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Questions remain with U.S.-China trade deal
It’s been an interesting time in the soybean market, especially when it comes to trade with China. Initially, it was great to hear that the U.S. and China agreed to a trade framework that included China making U.S. soybean purchases. Jim McCormick, chief operating officer at AgMarket.Net, said he was pleased to hear about this, but he had some questions concerning the agreement. McCormick said the U.S. and China don’t technically have a signed agreement yet, so this framework could still fall...
Ag economists’ 2024 expectations
Geopolitical factors, elections, and many other surprises await the agricultural economy in 2024. Farm Journal and Purdue University’s December Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows views slightly more optimistic than they were a month ago. The economists talked about...
Naig looks back at 2023 & ahead to 2024
It has become almost cliché to say that the year that is ending, has been a “strange one.” Ever since the Chinese Trade War, we have been saying that in agriculture. We were just fortunate to have the pandemic fall in 2020, and it gave us a reason to say that the...
Making “cents” of soil health practices
We all know that soil health practices make sense from a conservation perspective, but do they also make “cents” (or dollars) from a financial point of view? This will be one of many topics of discussion at the Practical Farmers of Iowa 2024 Annual Conference, which...
2024 will be a big year for dairy policy
Many opportunities for change and improvement in U.S. dairy policy have been delayed until 2024 or are in the formal rulemaking process. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the farm bill extension has delayed work on some of the...
U.S. Pork certified as compliant with animal welfare standards
Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®) version 5.0, PQA Plus Site Assessment version 5.0, and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®) version 8 have been certified to be I-S-O, or International Organization for Standardization, compliant with international animal...
Ag groups pleased with rail re-opening
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reopened the Eagle Pass and El Paso rail crossings into Mexico. Ag groups like the National Corn Growers Association were happy with the move but cautioned the agency against making similar decisions in the future. “This is...
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Grassley wary of Chinese response to increased tariffs
On Tuesday President Biden announced a surge of increased tariffs on imported Chinese products under Section 301 of 1974’s Trade Act. The tariff hikes will be applied to $18 billion worth of imports from China including electric vehicle batteries and computer chips....
Hog prices much more stable now than a year ago
After soaring to yearly highs recently, the hog prices, along with the rest of the livestock, have come back down to earth. While we would’ve liked to maintain those higher levels, it’s important to remember that hog prices were considerably worse just a year ago....
Deadline approaching for century and heritage farm applications
The June 1 deadline for eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition is quickly approaching, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is encouraging farm families to apply today. The program, which was created in...
Spring warmup can be dangerous for stored grain
Spring warmup can be hard on stored grain, as the sun can cause bins to heat up very quickly. GSI District Manager Dave Ellis said it’s important to properly manage grain bins. Eilis said temperature management is key to proper grain storage. Ellis added that remote...
Ag loan interest payments are starting to soar
The economy is in a tough spot across the board, no matter how government officials want to try and spin it. Interest rates are climbing higher and that is causing problems for borrowers, especially in the agriculture sector. Agricultural operating loans, land loans,...
