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USDA estimates diesel tax relief could save agriculture $640 million
USDA says temporary diesel fuel tax relief could save American farmers and transportation operators more than $640 million during the current agricultural harvest season. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Thursday that 31 states have taken or announced measures supporting the federal government's emergency dyed-diesel relief initiative. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Oct. 5 directing federal agencies to temporarily suspend certain penalties and excise tax...
Naig urges safety as harvest impatience grows
Rain has kept many Iowa combines parked as farmers wait for fields to dry, and with October approaching, the desire to finally get harvest underway continues to build. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said that anticipation is evident as he travels across the...
Details from September Cattle on Feed Report
USDA published the September Cattle on Feed Report on Friday September 18th, and the report shows another increase in cattle and calves on feed. That’s according to USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer. However, Fischer says that when examining cattle that were...
Long-term effects of data centers must be considered
As the development of large-scale data centers continues to be pushed in rural areas, many communities across the nation have one major question: what is the long-term impact on the local environment? University of Illinois environmental science student Bruce Beam...
Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling advances with Senate farm bill
Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef moved closer to returning after the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the 2026 farm bill. The legislation includes an amendment tied to the American Beef Labeling Act that would restore mandatory...
USMEF holds seminars to grow demand in Saudi Arabia
For over a decade, U.S. beef faced technical barriers in Saudi Arabia that left only a small fraction of U.S. production eligible for the market. With those obstacles now removed, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – with support from USDA and the Beef Checkoff...
Technology and value added ag guide ISU priorities
Iowa State University President David Cook is spending his first year on the job looking at where the university can have the greatest impact in the years ahead, and agriculture remains a major part of that conversation. Cook has been traveling across Iowa during his...
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AFBF study shows ineffectiveness of U.S. beef import plan
Roughly one month after the Trump administration announced its plan to import beef in an effort to combat high prices at the grocery store, data is showing that prices have not been significantly lowered. New analysis shows that the plan to lower tariffs on imported...
South American Weather and Crop Update (9-29-26)
As the Americas prepare to face what is being called a “super El Niño,” farmers in Brazil and Argentina are moving along with planting season for the next crop. While there is a significant chance for excessive, damaging rains, Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride...
Beef prices and herd retention decisions
With turbulent cattle markets due to beef imports and the southern border with Mexico reopening for cattle imports cattle producers have a lot to think about when making decisions for the future of the herd. Will cattle ranchers and farmers make plans for starting the...
Fordyce explains unusual ARC and PLC signup
Persistent rain has kept combines parked across much of Iowa, leaving farmers waiting for fields to dry out and harvest to get moving. While they wait, there is another decision to make involving the 2026 crop. USDA has opened enrollment for the Agriculture Risk...
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,...
