U.S. ag community helps those affected by Hurricane Harvey

Aug 31, 2017
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Storm damage could be almost $200 billion

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Members of the American farming community are doing what they can to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas last week.

In Kansas, the Department of Agriculture is collecting hay for transport to the affected areas.

And Governor Sam Brownback signed an executive order to lift certain rules and regulations for commercial transport vehicles to ensure the supplies are delivered as soon as possible.

“This action will help Kansans who wish to help provide hay and other supplies to help farmers and ranchers in Texas,” the August 30 executive order says.

The USDA estimated 1.2 million beef cows across 54 Texas counties are impacted by the storm.

In North Carolina, a farmer and feed supplier is also planning to donate hay to help the affected ranchers.

Harvey dropped 51.9 inches of rain in Texas since the storm made landfall last Thursday, meaning cows are running low on food.

“If they had feed it’s flooded (and) if they had hay it’s flooded (too),” Jessica Hill, owner of Liberty Farm and Garden Supply, told Fox8. “They have thousands of cattle down there.”

Hill hopes community donations will help send 100 tons of animal feed to farmers in Texas.

And for her, farmers helping farmers is an idea that hits close to home.

Hill’s family has farmed cattle since 1899. In the 1980s, a severe drought dried up all the hay, so farmers from around the U.S. sent hay to her family’s farm, she told Fox8.

In Missouri, the Equipment Dealers Foundation, is asking the community to donate to its Disaster Relief Fund.

The fund was created after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then, it has helped disperse more than $280,000 to affected people.

“We need to make sure those affected know that our community supports them and is willing to do anything we can to help,” Tom Nobbe, chairman of the Equipment Dealers Foundation, said in a statement.

AccuWeather estimates Hurricane Harvey’s damage could top $190 billion.

A list of other ways to help those affected can be found here.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.