AgDay Daily Recap - April 12, 2018

TODAY ON AGDAY
APRIL 12, 2018

HEADLINES
AG SECRETARY PERDUE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM CONGRESS ON THE  IMPACTS OF TRADE POLICY. PLUS, CHALLENGES FACING CITRUS GROWERS AND HOW TEXAS PRODUCERS HELPING FILL THE GAP. IN AGRIBUSINESS...IS NOW A GOOD TIME TO GROW? FINDING A GETAWAY GEM IN THE DAIRY STATE. AGDAY - BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CHEVY SILVERADO, THE MOST DEPENDABLE, LONGEST-LASTING FULL  SIZE PICKUPS ON THE ROAD. 

SEC. PERDUE HEARING
GOOD MORNING I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS. WASHINGTON IS BACK AT WORK AND GRILLING AG LEADERS ABOUT BUDGETS  AND TRADE IMPACTS ON FARMERS.  AG SECRETARY SONNY PERDUE TESTIFYING IN FRONT OF THE SENATE  APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON WEDNESDAY.   BETSY JIBBEN HAS DETAILS FROM THE HEARING. AG. SECRETARY SONNY PERDUE ADDRESSING ANXIETY IN FARM COUNTRY AT THE  BEGINNING OF HIS OPENING STATEMENTS. "AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S NO SECRET THERE'S A GOOD BIT OF ANXIETY OUT IN THE FARM LAND TODAY. THERE ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS."LAWMAKERS ADDRESSING THOSE HEIGHTENING CONCERNS ASKING PERDUE  ABOUT THE INCREASED TRADE TENSION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA.  PERDUE SAYING TRADE IS OVERSHADING THE REAUTHRORIZATION OF A FARM  BILL DURING A FARM BILL YEAR.  "THE PRESIDENT HAS ASSURED ME THAT WE AREN'T GOING TO ASK FARMERS TO BEAR THE BRUNT  AND BE THE CASUALTIIES DURING A TRADE DISPUTE WAR. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE  NEGOTIATIONS. "PERDUE STATING HE'S PLEASED TO SEE THE CHINESE PREISDENT COME BACK  AND SIGNAL WILLINGNESS TO SIT DOWN AND TALK, ESPECIALLY ABOUT  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.  "WITH THIS ISSUE OF INTELLUCTUAL PROPERTY  THEFT, YOU ALSO ARE AWARE THAT HAPPENED TO  AGRICULTURE AS WELL. IN FACT  DIGGING UP SEEDS IN FIELDS OF IOWA."BACK ON TRADE, USDA LEADERS SAYING  AT SEPARATE APPEARANCES- THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONSIDER OPTIONS  INCLUDING PURCHASES OF COMMODITIES IN BULK TO PROP UP PRICES - SOMETHING THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE IN THE PAST FOR SOME PRODUCE AND  DAIRY PRODUCTS.  " I REALLY DON'T LIKE TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT OWN THE COMMODITIES BECAUSE IN THE END, THEY'LL  HAVE TO DUMP IT BACK ON THE MARKET AT SOME TIME."THE AG. SECRETARY STILL RECEIVING PUSH-BACK DURING THE HEARING. "WHAT I HEAR FROM THE PRESS IS DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT FARMERS, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THE  RESPONSIBILITY TO SONNY PERDUE TO MAKE YOU WHOLE. NOT EXACTLY THOSE WORDS."

"CAN YOU ADDRESS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHEN THESE CROP PRICES GO TO HELL? CAUSE  THEY'RE GOING TO AND THEY ALREADY ARE.""LOOK, THERE'S NO DOUBT PRODUCERS ARE ANXIOUS, I'M ANXIOUS. THIS IS THEIR LIVELIHOOD. IT'S  THEIR FUTURE. BUT WE DO EXPECT WE CAN GET NEGOTIATIONS DONE ON THOSE AND THAT WILL LEAVE THE  ANXIETY METER TO A DEGREE AND WE CAN DEAL WITH THE CHINA ISSUE." REPORTING FOR AGDAY, I'M BETSY JIBBEN  THE MEETING MEANT TO FOCUS ON THE FISCAL '19 BUDGET.  PERDUE DID RECEIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PROPOSED CUTS TO FUNDING FOR AG  RESEARCH AND FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE.  

CHINA, U.S. TRADE UPDATE
ON THE TRADE FRONT, CHINA HAS FILED A DISPUTE WITH THE WORLD TRADE  ORGANIZATION ALLEGING THE U.S. TARIFFS ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM VIOLATE  WORLD TRADE RULES.  THIS AS PRESIDENT XI JINGPING ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OPEN IT'S ECONOMY. THAT COULD OFFER A GLIMMER OF NEGOTIATION HOPE TO END OR DAMPEN THE  CURRENT TRADE SPAT, WHICH INCLUDES PROPOSED TARIFFS ON U.S. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.  TRUMP HAS BEEN INSISTENT THAT THE TWO NATIONS WILL REACH A MUTUALLY  BENEFICIAL AGREEMENT, WHILE CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE SAID NEGOTIATIONS  WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE UNDER "CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES. 

AID FOR CITRUS GROWERS IMPACTED BY HARVEY
EIGHT MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE IRMA HIT FLORIDA AND HARVEY HIT TEXAS, IT  APPEARS DISASTER RELIEF MAY BE ON ITS WAY...EVENTUALLY.USDA ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK TWO-POINT-THREE BILLION DOLLARS IN AID FOR  FARMERS AND CITRUS GROWERS HIT BY THE POWERFUL STORMS. PRODUCERS  HIT BY THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE. FLORIDA CITRUS GROWERS SUSTAINED 760-MILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES  FOLLOWING THE HURRICANE LAST SUMMER. USDA SECRETARY SONNY PERDUE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED CITRUS GROWERS  DURING THE HEARING IN WHICH HE TESTIFIED. "THE INDUSTRY IS SO CONCENTRATED ON CITRUS THAT WE'VE HAD TO DIG IN. WE HAVE MOST OF   THE OTHER THINGS FIGURED OUT AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." IT'S UNKNOWN, HOWEVER, WHEN CHECKS WILL BE ISSUED. ACCORDING TO THE  USDA NEWS RELEASE ON THE DISASTER AID, THE SIGN UP PERIOD FOR THE  PROGRAM WILL BE NO LATER THAN JULY 16. FLORIDA AG COMMISSIONER ADAM PUTNAM SAYS HE'S ENCOURAGED BY USDA'S  ANNOUNCEMENT THAT DISASTER RELIEF IS ON ITS WAY. QUOTING NOW -" TO MAKE SURE THE DISASTER RELIEF PROCESS IS IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY THAT  WILL HELP FLORIDA'S GROWERS AND PRODUCERS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET." USDA'S RELEASED ITS LATEST CITRUS FORECAST TUESDAY. IT EXPECTS 45  MILLION BOXES OF FLORIDA ORANGES FOR THE 2017-2018 SEASON. THAT'S DOWN 9 MILLION BOXES FROM THE 54 MILLION BOXES PREDICTED AT THE START OF THE SEASON.  

TEXAS CITRUS
WHILE FLORIDA LOST A SIGNIFICANT PART OF ITS ORANGE AND GRAPEFRUIT  CROPS, TEXAS GROWERS ARE FILLING A VOID. IN THIS VIDEO PROVIDED BY THE TEXAS FARM BUREAU, ED WOLFF TAKES US TO  GRAPEFRUIT HARVEST IN MISSION, TEXAS - A CROP THAT DODGED THE BULLET  KNOWN AS HURRICANE HARVEY. "THIS YEAR'S TEXAS CITRUS CROP IS BITTERSWEET. TEXAS ORCHARDS DODGED HURRICANE HARVEY LAST YEAR, BUT THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN FLORIDA WEREN'T SO LUCKY. HURRICANE IRMA RAVAGED THE SUNSHINE  STATE'S GRAPEFRUIT, TANGERINE AND ORANGE GROVES, DESTROYING MUCH OF THE U.S. CITRUS CROP. "WHAT YOU FOUND WAS 40 PERCENT OF THE DOMESTIC GRAPEFRUIT MARKET WAS ESSENTIALLY TAKEN OUT  OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN WITHIN WEEKS OF STARTING THE SEASON." TEXAS GROWERS STEPPED UP. FILLING IN THE GAPS. SENDING GRAPEFRUITS AND ORANGES TO THE  EASTERN SEABOARD AND BEYOND—AREAS THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN FLORIDA MARKETS. MAKING SURE THE FIERCELY LOYAL CITRUS EATERS HAVE FRUIT ON THEIR TABLES. SOME WHO MAY HAVE NEVER  TASTED THE UNIQUE FLAVOR OF A TEXAS GRAPEFRUIT. "HERE IN TEXAS, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE CLIMATE. WE HAVE A UNIQUE SOIL. WE HAVE A UNIQUE  ROOT STOCK. ALL OF THOSE COMBINED MAKE FOR A VERY, VERY GOOD GRAPEFRUIT. VERY LOW ACID. HIGH SUGAR. DARK RED IN COLOR. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF YOU ARE A GRAPEFRUIT EATER YOU WOULD LOVE  A TEXAS GRAPEFRUIT." ALL CITRUS IN TEXAS IS GROWN IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY—ROUGHLY 27,000 ACRES. RIO REDS ARE  THE MOST POPULAR TEXAS GRAPEFRUIT VARIETY, WITH RUBY REDS AND HENDERSONS ALSO HANGING  FROM THE LIMBS. HARVEST STARTS IN OCTOBER. THE LAST FRUIT WILL BE PICKED IN APRIL. WHILE A SMALL  PORTION IS MADE INTO JUICE, UPWARDS OF 70 PERCENT OF TEXAS CITRUS IS SOLD FRESH.  "THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE ARE HARVESTING FRUIT IN THE MORNING, WE'RE PROCESSING IN THE AFTERNOON  AND SHIPPING THAT EVENING. SO WE'RE LITERALLY SHIPPING FRUIT THE SAME DAY IT WAS HANGING ON  THE TREE."  TEXAS CITRUS GROWERS KNOW HARDSHIP. FREEZES IN '83 & '89 TOOK OUT MANY TEXAS TREES. NOW ALMOST 30 YEARS LATER, THOSE REPLANTED GROVES ARE SUPPLEMENTING OTHER FARMERS' WEATHER  WOES. TEXAS GROWERS KNOW THEY COULD BE NEXT. IT'S ONE OF THE HAZARDS OF GROWING A TROPICAL  CROP. BUT IN THE END, IT'S WORTH IT. "I CAN GO HOME AND TELL MY DAUGHTER PROUDLY THAT I WORK AND SELL A COMMODITY THAT IS OF THIS  EARTH, THAT'S HEALTHY FOR YOU, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD THAT PROVIDES A  LIVING FOR US."  TEXAS CITRUS GROWERS HURT FOR THEIR FLORIDA FARMING FRIENDS, HOPING THEY ARE BACK ON THEIR FEET  IN NO TIME. UNTIL THEN, THEY WILL HELP GIVE NEW REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY A TASTE OF TEXAS. WITH  THE TEXAS FARM BUREAU, ED WOLFF, MISSION. THE TEXAS ALL ORANGE FORECAST IS UP 15 PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS  FORECAST AND UP 54 PERCENT FROM LAST SEASON'S FINAL UTILIZATION. 

CROP COMMENTS
THE CORN BELT AND ITS FRINGE STATES ARE STILL IN NEED OF A WARM UP. MIKE HOFFMAN HAS UPDATES IN CROP COMMENTS. GOOD MORNING, CLINTON.  IT LOOKS PRETTY COLD UP IN COLEHARBOR, NORTH DAKOTA. PAUL ANDERSON  SAYS THE PACKER WHEELS ON THE AIR SEEDER ARE BURIED. ADDING QUOTE "WE  ARE SNOWED IN!" THERE'S ABOUT A FOOT OF SNOW ON THE FLAT LAND.  HE SAYS THERE IS MORE SNOW IN THE FORECAST.  AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE WIND SPEED FORECAST FROM THE LOWER GREAT LAKES OHIO VALLEY ALL THE  WAY INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND ALSO THE SOUTHWEST GOING TO START OFF PRETTY WINDY TODAY BUT  BOY DOES IT BECOME WINDY FOR CORN THE REGION MUCH OF THE SOUTHWEST STILL WINDY INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. BY TOMORROW THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE  PLAINS MOST OF THE PLAINS ARE GOING TO BE WINDY EASTERN ROCKIES INTO ILLINOIS AND INDIANA.  AND THAT JUST INTENSIFIES AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SO A WINDY COUPLE OF DAYS ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY. WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT YOUR FORECAST COMING UP. FIRST HERE  ARE SOME HOMETOWN TEMPS 

TEASE
WHEN WE COME BACK, A LOOK AT THE AG ECONOMY AND ANSWERING THE  QUESTION...IS NOW A GOOD TIME TO EXPAND. LATER WE'LL SEE HOW WINE AND CHEESE MAKERS IN WISCONSIN ARE PAIRING  UP TO CREATE A WEEKEND GETAWAY IN THE DAIRY STATE. 

AGRIBUSINESS
IN AGRIBUSINESS...OIL PRICES CLIMBING TO THEIR HIGHEST MARKET IN MORE  THAN 3 YEARS WEDNESDAY. THE MOVE DRIVEN BY TENSIONS IN THE MIDEAST AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN  SYRIA. BRENT CRUDE PRICES AT ONE POINT TOPPING $73 A BARREL, THE HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE LATE NOVEMBER IN 2014. WITH ALL THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE UNCERTAINTY THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND...BUT SHOULD YOU TAKE THEM? TYNE MORGAN  ASKS THAT QUESTION IN TODAY'S ANALYSIS FROM THE ROAD. HERE NOW WITH MICHAEL LANGEMEIER PURDUE UNIVERSITY. MICHAEL YOU KNOW A LOT OF  PRODUCERS RIGHT NOW ARE THINKING ABOUT OK SHOULD I BE PURCHASING SOME SOME LAND AS WE  SEED PRESSURED PRICES MAYBE BETTER LAND VALUES SHOULD I BE PURCHASING THIS OR THAT. NO. OVERALL THOUGH IF PRODUCERS ASKING THEM RIGHT NOW IS IT A GOOD TIME TO GROW. WHAT WOULD YOU  SAY. IT DEPENDS ON THEIR SITUATION. BUT CERTAINLY IF THEY THEY NEED TO GARNER ECONOMIES OF  SCALE LOWER THEIR PER UNIT COSTS ON THINGS LIKE MACHINERY AND LABOR. ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS TO  DO THAT IS TO EXPAND THE OPERATION SO THAT THEIR PER UNIT COST FOR MACHINERY AND LABOR ARE LOWER. SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD REASON TO GROW. MAYBE THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT INVESTING THEIR  RETAINED EARNINGS. YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROFITABILITY AND WHAT THEY'RE TAKING THE  BUSINESS OWNER WITHDRAWALS IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A GOOD PLACE TO INVEST THAT MANY FARMERS PUT THAT RIGHT BACK INTO THE FARM AND SO AS AS THE AS THE MARGINS IMPROVE THERE'S GOING TO BE  MORE RETAINED EARNINGS THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY USE TO EXPAND THE OPERATION. THE BOOK BY  THE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST REASON TO GROW IS YOU'RE BRINGING A FAMILY MEMBER BACK TO THE FARM  WAS THE BIGGEST FINANCIAL MISTAKE THAT U.S. PRODUCERS MAKE WHEN THEY'RE BUYING MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT I THINK TOO OFTEN WE FOCUS ON TANK. ARE THE TAX IMPLICATIONS OF BUYING  MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT DON'T GET ME WRONG BUT IT'S JUST AS  IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT. CLEARLY LOOK AT THE BENEFITS VERSUS THE COST OF BUYING EACH PIECE OF  MACHINERY WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FROM A DOLLAR PER ACRE DOLLAR PER BUSHEL STANDPOINT OF BUYING THAT NEW PLANTER. THERE ARE BENEFITS. JUST TRY TO QUANTIFY THOSE AND THEN  COMPARE THAT TO THE COST OF BUYING THAT PIECE OF MACHINERY AND EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING WE DO  ON THE FARM OR IN ANY BUSINESS BENEFITS NEED TO OUTWEIGH THE COSTS. ALL RIGHT SO GOOD ADVICE  MICHAEL THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE NEED TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND THEN WE HAVE A CHECK OF WEATHER NEXT.


WEATHER
WELCOME BACK TO AGDAY HERE WITH METEOROLOGIST MIKE HOFFMAN. MIKE I GUESS WE MIGHT AS  WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM THIS FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. IT'S A  HUGE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND ON THE NORTH SIDE THERE IS GOING TO BE A  LOT MORE SNOW OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN OTHER SIDE OF THE FRONT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME PLACES THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY SPRING HAS BEEN PERPETUAL  WINTER. THEY'RE GOING TO GET A COUPLE OF DAYS OF SPRING. SO LET'S PUT THE MAPS INTO MOTION FIRST  SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES WITH MAINLY RAIN BUT THERE WILL BE SOME SNOW ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THAT SECOND SYSTEM IS THE MORE POWERFUL OF THE TWO IT'S REALLY GOING TO PUMP  UP THE WARM AIR. BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO PUT DOWN A WHOLE BUNCH OF SNOW. PARTS OF THE  NORTHERN PLAINS THERE'S LATER TODAY. YOU CAN SEE HIGH PRESSURE OFF THE SOUTHEAST REALLY KEEPING IT DRY FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH THE SOUTHERN TIER OF STATES HEADING INTO THE DAY  TOMORROW THE SNOW BEGINS. THE BLACK HILLS SOUTHERN THEN NORTH DAKOTA BACK INTO WYOMING MONTANA. IT WILL BE RAIN FARTHER EAST. PUMPING UP THAT WARM AIR INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY  SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE GREAT LAKES FRIDAY WILL BE INTO THE LOW 70S FOR A CHANGE HADN'T  BEEN ANY EVEN CLOSE TO THAT SO FAR THIS SPRING. AND YOU CAN SEE BY LATER TODAY WE WILL START TO  SEE SOME MOISTURE COMING UP OUT OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THERE. BUT I'M TELLING YOU THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF SNOW IN  SOME PLACES BY LATER TOMORROW IT'S INTO NEBRASKA MUCH OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND A STREAK FARTHER  EAST AND THIS STORM IS NOT DONE AFTER LATER TOMORROW IT'S MOVING EAST FROM THERE. PRECIPITATION  ESTIMATES PAST 24 HOURS SOME LIGHT AMOUNTS GREAT LAKES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS A MAJORITY OF THE MOISTURE WAS IN THE WEST WITH THAT STORM SYSTEM COMING IN. AND THAT SYSTEM THEN  COMES EASTWARD INTO THE PLAINS STATES AND YOU CAN SEE THE AREAS THAT END UP GETTING SOME  OF THAT MOISTURE. SNOW HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH CLOSE TO THE CANADIAN BORDER AND IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OUT WEST WE'RE GOING TO ADD A LOT OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN  ROCKIES AND THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND ALSO MANY PARTS OF NORTHWESTERN NEBRASKA SOUTH  DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA AND STREAKING ACROSS THE YUPI OF MICHIGAN NOT MEXICO. AND THEN WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE SNOW. LIKE I SAID COMING EAST FROM THEIR HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS  AFTERNOON 80S EVEN IF YOU 90S IN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA ESPECIALLY THOSE DRY AREAS STILL VERY  MILD SOUTH OF THE FRONT AS WE HEAD TOWARD TOMORROW MORNING MUCH COLDER NORTH AND THINGS THE HIGH TEMPERATURES TOMORROW AFTERNOON RANGING FROM THE LOW 20S IN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN  PLAINS CLOSE TO 90 DEGREES IN SOUTH TEXAS. TAKE A LOOK AT THE JET STREAM YOU CAN SEE THAT  WARM UP THAT KIND OF COMES IN WITH THE RIDGE THERE THEN THAT MAIN STORM SYSTEM VERY SLOW MOVER COMES IN AND IT'S STILL GOING TO BE AFFECTING OUR WEATHER AND THAT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER  SHOT OF COLD AIR KIND OF COMING IN FOR THE MIDDLE AND LATTER PARTS OF NEXT WEEK. THAT'S A LOOK  ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME LOCAL FORECASTS. FIRST OF ALL CASPER WYOMING PARTLY SUNNY WINDY AND MILD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 64 DEGREES WELL-KNOWN IN  MISSISSIPPI NICE LOTS OF SUNSHINE HIGH AROUND 80 AND FINALLY ELMIRA NEW YORK CLOUDY AND  WINDY WITH SOME RAIN AT TIMES HIGH OF 61> 

TEASE
DROVER'S TV IS NEXT INCLUDING PRICE HEADWINDS FOR CATTLE FEEDERS. AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY - PERHAPS ENJOYING SOME  FINE WINE AND CHEESE - WE'LL TELL YOU A PLACE IN WISCONSIN YOU DON'T  WANT TO MISS. 

DROVERS TV
ON DROVERS TV THIS WEEK, THE LATEST STERLING BEEF PROFIT TRACKER  SHOWING CATTLE FEEDER MARGINS DIPPING INTO THE RED. A 4 DOLLAR PER HUNDRED DECLINE IN CASH PRICES PUSHING MARGINS DOWN  115 BUCKS. PROFITS WERE AT NEGATIVE 36 DOLLARS PER HEAD. OVER THE PAST MONTH, FEEDYARD BALANCE SHEETS HAVE DROPPED BY 230  DOLLARS. PACKERS HOWEVER ARE STILL IN THE BLACK...TOPPING 190-DOLLARS PER HEAD. "YEAH, THE CATTLE MARKET HAS BEEN A QUITE A ROLLERCOASTER FOR US. WE TRY TO MARKET  WHAT WE CAN AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. RIGHT NOW, IT'S A STRUGGLE. 12 HAY PRICES ARE UP. THE CORN PRICES CAME DOWN WHICH HAS HELPED EASE PAINS ALONG THE WAY 23 BUT I JUST WISH WE  COULD GET THAT BEEF PRICE UP A LITTLE BIT."> THE PROSPECTS OF A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA POSES A THREAT TO U-S BEEF  EXPORTS. THE PROPOSED 25-PERCENT TARIFF WOULD HIT FRESH, CHILLED AND FROZEN U-S BEEF PRODUCTS. THAT'S ON-TOP OF THE 12-PERCENT TARIFF  ALREADY IN PLACE. BUT A CO-PRODUCT OF BEEF PRODUCTION WHICH WOULD NOT BE HIT WITH TARIFFS IS LEATHER FROM BEEF HIDES. ACCORDING TO DROVERS EDITOR GREG HENDERSON, BEEF HIDES FROM THE U- S TO CHINA IS WORTH A BILLION DOLLARS IN EXPORTS. "THE TRADE WAR RHETORIC HAS HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON U.S. HIDE AND OFFAL  PRICES. WHILE THOSE PRICES ARE LOWER, THEY'VE BEEN ON A DOWNWARD  TREND SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER. STERLING MARKETING SAYS THE BEEF DROP  CREDIT PRICE LAST WEEK WAS $145 PER HEAD, THE LOWEST PRICE SINCE  MARCH OF 2010 WHEN THE PRICE WAS $134 PER HEAD."HENDERSON SAYS THE DECLINING DROP CREDIT PRICE IS DUE TO HIGHER  SLAUGHTER CATTLE NUMBERS. MORE CARCASSES MEANS MORE HIDES. STERLING MARKETING EXPECTS THOSE PRICES ARE LIKELY TO SEE FURTHER DECLINES AS BEEF SLAUGHTER RATES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE ANOTHER  4% IN 2018.

TEASE
STILL TO COME - A NICE WAY TO SPEND THE WEEKEND - LOST IN WISCONSIN AND  SAMPLING SOME OF THE STATES' BEST CHEESE AND WINE. 

IN THE COUNTRY
IN THE COUNTRY - SPONSORED BY KUBOTA. TRACTORS, HAY TOOLS, UTILILTY VEHICLES, MOWERS AND  MORE. VISIT KUBOTA.COM TODAY.ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIKES TO JUMP IN YOUR CAR OR TRUCK  AND JUST EXPLORE?  NO MAP. NO PLAN. JUST DRIVE. AND IF YOU FIND A LOCAL PLACE TO EAT, THAT'S EVEN BETTER. IN THIS VIDEO PROVIDED BY THE RECENTLY RENAMED ORGANIZATION "DAIRY FARMERS OF WISCONSIN", SEE HOW ONE CORNER OF THE STATE MAY BE A  PLACE TO SET YOUR COURSE FOR LOCAL WINES AND CHEESE. SEVEN LOCAL CREAMERIES AND SEVEN ESTATE WINERIES IN THE WISCONSIN DRIFTLESS REGION ARE  OPENING THEIR DOORS FOR SPECIAL TASTING TOURS AS PART OF THE DRIFTLESS WISCONSIN WINE AND CHEESE TRAIL. MORGAN MEYER, STORE MANAGER PASTURE PRIDE CHEESE CASHTON, WI "WE HAVE A GREAT  SELECTION OF AGED CHEDDAR TO OUR BAKED CHEESE JUUSTO TO SAMPLE. ALL SORTS OF SAMPLES!" "MY IDEA WAS TO CONNECT…TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL DRIVING TOUR FROM THE MADISON AREA TO ROUGHLY  THE LA CROSSE AREA, WHICH WOULD INTRODUCE RESIDENTS FROM MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE  STATE TO THE BEAUTIFUL TERRAIN WE HAVE HERE." THE DRIFTLESS WINE & CHEESE TRAIL, THROUGH A BUY LOCAL, BUY WISCONSIN MATCHING GRANT, IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WISCONSIN'S $43.4 BILLION DAIRY INDUSTRY, AND THE STATE'S GROWING WINE  INDUSTRY.  THERESE BERGHOLZ, OWNER BRANCHES WINERY WESTBY, WI "WELL MY DREAM WITH THIS TRAIL WAS  TO BUILD ON A NICE RELATIONSHIP WE ALREADY HAVE WITH A LOCAL WINERY AND THE CREAMERIES HERE IN THE WESTBY AREA." YOU CAN EMBARK ON THE TRAIL ANYTIME OF YEAR, BUT ON EVENT WEEKENDS THERE ARE PLANNED  ACTIVITIES, SPECIAL DISCOUNTS, AND EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO PROVIDE A MORE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE  FOR ALL AGES. "IT'S A GREAT TIME TO SHOWCASE WHAT WISCONSIN CHEESE IS ABOUT AND TO PAIR IT WITH ALL THE  GREAT WINES THAT WISCONSIN MAKES. ALSO I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT… WE HAVE MORE THAN JUST CHEDDAR AND COLBY CHEESE!" ENJOY STUNNING SCENERY AS YOU SIP WINE AND SAMPLE CHEESES CRAFTED BY LOCAL ARTISANS. YOU  MIGHT ALSO GET THE CHANCE TO MEET THE FAMILIES YOU'RE SUPPORTING WITH YOUR LOCAL PURCHASES!  "THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR THE VISITORS TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO THEY'RE SUPPORTING BY  BUYING LOCAL PRODUCTS. AND THEN WHEN THEY SEE OUR PRODUCTS IN GROCERY STORES ALL OVER THE STATE, THEY CAN PICK UP SOME PRODUCT THAT THEY LOVE; A WINE OR A CHEESE, AND SAY I MET THOSE PEOPLE." AND THAT'S WISCONSIN DAIRY NEWS. LEARN MORE AT DRIFTLESS-WINE-CHEESE-TRAIL-DOT-COM. MAYBE I'LL TAKE MY  WIFE FOR A SPIN. AND AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE WISCONSIN MILK MARKETING BOARD HAS JUST CHANGED ITS NAME TO DAIRY FARMERS OF WISCONSIN.  THE GROUP FEELS  IT BETTER REFLECTS THEIR MISSION IN THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE. 

CLOSE
THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE THIS MORNING. WE'RE GLAD YOU TUNED IN.  FOR ALL OF US AT AGDAY I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS. HAVE A GREAT DAY.