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Consumers looking at pork as beef prices remain high
2025 offered some great profit opportunities to swine producers as they enjoyed strong demand and lower input costs. Fortunately, some of those profit opportunities have carried into 2026. Holly Cook, economist with the National Pork Producers Council, said there are many demand conversations happening this summer. With the high prices consumers are paying for beef at the meat counter, some consumers turn their attention to pork cuts instead. Cook said there are a few factors that come into...
New biological seed treatment to provide more uniform corn emergence
Lumidapt™ is the latest addition to the Corteva Agriscience LumiGEN® corn seed treatment package. Lumidapt Valta LS is a biological seed treatment that aims to encourage germination and strong root development leading to more uniform corn emergence. Brad Van Kooten is...
Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) grants boost biodiesel access at Iowa fuel retailers
At its first meeting of the new fiscal year, the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) awarded $1,124,750 in grants to support biofuel expansion across Iowa. The funding will assist 20 retail sites in adding B11 biodiesel and 4 sites in adding E15. “We are...
USDA cuts could strain Iowa farm services
Farmers across the country rely on their local USDA offices for a range of services, including conservation programs and crop insurance support, but concerns are growing that these services could be at risk. With staffing shortages already placing strain on field...
Corn exports set marketing-year low in latest report
After many weeks of outstanding corn export sales, the numbers this week came in well below expectations and led to a negative close in the corn marketplace. Sam Trainor, AgMarket.Net hedging strategist, the corn exports set a marketing-year low. However, Trainor said...
Iowa farmers are still waiting for a new farm bill
While Congress’s One Big Beautiful Bill budget package included approximately $66 billion investment in key farm programs, there’s still work to be done. Brian Glenn, director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said a key focus was on...
Grassley cites Brazil tariff threat as probably the most important
Brazil is one of the United States’ biggest competitors in agricultural trade. The nation of Brazil has surpassed the United States as the world’s largest soybean exporter and is also one of the top exporters of beef, often competing with U.S. producers. Therefore,...
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Final Grain Stocks report causes bearish reaction in grain prices
Corn and soybean ending stocks for 2025 are both down from the previous year in the most recent Grain Stocks report from the USDA. However, feed and residual numbers were used to increase corn ending stocks from the last USDA report, which lead to a bearish reaction...
World Dairy Expo underway in Wisconsin
World Dairy Expo is underway in Madison, Wisconsin. Lisa Behnke, communications manager for World Dairy Expo, said that while the trade show began on Tuesday, the event actually started over the weekend. Cattle shows began on Sunday and will run for several more days....
USDA and DOJ sign MOU to study rising farm input costs
USDA and the United States Department of Justice have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to study issues connected to rising farm input prices and their impacts on producers. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the initiative on Thursday. Secretary Rollins made...
Rural Mainstreet Index turns negative
The August Rural Mainstreet Index covering a multi-state region shows one-fifth of grain farmers will experience a negative cash flow in 2025. For the seventh time this year, the overall regional economic index sank below growth-neutral, falling to 38.5 in September,...
Iowa farmers face costly lessons from disease year
It was anything but a typical growing season, with shifting weather patterns and disease pressure forcing farmers to make quick, difficult decisions in their fields. For many, the call was not just about agronomy but also economics, as tighter margins made another...
