Farm Bureau Press | September 24

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | VOLUME 24 | ISSUE 19

Farm Bureau Press A PEEK INSIDE

ArFB SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR THE STANLEY E. REED LEADERSHIP AWARD

Nominations for the Stanley E. Reed Award are being accepted from county farm bureaus through Nov. 8.

Leadership is a trait that can be sharpened, encouraged and refined, and it is a commodity upon which Arkansas Farm Bureau was built. We encourage leadership and celebrates the spirit of our past presidents through the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award, which recognizes a Farm Bureau leader who exhibits the tenants of thoughtful leadership.

2020 Stanley E. Reed honoree Kallem Hill.

USDA Announces CFAP for Poultry Contract Growers, page 2-3

The Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award honors a Farm Bureau board member between the ages of 36-45 for outstanding leadership within their county Farm Bureau and their community.

The 11th recipient of the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award will be named during the 87th Annual Convention of the Arkansas Farm Bureau in Little Rock.

Please consider nominating the best and most impactful young farm leaders in your county to be considered for this prestigious award. A nomination is available on the Farm Bureau intranet, under Organization and Member Programs-Board Forms.

Nominations should be limited to 300 2019 Stanley E. Reed honoree Trent words or less describing the impact the Dabbs (left) and Charlene Reed. nominee has made on his/her county Farm Bureau and the community. Submissions must be postmarked no later than Nov. 8.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation 2021 Silent Auction, page 2-3

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A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

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USDA ANNOUNCES CFAP FOR POU Contract poultry growers have until Oct. 12 to sign up for aid under the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP2.

John Anderson, economist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, said up to $1 billion has been allocated through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to provide CFAP 2 payments to contract growers.

Feed the Farmers | Arkansas Co. Farm Bureau recently sponsored the Feed the Farmers Lunch provided by Bayou Meto United Methodist Church. Together, they provided 172 meals.

Backpack Donations | The Craighead Co. Women’s Leadership and Young Farmers and Ranchers committees recently joined together to donate 48 backpacks to Bay High School in need of adult-size backpacks. On hand for the donation were Jeffery Tubbs, Craighead County Farm Bureau president; Jodi Cobb, Bay High School principal (center); and Brittney Barnes (right), Craighead Co. YF&R & Women's Committee member.

Anderson said the pandemic was extremely disruptive to the poultry sector.

ARKANSAS RICE INDUSTRY DONATE 169,000 POUNDS OF RICE IN HON The Arkansas rice industry donated 169,700 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Foodbank in honor of National Rice Month Sept.

14. The donation from six mills will provide over 1.27 million servings of rice to help feed families, children, and seniors all across the state.

Participating rice mills are Windmill Rice Company of Jonesboro, Riceland Foods, Inc. of Stuttgart, Producers Rice Mill of Stuttgart, Riviana Foods of Carlisle, Ralston Family Farms of Atkins and Specialty Rice, Inc. of Brinkley.

“Arkansas rice farmers grow over 50% of the nation’s total crop and will produce rice on approximately 1.2 million acres this year in over 40 counties, many of which are served by the Arkansas Foodbank,” said Arkansas Rice Council President Dow Brantley. “As rice harvest continues, we, as farmers, try to be good stewards by giving a portion of our crop to hunger relief

ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FOUNDA

Drew Co. Farm Bureau Scholarship | Samantha Minton (right), a University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) student from Star City , was recently awarded the “Rising Junior Scholarship” by the Drew County Farm Bureau board. Drew Co. Farm Bureau President Kerry Hartness presented Minton the award at the Drew Co. Farm Bureau office in Monticello.

The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to an agriculture student at UAM who has shown dramatic improvement in academic achievement, high potential for success and who needs financial assistance.

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The Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation Silent Auction will be held Dec. 1–2, at the 2021 ArFB State Convention. We are excited to have Greenway Equipment back this year as sponsor of the event, they will be matching proceeds from the event. We are inviting your county Farm Bureau to donate items to the silent auction. In addition to the items donated by counties, other valuable items will be secured from outside sources.

We would ask that donated items have a retail value of $25 or greater. Counties wishing to donate larger items may choose to work together with other county Farm Bureaus, other groups or agencies. When thinking of items to donate, consider something that is unique to your county, whether it is made locally or from a local store.

All the items should be checked in and ready for bidding in the trade show by 9:30 a.m. Dec. 1. If your county needs assistance

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

ULTRY CONTRACT GROWERS “As COVID-related illness and/or quarantines disrupted labor, processing operations slowed, as did movement of inputs and product along the entire supply chain,” he said. “For growers, the effect of this situation was, in many cases, a reduction in birds delivered and, as a result, lower revenue”.

The expanded eligibility for CFAP2 includes not only contract broiler growers, but also contract growers of other poultry such as pullets, layers, eggs, turkeys, ducks, geese, and pheasants and quail. It also includes contract growers of hogs and pigs.

For more information and to apply, visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/ pandemic-assistance/cfap2.

Food Pantry Donation | Neighbor to Neighbor director Pat Tate (right) accepts a donation for the food pantry from Jefferson Co. Women’s Leadership Committee co-chair Susan Bitely.

Tate expressed thanks to Jefferson County Farm Bureau for the assistance as the holidays approach.

ES MORE THAN NOR OF RICE MONTH efforts.”

September is also Hunger Action Month. Arkansas ranks second in the nation for food insecurity, and Feeding America projects that 11% more Arkansans are experiencing hunger since the start of the pandemic – totaling nearly 532,000 people today.

That number includes one in four children who may not have enough to eat. This rice donation will go in to weekend backpacks for children, food boxes for home-bound seniors and will fill shelves at food pantries for families in need.

The rice will be distributed to the five Feeding America network food banks: River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith; Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas in Jonesboro; Harvest Regional Food Bank in Texarkana; Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock; and Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in Springdale.

School Supply Donations | Pope Co. Farm Bureau agents were busy last week visiting elementary schools with supply donations on behalf of county board members. Pictured are Agent Jeff Carter (right) and Agency Manager Richard Pierce (left) with London Elementary Principal Krista Malin.

ATION 2021 SILENT AUCTION getting an item to convention in a timely manner, please contact your District Director of Organization and Member Programs for assistance.

If your county is planning to donate an item for the silent auction, please provide a description of the item before convention. Please use the enclosed form to provide a description and value for your item.

Proceeds from the auction will be used to further agriculture education in Arkansas, through programs like Ag in the Classroom, grants that are available for educational projects and support of Arkansas FFA and Arkansas 4-H youth programs.

If you require additional information, please contact Amanda Williams at 501-228-1493 or amanda.williams@arfb.com or Lindsey Rucker at 501-228-1843 or lindsey.rucker@arfb.com.

Searcy Co. Fair | Searcy Co. Farm Bureau supported youth recently at the Searcy County Fair. Board President Randy Clark (right) and the Women’s Leadership Committee Chairwoman Jo Dee Hayes handed out bags packed with goodies to the youth as they got off the bus.

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

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MARKET NEWS as of September 22, 2021 Contact Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com Livestock and Poultry In the September Supply/Demand report, USDA lowered the forecast for 2021 red meat and poultry from the August report. Lower steer and heifer slaughter and lighter carcass weights contributed to the decline. The pork production forecast was also reduced.

Recent hatchery and slaughter data resulted in an increase in the broiler production forecast. The total red meat and poultry forecast for 2022 was also reduced. Increases in forecasts for broiler and turkey production were offset by forecasts for lower beef production.

Fed cattle prices were raised for 2021 on current price strength and firm demand. The 2022 price forecast was also raised. The 2021 hog price forecast was raised on lower expected production. Broiler and turkey price forecasts were raised for both 2021 and 2022 on expectations for strong demand.

Dairy Milk production forecasts for 2021 and 2022 were reduced from last month on smaller dairy cow numbers and lower milk per cow. For 2021, the fat basis import forecast was unchanged from the previous month, while the fat basis export forecast was raised on strong demand for cheese, butter and milk fat. The skim-solids basis import forecast for 2021 is unchanged from last month, but the export forecast is raised on firm global demand for skim milk powder, cheese, and whey.

For 2021 and 2022, butter, cheese and nonfat dry milk price forecasts 4

were raised on improving demand and lower production. The whey price forecast is unchanged for both years.

The 2021 and 2022 Class III and Class IV price forecasts are raised from last month on higher dairy product prices.

The 2021 all milk price is forecast higher at $18.15 per cwt. The all milk price forecast for 2022 is $18.40 per cwt.

Corn December corn futures have been under pressure this week, but the recent low of $4.97½, which is the bottom of a big upward key-reversal and a strong technical signal that the market has bottomed, should provide support. The upside has been limited by harvest pressure and concern about moving the crop down the Mississippi river and through the Gulf in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Basis levels collapsed earlier than expected, and we could see much of the crop move into on-and off-farm storage. Weekly export sales were disappointing at just 9.8 million bushels. Weekly export shipments were only 7.6 million bushels as Gulf ports are not yet up and running.

In the September WASDE report, USDA increased the corn acreage estimate by 600,000 acres to 93.3 million. The yield estimate was also increased to 176.3 bushels per acre, up 2.3 bushels from the August estimate. That pushed the ending stocks estimate to 1.408 billion bushels. The expected on-farm price is pegged at $5.45.

Cotton December cotton opened the week with a sharp sell-off as prices dropped below uptrending support. The market has been testing that support for a few days, and on Monday, outside market pressure from the surging dollar and weaker crude oil futures sent the market tumbling. Monday’s low of 88.95 cents has provided support. USDA did indeed raise the cotton production estimate for 2021, thanks to significantly improved crop conditions when compared with

A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

recent years. Planted acreage was revised downward to 11.19 million, down 7.5% from the 2020 crop. A 5% increase in the estimated yield to 895 lbs. per acre, brings the production estimate to 18.5 million bales, up 26.7% from 2020, and up 7.24% from the August estimate. Domestic use estimates remained unchanged from the August report at 2.5 million bales, but exports increased 500,000 bales to 15.5 million bales. The net result was an increase in ending stocks to 3.7 million bales, up 17% from the 2020 crop.

Soybeans November soybean futures are chopping along mostly sideways but holding above support at $12.40 ½. USDA cut their soybean acreage estimate in the September report by 400,000 acres. That means soybean acres are now pegged at 87.2 million acres. The yield estimate was also increased to 50.6 bushels per acre. If realized, this would tie 2018 for the alltime highest average yield on record.

That means the total production estimate is 4.3 billion bushels, up 5.8% compared to 2020. The estimated average on farm price was pegged at $12.90/bushel, which means that soybeans are underpriced at current levels.

Rice USDA has decreased their harvested acreage estimate, offsetting a 79 pounds per acre increase in the average yield. If realized, an average yield of 7,623 pounds per acre would be the 3rd highest yield on record.

Total production is now pegged at 190.5 million cwt, down 6.9 million cwt from the August report. Weekly export sales were uninspiring at 31,400 metric tons, but shipments were stronger at 83,100 metric tons. November futures have support at $13.20 and resistance at $13.90.

EDITOR Ashley Wallace ashley.wallace@arfb.com