Top Stories
China honoring trade agreement and purchasing U.S. grain
The markets have been trending upward during this shortened trading week. After a rough start to the month, some recent headlines have given the corn and soybeans something to work with. Michael Weidner, director of grain origination and producer strategy at Landus Cooperative, said recent flash sales may be indicating that China will hold up its end of the trade agreement. Weidner said these purchases are a great starting point for the deal, which will continue through harvest this fall....
Nebraska rancher Steve Hanson elected as USMEF chair
Steve Hanson, a rancher and cattle feeder from Elsie, Nebraska, was elected chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) at the organization’s Strategic Planning Conference in Tucson, Arizona on Friday. Hanson said one of his priorities will be to highlight the...
A November soybean surprise
In most years the USDA November WASDE report does not make significant changes to the yield and production forecast for soybeans. That’s USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer. He says that last Friday’s WASDE report provided a November surprise by cutting the previous...
Updated estimates of renewable diesel through 2026
University of Illinois analysts looked into the future of renewable diesel production in the U.S. and saw some headwinds. Renewable diesel production capacity has exploded in recent years, increasing by more than three billion gallons. This substantially impacted fats...
AI’s presence continues to grow in agriculture
It seems like every time that we blink, artificial intelligence, or AI, has found a new way of helping us do our tasks a little bit better. Sometimes, it can also be a little scary. We harken back to some classic movies where AI has become too smart and has put...
November WASDE looks mostly friendly for corn and beans
This busy news week is wrapping up with the November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. While concerns over tariffs still remain, the ag marketplace has not adjusted sharply in either direction. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said...
Farmers need relief from economic conditions and natural disasters
A trifecta of natural disasters, high input costs, and poor economic conditions has made the last year difficult for farmers and ranchers. Betty Resnick, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says there is some relief on the way, but more is needed....
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More Ag News
NASDA remains focused on new farm bill
With tariffs and trade news dominating the ag headlines in recent weeks it might feel like the passage of a new five-year farm bill has been moved to the back burner. However, that is not the case for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. RJ...
Flows increasing on Missouri River for navigation support
The updated 2025 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. February runoff in the Basin above Sioux City was one million acre-feet, 91 percent of the average. “Runoff in the reservoir system was...
Bridgestone Tires: built for the field, ready for the road
As farms continue to expand and spread out, farmers spend more time on the road traveling between fields. This means their equipment needs to handle both the demands of fieldwork and the increased wear of highway miles. Durable, high-performing tires are essential to...
U.S. Export Sales Report (3-6-25)
Despite the tariff news weighing in on the ag marketplace, the export sales this week came withing expectations, which is better than what we have been seeing recently. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said it was a great week for corn. While the soybean...
Ag economy has been trending below growth neutral
A monthly survey of bank CEOs in 10 Midwestern states shows a dismal outlook. The report shows the February score fell to 38 on a zero to 100 scale, where 50 is growth neutral. This is the seventeenth time the score has been below growth neutral in the past eighteen...
