USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report (MN) –
Click Here for Full Report
- 100% Spring Wheat Emergence – 2 wks ahead of 2020 and avg
- 50% HRS Jointed – 9 days ahead of 2020 and the avg.
- HRS Conditions: 0% Very Poor, 4% Poor, 24% Fair, 56% Good, 16% Ex.
- Top Soil Moisture: 10% very short, 41% short, 48% adequate, & 1% surplus
- Sub Soil Moisture: 7% very short, 35% short, 57% adequate, & 1% surplus
Other Items of Interest
Complete the 2021 Spring Wheat Survey today! If you grow Hard Red Spring Wheat, complete the survey online for a chance to win a cooler. ($350 value) This survey is being conducted for the benefit of the University of Minnesota Spring Wheat Breeding Program. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!
Announcing changes to the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers
Golf Events
This year MAWG will host 9-hole, 2-man scrambles at two locations, Hawley, MN and Red Lake Falls, MN. By offering two locations/dates and changing the format, we hope this will better accommodate growers and agri-business’ schedules within the wheat growing area. The dates for the two events are as follows:
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Hawley Golf Club
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Limited to the first 100 registered golfers
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Oak Knolls Golf Club, Red Lake Falls
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Limited to the first 36 registered golfers
** Awards, social and light meal will be served at the end of play at both locations. Visit https://bit.ly/3foTBw4 for more details and to register.
Northern Soil Compaction Conference
- Is soil compaction squeezing your yields? The University of Minnesota Extension is proud to partner with NDSU and Manitoba Ag and Resource Development to bring you the Northern Soil Compaction Conference. This virtual event will be held on June 22nd and 23rd from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (CST).
- Topics will include how compaction affects root and crop growth, yields, fertility, crop diseases, and management strategies to alleviate or avoid the negative effects of compaction. There will be demonstrations highlighting tire versus track research, and tire and equipment maintenance that will help you manage and reduce compaction.
- The cost of the 2-day conference is $50. Visit z.umn.edu/NSCC2021 for more information and to register.
Seeking Cooperators for the Small Grain Pest and Disease Survey
The University Minnesota Extension is still seeking cooperators who are willing to submit their fields for scouting of small grains pests and diseases for the 2021 growing season – Click Here for Form
National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Update
(Mariah Wollweber)
NAWG Submits Fiscal Year 2022 Outside Witness Testimony
- As Congress looks towards drafting a FY 2022 Agriculture Appropriations bill, NAWG was able to submit an outside witness testimony to key appropriations subcommittees in the Senate and House of Representatives advocating for numerous agricultural priorities. In the testimony, notable priorities included maintaining full funding for the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, a request to fund a Wheat Resiliency Initiative at $5.66 million to address new and emerging challenges to wheat production, and continued support for ancient crop genetics research conducted at public-private consortiums – like the Wheat Genetics Resource Center – to enhance yields, fight diseases and pests, and adapt to changing climates and reduce global food insecurity.
Bayer’s Announcement of Five-Step Plan with Roundup
- Recently, Bayer announced the possibility of removing the company’s well-known lawn and garden product, Roundup, from the market. While Bayer affirmed it would continue to make the herbicide available for agricultural purposes, a recent federal judge’s rejection of a settlement to deal with future claims of harm from the product sets a precedent. In a recent Agri-Pulse article, NAWG CEO, Chandler Goule, commented on the decision saying, ”It’s unfortunate to see that our legal system does not take science into consideration.” Read more here.
House Ag Committee Chair and Senate Ag Committee Members Send Separate Letters to the Administration on Taxes
- In a letter to President Biden, House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott showed support of the American Jobs Plan and American Family plan but emphasized the importance of protecting farmers and ranchers from financial burden with an increase in inheritance tax. Separately, Republican members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee reflected this sentiment to protect agriculture, and are pressuring USDA to provide details on how American agriculturalists will be impacted by the Biden administration’s proposed tax increases. The committee has requested Secretary Vilsack provide details and explanations on how the tax increase will directly affect farm estates in order to help protect the economic wellbeing of rural America. Read more about Chairman Scott’s letter here, and the Senate committee’s request for information here.
Biden Administration Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Budget
- Last Friday, as we headed into Memorial Day Weekend, President Biden released the administration’s full fiscal year (FY) 2022 federal budget. Of the proposed $6 trillion budget, USDA’s overall budget request of $29.9 billion is a 9 percent increase over FY 2021’s budget. As it relates to NAWG and the agricultural community, this year’s proposed budget includes continued funding for crucial programs such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMD). In addition to this continued funding, there were no cuts to the Federal Crop Insurance Program. The budget provides for an increase in funding for research, rural broadband, infrastructure, and more. To view USDA’s 2022 Budget Summary, click here. To view the Biden Administration’s official budget proposal, click here.
New Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP)
- Earlier this week, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced a new cover crop program. The program will provide premium support of $5 per acre for spring crops with most insurance policies and planted a qualifying cover crop during the 2021 crop year. Spring crop means insured crops reported for the 2021 crop year with a Federal crop insurance acreage reporting date of April 15, 2021, to August 15, 2021, in accordance with the crop insurance policy. In order to receive these benefits, producers must file a Report of Acreage form (FSA-578) for cover crops with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) by June 15, 2021. The normal acreage reporting deadline with FSA has not changed, but to receive the premium benefit, producers must file by June 15. See the press release here and FAQ here.
Quantifying Climate Benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Contracts
- The USDA and Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the initiative of a multi-year effort to target CRP toward positive climate outcomes and conservation tools while still focusing on putting American agriculture at the forefront of climate-smart solutions. Specifically, FSA is investing $10 million to Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) projects to monitor the soil carbon sequestration and other benefits of conservation practices through CRP contracts. Read more about CRP and USDA’s initiative here
Early Registration for National Wheat Yield Contest Spring Wheat Closes Soon!
- National Yield Contest spring wheat is open. Get your entry in by June 15 for the early entry cost of $100. Spring Wheat entries are accepted until August 1. The wheat contest is administered entirely online, and growers can register at yieldcontest.wheatfoundation.org. Talk to your seed supplier or contact us at National Wheat Foundation if you need help entering or want more information.
US Wheat Associates, Weekly Price Report – Michael Anderson
- Futures prices were up this week. CBOT soft red winter (SRW) futures gained 24 cents to close at $6.87/bu. KCBT hard red winter (HRW) futures were up 23 cents to end at $6.36/bu. MGE hard red spring (HRS) futures surged this week on continued concerns over dryness in the HRS growing region. Futures rose 85 cents to close at $8.10/bu. CBOT corn futures gained 26 cents to end at $6.82/bu. CBOT soybean futures gained 53 cents to close at $15.83/
Commercial Sales: View the most recent USW Commercial Sales report here.
- This week’s commercial sales for the marketing year 2020/21 were up slightly from last week to 33,300 metric tons (MT), in line with trade expectations of 25,000 MT to 100,000 MT. Year-to-date commercial sales for delivery in 2020/21 total 25.6 million metric tons (MMT), 5% lower than last year. USDA expects the total 2020/21 U.S. wheat exports to reach 26.2 MMT, even with the previous year if realized
U.S. Drought Monitor (Click for full Report)
Figure 2.1: May 27th
Figure 1.2: June 3rd
Regions of Texas and Oklahoma continued to receive rainfall this week, eliminating areas of dryness throughout the region. Temperatures across the Plains and south into Texas and Oklahoma were below average. Much of the wheat-growing area stretching from North Dakota, including South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and eastern Colorado, received well over average precipitation amounts. However, drought conditions expanded in northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. Areas in the west remained dry, with abnormally dry conditions growing in Washington.
- Weekly Harvest Report (Erica Oakley)
Harvest delays continue in Texas with cool, wet weather. Conditions have improved from central Oklahoma north with warmer, drier weather. Drought conditions persist in the northern and PNW states, hindering development of SW, HRS and HRW crops grown in the region. The first SRW samples are expected in the lab next week as harvest is 23% complete in Arkansas; overall, the SRW crop looks good. Full Report Here
