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Hot and dry weather expected in the Corn Belt
A heat dome is moving northward from Southern California to the Dakotas and the Corn Belt, bringing temperatures more than 10 degrees above average for several days. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill describes the weather across the Corn Belt as hot and dry for the following days. Merrill expects an eventual shift in crop conditions by the end of July. However, he remains calm and is yet to sound the alarm. With the emphasis on crop conditions, it is important to remember that your...
Clean fuels industry contributes over $40 billion to U.S. economy
A new study commissioned by Clean Fuels Alliance America shows the U.S. biomass-based diesel industry generated $42.4 billion in economic activity in 2024, supported 107,400 jobs and paid $6 billion in annual wages. According to the report, nearly half of the total...
April rainfall delivers drought relief
April delivered on its promise of April showers and helped to shrink drought coverage across the nation with much needed rainfall. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the latest U.S. Drought Monitor looks much improved to begin May. Rippey says that last fall’s peak...
Iowa Corn, Hy-Vee, Growth Energy partner on Unleaded 88 branding
On Monday, Iowa Corn and Growth Energy announced that they have partnered with Hy-Vee to update the branding for Unleaded 88 at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh convenience stores across the Midwest. Unleaded 88 is a fuel blend with 15% ethanol, usable in 96% of today’s cars...
Secretary Rollins sends letter about screwworm spread to Mexican government
The threat of New World screwworm is looming, but not enough progress has been made towards containing it. Recently, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote a letter to Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Julio Berdegué Sacristán, urging the Mexican government to...
Japan ramen chain now using underutilized U.S. pork cuts
Two national ramen noodle chains in Japan are now using underutilized U.S. pork cuts in popular dishes, thanks to product development efforts led by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and funded through support from the National Pork Board and USDA. USMEF...
USDA trade nominee Lindberg cites litany of ag trade barriers
USDA Undersecretary for Trade nominee Luke Lindberg says the United States ag sector is facing too many unfair trade barriers in world trade. Lindberg told Senate Ag lawmakers at his recent confirmation hearing that the U.S. for too long has let other nations “rig”...
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More Ag News
Iowa farmers facing tough fungicide calls
Wetter conditions and warmer temperatures have set the stage for a more active disease season in Iowa corn fields. Tar spot and northern corn leaf blight have already made their presence known in several areas, and concern is growing as the crop nears critical...
Hot and humid conditions and the impact on agriculture
This week in Iowa has been hot, humid, and wet with frequent rainfall and humidity that has stressed humans and livestock. Iowa is not alone as the United States has featured wide swaths of similar weather. The extremes of the hot and humid weather have been felt in...
Smallest U.S. cattle herd since 1973
The July Cattle on Feed Report offered little relief to customers paying higher prices for beef. That’s despite the cycle of herd liquidation that seems to be slowly ending. There were 94.2 million cattle and calves in the U.S. as of July 1, the lowest mid-year number...
Iowa farmers urged to keep tar spot from ruining bumper crop
Iowa has received plenty of rain recently, and the temperatures have finally cooled off as well. On top of that, we’re looking at one of the biggest crops in recent history. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said he’s not sure that he’s ever seen such a big...
South American Weather and Crop Update (7-30-25)
The weather in South America has still not changed much, with farmers in Brazil and Argentina seeing mostly clear and dry conditions. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said there are scattered rain showers, but otherwise the weather remains status quo. The dry...
