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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
Governor Terry Branstad says he hopes some other Iowa city is able to land a new Prestage Farms pork plant after Mason City took itself out of the running. “I think they made a mistake,” Branstad says. “…First of all, Iowa is a leading pork producing state. It makes sense to process those pigs in Iowa.” The Mason City Council cast a tie vote on a development deal with the company in early May, rejecting the proposed 240-million dollar pork processing plant.
Branstad says he “was impressed” with Prestage when he met with the company’s executives. “It’s a family-owned business. They’ve had a great reputation in North Carolina,” Branstad says. Critics raised environmental concerns about wastewater from the plant and the odor from hog confinements that likely would be built or expanded to supply the plant. Others cited extra costs for the community, including the hiring of new school staff to teach the children of plant employees who do not speak English.
The C-E-O of Prestage says as the company examines other locations, he’ll be better prepared to deal with critics of the project, who he calls “kooks”. “What I’m concerned about is South Dakota and other states would like to have them,” Branstad says. “We hope that we could get this in Iowa because I think it would be good for the Iowa independent pork producers and good for the Iowa economy.”
Prestage Farms officials say “dozens” of cities in Iowa and elsewhere have expressed interest in their project. The Prestage Farms C-E-O says he’s open to building anywhere in the upper Midwest, but Iowa is still his “preference.” Mason City officials initially offered a more than 11-million dollar package of local incentives to land the deal. A petition drive is underway in the community to try to get the city council to reverse its rejection of the project.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement led the lobbying effort against the deal and the group vows to organize in other Iowa cities where Prestage might consider locating.
(Radio Iowa)
@ 7:00 am:
Corn planting in Iowa is getting close to being done. The latest U-S-D-A report shows 96 percent of the corn crop has been planted — which is two days ahead of last year and six days ahead of the five-year average. Seventy-five percent of the corn has emerged from the ground — which is four days ahead of normal. The first corn condition rating of the season showed 73 percent was in good to excellent conditions.
Soybean planting is now reported to be 74 percent complete, almost one week ahead of last year. Twenty-one percent of the soybeans have emerged — which is two days behind last year — but equal to the five-year average. Iowa State University extension agronomist Joel DeJong says farmers in northwest Iowa are contending with too much rain.
He says about 10 days ago they had some very heavy rains, including four to six inches in one area that pounded the ground and caused some emergence problems. He says field flooding was an issue too. DeJong says some of the early corn got drowned out and farmers are looking at replanting. He says there are some acres on the Missouri River bottom south of Sioux City where it’s going to be tough to get the water off of it. De Jong says in some areas of O’Brien, Cherokee and maybe in Osceola County, it will be hard to find a window to replant.
(Radio Iowa)
MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — The DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a special turkey hunt this month. The hunt will take place Saturday and Sunday. Other activities such as mushroom hunting will be prohibited during the turkey hunt to ensure public safety.
The refuge is located north of Omaha, Nebraska, along on U.S. Highway 30 near Missouri Valley, Iowa. An entrance permit is required for all vehicles. The daily entrance fee for private vehicles is $3. Permits are available at pay stations near the entrances or at the Visitor Center. The charge for commercial vans and buses is $20, or $30 if 21 or more people are aboard.
Annual permits are available at the visitor center.
Deere & Company is reporting lower second quarter profits and sales. The world’s largest farming-equipment maker, based in Moline, Illinois, had net income of $495 million and adjusted earnings per share of $1.56. Deere CEO Samuel Allen says the company’s second-quarter performance reflects the continuing downturn in the global farm economy and further weakness in construction equipment sales.
The company has cut back its expected full-year net income forecast to $1.2 billion from $1.3 billion. Even so, Allen says the company is continuing to perform at a much higher level than in previous downturns. Deere is Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer.
(Radio Iowa)
The Iowa DNR reports six public hearings will be held from May 23rd to June 3rd, to gather input on proposed rule changes for animal feeding operations. The proposed rule incorporates recent legislation, allows marketing solids from open feedlots as bulk dry animal nutrients, provides clarification of requirements in the rules, and repeals unnecessary and outdated rules, lists and internet addresses.
Written or oral comments can be made at any of the hearings. In the KJAN listening area, a hearing will be held 10-a.m. May 24th, in the downstairs meeting room at the Carroll County Courthouse, 114 E. Sixth St., in Carroll.
Send written comments to Gene Tinker, DNR, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319; or by e-mail to Gene.Tinker@dnr.iowa.gov.
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