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Farm production costs mixed last year, soaring in 2026
Farm production costs were mixed last year but are up significantly in 2026. USDA Chief Economist Justin Benevidez provides the specifics from 2025. Benevidez says the largest increase occurred in livestock and poultry production. However, the latest farm expenditure report shows crop farm spending dropped more than six-and-a-half percent. The numbers for 2026 paint a much different story. Fertilizer is up year-over-year by five percent for ammonia and up to 37 percent for DAP. Since 2020,...
Farm income forecast is a tale of two farm economies
New data from the Department of Agriculture predicts farm income to increase in 2025. The latest Net Farm Income Forecast from USDA’s Economic Research Service predicts farm income to increase in 2025. However, Bernt Nelson, an economist for the American Farm Bureau...
California E15 approval estimated to absorb 200 million bushels of corn
The California general assembly’s approval of E15 sales last week is expected to boost corn demand at a time growers are preparing to harvest a record crop. The law is expected to be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and will be a big breakthrough for the ethanol...
Soybean producers face uncertainty in ongoing trade fight
U.S. soybean producers are once again caught in the middle of a trade war. China has been slow to make purchases, leaving farmers worried about where demand will come from. This marks the second Trump administration and the second time American agriculture has been...
Iowa soybean fields need to end the year strong
It may feel like there isn’t much of a choice for seed genetics anymore, but companies like BASF are making an effort to provide new genetics that stand out from the competition and give farmers some unique choices. Colin Rogers, BASF seed agronomist, said Xitavo...
Yield results from Allendale survey lower than USDA estimates
The Allendale brokerage firm has released yield results collected from a recent survey of farmers. The numbers are not particularly far off from the USDA August Crop Production estimates. Rich Nelson of Allendale said they’ve done this survey for a long time. Nelson...
Nationwide E15 sales can boost demand and help move “mountain of corn”
At this point of the fall, we can analyze the data and debate the final corn yield number but until the crop is in the bin, we won’t have our final answer. What we do know is that this fall’s corn crop is going to be very large and possibly even a record crop. Geoff...
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RFID technology protects swine industry with traceability
No matter how prepared we think the swine industry is, it’s always important to stay vigilant against foreign animal diseases. If an outbreak were to occur, efficient and accurate swine traceability may help reduce the number of animals impacted and the response time....
“Cantina Vibes” promotes U.S. variety meats in Mexico
Variety meat exports provide critical returns for U.S. pork and beef producers, and Mexico is a leading destination for these products. The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is promoting pork and beef variety meat items to bars and casual restaurants in Mexico as an...
A new tool for Iowa growers to battle white mold in soybeans
White mold is a major robber of soybean yields, and it has become a big enough issue for growers that BASF has developed a new tool designed to battle the threat. Zorina™ Fungicide has received EPA registration approval and will be available for growers next season...
Secretary Naig requests nominations for renewable fuels marketing awards
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today invited Iowans to nominate fuel marketers and gas stations in their communities for the Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards. The Secretary’s annual awards recognize retailers that go above and beyond in their efforts to...
Grain bags find second life through recycling
It’s that time of year when harvest is winding down and farmyards across the Midwest are filling up with leftover grain bags. They’ve served their purpose, but now comes the question of what to do with them. Most grain bags are designed for single use, and that means...
