Top Stories
U.S. pork exports to Japan show strong rebound
Exports of U.S. pork to Japan have shown an impressive rebound in 2026. The market has faced challenges such as high energy costs and a weak yen against the U.S. dollar, but some value sectors have increasingly relied on U.S. pork loin and pork butt. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said those value sectors include ramen noodle chains and bento box companies. Halstrom says that Japan’s refusal to recognize Spain’s African swine fever regionalization has kept Spanish pork out of the...
Secretary Naig announces streamside buffer pilot project targeting priority watersheds
Today, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced a new state-funded conservation cost-share pilot project supporting farmers and landowners in the watersheds upstream from the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metropolitan areas. The Streamside Buffer...
Tariffs test farmers while Canada defies predictions
Tariffs have become a nagging concern for farmers who depend on reliable markets to move their crops and livestock. While the promise was that these measures would force trading partners into fairer agreements, producers are still left dealing with uncertainty and...
Innovation Symposium shows Latin American buyers new uses for U.S. red meat
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) brought 27 importers and users of U.S. red meat from across Latin America and the Caribbean to Colorado State University for a Global Innovation Symposium, made possible through support from the National Corn Growers...
Year-round E15 would be beneficial for everyone
Congress has an opportunity to help farmers and bring down the cost of gas. In this week’s commentary, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said year-round E15 sales would fuel the economy. Duvall said biofuels are also great for the atmosphere....
2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year has roots in agriculture
One of Iowa’s top leaders in ag education was recognized as the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year. Melanie Bloom, who has been teaching agriculture at Sioux Central Community School District in Sioux Rapids for 16 years, was announced as the recipient of the award last...
NPB strengthening connection between consumers and pork
The National Pork Board’s strategic brand campaign is all about taste and flavor. Patrick Fleming, vice president of demand development, says the new tagline, “Taste What Pork Can Do™,” aims to strengthen consumers' connection with pork by highlighting its flavor and...
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More Ag News
Lots of yield variability as Iowa harvest wraps up
Harvest in Iowa is very close to wrapping up- in fact, many farmers have put away their combines already. At this point in the season, we have a pretty good idea of how the yields are looking. Northwest Iowa AgriGold Agronomist Jeff Morey said there’s been a lot of...
U.S. Export Sales Report (10-31-25)
With the recent news of a trade deal framework being reached between the U.S. and China, there wasn’t much focus on export sales estimates this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn numbers are still projected to look good for the ag marketplace....
Cattle markets quickly reacting to news headlines
In today’s social media world, all it takes are a handful of posts online and a few days of reactions to flip the cattle market upside down. That is the opinion of Cassie Fish, a cattle market analyst and blogger for “The Beef.” She says it is frustrating to see the...
Mexico: still no date to resume beef exports to the U.S.
Mexico and the U.S. haven’t yet agreed to resume Mexican beef cattle exports into the U.S. amid the outbreak of the New World Screwworm in Mexico. Mexico’s ag minister announced that during a press conference with President Claudia Sheinbaum. Julio Berdegue spoke with...
Rollins reflects on FFA roots and updates livestock threat
The National FFA Convention is always a celebration of youth, leadership, and agriculture’s bright future, but this year’s event offered a special full-circle moment for one of the nation’s top ag leaders. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins returned to the same...
