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Farm credit conditions weaken across Upper Midwest
Financial pressure is building in farm country. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reports that agricultural credit conditions across the Upper Midwest weakened in the second quarter compared with a year ago. Bankers highlight commodity price volatility, high production costs, and tighter cash flow as key challenges. Chicago Fed Policy Advisor David Oppedahl says cash flow issues are causing severe loan repayment problems, hitting an all-time high since 2020. Rather than borrowing to expand...
New World Screwworm influence in the ag markets
The initial reaction in the ag marketplace to the first detection of New World Screwworm in a calf in south Texas in early June was a bit surprising to many market analysts. Generally, a negative headline can send the markets to the downside in a dramatic way, at...
Secretary Naig announces 11 Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants during dairy month
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that 11 Iowa dairy farms and businesses have been awarded Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants. The announcement was made during a Dairy Month visit to Gav-n-view Farm near Lansing, one of this year's grant...
Getting the most out of reciprocal trade agreements
Recently, the USDA hosted a trade mission to Argentina and Ecuador. While the two markets are distinct from each other, they also have many similarities. USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg led the mission and said he was...
Soybean demand evolves beyond traditional export markets
Export markets have long been a cornerstone of demand growth for U.S. soybeans. As global populations expand and incomes rise, increasing protein consumption continues to create opportunities for soybean farmers. However, industry leaders say the future of soybean...
Neutral June WASDE report had little impact on grain prices
A few slight offsetting changes in the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report left the markets with very little to react to in Thursday’s trading session. That lines up with past years, though, as the June WASDE report is usually fairly...
Boozman says farm bill proposal coming soon
Senate Ag Chair John Boozman says that the work on a bipartisan farm bill is about to yield results. Boozman says that the high prices of fertilizer and diesel fuel, labor and interest costs are all necessary reasons that farm policy needs to be updated and...
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More Ag News
What to expect from the USDA acreage and grain stocks reports
On Tuesday June 30th USDA will publish the planted acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports. These reports typically have been known to move the ag marketplace one way or the other based on the updated numbers for planted acreage and the grain on hand in the stocks...
US hog inventory edges lower; productivity ticks up
The U.S. hog and pig inventory totaled 73.7 million head as of June 1, down slightly from a year earlier and from March, USDA said Thursday in its quarterly report. Market hogs accounted for 67.8 million head, while 5.88 million were kept for breeding, according to...
Next week’s heat dome could stress Iowa crops
We’re roughly halfway through the growing season here in Iowa, and there are varying crop conditions across the state. Much of the crop looks very strong currently, but there are some areas struggling with disease, pest, and weather issues. Dan Bjorklund, technical...
Uncertainty around Brazil’s production forecast for 2027
Brazil’s corn and soybean crops could have a major impact on global grain markets. Joanna Colussi, a research assistant professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, identified fertilizer as the root of the problem. Colussi discussed how the stagnant...
Screwworm far from Iowa, but worth watching
New World Screwworm remains hundreds of miles from Iowa, with confirmed cases confined to parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. While there is no indication the pest is moving into Iowa anytime soon, state officials say it's important for livestock producers to...
