Congress, Ag Sector Ponder Proposals / By John Gordley — “The ‘Freedom to Farm Act’ introduced by House Republicans before the August congressional recess was a thunderbolt aimed at the heart of conventional U.S. farm policy. In one stroke, leading farm state congressmen endorsed replacing the old system of supporting farm income through supply-management programs with guaranteed payments based solely on how much money Congress approves.
“Even more startling was the fact that the lead sponsor of this ‘radical’ proposal is a staunch supporter of traditional farm programs: Pat Roberts, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
“Initial reactions to 'Freedom to Farm' in the Northern Plains and High Plains were favorable. The prospect of throwing out the red tape and paperwork involved with certifying acreage and program signup is extremely attractive. Many farmers are ready for broader planting flexibility without base and ARP restrictions. In addition, the likelihood that future annual cuts in farm program spending will carve further into the 'muscle of federal support makes the option to lock in fixed payments over seven years look like a good trade.
“During the August recess, however, questions began to be raised about the details of the House proposal. . . .”
Minnesotans See Dividends in Higher-Moisture Harvest / By Don Lilleboe — “Many Northern Plains sunflower producers end up harvesting their crop when seed moisture levels are in the upper ’teens. For most, that’s probably out of necessity, given their hectic fall workload and/or a delayed crop maturity in a year like 1995 with its late, wet spring.
“Other growers believe they’re better off waiting for Mother Nature to dry down the seeds into the low ’teens or below, thereby saving on both drying costs and drying time.
“For John Swanson and Russ Wilson, however, harvesting high-moisture sunflower is a matter of deliberate choice — a choice which they say consistently puts additional money in their pockets.
“For more than 15 years, these Mentor, Minn., producers have harvested their sunflower crops in September — or, at the latest, the first week of October — while seed moisture is in the upper ’teens. They then pull down the moisture in their high-temperature continuous-flow dryers and usually store the crop through the winter.
“The northwestern Minnesota neighbors say their early harvest routine has several advantages — the first being an obvious one: By taking the ’flowers off the field as soon as possible, they’re cutting short the crop’s exposure to potentially damaging wind, rain, late-season head rot problems, birds — and deer (a significant threat in their wooded area of Polk County).
“Also, seed shatter loss at the header is minimized when harvesting at higher moistures, they point out. Wilson, who has conducted side-by-side comparisons with 10- to 11-percent moisture ’flowers versus seeds in the upper ’teens, says the differences are dramatic. For his part, Swanson contends the cost of drying the high-moisture seeds is more than offset by the decrease in field shatter loss alone.
“By drying in September or early October, while ambient temperatures in northern Minnesota typically are hovering around 70 to 75 degrees, they’re also reducing the time and extra heat required for drying in their high-temperature units.”
When Natural Air Drying Does, Or Doesn’t, Work / By Don Lilleboe — “Many Northern Plains sunflower producers can attest to the efficiency of natural air drying systems. Others, however, can relate experiences which are not so satisfactory.
“The difference often boils down to the time of year when the harvest and drying process was taking place. For Dakota and Minnesota sunflower producers, natural air drying works very well under typical late September and October conditions. It is not, however, an efficient way to dry wet seeds in November or early December — particularly if that sunflower’s moisture is in the mid-’teens or higher.
“ ‘If we have 15-percent moisture sunflower and we’re using an air flow rate of one cubic foot per minute (cfm) per bushel, our sunflower will dry to around 8.5 percent in about 20 days, under October conditions,’ says Ken Hellevang. ‘So it’s working very well.’
“Shift into November, however, and the scenario isn’t nearly as positive, notes the North Dakota State University extension agricultural engineer. ‘By November, we’re looking at cooler and higher-humidity conditions,’ he points out. ‘The equilibrium moisture content is still pretty good; but our drying time has doubled because of the cooler temperatures.’ ”
Former N.D. Sen Andrews Receives NSA Gold Award — “Mark Andrews, former U.S. senator from North Dakota and a long-time producer of sunflower on the family’s farm near Mapleton, N.D., was the 1995 recipient of the National Sunflower Association’s Gold Award. Andrews was presented with the award at the NSA Summer Seminar in July by Charles Moses, former president of Interstate Seed Co., and a longtime friend of Andrews.
“The NSA Gold Award is presented each year to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the U.S. sunflower industry. During his tenure in the U.S. Congress — first in the House of Representatives and later in the Senate — Andrews was a strong supporter of federal sunflower-related research and worked closely with other issues of special significance to sunflower. He now operates a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.”
NSA?Sun Oil Market Team Travels to China —?“A four-person National Sunflower Association team traveled to China during the latter half of August to investigate the market for sunflower oil exports to that nation, and to request the Chinese government to lower or eliminate a 45-percent tariff on sunflower oil. China has become the world’s largest importer of vegetable oil, according to NSA, having imported approximately 5.8 million metric tons during 1994/95.
“Meanwhile, NSA?has co-hosted, along with the National Cottonseed Products Association, a five-person team of oil buyers from another major vegetable oil importing nation: Egypt,