- January 25 1:00 – 3:45 p.m. AND January 26 9:00 – 11:45 a.m.
- Program is different each day.
- Program Details
- Register
National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Update (Caitlin Eannello)
Capital Press Publishes NAWG Opinion Editorial on Trade
- On January 13, 2021, Capital Press published NAWG CEO Chandler Goule’s opinion piece on how the Biden Administration can build upon the trade successes achieved by the Trump Administration. The piece can be accessed here. NAWG encourages its members and others to share on their social media platforms.
USDA Releases Agriculture Innovation Research Strategy Summary and Dashboard
- On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its U.S. Agriculture Innovation Strategy Directional Vision for Research summary and dashboard that will help to guide future research decisions within USDA. The strategy synthesizes the information USDA collected as part of a public announcement earlier this year engaging the public on research priorities under the Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA).
FFAR Grant Develops Climate-Resilient Wheat
- Wheat constitutes 20 percent of all calories and protein consumed, making it a cornerstone of the human diet, according to the United Nations. However, hotter and drier weather, driven by a changing climate, threatens the global wheat supply. To address this threat, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded a $5 million grant to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to develop climate-resilient wheat. CIMMYT leads global research programs on maize and wheat, sustainable cropping systems and policies to improve farmers’ livelihoods. These activities have driven major gains in wheat variety improvement across the globe for decades; in the US alone, for example, over 50 percent of the wheat acreage is sown with CIMMYT-related varieties. Read the release here.
US Wheat Associates, Weekly Price Report (Claire Hutchins)
USDA’s lower than expected global wheat ending stocks estimate and news that Russia could further increase its 2020/21 wheat export tax supported all wheat futures prices week-over-week. CBOT soft red winter (SRW) futures jumped 37 cents to end at $6.75/bu. KCBT hard red winter (HRW) futures added 48 cents to close at $6.43/bu. MGE hard red spring (HRS) futures gained 35 cents to end at $6.43/bu. CBOT corn futures jumped 35 cents to close at $5.31/bu. CBOT March soybean futures added 42 cents to end at $14.2/bu
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Industry News – MN Farm Bureau Federation Weekly Impact
Additional Assistance Through CFAP
- USDA announced additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new assistance will include expanded eligibility for certain commodities and producers established in the recently passed relief package, as well as updated payments for producers who were eligible under previous iterations of the program.
- Newly eligible producers who need to submit a CFAP2 application or producers who need to modify an existing one can do so between January 19 and February 26, 2021. Producers who are modifying their applications should contact their local USDA Service Center for assistance. Producers who are filing new applications should contact their Service Center or call 877-508-8364 for one-on-one support.
- Read the AFBF Market Intel Report for a review of the additional CFAP support:
- For details of the CFAP Program: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap
Paycheck Protection Program Updates
- The recently enacted COVID-19 resource and relief package includes several improvements to a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program. A recent AFBF Market Intel Report, found here, highlights the PPP improvements that will benefit farmers and ranchers, including new qualifying expenses, using gross farm income to determine loan amounts and reducing the level of required losses to qualify.
- SBA announced that PPP lending would start on January 11 for borrowers new to the program; repeat borrowers can apply beginning January 13. The loan application deadline for the second round of PPP loans is March 31 or until funds are exhausted. Businesses with no more than 300 employees that received loans last year are eligible for this second round of PPP loans but at a reduced loan cap of $2 million. Interested producers can visit the SBA website to begin preparing their application.
Nitrogen Management Conference
- The 7th Annual Nitrogen: Minnesota’s Grand Challenge and Compelling Opportunity Conference will be held via zoom on February 9. This event is organized and hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension and the MAWRC, with support from the MDA and other sponsors.
- Due to Covid-19, this year we will hold the event virtually. The program is similar to past years, but the format is modified to allow you as participants to take in most of the information on your own. All presentations will be available for viewing one week prior to the conference. In order to keep the conference day program shorter while still allowing a question-and-answer session, the researchers will provide brief summaries of their presentation on February 9 during the zoom program, followed by discussion. Participants can submit questions while viewing the full presentations during the week prior to February 9.
- All presentations will be recorded and available for viewing at your convenience.
- The event is free, and advance registration is required to receive the link to participate via zoom.
- The program lineup and registration information can be found at mawrc.org/events