The drought in Iowa is gone, but farming challenges remain

The past four years have been especially challenging for Iowa agriculture.

The coronavirus pandemic exposed weaknesses in the country’s supply chains and led, in some cases, to the mass slaughter of animals.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has forced the culling of millions of chickens and turkeys, and now it’s infecting dairy cattle, too.

Drought that gripped the state for four years has finally subsided, but corn and soybean prices have slumped.

Helping farmers wade through all of that is Mike Naig, the state’s secretary of agriculture who first was elected six years ago to lead the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Naig, a Republican, next faces election in 2026.

Q. How well did Iowa farmers weather the drought in recent years?

A: Despite 204 consecutive weeks of at least D1 drought (the lowest rating) somewhere in the state, Iowa farmers continued to produce historically strong corn and soybean yields.

While there was some variability across the state depending on the intensity of the drought in a given area, this overall productivity was a testament to the power of timely rains as well as improved genetics, equipment, crop protection products, precision technology, conservation practices and many other innovations.

The drought also made things challenging for hay and forage production and those with pastures. Now that we have had more regular rainfall, it’s helped to replenish pastures, streams and ponds, which our livestock farmers rely upon.

Q. What's the outlook for crop production this year now that there has been ample rainfall?

A: The historic drought has been busted, but in its place we’ve had a record year for tornadoes, another derecho and significant flooding that has impacted sizable areas of this state. My heart goes out to everyone who has been impacted.

As I travel the state, I do see that there’s some variability, especially in places that experienced extreme flooding and heavy rains. But generally, this crop is looking very strong as we head toward harvest. And according to (the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s) projections, the crop is also looking pretty good for much of the Corn Belt, including Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

We’re potentially looking at record corn and soybean yields for both Iowa and the nation, and that’s on top of significant ending stocks. We’re going to be sitting on a lot of supply, and we’re seeing that reflected in the prices.

We must continue to look for ways to open new and expand existing markets — locally, nationally and internationally — as well as add value to the Iowa commodities that our farmers produce.

Q. What would you like to see in the next farm bill, and how might its delay affect farmers?

A: In agriculture, we can put everything into two buckets: that which you can control and that which you cannot. For the things you cannot control, you try to take steps to mitigate the risk. This is where a new and modernized five-year farm bill, with critical risk management tools, is so important.

Every title of the farm bill matters to Iowa agriculture — from robust commodity and trade programs that help farmers remain productive and access markets, to flexible conservation programs, to strong rural development that help communities of all sizes thrive, and nutrition programs that support our neighbors in need.

Iowa’s current House and Senate delegation is well-positioned to impact the final version, with two-thirds of our members sitting on their chamber’s Agriculture Committee.

The House has put forward a thoughtful farm bill that meets the long-term needs of our farmers and advanced it out of the Agriculture Committee. The Senate, on the other hand, hasn’t yet introduced legislation, which is disappointing.

We are going to need yet another extension of the current farm bill in the coming weeks, and then hopefully we see some movement after the election.

Q. What is the state of Iowa's ethanol industry, and how crucial is it for farmers?

A: Iowa’s nation-leading ethanol industry is strong. With 42 ethanol plants producing 4.6 billion gallons of ethanol annually, the industry is a huge driver of demand for corn and produces many high-quality jobs in rural communities around Iowa.

Consumers also enjoy savings every time they fill up at the pump, and that’s on top of the fact that ethanol blended fuel is cleaner-burning and better for the environment. Demand for E15 in Iowa is strong, and we are seeing gas stations upgrade their infrastructure to offer higher blends so drivers can save money at the pump.

As we look toward the future, we need federal policy that recognizes the importance of American-made liquid fuels as well as allows us to harness the enormous potential of sustainable aviation fuel. I remain very optimistic about the long-term success of biofuels in Iowa.

Q. How has highly pathogenic avian influenza affected livestock and poultry producers? Are you satisfied with the uptake of enhanced biosecurity measures?

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A: Iowa is the nation’s leader in egg production and a significant producer of poultry and turkey. Highly pathogenic avian Influenza remains lethal to poultry and that’s why our joint state and federal response team works quickly to stamp out any new case when one is detected.

In the more than two years since our first detection (of the current outbreak) on March 1, 2022, seasonal migration has brought new cases and challenges each spring and fall. Since the last major outbreak in 2015, our poultry industry has taken significant steps to enhance their biosecurity.

I want to commend them for these actions as it has made a big difference during this latest outbreak. Now that the virus has spilled over into dairy cattle, the added complexity has brought us new challenges.

With supportive care, cattle generally recover with minimal mortality, but we want to limit the potential spread to protect our poultry producers.

Pasteurization has proven to be completely effective at inactivating the virus within milk, thus removing that food safety concern. As fall migration picks up, we are preparing for the possibility of another wave of cases this fall within poultry. I continue to encourage all of our livestock farmers to keep biosecurity top of mind and strengthen their protocols.

Q. What are farmers' biggest concerns right now, and how might that change in the coming years?

A: Profitability.

USDA forecasted an approximate 25 percent drop in farm income for 2024. The ag economy is cyclical, but we are clearly experiencing a significant softening right now.

Crop prices are below the cost of production, land prices have declined for the first time in five years, and the combination of inflation, high interest rates and costly inputs have weighed on both farmers and consumers.

Our pork producers have battled historic headwinds for several years. All of this is impacting both farmers as well as all of the companies and employers that service and supply production agriculture.

The strength of the ag economy begins at the farm gate, and as a result, we’ve seen some high-profile layoffs recently as farmers take a pause and reassess purchasing decisions for their farms. It drives home the need to continue to build demand and be aggressive in pursuing new and expanded existing markets for Iowa products locally, nationally and globally.

Whether it’s leading international trade missions, pushing back against barriers to other state’s markets on things like biofuels and pork, or launching our Choose Iowa brand for local food and ag products, we need to keep building markets for Iowa products everywhere.

Q. How have attitudes about conservation practices changed, and are you pleased with the pace of implementation?

A: Iowa’s economy depends on agriculture and our agriculture depends on our rich natural resources, including our soil and water. For the third year in a row, Iowa has set a record for conservation adoption as we continue to accelerate this important work statewide. A decade ago, we were at a few thousand acres of cover crops statewide, but now we’re up to nearly 4 million acres. We are anticipating what will likely be the biggest year yet for water quality wetland development. We now have batch-and-build projects in place to construct bioreactors and saturated buffers in 16 counties, including in and around Linn County. We’re adding more partners all the time — public and private. Water quality progress is being made but we know that we have much more work to do in the years and decades ahead. However, we are committed to doing this work because it is important. It’s going to take all of us — urban, suburban and rural doing more, but I have no doubt that we are up to the challenge.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your job?

A: The opportunity to represent Iowa and our rich agricultural tradition is something I am proud to do every day. Iowa is famous for agriculture. I love the opportunity to serve Iowans and to serve those who have made Iowa a productivity powerhouse. Agriculture drives the economy of this state and so many of our communities. Roughly 1 in 5 Iowans is employed directly because of agriculture. We rank second, only to California, for total value of agricultural products sold. That equates to first per capita given that California has three times the land area and over 12 times the population. Consumers near and far — locally and globally — depend on what we produce.

We lead the nation in the production of corn, pigs and eggs, but we also lead the nation in the production of biofuels, feed and red meat. We add value to the commodities we grow. But even as we produce more, we are doing so while being more sustainable. We are constantly finding ways to be more efficient — using less land, energy, water and inputs. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as the secretary of agriculture and advance the interests of Iowa’s agriculture community.

Q. What is something interesting about you that most people don't know?

A: My wife, Jaime, and I are the proud parents of three school-aged boys. I grew up on a Century Farm near Cylinder in Palo Alto County and I remain involved in the farming operation today.

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com