www.agrinews-pubs.com
SM-LA1769371
April 10, 2020
Corn acres jump
Dairy seeks a lifeline Industry reeling from restaurant, school closures
Up 8% in 2020 planting plans
By Martha Blum
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
MADISON, Wis. — The dairy industry has an unprecedented challenge to find markets for milk during the coronavirus pandemic. “The dairy supply chain is challenged at a level never seen before with hundreds of thousands of restaurants, universities and food service outlets closed or reduced in sales,” said John Umhoefer, Cheese Makers A ssociat ion executive director. “The cheese industry has lost a great share of its largest market because nearly one half of all cheese sold Umhoefer in the U.S. moves through food service channels.” As the dairy industry works to balance supply with demand, Umhoefer said, “we look to the federal government to immediately begin to purchase dairy products to offer to food pantries and feeding programs to help America’s food insecure families in these challenging times.” “As we went into 2020, it was going to be the rebound year for dairy after depressed prices for the last three years,” said Tim Trotter, Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative executive director. “But because of the coronavirus we’re seeing a more devastating outcome for dairy farmers.” It is important that the dairy processors, dairymen and the food chain all work together during the pandemic, Trotter stressed. “I’m confident we can, but we need government support to get nutrition to people who need it,” he said. See DAIRY, Page A4
SEE SECTION B
INSIDE
FarmHouse three-peats as top chapter A3 Expert advice on dealing with stress A7 COVID-19 impacts on agriculture B7 AgriTrucker A5
From The Barns B6
Auction Calendar B1
Lifestyle A7
Business B8
Livestock A6
Classifieds B4
Opinion B7
Farms For Sale B3
Science B2 Weather A10
Vol. 43 No. 7
CONTACT AGRINEWS: 800-426-9438
By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
WASHINGTON — After a year of record high prevented plant acres, the “I” states are projected to increase corn acreage in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report released March 31. Andrew Banks and his wife, Sarah Newman, raise poultry and produce eggs at Five Hen Farm near Lick Creek, Illinois.
VIRTUAL MARKET
Local producers grow online meat, egg sales By Jeannine Otto
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
LICK CREEK, Ill. — Andrew Banks, who farms with his wife, Sarah Newman, at their 36-acre Five Hen Farm near Lick Creek, jokes that the state’s stay-at-home order and social distancing practices really haven’t changed his lifestyle. “We already kind of lived in self isolation, and the day to day of the farm really hasn’t changed that much,” Banks said. Banks and Newman started their farm journey with five Rhode Island Red hens and a chicken coop that was a Christmas gift in 2011 from Newman’s father. That small flock also became the namesake of their farm. Today, they have 500 laying hens and raise about 3,500 broiler chickens, as well as turkeys, meat ducks and pastured pork. Those products are sold at farmers markets, at a store at their farm, through their online store and through the LEAF Food Hub, an online farmers market. Farmers markets throughout the state closed after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order went into effect on March 21. That was the first hurdle that Banks and Newman had to navigate. “We were very dependent on farmers markets, and the winter market we were attending canceled their last three mar-
SOYBEANS USDA’s prospective plantings report has Illinois at 10.5 million acres of soybeans, a 6% increase from 9.95 million last year and below the 10.8 million planted in 2018. Indiana soybean acreage is projected unchanged from last year at 5.4 million, down from 6 million in 2018. It’s projected that Iowa will have 9.3 million soybean acres, a 1% hike over last year’s 9.2 million. The state planted 9.95 million acres of soybeans in 2018. See ACRES, Page A4
Andrew Banks and Sarah Newman started their poultry and egg farm with five hens and a Christmas gift chicken coop. Now, in addition to son, Otto, and daughter, Maeve, they have 500 laying hens and will raise around 3,500 broiler chickens. kets of the season,” Banks said. While sales tend to drop off during the winter months, they quickly pick up as spring approaches. The COVID-19related closures and social distancing focus delayed a needed boost in sales. “We were coming out of the winter a little bit low on cash, but needing to make our sales,” Banks said. They decided to open up their on-farm store earlier, and they also saw a jump in their online sales, through their own online site, www.fivehenfarm. com, and through the LEAF
Food Hub, an online farmers market that brings products from local farmers together on a single online store, where customers can make orders and then pick those orders up at various scheduled pickups in the Carbondale area. “We have seen a pretty good response from the farm store, but we have seen about a 2,000% increase in online sales. With LEAF and our online store, it has been a tremendous response by customers for our products,” Banks said. See MARKET, Page A3
Grain exports on the move Smooth sailing for transport of farm products By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The global transportation channels that move agricultural export products continue to flow smoothly. “The reports that we’re hearing are that business continues largely as normal. We’re not hearing of any slowdowns here on the U.S. side,” said Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council, during a University of Illinois farmdoc webinar. “It’s very important to con-
CORN Illinois’ corn acres are projected to reach 11.3 million, 8% above the 10.5 million planted last year and slightly higher than the 11 million acres in 2018. A 16% increase in corn acres is anticipated in Indiana, jumping to 5.8 million after planting 5 million in 2019. The state had 5.3 million acres of corn in 2018. The USDA report had 14.1 million corn acres in Iowa projected for this year, 4% above the 13.5 million planted in 2019. Iowa planted 13.2 million corn acres two years ago.
tinue to ensure to the world that we are open for business, and we will remain open for business here in the United States. Around the world we’re hearing reports from ports that they, too, are largely operational.” After receiving questions and concerns from U.S. export customers and other governments, USGC contacted port operators in New Orleans and the Pacific Northwest, container loaders throughout the country and with groups such as the Waterways Council to see if there were any problems in the system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council, in turn, contacted the nation’s customers around the world to assure them that U.S. port operations will continue throughout the pandemic.
RELIABLE SUPPLIER USGC also released a video on social media and other outlets March 31 that said the Mississippi River system continues to function despite COVID-19. “Rest assured that despite today’s uncertainty, the U.S. will continue to remain the most reliable feed grain supplier in the world. We are open for business, 365 days per year, and we will continue to be there for you during this crisis,” the video stated. Workers will continue to inspect barges under new safety protocol to prevent COVID-19 from affecting the port system. Third-party inspectors remain staffed and ready to service the needs of international customers. See EXPORTS, Page A4
ANALYSIS
Planting intentions a ‘surprise’ By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
MINNEAPOLIS — Corn acreage came in well above expectations across the board in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planting intentions report. The bearish 96.99 million acres of corn topped the average trade estimate of 94.328 million, a recent Allendale survey estimated 94.631 million, Bloomberg poll projected 94.1 million and USDA’s February Ag Forum plugged in 94 million corn acres. About 89.7 million acres were planted in 2019. The soybean and wheat planting intention numbers were more in line with pre-report expectations, as were the quarterly stocks numbers that were also released March 31. Brian Basting, Advance Trading research analyst, dove into USDA’s first survey-based numbers for 2020 in a teleconference hosted by the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. What was the biggest surprise in the USDA reports? “Probably the biggest surprise was the corn acreage report with the 97 million acres. The average trade guess was right around 94 million acres. See SURPRISE, Page A4