Feedstuffs articles from November 2006

Feedstuffs archives from November 2006

Strahl takes CWB barley issue to vote.(Chuck Strahl, Canadian Wheat Board )
November 6, 2006... AFTER months of indecision, Canada's Minister of Agriculture Chuck Strahl buoyed supporters of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Oct. 31 when he said he will hold a plebiscite on barley marketing among western Canadian growers. "I believe...

New H5N1 triggers firestorm.(influenza viruses)
November 6, 2006... A NEW variant of the avian influenza H5N1 virus emerged in late 2005 and replaced most of the previous variants across a large part of southern China despite an ongoing program to vaccinate poultry, according to researchers at the University of...

Choppy waters ahead for agribusiness.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... THE more things change, the more events repeat themselves. For the past two years, as we have prepared this article, we have been amazed at the continuing strength of the U.S. economy and voiced our cautions about the ever-increasing cost...

ARS patents chlorate-based compound.(News Watch)(Agricultural Research Service )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... A patented compound developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists could help reduce the risk of salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection from meat or poultry products. Researchers, led by microbiologist Robin Anderson, at...

Report outlines valuation of ag biotech.(News Watch)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... A new generation of biotechnology products is entering the agricultural marketplace. A new comprehensive study helps understand the valuation of these traits. Soyatech LLC and Biotech Decisions Inc. teamed together to release the new report...

CHS contracts Pioneer's low-lin soybeans.(News Watch)(Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. contracts with CHS Inc.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... CHS Inc. announced that it will contract low-linolenic (low-lin) soybeans from Pioneer Hi-Bred International for the 2007 growing season to provide the food marketplace with low-lin soybean oil to support demand for healthier foods. Contracts...

Glyphosate-resistant marestail confirmed.(News Watch)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... After a year of testing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln research confirmed that marestail, also known as horseweed, is resistant to glyphosate. This is the first glyphosate-resistant weed confirmed in the state, university weed scientists said....

Grow and go.(News Watch)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Environmental Protection Agency launched its new SmartWay Grow & Go program to promote the environmental benefits of renewable fuels. Expanding the SmartWay Transport Partnership, SmartWay Grow & Go companies are encouraged to make...

Production growth.(News Watch)(ethanol production)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... According to data released by the Energy Information Administration, U.S. ethanol producers were averaging 329,000 barrels per day (b/d) of ethanol production in August. That is a record for daily production and an increase of 69,000 b/d from...

Wayne Hoelscher.(News Watch)(obituary)(Obituary)
November 6, 2006... Wayne Hoelscher passed away Oct. 22, ending his 36-year career with Cargill. Born in 1945, Hoelscher joined Cargill and its Nutrena Feed Division in 1967 as a territory manager in Iowa. He spent five years as a branch manager in Greeley, Iowa,...

House ag chairman to hail from the North?(Inside Washington)
November 6, 2006... WITH final polls running strongly in favor of a Democratic takeover of the House, it is only fair--particularly with Congress heading into the new farm bill--to focus on the man who could become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. ...

Growers agree to tougher regulations.(News)
November 6, 2006... AN announcement last week that California salad crop producers had agreed to mandatory state and federal field sanitation and food safety practices could have far-reaching implications not only for table crop production areas but also for the...

Anger builds in litter suit.(Drew Edmondson accused poultry industry for polluting the watershed)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... THE antagonism generated by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's lawsuit charging 13 Arkansas poultry companies with polluting the watershed in eastern Oklahoma became even more antagonistic two weeks ago, when Edmondson burst in on a...

Produce suspected in salmonella outbreak.(News)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... INVESTIGATORS at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported last week that they are searching for the source of an outbreak of foodborne illness that has affected 171 people in 19 states. While the outbreak, caused by...

Task force envisions 'CWB II'.(Canadian Wheat Board)
November 6, 2006... CANADA'S Minister of Agriculture Chuck Strahl released a task force report Oct. 30 advising him how to end the Canadian Wheat Board's (CWB) single desk selling powers over wheat and barley and convert the Winnipeg, Man.-based firm into a public...

Johne's indemnity payments sought.(bovine Johne)
November 6, 2006... IN the ongoing battle to control bovine Johne's disease, the U.S. Animal Health Assn. (USAHA) has put its weight behind a proposal for a federal indemnity program to help producers establish herds that can be declared free of the disease. ...

West Liberty breaks ground on Utah plant.(West Liberty Foods )
November 6, 2006... WREST Liberty Foods has broken ground on its fourth plant--a 218,000 sq. ft. fabrication, slicing and cold storage facility in Tremonton, Utah. This will be its first plant outside Iowa and will facilitate introduction of the company's...

Pilgrim's extends Gold Kist tender.(Pilgrim's Pride Corp.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... RESPONDING to an insufficient tender to acquire Gold Kist Inc., Pilgrim's Pride Corp. last week extended its offer for one month to acquire Gold Kist stock for 820 per share. The company reported that about 33% of Gold Kist shares had been...

Agreement boosts research on cellulosic ethanol production.(DYADIC International Inc. partnered with Abengoa Bioenergy Inc.)
November 6, 2006... DYADIC International Inc. is partnering with Abengoa Bioenergy to leverage Dyadic's recently patented C1 platform enzyme technology that enhances the cost-effective production system for cellulosic ethanol. The two companies signed a...

KFC switches to new oil.(Business)
November 6, 2006... CALLING it a decision that would make the colonel proud, KFC Corp. announced last week that it is converting all of its 5,500 restaurants in the U.S. and nearly 800 in Canada to a 0 g trans fat cooking oil. KFC president Gregg Dedrick said...

Archer Daniels Midland Co.(Names in the News)(Michael D'Ambrose has joined the company as senior vice president)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO., Decatur, Ill. -- Michael D'Ambrose has joined the company as senior vice president, human resources. D'Ambrose will serve on the strategic planning committee. He was previously with Citicorp/Citigroup.

Chore-Time Hog Production Systems.(Names in the News)
November 6, 2006... CHORE-TIME HOG PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, Milford, Ind. -- Hayley Wertenberger has been named customer service representative. Wertenberger will be responsible for providing inside sales support for established distributor and customer accounts for...

International Dairy Foods Assn.: Julie Buric.(Names in the News)(Julie Buric appointed as a vice president at International Dairy Foods Association)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... INTERNATIONAL DAIRY FOODS ASSN., Washington, D.C. -- Julie Buric has been promoted to vice president, marketing. Buric will oversee MilkPEP promotions, business-to-business initiatives and the Fluid Milk Strategic Thinking Initiative. She was...

International Dairy Foods Assn.: Julia Kadison.(Names in the News)
November 6, 2006... Julia Kadison has joined the association as vice president, marketing. Kadison was previously with Beverage Marketing Corp.

Swift & Co.(Names in the News)
November 6, 2006... SWIFT & CO., Greeley, Colo. -- Raymond P. Silcock has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer. Silcock was previously with Cott Corp.

U.S. Animal Health Assn.(Names in the News)(Benjamin Richey appointed as a executive director)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... U.S. ANIMAL HEALTH ASSN., Richmond, Va. -- Benjamin Richey has been named executive director. Richey will be responsible for relocating the central office, expanding membership and coordinating the work and reports of the committees. He will...

Trade works for chef, farmers: trade agreement gives chefs in Guatemala and U.S. access to product variety and farmers access to global economy.(Feedstuffs FoodLink: CONNECTING FARM TO FORK)
November 6, 2006... HIS restaurant is so well known that it has no sign, only a light in the doorway for patrons arriving at night. His restaurant is also an example of that trade works. He is Eduardo Gonzales, and he is the chef-owner of Qiu, a Guatemalan...

Here's the point.(trade between Guatemala and United States)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... AT a restaurant in Guatemala City, Guatemala, chef-owner Eduardo Gonzales told Feedstuffs that trade between his country and the U.S. has allowed him to create a special steak from one of the U.S. beef value cuts and introduce his patrons to...

Dairy industry launches consumer site.(Feedstuffs FoodLink: CONNECTING FARM TO FORK)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... THE U.S. dairy industry has launched a new web site for consumers to visit to learn about modern dairy farming, including how producers provide a high-quality, nutritious and safe milk supply and care for their animals and the environment,...

Kids or pigs: you decide.(animal rights )
November 6, 2006... ON Nov. 7, the voting public in Arizona will have the opportunity to walk out of the polling booth and send a loud signal to the rest of America. We know history, and we don't want to relive it. Proposition 204 is on the ballot. If this...

Farming the government ... naturally.(organic farming)(Viewpoint essay)
November 6, 2006... ORGANIC farmers and food companies aren't satisfied with their price premiums, higher profit margins and never-ending fawning media coverage. In preparation for the 2007 farm bill debate, they are demanding more government money. According...

Beak trimming may not alter turkey growth.(University of Minnesota)
November 6, 2006... AT this year's Minnesota Nutrition Conference, research laboratories from the University of Minnesota's department of animal science presented research updates on current and ongoing experiments. Sally Noll discussed research on the effect...

Mycotoxin factbook.(In 60 seconds)(Wageningen Academic Publishers has published The mycotoxin Factbook)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Mycotoxin factbook: Wageningen Academic Publishers has published The mycotoxin Factbook: Food & Feed Topics, edited by D. Barug, D. Bhatnagar, H.P. van Egmond, J.W. van der Kamp, W.A. van Osenbruggen and A. Visconti. The 384-page hardbound book...

AOAC approval.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... AOAC approval: DSM Nutritional Products announced that its DSM Premi Test. used to detect antimicrobial substances and antibiotics in fresh meat, fish, eggs, animal urine and animal feed. has been officially approved by the AOAC for testing...

Scours protection.(In 60 seconds)(introduction of vaccine with demonstrated rotavirus)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Scours protection: Pfizer Animal Health has introduced ScourGuard 4KC, the first scours vaccine with demonstrated rotavirus G6 and G10 protection. Pfizer noted that the vaccine adds a critical level of defense in safeguarding the health of beef...

Poultry research.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Poultry research: The Midwest Poultry Consortium (MPC) recently unveiled a new portion of its web site devoted specifically to the extension and outreach of poultry research. In 2001, MPC established the Midwest Poultry Research Program to...

Annual report.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Annual report: Alltech, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky, has published the first annual report of the Alltech-University of Kentucky Nutrition Research Alliance at Cold-stream Research Farm. This partnership, Alltech said, has...

Nutritional system.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Nutritional system: INRA, France's agricultural research organization, has developed INRAPORC, which integrates current knowledge of nutrition of growing pigs and sows in a model and software tool. INRA said the model's objective is to evaluate...

Feed supplement.(Novus International Inc. raised prices for Alimet)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Feed supplement: Effective immediately, Novus International Inc. is raising the price for its ALIMET feed supplement sold in the U.S. 20 cents/lb. (44 cents per kilo). Increases in other countries will be announced locally and implemented...

Understanding NE is key to its prevention.(necrotic enteritis)
November 6, 2006... UNDERSTANDING, controlling and/or managing necrotic enteritis (NE) are the keys to growing chickens without antibiotics. Many countries in Europe have banned the use of subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics. More and more poultry consumers...

Minnesota finds new TB herd.(bovine tuberculosis)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... THE Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) announced Oct. 31 that a cow from a farm in Beltrami County tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (TB). Minnesota has now detected bovine TB in seven beef herds in Roseau and Beltrami counties. ...

Food prices tame; markets worried.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... FOOD prices, as measured on the consumer price index, will increase 3.0% next year at a faster inflation rate than in 2005 and this year but still slower than the frenetic increase in prices in 2004, when high-protein/low-carbohydrate diets...

Cattle producers must manage through issues.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... BEEF cattle producers are going into next year with a good scenario but, on the other hand, with a number of problems, according to Feedstuffs sources. Domestic beef supplies will be flat to lower than this year, which will support packers...

Canadian packers not ramped up.(meat packers)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... THE Canadian cattle packing sector has not ramped up as much as expected in 2004 and 2005 in response to the delayed reopening of the U.S. border to Canadian beef and cattle, according to James Mintert, an agricultural economist at Kansas State...

Corn changes pork situation.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... PORK producers are ending this year experiencing their longest-ever period of profitability and their strongest-ever equity position, but going into next year, everything may suddenly change, according to Feedstuffs sources. Producers...

Chicken needs 'more modest' expansion.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... DEPENDING on whom one talks with, the chicken industry is heading into 2007 better positioned than it was at this time last year or in a "worst-of-times" scenario. However, most observers agreed on one thing: Regardless of the...

Turkey extends amazing story.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... THE market situation for the turkey industry for next year borrows a bit from the chicken situation and a bit from the hog situation, according to Feedstuffs sources. First, growers and processors are heading into 2007 with many positives,...

'Dreadful year' ahead for eggs.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)(United Egg Producers report)
November 6, 2006... IN contrast to pork and turkey producers who are experiencing their longest-ever periods of profitability, egg producers are experiencing their worst-ever period of losses, with apparently no real way out until returns get so terrible that they...

Can you bank on ethnol credit?(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... THE federal government provides a 51 cents/gal, subsidy to blenders who use ethanol, but criticism is rising over whether the government needs the incentive when the ethanol industry is healthy and growing at a steady pace. The current tax...

Burning issues in future for animal ag.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)
November 6, 2006... ANIMAL agriculture is under increasing pressure from media and political campaigns led by activists and anti-animal agriculture. In addition to the traditional challenges of flock and herd health, productivity and profitability, there are...

Canadian beef slowly recovers.(Special Report: 2007 Outlook)(banned imports of Canadian beef and cattle)
November 6, 2006... A CANADIAN official said Canada is slowly regaining entry for its beef into foreign markets lost three years ago when authorities discovered the nation's first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Soon after that first case was...

Genetic component of broiler growth studied.(Ross 708 )
November 6, 2006... The role of dietary protein in meeting growth and lean tissue parameters for Ross 708 broilers has not been described from a biochemical standpoint. Feeding diets containing crude protein levels that approximate recommendations for commercial...

Aquaculture census shows significant growth.(Nutrition & Health: Poultry)(sales of aquaculture products)
November 6, 2006... AQUACULTURE production is a $1 billion industry, with sales of fish, shellfish and related products growing 11.77% over the past seven years, according to results of the 2005 Census of Aquaculture. The 2005 count was the second nationwide...

OECD urges better water policy.(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
November 6, 2006... THE Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) reported that poor farm policy in the world's richest countries can often lead to inefficient water policy. The analysis came in a new report released by the Paris France-based...

EU debates export subsidy problem.(News)
November 6, 2006... EUROPEAN government and industry policymakers are stuck with what they admit is a "very awkward" problem: what to do with their agricultural export subsidies. In World Trade Organization talks, European Union negotiators offered to abandon...

CVM makes 'BlueBird' label guidance available.(Center for Veterinary Medicine)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... IN the Oct. 30 Federal Register, the Food & Drug Administration announced the availability of draft guidance for industry No. 181 entitled, "Draft Guidance for Industry: Blue Bird Medicated Feed Labels." This draft guidance is intended to...

Storage technology affects forage quality.(Facilities)
November 6, 2006... DESPITE remarkable advances in milk production, the declining quality of stored forage may be a barrier to continuing this upward trend, according to Dr. Greg Anderson, dairy nutritionist for Engineered Storage Product Co.'s Harvestore brand....

Degussa opens DL-methionine plant.(Facilities)
November 6, 2006... DEGUSSA AG of Dusseldorf, Germany, officially brought the world's largest DL-methionine facility on stream Oct. 26 at its site in Antwerp, Belgium. Management board chairman Dr. Klaus Engel said, "This investment strengthens our position...

BASF plans expanded enzyme production.(Facilities)(heat-resistant xylanase production)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... REINFORCING its commitment to being a leading global supplier of healthful ingredients for the animal nutrition industry, BASF has announced plans to manufacture Natugrain Wheat TS--a highly pure, highly effective, heat-resistant xylanase...

AEM projects 2007 equipment sales.(Association of Equipment Manufacturers )
November 6, 2006... THE Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has released its 2007 Ag Outlook report, which provides farm machinery manufacturers' predictions for overall business volume in the U.S. and Canada. Agricultural machinery manufacturers...

Excavator.(Facilities: New Equipment)(compact excavator)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Bobcat Co. of West Fargo, N.D., announced its new 329, an entry-level compact excavator with conventional a tail swing that provides excellent lifting ability. The compact excavator also has a maximum digging depth of 10 ft., 2 in. and a...

Data loggers.(Facilities: New Equipment)
November 6, 2006... Onset Computer Corp. of Bourne, Mass., announced its new HOBO Pro v2 Series, a family of four compact, weatherproof data loggers designed for use in a broad range of outdoor temperature and humidity monitoring applications. Slightly larger than...

Deep-drawn sinks.(Facilities: New Equipment)
November 6, 2006... Eagle MHC of Clayton, Del., announced its line of deep-drawn coved-corner sinks that combine functional design with corrosion-free construction to optimize sanitation and efficiency in industrial workplace or lab settings. Offered with a choice...

Language software.(Facilities: New Equipment)
November 6, 2006... Dickson Co. of Addison, Ill., announced its Spanish-Language Dicksonware Software for temperature/humidity data logging. Spanish-speaking personnel and organizations with quality concerns requiring accurate monitoring of temperature and...

Welding.(Facilities: New Equipment)
November 6, 2006... Hobart Brothers of Troy, Ohio, announced its P-PAK mild steel stick electrodes. Designed to block moisture that can lead to stick electrode damage, the P-PAK is a sturdy, resealable plastic package available with 3/32, 1/8 or 5/32 diameter...

Sprayer station.(Facilities: New Equipment)
November 6, 2006... Spectrum Technologies Inc. of Plainfield, Ill., has introduced its new ultrasonic WatchDog Sprayer Station. Accurate data help pesticide applicators make important decisions regarding weather conditions that affect safety, drift and proper...

Compact wire welders.(Lincoln Electric Co. introduced Power MIG 140 and 180 welding equipment)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Lincoln Electric of Cleveland, Ohio, announced four new Power MIG 140 and 180 models for compact wire welding. The Power MIG 140 models run on a 120-volt current, have an amperage range of 30-140 amps, can weld single pass up to 0.135 in. and...

Transport law under scrutiny.(Hog Industry INSIDER)(National Pork Board)
November 6, 2006... NOW that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has acknowledged that a 130-year-old law applies to the transport of livestock by truck, the National Pork Board (NPB) will beef up research on the topic. While most agree that the Twenty-Eight...

Finger incident under investigation.(one woman found human finger in sandwich from Subway Inc.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... A NEW case of a finger in the food has happened, with a woman claiming to find a human finger in a sandwich she bought at a Subway restaurant in Chowchilla, Cal. Company and health officials are investigating the incident, and inspectors...

NTF names president.(National Turkey Federation )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... JOEL Brandenberger, currently senior vice president for legislative affairs at the National Turkey Federation (NTF), has been named president of the organization effective Dec. 1. He succeeds Dr. Alice Johnson, who will leave NTF Nov. 30 to...

Ag groups call for STB revisions.(MILL MARKET)(Surface Transportation Board )
November 6, 2006... RAIL rates directly affect the entire grain industry and are of increasing concern, especially because of double-digit rate increases experienced over the past two years. A broad coalition of 40 national and state agricultural...

Ingredient market.(Statistical table)(Statistical table)
November 6, 2006... INGREDIENT MARKET The following prices, which include delivery, were obtained Nov. 1 from feed and grain vendors in the U.S. and Canada. The prices represent current trading values, but are not guaranteed. The second column shows...

Beef ships to Korea; Canadian pigs down.(Livestock/Poultry)
November 6, 2006... SOME very light demand and trading was reported in the cattle markets through Wednesday last week, but the volume was insufficient to establish prices Thursday morning when this column was written. Market observers said they expected prices...

Assault on meat begins.(MarketWatch)(animation film )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... AN assault on the credibility of the U.S. meat and poultry supply begins this month, with the Meatrix series launching "Meatrix II 1/2" last week and with the feature-length movie "Fast Food Nation" opening on screens across the country next...

Export growth.(MarketWatch)(Meat Export Federation report)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... EXPORT GROWTH: Markets are growing worldwide for U.S. pork, including the Australian market, which opened two years ago when an Australian-U.S. bilateral trade agreement was reached. The U.S. Meat Export Federation has been promoting U.S. pork,...

Chicken markets.(In 60 seconds)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Chicken markets: The chicken markets were unchanged but weak last week as supplies were more than sufficient for seasonally slow demand, according to Feedstuffs sources. Only gizzards and livers, which typically have good demand for...

Chicken prices.(Poultry industry)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Chicken prices: Chickens were 60-63 cents and 57-60 cents/lb, in the eastern and midwestern markets last Wednesday, levels unchanged from last year, when the chicken markets started to dwindle against an overproduction-weakening demand...

Pilgrim's cut.(chicken prices)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Pilgrim's cut: In an effort to try to get it right this time, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced last week that it is reducing year-over-year chicken production by 5%, or 1.3 million birds per week, in an effort to better balance supplies with...

Pilgrim's schedule.(Production management of egg industry)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Pilgrim's schedule: Pilgrim's Pride said its newest production cutback began last week with reduced egg sets and will be effective with the processing run the week of Jan. 1. It said it "intends" the reduction to remain in place until average...

Dairy markets.(butter market size)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Dairy markets: The butter markets were down a half-cent last week to $1.27/ lb. in cash trading at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Wednesday and were 14.2% under year ago; the cheese markets were up, both barrels and blocks by 5 cents to...

Milk prices.(cheese price)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Milk prices: Milk futures rallied all week last week and closed Wednesday at $14/cwt. or more beginning in mid-2007 for much of the rest of the year. Milk strength reflects tight milk supplies due to strong demand for fluid milk and powder,...

Trick-or-pizza.(pizza sales report)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Trick-or-pizza: Halloween is the second-largest day of the year for pizza sales, which are 30-35% higher than on a normal day, also providing support for the cheese markets at this time of year, sources noted. Superbowl Sunday is the biggest...

Ethanol steering corn.(Iowa State University livestock economist)
November 6, 2006... WILL corn prices rise? Undoubtedly yes, analysts said. Corn prices could be down near $2 again, but it also wouldn't be a surprise if they moved above $5, said John Lawrence, Iowa State University livestock economist. Recently, corn...

Harvest progress trails.(supply and demand of grains)
November 6, 2006... THE U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 68% of the corn crop was harvested as of Oct. 29, down 10 points from the previous year and down three from the five-year average. Progress trailed behind normal across most of the Corn Belt,...