Top Stories
U.S. pork exports to Japan show strong rebound
Exports of U.S. pork to Japan have shown an impressive rebound in 2026. The market has faced challenges such as high energy costs and a weak yen against the U.S. dollar, but some value sectors have increasingly relied on U.S. pork loin and pork butt. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said those value sectors include ramen noodle chains and bento box companies. Halstrom says that Japan’s refusal to recognize Spain’s African swine fever regionalization has kept Spanish pork out of the...
Renewable fuels industry awaiting SRE decision
Several small refinery exemptions wait for a ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. renewable fuels industry is watching to see what the agency will do. Jacqui Fatka, lead economist for farm supply and biofuels at CoBank, said there are a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-5-25)
The weather is still mostly dry down in South America, so not much has changed. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. The dry weather has allowed Brazil to catch up with the 5-year average on harvest,...
$450,000 in state cost-share directed to water quality practices around 8 public Iowa lakes
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that nine Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District partners will receive $451,176 in water quality cost-share funding from the Publicly...
Agriculture watches as U.S.-Canada tensions rise
The global trade war rhetoric is heating up again, but this time, America’s closest allies are signaling they’ve had enough. Canada, long known for its diplomatic restraint, is beginning to openly express frustration with the Trump Administration’s trade tactics. As...
July 2025 brought historic rainfall to Iowa
After experiencing an already wet month in June, history would suggest that July would back off on the faucets a little bit. That was not the case this year, though, as Iowa experienced the second wettest July on record. Dr. Justin Glisan, state climatologist for...
USMEF applauds confirmation of new USDA Undersecretary for Trade
On Saturday evening, the U.S. Senate confirmed Luke Lindberg as USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs on a vote of 77-18. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said there was strong bipartisan support in the...
Video
More Ag News
Looking ahead at financing options for 2026
It’s never too early to start thinking about the next crop season already. Vince Restucci, market segment manager with Valent, said farmers can start making next year’s plans as they sit in their combine cabs during harvest. Restucci said many financing programs for...
Grassley not optimistic for soybeans at Trump-Xi meeting
Longtime United States Senator and farmer Chuck Grassley is not optimistic that the upcoming meeting between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping will reach a satisfactory conclusion on soybeans. The two presidents are set to meet at the upcoming Asia-Pacific...
Farmers are still flying blind in the ag economy
As harvest rolls on, farmers are flying blind when it comes to the ag economy. On top of the government shutdown, the lack of a new farm bill makes much of the future uncertain as well. Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra said farmers are missing out on several resources...
Study shows ag exports faltering
The U.S. has traditionally had a healthy agricultural trade surplus for years. As global dynamics change due to multiple political and economic factors, U.S. agricultural imports now exceed exports. A new study says the deficit is likely to get worse in the years...
Efficiency without reward in today’s dairy markets
Trying to make sense of today’s dairy markets might feel like trying to churn butter with a whisk. You can put in the effort, but the results may not make much sense. After a short stretch of stronger prices that gave producers a little breathing room, milk values...
