Top Stories
Year-round E15 and farm aid included in Iran supplemental request
In a major breakthrough for U.S. agriculture, President Trump has included year-round E15 and billions of dollars in new farm aid in his Iran war supplemental request to Congress. The almost $88 billion war request was signed by Trump’s budget director Russel Vought and sent off to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Senate Ag Chair John Boozman said it includes ten billion dollars in temporary economic aid for both row and specialty crops planted this crop year, over $1 billion for ag storm losses in...
Mexico is U.S. dairy’s most reliable customer
America’s dairy exports to Mexico are approaching record levels as consumer demand for dairy products continues to outpace the country’s production. Mexico is the leading market for U.S. dairy products, comprising over one-fourth of international sales. Dairy product...
Be better prepared for pest protection in soybeans
As we prepare and finalize plans for the 2025 crop, we have to start thinking about how we will protect our plants in the fields. So many factors are beyond our control, but crop protection isn’t necessarily one of them. While things may not go according to plan or...
USMCA biotech corn dispute settled in U.S. favor
After almost two years of back and forth between the parties, a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Dispute Settlement Panel recently announced its ruling on a U.S. challenge of Mexico’s ban of U.S. biotech corn imports. In a March 2023 senate hearing, Under Secretary for...
Bird flu driving egg costs higher
Shoppers were buying more eggs to bake Christmas treats ahead of the holiday season at the same time U.S. wholesale egg prices were up 150 percent from last year. Reuters says the average retail price of a dozen eggs surpassed $3.60 in November, $2.50 higher than the...
NPB recaps 2024 for the holidays
As 2024 draws to a close, the National Pork Board wants to take a moment to look back on the work that they Pork Checkoff accomplished this year based on producer priorities. One primary initiative is the 15-member producer-led Board of Directors allocated a large...
Holidays can intensify rural mental health challenges
For the 46 million people living in rural America, the holiday season can present added pressures to an already stressful time of year. In addition to higher rates of depression, suicide rates among people in rural areas are 64 to 68 percent higher compared to people...
Video
More Ag News
South American Weather and Crop Update (4-15-25)
The skies are still rainy down in Brazil, and dry conditions are persisting in Argentina. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in South America. McBride said harvest in Brazil has continued to move along nicely. The dry...
Governors ask EPA for more renewable fuels
Four state governors sent a letter to Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, asking him to set higher Renewable Volume Obligation levels. “Over the past several years, the biofuels industry made significant investments to expand domestic...
Fighting tar spot with early action and solutions
Farmers must stay vigilant to protect their crops from a variety of diseases that threaten yield and quality. One persistent challenge is tar spot, a fungal disease that has become a recurring concern in many corn-growing regions. As it continues to spread,...
Iowa State University hosts 97th annual Iowa FFA Convention
Iowa FFA members from across the state have taken over Ames for the 97th annual Iowa FFA Convention. As the longtime host for the event, the staff at Iowa State University never pass up the opportunity to network with these future ag industry leaders and show them...
USMEF seminar connects U.S. red meat exporters with African businesses
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) hosted a two-day trade seminar in Accra, Ghana, bringing together some 30 U.S. red meat exporters with 76 buyers from 12 African nations. Importers and exporters held direct meetings and heard presentations from USMEF and USDA...
