(NAFB) – Don Hofstrand - Iowa State University emeritus ag economist says world agriculture has been successful in keeping up with world population growth over the last half of the 20th century.  In fact -Hofstrand says agriculture’s food production has increased faster than population during this time period. And the value of food production has increased rapidly during this period - most of which occurred in the developing countries.

Hofstrand notes that although world agricultural production has increased faster than population growth - resulting in an increase in production per capita - the increases have not been distributed evenly across the globe. Still - 37 out of 70 developing countries are considered food insecure nations. Most are located in Sub-Saharan Africa - the same region that has the highest fertility rate.

Hofstrand adds agriculture’s ability to meet the needs of an additional two-billion people during the first half of the 21st century is an open question. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates food production will need to increase by 70-percent by 2050.

(NAFB) – The American Heart Association has certified pork tenderloin as a heart-healthy food with its iconic Heart-Check mark. According to the National Pork Board - the tenderloin - ounce-for-ounce - is as lean as a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Michelle Dudash - registered dietitian and Cordon Bleu-certified chef - says healthy eating doesn’t have to mean boring eating. She recommends making pork tenderloin your scrumptious sidekick because it offers an endless variety of simple preparations and bold, tasty recipes.

As for the Heart-Check mark – Dudash says pork tenderloin is extra-lean and nutrient-packed - health-conscious consumers can easily identify this flavorful, juicy cut as a meal choice compatible with their personal wellness goals. Throughout the month of February - the National Pork Board is hosting a Love Me Tenderloin daily sweepstakes.  Pork fans can visit www.Facebook.com/PorkBeInspired and pledge to eat healthier for a chance to win free pork and other great prizes.

(NAFB) – For growers who have yet to place their seed order for this spring - Pioneer Hi-Bred - a DuPont business - is releasing 17 new Pioneer brand Optimum AQUAmax hybrids in the 96- to 116-day comparative relative maturities for drought-stressed environments. Everything from timing of seed treatment, planting date, row spacing, plant population, planting depth, tillage practices and nutrient management are factored into the Optimum AQUAmax hybrid systems approach.

Monica Patterson - Pioneer Marketing Manager – says Pioneer is approaching drought tolerance with an integrated approach - leveraging all the tools available to develop robust solutions for drought. Patterson says Pioneer’s Optimum AQUAmax hybrids deliver multiple modes of action through a suite of native traits that have a positive impact on drought tolerance - and thus yield.

(NAFB) – It’s official! The U.S. biodiesel industry reached a key milestone in 2011 by producing more than one-billion gallons of fuel.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency - the total volume of nearly 1.1-billion gallons easily exceeded the 800-million gallon target required under EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard. The previous record for biodiesel production was about 690-million gallons in 2008. The biodiesel industry’s success comes after Congress reinstated the fuel’s one-dollar-per-gallon tax credit in December 2010 and as the EPA’s RFS program for biodiesel completed its first full year of implementation.

Anne Steckel - Vice President of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board says biodiesel’s success clearly demonstrates that the biodiesel tax incentive and the Renewable Fuel Standard are working just as Congress envisioned. Steckel says the biodiesel industry is creating jobs, reducing U.S. dependence on imported fuel and improving the environment.

A recent economic study commissioned by NBB found that biodiesel production of one-billion gallons supports more than 39-thousand jobs across the country and more than 2.1-billion dollars in household income. Nearly 12-thousand more jobs could be added between 2012 and 2013 alone under continued growth in the Renewable Fuel Standard and with an extension of the biodiesel tax incentive.

(NAFB) – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports the January 1 Cattle Inventory is down two-percent.  All cattle and calves in the United States totaled 90.8-million head. This is the lowest January 1 inventory since the 88.1-million on hand in 1952. All cows and heifers that have calved were down two-percent, beef cows were down three-percent and milk cows were up one-percent. The 2011 calf crop was estimated at 35.3-million head - down one-percent from 2010.  This is the smallest calf crop since 1950.

Jim Robb - Director of at the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver - says the record Texas drought certainly was the game changer.  As feedstuffs were at record-high costs - the herd on a national basis declined. Akshay Jagdale - a New York-based analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets – says beef processors may have to adjust plant capacity as cattle supplies shrink. He says higher beef prices will boost revenue enough to make up for the rise in costs from shrinking supplies.

(NAFB) – The House Ag Committee has passes a half dozen bills that would amend Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas says some of the current regulations are – completely contrary to the intent of the original Dodd-Frank legislation. He says – some of these regulations could make using derivatives so expensive that businesses will be forced to stop using them to hedge against risk.

Ranking Member Collin Peterson is calling for – patience with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He said – the CFTC is going to get this right. To date, most of the final rules coming out of the Commission have bipartisan support and are addressing the concerns that stakeholders have expressed to both us and the Commission.

Peterson believes that even if we do find that any of these bills are necessary, they have no future. The majority of Senate Republicans and their leadership have dedicated themselves to the repeal of Dodd-Frank.

(NAFB) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley wants members of his staff to meet with Paul de Sa, a top Federal Communications Commission staff member who is describes as the “father” of the LightSquared project.  DeSa leaves his position as the FCC’s legislative affairs director next month.  Grassley’s first request for a meeting was met with a “not available” statement. An FCC official says Grassley is on a “witch hunt”. Grassley calls it “due diligence”.

Senator Grassley says FCC chairman Julius Genachowski should make this staff member available. Earlier the chairman said he would – make agency staff available to discuss the LightSquared wireless project. Grassley says – if this top FCC official has time to meet with the hedge fund owner behind LightSquared, he should have time for a meeting with Senate staff trying to shed some light on a controversy created at the FCC. 

Since last April, Grassley has been reviewing why the agency rushed approval of the LightSquared project without adequately exploring what turned out to be widespread concerns of interference with the Global Positioning System devices widely used by the military, first responders, aviation, precision agriculture, and consumer navigation.

(NAFB) – Branding cattle has long been a tradition in cattle country.  Those brands make it easy for ranch hands to separate their animals from the neighbors, when the herds mix.  But, after experiencing “the cow that stole Christmas” back in 2003 the government wants each animal to have a tag on its ear. This means each ranch hand would have to dismount and read each animal’s tag before determining its ownership.  In relationship, reading a brand is as easy as reading a billboard.

The new rule would require tagging — either with radio frequency devices or lower-cost metal “brite” tags — of cattle moved across state lines. Each tag would carry a unique numeric code. Stored in a database, the codes would allow animal health authorities to determine rapidly where an animal came from in the event of a disease outbreak.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has given qualified support to the proposal but said it would also like some parts clarified, and the inclusion of branding as an official identification method. Federal officials have long argued that a national identification system is necessary to quickly trace outbreaks of diseases like bovine brucellosis, tuberculosis and mad cow. It was mad cow, or BSE, that was identified in a Washington state dairy cow in 2003 right before Christmas.

(NAFB) – When the new standards for school meals kick in next school year 32-million kids will benefit from the healthy meal requirements.  Those requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than fifteen years and improve the health and nutrition of those students that participate in school meal programs every school day. Linda Davis-Alldritt, President, National Association of School Nurses, says – school nurses worked hard for the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act because they have a critical role in teaching about and encouraging healthy food choices.

Jessica Donze Black RD, MPH, Director of the Kid’s Safe and Healthful Foods Project Pew Charitable Trusts says – the focus on improving school meals comes at a critical time for children’s health as young people increasingly suffer from diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

And Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association, points out that – learning to make nutritious food choices at an early age is an important lesson for America’s children. We strongly believe these new standards for school meals will help the nation’s youth develop healthy food habits that will help lower obesity rates and ensure that the next generation can lead lives free of heart disease and stroke.

(NAFB) – During his State of the Union Address, President Obama pledged a doubling-down on clean energy in the United States. The centerpiece of the Administration’s strategy is a Clean Energy Standard, – a flexible approach that harnesses American ingenuity and innovation, and channels it toward a clean energy future. Obama believes that by creating a market here at home for innovative clean energy technologies, we will unleash the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs and ensure that America leads the world in clean energy.

The President supports renewing and extending a number of proven and successful provisions that are crucial to the continued growth of the domestic clean energy sector. This includes tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, which could create up to 100-thousand jobs, and the Production Tax Credit to support investment in the deployment of clean energy technologies like wind and solar.

The administration will also open public lands for private investments in clean energy: The Department of the Interior is committed to issuing permits for 10 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity – enough to power 3 million homes – from new projects on our public lands by the end of 2012.

Already, the Department of Navy has committed to adding 1 gigawatt of renewable energy produced from sources like solar, wind, and geothermal to its energy portfolio for shore-side installations – enough to power 250-thousand homes.  The Navy will ensure these energy projects are cost neutral and require no up-front investments by the government.