This issue gets to the heart of what the free enterprise system is all about – increase competition. The reason big government exist is to counterbalance big business, which, at its heart, is a bane to the free enterprise system. Regulate big business that creates a level playing field and small business will thrive and the need for large government will disappear. Much of the country’s economic troubles are linked to a basically unregulated system of big business that controls not only the marketplace, but also the halls of government.

These reforms are also necessary as the current system is unsustainable. When a handful of large businesses control all aspects of a business, the weight of its inefficiencies will cause it to collapse.

National Farmers Organization said that Friday’s DOJ/USDA listening session in Fort Collins, Col., National Farmers Organization re-affirmed its support for proposed GIPSA rules that would help improve competition and regulation in the industry.

“National Farmers certainly sides with independent farmers and ranchers in an increasingly anti-competitive marketing environment,” said National Farmers Ag Policy Analyst Gene Paul. “We believe the proposed GIPSA rules are akin to a farmer and rancher bill of rights, and would help producers get an equitable share of the retail dollar.”

Last week, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, joined by 19 other senators, announced their support for strengthening protections for livestock, swine and poultry growers in a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“We cannot agree enough with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin’s views that growers must receive fair, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment in marketing and contract arrangements,” Paul emphasized. “The provisions add protections for farmers and ranchers, addressing retaliation and fraud, and call for more reporting on the part of processing companies, which would significantly improve transparency.”

The proposed rule would:

• Provide further definition to practices that are unfair, unjustly discriminatory or deceptive, including outlining actions that are retaliatory in nature, efforts that would limit a producer’s legal rights, or representations that would be fraudulent or misleading

• Reiterate USDA’s position that a producer need not overcome unnecessary obstacles and have to always prove a harm to competition when they have suffered a violation under the Act

• Define undue or unreasonable preferences or advantages

• Establish new protections for producers required to provide expensive capital upgrades to their growing facilities, including protections to ensure producers have the opportunity to recoup 80 percent of the cost of a required capital investment

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson is urging NFU members and all livestock producers to attend. The workshop is scheduled for Aug. 27, in Fort Collins, Colo.

 Johnson said the workshop’s timing is ideal, as the comment period on the proposed rule published by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) in the Federal Register of June 22, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 35338) has been extended.

 “U.S. farmers and ranchers should attend this workshop to have their voices heard directly by USDA and DOJ staff,” said Johnson. “We must be sure that the packer-producer organizations are not the only people at the table when discussing this important issue.”

 He said the proposed rule, essentially a Farmer and Rancher Bill of Rights, addresses concerns that have been discussed for many years and were developed at the direction of the 2008 Farm Bill, which requires USDA to carry out specific rulemaking to improve fairness in the marketing of livestock and poultry.

 Recent appeals court decisions have ruled against the intent of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, much to the detriment of livestock producers. GIPSA’s proposed rule changes will bring clarity to the regulations, so that farmers and ranchers are able to take action if they are victims of market abuses by packer-processors. The rules will also allow for more transparency in price and contract negotiations.

 “The Farmer and Rancher Bill of Rights will ensure livestock producers the right to access competitive markets,” said Johnson. “These proposed changes are vital to U.S. farmers and ranchers, and I urge USDA to adopt and implement them promptly.”

 According to R-CALF USA, a strong supporter of changes in the livestock industry, the issue is about bringing free market enterprise back to the livestock industry.

Beef packer concentration is constraining the U.S. cattle industry, causing it to shrink and preventing it from keeping pace with increased domestic beef consumption: U.S. cattle operations declined 40 percent since 1980, with over 500,000 operations exiting the industry since that time. even in the face of growth in U.S. beef consumption (consumption outpaced production from 1996-2009).

Four packers control over 80 percent of the fed cattle market, which is a radical increase from the 36 percent they controlled in 1980. Concentration of the market outlets for fed cattle and boxed beef have surpassed levels known to elicit noncompetitive behavior and result in adverse economic performance:

• Four packers control over 50 percent of the cow/bull market, which is a radical increase from the 10 percent they controlled in 1980.

Concentration of the market outlets for fed cattle and boxed beef have surpassed levels known to elicit noncompetitive behavior and result in adverse economic performance:

• Four packers control over 50 percent of the cow/bull market, which is a radical increase from the 10 percent they controlled in 1980.

• The size of the U.S. cow herd is now the smallest since the 1950s.

• Contrary to claims that increased productivity offsets the need for more cattle operations and more cattle, U.S. beef production remained relatively stagnant during the past 14 years

Four packers control over 80 percent of the fed cattle market, which is a radical increase from the 36 percent they controlled in 1980.

Concentration in the feeder cattle market is increasing and the exodus of independent feedlots already has reduced the number of competitive bidders for feeder cattle:
• Feedlots with capacities under 1,000 head have been reduced by 30,000 just since 1996.
• The four largest feedlot companies: JBS-owned Fiver Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, Cactus Feeders, Cargill-owned Cargill Cattle Feeders, and Friona Industries, market about 20 percent of all fed cattle, though the actual selling price and terms for these cattle is not definitively known.

One of the biggest challenges facing this planet is environmental degradation. It’s impacting our climate and our ability to grow food. Since climate is what links all the people of the world the fact that many of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change will impact Nebraska. And since Nebraska is one of the nation’s and the world’s leading agricultural producers, it impacts food production and the state’s economy.

It will probably be positive at first as Nebraska’s farming technology and water supply makes our farmers some of the best producers in the world. But global environmental problems will mount to the point to where our technological capability will not be able to keep up with providing solutions to battle the environmental damage being caused to the planet by both natural and man-made causes.

The Asian glacier retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a report on the status of glaciers throughout all of Asia, including Russia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

“Of particular interest are the Himalaya, where glacier behavior impacts the quality of life of tens of millions of people,” said USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno. “Glaciers in the Himalaya are a major source of fresh water and supply meltwater to all of the rivers in northern India.”

As glaciers become smaller, water runoff decreases, which is especially important during the dry season when other water sources are limited. Climate change also brings warmer temperatures and earlier water runoff from glaciers, and this combined with spring and summer rains can result in flood conditions. The overall glacier retreat and additional melt can increase the amount of water dammed in the vicinity of a glacier, and the added pressure enhances the likelihood of disastrous outburst flooding.

While most glaciers in Asia are in recession, some glaciers have been found to advance. Some of the advancing glaciers are surge-type glaciers, which move forward more rapidly than average in a short period of time. The reason for this is being studied by glaciologists, and is likely due to unique and local condition

Glacier studies in each area started at different times depending on accessibility of glaciers and scientific interest. For example, the earliest description of glaciers in China was in 630 A.D., while studies in the Caucasus area of Russia began in the mid 1800s and modern studies in Nepal started in the 1950s.

The time period for retreat also differs among each glacier. In Bhutan, 66 glaciers have decreased 8.1 percent over the last 30 years.  Rapid changes in the Himalaya is shown in India by the 12 percent retreat of Chhota Shigri Glacier during the last 13 years, as well as retreat of the Gangotri Glacier since 1780, with 12 percent shrinkage of the main stem in the last 16 years.

Glaciers in Russia and in the four republics once part of the Former Soviet Union have the largest area of glaciers in Asia, covering 30,478 square miles, which is about the size of South Carolina. The glaciers of China have the second largest area of glaciers in Asia, covering 22,944 square miles, which is about twice the size of Massachusetts. In Afghanistan, the more than 3,000 small mountain glaciers that occur in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountains provide vital water resources to the region.

Grand Island, according to the National Weather Service in Hastings, Grand Island received 1.96 inches of rain, as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.  On Monday, the NWS reported Grand Island receiving 1.03 inches, and since midnight to 7 a.m., 0.93 of an inch had fallen.

Other area rainfall amounts, as of 7 a.m. Monday through 7 a.m. Tuesday, included Aurora, 1.29 inches; Ord, 0.65 of an inch; Kearney, 1.48 inches; and Hastings, 0.60 of an inch.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue this morning through 1 p.m., according to NWS. Today’s high will be a cool 74 degree with tonight’s low around 54 degrees with patchy fog.

The forecast Wednesday morning is for patchy fog before 9 a.m. otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Rain is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday with highs in the upper 80s to near 90.

August had been hot and mostly dry up to Monday’s rain with temperatures averaging nearly 4 degrees above average highs. Several 100+ degree days were recorded.

The rain brings some welcome relief to a maturing crop, which last week was forecast to be of record or near-record quantity and quality.

The USDA reported that corn conditions in Nebraska were rated 83 percent good or excellent, which is above last year’s condition at this time. Irrigated fields were rated 85 percent good or excellent with dryland fields at 82 percent good or excellent. The rain will be helpful to dryland crops.

Another excellent sign was that 32 percent of the corn was rated in the dent stage, which is well ahead of the five year average of 24 percent. Eighty percent of the corn was in the dough stage, also well ahead of normal averages at this stage of development.

Soybean conditions were rated 79 percent good or excellent with sorghum at 81 percent good or excellent.

In what could impact Nebraska’s $700 million-plus pork industry, the National Pork Producers Council expressed strong disappointment with the U.S. and Mexican governments’ actions related to allowing Mexican trucks into the United States.

According to NPPC, Mexico Monday added pork to the list of U.S. products against which it is retaliating for the failure of the United States to live up to its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement to let Mexican trucks haul goods into the United States.

 “Mexico’s retaliation against U.S. pork will have negative economic consequences for America’s pork producers,” said NPPC President Sam Carney, a producer from Adair, Iowa. “We are extremely disappointed that our top volume export market has taken this action, but we’re more disappointed that the United States is not living up to its trade obligations.”

 Carney said that failure “not only has hurt dozens of U.S. industries economically, but it could prompt other countries to think twice about entering into trade deals with the United States.

“Our trading partners need assurance that the United States will live up to its trade obligations,” he said.

 He said the U.S. Congress in early March 2009 failed to renew a pilot program that allowed a limited number of Mexican trucks to haul freight into United States beyond a 25-mile commercial zone. The Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program was started by the U.S. Department of Transportation in September 2007 as a way to begin implementing the NAFTA trucking provision, which was supposed to take effect in December 1995.

 In February 2001, Carney said a NAFTA dispute-settlement panel ruled that excluding Mexican trucks violated U.S. obligations under the trade deal. The ruling gave Mexico the right to retaliate against U.S. products, which it did in March 2009, placing higher tariffs on more than $2.4 billion of U.S. goods. Pork was not included on that initial retaliation list.

“Mexico is a top market for all kinds of U.S. exports, providing millions of jobs to U.S. workers,” said Carney. “The retaliation puts thousands of agricultural jobs at risk, including, now, pork industry jobs, and thousands of manufacturing jobs at risk.”

Mexico last year bought $762 million of U.S. pork. In 2009, Nebraska ranked 6th in the nation in the number of hogs and pigs on the farm and seventh in hog slaughter.