Top Stories
Smaller cattle herd means market volatility
It’s well-known that the U.S. cattle herd continues to shrink. The January U.S. Cattle Inventory report showed the total inventory at 86.2 million head on January 1. That was down 300,000 head from last year. American Farm Bureau analysis showed the combination of fewer beef cows and a declining calf crop means the 2026 calf crop will likely continue to trend downward because there are fewer calves available for the breeding herd, even if more heifers are kept for breeding purposes. Tighter...
Managing high fertilizer costs
Even though we are only halfway through June, farmers are already in planning mode for what happens after their crops come out. While many farmers got their inputs locked in before fertilizer prices shot up last year, that option is not available for this year. Now,...
ISU Dairy Science Club continuously celebrates the dairy industry
Iowa State University (ISU) Dairy Research and Teaching Unit hosted one of the many field days conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach throughout the state of Iowa in the month of June, in honor of National Dairy Month. Iowa ranks 12th overall in the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (6-16-22)
This week?s report was pretty ho-hum once again. Net corn exports were at a marketing-year low, but soybeans saw decent sales for this time of year. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said beans were surprising since sales usually shift to South America at this...
Senator Ernst listens to farmer concerns near Cedar Rapids
Last week, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst met with local and state Ag leaders near Cedar Rapids to hear about their concerns and challenges with the current economic situation in agriculture. A lot of the concern was centered around input costs, mainly fertilizers.Senator...
U.S. ag tractor and combine sales fall below five-year average in May 2022
U.S. tractor and combine monthly unit sales in May 2022 fell below the five-year average for the first time since March 2020, while Canadian sales remained above the line. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers released the monthly data last week, which shows U.S....
All eyes on the June 30th Acreage Report
The latest WASDE report was released last week to muted responses. The markets are more interested in the USDA Acreage Report coming on June 30th. This will set the stage for how the summer months could go in Chicago. Some call it the biggest report of the entire...
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More Ag News
Farm safety is a year-round effort
The national Ag Safety Awareness Program Week was March 6-10. However it is also a reminder that farm safety is not a one week focus.Megan Schossow, outreach director and center coordinator for the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, says it?s always...
State pork organizations are ?eyes and ears? of the industry
There is a pig in almost every state in the union, but the geographics of how they are raised vary by location. Dr. Brett Kaysen, senior vice president of producer and state engagement for the National Pork Board, said that there are forty-two state pork organizations...
March WASDE sees surprisingly big cuts to Argentina crop
Wednesday?s WASDE report contained a few surprises for the grain markets. The primary focus was on the bigger-than-expected cuts to Argentina?s crop from the USDA. Allendale commodity broker Mike Lung provided some analysis on the recent report.Those cuts were much...
Pork exports start 2023 quickly
America?s pork exports finished strong in 2022 and kept going into January. January pork exports were 236,767 metric tons, up 13 percent year-over-year, and export value rose 16 percent to $634 million. Exports to Mexico set a record in 2022 and hit another record in...
USB wisely investing Checkoff dollars to drive demand Part 1
The United Soybean Board manages the soy checkoff and has been working hard to invest those checkoff dollars into more research to help generate more demand, both internationally and domestically. We talk with Mack Marshall from the United Soybean Board about some of...
