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House Ag Chair wants farm bill 2.0 in February
GT Thompson, the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, has tentatively set a farm bill markup for the week of February 23. Politico said that’s according to three sources familiar with Thompson’s plans. While the formal text of his farm bill has yet to be introduced, it will likely have the same priorities as the version that advanced out of committee in 2024 but never became law. “Committee staff is still waiting for the cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, which could...
Behind the disease insects crept through Iowa corn
Southern rust dominated the conversation during the 2025 growing season in Iowa, forcing growers to react quickly to unexpected disease pressure. But while disease grabbed most of the attention, other problems were quietly developing in the field. Insects and weeds...
Markets reacted negatively to today’s slew of USDA reports
Several USDA reports were released today, including the January WASDE report and the Quarterly Grain Stocks. Unfortunately, most of these reports were negative for the ag marketplace. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the markets really did not like seeing...
October red meat exports show promising signs
U.S. pork exports continued to build momentum in October, led by a record performance in leading market Mexico, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While beef exports remained lower year-over-year, USMEF...
Considerations for cattle care in extreme cold
There are several factors to keep top of mind when caring for cattle during the cold winter months, and especially during periods of extreme arctic air. The first consideration, according to Karl Hoppe of North Dakota State University Extension, is that cattle do not...
How Southern Rust changed Iowa corn plans
Just ahead of the 2025 growing season, many in the crop protection industry expected tar spot to be the primary disease concern in corn. Instead, southern rust emerged as the dominant threat across much of Iowa, forcing growers to quickly evaluate their management...
Uncertainty grows over future of U.S. farm bill legislation
Agriculture policy analysts say 2026 could mark the end of the traditional five-year U.S. farm bill era, as lawmakers struggle to produce comprehensive legislation. The most recent farm bill provisions expired in 2023 and Congress has extended them annually since,...
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U.S. Export Sales Report (1-15-26)
As we end off a busy week of government reports, the weekly export sales came in with plenty of activity. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave a breakdown of the weekly report. China has nearly completed its obligation to purchase U.S. soybeans, so the markets...
Tariff battle heating up on Capitol Hill
The fight over President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs is heating up again on Capitol Hill, while the Supreme Court has not ruled on their legality as of Thursday. President Trump turned to tariffs again this week, threatening 25 percent duties against countries like...
Rollins says administration backs year-round E15, but Congress must act
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins says year-round E15 sales have the full support of the Trump administration but it’s up to Congress to pass legislation which expands access to E15. Rollins says that President Trump’s early executive order cited year-round E15 as a...
Iowa Farm Bureau sets 2026 legislative priorities
During the 2026 legislative session, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state’s largest grassroots farm organization, will address key priorities including property tax reform and the prioritization of tax policies that support farmers and the agricultural...
Agribusiness Association eyes key Iowa legislation
As the Iowa Legislature begins work on the 2026 session, agriculture and agribusiness are once again front and center in policy discussions at the Statehouse. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa states that several proposals this year could directly impact investment...
