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BASF pleased with herbicide weed control in 2026
This crop season has been defined by heavy rains across much of Iowa, especially as we get into harvest. Mid-season rains made weed control more difficult, but BASF has heard a lot of good feedback about the performances of their herbicide portfolio. Kurt Maertens of BASF said Surtain corn herbicide performed extremely well amid the rainy season. While spraying big, mature weeds isn’t the goal, Maertens said Liberty Ultra soybean herbicide was able to handle the weeds that were boosted by the...
Grassley says farm bill markup possible next week even without McConnell
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that the Senate Ag Committee could still mark up a farm bill next week before the August recess without sidelined Mitch McConnell and a GOP majority. Senator Grassley says Ag Chair John Boozman still hopes to take up...
Markets react to July USDA cattle reports
The USDA released two important reports last week that each had a direct impact on the U.S. cattle industry: the July Cattle Inventory and July Cattle on Feed Reports. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the two reports offer a...
ICA lead on CRP reform at NCBA summer business meeting
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association (ICA) continues to deliver results for Iowa cattle producers, both in Iowa and across the nation. At the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Summer Business Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, earlier this month, ICA led...
Naig: Heat, timely rain shaping Iowa crops
Iowa farmers have faced a little bit of everything this summer. Extended stretches of heat have increased stress on crops and livestock, while scattered thunderstorms have brought much-needed rainfall to some areas and flooding, hail, and damaging winds to others....
TQA builds trust through consistent training
Transportation Quality Assurance® (TQA®), the pork industry’s certification program, provides science-based training for animal handlers and professional transporters who are responsible for moving pigs from farms to other facilities. Stephanie Wetter, director of...
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...
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Boozman: Farm bill work resumes in September
The Senate farm bill remains stalled as lawmakers head into the August recess, with a disagreement over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program continuing to hold up progress. At the center of the dispute are new requirements tied to state SNAP error...
Prop 12 battle continues as farm bill stalls again
Yesterday, the Senate Farm Bill failed to pass out of the Senate Ag Committee after Democrats rejected the Republican proposal in a narrow 10-11 vote. Now, the Farm Bill- and all of its attached legislation- does not have a clear path forward. However, groups like the...
Iowa farmers experiencing skyrocketing land values
Farmland values hit all-time highs this year even as the rate of increase has slowed. Farmers and ranchers have experienced firsthand the ever-increasing value of farmland, and a new analysis lays out those numbers. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm...
Updated yield and acreage numbers to be featured in August WASDE and crop reports
The August WASDE report will be published by USDA on August 12th and will feature the latest USDA yield estimates. This makes the August WASDE and crop reports some of the more important reports of the year says USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark...
Secretary Naig announces more than $2 million for 38 E15 and biodiesel infrastructure projects
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board has approved more than $2 million in cost-share grants for 38 E15 and biodiesel infrastructure projects across Iowa. The grants, approved during the...
