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Trump orders changes to support ranchers, increase beef market competition
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Friday aimed at strengthening the U.S. cattle industry, increasing competition and expanding opportunities for ranchers and smaller meat processors. USDA said one order directs stronger enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and calls for USDA to coordinate with the Justice Department on livestock-market competition. It also directs USDA to expand programs allowing more state-inspected meat to move across state lines and provide...
Crop farmers still facing a rough ag economy
As the broader ag economy continues to struggle, row crop farmers face a particularly difficult time. Now, many farmers and ranchers are studying their balance sheets. Faith Parum, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the difficult ag economy is...
Senator says time is running out for US growers, help needed now
United States Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) told the Senate that U.S. growers can’t wait much longer for help from Washington. Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer says that the combination of high input costs and uncertainty in trade has brought farm finances dangerously close...
Secretary Naig announces grants to bolster access to E15, biodiesel in Iowa
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board recently approved an additional 48 grants, totaling more than $1.86 million, to support new and expanded biofuel infrastructure projects. These...
Scout from the combine seat as weed escapes show
The combines are running full throttle across Iowa, and while farmers are focusing on bringing in the crop, another reality is emerging along the field edges and in bare spots: weeds that slipped through this year’s control programs. Those escapes may look harmless...
Government shutdown adding more uncertainty to the ag markets
The agriculture industry and ag markets have been dealt a lot of uncertainty in 2025. From the tariffs of the trade war to the new world screwworm shutdown of the border between Mexico and the United States, the markets have dealt with many unknowns. Now amid the...
Low Mississippi River levels again set to disrupt harvest shipping
For the fourth straight year, water levels in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers will soon be critically low, forcing shippers to light-load grain barges during harvest season. As barge rates get higher, those higher costs are making their way down to the farm level....
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Farmer Bridge Assistance program isn’t a long-term solution for economic issues
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which will offer $12 billion in economic aid to farmers impacted by low commodity prices, high input costs, and challenges to market access. While many farmers are appreciative...
House unanimously passes ePermit Act
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the ePermit Act, which codifies President Trump’s Action Plan to modernize permitting technology across federal agencies. The legislation aims to reduce processing times for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)...
Exports highlight U.S. corn balance sheet
The December WASDE report is typically a quiet report that is moved on from quickly. USDA published the monthly report on Monday and while it did not make big waves due to major changes there are some adjustments to make note of. One of the bigger adjustments was to...
Senators push USDA for faster bird flu vaccine plan
A bipartisan group of 23 senators called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite development of a comprehensive bird flu vaccination strategy amid rising infections in livestock flocks. Lawmakers warn that outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or...
Building the calf microbiome begins in the first hours of life
Producers spend a lot of time thinking about cow health, breeding readiness, and nutrition plans, but Purina says the story of long-term productivity starts much earlier. The first hours and weeks of a calf’s life are filled with stress points, and how those animals...
