Top Stories
Iowa livestock producers should be tracking NWS cases
Recently, New World Screwworm (NWS) was officially confirmed in the U.S. after it made its way closer to the border through Mexico. Now that it is in the U.S. cattle herd, we have also seen our first case of NWS in a different mammal- a dog in Lea County, New Mexico. This is not a surprise, as NWS is not picky, but it proves that all animal owners need to be cautious of this pest. Dr. Lisa Becton, associate director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), said tracking and monitoring...
Pork industry needs producer voices and leadership
Producer leadership is paramount to building trust in the U.S. pork industry. Iowa pork producer Al Wulfekuhle, president of the National Pork Board, said his deep love for the pork industry is why he got involved with the Board. Wulfekuhle said he’d like to see more...
Central Iowa is in the spotlight as Farm Progress Show gets underway
The Farm Progress Show is the largest outdoor farm show in the country and a showcase of the newest innovations and technology in agriculture. The show attracts big crowds and with the crowds comes a big economic boost for the central portion of Iowa. Don Tourte is a...
Secretary Naig announces grants for Iowa schools to purchase local food
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will provide $2,000 grants to 137 participating school districts or schools to purchase meat, eggs, produce, dairy and other local foods from area...
Canadian Railroad strike was short-lived
Federal Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon intervened on Thursday to impose binding arbitration on the parties involved, just sixteen hours after Canada's two main railway freight lines locked out Teamster Union personnel. A few weeks prior to the deadline, the union had...
Pro Farmer Crop Tour wraps up with record crop projections
The final estimate from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour shows record yields for both corn and soybeans. Corn yield is set at 181.1 bushels per acre, while soybeans are at 54.9 bpa. Eastern Leg Tour Leader Brian Grete said that, while these estimates are just a snapshot in...
Strong notes for both pork and beef exports in June
June exports of U.S. beef reached the highest value in nearly two years, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While June pork exports were lower year-over-year, shipments through the first half of the year...
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More Ag News
2024 A year without ag market shocks
Compared to the past four years, 2024 lacked a singular event causing shocks in the farm market and farm prices, according to USDA’s Chief Economist Seth Meyer. Meyer says that led to a relatively quiet market year in terms of market shocks. While there was not one...
NCBA President looks ahead to new administration
As he prepares to move back into the White House in Washington, D.C., Republican President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his Secretary of Agriculture. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Mark Eisele said he...
Iowa cattle producers are making their voices heard
Winter is a season that is often full of meetings in the ag industry, as it is generally a good time to plan out the next year. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association held its annual convention in Ames last month, where members gathered to discuss and vote on their policy...
List of state crop assistance payments
In addition to a farm bill extension through September 30, the American Relief Act of 2025, recently passed by Congress, contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments for 20 covered crops. This economic assistance is intended to offset part of the economic loss...
Consumers aren’t just looking at price as the main purchasing factor
Last week, we talked about the challenges that are involved in helping producers of pork products understand the sometimes volatile relationship between the supply and demand sides of the industry. In that conversation with Glynn Tonsor, an economics professor at...
