A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Grain Indemnity Fund Assessment Begins On September 1 | |
Participation Fees
IDALS licensees are required to pay participation fees into the Fund including the following:
Grain Dealer Fee
- .00014 per bushel based on previous fiscal year's purchases
- Minimum fee of $50; no maximum fee
Grain Warehouse Fee
- .00014 per bushel based on storage capacity
- Minimum fee of $50; maximum fee of $500
Additional details are available online, including an FAQ for grain warehouses and an FAQ for farmers:
https://iowaagriculture.gov/grain-warehouse-bureau/assessment
Questions regarding the assessment can be directed to the Grain Warehouse Bureau - 515-281-5324 or james.kennedy@iowaagriculture.gov.
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Thank You To Our Host Facilities For The AAI Grain Grading Workshops | |
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Thank You to Ziegler CAT in Altoona for allowing the use of their classroom for the August 29 & 30 Grain Grading Sessions.
Thank You to Viterra in Creston for the use of their training room and for providing lunch at the August 31 session.
Next Grain Grading Workshops will be held during the first quarter of 2024.
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EPA Adjusts WOTUS Rule But Questions Remain | |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an amended Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule in response to the US Supreme Court ruling in May on Sackett v. EPA. Changes include removal of the Significant Nexus language, removal of interstate wetlands from interstate waters, a revised and somewhat narrowed definition of adjacent, and some other changes the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers claim complies with the SCOTUS ruling.
Unfortunately, there is still a lack of clarity in the definitions of what qualifies as a Water of the US. In particular the final rule does not discuss what it means for a water to be a relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing body of water, or what it means for a wetland to have a continuous surface connection.
Additionally, the rule will be effective upon publication in the federal register and there will be no public comment on the rule.
Various industry groups have responded to the amended rule:
"It is unclear how a half-baked rule will provide any amount of durability or certainty to the regulated community." - Corey Rosenbusch, CEO, TFI
Read TFI Response Here
"Repeating mistakes will only lead to the continuation of flawed, unworkable regulations that will be litigated in the federal courts" - Daren Coppock, President & CEO, Agricultural Retailers Association
Read ARA Response Here
"I would encourage the Biden Administration to head back to the drawing board, listen to stakeholders from Iowa and across the country and finally fix the rule." - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig
Read IDALS Response Here
AAI will continue to monitor this issue and interact with our national partners as the rule progresses.
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#YOU NEED A DAY ON THE GOLF COURSE
Less Than Two Weeks Away - Register for the final AAI Golf Outing of the Season!
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AAI Golf Outing at Coldwater Golf Links | Ames, Iowa
September 13 - 10:00 AM Shotgun Start
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July 13 - Okoboji, Iowa
Emerald Hills Golf Course
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Aug. 24 - Amana, Iowa
Amana Colonies Golf Course
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Sept. 13 - Ames, Iowa
Coldwater Golf Links
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Do you or your company have something you'd like to contribute for the raffle drawings?
Send Us An Email
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September 7
AAI Agronomy & Environment Committees
11:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
September 12
AAI Showcase Committee
10:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
September 13
AAI Golf Outing - Coldwater Golf Links
10:00 AM Shotgun Start | Ames, Iowa
September 14
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 AM | World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
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Nitrogen Initiative Field Days | |
The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative (INI) is excited to announce its summer 2023 Field Day Series. Attendees of the field days can look forward to presentations from the INI project directors about project goals and optimizing nitrogen management, discussion with farmer participants about their experiences with the trials, as well as an introduction to the technologies used and drone footage of the research areas. Each field day will also feature topics in nutrient management of local interest, chosen by the host.
All field days begin at 10 AM and are hosted by farmer participants throughout the state:
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Wednesday, September 6 hosted by Iowa State University – Kluver ISU Research Farm, Boone County
Lunch will be provided by Iowa Corn. All INI Field Days are free and open to the public. If you plan to attend, an RSVP is greatly appreciated: bit.ly/INIrsvp.
Want to learn more about the initiative but can’t attend a field day? Contact Ben Gleason, bgleason@agribiz.org, and he can set up a meeting with the team at ISU.
Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Website
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AMS Seeking Nominations For USDA Grain Inspection Advisory Committee | |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the USDA Grain Inspection Advisory Committee. The nomination period is currently open and closes on September 22, 2023.
For more information, please contact Kendra.C.Kline@usda.gov, Chief of Staff at AMS Federal Grain Inspection Service.
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A backlog of nearly 200 ships was reportedly awaiting transit through the Panama Canal last week, the result of ongoing drought that has affected the water level at Lake Gatun, the reservoir that supplies water for the canal locks to operate. Now, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) says that number stands at approximately 120 vessels, and while this is an improvement from the previously reported number, ACP noted that under normal circumstances, only around 90 vessels are waiting. Currently around 32 vessels transit the canal daily, but this is down from 36 per day in normal conditions. Average wait time for vessels has also risen from 6-7 days last month to 9-11 days.
“Despite the challenges and the measures we’ve had to take, the high demand for the Panama Canal’s services showcases the confidence the global shipping community places in us. It underscores our competitiveness and the vital role we play in global trade,” ACP said in an Aug. 22 update.
The Panama Canal has 46% of the total market share of containers moving from Northeast Asia to the East Coast of the United States. It also serves more than 144 maritime routes connecting 160 countries and reaching some 1,700 ports globally.
The U.S. agriculture industry is closely monitoring the situation as the U.S. is the largest user of the canal.
[...] Read Full Story
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Agricultural producers face suicide 3.5 times higher than the general population. The biggest stressors? Farm debt and the trickle-down effect felt by teens in the household.
The National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act is a bipartisan bill introduced to help provide support, information, suicide crisis intervention, mental health support services, and related referral services.
The mental health crisis has hit farmers and ranchers over the past several years. They already face significant financial pressures managing their land in the face of small margins and have confronted external factors ranging from severe weather events that threaten livestock and crops to a tumultuous economic environment caused by inflation.
These are combined with a lack of access to mental health care and a strong stigma against asking for help.
The bill was introduced earlier this month by Reps. Dr. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) in the U.S. House, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
“Our farmers and ranchers carry a heavy burden to put food on our tables every day. Unfortunately, that means many in our ag communities struggle with mental health — with a suicide rate three and a half times higher than other populations. My latest bipartisan bill provides resources to support our neighbors in crisis,” said Congresswoman Caraveo.
The hope is that while some states already have mental health lines, a national line will ensure that no matter where a farmer or rancher is, they can get the help they need.
[...] Read Full Story
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Amid a drop in rail traffic, Union Pacific has furloughed at least 94 employees, including 43 machinists in 11 locations, according to an official with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
Josh Hartford, special assistant to the international president of IAM, said employees were told that the furloughs were happening because of plans to store 200 locomotives now and potentially an additional 100 within the next few weeks or months.
UP confirmed that furloughs were occurring in response to lower volumes overall, but did not confirm the storing of locomotives nor the number of workers furloughed.
IAM members are affected by the storing of locomotives because that translates into fewer locomotives for mechanics to maintain.
Members were notified of the furloughs around Aug. 23, according to Hartford, with many of the furloughs occurring at outlier points with smaller repair shops than the bigger shops in Kansas City, Missouri, or North Platte, Nebraska.
“It’s always concerning when they [furlough], but especially at this time of year, there should be an increase in demand. Grain season, harvest season coming on, the holidays coming up — they should be seeing increased traffic. To be parking locomotives now is really concerning,” Hartford said.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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The week of Aug. 21-27 saw record heat cover the central United States as high temperatures and high dew points led to jungle-like conditions. Daytime high temperatures of 9 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal were noted in much of the Western Corn Belt; air temperatures topping 100 F were common. In addition, the heat index -- measuring the impact of air temperature and relative humidity on a person's body -- soared to over 120 F during the week.
The blistering heat, along with no rain, brings the potential for crop yields to falter after mild and rainy conditions during July and early August. And, looking back over the past two decades, we find a couple years where a hard dose of August heat caused a decline in final USDA corn yield and production numbers compared to the first official estimate. The impact on both occasions reduced what were initially expected to be record corn crops.
Crop year 2000 is the first occurrence to note where August heat took the top off expected record corn production. In August 2000, the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) corn production estimate was a new record (for the time) of 10.4 billion bushels (bb), with a then-record yield of 141.9 bushels per acre (bpa). However, the final production estimate after revisions came in at 9.9 bb -- about 5% below the August estimate -- with a yield of 136.9 bpa (about 4% below the August estimate).
[...] Read Full Story
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