. In the third-and fourth-grade category, Elise Pinkerton, student at Lincoln Elementary in Washington County, won first place. Elise is the daughter of Matt and Brianna Pinkerton. Addison Robins, Gentry Elementary in Benton County, took second place. Addison is the daughter of Stephen and Jennifer Robins. Jacob Broomfield, a student at Waldron Elementary in Scott County, was third. Jacob is the son of Matt and Jennifer Broomfield. In the fifth-and sixth-grade category, Ryenn Lawing, a student at Cotter Elementary in Baxter County, won first place. Ryenn is the daughter of Michael and Keri Lawing. Erik Scott, a student at Greene County Tech Intermediate in Paragould, took second place. Erik is the son of Jennifer Scott. Third place went to Kayla
Warner, Fordyce Elementary in Dallas County. Kayla is the daughter of Dorothy Sledge.
Flood damage estimate increases As floodwater from late April’s inundation spread southward through Arkansas, its destructive reach expanded to 977,800 acres of farmland and the dollar value of its damage has grown so far to about $175 million, according to an updated estimate released May 16 by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The $175 million is a midpoint in an estimated range from $140 million to $210 million that not only includes the value of the cropland damaged but also the effects of reduced processing. The newest damage estimate includes sorghum and wheat, which were not counted in the estimate released May 5 that pegged the damage at $64.5 million. More cotton gins While the number of cotton gins has broadly declined in Arkansas since 2000, the number of active gins increased by five in 2016 to 31, said Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Craighead and St. Francis counties each had two additional gins operating in 2016 and Phillips County added one, where it had none operating the previous year.
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In Arkansas
Vernon Caviness, chief pilot with Bell’s Ag Service in Des Arc, sprays a rice field in Prairie County May 18. Recent flooding and high winds have kept agricultural pilots grounded much more than normal during a very busy part of their year, causing devastating business losses for many who have been unable to work due to inclement weather and ground conditions. Statewide, Arkansas’ cotton acreage increased to 380,000 acres, up from a record low of 210,000 in 2015. The 2017 Prospective Plantings report put this year’s acreage at a half-million, the highest since 2012. “The number of active gins has steadily declined over the years in response to many factors such as the construction of newer, higher-capacity gins, module storage and particularly shifts in crop acreage,” Stiles said.
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Elsewhere
On May 15, the ArFB drone captured this image of the extensive Cache River flooding near Cash in Craighead County. Although floodwaters have receded, it will still be several weeks before farmers can replant rice and other lost crops. Estimates place crop damage in the county at $4 million to $5 million.
Drought at record low Drought in the U.S. fell to a record low the last week of April, with just 6.1 percent of the lower 48 states currently experiencing such dry conditions, federal officials say. That’s the lowest percentage in the 17-year history of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report. The previous record low occurred in July 2010, when 7.7 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in a drought. “Drought has certainly been disappearing at a rapid rate this spring,” said meteorologist Brad Rippey with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “The fiveyear drought in California is practically
over, with only about 8 percent of the state currently in drought. “The strong El Niño of 2015-16 may have caused the initial decrease last year,” Rippey continued. “El Niño is historically a drought-breaker, while La Niña is a drought maker.” The current record low is in sharp contrast to September 2012 when drought reached a record high — 65.5 percent — in the U.S. Census of agriculture In just a few months, America’s farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their operations and communities by taking part in the Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census captures a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches and those who operate them. NASS is in the final stages of preparing the 2017 Census of Agriculture mailing list. If you are new to farming or didn’t receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture questionnaire, there is still time to be counted by signing up at https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/cgibin/counts/. Simply provide the requested information and click “Submit.” Editor Keith Sutton
keith.sitton@arfb.com
year-ago, while Brazil has exported 8.840 MMT to China, up 26.96 percent from last year at this point.
In the Market As of May 26, 2017
Moody’s cuts China’s credit rating Moody’s Investors Service cut its rating on China’s debt for the first time since 1989, saying the outlook for its financial strength will worsen. It raised some concern Chinese firms may face higher overseas borrowing costs, forcing them to raise more financing at home and squeeze market liquidity. Moody’s also cited the likelihood of a “material rise” in economy-wide debt and the burden that will place on the state’s finances, while also changing the outlook to stable from negative. China’s Ministry of Finance said Moody’s downgrade was “absolutely groundless” and the ratings company underestimates the government’s ability to deepen reform and boost demand. Bunge shoots down talks of a merger with Glencore Earlier this week, reports circulated that Glencore Plc, the Swiss mining and commodities group, had made a takeover approach to U.S. grains trader Bunge Ltd. No such talks are underway, Bunge said in response to the rumors. Glencore also clarified that it had made an informal approach to discuss “a possible consensual business combination.” Impressive Chinese soybean imports continue China imported 8.015 MMT of soybeans during April, 6.150 MMT of which came from Brazil and 1.777 MMT of which was from the United States. So far this year, China has brought in an impressive 27.537 MMT of soybeans, which is up 18.01 percent from last year at this point. Of that total, the U.S. has sent Beijing 17.206 MMT of soybeans, a 13.79 percent rise from
ADM completes big port expansion in Brazil The Brazilian unit of Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) recently announced it had completed a 33 percent expansion in its Santos port terminal’s export capacity. It will now be able to ship 8 MMT of grain per year. ADM is also analyzing a project to improve rail infrastructure around the port area, in collaboration with other operators. Brazil recently announced it would extend the duration of operating licenses, which has helped attract investment for such plans. Mexico makes deal to bring in some corn from Brazil Mexico plans to bring in a record amount of corn from Brazil this year after a livestock delegation secured deals to import corn at lower prices on a trip to the country last week. Alejandro Vazquez, a government official who was part of the delegation, details Mexican livestock companies negotiated directly with suppliers, bypassing traders like Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, which normally arrange shipments. Typically, Mexico bypasses South American corn as U.S. prices are much lower and have shorter shipping times. But the direct deals have made the Brazilian corn much more competitive. Even so, the 300,000 MT of corn Mexico agreed to buy from Brazil represents just a fraction of the 12.75 MMT it imported from the U.S. last year. AWP up sharply; upland cotton import quota established The Adjusted World Price (AWP) for cotton shot up to 72.44 cents per pound, effective today, up from 68.69 cents per pound the prior week and highest since the AWP was 73.81 cents per pound the week of April 4, 2014. This ended two weeks of declines in the AWP. Also, USDA announced special import quota #4 for imports of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton. The
quota will be established as of May 25, 2017, and will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 22, 2017, and entered into the U,S. not later than Nov. 20, 2017. New Details for U.S. Beef Exports to China Expected Soon New details have emerged on what U.S. beef producers may have to do to export their product to China, but the industry still awaits specifics that will determine the size of the opportunity ahead, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said Tuesday. Producers would be required to track the locations where cattle raised for beef exported to China are born and slaughtered, under a U.S. proposal accepted by Beijing, Reuters reported Monday, citing the USDA. The beef exported to China also must be free from residue of beta-agonists, a growthenhancing feed additive. And beef shipped to China must be from cattle under 30 months of age, a standard designed to reduce the risk of so-called mad cow disease. Details could be finalized by early June, with shipments starting in July, the report said. NAFTA Renegotiation Announced The Trump administration informed Congress last week that it intends to officially begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. The muchanticipated notification gives Congress a 90-day window to work with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Commerce Department and other agencies to help develop priorities in overhauling the pact with two of our largest trading partners.
CONTACT
Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com