http://www.farmgateblog.com en stu@farmgateblog.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-21T06:26:06+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1603/corn-beans-and-the-pests-that-came-to-the-party http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1603/corn-beans-and-the-pests-that-came-to-the-party#When:06:26:06Z The planting season may be wrapping up, but the crop protection season has just begun.  And there are a myriad of legged and rooted pests that will be doing their job to reduce your yield for the year.  Scout your fields, report to your consultants what you have found, and take action to protect your revenue from the new crop of corn and soybeans. Crop Production 2012-05-21T06:26:06+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1602/farm-programs-should-be-supplemented-by-crop-insurance http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1602/farm-programs-should-be-supplemented-by-crop-insurance#When:05:28:15Z Will the next Farm Bill have a safety net, such as the ARC plan passed in the Senate, or will it only be a comprehensive program of crop insurance?  With the desire by the House to “save” $33 billion compared to the Senate’s $23 billion in “savings,” the House Agriculture committee will be completing its work soon on a Farm Bill. Agricultural Policy 2012-05-18T05:28:15+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1601/who-is-winning-the-food-fight http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1601/who-is-winning-the-food-fight#When:10:29:17Z Most farmers are working quite hard to produce as much food as possible for a hungry world and marketplace, but daily get criticized by non-farmers because of doing things that the non-farmers do not think should be done.  Few folks, other than pork producers, have seen pregnant sows fight, but think they know how hogs should be raised.  Today agriculture seems to take it on the chin from society, and it makes you wonder who is winning. Farm Business Economics 2012-05-17T10:29:17+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1600/crystal-ball-gazing-ethanol http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1600/crystal-ball-gazing-ethanol#When:10:19:36Z At the end of 2011 Congress allowed the tax credit for ethanol blending to expire, along with the tariff on imported ethanol, as well as the blenders’ credit for biodiesel fuel.  The tax credit for production of ethanol from biomass remains, but is scheduled to expire at the end of the current year.  Since the expiration of the ethanol supports, the EPA has allowed the ethanol blend in motor fuel to rise from 10% to 15%, but automaker acceptance and the needed infrastructure are dynamics that are not yet in motion to support ethanol.  Given all of those issues, what is the future for ethanol and its consumption for a large quantity of US corn?  That is an important follow-up question to the preceding Farmgateblog posting about the impact of ethanol’s savings on the price of gasoline. Agricultural Policy 2012-05-16T10:19:36+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1599/does-ethanol-really-lower-the-price-of-gasoline http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1599/does-ethanol-really-lower-the-price-of-gasoline#When:10:16:06Z The latest USDA Supply Demand Report indicated that corn processing for ethanol purposes would not increase much from the 2011 crop to the 2012 crop.  About 5 billion bushels would be converted to ethanol.  One reason is the blend wall that serves as a maximum for the 10% fuel blend to be incorporated into the nation’s motor fuel supply.  And since the demand for gasoline is declining due to the recession, the demand for ethanol is not growing.  But while ethanol will be consuming nearly one-third of the US corn crop, it will also have another significant benefit to family budgets and the US economy. Agricultural Policy 2012-05-15T10:16:06+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1598/crystal-ball-gazing-soybeans http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1598/crystal-ball-gazing-soybeans#When:04:43:30Z Did you increase your bean acres after the March 30 USDA planting intentions report? A significant swing in market prices has benefitted soybean production.  Fundamentals include the South American shift to corn and fewer bean acres, China’s aggressive buying of soybeans, and fewer US bean acres for 2012.  Ag economists report there was a $48 advantage for corn on March 1 which has evolved into a $78 advantage for beans on May 10.  Most farmers were planting corn for the revenue opportunities, but what is the market opportunity for soybeans? Marketing 2012-05-14T04:43:30+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1597/usda-one-surpise-after-another http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1597/usda-one-surpise-after-another#When:03:52:15Z There are always surprises, and the May USDA Supply-Demand report did not disappoint anyone.  Even when you knew USDA was going to forecast a very large corn crop, the projection for 14.8 billion bushels and a 166 bushel national yield average were well over the top of expectations.  Let’s take a survey and see what the experts thought about the numbers… Marketing 2012-05-11T03:52:15+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1596/fasten-your-seatbelt-for-todays-usda-corn-production-forecast http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1596/fasten-your-seatbelt-for-todays-usda-corn-production-forecast#When:15:12:28Z An eye-popping forecast of 14.8 billion bushels of corn has been issued by USDA in the May Supply-Demand report, which is up 2.4 billion from the 2011-12 crop.  Even though consumption projections are raised by more than 1 billion bushels, there will be a lot left over, and while the corn market expectedly opened lower, the bean market opened strongly higher due to increased use and low ending stocks for this year and next. Marketing 2012-05-10T15:12:28+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1595/market-anticipating-bearish-numbers-in-usda-may-supply-demand-report http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1595/market-anticipating-bearish-numbers-in-usda-may-supply-demand-report#When:04:24:40Z USDA releases its May Supply and Demand report on Thursday, which is the Department’s initial assessment of U.S. and world crop supply and demand prospects and U.S. prices for the 2012/13 marketing year. It will also present the first calendar-year 2013 projections of U.S. livestock, poultry, and dairy products.  The market has been anticipating the report giving bearish news, which fostered a significant sell-off of commodities on Wednesday.  Let’s look at the potential numbers… Marketing 2012-05-10T04:24:40+00:00 http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1594/how-can-corn-prices-move-in-three-directions-at-once http://www.farmgateblog.com/article/1594/how-can-corn-prices-move-in-three-directions-at-once#When:06:03:34Z Wily three-headed monsters lived in caves of Greek and Roman mythology, but the three personalities of the corn market live in the trading pits at the CME, and have been about as challenging to conquer.  New crop futures, old crop futures, and the basis for cash corn each have a mind of their own, and while you are addressing one head-on, another may come around to bite you in the tailgate. Marketing 2012-05-09T06:03:34+00:00