Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - August 2021

Developments 

Several hundred members of the Kansas agriculture community gathered online on Thursday, August 26, for the sixth annual Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth hosted by Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam and Deputy Secretary Kelsey Olson. Although the event was originally scheduled to take place in person, it was converted to a virtual event two weeks before the date, with an abbreviated and adapted agenda.  Governor Laura Kelly said, “Our partnership isn’t just about the agricultural industry or the food supply chain. It’s a commitment from me to address the unique issues facing our rural and farming communities.” This includes a focus on trade, economic development, education, health care, and other efforts to bolster rural communities through the Office of Rural Prosperity, the Eisenhower Transportation Legacy Program (IKE), and the Office of Broadband Development. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was unable to attend the Summit in person, but sent a greeting to the Kansas agriculture community emphasizing that agricultural producers play a critical role in fostering a healthy environment, and are the best stewards of the land.

The second virtual presentation of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor’s annual Animal Health Summit took place in both livestream and recorded webinar formats, with opportunities for one-on-one virtual meetings. One of the trends that was reinforced in a presentation at the Summit is that much of the industry’s innovation is now coming from startups – over 500 in the vet industry according to data compiled by Fabian Kausche and Stonehaven Consulting.  The breadth of the new concepts and technologies being developed to improve animal health is truly amazing. Funding all this innovation comes from an unprecedented wave of private equity/venture capital entering the segment.  Seattle-based Pitchbook recently reported that pet companies have raised over $1.1 billion dollars thus far in over 125 animal health deals worldwide in 2021. Source: Brakke Consulting.

U.S. CattleTrace is unveiling its U.S. CattleTrace Tag Store, located on their website. USCT said that a robust contact tracing system in the United States “must operate at the speed of commerce.” Currently in the cattle industry, the most cost-effective, efficient is RFID ear tags. USCT also noted that RFID tags can be difficult to find and purchase in an online setting. “So we want this new online experience to be easy to use, while also giving U.S. CattleTrace members the opportunity to save money on their tags,” said U.S. CattleTrace Board of Directors chairman Brandon Depenbusch.

Merck Animal Health has announced new naming for its cattle vaccine portfolio – one of the largest and most comprehensive vaccine portfolios in the industry. The goal of the new naming and packaging is to make it easier for customers to recognize the company’s vaccines and to identify specific formulations. “All Merck Animal Health cattle vaccines will lead with Bovilis followed by the current product name, such as Bovilis Vista, Bovilis Vision or Bovilis Guardian,” said Scott Nordstrom, DVM, director of livestock innovation and discovery, Merck Animal Health. “In addition, all vaccine packaging will share a new, consistent design and color coding to make it easier for customers to identify the vaccine formulation needed.”  

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, recently introduced by U.S. Representatives John Garamendi, D-California and Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, looks to support American exports by establishing reciprocal trade opportunities to help reduce the United States’ longstanding trade imbalance with China and other countries and establish rules of the road for fair trading. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act would provide new authority to the Federal Maritime Commission to address unjust and unreasonable practices by ocean carriers. It would institute new penalties against ocean carriers and marine terminal operators for violations of the Shipping Act, require expanded public disclosure from the FMC and carriers, and establish a series of new regulations against unfair carrier practices. 

Sanderson Farms Inc. has agreed to sell itself for around $4.5 billion as the poultry giant rides a wave of demand for chicken products. Cargill Inc. and agricultural-investment firm Continental Grain Co., which owns a smaller chicken processor, have reached a deal to take Sanderson private. The deal values Sanderson at $203 a share, about 30% above the stock price before The Wall Street Journal reported in June that the company had attracted suitors including Continental. Mississippi-based Sanderson is the country’s third-biggest chicken producer. It runs 13 poultry plants from North Carolina to Texas, processing about 13.6 million chickens a week. 

Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and John Cornyn of Texas introduced a bill last week to prohibit state and local governments from interfering with the production or manufacture of agricultural products in other states; it challenges those states from interfering in interstate commerce. “Defendant” governments would still be able to regulate farming and ranching within their own states. 

University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture has launched a new website with information on regenerative agriculture. The website allows farmers, landowners, farm advisors, and even consumers to access a wide range of information on regenerative agriculture practices and concepts, noted Rob Myers, director of the Center.  Greg Luce, director of research for the Missouri Soybean Association and Merchandising Council, said, “The website will be a much-needed central point for information in conservation-related areas of interest.” To visit the website and sign up for the Center’s monthly newsletter click here.  

St. Louis-based Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has received a $12.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute.  Allison Miller, PhD, a Danforth Center and professor of biology at Saint Louis University will serve as the director of a collaboration between eight organizations involving 26 scientists and educators. The goal of the five-year research project is to integrate plant traits, communities and the soil ecosphere to advance restoration of natural and agricultural ecosystems.

The beef cattle industry is recovering from the pandemic, with progress expected to continue in 2022, according to new findings from industry analyst group CattleFax. Beef prices are near record highs, and consumer and wholesale beef demand are at 30-year highs too. While drought continues to threaten pasture conditions in the Northern Plains and the West, strong demand and higher cattle prices are positive signs for the beef industry, says CattleFax.

Despite battling dry planting conditions, a wet spring, and hail damage the wheat research team at Kansas State University collected enough data to advance two breeding lines to seed production ahead of a potential variety release in 2022.   “The K-State wheat breeding program is at the heart of wheat production in the United States,” said Aaron Harries, vice president of research and operations for Kansas Wheat.  The potential wheat varieties result from the long-running breeding program at the K-State Agricultural Research Center at Hays, led by Dr. Guorong Zhang, Kansas State University wheat breeder, and his team. The program — supported financially by Kansas wheat producers through the Kansas Wheat Commission — focuses on the development of new and improved varieties of both hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) winter wheat for western Kansas. “Our goals in the breeding program are to develop new wheat varieties that give Kansas producers top agronomic performance and provide protection from major pests and diseases,” Dr. Zhang said. 

Building a rotational grazing system, establishing a successful vaccination program and discussing industry issues at the federal level all were topics on the agenda at the August 19 KLA/Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Day. More than 80 producers attended the event, which was hosted by the Norman Roth family near Sterling. Retired Natural Resources Conservation Service state rangeland management specialist David Kraft highlighted the benefits rotational grazing has for both the grazer and the ecosystem in a pasture. He encouraged those looking to implement such a program to start by evaluating the resources available to them and knowing the needs of their animals. K-State extension veterinarian A.J. Tarpoff discussed herd health strategies and how an effective vaccination program can have a significant impact on reducing the cost of production in the cowherd.  NCBA president Jerry Bohn of Wichita gave an update on industry issues being discussed in Washington, D.C., including tax policy. Bohn said Congress must prioritize policies that support land transfers to the next generation of farmers and ranchers. To help protect producers from excessive tax burdens that could shift agricultural lands to other use, he said NCBA is fighting to protect long-standing provisions in the federal tax code such as stepped-up basis. Additionally, he said NCBA continues to be a leading voice in the fight for a full and permanent repeal of the death tax.  

The Kansas state rules and regulations board has approved the adoption of temporary amendments to the Kansas industrial hemp regulations which were proposed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The regulation amendments will align Kansas’ industrial hemp regulations with the USDA’s Final Rule on commercial hemp production.  The amended regulations extend the timeframe to complete sampling and harvest, provide flexibility to producers regarding potential remediation of plants if sampling tests above acceptable THC levels, and increases the threshold at which a crop will be deemed to have been produced negligently. 

Propelled by surges in sales to China, Mexico and Cuba, U.S. exports of chicken and eggs are at a record pace after the first six months of 2021,  reports Agri-Pulse Communications. And a new analysis released Wednesday by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council says trade is expected to continue strong through the rest of the year. The U.S. shipped about 1.9 million metric tons of broilers worth $2.1 billion to foreign buyers from January through June this year according to the USAPEEC report, which is based on the latest USDA data. That’s a 6.8% increase from the same time period last year for volume and a 21.1% increase in value.  Source: Agri-Pulse Communications, August 25, 2021.

Events

Missouri’s State 4H Board is holding its 11th Annual Clover Classic Golf Tournament presented by The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Bayer, and Great American Insurance-Crop Division on September 21 at A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia.  Event organizers are looking for sponsors at various levels. For more information contact Chris Willow  or call 573-882-2680. 

The 21st Annual National Farmers Market Week took place August 1-7. This year, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsackvisited Pearl Street Farmers Market in Denver to commence the week-long campaign. Vilsack's proclamation discussed the role farmers markets play in federal nutrition programs and in supporting minority and family farms. The Farmers Market Coalition is focused on three main messages this year: 1) Farmers markets are essential businesses and their short supply chains provide resiliency for food systems; 2) farmers market operators are local food heroes; 3) farmers markets offer safe outdoor spaces that allow shopping with air circulation and social distancing. 

Missouri and Kansas produce growers can enroll in free workshops to meet training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. Both in-person and online workshops are scheduled for the next several months. FSMA includes standards related to water quality, use of manure and compost, and worker health and hygiene, says Londa Nwadike, food safety specialist with University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State Research and Extension. The standards are intended to reduce the risk of contamination from E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and other disease-causing microbes. For more information and registration, visit here or contact Londa Nwadike at 816-482-5850.

The American Royal’s 41st World Series of Barbecue returns to the Kansas Speedway, September 16-19. Considered the world’s largest barbecue competition, the event will include live music, BBQ demos plus a full line up of kids’ activities.  But due to recent announcements regarding enhanced COVID-19 restrictions, the American Royal has rescheduled its American Royal Youth Rodeo and ProRodeo to early May 2022.

The Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture is coming back to Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri, this fall for its 49th celebration of agriculture.  Missouri Department of Agriculture has set the conference dates for November 18-19, 2021. Missouri farmers, ranchers, agribusiness leaders and aspiring agriculturalists are invited to enjoy the packed program that will include a commodity outlook, Missouri Agriculture Awards luncheon and nationally-recognized speaker line-up. More information is available at their website.

Lenexa, Kansas-based Farm Journal reports that country music star Easton Corbin will headline the live 2021 #FarmONTM Benefit Concert during Farm Journal Days™. Proceeds from this second annual benefit concert will go to the National FFA Foundation. Highlights from the concert will air in prime time on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, from 7 to 8 p.m. CDT, on RFD-TV and stream on other online and social networks. Corbin is a three-time American Country Music Award winner and has three Billboard Top Country Albums.

Kansas State University Olathe will conduct a two-day virtual workshop September 22, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, which will provide attendees with the regulatory insights necessary to make smarter business decisions in management and leadership in the animal health industry. This program provides an overview of essential regulatory guidelines, terminology, concepts and applications in the day-to-day animal health business management. Registration information is available here.

Agri-Pulse Communications is pleased to announce a September 10 webinar called “Future directions: Exploring farmers' climate-smart tools.” This complimentary one-hour program will provide updates on how farmers are increasingly producing more outputs with fewer inputs and less impact on natural resources. For more information, click here.

Metropolitan Community College has announced their inaugural Manufacturing Leadership Skills Series, October 7-9 at their Penn Valley campus. This series is designed to advance leadership and management skills training for first- and second-line supervisors and apprentice mentors. Conducted in an empathetic, mentoring style, the Leadership Series will feature technical instruction, plant tours, peer-to-peer networking and support. In addition, we will be conducting tours of MCC new Advanced Technical Skills Institute building during the kick-off event. Click here for more information.

Farm Journal announces a town-hall-style conversation with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during Farm Journal’s next Farm Country Update. The free webinar titled “American Ag Policy: A Conversation with the Secretary of Agriculture” is set for Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 2 pm CDT. The virtual event will focus on topics important to farmers and all the agriculture industry including policy priorities, COVID assistance, trade, climate, market transparency and goals for the upcoming year. Audience participants will be able to submit questions during the event. Find more information on this free event here.

People

Samantha Turner will join Missouri Soybean Association as director of communications effective September 22. Previously she had interned with the association, and most recently served as communications director for the National Biodiesel Board.

The Kansas Corn Growers Association board appointed Tanner McNinch, Ness City to serve as a board member representing west central Kansas. The action came after Dennis McNinch, Utica submitted his resignation. Dennis McNinch serves on the National Corn Growers Association board and also the Kansas Corn Commission. In his resignation, he cited the time involved in serving on the national board and the state checkoff. Tanner McNinch is a fifth-generation farmer with his wife and two children at McNinch Farms in west central Kansas. The family farm grows corn, wheat and sorghum. 

Justin Calhoun joins the University of Missouri Extension as state specialist in soils and cropping systems. He will be based at the Fisher Delta Research Center in southeastern Missouri. Calhoun will also be an assistant professor in the MU Division of Plant Science and Technology. Calhoun has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a master’s degree from Mississippi State University. He will receive his doctorate from MSU in December.