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New World Screwworm confirmed in South Texas
Yesterday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) in a cattle herd in South Texas. The infected animal was a three-week-old calf, and the screwworm was found on the calf’s umbilical cord. Rollins said it is the only case being tracked in the U.S., and it is also the only confirmed case. Rollins said the USDA has already taken action to contain and eradicate this case of NWS. Rollins also reiterated that a confirmation of NWS has no impact on the food...
USDA net farm income report highlights need for new farm bill
The latest Net Farm Income Report shows a 23 percent drop in net farm income compared to 2022. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, says farms losing a quarter of their income isn’t economically sustainable. Duvall says there are a number of...
DEKALB seed technology in the spotlight at The Field of Dreams
DEKALB corn is once again in the spotlight in eastern Iowa, with DEKALB announcing that it is the exclusive corn seed brand featured at the Field of Dreams Movie Site near Dyersville. That is DEKALB brand manager Jamie Horton who says this is the third installment of...
GHX system offers Iowa farmers a year-round seed company partnership
In the past, it seemed like once we got our seeds, our interaction with our dealers was over until it was time to order next year’s seeds. Nowadays, each season is a full year or more from planning to harvest. Seed companies are often the ones providing us with crop...
Secretary Naig announces availability of pesticide applicator testing options
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is again offering in-person and online pesticide applicator testing options for commercial and private applicators this fall. The Department encourages...
SW Iowa crops still looking great heading into harvest
There’s not much time left until harvest season will be upon us in Iowa, and the crops in the southwest part of the state are still looking great. SW Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said he’s expecting a bumper crop for both corn and soybeans this year. Meyer said...
Financial benefits of climate-smart commodities
Approximately 13,000 American farms participate in the climate-smart commodity initiative, which covers about eight million acres of land. Ag Secretary Tom talked about the appeal of the initiative and said he expects those participation numbers to continue growing....
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More Ag News
January WASDE causes big moves in corn and soybean prices
As we’ve been reporting on throughout the week, many estimates for the January WASDE said that it would likely be a rather uneventful report. The USDA loves to prove us wrong though, and they did that today by making cuts to both the corn and soybean numbers while...
PFI sees promising growth at annual conference
As they continue to grow across Iowa, the Practical Farmers of Iowa are hosting a record number of attendees at their annual conference. Liz Kolbe, farmer-led education director with the Practical Farmers of Iowa, said this year’s event is packed with information for...
New technologies increasing the effectiveness of seed treatments
The value of seed treatments is very apparent to soybean growers. Additional protection from diseases is welcomed by producers who are planting earlier and encountering wet and cool conditions, says Dair McDuffee of Valent. McDuffee says that seed treatments are...
Growth Energy statement on 45Z guidance
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Growth Energy—the nation’s largest biofuel trade association—issued the following statement after the U.S. Treasury released its long-awaited guidance for the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. “This long-overdue guidance is far from...
Dairy starts 2025 on shakier ground
In the last couple of months, we have seen some solid footing return to the dairy markets. After years of nothing going their way, losses of dairy farms, and a market that was allowing producers to barely survive at best, it was nice to see good fortune return to...
