POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit #36 OMAHA, NE
January 10, 2013 Issue 259-17-1
Ag Groups Disappointed in Lack of New Farm Bill
Check out our Agstuff Classifieds Pages 19-23
Nebraska Farm & Life Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Kearney Home & Builder’s Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Weather Al Dutcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Country Living House Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Lighter Side Lee Pitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Markets Grains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Government Report Government Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Robert Pore, The Grand Island Independent Congress' last-minute maneuvers managed to avoid the nation’s falling off the "fiscal cliff," but the results were not pleasing to many agricultural groups concerned about the lack of a new Farm Bill and what impact it will have on farmers and ranchers this year. "Once again, Congress has left rural America out in the cold," said Roger Johnson, National Farmers
Union president. "An extension represents a shortsighted, temporary fix that ultimately provides inadequate solutions that will leave our farmers and ranchers crippled by uncertainty." The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed HR8, the Tax Relief Extension Act, commonly referred to as the "fiscal cliff" bill, which included a Farm Bill extension. However, Johnson said the legislation that passed fails to
provide disaster aid for farmers or the necessary support for the dairy industry "yet continues unjustifiable direct payments." He said the bill also does not provide mandatory funding for the energy title, specialty crops and organic provisions and new programs for beginning farmers and ranchers. "Farmers, ranchers, rural communities and all Americans deserve better and would have been Continued on page 9
Ag Management Food and Drug Administration Proposes Food Safety Rules . . . . . . . . 9
Livestock News Heartland Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Production News UNL Extension Crop Production Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Republican River Augmentation Project Off Table for 2013 Before Lawsuit Filed Lori Potter, The Kearney Hub KEARNEY - A project to augment Republican and Platte basin streamflows with groundwater from a 19,300-acre farm in southern Lincoln County won't be available in 2013. The Nebraska Cooperative Republican Platte Enhancement Project involves the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican and Twin Platte natural resources districts. They purchased the farm for $83 million and plan to use new wells on the 16,000 irrigated acres and
a pipeline to pump and transport groundwater to Republican and Platte tributaries. Three-fourths of the water would go into Medicine Creek and then into the Republican River. Lower Republican NRD General Manager Mike Clements told the Hub Wednesday that Nebraska Department of Natural Resources officials won't OK the project until it is up and running, so it won't be available in what's expected to be a dry 2013. That means it also won't be affected immediately by a
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lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court by the Frenchman Cambridge and Nebraska Bostwick irrigation districts. Halting the Lincoln County project is a claim within the lawsuit. When asked about the lawsuit, Clements said, "I'm very disappointed that the suit was filed. I hope they realize the impact this has on their own surface water users who also have groundwater wells. Those wells are the rapid-response wells [closest to the river] that will be the first regulated."
The Lincoln County project's goal is to use groundwater, when needed, to boost flows into Harlan County Lake and keep water levels above a trigger for "dry-year" management requirements. With 2013 expected to be a dry year for Republican River Compact compliance, the basin's NRDs must submit compliance plans to the DNR by Jan. 31. Revised state numbers show that the LRNRD must make up a Continued on page 17
MARKET GLANCE Livestock and Products, Weekly Average
Crops, Daily Spot Prices Year Ago 4 Wks Ago 12/14/12
Nebraska Slaughter Steer 35-65% Choice, Live Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$119.20 125.39 Nebraska Feeder Steers, Med. & Large Frame, 550-600# . . . . . . . . . . . .166.00 161.63 Med & Large Frame, 750-800 # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145.35 145.49 Choice Boxed Beef, 600-750# Carcass . . . . . . . . . .189.14 193.17 Western Corn Belt Base Hog Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78.98 74.51 Feeder Pigs, National Direct, 50#, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . .* * Pork Carcass Cutout, 185#, 51-52% Lean . . . . . . . . .90.13 82.99 Slaughter Lambs, Ch. & Pr.,Heavy, SD Dir. . . . . . . . .153.50 91.75 Nat. Carcass Lamb Cutout, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405.48 300.87
132.56 170.19 152.79 195.04 79.21 * 83.69 95.50 300.12
Wheat, No. 1, H.W. Imperial, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.90 Corn, No. 2, Yellow, Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.99 Soybeans, No. 1 Yellow Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.31 Grain Sorg. No. 2 Yellow, Dorchester, cwt . . . . . . . . .110.14 Oats, No. 2, Heavy Minneapolis, MN, bu. . . . . . . . . . .3.31
8.06 7.32 13.63 12.34 3.79
7.90 7.34 14.91 12.34 4.04
220.00 215.00 212.20 284.50 106.00
* 215.00 215.00 281.00 103.00
Hay (per ton) Alfalfa, Lrg. Sq. Bales Good to Prem., NE Neb. . . . . .155.00 Alfalfa, Lrg. Rounds, Good, Platte Valley, . . . . . . . . .132.50 Grass Hay, Lrg. Rounds, Premium, Neb., . . . . . . . . .95.00 Dried Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220.00 Wet Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69.50 * No market.