MN Wheat Weekly Update
Drought Monitor July 16th vs July 23rd (US Drought Monitor)
Yellow = Abnormally Dry, Tan = Moderate Drought, Orange = Severe Drought
MN Scab Risk Model (http://mawg.cropdisease.com/) 48-hour forecast
MN Crop Progress Report (USDA) July 27th (USDA)
- HRS 72% Turning Color (2 days behind normal)
- HRS Crop Condition – 2% Very Poor, 2% Poor, 21% Fair, 66% Good, & 9% Excellent
- Top Soil Moisture – 2% Very Short, 7% Short, 73% Adequate, & 13% Surplus
- Sub Soil Moisture – 1% Very Short, 6% Short, 80% Adequate, & 13% Surplus
Wheat Harvest 2020 (Erica Oakley, US Wheat Associates)
The HRW harvest progressed quickly this week with 284 new samples being tested; protein is holding steady at 11.8%. The SRW harvest is winding down and the crop currently grades as U.S. No. 2. Warmer, drier weather is forecast for HRS and northern durum growing regions. In the Pacific Northwest, the winter SW harvest is progressing with favorable weather.
- US Wheat Associates weekly harvest reports. Register here for their weekly updates…good information.
US Wheat Price Report (Claire Hutchins)
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- US Wheat Full Supply & Demand Report:
NAWG Legislative Update (Caitlin Eannello)
- NAWG Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership Requesting Additional COVID-19 Relief
On July 21, 2020, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) sent a letter to congressional leadership re additional COVID-19 relief for wheat farmers. In the letter, NAWG states that “assistance that has been made available through the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), have provided needed help to many of our farmers. The assistance provided through CFAP…currently includes only two of the six classes of wheat grown across the country (or approximately 30% of the 2019 U.S. wheat production), and it does not yet cover 2020 crop losses. Additional resources will be necessary to continue to address the economic impacts farmers have been experiencing, especially with the 2020 wheat crop already being harvested. We also urge you to include provisions that will enable all wheat producers to be eligible for any agriculture relief program
- Bloomberg: Bayer Roundup Verdict Slashed in California After Settlement
A $79 million award against Bayer AG was slashed by three-quarters almost a month after the company reached a settlement to resolve lawsuits over its flagship weed killer Roundup…The ruling, however, may buttress tens of thousands of claims arguing Roundup causes cancer. It could embolden settlement holdouts to demand bigger payouts and spur more lawsuits by users of the herbicide who haven’t gotten sick yet, said Anna Pavlik, a senior counsel at investment adviser United First Partners in New York. Read more here. - Progressive Farmer/DTN: Enlist Duo Ruling
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today denied a petition to vacate the registration of Corteva Agriscience’s Enlist Duo herbicide, a 2,4-D-choline and glyphosate premix designed for use over 2,4-D-tolerant Enlist crops. The court ruled that EPA only needed to fix one oversight with the Enlist Duo registration regarding the herbicide’s risk to monarch butterflies. The herbicide’s registration will remain intact in the meantime. Read more here.
Industry News (Minnesota Farm Bureau Weekly News Update)
MDA Expands Options for Contacting Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline
- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering two new ways that farmers and others involved in agriculture can contact the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline: text and email.
The confidential service, available 24/7, connects the agricultural community to counselors who can serve as a sounding board, provide emotional support, link callers with a rural mental health specialist or help them find information about financial and legal resources. Users are welcome to remain anonymous.
Contact options now include: Phone (toll free): 833-600-2670 / Text:
FARMSTRESS to 898211 / Email: farmstress@state.mn.us
People who are worried about family or friends and are not sure how to help are also encouraged to use this service. For more information click here.
Face Covering Requirements and Recommendations
- As of July 25 per the Governor’s Executive Order 20-81, people in Minnesota are required to wear a face covering in all indoor businesses and public indoor spaces, unless alone. Additionally, workers are required to wear a face covering when working outdoors in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained.
For more information about face coverings and the Executive Order, see the Frequently Asked Questions About the Requirement to Wear Face Coverings.
Second Special Session Ends Without Sec. 179 Conformity
- The Minnesota Legislature concluded the 2nd Special Session of 2020 last week without passage of Section 179 Tax Conformity. The important tax provisions were rolled into the bonding bill, H.F. 3, legislation that requires more than a simple majority vote to move forward in either legislative body.
- The legislation would have provided $90 million specific to the Section 179/Like-Kind Exchange issue and included other significant tax relief opportunities for eligible farmers.
- Section 179 Conformity is a priority issue for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, and we will continue to advocate for legislation that provides this needed tax relief for farmers and small businesses.
MFBF together with other agricultural advocacy groups signed onto a letter Monday imploring the Minnesota legislature to pass full Section 179 Conformity during a potential August special session. Read more here.