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Hog inventories up in March
The latest Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report from USDA shows an increase in inventories. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell says the total number of hogs in the U.S. is up compared to this time a year ago. McConnell says hog inventories remain stable, adding that lower breeding numbers are offsetting increasing market hog inventories for the quarter. He says that when examining the last two quarters inventories have expanded despite the breeding herd remaining stable. McConnell says the...
PRRS is still a real threat to hog herds
We have been spending so much of our recent time worrying about how to prevent African Swine Fever and tracking its march around the globe. While occurrences have lessened, it is still a very real threat. However, we cannot ever put all our eggs into one basket when...
Growth in farmland values continues
Growth in farm real estate values remained strong but showed some signs of easing alongside higher interest rates. The Kansas City Federal Reserve says the average interest rates on farm loans increased from record lows at the beginning of last year to decade highs by...
Red meat demand poised for rebound in China
Consumer demand in China is returning as a COVID wave eases and residents respond to the government?s elimination of most COVID-related restrictions. This increased activity, paired with economic strength for the Chinese consumer, points to a strong second quarter for...
WHO rejects plant-based COVID vaccine
Medicago, a drug manufacturer in Quebec City, Canada, has announced that it is closing down operations. While Health Canada has approved Medicago?s plant-based vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially given notice that Medicago?s vaccine will not...
Pork industry still waiting for Supreme Court decision on Prop 12
The United States pork industry is still on hold, waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court regarding its case against California?s Prop 12. The law would try and regulate pork that is imported to California from other states.Tyler Bettin is the director of...
Naig says ?There was no improvement? in Mexico?s corn proposal
The latest chapter in the proposed Mexican ban on GMO corn unfolded last week. The Mexican government says that it will back off on the GMO ban for yellow corn, but will keep it in place for white corn. However, they want to see an open transition to non-GMO yellow...
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Processing plays an important role in marketing U.S. meat
Connecting the dots between your favorite rack of ribs and the economics of your favorite Iowa pork producer during Porktober. Not necessarily explaining all the various techniques involved in processing and shipping, but cooking is very important as you want your...
Foundational benefits of beef important for dietary guidelines
The current U.S. dietary guidelines were created in 2020 and will expire in 2025. The new Dietary Guidelines are currently being developed by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and the committee hopes to issue the updated Guidelines for 2025-2030 by the end of...
Secretary Naig announces Jasper county water quality project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has formed a partnership with Jasper County and the Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District to launch the first phase of the South Skunk...
The battle against next year’s SCN starts right now
It’s a well-known fact in Agriculture that while we harvest one year’s crops, we are already hard at work planning the next season. The next growing season starts already before the combine is even parked for the winter. We look at mainly inputs like whether we put on...
Ethanol industry will be on full display at Iowa Speedway
Yesterday’s announcement from NASCAR is obviously huge news for the state as far as entertainment and recreation is concerned. The race will be a huge boon for the local economies, as it could generate around $100 million in economic impact. But what will this race...
