Wet Weather Means Late Start for Planting Season

The month of May, an exciting transition of seasons for many, can be a stressful time for our local corn and soybean farmers. According to the USDA, soybean and corn crops are most actively planted between April 24 and May 30, meaning that now is the time that farmers should be planting the majority of these crops in the area known as the “Corn Belt.”


However, due to the frequent wet weather, cold/wet soil conditions are causing farmers to postpone their planting further into May, which could negatively affect crop yields all over the state. Later crops are often associated with lower yields, putting more pressure on farmers to get their crops in sooner rather than later.

A study by The Ohio State University reflects these concerns, pointing out the importance of planting date in correlation with crop yields, which is reflected in the chart below. 


Other reports about the current progress of these crops in Ohio are also a cause for concern among farmers in the area. The Columbus Dispatch reported that only 8 percent of corn had been planted as of Sunday, May 3, down from 17 percent from the five-year national average of 25 percent.  Soybean crops were down 9 percent, with only 3 percent of soybeans planted, down from the average of 12 percent. 

Luckily, farmers did not express much concern over the delay, pointing out that many of these set planting dates were based on times when the technology was not there to speed up the process. Still, according to the Agweb weekly crop report, on May 12 only 40 percent of Ohio’s corn crop and 13 percent of Ohio’s soybean crop had been planted, lower than the planting average of surrounding states. 

Corn:

Soybean:

It will be interesting to see crop progression in the coming months, with all eyes on crop yields after the delays in planting. What are your predictions? Will technology make up for lost time?

Images courtesy of usgs.gov, corn.osu.edu and agweb.com.

2013 Crop Harvest Update

 

November is just around the corner and that means Ohio’s grain farmers are close to finishing their 2013 crop harvests. So, what are farmers saying about this year’s corn and soybean harvests?
 
According to a Columbus CEO article, Kirk Roetgerman, grain-marketing services manager at Trupointe Cooperative’s South Charleston elevator and Steve Bricher, Urbana branch manager for Heritage Cooperative, both said that soybean yields are running stronger than expected.
 
“Farmers seem pleasantly surprised with yields averaging near 57 bushels an acre,” said Roetgerman, who estimated the South Charleston elevator has handled about 800,000 of the 1.5 million bushels it expects to receive.
 
“If we would have had another rain in August, yields would have been better,” added Bricher. “But given the dry spell, farmers seem very happy with above average results of 50 to 60 bushels an acre.”
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates a total U.S. soybean production of 3.15 billion bushels with a national yield average of 41.2 bushels per acre.

As for corn production, government analysts believe that U.S. producers will harvest a record 13.8 billion bushels this fall. The USDA estimates the national average corn yield at 155.3 bushels per acre, an increase of more than 25 percent from last year’s drought-reduced crop.

John Hoffman, a grain farmer in Pickaway County, states in Ohio’s Country Journal that his corn yield will fall between 160 and 180 bushels per acre. “People may forget that when we were planting corn, we had some heavy rains and emergence issues. There were some surprises in the cornfields as the soils vary and there was corn hurt by the moisture early in the season, but overall I am happy with the corn yields.”

According to an article in the Toledo Blade, the best crops in the U.S. are in areas that received adequate rain combined with cooler temperatures at the time corn pollinated, a welcome sight after last year's dismal harvest due to the drought withering corn and soybean fields and burning up pastures. Record harvests are likely in many states this year, including Ohio, Alabama, Georgia and Indiana.

To learn more about what Ohio farmers are saying about the 2013 crop harvest, visit Ohio’s Country Journal’s Between the Rows.

If you are a farmer, how does your 2013 corn and/or soybean harvest compare to 2012?

Photo obtained from: www.wksu.org

Surprising Products Made from Agriculture

It’s that time of year when Ohio’s farmers are in the fields getting the ground prepared for planting season - some have even been lucky enough to start planting. The crops that will soon be planted – corn and soybeans - will not only be used for livestock feed, fuel (corn ethanol and soy biodiesel) and consumer food items, but they will also be used to make everyday consumer products as well. 

I’ve compiled a list below of some uses and products made from corn and soybeans that may surprise you.

Corn 

• Spark plugs:  Corn starch is used in the production of the special porcelain used to make spark plugs. 
• Toothpaste: Sorbitol, which is produced from the corn sugar dextrose, is used in toothpaste as a low-calorie, water-soluble, bulking agent.
• Cosmetics: When finely ground, corncobs are relatively dust free and very absorbent making them useful carriers for cosmetics.
• Rubber tires: In the production of tires, corn starch is sprinkled on the molds before pouring the rubber to prevent the rubber from sticking to the molds.

Soybeans  

• Crayons: One acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons. 
• Elevators: The elevators in the Statue of Liberty use a soybean-based hydraulic fluid. 
• Ink: Soy ink is being used in the printing of textbooks and newspapers. 
• Cleaning products: Soy is used in everything from certain laundry detergent to carpet and upholstery shampoo.

The next time you purchase cleaning products or new rubber tires, you may want to thank a local farmer. To learn more about products made from corn and soybeans, visit soynewuses.org or fromtheearth-bioproducts.com.

Were you surprised by any of the items on this list? Is there any product that I missed that you believe is unique?

Photo obtained from: igrow.org
 

More fuel from the cob

Everyone understands the benefits of getting more from less — especially regarding energy production. America is seeking a reliable, domestic fuel base and numerous sources have been tested and employed, including corn ethanol.

Corn ethanol is a clean-burning fuel additive made from corn-kernel starches and is regularly blended with petroleum to diversify the fuel supply and decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil to offset the cost of standard gasoline.

The ethanol sector is one of the corn industry’s chief markets, and the future of the U.S. ethanol industry depends on its ability to increase yields, be competitive with fossil fuels and fill a growing need for energy independence.

Ethanol production is accomplished either after a wet or dry milling process, though dry milling is most common and is explained as follows: (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

“Corn grain is milled then slurried with water to create ‘mash.’ Enzymes are added to the mash and this mixture is then cooked to hydrolyze the starch into glucose sugars. Yeast ferment these sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide and the ethanol is purified using a combination of distillation and molecular-sieve dehydration to create fuel ethanol. The byproduct of this process is known as distiller’s dried grains and solubles (DDGS) and is used wet or dry as animal feed.

An emerging technology called hydrodynamic controlled-flow cavitation is advancing the capabilities of ethanol production.

According to an Ethanol Producer Magazine story, hydrodynamic cavitation is the process of “passing a liquid through a constricted channel at a specific velocity. The formation and implosion of bubbles in the liquid releases tremendous localized energy in the form of shockwaves. Controlled-flow cavitation technology controls the location, size, density and intensity of the implosion of bubbles in the zone to create optimum process conditions”.

The following diagram from a Ohio State University Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) story illustrates how cavitation "liberates" more starch from milled corn before it's fermented and distilled to ethanol (courtesy of Arisdyne Systems Inc.).


"Corn grain containing between 70 and 73 percent starch is distilled to ethanol," said Fred Michel, an OARDC biosystems engineer. "While the recovery of starch in commercial ethanol plants is high, as much as 4 percent of the starch remains in the byproducts after fermentation. We are targeting that 4 percent from the use of cavitation."

With support from a $1 million Third Frontier grant awarded in 2008, OARDC has partnered with Arisdyne Systems Inc., a Cleveland-based company, to test cavitation technology:

• The project generates 13 Ohio jobs
• Cavitation helps increase ethanol yield by 2 to 3 percent
• A 3 percent yield boost can increase the revenue of a 100-million gallon ethanol plant by approximately $3.75 million annually
• If the entire U.S. ethanol industry (13.2 billion gallons in 2010) were to use cavitation, the revenue increase could reach at least $500 million annually

“We need to be looking at yield enhancement as a top priority,” said Fred Clark, executive vice president for Arisdyne.

Yield enhancement has always been and will continue to be a major industry goal for the profitability of U.S. corn. Cavitation has the promise to improve corn farmers’ financial success and the energy security of the country simultaneously.

Agriculture Industry Can Be Thankful

For many, November is the month to celebrate those things for which you are most thankful for throughout the past year. Now, farmers have a bit more to be thankful for because President Obama signed three long-awaited free trade agreements (FTA) among the United States and South Korea, Colombia and Panama October 21.

“For America’s farmers, the trade agreements are an opportunity to strengthen U.S. agriculture,” says Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary. “Farm exports help support more than 1 million American jobs. At this time next year, U.S. agricultural exports will be on track to reach new highs, leading to a trade surplus of more than $42 billion, eight times greater than five years ago.”

When implemented, it is estimated that the South Korea FTA will increase $1.9 billion in U.S. agriculture exports and eliminate two-thirds of its tariffs against U.S. agriculture products; the Colombia FTA will raise $370 million in agriculture exports and eliminate 80 percent of its tariffs; the Panama FTA will raise $46 million in agriculture exports and eliminate 50 percent of it tariffs.

How will these trade agreements specifically benefit crop farmers? An Ohio’s Country Journal article reports the following:

Colombia

• Corn: U.S. corn producers gain immediate access to the Colombian market for 2.1 million metric tons of corn at 0 percent duty-free

• Wheat: Primary market for U.S. wheat in South America

• Soybeans: Elimination of variable tariffs on soybean imports, which has imposed tariffs as much as 150 percent; Phases out the 24 percent tariff for refined soybean oil throughout the next five years

South Korea

• Corn: Third main U.S. corn market and a potentially important market for distillers grains; Imports of U.S. corn for feed enter duty-free

• Soybeans: Soybeans for use in cooking oil and livestock feed enter duty-free; The current tariff on soybeans imported for food uses like tofu and soymilk will be eliminated

Panama

• Corn: Decreases America’s duty charge to level the playing field

• Soybeans: 0 percent tariff treatment for soybeans, soybean meal and crude soybean oil will be locked immediately upon implementation; The 20 percent tariff on refined soybean oil will be phased out in 15 years

This legislation provides Ohio grain, in turn, Ohio farmers, with significant market export opportunities. Crop farmers will be able to more effectively compete on the international trade market and that is definitely something that we can be thankful for.

Photo obtained from: cipcol.org











Rain may affect grain forecast

Waterlogged fields are causing Midwest grain farmers much angst. Excessive moisture in fields is either jeopardizing the germination of planted seeds or is preventing planting.

“Farms from the Ohio Valley north throughout much of Ohio…have had flooding and above-normal rainfall in the past month but the Ohio Valley has been hardest hit,” said Cincinnati Weather Examiner Rich Apuzzo.

One farmer’s field has literally turned into a pond in Zanesville — It has carp swimming in it, as reported in a The Republic story.

According to a Coshocton Tribune story, “One cubic foot of water weighs more than 62 pounds and there are hundreds of tons of water laying on the fields.” This results in compacted roots to limit yield potential.

However, an Evansville Press & Courier story noted that flooding, in one way, is beneficial, “Nutrient-rich silt deposited by the flood water can often help reduce the amount of fertilizer.”

The optimum planting dates for corn in Ohio are from April 20 to May 10. To date, 1 percent of Ohio’s corn crop is planted, which is 38 percent less than the past year and 13 percent less than the five-year average. Typically, 15 percent of the corn crop is in the ground about this time of the year.

Corn consumption is projected to be near 13.25 billion bushels during the 2011-2012 marketing year. The USDA and others are predicting a national yield of 162 bushels per acre on a projected 92.2 million acres with 87 million acres being harvested for grain.

Farmers are considering alternative planting strategies to circumvent potential weather-induced losses.


Delayed Planting Strategies:

• Considering a shorter-season hybrid seed
• Foregoing tilling or practice decrease tillage
• Using an increased seed rate
• Using nitrogen later or considering nitrogen alternatives

Though the exact timing of planting is still unknown, one thing is for certain. With commodity prices significantly increased compared to the past spring, U.S. farmers plan to plant 3.99 million, or 4.5 percent, more corn acres than last year, according to the Prospective Plantings report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Soybeans have a later plant date than corn — early May — and soybean farmers are also monitoring their fields and using the same assessors to gauge planting decisions. Depending on the ability to still plant a decent corn crop, corn farmers may opt to plant more soybeans this year. State farmers will be finalizing planting plans in the coming days.

Soybean 2011-2012 consumption is projected near 3.33 billion bushels, with a yield near the trend value of 43 bushels per acre on about 76.4 million acres.

Well-drained fields are expected to cope nicely, especially if June is dry. This is good news for Ohio wheat farmers. Ohio’s already-planted winter wheat crop reportedly survived the season in better shape than other states. USDA rates more than 70 percent of Ohio’s wheat in fair to good condition for harvest in July.

The Prospective Plantings report projects a 10-cent reduced average price received by wheat producers for this market year, ranging from $5.50 to $5.70 per bushel.

“Farm prices continue to be reported well below prevailing cash market bids, indicating that farmers priced a substantial portion of this year’s crop well ahead of delivery,” stated the report.

Of course, the ag industry will experience a lion’s share of the blame of potential food-cost increases because of yield loss causing food shortages. Farmers and other agribusiness members should be ready to provide fact-based responses to the multiple factors of food costs such as increases in oil prices and commodity market speculation.

It’s important to note that the 2010 planting season was also delayed, though not to this extent, and still turned out a record corn crop. Most of our farmers are seasoned pros with years of experience and knowledge working on their behalf.

For now, farmers are forced to acknowledge the adage, “Patience is a virtue.”

When are you or people who you know entering the fields? What are you doing differently this year?

Photo obtained from: www.ipm.iastate.edu

New technologies advance the agriculture industry

Today’s technology advancements are changing corn, wheat and soybean production.

As more food is needed for the growing world population and there is less land on which to grow it, new advancements in technology are especially important.

A recent article in Farm Industry News describes new agriculture technologies for farmers and how technologies can benefit the agriculture industry.

Technologies Changing Agriculture

• Telematics: This technology allows navigation, prescription application, location and other data to be transferred easily to and from farm machinery to help farmers improve efficiencies on expensive equipment.

• Drought-resistance traits: The next round of drought hybrids will include genetically modified traits. Scientists are currently using biotechnology to alter one of the many different factors involved in a plant’s growth during water-restricted and high-heat conditions.
  

• Soil and crop sensors: More farm equipment is being outfitted with smart sensors that can read everything from plant health and water needs in the crop to nitrogen levels in the soil. The sensors then enable on-the-go application of inputs based on real-time field conditions.

• Pervasive automation: A product feature that reduces operator workload, this new automation allows operators to do more jobs with less strain and more accuracy because human error is eliminated. Features include: GPS steering, conventional headlands programmable automation, automatic balers, automation of operator control of combines and forage harvesters and automation of tractor operator functions like intelligent power management.

• Hyper precision: With real-time kinematic (RTK) navigation available, precise seeding and fertilizer applications have become a reality. Manufacturers are introducing controllers, drives and shutoff systems with ever-finer resolution and the ability to apply multiple products at variable rates.

• Biologicals: More biological pest control and growth enhancements are expected as farmers look for more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient crop inputs. Advanced technologies like high-throughput screening are helping companies to quickly multiply beneficial organisms, thus driving development of new biologicals.

These advances are key components to a farmer's ability to continue to produce a sustainable supply of food, feed, fuel and fiber for domestic and international customers.

According to the Center for Food Integrity, in the next 40 years the world will need 100 percent more food than is produced today and 80 percent of future production growth must come from increased yields using the advancement of new innovation and technology.

For more technologies changing the agriculture industry or for more detailed information about the technologies mentioned above, visit www.farmindustrynews.com.

What do you think about the new technologies that are changing the agriculture industry? Do you know any farmers who are utilizing these technologies? What types of technologies do you think are needed for the future?

Photo obtained from: farmindustrynews.com

Farm industry feeds communities

With Thanksgiving a mere week away, most of us are anxiously waiting for a day of feasting, though many Americans aren’t fortunate enough to look forward to such food gluttony.

According to the USDA, more than 49 million Americans, one in six people, are food insecure. To help support our country’s food needs, Halex GT, a corn herbicide from agribusiness company Syngenta, partnered with Feeding America, the leading domestic hunger-relief charity, earlier this year.

“Syngenta is helping to weed out hunger one row at a time,” states the company, with the clever campaign tagline of, “Good for communities, good for corn.”
A portion of each sale of Halex GT benefited some of the organization’s 200 food banks dispersed throughout each of the fifty states.

For being a significantly developed country, our country’s hunger prevalence is alarming.

American Hunger Facts (FarmAssist.com)
• More than 2 million rural households are food insecure
• One in eight Americans doesn’t have access to enough food
• There are 16.7 million children who live in food insecure households
• In 2009, 46 percent more people visited a hunger-relief charity than in 2005

Hunger facts are even more distressing when they hit close to home.

The Columbus Dispatch reported recently that Ohio has broken into the top 10 states for hunger, as about one in every seven households struggled or did not have enough money to buy food in 2009. Nearly 680,000 Ohio families – 14.8 percent – were found to be "food insecure" at some point in 2009. More than 1.9 million Ohioans visited a food pantry during the last quarter. Since 2007, demand at Buckeye State pantries has increased by nearly 69 percent.

The agriculture industry is vital to addressing food scarcity. U.S. farmers take on the huge responsibility of feeding not only the American population, but also contribute to feeding people on a global scale. The average American farmer feeds 144 people and uses one acre of land to support 11 people.

An example of the agriculture industry extending its humanitarian scope is the charitable work of The World Soy Foundation (WSF). WSF is a organization dedicated to helping relieve hunger and malnutrition in the world by funding, supporting and helping to coordinate programs that recognize the importance of the use of soybeans in developing sustainable food solutions.

The WSF was awarded funds from The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company – a U.S.-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation – to pilot the use of SoyCow Soybean Processing Technology to improve nutrition for a community in South Africa.

SoyCow makes soymilk and yogurt, as well as tofu, soya nuts and soya chips to create sustainable solutions for the protein needs of the people in this South African region.

The corporate giving initiatives of Syngenta and Monsanto are just two examples of the abundant contributions of our nation’s agricultural community to the food supply. Each year, our farmers continue to grow more food using fewer resources. Our farmer’s sustainability and philanthropy is a pillar of our agriculture industry that we all can be proud of.

As we near the holidays, we should each think about how we can mirror this example of giving.

Photo obtained from: examiner.com









How’s the harvest?

This season’s harvest began sooner than normal, which was a welcome delight to Ohio farmers who experienced a late, difficult season in 2009 because of soggy conditions.

In fact, it’s halfway finished, according to the Times Bulletin. One year ago, some farmers hadn’t even entered their fields.

"I've talked to several guys who have told me this is the earliest they've been able to harvest in 20 to 25 years,” said a Van Wert farmer who was quoted in the newspaper.

The story cited some weed problems with ragweed in the state’s corn crop and marestail in its soybean crop, as well as a few field fires because of dry weather. But overall, it seems as if farmers will have a relaxing Thanksgiving this year.

“Weeks of warm weather during the planting season, regular rains during the first part of summer and a warm and dry August have amounted to ‘perfect conditions’ for area grain farmers, said Tony Nye, an Ohio State University agriculture extension educator,” a Wilmington News Reporter stated.

To watch a video about the fall harvest in Clinton County, visit: http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=186422.

Because of the season’s dry conditions, farmers won’t have to pay nearly as much, if anything, for drying time onsite and at storage facilities to reduce high moisture content before being able to sell. Moisture content of this year’s harvested corn is averaging 17 percent.

Harvest Highlights (USDA as of 9/27)

• Total corn production is forecast to increase 7 percent (585 million bushels)
• Total soybean production is expected to increase1 percent (225 million bushels)
• Corn is trading 19 to 23 cents more than in 2009
• Soybeans are trading 31 to 33 cents more than in 2009
• Wheat is trading 17 to 23 cents more than in 2009
• The national corn harvest is about 27 percent complete
• The national soybean harvest is about 17 percent complete

Corn is selling at more than $5/bushel, wheat at $7/bushel and soybeans are selling for more than $10/bushel, according to a recent Coshocton Tribune story.

For a complete report about trading data, visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/sj_gr116.txt.

Farmers throughout the state are grateful for the average to above average yields as they enter the home stretch.

Photo obtained from: extension.iastate.edu

Going green, it’s easier than it looks

Consumers and businesses now have an easier way to “go green." Thanks to the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills, the BioPreferred program was created, which helps to increase the purchase and use of environmentally friendly, biobased products.

Biobased products are commercial or industrial products that are composed mainly of biological resources including agriculturally derived, renewable resources such as corn or soybeans.

Managed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the BioPreferred program includes a preferred-procurement program for federal agencies and their contractors, as well as a voluntary labeling program for the broad-scale consumer marketing of biobased products.

This program designates biobased products that are required for purchase by federal agencies and their contractors. This allows companies to purchase biopreferred versions of the items that they already use. Soon, biobased products that meet the BioPreferred program requirements will be given a label to make it easily identifiable for businesses and consumers to select these items.

There is a software tool available to help federal procurement officers choose what products are both good for the environment and affordable, BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability). The BEES tool used by the USDA also helps biobased manufacturers learn about the impact that their products have on the environment and on their costs.

In an article by CM Magazine, Ron Buckhalt, program manager for BioPreferred discussed the labeling program. He stated that the labeling program would have green-eligible products stamped with an approved USDA label, much like the Energy Star system for electronics. The eligibility hasn’t been determined at this point. Buckhalt said that whatever the product’s bio-component level is it should be the industry standard.

“Companies don’t have the capability to go too high (regarding the product’s bio-component), but we could be looking at 30 percent,” he said.

Each month, BioPreferred features an item to promote. For March, the BioLink™ General Purpose Cleaner is highlighted for being “tough on grime, not the environment.” Working as effective as traditional cleaners, BioLink exchanges alcohol and petroleum-based solvents for non-toxic biobased materials.

There are numerous biobased products, from cleaning supplies to office supplies that consumers and businesses can use to better their environment. For the complete catalog, please visit: http://www.catalog.biopreferred.gov.

Ohio recently became the first and only state to initiate this program.

Recently, Gov. Ted Strickland signed Senate Bill 131, which establishes a bioproducts-preferred purchasing program. Modeled after the federal program, it will allow the state to use considerable purchasing power to support the growth of businesses that create bioproducts, as well as expand the market for other innovative products made from Ohio crops.

S.B. 131 will rely on the federal bioproducts list to determine what products should get preference in Ohio. Several Ohio companies are already developing plastics, paints, polymer foam and other innovative products from corn, soybeans and other renewable materials.

In a recent Marion Star article, Karen Gillmor, R-Tiffin, who sponsored S.B. 131, talked about how this bill would help stimulate investment and jobs, as well as enhance research opportunities at Ohio colleges and universities. This would help Ohio farmers and agriculture production in Ohio.

“Thanks to recent advances in research and technology, acres of soybeans, corn and other agriculture resources growing across Ohio have the tremendous potential to transform our state into a center for bioproducts development in this country, breathe much-needed life into our economy and create a market for good-paying jobs in our local communities,” said Gillmor, who is also a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

What are your thoughts about the BioPreferred program? Should more states be following in Ohio’s footsteps? How can the agriculture industry use this legislation to its advantage?







Pork Paranoia

As I am writing this, more than 140 Americans have been diagnosed with swine influenza. As international and national cases continue to escalate, uninformed consumers are misguidedly shunning pork and pork products.

Hog farmers are on the defense, refuting allegations that the outbreak is caused from eating infected pork. According to The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no evidence indicates that swine influenza can be transmitted through food consumption – a crucial message for the pork industry to deliver.

“Swine flu is a misnomer,” said C. Larry Pope, the CEO of Smithfield Foods, the leading processor and marketer of pork and processed meats in the U.S. “They need to be concerned about influenza, but not eating pork.”

Many health organizations also take issue with the term “swine flu” because of its scientific inaccuracy. Instead, the CDC refers to the illness by its scientific name, H1N1 flu. The virus that is circulating includes genetic components of human, avian and swine origin.

Swine flu – a common respiratory disease in pigs during winter months – mirrors the human flu strain. It is so common, in fact, that 30 to 50 percent of the U.S. swineherd have been affected with some form of the virus. Multiple varieties of the strain exist.

The current outbreak, however, is not the result of consuming or interacting with contaminated pork.

"This is not a food-borne illness virus,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “It is not correct to refer to it as swine flu because really that's not what this is about."

Regardless of its origins, hog farmers are feeling the effects of the outbreak. Farmers producing corn and soybeans as animal feed are also threatened by economic loss from decreased demand. Hog prices are plummeting as countries are banning U.S. pork imports, and grocery chains and restaurants are decreasing their pork orders to counteract an implicit, misapprehension for the other white meat. The pork and animal-feed industries are experiencing what the beef industry endured with “Mad Cow Disease.”

Part of the problem is people lack the necessary perspective and panic trumps logic. Every year, thousands of Americans die from the common flu, but the 24-hour news cycle chooses to focus its attention on H1N1 instead, most likely because of the novelty of its recent advent. There is no arguing the news merit of people becoming sick, but the public’s response could potentially create a panic that could do more harm than good.

Despite overwhelming evidence of the safe consumption of pork, the $15 billion American pork industry is in jeopardy. As summer approaches, a usual high-time for pork because of the grilling season, the National Pork Producer’s Council, National Pork Board, American Meat Institute and others are working to clarify the fallacies associated with the outbreak and promote the continued consumption of pork.

Do you think the spread of H1N1 is being blown out of proportion? Is there a danger of a media-induced panic? What should hog farmers do to re-establish trust with pork consumers? How can separate farm industries work together to improve market demand for their products? Should sister industries (chicken and beef) rally for the best interests of the pork industry?

Value of Agricultural Subsides

In the wake of the unveiling of Obama’s stimulus package and proposed budget, farmers and agribusinesses across the nation are charged with defending the significance of farm subsidies.

Agricultural subsidies have been a staple in the industry since the 1930s. Responsible for offsetting operation costs for fuel, equipment, fertilizers and seed, as well as setting a price floor for individual markets, many farmers rely on direct payments as both a business tool and a component of overall income.

In a letter regarding Obama’s plan to the chairmen and ranking members of the agriculture and budget committees in both houses of Congress, a collective voice from 39 diverse agriculture organizations stated, “The proposed budget cuts overlook the fact that producers and lenders alike have made long-term business decisions based upon the commitment made by Congress in the five-year farm bill and thus will exacerbate the current credit crisis.”

Subsidies envelop more than 24 commodity goods produced by U.S. farmers including wheat, corn, soybeans, sugar, rice and tobacco. Payments are derived from taxpayer money and allotted to farmers regardless of production and yield amount. (The direct payment for 2008 is 85 percent of the farm’s base acreage for the crop, multiplied by the direct payment yield for the crop, multiplied by the direct payment rate for the crop).

Obama’s plan will phase out direct payments to recipients earning more than $500,000 a year throughout a three-year time span. It also sets a $250,000 cap on any form of direct payment a farmer can receive.

Significant to the subsidy sphere is the Agriculture Act of 1933. Established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, this legislation also gave birth to The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The CCC is a government-owned and operated entity that was created to stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices. CCC also helps maintain balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution.

Opponents assert that subsidies benefit mega farms, leaving small, family-owned and operated farms by the wayside. Others assert that subsidies have contributed to excess supply of farm products and allow inefficient farms to continue to exist.

"Why should we be sending millions of dollars to the largest corporate farms in the country? That's not what a safety net is for," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.

Proponents of subsidies counter that direct payments are vital to a fluctuating industry and without the financial assistance received from subsidies, farming ventures could cease to exist and the food market would ultimately suffer.

What is your opinion about subsidies? Can farm operators and the food market survive in their absence or are subsidies necessary to regulate a variable industry?