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Specialty crop growers feeling left out
In a time of financial stress for many farmers across the country, the $12 billion bridge assistance payments that were recently announced are welcome relief for many. However, $11 billion dollars of the relief payments are being distributed to row crop farmers, leaving many other producers on the outside looking in. U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse, a farmer himself, says that specialty crop growers are one sector of agriculture that are feeling forgotten about. Newhouse also acknowledges...
USTR Tai insists efforts underway to ease Brazil ethanol tariffs
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai insists that U.S. efforts to get Brazil to ease its protectionist tariffs on American ethanol are being taken seriously. However, United States congress members have pushed back pointing out that Brazil increased its duties on...
Farmers oppose sale of Iowa fertilizer plant
The University of Illinois Farm Policy News says Iowa farmers told officials that they should block the sale of the Iowa Fertilizer Company to Koch Industries. The sale is worth 3.6 billion dollars. Farmers attending the Iowa Farmers Union’s listening session told...
Secretary Naig recaps legislative session for agriculture
Now that the state legislature has wrapped up their session, it’s time to look back at a few things that were of concern to agriculture. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig had a few policies he was most concerned about, and those were foreign land ownership and Meat...
Recent rains are quenching one of Iowa’s longest droughts
Over the past few months, the weather has largely been characterized by warmer-than-normal temperatures. Since the ground didn’t freeze as hard, that means the recent storms have been able to get moisture deeper into the soil. Iowa State Climatologist Dr. Justin...
Despite HPAI outbreak, U.S. milk is still safe to drink
The last couple of years have seen outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the spring and fall as temperatures change. However, this year has seen an unusual outbreak of the virus among dairy cattle. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau...
Field demonstrations will return to 2024 Farm Progress Show
The 2024 Farm Progress Show will be held in Boone August 27th-29th. It will be the first time the show has been held in Iowa since 2022 with the 2023 show taking place in Decatur Illinois. Last week a meeting was held for exhibitors and vendors at the show site in...
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More Ag News
As Pro Farmer Crop Tour continues, crops are mostly looking better
After estimates of a near-record crop in Ohio for a second year and a lot of potential in South Dakota on Monday, the Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts found even better results in Nebraska and Indiana on day two. Longtime Eastern Leg Scout Bryan Coffman of Iowa said that,...
U.S. Export Sales Report (8-22-24)
Export sales were better than expected this week, potentially in part due to the lower grain prices we are experiencing right now. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers. Flash sales in particular have seen increased activity due...
USDA chief economist says farmland values rise, questions strength
USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says farmland values continue to rise year-over-year, but questions land value strength amid changing economic conditions on the farm. Or as Meyer says, an increase of $200 an acre, rising to $4 on average for crop and pastureland…...
Soy growers wary of EPA herbicide strategy
American soybean growers are worried about the feasibility of implementation and the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s final Endangered Species Act Herbicide Strategy. Josh Gackle, president of the American Soybean Association, says while there are...
Soy checkoff & State organizations make investment in PNW Soy Meal Port
Earlier this week we talked about the work being done by the beef checkoff to invest dollars into continuing education. The soybean checkoff is also investing in the marketability of the soybeans that we grow. Recently a group led by the United Soybean Board (USB),...
