Top Stories
USMEF bolstering Mexico’s in-home consumption of U.S. pork
Mexico’s demand for U.S. pork has soared in recent years, and 2025 was no exception. Pork exports to Mexico were record-large for the fifth consecutive year at 1.24 million metric tons, valued at $2.85 billion. But the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) continues to identify opportunities for further growth, and a good example is the relatively low percentage of pork dishes that are prepared at home, rather than in restaurants and other foodservice outlets. Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF regional...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-27-26)
For as good as the export sales have been recently- especially for this time of year- they were bound to have a down week eventually. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn export sales were weaker this time around. Soybeans saw lower sales as well, but...
Farm incomes drop despite abundant harvests
Farm incomes generally decreased across the Federal Reserve Bank’s Ninth District. That’s according to lenders responding to the fourth quarter Ag Credit Survey by the Minneapolis Fed. Lenders also reported that purchases of capital inputs fell, though farm household...
Iowa Corn pushes farmer voice on tariffs
The Iowa Corn Growers Association took a focused set of priorities to this year’s National Corn Growers Association Corn Congress, with trade policy, nitrogen tools, and access to clean fuel tax credits topping the list. ICGA President Mark Mueller says the...
Valent’s Rapidicil getting closer to commercialization
At last year’s Commodity Classic show in Denver, Valent U.S.A. unveiled its newest active herbicide ingredient, Rapidicil. Since then, research has shown that Rapidicil can help control a variety of weeds when paired with tank mix partners. Pat Clay, product...
Reaching the limits of feeding cattle to heavier finishing weights
The total number of beef cattle in the United States is at the lowest level since the 1950s. To make up for the lack of beef cattle while still producing the necessary amount of beef for consumer demand, the cattle industry is feeding cattle to heavier weights. Eric...
The proof of pork demand is in consumer data
The National Pork Board has a comprehensive business intelligence team analyzing data throughout the supply chain, including consumer preference, volume, value, and purchase trends. Kiersten Hafer, NPB vice president of business intelligence and innovation, said they...
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More Ag News
Iowa Soybean Association is evolving to face ag industry issues
This year’s Commodity Classic in San Antonio saw a record number of farmers in attendance. In many discussions throughout the event, it was clear that farmers are prepared to give this crop season their all, no matter what challenges they may face. Aaron Putze, chief...
Expanding export markets for U.S. biofuels
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden is bullish on export opportunities for U.S. produced biofuels. Vaden was a speaker at this year’s USDA Ag Outlook Forum and says the potential for biofuel exports is ever expanding. Vaden says that U.S. biofuels are a key...
SNAP funding debate slows farm bill markup process
The House Ag farm bill markup has entered its second day, but the key stumbling block to a bipartisan bill has now come into sharp focus. The fight over SNAP versus farm programs has kept a new farm bill off the books for at least three years. Republicans got around...
Secretary Naig extends popular cattle and conservation working lands project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced a three-year extension of the popular, farmer-led Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project. The extension renews program agreements in Taylor, Page, Carroll, Cherokee, Guthrie, and Ida counties through...
Cutting input costs key for Iowa farmers
As farmers prepare for the 2026 growing season, managing input costs remains a top priority. With tighter margins across much of agriculture, many producers are looking for ways to improve efficiency while still protecting yield potential. Shane Brockhoff, who works...
