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Quiet April WASDE report still contained important information
The April WASDE report lined up with the market expectations and made virtually no changes this month. However, that’s not to say that the report did not contain valuable information moving forward. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the April WASDE included a few offsetting changes in the soybean markets. McBride said the bearish news in this report came from the wheat numbers. The U.S. Export Sales report also came out today, and McBride said it showed another strong week of corn...
White House farm bill meeting leaves unanswered questions
House and Senate Ag Committee leaders were invited to the White House last week for farm bill talks with President Biden. It was an unusual move for meetings on the bill that is not even being written yet.A key Ag Committee Senator says President Biden may be using...
USDA projects record corn crop and increased soybean production
USDA?s May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates projects increased corn and soybean production this year. In fact, Bernt Nelson, American Farm Bureau Federation economist, said USDA projects a record corn crop for 2023.?USDA estimated corn planted will be...
Market Psychology 101
Ok class, take your seats. It is time for today?s lecture.I will admit that psychology wasn?t my favorite class in college, but it does give us some insight into the way people think and react to certain situations. However, it is a little unusual to think about a...
Specialty crop farmers, beekeepers encouraged to update information on registry
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged beekeepers and producers of pesticide sensitive crops to register, renew or update their production plots, fields and beehive locations on the Iowa Sensitive Crops Registry.?Specialty crop producers and...
Grassley in favor of legislation to counter Prop 12
Proposition 12 is a California law that mandates more space for breeding pigs. The United States Supreme Court justices upheld a decision to dismiss the lawsuit from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that sought...
Climate pattern likely to shift to El Nino later this spring
The drought conditions in Iowa have been trending in the right direction recently, as some timely rains have worked to replenish the soil moisture levels. Iowa State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan provided an update on the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report for the...
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Strong month for U.S. pork exports driven by Mexican demand
It was another banner month for U.S. Pork exports according to the latest data for the month of October from the USDA. Kelli Wicks, manager of international market development for the National Pork Board, says that the Mexican market continues to be a big success...
USB infrastructure investments benefit all of U.S. agriculture
The United Soybean Board (USB) engages in a number of infrastructure investments designed to keep U.S. soybean growers in a global leadership position while also benefiting transport of other commodities and agricultural inputs. USB Director Belinda Burrier said...
Iowa land value study shows four percent rise in prices
Farmland values in Iowa rose again but at a slower pace than the two previous years. The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey found that farmland values increased 3.7 percent, or $424, to $11,835 per acre. That increase follows a larger 17 percent increase...
“Factory farming” more a buzz word than a reality
“Factory Farms” is a term that we hear far too often from those who are seemingly opposed to the conventional form of farming that we are all used to seeing. Many times, it is thrown out by those who wish to either radically change or do away with agricultural...
Grassley anticipates challenges for ’24 Farm Bill
With Republicans and Democrats firmly entrenched in their positions, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that the sides need to soften their stances and work on compromise to complete a new five-year farm bill in 2024. Grassley says that the current stalemate cannot...
