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Farm production costs mixed last year, soaring in 2026
Farm production costs were mixed last year but are up significantly in 2026. USDA Chief Economist Justin Benevidez provides the specifics from 2025. Benevidez says the largest increase occurred in livestock and poultry production. However, the latest farm expenditure report shows crop farm spending dropped more than six-and-a-half percent. The numbers for 2026 paint a much different story. Fertilizer is up year-over-year by five percent for ammonia and up to 37 percent for DAP. Since 2020,...
Corn and soybean planting near completion nationwide
Most U.S. farmers have nearly finished spring planting as crop conditions remain generally favorable. According to USDA data reported by Successful Farming, 97% of the nation’s corn crop has been planted, while soybean planting is more than 90% complete. Kentucky,...
Check on your tires to minimize equipment downtime
Downtime in the field not only slows you down, but it also hurts your pocket. Regardless of the stage you are in during the growing season, keeping equipment in optimal conditions is crucial for maximizing its use. Greg Jones, the senior manager for field engineering...
Hesitation could hinder screwworm eradication efforts
The effort to prevent New World Screwworm from reestablishing itself in the United States continues on multiple fronts. While officials are expanding the infrastructure needed to combat the pest, animal health experts say success will also depend on vigilance and...
South American Weather and Crop Update (6-17-26)
The upcoming forecasts for Brazil and Argentina finally contain some rain, and while that is normally appreciated, it can cause harvest delays. However, Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said that shouldn’t be a problem. McBride said harvest in Argentina is...
Midwest set up for beneficial growing conditions
Last week the Midwest and the Corn Belt experienced widespread severe weather with storms, damaging winds, and heavy rains. This week the weather pattern should be more tame but with adequate rainfall still helping crops through critical growth stages says USDA...
Secretary Naig Confirms Iowa’s completion of USDA pseudorabies response protocol
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig confirmed today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has successfully completed the Pseudorabies (PRV) response protocol outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant...
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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...
Heavier cattle weights bring bonuses and challenges at marketing time
As everyone knows by now, the total number of cattle in the U.S. herd is historically low. One of the ways that the low supply is being compensated for to meet the high demand for beef is by keeping cattle on feed longer and feeding them to heavier finishing weights....
Soybean growers applaud Supreme Court decision on glyphosate
The American Soybean Association is praising a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal pesticide labeling requirements take precedence over state failure-to-warn claims. The decision in Durnell v. Monsanto found that pesticide labels approved under federal law cannot...
Year-round E15 and farm aid included in Iran supplemental request
In a major breakthrough for U.S. agriculture, President Trump has included year-round E15 and billions of dollars in new farm aid in his Iran war supplemental request to Congress. The almost $88 billion war request was signed by Trump’s budget director Russel Vought...
USMCA review begins July 1 with an uncertain future
Mexico and Canada, two of the three USMCA nations, have said they want this collaboration to continue, unlike U.S. President Donald Trump. President Trump, speaking to reporters at the June G7 meeting in France, seemed unconvinced about continuing this collaboration....
