Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: May 07 2018

Additional Help to Prevent Blackbird Damage in Sunflower

The NSA, with the help of North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven and Rep. Kevin Cramer, was able to get more money to help ND sunflower producers experiencing blackbird damage this fall. A plan was created by USDA APHISWildlife Services (WS) on how to use this money in the most effective way to help sunflower producers. There will be additional “Boots on the Ground” to utilize multiple harassment techniques, more propane cannons will be added with timers to be loaned to producers needing assistance, WS has also developed a “cannon plate” to use in conjunction with a T-post to get the propane cannon off the ground for better sound resonance and to prevent rodent damage. WS will distribute one of these plates free of charge per producer to provide them a template to build more of their own propane cannon plates. WS will also be able to distribute substantially more “screamer” pyrotechnics with launchers to producers. Lastly, WS staff will experiment using UAS’sas a tool to deter birds from foraging in sunflowers.Help will be available from August through November.

Registration is open on our website for the 2018 NSA Summer Seminar. This year’s Summer Seminar will be held at the Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria, Minnesota. Click here to register on our website. You’ll find our tentative schedule there too, as well as hotel information and more. A block of rooms has been reserved there for June 25-28. There’s a link on our website, under “Hotel Information” to make your reservation. The room block will be released May 25, 2018 but may fill up much faster so don’t wait! The program is being finalized now and more information will be coming soon. Check the NSA website for further updates. Contact Tina Mittelsteadt with any questions.

Markets

Traders are anxiously watching headlines regarding the delegation of leading US officials visiting China trying to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing US/China trade spat. Some are saying both sides are open to negotiations and comprise. Others are saying the tariffs might just get triggered in May as the two nations are still too far apart. The trade is also talking about headlines that reference most all soybean sales to China now sourcing from non-U.S. origins. It seems like fewer and fewer companies are wanting to take the risk of selling US beans to China until the situation is resolved. Price volatility for commodities caught in the crosshairs of the trade dispute could increase if the saber-rattling between the US and China intensifies. For the most part sunflower has stayed out of the trade fight and prices have remained firm or trended higher the past few weeks. New crop sunflower prices continue to move higher than old crop as the industry is looking to increase 2018 acres over last year’s reduced level. Currently, new crop NuSun prices are 60-90 cents with high oleic new crop prices 75 cents to $1.10 per cwt. higher than nearby old crop prices. In addition to news from China, weather and planting progress will remain the biggest short-term question marks for traders and will guide the market in the week ahead.