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Farmers already expect higher breakeven prices in 2027
The Purdue University/CME Group's Ag Economy Barometer declined in April as economic uncertainty caused a dip in farmer optimism for the future of their operations. Michael Langemeier, director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture, says that corn growers are doing the math and expect even higher breakeven prices during the 2027 growing season. Despite the dip in the ag economy barometer and tightening margins for producers, many respondents to the survey indicated that they...
Iowa cash rents drop in 2025
The 2025 annual survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9 percent in 2025 to $271 per acre. It’s the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre during the previous two years of the survey....
Congress yet to deliver on E15 promise
E15 fuel will be available again this summer thanks to another temporary waiver from the Trump Administration. While Iowa is one of eight Midwestern states already allowing year-round E15 sales, this fix remains only partial. Iowa lawmakers are still in the fight,...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-27-25)
Farmers in Argentina are hoping to see some more dry weather so they can make up some harvest progress and catch up to the average pace. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the forecast looks like it will line up with those hopes. McBride said the farmers in...
Labor costs may keep rising this year
Labor challenges are among some of the most difficult issues facing farmers and ranchers, especially for those who utilize the H-2A program. John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, explained how the program works....
Grassley discusses the “One Big Beautiful Bill” as it moves to Senate
As the Trump tax bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, the ag world will be watching to see what revisions are made to the farm bill improvements included in the House version of the bill. House Ag Chair GT Thompson last week touted the Trump tax cuts, death...
Farm groups react to MAHA commission report
On the heels of Thursday’s report released by the Make America Healthy Again Commission, industry organizations are calling for science-based agricultural policy. In a statement, the Modern Ag Alliance said the report raises the possibility that the federal government...
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Renewable fuels industry awaiting SRE decision
Several small refinery exemptions wait for a ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. renewable fuels industry is watching to see what the agency will do. Jacqui Fatka, lead economist for farm supply and biofuels at CoBank, said there are a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-5-25)
The weather is still mostly dry down in South America, so not much has changed. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. The dry weather has allowed Brazil to catch up with the 5-year average on harvest,...
$450,000 in state cost-share directed to water quality practices around 8 public Iowa lakes
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that nine Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District partners will receive $451,176 in water quality cost-share funding from the Publicly...
Agriculture watches as U.S.-Canada tensions rise
The global trade war rhetoric is heating up again, but this time, America’s closest allies are signaling they’ve had enough. Canada, long known for its diplomatic restraint, is beginning to openly express frustration with the Trump Administration’s trade tactics. As...
July 2025 brought historic rainfall to Iowa
After experiencing an already wet month in June, history would suggest that July would back off on the faucets a little bit. That was not the case this year, though, as Iowa experienced the second wettest July on record. Dr. Justin Glisan, state climatologist for...
