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Midwest news and notes Saturday, December 29, 2007
Crop input costs expected to soar
Many experts are estimating that crop input costs for seed, fertilizer, pesticides and fuel for corn and soybean production this year will increase as much as 25 percent to 35 percent, says Kent Thiesse, vice president of MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal.
That could increase per-acre production costs by $50-75 per acre or more for corn and $25-50 per acre for soybeans, he said.
This doesn't include any potential added costs for fungicides to control soybean rust and other diseases or insecticides for soybean aphids. Thiesse said producers should look for opportunities in coming weeks to lock-in costs for seed, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, drying gas and other expenses.
Study finds changes in soybean basis
A study by the Soy Transportation Coalition highlights the potential loss of revenue for soybean farmers across the country. The study, funded by the soybean checkoff program, identifies how the soybean basis has gradually, yet consistently, become wider and more negative during the last five years.
"Soybean basis has been widening in recent years, meaning that many producers are getting a smaller share of the CBOT price,'' said Mark Newman, president of Market Solutions LLC.
He conducted the analysis of soybean basis for the STC.
Watch beef cattle's sulfur intake
Beef producers need to watch their animals' sulfur intake, says Jeff Lehmkhuler, University of Wisconsin Extension beef cattle specialist.
The National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle recommends a dietary sulfur content of 0.15 percent for all phases of production. The publication also lists the maximum tolerable level for sulfur at 0.4 percent in diets, Lehmkhuler said.
Excessive dietary sulfur can hurt animal health and cause mineral deficiencies as a result of forming insoluable mineral complexes.
Take care of your dairy calves
Dipping a calf's naval in iodine helps prevent naval infection, which young calves can't fight off, says Eric Sonnek, Extension specialist in Stearns, Benton and Morrison counties in Minnesota.
Vaccinating calves is also important, he said. Each farm has a different vaccination program for dairy calves, but it's important on every farm to discuss protocol with your veterinarian.
Check the calves after feeding, Sonnek said. Make sure the calves drank aggressively and completely. Any sign of hestitation could mean the start of an illness, be it scours or pneumonia.
Farm resume can be valuable tool
A farm resume can be a valuable tool when looking for additional land to rent or even to communicate with your current landlord or banker, says Wayne Schoper, Extension educator in Brown and Nicollet counties in Minnesota.
A farm resume is just like a job resume in that it highlights the qualifications of the producer and his or her present farm business.
Resumes of the farm may also be helpful in selling services or products, Schoper added. |
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