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Several changes to U.S. pork production in August WASDE
The August WASDE report lowered its estimate for 2026 U.S. pork production by 79 million pounds to 27.876 billion pounds as a result of slower slaughter speeds and lighter third-quarter carcass weights. Pork exports were also reduced to 7.175 billion pounds, while ending stocks increased slightly to 445 million pounds. Lee Schulz, chief economist at Ever.Ag, said he uses the WASDE report as a benchmark to help frame production expectations. He acknowledges the lower production in the 4th...
Naig previews America 250 Harvest Festival
Iowa is putting an agricultural spin on the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. Rather than centering its signature event around Independence Day, state leaders have planned an America 250 Harvest Festival this October to recognize Iowa's agricultural heritage and...
Lower disease pressure in Iowa this year
At this point of the growing season the picture starts to become clearer about what farmers are dealing with in their fields this year. Grant Harms is a technical field agronomist with Corteva Agriscience and he says that southern rust is not as widespread in Iowa...
Farmers spent $1.4B more on diesel during planting season
A new study by Joint Economic Committee Democrats found that farmers of key crops in the U.S. spent $1.4 billion more on diesel fuel during the 2025–2026 planting season than they did last season, reports Successful Farming. The increase in diesel spending to plant...
USDA faces borrowing caps for farm programs
The Commodity Credit Corporation may soon fall short of funds, hindering farm safety net programs. While increases in the farm safety net through the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act were welcome, there are concerns that USDA will receive enough funding for the safety net...
U.S. Export Sales Report (7-30-26)
Both corn and soybean sales were strong this week, but those strong export sales were overshadowed by market pressure from the wars overseas as well as the weather here in the U.S. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave a breakdown of the corn export data....
Iowa State Fair just two weeks away
With just two weeks until the Iowa State Fair opens, excitement is building for one of Iowa's signature summer traditions. As county fair season begins to wind down, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says those local fairs continue to connect Iowans with...
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Tight margins make financial analysis critical
As many farmers continue to navigate a difficult economic environment, understanding the financial health of their operations has become increasingly important. While many producers complete financial statements to satisfy their lenders, one agricultural attorney says...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-4-26)
As harvest continues to progress in South America, the weather is staying mostly the same. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the current forecast is pretty much a carbon copy of what they have seen recently. With the amount of rain they have seen, McBride...
Build-out continues on state-of-the-art animal disease lab
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center is being replaced by a brand-new facility in Kansas. The federal government continues relocating the animal disease laboratory from Plum Island, New York, to the new National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, or NBAF, in Manhattan,...
A disaster plan for your livestock operation is vital
Unfortunately for farmers and livestock producers, disaster can strike a farming operation at any time. A fire, flood, or tornado for example does not allow for much time to react. Dr. Mark van der List, a professional services veterinarian with Boehringer-Ingelheim,...
U.S. cropland value surpasses $6,000 per acre for first time
The average value of U.S. cropland has climbed above $6,000 per acre for the first time, underscoring the resilience of farmland prices despite weaker farm income and tighter profit margins. New data compiled by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service show...
