Des Moines Register Staff Blogs » Green Fields: Agriculture and Alternative Energy

USDA issues new meat labeling rules following WTO complaint

Christopher Doering — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:04:17 +0000

The Obama administration put in place stricter country-of origin labeling showing where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered following criticism of an earlier rule by the World Trade Organization. The final rule from the U.S. Agriculture Department also would ban the comingling of meat from different countries in order to allow more detailed information [...]

Western Iowa drought continues to fade slowly

Perry Beeman — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:05:48 +0000

Western Iowa’s drought conditions continued slow improvement through Tuesday, leaving 64.5 percent of the state drought-free, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. That was a three percentage point improvement from the week before. That leaves 35.5 percent of the state, all in western counties, either abnormally dry or in some stage of drought. That was [...]

Iowa farm subsidy payments since 1995 $25 billion: EWG study

Christopher Doering — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:32:43 +0000

Iowa farmers and ranchers collected $24.9 billion in subsidies between 1995 and 2012, making it the second largest state beneficiary of the payments in the United States, according to information released by an advocacy group on Wednesday. The annual release of the data by the Environmental Working Group comes as subsidy payments, notably the $5 [...]

DuPont Pioneer sees strong demand for drought-tolerant corn seed

Christopher Doering — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:23:18 +0000

U.S. farmers show no sign of pulling back on their demand for drought-tolerant corn seed following last year’s exceptionally dry season even if conditions are closer to normal in 2013, the president of DuPont Pioneer said in an interview. Paul Schickler, president of DuPont Pioneer based in Johnston, Iowa, said the company is expecting its [...]

U.S. making progress on fighting global hunger

Christopher Doering — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:22:43 +0000

Even as a growing number of global efforts and partnerships to curb hunger around the world show signs of working, the U.S. government and agri-business giants on Tuesday pushed for even more changes and collaborations to speed up the progress being made. The United Nation said last year that about 870 million people, or one [...]

Despite concerns, White House backs Senate farm bill

Christopher Doering — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:11:13 +0000

The Obama administration said on Monday it supported the five-year, $500 billion farm bill being debated this week in the U.S. Senate, while at the same time calling for more reductions in subsidy programs. The White House said in a statement that it supports the end of direct payments, the streamlining of conservation programs and funding for [...]

Farmers make big comeback; 71 percent of corn planted

Perry Beeman — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:17:53 +0000

Iowa farmers had planted 71 percent of the corn crop through the weekend, making a huge comeback that still left them behind schedule. Typically, 92 percent of the corn planting would be done by now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. In one week, farmers planted enough corn to be nearly three-quarters of the way [...]

Midwest ethanol capacity up slightly to start 2013 – government

Christopher Doering — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:20:50 +0000

Ethanol production capacity in the Midwest started the year at 12.598 billion gallons, about 822,000 barrels per day, compared to 12.488 billion gallons in 2012, according to a report released by the Energy Department’s statistical arm released on Monday. The Energy Information Administration said most of the country’s ethanol production capacity, about 91 percent, was located [...]

Groups: Congress should spend less on crop insurance, more on conservation, nutrition

Perry Beeman — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:10:32 +0000

Congress should use the final hours of debate on the next Farm Bill to limit spending on crop insurance and shovel more money to conservation programs, advocacy groups said. The Lyons, Neb.-based Center for Rural Affairs, in a meeting with Des Moines Register reporters and editors, on Friday said efforts to limit single farms’ aid [...]

Senate, House see near-term action on farm bill, but hurdles remain

Christopher Doering — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:47 +0000

The House Agriculture Committee approved its five-year, $500 billion farm bill late on Wednesday, one day after its counterpart in the Senate did the same. The full Senate is expected to begin proceeding toward a vote on its farm bill next week while the House could act sometime in June. “I’m optimistic that we can [...]

DuPont executive says company still enthusiastic about cellulosic ethanol

Christopher Doering — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:59:54 +0000

A DuPont executive said a push by critics to undermine the country’s renewable fuels mandate has not deterred the company from investing in the next wave of ethanol production: cellulosic. Jan Koninckx, DuPont’s chief on cellulosic renewable fuel, said the company remains on track to open its 30 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, [...]

Drought conditions ease slightly, western Iowa remains dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:42:23 +0000

Drought conditions eased only slightly in the last week in Iowa, with the western part of the state still dry. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that through Tuesday, 39 percent of Iowa was either dry or in drought, down from 42 percent the week before. The National Weather Service predicts conditions will continue to improve [...]

Yum! Bugs are good for you, UN says

Christopher Doering — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:43:47 +0000

A United Nations report this week said bugs are healthy to eat and could be a useful tool in the battle to fight world hunger. The report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said insects are highly nutritious and a healthy source of high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and mineral content. The organization said [...]

Senate Agriculture Committee passes farm bill…again

Christopher Doering — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:48:10 +0000

The Senate Agriculture Committee passed a sweeping new five-year, half-trillion dollar farm bill on Tuesday as lawmakers made another attempt to craft a new agriculture policy after falling short in 2012. The legislation, which included many of the same programs and reforms part that were in the farm bills that failed in Congress last year, [...]

USDA, Interior brace for challenging wildfire season

Christopher Doering — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:01:27 +0000

The U.S. departments of Agriculture and Interior said on Monday with parts of the country facing a serious risk of wildfires this year, government officials need to form stronger partnerships and receive help from the public to protect local communities. “The US Forest Service, Federal fire managers and crews will continue to work closely with [...]

Iowa crop planting still way behind

Perry Beeman — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:19:38 +0000

Iowa farmers had planted 15 percent of the corn crop through Sunday, far below normal. In an average year, 79 percent of the crop would be planted, but wet and chilly conditions have delayed planting across the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday. Still, USDA predicts a bin-buster crop this year, banking on [...]

USDA sees farmers harvesting record-large corn, soy crops

Christopher Doering — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:08:26 +0000

U.S. farmers will produce record-large corn and soybean crops this year, providing a much-needed supply to replenish dangerously low stockpiles, the Agriculture Department said on Friday. The monster crops bode well for consumers as well as livestock and ethanol producers who suffered through the 2012 drought, the worst since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. [...]

Senate Agriculture Committee releases 2013 farm bill draft

Christopher Doering — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:15:01 +0000

The Senate Agriculture Committee released its 2013 farm bill on Thursday, legislation that mirrors the one introduced last year. The bill would save $23 billion over 10 years, largely through the ending of direct payments and reducing fraud and waste in the food stamp program. Farmers also would see an expansion of crop insurance programs. [...]

World food prices rise for third straight month: FAO

Christopher Doering — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:57:05 +0000

World food prices rose in April for the third straight month driven by rising costs for dairy products, the United Nations said on Thursday. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said the food price index, which measures monthly price changes in cereals, dairy, meat, sugar and oilseeds, averaged 215.5 points in April 2013, up 2 [...]

Drought eases, but western Iowa still dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:23:10 +0000

Iowa’s drought continued to ease through Tuesday, leaving less than 42 percent of the state either abnormally dry or in drought. The drought now is limited to western Iowa counties, mostly the northwest corner but also running down the Missouri River Valley a bit. The areas considered dry or in drought dropped 12 percentage points [...]

USDA declares disaster area in northwest Iowa

Christopher Doering — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:46:59 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Plymouth and Sioux counties in northwest Iowa as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought. “Our hearts go out to those Iowa farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Farmers and ranchers in the Cherokee, [...]

Advocacy group pushes conservation, environment as farm bill action looms

Christopher Doering — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:47:13 +0000

As the House and Senate prepare to begin work on the farm bill, the Environmental Working Group has started a campaign to push for legislation that protect public health, the environment and support future generations of family farmers. The initiative, known as Worth Protecting, will push Congress to fully fund and restructure conservation programs, require [...]

Senate panel work on farm bill slips to next week

Christopher Doering — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:06:25 +0000

Congress will take another shot at writing a new $500 billion farm bill next week, lawmakers on the Senate Agriculture Committee said on Tuesday. The mark-up on May 14 comes nearly a year after the Senate Agriculture Committee completed a farm bill. Most parts of the Senate farm bill appear to have been resolved, except [...]

President Obama signs Iowa disaster declaration

Christopher Doering — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:20:46 +0000

President Barack Obama on Monday declared a major disaster in Iowa and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm last month. The White House also said funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing [...]

Farmers struggle to get in fields, just 8 percent of corn planted

Perry Beeman — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:15:04 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday reported that Iowa farmers managed to plant 8 percent of the corn crop by Sunday, far below average. Over the past five years, Iowans had planted 56 percent of the corn by this date, on average. Wet, cold conditions have delayed the work. Warmer and drier conditions Monday [...]

Ethanol briefing on Capitol Hill draws unexpected guest

Christopher Doering — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:44:40 +0000

The contentious battle between ethanol and Big Oil took its latest twist on Thursday when an event hosted by the renewable fuels industry drew an unexpected guest. The surprise visit occurred during an ethanol industry briefing for congressional staffers in Washington. Ethanol supporters at the event aggressively spoke out against a push by the oil [...]

US bee population drop result of multiple factors: government

Christopher Doering — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:21:43 +0000

The U.S. government said on Thursday there are multiple factors contributing to the decline in honey bee colonies across the United States. The report, released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the honey bee decline is the result of parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure. [...]

REG posts $46M quarterly profit in Q1, stock soars

Christopher Doering — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:59:59 +0000

Renewable Energy Group of Ames, which operates biodiesel refineries in Iowa as well as Illinois, Minnesota, and Texas, reported a profit of $46 million for the quarter ended March 31 driven by strong biodiesel demand, a reinstated tax credit, and the addition of a distribution point in Rochester, New York to meet extended winter heating oil [...]

Drought conditions unchanged, western Iowa still dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:56:12 +0000

After weeks of steady improvement, drought conditions in Iowa remained unchanged in the week that ended Tuesday, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported. Nearly 54 percent of the state, generally in western counties, remained either abnormally dry or in drought. Three months ago, the whole state was. The Drought Monitor reported that, generally, conditions continue to [...]

Grassley: Senate panel set to deal with farm bill next week

Christopher Doering — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:32:46 +0000

The Senate Agriculture Committee will meet next week to work on the farm bill, Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters on Tuesday. The Senate committee has not publicly announced a date, but Grassley said in response to a reporter’s question that: “That’s what I’ve heard and that’s what we’ll be ready for.” Grassley said while he [...]

Farmers plant a few acres of corn, but conditions prompt many to wait

Perry Beeman — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:50:20 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly crop report showed that corn-planting had barely begun through Sunday, and oat-planting was way behind. In an interview, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey said planting will be scattered for the next week because farmers are worried over a forecast that may send soil temperatures plummeting below the 50 degrees [...]

Americans using food stamps more likely to eat whole fruit than low income nonparticipants: USDA

Christopher Doering — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:51:17 +0000

Americans participating in the government’s food stamp program are 23 percent more likely to consume whole fruit and slightly less likely to eat dark green and orange vegetables than low income nonparticipants, according to a U.S. Agriculture Department study. The findings, from the USDA’s Economic Research Service, said people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance [...]

Crop land in Iowa tops $11,500 an acre; bubble ready to burst?

Christopher Doering — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:50:03 +0000

High quality crop land in Iowa is worth $11,515 an acre, up 9.4 percent from September 2012, according to land realtors throughout the state. The Realtors Land Institute, whose members specialize in farm and land sales, management and appraisal, said the most expensive land was in the northwest part of the state at $13,387 per [...]

Food prices increase in 2013 not as severe as first forecast: USDA

Christopher Doering — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:07:28 +0000

U.S. food prices are seen rising about 3 percent this year, less than previously forecast, as increases in meat, dairy and cereal and bakery products are not as sharp as initially predicted, according to the government. The U.S. Agriculture Department revised the increase in food prices to 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent from an earlier [...]

DuPont Pioneer grant to ISU to help kids pursue ag, science careers

Christopher Doering — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:46:18 +0000

Chemical and agribusiness company DuPont said on Thursday it will be giving a $400,000 grant to Iowa State University for a program that encourages children in the state’s urban communities to pursue careers in agriculture and science. The company said in a statement that the grant will help the ISU Science Bound program increase the [...]

Poet reopens shuttered Missouri ethanol plant

Christopher Doering — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:07:17 +0000

Poet on Tuesday said it has started producing ethanol at its facility in Macon, Mo. The ethanol giant said the 45 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant suspended operations on Feb. 1 due primarily to a lack of available corn from last year’s drought. While the plant was closed, the company began work on $14 million in upgrades [...]

DuPont profit doubles lead by strong demand in agriculture unit

Christopher Doering — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:09:55 +0000

DuPont reported Tuesday that its profit more than doubled in the first quarter as the company benefited from the divestiture of a business unit and strong sales of its seed and crop protection products with more farmers taking advantage of the services following last year’s drought. The agribusiness and chemical giant said sales in its [...]

EWG issues 2013 “Dirty Dozen” produce list; apple top culprit

Christopher Doering — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:13:15 +0000

The Environmental Working Group on Monday issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” list touting fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue. This year’s top item: the apple. Each year, the advocacy group ranks pesticide contamination on 48 popular fruits and vegetables. To determine the ranking, the Environmental Working Group analyzes more than 28,000 samples that [...]

Agriculture industry pushes need to reform immigration policy

Christopher Doering — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:32:06 +0000

The agriculture industry told Senate lawmakers on Monday the need to overhaul the country’s antiquated immigration policy is long over-due, with many farm operators struggling to get the workers they need. As the Senate begins the arduous process of crafting a new immigration reform bill, organizations representing the agriculture industry told lawmakers a failure to [...]

Energy Dept picks 2 Iowa firms to develop biofuels for military jets, ships

Christopher Doering — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:09:34 +0000

The U.S. Energy Department said on Monday it would invest more than $10.5 million in two Iowa companies to help spur the development of advanced biofuels. The DOE said it awarded $4.2 million to Frontline Bioenergy in Ames and $6.4 million to BioProcess Algae in Shenandoah to develop pilot-scale biorefineries that would be used to [...]

Crop insurance indemnities nearly $17 billion in 2012

Christopher Doering — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:53:40 +0000

Crop insurance indemnities have risen to a record $17 billion for 2012 crop year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said in its latest report issued on Monday. The figure, which was up more than $700 million from the prior week, pushed the total for 2012 to $16.99 billion. The number is higher than 2011 when a [...]

Biofuel exec: Change to fuel mandate would hurt Iowa cellulosic plant

Christopher Doering — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:47:59 +0000

A meaningful change to the country’s renewable fuel mandate would drastically curtail the market opportunity for a cellulosic ethanol plant being built in Emmetsburg by ethanol producer Poet and Dutch-based DSM Advanced Biofuels, a DSM North America company official said on Friday. Hugh Welsh, president of DSM North America, said without the Renewable Fuel Standard [...]

Drought gone in eastern Iowa, eases in northwest

Perry Beeman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:40:59 +0000

Some areas in the Missouri River counties and the northwest corner of the state remain in severe drought, despite heavy rain over the past week or so. The U.S. Drought Monitor, released early Thursday morning, does not include rain that fell after 6 a.m. Tuesday. Nearly the entire eastern half of the state is now [...]

House lawmaker introduces disaster assistance bill for livestock owners

Christopher Doering — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:35:54 +0000

Livestock producers, who now operate without disaster assistance, would be covered under a bill introduced on Wednesday. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., comes as farmers and ranchers across South Dakota suffer through drought and recent bouts of snow and ice. Noem, in a meeting with the cattle industry, said the bill was [...]

Meats test positive for antibiotic-resistant bacteria: EWG

Christopher Doering — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:01:14 +0000

A study of turkey, pork, beef and chicken found that many of the items tested positive for having antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a report issued on Monday by the Environmental Working Group. An analysis by EWG of a government report published in February found 81 percent of ground turkey, 69 percent of pork chops, 55 [...]

Rain improves soil conditions, keeps farmers out of field

Perry Beeman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:46:04 +0000

Steady rain improved crop field moisture over the past week, but also made it hard for farmers to get into fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. Topsoil moisture levels rated 7 percent very short, 19 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture still was worse off, with 27 percent very [...]

USDA, FAA extend biofuels agreement

Christopher Doering — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:50:14 +0000

The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday it is extending for five years its agreement to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other groups to develop a viable biofuel for the aviation industry. The agreement, which includes partners from the commercial aviation sector, are part of the White House’s effort to expand the [...]

Obama choice to head EPA vows to work closer with ag community

Christopher Doering — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:19:20 +0000

President Obama’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy, vowed to take a more active role in working with the agriculture community. During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, she acknowledged the agency has not done enough in the past to work with farmers and ranchers. “I [...]

Formosa Food Company recalls pork jerky

Christopher Doering — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:19:55 +0000

Formosa Food Company, based in Hull, Iowa, is recalling approximately 1,133 pounds of a pork jerky product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, wheat, which is not declared on the label, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said the recalled product was 6-oz. individual packages of “Formosa Brand Pork Szu (Cooked [...]

Update: Rain is heaviest since June 2011; drought eases

Perry Beeman — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:50:39 +0000

This week’s rain was the biggest since June 2011 and most likely will lessen the drought significantly across Iowa, the state climatologist said. The rain that fell Sunday night through 7 a.m. Thursday would eclipse even the weekly totals going back to that June, said Harry Hillaker of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land [...]