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Fertilizer price probe opens as farm margins tighten
The Federal Trade Commission has opened an industrywide investigation into fertilizer prices after sharp increases during spring planting. Reuters reported that FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said the agency is using civil investigative demands to gather documents and testimony. The probe comes as growers face higher fertilizer and fuel costs, drought in parts of the Plains and another year of narrow margins. Reuters said urea prices have climbed 55% since shipping through the Strait of Hormuz...
Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment for cover crop adoption
Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers....
Naig says E15 backers finally proved their case
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the recent House vote approving nationwide year-round E15 sales confirmed what biofuels supporters have argued for years: once lawmakers finally allowed the issue to reach the floor, it had enough bipartisan backing to pass....
Meat industry professionals invited to gather in central Iowa for Midwest Meat Summit
Demand for locally produced meat is on the rise, which provides a unique market opportunity for livestock producers, butchers, and other meat industry experts. All members of the meat supply chain are invited to attend the Practical Farmers of Iowa’s (PFI) second...
AFBF highlights gaps in Dairy Margin Coverage Program
The Dairy Margin Coverage Program is a farm safety net program that helps U.S. dairy farmers manage risk when the gap between milk prices and feed costs shrinks. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the program has been a big help...
Grassley sees several Senate pathways for year-round E15
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says there are several avenues for year-round E15 to pass in the Senate. Grassley says the freestanding House-passed E15 bill needs to be attached to another piece of legislation to make its way through the Senate. Senator...
Stand establishment offers one of the first real looks at yield potential
The first signs of emergence reveal far more than whether a crop came up. Stand establishment is one of the first meaningful tests of how well a planting plan is translating in the field. Uniform emergence, healthy seedlings and consistent populations can provide an...
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Naig: Pork remains safe after pseudorabies case
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says consumers should remain confident in the safety of pork products after Iowa confirmed a rare case of pseudorabies tied to pigs brought into the state from Texas. Naig said the detection marked the first confirmed case in a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-27-26)
The weather is drying out quite a bit in South America. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said some areas are being viewed as deficient in rainfall. McBride said the first crop corn harvest in Brazil is nearly complete. McBride said corn and soybean harvest in...
Rain has been appreciated, but dry weather will return
The weather forecast for the Midwest could be a bit of a mixed bag in the near future. DTN Meteorologist John Baranick said the recent rainy weather will give way to drier conditions across a significant part of the Midwest. Baranick said the South has seen plenty of...
More details of latest U.S.-China ag trade commitment
During President Trump’s visit to China earlier this month, China agreed to purchase $17 billion worth of U.S. ag goods. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg provides some of the details behind the recent agreement by China to...
Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment for cover crop adoption
Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers....
