USDA is forecasting the third largest corn crop on record and the second largest soybean crop in a new planted acreage update released Wednesday. U.S. growers are forecast to produce 13.7 billion bushels of corn this year, according to the report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). That is actually a four percent decrease from last year’s production, but … Read More
West Central Puts Farmers First
West Central, based in Ralston, Iowa, is located in a agricultural sweet spot with great harvests for both corn and soybeans. So much in fact, West Central announced a $27 million production, storage and receiving expansion scheduled for completion by the 2016 harvest. Roger Fray, executive vice president for the grain side of West Central, spoke to Animal AgWired about … Read More
Feed Demand Remains High in FAPRI Outlook
The bumper corn crop this year means lower prices for the grain, but feed demand will continue to be strong… while demand to turn grains into biofuels will stagnate. That’s the mixed bag of information attendees of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show heard from Patrick Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy … Read More
Introducing the New USFRA Faces: Thomas Titus
If you get a chance to talk to one of the newest representatives in the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s (USFRA) Faces of Farming and Ranching program, you’ll certainly be taken by more than just Thomas Titus’ impressive height (6’8″!). You’ll hear just how enthusiastic he is to talk about the world of agriculture. “Talking about agriculture was something instilled … Read More
New Insights for Corn Silage Harvest
A recent field study of fresh chop corn silage shows that waiting for that last 3 to 5 percent of starch fill may not be worth it – especially if you intend to feed that silage to lactating dairy cows. As the plant matures and kernel starch fill continues, the rumen digestibility of the starch decreases, explains Dr. David Weakley, … Read More
Calibrate Shows How to Reduce New Corn Silage Slump
A new test could help cattle producers reduce a phenomenum called new corn silage slump. Calibrate® Technologies has a new testing system that keep cows’ production on track shows by showing producers corn silage starch and fiber digestibility factors. Corn silage is highly variable, says Dr. David Weakley, director of dairy forage research for Calibrate® Technologies. Crude starch, rumen degradable … Read More
FAPRI: Sources for Feed Could Get Even Cheaper
Good news for livestock producers and the price of feed. Earlier this month, we told you how a new report from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri said that livestock producers had seen some some high prices for their animals this year, but those prices were expected to taper a bit in the … Read More
Dinner Discussion Turns to Crop Quality at Alltech Conference
One of the highlights of the annual conferences Alltech puts on is the dinner discussions portion of the program. At the most recent Alltech Global Dairy & Beef Conference in Deauville, France, Chuck caught up with Robert Walker, Alltech’s Crop Science Division, who led a discussion dinner on crop yields and quality of crop yields. “We’re driving crop yields, but … Read More
NPB's Chris Novak to Head NCGA
National Pork Board (NPB) CEO Chris Novak is heading to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) as the new CEO beginning October 13, 2014. Novak has been with NPB since 2008. “We’re thrilled to have Chris join us at NCGA,” said NCGA President Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Illinois. “He has all the right qualifications to take the reins … Read More
ISU Seeks Input on DDGs
Iowa State University is conducting a survey of livestock producers use of feed-related co-products from ethanol production (distillers grains). The survey is focused on the beef, dairy, swine and poultry sectors. It is being funded by a coalition consisting of the Renewable Fuels Association, the Distillers Grains Technology Council and the Corn Utilization Councils from Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. “The … Read More