In Farm BureauTraining conference Jan. 29

Plans have been finalized for the County Farm Bureau Presidents, Vice Presidents, Legislative and Information Chairmen Conference at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. This will be an opportunity for people in those positions to share in a day of leadership training.

The conference, which will be held on the heels of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s winter commodity meetings Jan. 28 at the same location, will allow county leaders and committee chairmen to receive relevant information that should assist in their duties as county volunteers. It will begin at 7 a.m. with registration, followed by a joint breakfast at 7:30 a.m., which will include an address from ArFB President Randy Veach of Manila. Three break-out sessions will follow, and the conference will close with a joint luncheon.

For additional information, contact Chuck Tucker at 501-228-1246 or Autumn Wood at 501-228-1306.

In ArkansasFirewood ban on WMAs

At its December meeting, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission permanently adopted a ban on the importation of fire-wood into the state’s wildlife management areas. The ban goes into effect immediate-ly. It is hoped this action will help prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer, an exotic insect that feeds on and is likely to

kill all of Arkansas’ ash species. The per-manent ban includes people camping on AGFC-owned WMAs.

In related news, the Arkansas State Plant board made permanent an emer-gency quarantine of non-coniferous wood products and nursery stock from Ash-ley, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas, Drew, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jeffer-son, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little River, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Ouachita, Pike,

January 9, 2015 • Vol. 18, No. 1A

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On Dec. 22, Arkan-sas Farm Bureau’s officers met in Little Rock with Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson to dis-cuss Farm Bureau’s positions on matters that have been identified as priority issues. Attending were (left to right) Secretary-Treasurer Joe Christian of Jonesboro, Vice Pres-ident Rich Hillman of Carlisle, Hutchinson and President Randy Veach of Manila.

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Previous Farm Families of the Year posed for a photo with

longtime program coordinator Andy Guffey (seated, left) at a

Dec. 11 luncheon in North Little Rock. Left to right: Heath Long of

Tichnor, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Amity, Andy and Shannon Gill of McGehee, Michael and Sarah

Oxner of Searcy, Michael and Mary Jo Simon of Conway, and

Orelan Johnson of England.

Saline, Sevier and Union counties to prevent the spread

of the emerald ash borer.The presence of the invasive pests has

been verified in six southwest Arkansas counties: Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Hot Spring, Nevada and Ouachita. They were first discovered in Michigan in 2002 and have since killed tens of millions of trees.

MRBI project signup deadline Jan. 16Farmers and landowners in numerous

counties in Arkansas have until Jan. 16 to submit applications to receive finan-cial assistance to implement conserva-tion practices through nine Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) projects. Applicants can sign up at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.

“The MRBI projects in Arkansas are being implemented working with our conservation partners to accelerate conservation treatment to improve water quality, maintain productivity and enhance wildlife habitat,” said NRCS State Conser-vationist Michael Sullivan.

The main focus for all projects is to improve water quality. However, in 2012, water quantity was added as a secondary concern.

The projects open for sign-up are Middle Cache River Project (portions of Craighead, Jackson, Poinsett and Wood-ruff counties); Lower Arkansas (portions of Jefferson, Lonoke and Pulaski counties);

Grand Prairie Watershed (portions of Arkansas, Lonoke, Prairie and Monroe counties); East Arkansas Enterprise Com-munity, Inc., L’Anguille River (portions of Cross and St. Francis counties); Big Water-shed (portion of Phillips County); Bayou Meto, Middle (portions of Arkansas, Lonoke, Prairie and Jefferson counties); Bayou Meto, Arkansas County (portions of Arkansas, Jefferson and Lonoke counties);

Tyronza River Watershed (portions of Mississippi and Poinsett counties); and Wapanocca Lake Watershed (portion of Crittenden County).

Additional information about the MRBI projects, area maps and conservation prac-tices, are available at www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov.

AGLC conferenceThe Arkansas Grazing Lands Coalition

will hold its annual conference from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Lake Point Con-ference Center in Russellville. Attendees will learn from fellow producers how to graze more and feed less hay. Speakers will include Greg Judy, a Missouri rancher and consultant, and several south-central and southeastern producers.

Registration, which includes lunch, is $40 if paid by Feb. 23. For more informa-tion, phone 501-682-2915 or visit www.argrazinglandscoalition.org.

Farm to School grantsThe Healthy Hunger‐Free Kids Act

of 2010 authorized and funded the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a Farm to School Program to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical as-sistance, in implementing farm-to-school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. 2015 grantees

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More than 100 farmers from throughout southeast Arkansas attended a farm bill workshop Dec. 17 at the Men’s Club in McGehee. Speakers included Anita Wilson (pic-tured here), an agricultural program specialist with the Farm Service Agency; Tony Franco, FSA’s chief of farm programs; and specialists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

At the Farm Family of the Year lun-cheon, ArFB’s Andy Guffey (second from right) was recognized for 10 years of service as FFY program coordinator. Making the presenta-tion were (l to r) Amy Lyman with AgHeritage Farm Credit Services and previous FFY winners Brian Kirksey and Heath Long. Guffey will expand his focus on ArFB’s ag education and outreach efforts.

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Due to an overwhelming demand, ArFB has added a second mobile ag experience trailer to its mobile displays. The new trailer is bigger, more user friendly and has four TV screens for use in school programs and to provide educational videos and Farm Bureau information at county fairs, festivals and other events. For more infor-mation, contact Matt Jackson at 501-228-1237.

include an Arkansas school and hospital.Lawrence County School District was

awarded a $100,000 grant for a Farm to School Initiative that will allow the three school districts (Lawrence County, Hoxie and Sloan‐Hendrix) to develop local/re-gional food procurement, school garden-ing and integrated curriculum modules that were central to the vision developed in their three‐year farm-to-school plan.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute received a $49,918 grant that will allow it to conduct multiple regional sum-mits in the spring and summer of 2015. Attendees will include local farmers, child nutrition staff, city administrators, health professionals, education professionals and community members. The objectives are to train child nutrition staff in knowledge and skills to procure and prepare local foods in schools; to educate farmers about the Arkansas Market Maker program, school food safety requirements and how to con-duct business with schools; and to create new connections between community partners who support farm-to-school and child nutrition staff who need help finding farmers, planning events and building a program around local procurement efforts.

For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool.

Farm bill 2014’s top ag storyThe sweeping changes and challenges

wrought by the 2014 farm bill made it the

choice for the year’s top Arkansas agri-culture story in a poll of editors and those who work in the industry.

“This farm bill represents the most significant policy change for Arkansas row-crop agriculture in over a generation,” said Steve Halbrook, head of Agricultur-al Economics and Agribusiness for UA’s Division of Agriculture. “The elimination of direct payments and the move to crop insurance as the foundation risk manage-ment tool is a major change for Arkansas agriculture.”

Other top stories included Turner Grain Merchandising of Brinkley filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the presence of C&H Hog Farm on a tributary of the Buffalo River, Arkansas moving to the nation’s number two spot in turkey production and the year’s collapse in com-modity prices.

UA releases new soybeanThe University of Arkansas System

Division of Agriculture has released its first soybean variety that features Round-up Ready technology. Division soybean breeder Pengyin Chen said the new variety, called UA 5414RR, offers the weed control advantages of Roundup Ready soy-beans without the added cost of technol-ogy fees. He said growers could also save seed from each harvest for planting the

following year.UA 5414RR is broadly adapted for

growing conditions throughout Arkansas. Chen said the Division of Agriculture’s Foundation Seed Program at Stuttgart has about 2,000 bags of the seed available now for seed dealers and growers. For more information, call 870-673-2661.

ElsewhereCorn yield world record set

Farmer Randy Dowdy of Valdosta, Ga., has set the world record for corn yield with an average of 503 bushels per acre using DeKalb corn seed genetics. He achieved the record as part of the 2014 National Corn Growers Association’s 50th Annual National Corn Yield Contest.

“Monsanto would like to congratulate Randy Dowdy on setting this new world yield record for corn,” said Dr. Robert Fra-ley, chief technology officer for Monsanto, which owns DeKalb. “This accomplish-ment puts a spotlight on the important role that farmers all around the world play in society, and it showcases the valuable role that agriculture advancements can play in helping farmers achieve optimum and consistent corn performance so they can get the most from their land, wherever they are.”

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New reports show Arkansas farmers harvested 165,000 acres of grain sorghum in 2014, up about 40,000 acres from last year. “Many producers are looking to expand acreage in 2015,” said Jason Kelley, UA extension wheat and feed grains agrono-mist. “With prices equal to or greater than corn and with input costs significantly lower than corn, grain sorghum is a good fit.”

At a gala Jan. 6 at historic Trap-nell Hall in Little Rock, hundreds of friends, family and co-workers gathered to congratulate Bobby Cheatwood (second from right) who recently retired after serving as Pulaski Co. FB agency manager since 1983. Board member John Philpot (left), county president Pam Bredlow and Cheatwood’s wife Charla (right) helped with the festivities.

EditorKeith Suttonkeith.sutton@arfb.com

In the MarketAs of Jan. 6, 2015

Oil prices fall to lowest level since 2009

At the time of this writing, oil prices were below $50 per barrel. Since June 2014, oil prices have fallen from $106 a barrel to around $48 per barrel, a 54-percent decline in prices. These price could fall even lower in coming weeks as OPEC voted to hold production at 30 million barrels per day and countries like the United States and Russia continue to increase production. Currently there is an overproduction of about 1.4 million barrels of oil per day, and this is caus-ing a buildup in global oil reserves, which should keep downward pres-sure for the near to medium term. The Energy Information Adminis-tration forecast oil prices of around $75 in 2015. If this forecast holds, we could see prices reach a bottom similar to what they did in 2008 and bounce higher.

In December 2008, prices reached a low of $33.87 per barrel and then bounced back to trade between $70 and $80 within six months of the bottom. Prices held this trading range for more than year with a few excep-tions. The bottom line is producers should watch this market very closely over the next few months as it will offer some excellent opportunities to forward contract fuel for 2015.

India poised to challenge WTO ruling on imports of U.S. chicken

India is expected this month to file an appeal with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the body’s ruling against India’s limits on imports of poultry from the United States. The WTO ruled the India lim-

its on U.S. poultry were “unscientific,” even as India has maintained and still maintains they are an effort to protect the poultry industry in India. “We are filing an appeal very soon to the appellate body,” an official in India’s commerce department told the Eco-nomic Times.

Canada not backing down on COOL

Canada could start seeking per-mission to impose retaliatory action against the U.S. this summer if no changes are made to the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) program, Canadian ag minister Gerry Ritz told The Canadian Press, “The clock is ticking, and the American admin-istration knows it.” He expects there will be a WTO ruling by the middle of 2015 and, should the U.S. lose its appeal, Canada will push ahead to seek retaliation. “We are being told that sometime late spring or early summer we will have a pretty good direction as to where that is going to go,” Ritz said. “We will start lobbying very hard at the WTO to initiate the retaliatory process.” Further, Ritz warned Canada could expand the list of products it targets if it thinks it needs to apply pressure on a specific state or U.S. lawmaker.

Russia introduces export duty on wheat

Just before the first of the year, Russia’s prime minister signed a resolution that imposed a 15-percent export duty on wheat, plus 7.5 euros per metric ton. The duty will amount to at least 35 euros per ton in order to “stabilize the situation on the internal grain market.” The duty is effective Feb. 1 through the end of the 2014-15 marketing year on June 30. Analysts say the rate is not prohibitive, allow-ing for some exports. The delay in implementation of this duty allows Russia to fulfill most of their sales already on the books. The industry wanted this delayed until April. This

was likely a compromise with indus-try that should allow for continued wheat exports out of Russia.

FSA to provide RMA yield data to producers for yield updates

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will provide certified yield data from the Risk Management Agency to pro-ducers to use in deciding whether to update their farm program payment yields. The agency notes the yield data “belongs to the producer, and only the producer associated with the crop insurance records will be provided this service.” Landowners, however, are the ones who make the determination on whether to update their yields or to reallocate bases, so this announcement by FSA may not address the ability of landowners in a cash-rent situation to obtain the yield data if they are unable to get it from their renter. The deadline for the base and yield decisions is Feb. 27. Producers have until March 31 to make a one-time election of either Agricultural Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage for the 2014-2018 crop years.

South Korea imposes high rice import tariff

South Korea enacted a 513-percent tariff on rice imports at the start the of new year, the highest allowed by the World Trade Organization. Under its WTO membership, South Korea is required to import 408,700 met-ric tons of rice at a 5-percent tariff. Anything above that level is now taxed 513 percent. The U.S. share of the Korea Minimum Market Access requirement is around 50,000 tons.

CONTACT• Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.