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China soybean demand offers support for U.S. exports
Fresh soybean purchases by China are providing some encouragement for U.S. growers. The Wall Street Journal reports Chinese buyers have begun placing new orders for U.S. soybeans currently being planted. USDA officials say they remain optimistic China will meet previously announced purchasing commitments during the 2026 marketing year. The renewed demand comes as U.S. farmers face increased competition from record South American production. Analysts say Chinese purchases could help support...
A multi-state focus on specialty crops
Applications are now being accepted for grants from USDA's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program, which is designed to address various concerns and efforts within the specialty crop industry. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Deputy Administrator Tricia Kovacs provides...
Soy checkoff continues evolving with changing demand needs
Farmers across the country are taking a harder look at every dollar moving through their operations. With tight margins, elevated input costs, and continued uncertainty in the ag economy, some soybean growers may question whether they are truly seeing value from the...
Iowa Farm Bureau accepting applications for “Grow Your Future” award
Iowa Farm Bureau is now accepting applications for its Grow Your Future Award, offering one young farmer $10,000 to scale their ag-related business. The competition highlights Farm Bureau members ages 18 to 35 who are building creative, value-added businesses from...
Feenstra says year-round E15 has strong bipartisan support
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives was able to pass legislation that would allow E15 to permanently be sold year-round. By unleashing ethanol production, demand for corn can increase, fuel prices can go down, and America can become more energy...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-14-26)
This week’s export sales were mostly a repeat of recent trends once again. However, there were a few notable differences. Allendale commodity broker Ben Breisch said old crop corn sales were lacking, but that market has been so strong recently that this is a minor...
Latest Cattle on Feed Report hints at minor herd rebuild
April’s USDA Cattle on Feed Report provided a breakdown of steers and heifers on feed with heifers falling to 37 percent of the total on-feed inventory. Typically, this is the initial signaling of herd rebuilding. ShayLe Stewart, a livestock market analyst with DTN,...
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More Ag News
Infrastructure expansion vital to U.S. fertilizer production
On Tuesday Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins provided updates on federal efforts to expand domestic fertilizer production. To increase fertilizer production capabilities, infrastructure improvements and upgrades are necessary and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is...
U.S. farmers lost $15 billion to tariffs
Recent studies by North Dakota State University revealed that U.S. tariffs and resulting retaliatory actions are driving significant economic losses for American agriculture, heavily impacting exports and raising farming costs. The study found that retaliatory tariffs...
Naig highlights bipartisan wins for Iowa agriculture
The Iowa Legislature wrapped up its 2026 session with several agriculture-related priorities crossing the finish line, including the bipartisan Iowa Farm Act and a major water quality and infrastructure funding package. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said the...
Trade announcements with China are a positive step forward
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met recently to discuss trade and other topics. This may be a sign that trade tensions are slowly thawing between the United States and China. Faith Parum, an economist for the American Farm Bureau...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-21-26)
As more details come out about the trade agreement between the U.S. and China, the weekly export sales continued following along its recent trends. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were the highest ever for this specific week. McBride said...
