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NPPC targets Prop 12, trade, labor in D.C.
The National Pork Producers Council is taking its top policy priorities directly to Capitol Hill this week as pork producers gather in Washington, D.C. for the group’s Legislative Action Conference April 15 and 16. Rob Brenneman, president of NPPC and a pork producer from Washington, Iowa, says one of the most important parts of the conference is making sure lawmakers hear directly from the people affected by the decisions they make. A major focus of this year’s conference is preserving the...
EPA still considering eRINS in RVO rule, Grassley opposed
The Biden administration?s Environmental Protection Agency is still considering including eRINS in its final Renewable Volume rule the agency is required by court order to issue by the middle of the month. But two Senators are leading the charge to stop that from...
Mixed bag in recent USDA Ag Trade Outlook
USDA?s June Ag Trade Outlook showed a significant drop in U.S. exports from the February report. U.S. ag exports are forecast at $181 billion for fiscal year 2023, down $3.5 billion from expectations in the February forecast. Veronica Nigh, senior economist with the...
West Coast labor dispute slows port operations
Contract negotiations between West Coast longshoremen and container terminal operators faced a breakdown Friday as work stoppages effectively closed the Port of Oakland and slowed operations up and down the coast. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said the...
Be prepared for anything in your marketing plan
After Friday?s explosion in grain prices, you might be feeling pretty good about your chances to increase some profit margins with this year?s crop. While we all know that no yield is official until it is in the bin, no price forecast is official until all the...
Reinstatement of grain indemnity fund assessment moved to September 1
DES MOINES, Iowa (June 2, 2023) ? As a result of Governor Reynolds signing House File 666 yesterday, the reinstatement of fees on grain sold to or deposited at Iowa-licensed grain dealers and warehouses as part of the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund...
U.S. Export Sales Report (6-2-23)
This week?s export sales weren?t as negative as what we?ve been seeing recently. Overall, there are some pretty interesting things happening in the export markets. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided an update on the latest export numbers from the...
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U.S. beef promotion efforts building momentum in Central America
U.S. beef exports to Central America have gained momentum in recent months, fueled in part by promotional activities funded by the Beef Checkoff Program. Lucia Ruano, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) representative in Central America, said BBQ Fest Costa Rica is a...
Telling the story of sustainability in the pork industry
The 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly called COP28, was an opportunity to tell data-driven facts about U.S. agriculture and sustainable on-farm practices. National Pork Board’s Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr says 84,000 people...
Ethanol production hits two-year high
The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output surged to a two-year high, and inventories hit their highest points since April during the week ending on December 22. Ethanol production rose to an average of 1.107 million barrels per day, up from 1.071...
John Deere precision equipment leads the way after 30 years
Last year at Commodity Classic in Orlando, I had the chance to visit with Matt Olson of John Deere as they were rolling out their revamped precision farming tools for the 2023 growing season. They were excited to make updates to everything from displays to modems and...
2023 a memorable year for the ethanol industry
2023 was a year to remember for the ethanol industry with corn ethanol demand reaching the highest levels since 2019 and the blend rate in gasoline setting a record as production rose to 15-and-a-half billion gallons. Rising domestic demand for ethanol and growth in...
