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Consumers looking at pork as beef prices remain high
2025 offered some great profit opportunities to swine producers as they enjoyed strong demand and lower input costs. Fortunately, some of those profit opportunities have carried into 2026. Holly Cook, economist with the National Pork Producers Council, said there are many demand conversations happening this summer. With the high prices consumers are paying for beef at the meat counter, some consumers turn their attention to pork cuts instead. Cook said there are a few factors that come into...
Secretary Rollins: Not closing FSA offices
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee this week and defended downsizing the USDA and potential cuts to international food programs. Reuters says the secretary added that the Agriculture Department doesn’t plan to close any...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-9-25)
As the U.S. works on more global trade issues, the export sales are continuing to perform well above expectations, at least for corn. Soybeans aren’t bad, but they aren’t quite as good. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave a breakdown on the latest numbers...
Farm Bill vs. Reconciliation: A risky tradeoff?
The Farm Bill has already been postponed twice, and as summer approaches, the odds of it getting passed this year are looking slim. Many of the programs within the bill are long overdue for updates—everything from crop insurance to conservation and nutrition programs....
Beef industry excited to be included in UK trade deal
Today’s trade agreement-in-principle with the United Kingdom includes market access for U.S. beef, which is a direct result of the years of advocacy groundwork laid by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus...
Keep expectations tempered for China trade deal negotiations
News broke this morning of a trade deal that was made between the U.S. and the UK. This has many people excited for the U.S.-China trade talks that are going to happen this weekend. However, Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said to not get too excited for a...
From Waste to Worth: finding value in everything produced on the farm
The Waste to Worth Conference is a collaborative event focused on finding innovative and practical solutions for managing livestock waste. Marguerite Tan, director of environmental programs at the National Pork Board, says the conference will help to further the hog...
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Protecting yield by reducing crop stress with biologicals
The biologicals market has expanded rapidly in recent years and given farmers more tools to fend off crop stressors and preserve yield. Ryan Schnoes is the District Leader, Biologicals with Corteva Agriscience and says that as crops deal with stress in the growing...
Renewable fuels industry awaiting SRE decision
Several small refinery exemptions wait for a ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. renewable fuels industry is watching to see what the agency will do. Jacqui Fatka, lead economist for farm supply and biofuels at CoBank, said there are a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-5-25)
The weather is still mostly dry down in South America, so not much has changed. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. The dry weather has allowed Brazil to catch up with the 5-year average on harvest,...
$450,000 in state cost-share directed to water quality practices around 8 public Iowa lakes
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that nine Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District partners will receive $451,176 in water quality cost-share funding from the Publicly...
Agriculture watches as U.S.-Canada tensions rise
The global trade war rhetoric is heating up again, but this time, America’s closest allies are signaling they’ve had enough. Canada, long known for its diplomatic restraint, is beginning to openly express frustration with the Trump Administration’s trade tactics. As...
