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May 15, 2020
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Ethanol demand dries up
Soybean seedling diseases are one of the most important causes of reduced stand establishment and can cause economic losses.
Industry feeling COVID-19 impact
Diseases target soy seedlings Expert advice on what to look for By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Managing soybean seedling diseases is challenging, but there are ways to minimize the impacts. Nathan Kleczewski, University of Illinois research assistant professor, conducts research and Extension activities on plant pathology issues in the state and shared his expertise in an Illinois Soybean Association’s ILSoyAdvisor webinar. “Soybean seedling diseases are caused by many different types of pathogens. Because we are working in fields with environments that are very diverse, oftentimes these are going to work as complexes,” Kleczewski said. “You’ll have multiple species, multiple types of pathogens in a given field. So, managing them can be pretty challenging, but there are some things we can do to minimize some of the impacts that we have with these diseases.” Kleczewski detailed each of the prevalent soybean seedling diseases in Illinois and a new one. PYTHIUM Pythium, a soilborne mold, is the most common soil pathogen in Illinois and thrives in saturated soils because it produces a spore that swims in the water and detects roots for colonization. It can cause “mushy” roots that results in the complete rotting in the outer cortex. Another symptom is rat-tailing of the roots. See DISEASES, Page A8
SEE SECTION B
INSIDE
Pick a winner for your garden A4
By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
A pre-pandemic tour is held inside Eickman’s Processing Co. in Seward, Illinois.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Filling meat gap Local processors see business soar during pandemic By Jeannine Otto
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
SEWARD, Ill. — When Tom Eickman stepped outside on a sunny and pleasant Friday evening, he was happy to see the sun. “I was like, ‘Oh, hey, it’s nice outside,’” Eickman said. He started work that Friday at the meat processing plant and retail shop that his grandfather Merlyn started. Since the demand for both retail meat and processing beef and pork ramped up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Eickman, his wife, Katie, and their staff of 27 workers haven’t had a lot of time in the sun. “It’s been busy, it’s been a little insane, almost,” he said. Business on the retail side and the processing side has exploded for Eickman’s
Processing Co., as it has for the majority of local meat processors and local retail meat shops across the Midwest. Consumers turned to local meat stores as the slowdown and then shutdown of larger commercial meat plants created shortages of beef and pork in big-box stores. Livestock producers, particularly pork producers, sought out local processors to try to get animals slaughtered and processed as an alternative to euthanizing market-ready animals. “We have filled up through the end of December. Every kill spot we have for this year is taken at this point. We’re pushing upward of 35 to 40 cattle per week and 60 to 80 head of hogs,” Eickman said. He said he started to see demand for meat in his retail shop increase around the middle of
March, shortly after Illinois schools closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “I had a feeling something was going to come down the road with that, people were going to be a little scared. We had the mindset of, ‘I want to keep the shelves full.’ I want, when people come in, for them to see full shelves. I don’t want them to come in and say, ‘Oh, my, gosh, half the shelves are empty,’ and have a panic attack out of that,” Eickman said. The processing side of the business is federally inspected, which means that Eickman can sell meat across the country. The business took a hit when restaurants shut down and slowed, but Eickman was able to move wholesale meat over to the retail side. See MEAT, Page A8
Consumers find alternative sources By Ashley Langreck
Kettler said local meat lockers INDIANAPOLIS — Farmers and plants that sell fresh and freezer meat are one have been experiencing a huge way that increase in demand for their some folks products as consumers turn to are getting different avenues to buy meat the protein as grocery stores struggle to they need stock shelves amid COVID-19 to feed their Kettler pandemic. families, Bruce Kettler, director of which is the the Indiana State Department biggest contributing factor to of Agriculture, said farmers why those local businesses are and operations that sell meat booked solid. have been experiencing some “It’s an opportunity for unexpected but welcome busi- more people to realize and get ness as individuals have been a better understanding of how searching for alternate aveagriculture food production nues to still get quality meat as systems work,” Kettler said. coolers at grocery stores conKettler said that even if continue to remain bare or have sumers are purchasing meat limits on the amount that can from local farmers or meat be purchased. plants, it is important for them AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
to know that those operations and individuals still have to abide by safety guidelines and recommendations of the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Board of Animal Health. Kettler said some stores are still struggling to keep meat in stock and have limitations on the amount that can be purchased, but as the packing plants begin to open back up, the supply of meat available will begin increasing again. Kettler said another resource for consumers is the Indiana Grown Protein Guide. “It might encourage folks to try something different than they have had before,” Kettler said.
AgriTrucker A9 Auction Calendar B1 Business B8 Classifieds B4 Farms For Sale B3
From The Pastures B5 Lawn & Garden A4 Lifestyle A7 Livestock A10 Opinion B7
Vol. 43 No. 12
CONTACT AGRINEWS: 800-426-9438
Feb. 2020
168
March 2020 121 April 2020
96 Source: Purdue/CME Group
Farmers’ outlook at 3-year low Optimisim declines in economic survey By Erica Quinlan
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
See GROCER, Page A8
See OUTLOOK, Page A8
Alumni honored during centennial celebration B8
WASHINGTON — Insights into the pandemic’s impact on the first and last links in the food supply chain were provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary. Sonny Perdue hosted the podcast that featured David Herring, a North Carolina pork producer, and Vivek Sankaran, CEO of Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food retailers in the United States that includes Safeway, Jewel-Osco and United Supermarkets. “There is a whole chain of people, industries that make up our very sophisticated food supply chain, and right now it’s more important than ever to make sure that it remains safe, secure and fully work-
ing,” Perdue said. “The food supply chain is something that consumers don’t always think about, but I think now they’re thinking more about it in these uncertain times. It’s been on the minds of people all across the nation.” Herring and his brothers, Tommy and Mark, have operated TDM Farms since 1983 and their father and grandfather were in the pork business before them. They produce about 700,000 markets pigs annually in their wean-to-finish operation. It’s all about the efficiency of timing in swine production and having the ability to get those pigs to processors when they reach market weight. “The whole system is almost like a carrousel. As pigs go
Ag Economy Barometer
DISRUPTION As of May 1, 115 meat and poultry processing plants in 19 states reported COVID-19 cases among their employees, causing packing plants to temporarily suspend operations. President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act in an effort to quickly restart these facilities. Any disruption in packing plant operations is a direct hit to pork production as the entire system is designed to flow through with no interruptions.
Producer, grocer share perspectives AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
See ETHANOL, Page A3
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Ag Economy Barometer dropped to a three-year low in April due to coronavirus concerns, commodity price declines and supply-chain disruptions. “Over the past two months, producers have felt the first shock waves being created by the coronavirus,” said James Mintert, director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “Disruptions in the supply chain are causing many to look at ways they can mitigate risk in this uncertain environment and sharp declines in commodity prices have added significant financial pressure on many U.S. farming operations.” The Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations declined sharply. “The biggest decline, especially over the last two months, has been in the Index of Current Conditions, which fell to 72 from 111 last month, and all the way from 154 two months ago.”
See SOURCES, Page A8
Dealerships keep customers, workers safe B6
By Tom C. Doran
PEKIN, Ill. — Stay-at-home restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have reduced gasoline consumption by 50% and hit an already challenged ethanol market. The industry, which already had its hands full with the small refinery exemptions issues, is finding ways to utilize facilities by producing other products, but it’s not enough at this point. A Renewable Fuels Association analysis estimates that ethanol production could fall by approximately 3 billion gallons in 2020, representing a nearly 20% cut from levels that would have otherwise been expected. Mainly due to lower usage and high inventories, ethanol prices could be 56 cents per gallon lower on average from March to December than they otherwise would have been. As a result, ethanol sales would fall to $12.5 billion in 2020, a 46% reduction from the $23 billion that would have been expected absent COVID-19. ABF Economics found that the ethanol industry contributed $43 billion to U.S. GDP and supported nearly 350,000 jobs in 2019. But based on today’s RFA analysis, it is expected that the industry’s contribution to GDP could shrink to $30 billion in 2020, nearly one-third less than last year.
to market, pigs are coming in right behind them. We birth pigs every day and we sell pigs every day. It’s a just-in-time situation and there’s not a lot of over-capacity,” Herring said.