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Strong winds could damage weakened Iowa crops
Rain in central Iowa has provided more delays for farmers, and now the risk of strong winds could put some fields at risk of significant damage. Landus Cooperative Technical Agronomist Dan Bjorklund gave an update on the latest Iowa crop conditions as harvest season continues. Bjorklund recalled that he expressed concerns over crop conditions during planting season, and those concerns unfortunately came to fruition during harvest. Bjorklund said that any kind of wind can knock over corn when...
Trump administration weighs diesel export ban
Record-high diesel prices are pressuring farmers heading into harvest, and the Trump administration is considering whether restricting diesel exports could provide relief. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says officials are examining whether a full or partial export...
China’s ag purchase pledge back in spotlight ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China are set to meet Thursday September 24th in Washington D.C. Jim McCormick, co-founder of AgMarket.net, says that the agriculture industry will be closely following the meeting to determine what agriculture topics...
Oil prices move lower in response to peace talk rumors
After weeks of steady improvement, oil prices traded lower to start this week as they were down 4-5% in Monday’s trading action. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at Gasbuddy.com, said the markets are likely hopeful that the Trump administration is going to...
Naig warns against rushing fall applications
Recent rains have delayed harvest across Iowa, but the wet conditions are also putting more attention on water quality and how farmers manage nutrients and conservation practices heading into the fall. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the recent rainfall...
USDA moving to modernize farm loan programs
The USDA is making efforts to streamline the farm loan process, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle that is the current farm economy. The changes to the farm loan program come as farmers face increasingly tight profit margins and greater credit demand. Danny...
ARC and PLC enrollment underway
Enrollment is open now for acreage in the ARC or PLC safety net programs. USDA Farm Production Undersecretary Richard Fordyce says enrollment is open through early December for farmers to choose either program. Fordyce explains the ARC safety net program. He says that...
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Secretary Naig welcomes applications for urban water quality project grants
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is accepting pre-applications for cost-share grants to support urban conservation and water quality projects. The locally led projects,...
China trade talks provide optimism for U.S. red meat
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer over the weekend offered new details on the progress made in last week’s U.S.-China trade talks, which were held in conjunction with the summit meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a...
President Trump announces $15 billion steel mill in Lee County
Governor Kim Reynolds and Mesabi Metallics Chairman Rewant Ruia joined President Donald Trump today at the White House for an announcement about a $15 billion economic development project in Iowa. Mesabi Metallics plans to make Iowa the home for its new fully...
Soybean prices plummet following Trump-Xi meeting
After the much-anticipated trade meeting between United States and Chinese trade officials and Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the results for U.S. agriculture appear to be a mixed bag. While China did agree to reduce tariffs on a wide range of U.S. farm...
Rain-delayed soybean harvest leaves Midwest processors scrambling for supplies
Persistent rain across parts of the Midwest is delaying the soybean harvest, tightening supplies and forcing processors to offer large premiums for immediate deliveries. Reuters reports some soybean crushing plants have reduced production as old-crop supplies dwindle...
