Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - July 2023
/Developments
May pork exports reached 261,361 metric tons, up 16% from a year ago, the ninth largest on record and the largest since May 2021. Export value climbed 12% to $731.1 million, also the highest since May 2021 and the seventh highest on record. Pork variety meat exports were particularly outstanding in May, setting a value record of $127 million. May exports to leading market Mexico were well above last year, while shipments to Taiwan were the largest in 12 years and export value to South Korea reached a five-year high. Exports were also significantly higher to Australia, Central America and Malaysia. “While pork shipments to Mexico are on a remarkable pace, it takes a wide range of markets to achieve double-digit growth,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO. “Demand is strong throughout the Western Hemisphere and the U.S. industry continues to make gains in Asian markets where supplies of European pork are much tighter than a year ago.”
May beef exports totaled 116,159 metric tons, down 14% from the May 2022 record but up 4% from the previous month. Export value was $874.7 million, down 19% year-over-year but 2% above April. May exports strengthened to Mexico, Taiwan and South Africa, and export value to Canada was the highest in nearly eight years. Beef variety meat exports were the largest in 12 months at just under 27,000 mt. For January through May, beef and beef variety exports were down 10% to 554,069 mt, valued at $4.09 billion (down 21%).
Time is running out to get a Farm Bill written before the current legislation expires at the end of September. According to the most recent Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor, a majority of ag economists don’t expect a farm bill to be written by the upcoming deadline. But a few think it could happen by January 1, 2024. Both the House and Senate are actively holding Congressional hearings and listening sessions to draft a new five-year bill, but Congress could test the waters this week. Source: Farm Journal’s The Scoop, July 18, 2023.
Ranches across the Show-Me State manage approximately two million cattle — a significant number of which are Angus, a top-tier breed that has unrivaled success in the commercial beef market. In a new study, University of Missouri researcher Jared Decker, Ph.D., and Thompson Research Farm tested a group of commercial Angus cows using a commercial genomic prediction tool called Zoetis GeneMax Advantage to investigate the ability of the test to predict their calves’ performance and profitability. This project demonstrates an important step forward in helping inform the selective breeding of commercial cowherds and giving Missouri cattle producers a competitive market advantage. While testing a sample of commercial Angus females and their offspring at MU’s Thompson Research Farm, Dr. Decker found significant relationships between the cows’ genetic merit and the performance of their calves. For the study, researchers focused on specific traits, such as weaning and carcass weight, marbling, fat, and ribeye area. For Missouri’s beef industry, a genomic prediction technology represents an opportunity for growth, both for producers and the economy.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is evaluating a plan from the three lower Colorado River Basin states to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water until 2026 with hopes to release an action alternative for public comment later this summer. The plan, a compromise between negotiators from Arizona, California and Nevada, calls for Inflation Reduction Act funding to be used to compensate water users for up to 2.3 million acre-feet of reductions, while the remaining 700,000 acre feet would either go uncompensated or be paid for using state or local funds. Source: Agri-Pulse Communication, July 20, 2023.
Reported food insecurity has reached 17%, matching the rate last reached in March 2022, according to the June Consumer Food Insights Report. The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conduct and evaluate the survey, which includes 1,200 consumers across the U.S. “Overall, there continues to be a similar narrative of extended upward pressure on food prices as we try to discern whether this stress has led to a tipping point where consumers are struggling to buy the foods that they want,” said Jayson Lusk, Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue. “The 17% food insecurity rate is up from 14% just two months ago, which is not necessarily far outside of the normal variation we have measured. However, this increase could be concerning given the sum of external pressures being exerted on more vulnerable consumers.”
Do plant-based “milk” products deliver the same nutrition as cow’s milk? Results from a new study suggest that most don’t. Cow’s milk is an important source of calcium and vitamin D, both of which are identified in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as nutrients of public health concern for under-consumption. Cow’s milk is also a major source of protein in the American diet. To assess how the nutritional content of plant-based milk alternatives compares to that of cow’s milk, researchers examined more than 200 plant-based milk alternative products being sold in the U.S. in 2023 — many more products than were included in previous studies. Compared to cow’s milk, only 12% of the milk alternative products contained comparable or greater amounts of all three nutrients studied: calcium, vitamin D, and protein. Abigail Johnson, assistant professor and associate director of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Nutrition Coordinating Center, presented the findings at the American Society for Nutrition, held July 22-25 in Boston.
In a new study funded by a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of Missouri researcher Kiho Lee, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, will use gene editing to investigate the building blocks of disease. His ultimate goal — to discover clinically significant explanations for human diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and infertility, while working on solutions to global food insecurity. Working toward this outcome, Lee and his team will evaluate the efficacy and safety of genome editing technology — known as the CRISPR/Cas system — to improve the gene-testing process and design approaches that help researchers make the most of a targeted genome editing event.
Kansas Department of Agriculture reminds producers and landowners who install enduring conservation practices, they may qualify to receive financial assistance for these projects through a voluntary cost share program. The FY 2024 state cost share program for conservation practices is underway to encourage projects that improve water quality and quantity. Funding is provided by the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation (KDA–DOC) through appropriation from the State Applications for cost share funds. Application assistance along with more information concerning state cost share programs and other available services, are available here. agriculture.ks.gov/ConservationDistricts
People
Patterson Family Foundation named veteran nonprofit executive Kevin Prine president and CEO. The Patterson Family Foundation was founded by the late Cerner Corp. CEO and co-founder Neal Patterson. Prine, an established area nonprofit leader, will take hold of the reigns of the $1.2 billion-asset organization.
The University of Kansas recognized Senator Robert Dole’s accomplishments on July 22, the 100th anniversary of his birth. The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas honored the longtime Republican U.S. senator with what it described as a Landmark Celebration.
Missouri Department of Agriculture is now accepting nominations for the Missouri Agriculture Awards. “We would like to recognize those who stand out for supporting the efforts of our farmers and ranchers,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “Their work focuses on protecting and promoting our food supply and they are great examples for future generations.” Awards will be given in these two categories: Missouri Agriculture Education Leader Award and Missouri Food Animal Veterinarian Award. Nominations may be submitted using an online form at www.agriculture.mo.gov and must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, September 1, 2023. For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit Agriculture.Mo.Gov.
Samuel Saffa is the new Missouri chief of staff for Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo. He previously served as the director of government relations for Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee.
Events
Chris Chinn, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, will be the featured speaker at a free Women in Agriculture workshop August 2 in Lewis County at the First Baptist Church of Ewing. Chinn, a fifth-generation farmer, lives in Shelby County in northeastern Missouri. She has served as the state’s director of agriculture since 2017 and has used social media to attract more than 10,000 followers. She and her husband have a 1,600-sow farrow-to-finish hog operation as well as a family feed mill and small cow-calf herd. Register here.
This year’s Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference, September 20-21 in Benton County, Missouri, will provide several days of learning about rural innovations for leaders with an eye on business growth. Participants will tour businesses in Cole Camp, Warsaw and Lincoln. “This conference is designed for people who decide where resources go,” said Annette Kendall, assistant extension professor of business and innovation in the University of Missouri Division of Applied Social Sciences. “Those in government, banking, education, libraries who can provide services to entrepreneurs who want to do something differently.” The event is presented by MU Extension with Benton County Economic Development and Benton County Tourism and Recreation. Registration information is available here.
Registration is open for St. Joseph, Missouri-based American Angus Association’s 2023 Angus Convention, November 3-6 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Attendees can visit the official convention website here to secure spots and access additional information about the event, including the schedule, tours, accommodations, and exhibitor details.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture meets next month in Manhattan to discuss growth opportunities for agriculture at its Eighth Annual Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth on Thursday, August 17, at the Manhattan Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn. Attendees are also invited to participate in a social event on the evening of August 16, also at the Manhattan Conference Center. Speakers for the 2023 Ag Growth Summit will focus on broad topics that affect the whole Kansas agriculture community. Guests will include Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and Nathan Hendricks, a professor in agricultural economics at Kansas State University who specializes in the economics of land and water. There is no cost to attend any of the Ag Growth Summit meetings or events, but it is important that attendees register so KDA can provide adequate materials for attendees and have accurate meal counts. More information is available here.
Navigating the landscape of buying and selling businesses in the animal health and nutrition industry is complex. Brakke Consulting will present an educational due diligence seminar, tailored specifically for animal health professionals, after the KCAHC Animal Health Summit in Kansas City on Wednesday and Thursday, August 30-31. The comprehensive seminar will provide the knowledge, tools, and strategies to make informed decisions and to successfully manage a transaction. Presenters include Bob Jones, Jim Kroman, Randy Freides and Ron Brakke, as well as Damian Burke, Main Street Capital and Mark Stoneman, Armstrong, Teasdale, LLP. For more information, contact Amanda McDavid at amcdavid@brakkeconsulting.com or call 336.396.3916.