Top Stories
Demand for U.S. pork climbing higher in Central America
Demand for U.S. pork is reaching new heights in Central America, which has been one of the fasting growing regions in recent years. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Regional Representative Lucia Ruano said expanding the use of pork beyond just raw material for further processing has been key to this growth. While Honduras and Guatemala are the regions top markets for U.S. pork, other Central American countries are expanding their exports as well. Ruano said U.S. pork is gaining traction in...
Iowa farmers juggle two crop year decisions
Iowa farmers will soon find themselves making ARC and PLC decisions for two different crop years at nearly the same time. As we reported Tuesday, USDA has opened an unusual enrollment period for the 2026 crop that runs through December 11. That signup was delayed as...
AFBF study shows ineffectiveness of U.S. beef import plan
Roughly one month after the Trump administration announced its plan to import beef in an effort to combat high prices at the grocery store, data is showing that prices have not been significantly lowered. New analysis shows that the plan to lower tariffs on imported...
South American Weather and Crop Update (9-29-26)
As the Americas prepare to face what is being called a “super El Niño,” farmers in Brazil and Argentina are moving along with planting season for the next crop. While there is a significant chance for excessive, damaging rains, Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride...
Beef prices and herd retention decisions
With turbulent cattle markets due to beef imports and the southern border with Mexico reopening for cattle imports cattle producers have a lot to think about when making decisions for the future of the herd. Will cattle ranchers and farmers make plans for starting the...
Fordyce explains unusual ARC and PLC signup
Persistent rain has kept combines parked across much of Iowa, leaving farmers waiting for fields to dry out and harvest to get moving. While they wait, there is another decision to make involving the 2026 crop. USDA has opened enrollment for the Agriculture Risk...
Secretary Naig welcomes applications for urban water quality project grants
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is accepting pre-applications for cost-share grants to support urban conservation and water quality projects. The locally led projects,...
Video
More Ag News
Using precision ag technology to manage farm operations
Precision ag technology can make the challenge of navigating the ever-changing ag industry a bit easier on farmers. Nate Greuel, precision product marketing manager at CNH Industrial, said FieldOps can help farmers process all of the data they get from their farms....
Canada-U.S. trade talks are in limbo
As the Canada-U.S. tariff war continues for targeted industry sectors, trade negotiators on both sides of the border have decided to play the waiting game for now. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated late last week that there is no hurry to get back to the...
Secretary Rollins proclaims October National Cooperative Month
On Thursday Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins issued the annual proclamation announcing this month's recognition of our country's cooperatives and their contributions to our national and rural economies. Secretary Rollins also provides statistics on the number of...
USDA expands regenerative agriculture pilot
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding its Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program for fiscal year 2027, providing $1 billion in financial assistance to producers. USDA says $650 million will be provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program,...
Ag groups seek stability in uncertain markets
It has been a week since President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House, and U.S. agriculture continues to watch for signs that those discussions could lead to stronger trade relationships. Representatives from the ethanol and cattle...
