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A August 8, 2013 Volume 17 Issue 16
Nebraska Economy May Be in Jeopardy With Lack of Farm Bill
Check out our Agstuff Classifieds Pages A18-23
Rodeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8 County Fairs & Festivals . . . . A7 Wheat Results . . . . . . . . . A11-12, 23 State Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-12 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Country Living House Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
The Lighter Side Lee Pitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Markets Grains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9 Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A16
Government Report Government Report . . . . . . . . . . . . A6
Ag Management Drought Cost Nebraska Farmers Billions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A13
Livestock News Heartland Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . A15
Production News Former Popcorn Capital Still Popping for Theaters, Ball Parks . . . . . . . A14
Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A17
Robert Pore, The Grand Island Independent Nebraska's economy could be hurt if Congress continues to delay passage of a farm bill, said Tim Scheer of St. Paul, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. Strong agricultural prices have helped the state’s economy grow and kept the unemployment rate down. Nebraska has the second lowest unemployment rate in the country behind North Dakota. Last year the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that cash receipts from Nebraska’s principal crops were $13.566 billion in 2012, down from 2011’s $13.939 billion. Cash receipts from cattle and calves in Nebraska in 2012 totaled $10.36 billion, up from 2011’s $8.6 billion.
Scheer said the progress achieved and contributions that agriculture has made in the past decade are at risk if Congress continues to "drag its feet" on passing a new bill. The current Farm Bill, crafted in 2008 and extended last year, is set to expire Sept. 30. If a new bill or an extension of the 2008 bill is not passed, Scheer said, federal price supports will revert to their 1949 levels. If that happens, he said, some farmers, such as those involved in wheat or dairy production, would be big winners, while others, such as soybean farmers, would get "nothing at all because some commodities were added after the 1949 legislation." "Nebraska farmers should not settle for another extension of the 2008 bill," Scheer said. "We need a new farm bill that is in step with
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what is happening today and with the future challenges and opportunities for agriculture — and we need it now." Without congressional action, he said, America’s farm policy will become a "patchwork of policy that is unworkable for producers trying to run their businesses and plan for the future." Last week Sen. Mike Johanns, RNeb., said he remained somewhat optimistic that Congress can still get a new farm bill passed if both House and Senate members can get it to a conference committee. "There is just not a lot of time," Johanns said. "Fortunately, this year's fall harvest will be covered under the last Farm Bill, but we will face what is often referred to as the ‘dairy cliff' come January, and farmers planting wheat this fall will
need reauthorized risk management tools." Johanns is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which earlier this year passed a farm bill, which was also passed by the full Senate. But while the House Agriculture Committee passed a farm bill, the full House decided to split the nutritional portion off the bill and passed a bill that only addressed farm programs. Last week some Republican House members proposed $40 billion in cuts to food aid programs over 10 years. That is double the House’s earlier proposal and 10 times what Senate Democrats are proposing. House leaders hope to pass a bill reauthorizing food stamps after the August recess. Continued on page 14
MARKET GLANCE Livestock and Products, Weekly Average
Crops, Daily Spot Prices Year Ago 4 Wks Ago 7/26/13
Nebraska Slaughter Steer 35-65% Choice, Live Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$115.42 Nebraska Feeder Steers, Med. & Large Frame, 550-600# . . . . . . . . . . . .143.87 Med & Large Frame, 750-800 # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137.62 Choice Boxed Beef, 600-750# Carcass . . . . . . . . . .178.06 Western Corn Belt Base Hog Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92.66 Feeder Pigs, National Direct, 50#, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . .* Pork Carcass Cutout, 185#, 51-52% Lean . . . . . . . .92.27 Slaughter Lambs, Ch. & Pr.,Heavy, SD Dir. . . . . . . . .103.50 Nat. Carcass Lamb Cutout, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329.30
121.47
121.28
174.19 174.03 148.96 152.56 197.64 187.40 99.86 98.63 * * 108.91 98.66 117.50 118.38 286.58 282.92
Wheat, No. 1, H.W. Imperial, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.24 Corn, No. 2, Yellow, Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.98 Soybeans, No. 1 Yellow Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16.69 Grain Sorg. No. 2 Yellow, Dorchester, cwt . . . . . . . . .13.20 Oats, No. 2, Heavy Minneapolis, MN, bu. . . . . . . . . . .3.96
6.52 6.77 15.71 11.50 4.26
6.72 5.62 12.94 9.50 3.64
Hay (per ton) Alfalfa, Lrg. Sq. Bales Good to Prem., NE Neb. . . . . .242.50 Alfalfa, Lrg. Rounds, Good, Platte Valley, . . . . . . . .192.50 Grass Hay, Lrg. Rounds, Premium, Neb., . . . . . . . . .155.00 Dried Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .330.25 Wet Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119.00 * No market.
* 250.00 200.00 180.00 200.00 155.00 232.00 225.00 85.00 80.50