October provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed to 115, 27 points above the September index. The biggest driver of the sentiment improvement was an increase in producers’ confidence...
Farm economics are in trouble right now. Profit margins are tight, and there is no relief in sight. Part of that problem centers around the fact that we still don’t have a new Farm Bill for a second year. Policies built on ten-year-old data still govern a farm economy...
With the amount of rain that has fallen in South America, any crop concerns that were held earlier in the season have virtually disappeared. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. McBride said Brazil...
Members of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) will gather in Tucson, Arizona, this week for the federation’s annual Strategic Planning Conference. USMEF Chair Randy Spronk will mark the end of his term of leadership of the organization. Spronk said that, over the...
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is sticking with his prediction of another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill as Congress runs short on time in 2024. Grassley says that a new five-year farm bill being completed after the elections and during a lame...
The Farm Credit System reported that combined net income was relatively stable at $1.98 billion for the third quarter of 2024, as compared with $2 billion for the third quarter of 2023. For the nine months ending on September 20, 2024, FCS’s combined net income...
As harvest wraps up, we are taking stock of what we learned from this year. We are also having to make plans for 2025. With tighter profit margins, farmers have some very tough choices. Dekalb/Asgrow agronomist Rich Judge joins us in this featured conversation.
World Food Prize week in Iowa culminated last Thursday with the award of what is considered the "Nobel Prize of Agriculture.” The laureate awards were awarded to two advocates of plant genetic diversity and global seed banks. World Food Prize Foundation President...
Farmers are taking out loans at a rate and scale not seen in years as weakened crop prices weigh on the agricultural sector, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The volume of new operating loans increased at its fastest pace since 2017,...
The economy has been in a weird place. The DOW is strong, the dollar is strong, job numbers seem better than anticipated, and consumers are still paying for what they want. However, buying power is lower because prices are higher. Look no further than your local...
