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ASA’s Ragland says farmers facing a thousand cuts
Soybean farmers have been battling more than slow demand and market uncertainty this year. The cost of doing business has climbed steadily, pushed higher by tariffs, input inflation, and the ripple effects of a prolonged trade war. American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland says those pressures have created a financial environment that many growers simply cannot outrun. Ragland describes it as “death by a thousand cuts” as farmers face higher input prices at the same time commodity...
Competition in overseas markets increasing during 2024
USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer talked about the state of the ag economy and the headwinds it faces in 2024. During his speech at the 100th Annual Ag Outlook Meeting, he said there are challenges ahead. “We've seen a lot of growth in trade for agricultural...
2022 Census Of Agriculture indicates loss of farms and farmland
The USDA released the 2022 Census of Agriculture this week. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says some of the results were concerning, especially the number of farms and total amount of farmland across America. While those numbers sound large, Secretary Vilsack was able to...
Crop insurance costs to jump 29 percent
The federally-subsidized crop insurance program will cost an additional $27.7 billion over the next decade. A Congressional Budget Office report says the government pays roughly 62 cents of each dollar in premiums, and sales of livestock and forage policies are...
Could whole & 2% milk be returning to schools?
During the Obama Administration, then-First Lady Michelle Obama spearheaded changes to the school lunch program for Public Schools across the country. The effort was presented to the American people as a chance to bring kids healthier lunches. Much debate has ensued...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-15-24)
Export sales are continuing their recent trends. Corn sales are looking good, while the same certainly cannot be said for the soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest export sales report. U.S. soybean prices are still far from...
AFBF seeks modernization for Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, passed in 1978, provides tracking and monitoring of investment in U.S. agriculture. However, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Economist Danny Munch said the process is due for an upgrade. Munch said the current...
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More Ag News
Corn acreage and storage numbers send market price lower
The USDA published the Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports on Friday and several factors combined to send the corn price in the ag marketplace to the downside. On Friday the ag marketplace reacted with a double digit drop in the corn price after the USDA...
Smithfield Foods delivers 34,000 pounds of protein to NW Iowa
Smithfield Foods delivered 34,000 pounds of protein to Rock Valley, Iowa, to provide free, restaurant-quality hot meals to victims, first responders and volunteers impacted by severe flooding across Northwest Iowa. As a local employer with more than 600 employees in...
Real Pork Scholar Program invests in the future of the pork industry
The Real Pork Scholar Program is one way the Pork Checkoff is establishing a firm foundation for the future of the U.S. pork industry. Hailey Schweke, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota and a Real Pork Scholar, said this program is focused on...
USMEF takes deep dive into Mexican market at U.S. Red Meat Symposium
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently held its inaugural U.S. Red Meat Symposium in Mexico City as U.S. red meat exports are hitting record levels in Mexico. With support from USDA, the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board, the symposium...
Converting melon waste into bioplastics
Farmers and the Ag industry are always looking for innovation; both to drive demand, find ways to reduce waste products, and help the environment. We may focus a lot on things like biofuels, aviation fuels, and other products for which our corn and soybeans are used....
