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Breaking down the USDA December Cattle on Feed Report
While the overall number of cattle in the United States remains at extremely low levels, the trend of lower cattle inventories in feedlots is continuing. That is reflected in the December USDA Cattle on Feed Report says USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell. Placements in feedlots were down 11% from the same period a year ago. Marketings were down 12% year-over-year. McConnell further explains the findings from this month’s report. That was USDA livestock analyst Michael...
Iowa Farmer will be a Mosaic Frontier Fields Farmer in 2024
Companies are always trying to put their products through rigorous testing before they release them to the public. However, many times the results we see are based on controlled sites and conditions. What happens when it goes out to the average acres across the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (3-7-24)
This week’s U.S. Export Sales Report was actually a good one- including a slight rebound in the soybean numbers- ahead of tomorrow's WASDE. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the export sales numbers. Flash sales have been quiet lately, and that...
Another successful year for the National Pork Industry Forum
The 2024 National Pork Industry Forum is in the books. Scott Hays, Immediate Past President of the National Pork Producers Council, said the challenges of the past year made it especially important for producers to gather together. Dr. Anna Forseth, director of animal...
Pioneer Z-Series soybeans deliver high yields and strong defensive traits
Pioneer soybeans have a strong legacy of research and development, with Pioneer celebrating its 50th year of breeding soybeans in 2023. In 2024 that legacy of soybean research and development is on display in the form of the new Z-Series Soybeans. As seed technologies...
Coalition urges EPA to reject CVR energy petition
A coalition representing farmers and the ethanol industry this week urged the Environmental Protection Agency to reject a recent petition by CVR Energy to alter the Renewable Fuel Standard's credit trading program. CVR Energy's petition is a counterproductive proposal...
Ernst calls on Vilsack to keep up the fight for E15
By statute, it was only supposed to take 60 days for the EPA to decide on that bipartisan petition that 8 midwestern governors submitted asking for the EPA to allow them to use a provision in the Clean Air Act that would allow states to sell E15 all year round. But...
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More Ag News
Farmers tracking pollination and disease pressure in mid-July
At this time of year, our crops are pollinating, and we need the weather to cooperate in order to make sure our yields can be as high as possible. Since we have plenty of moisture in the soil, it’s mostly up to the temperatures to cooperate. Nate Meyer, southwest Iowa...
Edge-of-field conservation practices are simple and effective
Edge-of-field conservation practices aren’t complicated, but they are highly effective at improving water quality. These can be as simple as a grass waterway or a buffer strip beside a small creek, or they can be much more intensive, like a bioreactor at the end of a...
Vilsack discusses expected record farm trade deficit
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says this year’s expected record farm trade deficit is due to a strong U.S. economy and U.S. criticism of a major trading partner, China. Vilsack says the U.S. economy’s strength, with its stronger dollar, is largely to blame for USDA’s...
U.S. soybean supply to rebound in 2024-2025 marketing year
The U.S. soybean supply for marketing year 2024-2025 is forecast at 4.8 billion bushels, eight percent higher than the previous marketing year but down 20 million bushels from last month’s forecast. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Acreage...
The Midwest will enjoy a little bit of a cooldown
On Monday, we saw storms roll across central and eastern Iowa, which rolled to the Indiana/Ohio border. Rain, hail, tornadoes, and high wind gusts were recorded after what NOAA classified as a derecho. Wind gusts of over 100 miles an hour were recorded near New Vienna...
