Top Stories
Brazil farmers facing a “perfect storm” of financial conditions
Brazil, the top global competitor to U.S. corn and soybeans, just wrapped up another huge harvest, but the next crop might have a less favorable fate. Dr. Michael Cordonnier, President of Soybean & Corn Advisor in Hinsdale, Illinois, describes a combination of unfavorable financial conditions for Brazilian farmers. Cordonnier believes that a potential delay in soybean planting due to dry weather could reduce the planting window for the second corn crop. This could affect Brazil’s corn...
State Ag Directors work to address industry challenges
Farmers and the agricultural industry are facing an overwhelming amount of uncertainty, with challenges coming from every direction. From unpredictable weather patterns and fluctuating market prices to labor shortages and evolving regulations, it often feels like the...
Trump imposes reciprocal tariffs on trading partners
President Trump recently announced reciprocal tariffs on a sweeping list of U.S. trading partners. Dave Salmonsen, senior director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said there are two sets of tariffs to keep in mind. Salmonsen said tariffs...
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-3-25)
Since this week’s U.S. Export Sales Report looks at the prior week for export numbers, we haven’t seen the impact of the renewed tariffs yet. However, the current market prices are absolutely reacting to that news. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an...
Reinventing pork for the future
Taste What Pork Can Do™ is the new tagline set to launch with consumers in May digitally. Gordon Spronk, a National Pork Board member from Minnesota, says pork promotion started in 1985, but the focus of the new campaign is to reach consumers by concentrating on...
Oil and biofuel coalition meets with EPA
A coalition of U.S. oil and biofuel groups met with the Environmental Protection Agency this week to push for higher federal mandates for biomass diesel blending. Three sources familiar with the plans told Reuters that the EPA meeting may signal that the agency is...
Secretary Rollins pushes for USDA focus and reform
The nation is sharply divided over the role of the newly empowered Department of Government Efficiency, with fierce party-line battles over its true purpose. Critics argue that it has become a political weapon, wielded to justify what they see as the systematic...
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More Ag News
The battle against New World Screwworm continues
Recently, U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S.-Mexico border would reopen for cattle shipments in phases after ports of entry were closed to limit the spread of New World Screwworm. This will help level out the balance between biosecurity and...
Drought coverage for crops and commodities mostly in decline
The month of June provided favorable weather conditions for crop growth for much of the Midwest including Iowa. Consistent, timely rainfall for most of Iowa with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures has set Iowa up well for the heart of the growing season. USDA...
American Butter Institute urges FDA to take action against a new “dairy-free butter” product
A new product from Country Crock labeled as “dairy-free butter” has sparked growing concern within the dairy industry. Under the current Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), butter is defined as a product made “exclusively from milk or cream, or both.” This means that...
Alongside President Trump in Iowa, Secretary Rollins calls for celebration of America 250
President Donald J. Trump held a massive celebration on the eve of Independence Day at the Iowa State Fairgrounds where he launched the year-long Great American State Fair in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The Great American State Fair will travel across the...
China trade impasse drags down May U.S. red meat exports
Global trade is continuing to impact cattle and hog prices in Iowa and across the entire country. Exports of U.S. pork and beef trended lower in May, due primarily to steep declines in shipments to China, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S....
