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Ag Economy Barometer survey findings on farmer financial assistance intentions
The recent farmer bridge payment announcement from the White House and USDA is a welcome relief for farmers. Although the payments are not a permanent fix to any of the financial problems farmers face, they do help to provide assistance during the trade war with China. The November Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer contained an interesting question about financial assistance for farmers and what they would do with the funds to help their operations. James Mintert, a professor...
With rain delays, farmers considering delayed planting and replanting
With few workable planting days due to the rain, farmers are considering what they might have to do to make sure the crop gets planted and still performs well. This could include strategies like delayed planting or even replanting. Nate Meyer, southwest Iowa field...
Ernst critical of Biden Administration’s ag trade message
Many of you who have children or are kids at heart have probably seen the original Lego Movie®. It was a neat little story about overcoming adversity and learning the value of teamwork. The movie produced a well-known song that entered the pop culture lexicon for a...
Beef industry leaders travel to Korea and Japan
The U.S. Meat Export Federation, along with U.S. beef industry leaders, is on a global trip to see how U.S. beef is performing abroad. The trip included stops in Korea and Japan- two countries that have become great destinations for specialty cuts, among other...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-9-24)
A neutral export sales report is favorable to the idea that the USDA will make cuts to U.S. exports in tomorrow’s WASDE report, as both corn and soybeans have fallen behind. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers. McBride said...
Calls for increased ag trade opportunities continue
United States agriculture continues to push for new trade opportunities in 2024. Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, says the Biden administration is taking more action than in past years to increase those opportunities....
Global pork production returning to profitability
A recent Rabobank report says the global pork industry is starting to shift as sow herd numbers begin to plateau after declining for some time. The stabilization is a result of better-than-expected consumption trends coupled with reduced production costs across most...
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More Ag News
Koch completes $3.6 billion purchase of Iowa Fertilizer Co.
Koch Ag & Energy Solutions successfully purchased OCI Global’s fertilizer plant in Wever, Iowa, for $3.6 billion. After announcing the pending sale last year, the finished transaction gives Koch access to a state-of-the-art facility and its related businesses. The...
Keeping new dairy calves healthy from respiratory diseases
While we have talked at length about what H5N1 or bird flu looks like for dairy herds, we have to remember that this isn’t the only health concern we face. There are still the old standards we have to guard against, and at this time of year, we see more calves moving...
Congress returning with work to do for agriculture
Congress has a lot on its plate with few work weeks remaining this year, including keeping the government fully funded. Ryan Yates, managing director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau, talks about a couple of the big projects Congress needs to deal...
South American Weather and Crop Update (9-3-24)
Heat and dryness have stuck around in Brazil, and those temperatures in particular are raising concerns for the next crop. Ben Breisch of Allendale gave an update on the latest weather patterns in South America. Since the soil in South America is much different than...
Grassley speaks about the headwinds facing the ag economy
The United States agriculture economy is facing numerous headwinds as the final quarter of the year approaches. Commodity prices are on the decline year over year, USDA is forecasting a record ag trade deficit, ag equipment manufacturers are laying off workers, and...
