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TQA certification promotes efficient and safe animal handling
Transport Quality Assurance®, or TQA, focuses on practical, real-world skills that help handlers and drivers move pigs humanely and efficiently. Stephanie Wetter with the National Pork Board says the program is updated every three years to ensure continuous improvement and maintain accountability for science-based practices and emergency planning. TQA joined Pork Quality Assurance’s certification program 25 years ago and has grown to more than 27,000 individuals certified. Wetter added that...
U.S. beef has great new opportunities in the UK marketplace
U.S. beef recently regained duty-free access to the United Kingdom under a 13,000 metric ton quota included in the trade framework reached by the Trump administration last year. The quota provides the first zero-duty access to the UK since its exit from the European...
Examining the factors currently influencing the grain markets
Geopolitics, trade, and weather are all making an impact on the grain markets in recent weeks and that trend looks to continue as the calendar turns to May. Commodity broker Greg McBride of Allendale says that the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Xi...
New tariff push raises farm trade concerns
New efforts by the Trump administration to impose fresh import tariffs are drawing concern across U.S. agriculture, where producers fear another round of retaliatory trade measures could weaken export demand for key commodities. The administration is pursuing...
Ernst: Senate Path tough after House Farm Bill vote
The U.S. House has passed its version of the Farm Bill, but the focus now turns to the Senate, where the path forward is expected to be more difficult. While in Washington last week, I spoke with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst just as the House was preparing to vote on...
USDA confirms pseudorabies in swine herds in Iowa and Texas
On Thursday April 30th the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed via ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and latex agglutination testing (LAT) a detection of...
Growers fear 2027 prices will put fertilizer out of reach
A recent survey by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) left no doubt that high fertilizer prices will continue to be a big concern for farmers, especially in 2027. NCGA President Jed Bower talked about the ag community is on the verge of having some very big...
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Encouraging Iowa consumers to buy more food locally
Every year, Iowans spend approximately $12.6 billion on food. Unfortunately, much of that money does not stay within the state. In order to bring some of this spending back to Iowa, the Iowa Food System Coalition has launched the Iowa Local Food Challenge. By inviting...
Farm industry is navigating challenging times
There’s no doubt it’s been a rough go for the U.S. agricultural sector in recent years. Rob Larew, the president of the National Farmers Union, said the passage of the farm bill out of the House provides a bit of hope. Larew said it was disappointing to see year-round...
House farm bill amendment blocks foreign adversaries from buying U.S. farmland
Foreign adversaries are barred from buying U.S. farmland under an amendment added to the House farm bill which recently passed in the House by voice vote. The bill was introduced by Florida Republican Greg Steube. Much of the land referred to by Steube is located near...
DOJ confirms probe into beef processors
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into the nation’s beef processing industry, raising concerns about market concentration and its impact on cattle producers. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said officials are examining whether...
Ernst builds on USDA food safety center announcement
Following up on last week’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about establishing a National Food Safety Center in Iowa, more details are emerging about what that move means for the state and the broader ag industry. The USDA’s Food Safety and...
