Ag Alert Feb. 23, 2022

Decisions Continued from Page 1

With no access to surface water and re- lying 100% on groundwater, Sacramento CountyfarmerKoltonClothiersaidhiscrop- ping decisions are weighedmore heavily on other factors such asmarkets, cost and whether he candouble-crop. For example, plantingshorter-seasonwinterhayinthefall allows himtime to follow itwithcorn silage in the summer. He plans to grow a wheat, oat and ryehay blend for thehorsemarket, whichpays thehighest returnon feed. Because chemical and fertilizer prices havesoared,Clothier saidhe’s tryinganew systemthis year by injecting liquid fertiliz- er straight into the soil. “It’sa littlebit cheaper, and it’s supposed to giveme a higher return,” he said. Consideringhighercommoditypricesthis year, ThorstenSchwindt of Bayer’s Seminis andDe Ruiter vegetable seeds operations in St. Louis, Mo., said vegetable acreage in California may lose ground to field crops such as cotton and corn silage, as they are “a little less risky fromthe input side.” Even thoughpotentialpayout forvegetablessuch as processing tomatoes remains good, he said, “yourunamuchhigher inputcostbill.” For thisreason,hesaidheexpectsvegetable growerswill looktohigher-yieldingvarieties, “probablymoreso thaninthepast.” “It comes down to water again. Do you

expect toget thevolume that youneedand the quality that you need to really play the game?” Schwindt said. Return of food service to pre-pandemic levels will be key to a more positive vege- table market outlook, he said, as growers can “react much quicker” to these trends. Althoughrestaurantsaredefinitelycoming back, he said, corporatecafeteriasmaynot be “because of hybridworkmodels.” Robbie Johnson, general manager of California Transplants, said the Stanislaus Countycompanywill beginshippingprod- uct to farmers in the southern San Joaquin Valleythisweek.Evenwithwatershortages, he said thenurseryexpects tosell about the same volume of tomato transplants as last year,withprojectionsofoverallstateacreage being “flat or slightlydown.”

Late May and June plantings in the southern valley will definitely be down, Johnsonsaid, becausegrowers theredon’t have enough water tomake a second late crop. But reduced plantings in that region will be offset by increased acreage in the central and northern valley, he added. Though water continues to dominate conversations with growers and his sales staff, Johnsonsaid issues suchas labor and state regulations also loomlarge.Henoted farmers and nursery producers are look- ing toadopt automation“as fast aswecan” due to labor shortages and requirements for shorter workweeks for farmworkers. For farmers, automated planting systems remain a key area of interest, he said. (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)

Sutter County farmer Chris Capaul said hisplantingdecisions arebasedon“a leap of faith,”knowinghewillneedto farmmost of it as dryland crops, with limited surface water.He’splantingmorebaby limabeans and some rice for seed, both to fulfill con- tracts. Baby limas don’t require fertilizer, he noted, whichwill be a cost savings. Capaul plans to claimprevented-plant- ing insurance on the rest of his acreage, sameashedid last yeardue toa lackofwa- ter. Thehardpart is figuringout howmany acres to leave unplanted. He said one op- tion is to riskgrowinguncontractedbeans. “I worry every day what I’mgoing to do and whether I’mmaking the right deci- sion,” Capaul said. Aside from paying more for water this year, Fresno County farmer Dan Errotabere said his crop mix won’t nec- essarily be too different from last year— though he will grow fewer acres. Despite higher prices for crops such as process- ing tomatoes, garlic, cotton and garban- zo beans, he can grow only a “minimal” amount, due towater shortages. “It doesn’t matter how high the com- moditypricesare. If youdon’thave thewa- ter, you’re not planting anything,” he said.

What you see: Quotations are the latest available for the week ending February 18, 2022 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 114 136-140 138-140 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 76.71 89.08 93.33 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales 158-164.94 215-236 214.10-400 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock 11.25-12.10 No Quote No Quote Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 82.69 95.95 93.33 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 6.87 8.01 8.07 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain No Quote No Quote No Quote Region 2, Sacramento Valley No Quote No Quote No Quote Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 295 (P/S) No Quote No Quote Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley No Quote 315-330 (G) 375-383 (P/S) Region 5, Southern California 259 (P) 280-310 (P/S) 15.25-18.95 (per bale) Region 6, Southeast Interior 200-205 (P/S) No Quote 280-300 (P/S) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote No Quote No Quote Agricultural Market Review

What

BIG SAVINGS. A NEW SEASON STARTS WITH A NEW SEASON

7972

What you see:

What we see:

Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)

No Quote No Quote No Quote

Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price

38-40

48-51

49-52

79720 No Quote Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. 12 (No. 3) No Quote

0%Financing * 0%Financing *

Cash Back offers! and Cash Back offers! and

What you see:

What we see:

GO BIGWITH PRESEASON SAVINGS DURING DEALER DAYS.

What you see:

What we see:

Purina ® Omolene ® Fee The textured feed you’ Keep your horse perfor nutritious fuel sources for gastric support and retailer, or visit purinam

It’s never too early to plan for the new season ahead—or save.Take advantage of big savings available now on a wide range of reliable New Holland tractors, haytools and material-handling equipment. New Holland has everything you need to go big this year—and the savings to make it easier.Trade-ins are welcome! Hurry, offers end March 31, 2022 . Stop by today or visit nhoffers.com.

Purina ® Omolene ® Feeds, now with Outlast ® Supplement. The textured feed you’re used to has changed for the better. Keep your horse performing with confidence with the same nutritious fuel sources, now with Outlast ® Supplement for gastric support and proper pH. Talk to your local Purina retailer, or visit purinamills.com/omolene OROVILLE ADVANCED SOIL AND GARDEN SUPPLY © 2019 Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. All rights reserved. Feed s own is Omolene ® 200 Horse Feed. Other feeds may vary. 2391A0012_PM_Omolene_8x10.5_AD_v2_REV_1

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Puri a ® Omolene ® Feeds, now with Outlast ® Supplement. The textured feed you’re used to has changed for the better. Keep your horse performing with condence with the same nutritious fuel sources, now with Outlast ® Supplement for gastric support and proper pH. Talk to your local Purina retailer, or visit purinamills.com/omolene

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* For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility r equirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good through March 31, 2022. Not all customers or applicants may qualify. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not i ncluded in suggested retail price. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. standard terms and conditions apply. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. © 2022 CNH Industrial America LLC. A ll rights reserved. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland are trademarks registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. * For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility r equirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good through March 31, 2022. Not all customers or applicants may qualify. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not i ncluded in suggested retail price. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. standard terms and conditions apply. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. © 2022 CNH Industrial America LLC. A ll rights reserved. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland are trademarks registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Purina ® Omolene ® Feeds, now with Outlast ® Supplement. The textured feed you’re used to has changed for the better. Keep your horse performing with condence with the same nutritious fuel sources, now with Outlast ® Supplement for gastric support and proper pH. Talk to your local Purina retailer, or visit purinamills.com/omolene

February 23, 2022 Ag Alert 17

2391A0012_PM_Omolene_8x10.5_AD_v2_REV_1