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USMEF says African Growth and Opportunity Act could help create trade access
The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which was created to incentivize two-way trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African countries, allows the president to offer duty-free access to certain nations. However, some of the countries benefitting from AGOA have prohibitive restrictions on U.S. beef and pork imports. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Director of Export Services Jim Remcheck said the USMEF sent a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outlining several...
RCIS improves claims speed with modern tools
When disaster strikes and a grower needs to file a claim, every day counts. RCIS says that is why they have invested heavily in tools that make the entire process faster, clearer, and easier for farmers. From aerial technology to real-time communication, the goal is...
Establish and maintain a strong crop protection program in 2026
Throughout harvest, farmers are monitoring their fields for problem areas. Now that harvest is wrapped up, it’s time to take those observations and start making some plans for next year. Will Griffin of Valent said a strong pre-emerge program can protect the...
Forecasting winter temperatures and precipitation
The latest weather outlook from the National Weather Service is calling for a La Nina weather pattern that will dictate temperature and precipitation patterns for the winter months. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that recent very cold temperatures are in line...
First confirmation of ASF in Spain since 1994
Late last month, African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in Spain for the first time since 1994. ASF was first found in two dead wild boars in the Barcelona area, located in the Catalonia region. Eleven more wild boars, found dead in the same area, later tested...
China’s deadline moved to February
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended an earlier deadline for Beijing’s purchases of American soybeans from December to February. Bessent said China is on pace to meet its pledge to buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of February. Bloomberg said...
ASA urges real movement in soybean trade talks
Soybean farmers have been navigating one of the most difficult trade years in recent memory. Tariffs, months of stalled demand, and unpredictable movement from key buyers have shaped the 2025 market in ways few expected. American Soybean Association President Caleb...
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More Ag News
Behind the disease insects crept through Iowa corn
Southern rust dominated the conversation during the 2025 growing season in Iowa, forcing growers to react quickly to unexpected disease pressure. But while disease grabbed most of the attention, other problems were quietly developing in the field. Insects and weeds...
Markets reacted negatively to today’s slew of USDA reports
Several USDA reports were released today, including the January WASDE report and the Quarterly Grain Stocks. Unfortunately, most of these reports were negative for the ag marketplace. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the markets really did not like seeing...
October red meat exports show promising signs
U.S. pork exports continued to build momentum in October, led by a record performance in leading market Mexico, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While beef exports remained lower year-over-year, USMEF...
Considerations for cattle care in extreme cold
There are several factors to keep top of mind when caring for cattle during the cold winter months, and especially during periods of extreme arctic air. The first consideration, according to Karl Hoppe of North Dakota State University Extension, is that cattle do not...
How Southern Rust changed Iowa corn plans
Just ahead of the 2025 growing season, many in the crop protection industry expected tar spot to be the primary disease concern in corn. Instead, southern rust emerged as the dominant threat across much of Iowa, forcing growers to quickly evaluate their management...
