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Income, expenses discussed in grain growers workshop By KIM FUNDINGSLAND
Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com The best year for farm income in the United States was in 1973. The worst income year for farmers was 1983. The last five years have been somewhat below the long-term average. Those were some of the facts provided by Bryon Parman, NDSU Extension Service, Fargo, at the Best of the Best in Wheat Research and Marketing workshop sponsored by the North Dakota Grain Growers Association and the ND Wheat Commission. The workshop was held Feb. 14 in Minot. Parman told that group that producers’ debt to income ratio began increasing in 2011. Parman said that was especially the case in farms that continue to get bigger. Overall farm debt, he said, is currently close to the high of 1983 but added that it, “was not necessarily a bad thing.” Parman noted
that U.S. farm income increased 10.2% in 2019. A big contributor to increased income on the farm, stated Parman, was a decline in fertilizer prices over the past few years. While that cost savings is not within the control of the producer, Parman advised that farmers keep close watch on other necessary expenses. “Buy your propane in April or May for the best pricing,” said Parman. Sometimes producers purchase the bulk of their propane in late fall, primarily for use in drying of certain crops. But fall is also the time when propane prices can be on the rise due to increased demand for home heating. Often, said Parman, the amount of money saved by purchasing propane when the demand is low can be quite substantial. Parman spoke before a filled convention room in Minot’s Clarion Hotel. Producers Kim Fundingsland/MDN were eager to hear from him and an impres- Bryon Parman, NDSU Extension, Fargo, talks to area farmers about marsive list of knowledgeable presenters. kets and operational costs during a recent forum in Minot.
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Water stands in an unharvested field north of Minot last fall. Saturated ground conditions and unharvested crops are leading more farmers to think about insurance for prevented planting this year. Jill Schramm/MDN
Prevent plant insurance on minds of farmers
Ag producers consider coverage level after wet fall By JILL SCHRAMM
Senior Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com Minot-area farmers are considering the possibility that last fall’s wet weather could mean some fields will go unplanted this spring. It is on the minds of many as they prepare to finalize their crop insurance by the March 15 deadline. Insurance for prevented planting is standard with a policy, but it typically caps out at 50% to 60% coverage, depending on the crop, unless farmers purchase additional coverage.
They can buy another 5% for any crop or crops, said Denise Krebsbach, insurance manager with Farm Credit Services in Minot. The additional coverage adds 6% to the cost for the covered crop, and the buy-up must be allowed by the insurance provider. “People here can probably do that, and people are doing that. We are seeing people buy up on prevent plant,” Krebsbach said. In some cases, farmers choose to buy up only on their earliest planted crops in event of a wet spring while taking the standard coverage on later planted crops, she said. Insurers may be less inclined to approve the extra See INSURANCE — Page 6
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Wet weather increases risk for wheat midge in 2020
Insecticide probably needed to reduce potential yield loss
Soil samples in North Dakota indicate increasing levels of overwintering wheat midge larvae (cocoons) for the 2020 season, says Janet Knodel, North Dakota State University Extension entomologist in information provided by NDSU Agriculture Communication. A total of 1,900 soil samples were collected from 20 counties in the fall of 2019 to estimate the statewide risk for wheat midge in the 2020 field season. The distribution of wheat midge is based on unparasitized cocoons found in the soil samples. “About 1% of the soil samples had very high population densities of wheat midge (greater than 800 midge larvae per square meter) this past year,” Knodel says. “The hot spots were located in west central Wells County and southwestern Ramsey County.” Another 2% was at a high-risk level (501 to 800 midge larvae per square meter) in northeastern Bottineau County, central Mountrail County and northeastern McLean County. “These populations are high and indicate that an insecticide
Insurance
Continued from Page 5
coverage in areas where there has been excessive fall and winter moisture, particularly the James River Valley and southeast Red River Valley. Dennie Stratton, crop insurance production manager for Farmers Union Insurance, Surrey, said prevent plant is a big concern in the southeastern part of the state, where farmers already are giving up on some acreage. He doesn’t expect an inordi-
will probably be needed to reduce potential yield loss from wheat midge, assuming wheat is in the susceptible growth stages during midge emergence and midge populations are at economic threshold levels during field scouting,” Knodel notes. Scouting for wheat midge adults during emergence is a good integrated pest management, especially if wheat fields are in the susceptible crop stage, heading to early flowering (less than 50% flowering). Scouting for the orange adult flies is conducted at night when temperatures are greater than 59 F and the winds are less than 6 mph. “Use a flashlight and slowly
nate number of prevent plant claims in the Minot area, although he noted much can still happen to affect that picture in the weeks yet to come. “There’s still a lot of crop standing out there. That’s probably one of the bigger issues we are seeing is people are wondering if they are going to have prevent plant coverage if it’s so wet they can’t get the crop off their fields. Most cases, it’s a yes, but there are some cases where it’s a no,” Stratton said. There are a number of factors within crop insurance that come into play in addi-
scan the heads of wheat plants for wheat midge adults, counting the number of flies per head,” Knodel says. The economic thresholds for wheat midge are: one or more midge observed for every four or five heads on hard red spring wheat, or one or more midge observed for every seven or eight heads on durum wheat. The moderate risk level (201 to 500 midge larvae per square meter) also was observed in 5% of the samples. Moderate risk areas were scattered in eight counties throughout the state, including the northeastern area (Nelson County), the central area (Sheridan and Wells counties), the north-central
tion to whether a farmer is able to get into a field to plant it, said Jackie Larson with Western Agency in Minot. For instance, farmers who are planting for the first time on acreage through a purchase or new rental agreement can be ineligible because they are acquiring the land in its current condition. With new operators, the “cause of loss” must happen after March 15. Larson said farmers are asking lots of questions about prevented planting during this year’s insurance sign-up period.
area (McHenry and Rolette counties), and the northwestern area (Divide, Mountrail, Williams counties). “These population levels are considered non-economic for wheat midge,” Knodel says. Thirty-four percent of the soil samples were at low risk, but scouting for wheat midge always is a good idea. The majority of the soil samples, 58%, had zero wheat midge cocoons, compared with the record low of 84% in 2018. Knodel adds, “This dramatic increase in wheat midge populations is probably due to the rain in 2019. Plotting out the total rainfall from May through September and total number of wheat midge cocoons for the past eight years showed a strong correlation between precipitation and wheat midge populations.” Larvae are susceptible to dryness and require rain to emerge from the soil in late June through mid-July, and to drop out of the wheat heads and dig into the soil to overwinter as cocoons. Knodel recommends that producers use the wheat midge degree-day model to predict the emergence of wheat midge and to determine when to scout, and if their wheat crop is at risk. Producers can access the wheat midge degree-day model on the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) website at https://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/wh
“They are more concerned with the uncertainty because we came into fall with fairly saturated land. We do have some residual crop standing, and we don’t know what spring is going to bring us in terms of moisture,” she said. Each crop has a specified final plant date, after which farmers can determine whether to file a prevent plant claim or continue to try to get a crop planted. Planting after the final plant date has repercussions, though, as some coverage is lost when a crop becomes at greater risk due to shorter growing sea-
eat-growing-degree-days.html. Select your nearest NDAWN station and enter your wheat planting date. The output indicates the expected growth stage of the wheat and whether the crop is susceptible to midge infestation, as well as the timing of wheat midge emergence. Knodel says, “The good news for 2019 is that the beneficial parasitic wasp, which naturally controls wheat midge eggs and larvae, increased to 15% of wheat midge cocoons parasitized, compared with only 9% in 2018. The average parasitism rate was also higher: 36% in 2019, compared with less than a 5% parasitism rate for the last four years (2015 to 2018). The highest parasitism rates were found in Bottineau, Cavalier and Williams counties. “We need to continue to conserve parasitic wasp populations by scouting for wheat midge and spraying insecticides only when wheat midge populations are at economic threshold levels,” she adds. “Parasitic wasps fly later than wheat midge, so avoiding any late insecticide applications also will reduce the negative impacts on these ‘good’ insects. This tiny, metallic wasp does an excellent job keeping the wheat midge in check by providing free biological control of wheat midge in wheat fields.” NDSU Extension agents collected the soil samples. The North Dakota Wheat Commission supports the wheat midge survey.
son. The final date to claim prevent plant is July 15. Larson said farmers are concerned about commodity prices as well as the rules for prevent plant. They are concerned about the rutted condition of fields that were harvested on saturated ground last fall. “Getting the land back in shape is a big concern,” she said. Krebsbach said getting crop insurance coverage right is a case-by-case matter. “We don’t want to cookiecutter it for anybody because everybody’s operation is dif-
ferent,” she said. Stratton said producers need to make sure they understand their coverage and that their agents review all the options so they get policies that are tailored to their operations. He recommends farmers make sure they are comfortable with their overall coverage rather than focus on one factor. “There are so many other perils that happen in our state,” he said. “I just hope everybody doesn’t just focus on prevent plant. I hope they focus on their coverage levels as a whole.”
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Gunter Honey Inc. co-owner elected president of American Bee Federation By ANDREA JOHNSON
Staff Writer ajohnson@minotdailynews.com Joan Gunter, one of the co-owners of Gunter Honey Inc. in Towner, has been elected president of the American Bee Federation for 2020. “I am honored to serve as ABF President,” said Gunter in a press release from the organization. “I look forward to continuing the work of the ABF Board of Directors and committees to boost the success of our members and promote the beekeeping industry nationwide.” Gunter Honey Inc. and Gunter Honey Farm are family operations for the Gunters. “My husband’s family actually started it and they’re third generation,” said Joan Gunter. “I married into it.” Gunter co-owns the operation with her husband, Dwight Gunter, along with Dwight Gunter’s brother, Daniel Gunter, and Daniel Gunter’s wife, Theresa Gunter. I am honored to serve Gunter Honey Inc. is the name of the North as ABF President. Dakota location and Gunter Honey Farm is its southern location. I look forward to Their bees produce clover and alfalfa and wildcontinuing the work of flower honey in North Dakota and, during the winthe ABF Board of ter months when it is too cold for bees, the Gunters take their bees to Sour Lake, Texas, and LumberDirectors and ton, Miss. The Gunters’ bees also pollinate alcommittees to boost monds in California. In addition, the Gunters sell bees and queen the success of our bees to other bee keepers. members and promote Joan Gunter said the bee keeping operation also employs migrant labor from Nicaragua via the the beekeeping H2A Visa program. industry nationwide. As president of the American Bee Federation, her focus will be on lobbying lawmakers on issues – Joan Gunter that are most important to bee keepers. “I usually go to Washington about three times a year to do that,” said Gunter. Issues on the minds of bee keepers right now include improving the prices for honey and better, more clear labeling laws that will ensure that consumers know for sure that they are purchasing 100 percent honey instead of imported honey from another jurisdiction with additional ingredients that have been added. Gunter said the American Bee Federation is also concerned with improving country of origin labeling laws. The organization is also working on a program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would provide a better environment for honey bees with a more positive food source. Gunter explained that the “winter colony loss is extremely high” and some of those losses might be prevented with the availability of supplemental food sources.
Submitted photos
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Photos by Ciara Parizek/MDN
LEFT Several pallets of different crop seed mixes were dropped off at the Minot Chesak Seed House, waiting to be picked up by farmers once the weather warms up. RIGHT:Town grass and country grass mixes are also available to those who need to give their lawns a touch-up.
Local seed house expands operations By CIARA PARIZEK
Staff Writer cparizek@minotdailynews.com A second Chesak Seed location opened up near the Highway 2 and Highway 52 crossing just after Jan. 1. Chesak Seed opened in Bismarck in 1941 to supply seeds to farmers. Twenty-five percent of the company’s business was from the Minot area, so the owner Jeff Neuberger decided to open an additional office. The company handles a variety of different seed types, including alfalfa, tame and native grasses for hay and pastures, Conservation Reserve Program mixes, millet, sorghum sedan and many more. Standard town and standard country mixes are also part of their inventory for those who need to fix up their yard. Many of their mixes are premixed and packaged for sale. Some farmers may prefer a custom mix. For those special blends, the farmer can contact the Chesak Seed House in Bismarck and have the pallets delivered to their field or to their farm. For pallet delivery, they charge $100 per pallet. The pallets usually weigh around one ton, each bag or tote weighing 50 pounds. If the farmer would rather pick it up from the Bismarck
Ciara Parizek/MDN
A large sign marks the warehouse building of Chesak Seed House’s new Minot location near the Highway 2 and 52 crossing. or Minot locations, that option is available. Their pallets or bags can be picked up the same day they are ordered if they have that particular mix in stock. If they are not able to pick it up the same day, it
will be waiting for them to get it the following day. Construction crews that are working on land reclamation can also order grass seed mixes to be delivered directly to their sites so they
can continue their work. Chesak Seed sells their seed mixes in retail and wholesale quantities with by-the-pound prices. Chris Nannenga is running the office in Minot. He
worked for a soil conservation company for several years before starting at Chesak Seed, so he has a long background in the trade. In the next month or so,
Nannenga said he expects a lot more inventory to come in to meet the demands of farmers as they decide what they will plant. He added that the Minot location has a lot of potential to grow.
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Making soybean decisions Plant early for best yield By KIM FUNDINGSLAND
Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com Plant early. That was the advice from Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension Service, Fargo, during his recent presentation to interested soybean producers in Minot. Handel was taking part in a workshop sponsored by the North Dakota Grain Growers Association and the ND Wheat Commission that was held at the Clarion Hotel. Kandel referred to 2019 as a drought year that impacted soybean growers and stated that “you don’t know what will happen this coming year.” However, said Kandel, the key to producing a good crop of soybeans is to plant early. That, of course, is sometimes easier said than done. The weather needs to cooperate. “Look at the weather forecast and soil condition,” Kandel told attendees. “Know your soil.” Kandel explained that the higher the salinity of the soil, the lower the yield when it comes to soybeans. He added that row spacing can be an important factor in yield too and reminded farmers that they should “expect to lose 10% of the plants they seed” because not all soybean seeds will germinate. Maturity was listed by Kandel as the number one item when it comes to soybean proKim Fundingsland/MDN duction. By that he meant that as soybean maturity increases so does the yield, as much as Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension Service, Fargo, gave a presentation on one bushel per acre. soybean production at a workshop sponsored by the North Dakota Grain The average planting date for soybeans in North Dakota, said Kandel, is in May with the Growers Association and the ND Wheat Commission Feb. 14 in Minot. soybean planting season running anywhere from May 1 to June 1. He cautioned growers not Kandel encouraged farmers to “plant early.” to delay their planting, saying, “Delay planting and production goes down.”
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Difficult harvest creates grain storage hazards High-moisture grain could pose danger Because of difficult harvest conditions last fall, grain may have been stored with higher than normal moisture content, which could pose a danger to anyone working around the grain, according to information from NDSU Agriculture Communication. “High-moisture grain storage leads to bin unloading problems,” warns Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer. “Grain may be in clumps due to high-moisture grain and foreign material being frozen together, or due to crusted grain flowing in chunks that block grain flow into the grain sump of the unloading system.” Warming the grain to just above freezing sometimes will enable the frozen grain to flow, he says. People also have used a variety of other methods to break up the clumps, such as a plumbing snake through the unloading tube, high-volume air pressure to the sump through a tube in the unloading tube, or a grain-vac and plumbing snake combination. “Do not go into the bin without following safety procedures,” he cautions. Grain also can form columns along the bin wall or in other locations. These normally are broken loose with rods or bin unloading whip units from the bin roof. Poking at the grain while inside the bin may cause an avalanche that buries the person poking at the grain. The grain can flow with such force that it even will come through an open bin door and cover the person poking at the grain from outside the bin. “Make sure everyone, including family and employees, working around stored grain understands the hazards and proper safety procedures,” Hellevang says. “Too many people ignore safety practices and suffer severe injury or death while working around grain,” he adds. “They get trapped in grain or tangled in auger flighting
Grain Bin Dangers
Never enter a bin while unloading grain or to break up a grain bridge or chunks that may plug grain flow. Flowing grain will pull you into the grain mass, burying you within seconds. Unloading at 5,000 bushels per hour is moving almost 2 cubic feet of grain per second. A 2–foot-diameter by 6-foot cylinder has a volume of about 9 cubic feet, so a person can be completely engulfed in less than five seconds and would not be able to lift individual’s feet in less than two seconds. Stop the grain-conveying equipment and use the “lock-out/tag-out” procedures to secure it before entering the bin. Use a key-type padlock to lock the conveyor switch in the “off” po-
Never enter a grain bin alone. Have at least two people at the bin to assist in case of problems. Use a safety harness and rope that prevents you from descending rapidly when entering a bin. “If you get partially submerged in flowing grain, the force pulling you in is several hundred pounds, far exceeding the ability for a person holding a rope to prevent engulfment,” Hellevang says. “Again, never enter a bin with the unloading system running.”
Rescuing a Trapped Person
If someone gets trapped: – Shut off all grain-moving equipment. – Contact your local emergency rescue service or fire department. – Ventilate the bin using the fan if temperatures are moderate. At cold temperatures, the trapped person faces the risk of hypothermia. – Cut holes in the bin sides to remove grain if the person is submerged. Use a scoop on a tractor, cutting torch, metal-cutting power saw or air chisel to cut V- or U-shaped holes equally spaced around the bin. Grain flowing from just one hole may injure the trapped person and cause the bin to collapse. – Form a retaining wall around the person using a rescue tube or other material to keep grain from flowing toward the person, then remove grain from around the individual. Walking on the grain pushes more grain onto the trapped person. – Don’t try to pull a person out of grain. The grain exerts tremendous forces, so trying to pull Submitted Art someone out could damage the person’s spinal Grain Bin Dangers: A. Never enter a storage bin while unloading grain because column or cause other damage.
flowing grain can pull you in and bury you within seconds; B. Grain kernels may Other Dangers stick together, forming a crust or bridge that isn’t strong enough to support a perGetting tangled in the unloading sweep son’s weight after the grain below it is removed; C. Don’t try to break a grain auger is another major hazard. Entanglement bridge or blockage loose from inside the bin; D. Try to break up a vertical wall of typically results in lost feet, hands, arms, legs grain from the top of the bin, not the bottom, because the grain can collapse and and frequently death due to the severe damage. bury you. Graphics courtesy of MidWest Plan Service, Iowa State University. Although you shouldn’t enter a bin with an
sition to assure that the equipment does not start automatically or someone does not start it accidentally. Bridging occurs when grain is high in moisture content, moldy or in poor condition. The kernels stick together and form a crust. A cavity will form under the crust when grain is removed from the bin. The crust isn’t strong enough to support a person’s weight, so anyone who walks on it will fall into the cavity and be buried under several feet of grain. Determine if the grain has a crust before any grain has been removed. If work needs to be done with a crust, it must be done before any grain is removed. “To determine if the grain is bridged after unloading has started, look for a funnel shape on the surface of the grain mass,” Hellevang
advises. “If the grain surface appears undisturbed, the grain has bridged and a cavity has formed under the surface. Stay outside the bin and use a pole or other object to break the bridge loose.” If the grain flow stops when you’re removing it from the bin, but the grain surface has a funnel shape and shows some evidence that grain has been flowing into the auger, a chunk of spoiled grain probably is blocking the flow. Entering the bin to break up the blockage will expose you to being buried in grain and tangled in the auger. If grain has formed a vertical wall, try to break it up from the top of the bin with a long pole on a rope or through a door with a long pole. A wall of grain can collapse, or avalanche, without warning, knocking you over and burying you.
energized sweep auger, it may be necessary in some instances, Hellevang says. All sweep augers should have guards that protect against contact with moving parts at the top and back. The only unguarded portion of the sweep auger should be the front point of operation. If someone must go into the bin, make sure to have a rescue-trained and equipped observer positioned outside the storage bin. Use a safety switch that will allow the auger to operate only while the worker is in contact with the switch. Never use your hands or legs to manipulate the sweep auger while it’s in operation. The auger should have a bin stop device that prevents the sweep auger from making uncontrolled rotations. For more information, check out NDSU publication “Caught in the Grain!” It’s available online at https://tinyurl.com/NDSU-CaughtinGrain.
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WƵůƐĞ ĐƌŽƉƐ ʹ ĚƌLJ ƉĞĂƐ͕ ůĞŶƟůƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŚŝĐŬƉĞĂƐ ʹ ĂƌĞ ĂŵŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽůĚĞƐƚ ĐƵůƟǀĂƚĞĚ ƉůĂŶƚƐ͕ ŐŽŝŶŐ ďĂĐŬ ƐŽŵĞ ϭϬ͕ϬϬϬ LJĞĂƌƐ͘ WƵůƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ Ă ĨŽŽĚ ƐƚĂƉůĞ ŝŶ ŵĂŶLJ ƉĂƌƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͘ ZŝĐŚ ŝŶ ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶ͕ ĨŽůĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĚŝĞƚĂƌLJ ĮďĞƌ͕ ƉƵůƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĂůƐŽ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĂŶŝŵĂů ĨĞĞĚ͖ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶ͘ DĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůĞŐƵŵĞ ĨĂŵŝůLJ͕ ƉƵůƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĂŶ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƌŽƚĂƟŽŶĂů ĐƌŽƉ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞLJ Įdž ŶŝƚƌŽŐĞŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŽŝů ĨŽƌ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƉůĂŶƟŶŐƐ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĞĂƐŝůLJ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĂďůĞ EŽƌƚŚ ĂŬŽƚĂ ĐƌŽƉ͕ ƐƵŶŇŽǁĞƌƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ ŚĞƌĞ ďLJ ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶ /ŶĚŝĂŶƐ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ϭϴƚŚ ĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶƚ ǁĂƐ ƚĂŬĞŶ ƚŽ ZƵƐƐŝĂ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŵŽĚĞƌŶ ĐŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů ǀĂƌŝĞƟĞƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ͘ EŽƌƚŚ ĂŬŽƚĂ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ ŐƌŽǁ ƚǁŽ ƚLJƉĞƐ ŽĨ ƐƵŶŇŽǁĞƌƐ͗ ƚŚĞ ůĂƌŐĞ ƐƚƌŝƉĞĚͲƐŚĞůůĞĚ ǀĂƌŝĞƟĞƐ ƵƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƐŶĂĐŬƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽŽĚ ŝŶŐƌĞĚŝĞŶƚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƐŵĂůůĞƌ͕ ďůĂĐŬͲƐŚĞůůĞĚ ǀĂƌŝĞƟĞƐ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ Žŝů ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ďŝƌĚƐĞĞĚ͘ ^ƵŶŇŽǁĞƌ Žŝů ŝƐ ƵƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͘ DŽƐƚ ƐƵŶŇŽǁĞƌ Žŝů ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h͘^͘ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ EƵ^ƵŶ ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ŽƉƟŵĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ƚĂƐƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉĞƌŝŽƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƚƌĂŶƐͲĨĂƚ ĨƌĞĞ͘ EŽƌƚŚ ĂŬŽƚĂ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂůůLJ ůĞĂĚƐ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƐƵŶŇŽǁĞƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ͘ Source: www.nd.gov/ndda
nsccu.com
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PROVIDING SERVICES AND PRODUCTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS
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NDSU Extension Projects Commodity Prices for 2020
Projections given for major crop and livestock commodities
Planning for the future can be a frustrating process especially in times of market volatility, according to NDSU Agriculture Communication. Planning typically pays high dividends. For most farm and ranch managers, developing realistic commodity price expectations is one of the most difficult and complex tasks of the planning process. To make the planning process easier, North Dakota State University Extension has released its 2020 short- and long-term agricultural planning price projections for North Dakota, says Ron Haugen, NDSU Extension farm economist. The publication shows 2020 price projections for crops and livestock produced in the state and price estimates for future years. Price projections are given for the major crop commodities, including wheat, durum, oats, feed barley, malting barley, oil sunflowers, non-oil sunflowers, corn, soybeans, canola, flaxseed, winter wheat, dry beans, dry peas, lentils, alfalfa hay and mixed hay. Price projections for livestock and livestock products include beef steers and heifers at various weights, cull cows, slaughter steers, slaughter hogs, slaughter ewes, slaughter lambs, feeder lambs and milk. The publication also provides historical prices as a reference. “The estimated short-term planning prices should be used as a guide in setting price expectations for 2020 production,” Haugen says. “These planning prices can be used for preparing annual enterprise budgets and annual whole-farm cash flow projections. Cash flow projections are very critical with today’s tight margins.” Haugen cautions, “Short-term prices should not be used for planning capital purchases or expansion alternatives that would extend beyond the next production year.” The “Plotting a Course 2020” publication (EC1090) is available online at http://bit.ly/PlottingACourse2020 or by contacting your NDSU Extension county office.
Submitted Photo
TOP LEFT: The 2020 short- and long-term agricultural planning price projections for North Dakota shows 2020 price projections for crops, like these dry bean plants, and livestock produced in the state and price estimates for future years. Photo from NDSU photo. Submitted Art
BOTTOM LEFT: 2020 Livestock and Milk Planning Price Projections
Submitted Art
ABOVE: 2020 Crop Planning Price Projections
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Minot Daily News, “Inside Ag”, P.O. Box 1150, Minot, ND 58702
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Worldwide demand, Three-month weather outlook Below normal trade agreements temps forecast By KIM FUNDINGSLAND
Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com “We don’t do this alone. There are offices around the world to promote United States wheat.” The statement was made by Erica Olson, marketing, development and research manager for the North Dakota Grain Growers Association and the ND Wheat Commission. Olson was one of the speakers at the recent NDSU Extension workshop held in Minot. One of the highlights of Olson’s information presentation to area producers was an update on trade agreements, including the recently signed U.S., Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Mexico is a significant market for U.S. wheat. Japan has also signed a recent trade agreement with the U.S., which Olson said was a big win for U.S. producers as it prevented significant price disadvantage with Canada and Australia. Japan is usu-
ally the No. 2 export market for U.S. hard spring wheat. A main issue for the ND Wheat Commission, explained Olson, was how various trade issues would impact export of U.S. wheat. However, she added, “There is a strong world demand for high quality wheat” and that there is “increased customer concerns regarding residue level, food safety, labeling” and other issues. China has also recently signed a trade deal with the U.S. in which they committed to buy more U.S. agricultural products that, according to Olson’s presentation, “will potentially be a huge market for U.S. wheat.” The trade deal was signed in January. China previously was a 60 million bushel market for U.S. wheat. “Hopefully China will buy U.S. wheat. Right now the biggest markets are France and Australia,” said Olson. Overall, said Olson, the top three U.S. wheat customers, in order, are Japan, Mexico, and the Philippines. China is No. 5.
By KIM FUNDINGSLAND Staff Writer kfundingsland @minotdailynews.com
The Climate Prediction Center released its latest three-month weather outlook. It looks very much like weather as usual for North Dakota without any strong indication of warmer or colder than usual temperatures for the period March through May. The CPC temperature outlook does lean toward “increased chances for below normal temperatures across the northern Great Plains.” However, adds the CPC, the trends that favor below normal temperatures “are likely to reverse later in the first three months.” The
trends are considered weak indicators. No prolonged outbreak of severely cold weather is anticipated. Chances of precipitation are also included in the three-month outlooks. The latest outlook concludes that
the northern Plains is “favored to remain wetter than normal.” The Climatic normals are based on conditions between 1981 and 2010. A new set of outlooks will be issued in late March.
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