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AFBF concerned about proposed UP-NS rail merger
The $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads would create the first coast-to-coast railroad across 43 states. Danny Munch, economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the big concern is the loss of competitive pressure across the rail system. Munch said rail shippers are incredibly important to agricultural commerce. Munch said rail mergers are reviewed by the Surface Transportation Board and not the Department of Justice. The American Farm Bureau...
U.S. pork seeing growing demand in Latin America
A trade team from the National Pork Board, assisted by staff from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), toured retail locations as well as expanding transportation and cold storage facilities during a recent mission to Panama and Colombia. USMEF Chair-elect Randy...
Iowa farmers react to Brazilian farming trip
On my recent trip to Brazil, hosted by Commstock Investments, I had the chance to travel with a few Iowa farmers who came along on the trip to see what there was to learn about agriculture in Brazil. Having that perspective of being in the second largest Ag state in...
Grassley, Fischer, Wyden, Tester reintroduce cattle market reform bill
Senator Chuck Grassley and a bipartisan group of Senators last week introduced the bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2023. Joining Grassley was fellow Republican Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Jon Tester of...
Warmer winter temps will define this February
The soils are still completely frozen, so not much has changed when it comes to drought conditions. Since we started this winter with such heavy drought conditions, we?re counting on building and maintaining a snowpack that can give us a head start on our moisture...
Rising water levels on the Mississippi but supply chain issues persist
The water levels of the Mississippi River reached historic lows in the fall of 2022, causing barge traffic to slow and back up without deep enough water to navigate the river. Since then we have seen water levels rise but by how much?The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
There may be some headwinds in the cattle market yet
When you look at the cattle prices, you have to feel pretty good overall. Markets seem to be favoring producers. They are able to hold out until the packers are paying what they want. While inputs and feed costs are higher as well, you should still be able to make...
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More Ag News
Precision ag technology providing new tools for farmers
As precision ag technology continues to make advances in almost every area of agriculture, farmers are uncovering new tools to make their operation as efficient and cost friendly as possible. One of the latest technological advancements from Precision Planting is the...
113th National Cattle Congress wraps up fair season
Wrapping up County Fair and Festival season in Iowa and what a fitting grand finale. One of the most traditional events is the National Cattle Congress. The 113th National Cattle Congress runs through Sunday on the north side of Waterloo and Jim Koch, General Manager,...
Iowa’s 2023 best burger winner smashes records
Ames, Iowa – Since being named the home of Iowa’s Best Burger for 2023, Flight Bar + Grille in Huxley has been serving a record-setting number of burgers while contributing thousands of dollars to the Ballard Education Foundation. “Overall, our restaurant sales have...
NPB urges hog producers to complete NASS survey
If your farmhouse is anything like mine was growing up, that trip to the mailbox can turn a little snarky when we see those survey forms from the USDA. Dad was never wild about doing those surveys because he felt the government already had way too much information on...
Groundbreaker year for Bayer Smart Corn System
In its inaugural year of widespread growth, Bayer’s Smart Corn System had plenty of challenges to overcome. Despite the issues from drought and severe weather, farmers are still excited for short corn to be more widely available. Devin Hammer of Bayer said they’ve...
