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U.S. pork exports to Japan show strong rebound
Exports of U.S. pork to Japan have shown an impressive rebound in 2026. The market has faced challenges such as high energy costs and a weak yen against the U.S. dollar, but some value sectors have increasingly relied on U.S. pork loin and pork butt. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said those value sectors include ramen noodle chains and bento box companies. Halstrom says that Japan’s refusal to recognize Spain’s African swine fever regionalization has kept Spanish pork out of the...
Bullish news hard to find in current ag marketplace
A current snapshot of the ag marketplace shows front month corn below $4 and soybeans below the $10 mark. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of bullish news for the markets to react to right now to generate positive price movement. John Heinberg is a Market Advisor with...
Trade agreements will benefit Iowa grain and livestock producers
A flurry of recent trade agreements and frameworks have been announced by the Trump administration ahead of the looming August 1 reciprocal tariff implementation deadline. Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said several of the deals...
Governor Reynolds issues disaster proclamation for four counties in response to severe weather
Today, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Hancock, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux Counties in response to severe weather that occurred on July 28, 2025. Gov. Reynolds’ proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from...
Higher RVOs could lift feedstock demand
While the biofuels industry is the most direct beneficiary of increased Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), the effects extend far beyond fuel tanks. Rising RVOs also put greater focus on the feedstock supply chain, from soybeans to animal fats, shaping decisions for...
Iowa producers can optimize grain storage with GrainVue
For many years, grain storage has been a largely manual process. Once the grain is in the bin, farmers have to constantly monitor the conditions to make sure nothing spoils and leads to yield loss. However, the latest technology makes it to where grain storage...
Indonesia trade deal could remove burdensome non-tariff barriers
Last week, the White House announced a framework for negotiating a trade agreement with Indonesia. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror said that, while Indonesian tariffs on U.S. red meat are only 5%, the country places...
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Taking a look at WASDE estimates despite government shutdown
The impact of the government shutdown continues to be felt, as today was supposed to be the October WASDE report. However, we can still look at the trade estimates to get an idea of what this month’s report could have looked like. Allendale commodity broker Greg...
Farm aid delay is another shutdown casualty
It will take Congress to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation, assuming that is the course the administration takes to fund emergency farm aid growers need now. But new appropriations were not in the cards, and the government was shut down. House Appropriations...
Senate Ag Committee Senator says China no longer reliable ag trading partner
Senate Ag Committee Republican Roger Marshall of Kansas says China is no longer a reliable ag trading partner. He argues that United States producers need to utilize value-added farm goods to make up for losses in the Chinese market. Value added farm goods are...
Secretary Naig Announces 12 grants to support Iowa specialty crop production
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded Specialty Crop Block Grants to 12 projects across the state. The goal of the program is to enhance the competitiveness of Iowa-grown...
Synchronizing cows brings stronger herd performance and profit
Cattle producers looking to boost profitability may find new value in narrowing their calving window. Recent data from Merck Animal Health shows that synchronizing cow herds can lead to more uniform calf crops and higher returns when it is time to sell. The research...
