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Non-food uses for U.S. soybeans
The livestock industry drives most of the demand for U.S. soybeans, but there are actually plenty of non-food opportunities for soybeans as well. Soybean protein can be used in rubber products, which opens the door for a myriad of different uses. United Soybean Board (USB) Director Robb Ewoldt said that means soybeans can even be used in firefighting foam. There is also a special polymer made from high-oleic soybean oil that can be used in rubber, which means that soybeans can be used in...
HPAI cases confirmed in Taylor and Jones Counties
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed positive cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Taylor and Jones Counties....
New parameters for market trade going forward
Adjusting the parameters for our cash crop trade going forward was yesterday’s WASDE report. USDA raised both corn and soybean yields along with carry-outs and probably capped the corn trade at that $4.50 to $5 level, with soybean ranges like in the $13 area. American...
Juggling the market movers
The marketplace is a very fickle place. My dad used to quip many times that “someone must have turned on the sprinklers in Chicago and they think we are getting rain” whenever the markets were down. All joking aside, it doesn’t take much to move the market, but that...
USDA raises yields in November WASDE report
Not much was expected from this month’s WASDE report, but those are seemingly always the times when we get some of the biggest surprises. Instead of waiting for the January report, the USDA raised yields for both corn and soybeans today. Allendale commodity broker...
SAF leaders urge Biden administration to use GREET model
Sustainable aviation fuel leaders are pressing the Biden administration to modernize its carbon measuring model for the biofuel, key to winning tax credits to attract needed investment. Seventy industry leaders, including major airlines, wrote Treasury Secretary Janet...
Farmer sentiment rises in latest ag economy barometer
The Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose four points in October to 110. The modest improvement in farmer sentiment resulted from farmers' improved perspective on current conditions on their farms as well as their expectations for the future. The Index...
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ISU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory dedicates first phase of new facility
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University celebrated a significant milestone in the advancement of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s long-standing commitment to providing state-of-the-art diagnostic services in support of Iowa’s $32.5 billion animal agriculture industry....
New crop protection options available in sweet corn hybrids
Efficiency is everything when raising a crop these days. Market prices aren’t as attractive as they were, input costs are constantly rising, and the profit margins are getting squeezed thinner and thinner all the time. So, if there is an opportunity to do a little...
Updating reference prices must be a priority in the next farm bill
As input prices go up and commodity prices go down, farmers rely on the reference prices in the farm safety net to help stay in business when margins get squeezed. Betty Resnick, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), explained the basics of...
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-4-24)
Another week of uneventful export sales has come and gone with little reaction from the markets. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers for corn. Beans were much worse off, though, as this week marked the eleventh week in a row of...
Summertime E15 waiver decision timeline
The clock is ticking, and time is running out for the Biden EPA to decide on a summertime E15 waiver which would allow for summer sales at the pump. A waiver is needed for sales of E15 to be allowed this summer, before a more permanent rule allowing for E15 sales goes...
