UnitedSoybean

Missouri governor pledges biofuels support in state of state

In his State of the State address Tuesday, Governor Jay Nixon said that “within Missouri’s own agricultural capacity lies a possible solution to our nation’s energy crisis.” While other areas of Missouri state government are facing cutbacks, Nixon says the state must remain on the leading edge of renewable energy development.

Brownfield story

Corn growers say stimulus plan needs to ease credit crunch

This is an updated version of a story posted earlier..

Corn growers say more should be done in the $819 Billion economic stimulus package to ease the credit crunch. Mark Lambert with the Illinois Corn Growers Association says the plan should include credit guarantees, “Since the banking industry itself is not willing to provide it. I mean, they’ve gotten very gun shy.”

Brownfield story with audio

Group says stimulus package sends wrong message to ag

The Illinois Corn Growers Association says the stimulus package being debated on Capitol Hill sends “the wrong message to agriculture.”

ICGA Pesident Rob Elliott says it fails to address the “credit crunch” that threatens to “shutter more ethanol plants” in the U.S.

Brownfield story

House Ag Subcommittees named

The House Agriculture Committee held its organizational meeting on Wednesday. Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members for the 111th Congress were named.

Brownfield story

Resources to Manage High Input Costs in Crop Production

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has a number of resources available for producers to help manage high input costs in crop production, and they're available online at, UNL's Surviving High Input Costs in Crop Production Web page at http://cropwatch.unl.edu/survivinghighinputcosts.htm

Current topics on the website include:

Cropping Systems; Machinery Management; Production Management, Irrigation Management; Pest Management; Fertility Management and Harvest and Storage.

Crop Watch

Use resistant varieties to combat soybean diseases, save money

Good article at Gothenburgtimes.com about Nebraska farmers making seed selections based on varieties resistent to various diseases.

When choosing varieties, the first thing to do is to select agronomic characteristics to match ground and other conditions, that according to Loren Giesler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension plant pathologist.

Gothenburgtimes.com article  

Vilsack acknowledges strain on ethanol producers

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says there will be “a premium on ethanol producers who are efficient and effective in the management of the facilities.” And, he says, “USDA has a role, I believe, in helping to develop and promote best practices that will increase and enhance management efficiencies which, in turn, will allow more of these ethanol producers to stay in business.”

Brownfield story including audio of teleconference

Grain and oilseed inspections up from previous week

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that corn, soybean and wheat export inspections, for the week ending January 22, were above the previous week's totals.

Wheat came out at 14.867 million bushels, up 7.631 million from the prior week.

Corn was reported at 27.350 million bushels, 342,000 above the week ending January 15.

Soybeans were placed at 37.390 million bushels, 147,000 higher than the week before.

Brownfield story

Vilsack extends comment period on payment limit rule

Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin is praising U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack for his decision to extend for 60 days the comment period on the payment limit rule in the 2008 Farm Bill.

In a written statement, Harkin called the decision a “common sense approach toward careful farm bill implementation.”

Brownfield story

Fertilizer prices could limit corn planting

Fertilizer price decreases are not keeping pace with declines in commodity prices and Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) co-director Pat Westhoff at the University of Missouri-Columbia says that will affect spring planting and will likely limit the amount of corn planted if prices don't drop soon.

Brownfield story