Top Stories
U.S. Export Sales Report (1-8-26)
Now that the USDA is caught up on export sales, we can go back to focusing on weekly reports. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said this week’s corn numbers slipped slightly, but that just means they are more normal for this time of year. McBride said the soybean sales are still short of the USDA’s goals, but that isn’t due to a lack of purchasing from China. Looking ahead to next week, the markets usually expect to see bigger changes in the January WASDE report. However, McBride said...
Farmers are already feeling the impact of the expired farm bill
With no new farm bill in place after the 2018 farm bill deadline passed, there are already impacts on U.S. farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, outlined some of the programs that went away. Keiffer...
How has U.S. ag trade evolved in the last 100 years?
A lot has changed in the United States ag trade over the last century. USDA senior economist Sharon Sydow at this year’s ag outlook forum explains where the U.S. ag economy was 100 years ago. Price volatility, foreclosures, and high land values were all thorns in the...
U.S. hog inventory up slightly
The U.S. inventory of hogs and pigs on September 1, 2024, totaled 76.5 million head, up slightly from September 1, 2023, and two percent higher than June 1, 2024. Breeding inventory, at 6.04 million head, was down two percent from last year, but up one percent from...
Rural North Carolina reeling after Hurricane Helene
We are no stranger to storm damage in the Midwest. Hail, tornados, and derechos can wreak havoc on our acres. But for everything we deal with, except for the 2020 derecho, it is nothing compared to the strength of a hurricane. The Southeastern part of the country is...
Quarterly Grain Stocks report didn’t make much of an impact
The grain markets were positioned for an impactful Quarterly Grain Stocks report, but what we got today was simply a neutral and slightly positive report. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn numbers were friendly to the marketplace. McBride said the...
Partisan gridlock and the election could again delay farm, ag spending bills
Partisan gridlock and fallout from the November election could again force Congress to postpone key decisions for agriculture into 2025. It’s not just the farm bill, but USDA and other spending bills are also stuck in months of political gridlock in a narrowly divided...
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More Ag News
List of state crop assistance payments
In addition to a farm bill extension through September 30, the American Relief Act of 2025, recently passed by Congress, contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments for 20 covered crops. This economic assistance is intended to offset part of the economic loss...
Consumers aren’t just looking at price as the main purchasing factor
Last week, we talked about the challenges that are involved in helping producers of pork products understand the sometimes volatile relationship between the supply and demand sides of the industry. In that conversation with Glynn Tonsor, an economics professor at...
New leadership in D.C. has work to do for agriculture
Election 2024 is behind us, and some new faces are taking over leadership on the House and Senate Ag Committees. Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the four leaders of the committees have a wealth of experience....
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association talks policy priorities for 2025
As we kick off 2025, the ag industry is still waiting for an updated farm bill. Following the results of the last election, especially with some agriculture-friendly faces in D.C., there is hope that something can get done this time around. The Iowa Cattlemen’s...
2024 A year of warm weather
A USDA meteorologist's list of top weather events in our nation this year includes what appears to be one of the warmest years on record. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says widespread warm temperatures across the country top the list for 2024. USDA meteorologist Brad...
