Category: Marketing

Maryland Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) Bonus Payment

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will issue a bonus payment to Maryland farmers based on a percentage (15%) of federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) funds received for the CFAP1 period that ended Sept. 11, 2020. Deadline for the bonus payment is December 1 at 5:00 PM. 

CFAP1 provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5% or greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions from COVID-19, and face additional significant marketing costs. The commodities covered are: aquaculture (finfish and crayfish), corn, cut flowers, dairy, livestock (excluding poultry), nursery, small grains, soybeans and specialty crops.

Applications will be online and must be completed by following this link: https://onestop.md.gov/forms/maryland-cares-act-cfap1-bonus-5f5bb7a9274b2e00fb5c9466

October 2020 WASDE Report

Dale Johnson, Farm Management Specialist
University of Maryland Extension

Corn
Harvested acres estimate was adjusted down 1 million acres and yield estimate was adjusted down 0.1 bushels per acre. Beginning stocks estimate was adjusted down 258 million bushels. The total effect of these changes decreased supply 436 million bushels. Domestic demand estimate was decreased by 100 million bushels which accounted for the decrease in Use total. The net effect of supply and demand decreased ending stocks 336 million bushels and the stocks-to-use ratio from 17.1% to 14.9%. These anticipated changes have been reflected in the market as December futures price for corn has increased $0.75/bu. from $3.23/bu. on August 11 to a high of $3.98/bu. on October 9.
Soybeans
Harvested acres estimate for soybeans was adjusted down 700,000 acres and beginning stocks were adjusted down by 52 million bushel. These two changes resulted in a decrease of 97 million bushel in estimated 2020/21 supply. On the demand side, there was an increase in export estimate of 75 million bushels. The resulting estimate of ending stocks was decreased by 170 million bushels decreasing the stocks-to-use ratio to a very low 6.4% from 10.4% last month. The November futures price for soybeans has spiked almost $2.00/bu. in the past two months from $8.83/bu. on August 11 to a high of $10.80/bu. on October 9.
Wheat
Yield estimate was adjusted down 0.4 bushels per acre. Demand was increased by 10 million bushel. The net effect was to decrease ending stocks by 42 million bushel and the stocks-to-use ratio from 44.3% in September to 42.1% in October. wheat futures prices (December) have followed corn and soybean prices and increased $1.03/bu. from $5.04/bu. on August 11 to $6.07/bu. on October 9.
Click here to download the report.

2020 Grain Marketing Workshop

Friday January 10, 2020 from 8:00am – 11:30am

This breakfast meeting will include speakers on various topics in grain marketing.  Come have breakfast and discuss this year’s strategies for marketing your grain. Speakers include marketing specialists, traders and more.  Topics include local and national grain outlook for 2020, tax considerations, crop insurance and the farm bill.

Locations

In person:

  • Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD Higher Education Center HES-110. Contact Shannon Dill, sdill@umd.edu or call 410-822-1244.

Broadcast to:

  • Charles County Extension, 9501 Crain Hwy, Bel Alton, MD 20611. Contact Alan Leslie, aleslie@umd.edu or call (301) 934-5403
  • Harford County Extension, 3525 Conowingo Rd., Suite 600, Street, MD 21154. Contact Andy Kness, akness@umd.edu or call (410) 638-3255
  • Somerset County Extension Office, 30730 Park Dr, Princess Anne, MD 21853. Contact: Sarah Hirsh, shirsh@umd.edu or call (410) 651-1350

Fifth Annual Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference – Register Today!

ALEI Conference flyer

Hosted by the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI), the Agriculture and Environmental Conference will bring agricultural, environmental, and legal professionals together to discuss timely and relevant legal issues that farmers face on a daily basis. Topics at the November 14 conference include: land use and liability for urban farmers; developing issues in agricultural and environmental law; diversifying uses on farms with conservation easements; local and state roles in siting approval of solar energy facilities; and maintaining neighbor relations when legal issues arise. Nutrient Management Continuing Learning Education Credits are available for those attending!

Instead of a keynote speaker, this year’s conference will feature a keynote panel on the emerging opportunities for farmers and aquaculture growers in ecosystem trading markets. The panel will feature experts in water, air, and soil quality trading systems to explain the current state of these opportunities and how producers can prepare themselves to participate, including: Pipa Elias, Director, North America Agriculture Program, The Nature Conservancy; Dr. Lisa Wainger, Research Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Suzanne Dorsey, Assistant Secretary, Maryland Department of Environment’s Assistant Secretary, and Matthew Clagett, Assistant Attorney General, Maryland Department of Environment. This panel, like others at the conference, is an opportunity to spark conversations between different stakeholders about how best to protect agriculture and natural resources in Maryland.

The ALEI team has worked to ensure the conference evokes a lively discussion and advances the dialogue about the natural resource protection laws affecting Maryland’s farmers. The conference is geared toward members of the agriculture community, including farmers, agricultural and environmental attorneys, regulators, agriculture professionals, environmental associations, and elected officials. Students may attend for free if they bring a valid student identification card.

The conference will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 8 am – 3 pm at the Crowne Plaza Annapolis, 173 Jennifer Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401. Registration opens at 7:30 am.

For more information or to register, please visit https://go.umd.edu/aleiconf2019registration.

MD Grain Marketing Site Updated for 2018: Field Crop Budgets and Custom Rates

Shannon Dill, Agriculture Extension Educator, University of Maryland Extension, Talbot County

The University of Maryland Extension has updated www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing site with new input data for 2018 crop budgets.  Also posted is the 2017 Maryland Custom Rate Survey.

Crop Budgets

Cost of production is very important when making decisions related to your farm enterprise and grain marketing.  Enterprise budgets provide valuable information regarding individual enterprises on the farm. This tool enables farm managers to make decisions regarding enterprises and plan for the coming production year. An enterprise budget uses farm revenue, variable cost, fixed cost and net income to provide a clear picture of the financial health of each farm enterprise.

The 2018 Maryland enterprise budgets were developed using average yields and estimated input cost based upon producer and farm supplier data. The figures presented are averages and vary greatly from one farm and region to the other. It is therefore crucial to input actual farm data when completing enterprise budgets for your farm.

How to Use University Enterprise Budgets:

The enterprise budgets can be used as a baseline for your operation.  Make changes to these budgets to include your production techniques, inputs and overall management.

The budgets are available electronically in PDF or Excel online at www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing.  Use this document as a start or reference to create your crop budgets.  If you have problems downloading any of these budgets contact information is located on the website.

Table of 2018 crop budgets

2017 Custom Rate Survey Now Available

Financial and economic considerations such as limited capital, untimely cash flow, insufficient labor, small acreage or other reasons require farmers to hire custom service for field operations.

Custom work charges are determined by demand and supply and are negotiated between farmers and custom operators. The purpose of the publication is to provide information on custom work charges in Maryland and to provide data to assist in decision making regarding purchasing equipment.

Custom Work Charges

A mail survey was conducted in the fall of 2016 to determine custom works charges in Maryland. Rates were collected from 40 custom operators and farmers, and summarized for the state. Participants indicated the rates they charge for various field operations. The charges reported in this publication may serve as a guide in determining an acceptable rate for a particular job where little other information is available. The charges can also be compared with costs and returns and may be used as a basis for working out more equitable charges for both the custom operator and customer.  These are available online at www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing or contact your local Extension Office.

 

 

Field Crop Budgets and Custom Rates

By:      Shannon Dill, Extension Educator, Talbot 

The University of Maryland Extension has updated www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing site with new input data for 2017 crop budgets.  Also posted is the 2017 Maryland Custom Rate Survey.

Crop Budgets

Cost of production is very important when making decisions related to your farm enterprise and grain marketing.  Enterprise budgets provide valuable information regarding individual enterprises on the farm. This tool enables farm managers to make decisions regarding enterprises and plan for the coming production year. An enterprise budget uses farm revenue, variable cost, fixed cost and net income to provide a clear picture of the financial health of each farm enterprise. Continue reading Field Crop Budgets and Custom Rates