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Central America is a growing market for U.S. red meat exports
Central America will continue to be a growing market for exports of U.S. pork and beef, due in large part to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Ricardo Zúniga, founding partner of Dinámica Americas and featured speaker at the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Spring Conference in Oklahoma City, said he is bullish on the economic outlook for Central America, but he cautioned that a number of factors could limit the region’s growing demand for U.S. beef and...
Strong yields & weak margins: Financial pressures mount on farmers
The 2025 season has been defined by both resilience and strain in the farm economy. Strong yields in many regions helped keep optimism alive, but they were tempered by financial pressures that have made every decision more critical. Interest rates remain historically...
Dry Iowa weather can make harvest more complicated
Combines are rolling across much of the state, and the dry weather has allowed harvest to continue mostly uninterrupted. However, that dryness can bring with it a whole different slate of issues. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said corn yields might seem...
Turkey inventory squeezed as Thanksgiving approaches
As the weather turns cooler across the US, many shoppers are beginning to plan holiday meals. American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Bernt Nelson said USDA’s latest Turkeys Raised Report gives us some important insight on the size of the U.S. flock ahead of...
Farm bankruptcies on the rise in 2025
The latest data from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shows farm bankruptcies increasing year over year. Joe Peiffer, an attorney with Ag & Business Legal Strategies in Hiawatha Iowa, says the numbers are disturbing. Peiffer says the...
Iowa Corn Growers congratulate California on approval of E15
Yesterday in California, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 30, which legalizes the sale of E15, a fuel blend made with 15% corn ethanol that is cleaner-burning, homegrown and more affordable than ordinary fuels. With the addition of California, it is now legal in...
District Court advances ranchers’ challenge to tag mandate
A legal challenge over the USDA’s electronic identification (EID) tag mandate for certain cattle and bison is moving forward after the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota denied much of the USDA’s attempt to dismiss the case. The lawsuit, brought by...
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Secretary Naig congratulates winners of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s culinary competition
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today congratulated the winners of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s (IRA) Culinary Competition. The annual event highlights the creativity, skill and imagination of Iowa’s top chefs while celebrating the depth and diversity of...
Lenders want clear plans as farmers seek 2026 credit
Farmers are already looking ahead to the next growing season, and that means it is time to start preparing for an operating line of credit for 2026. Lenders want to see more than a basic snapshot of your plans. They want a clear picture of how you intend to manage the...
A growing season of variability in Iowa
Each growing season is different and the growing season in Iowa this year has been defined by a wide range of outcomes. Yields across the state have varied based on several conditions but primarily rainfall timing and disease pressure. The growing season got off to...
Used cooking oil still negatively affecting soybean oil prices
The Trump administration continues to delay the release of the final rules for the 45z tax credit, which is allowing used cooking oil to remain as a thorn in the side of the soybean oil industry. Kenan Layden, hedging strategist with AgMarket.Net, said the delay is...
AFBF Thanksgiving Survey shows slightly lower costs in 2025
Every year, volunteer shoppers from the American Farm Bureau Federation help determine the average cost of feeding ten people for a Thanksgiving meal. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving Cost Survey results show a slight dip in costs this year....
