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Stand establishment offers one of the first real looks at yield potential
The first signs of emergence reveal far more than whether a crop came up. Stand establishment is one of the first meaningful tests of how well a planting plan is translating in the field. Uniform emergence, healthy seedlings and consistent populations can provide an early read on crop potential and reveal issues while there is still time to respond. “Early stand evaluation deserves close attention,” said Tom Larson, director of agronomy for Stine Seed Company. “Once the crop starts coming out...
World Pork Expo holds first Youth Issues Contest
At this year’s World Pork Expo, the National Pork Producers Council launched their inaugural Young Pork Advocates Issues Meet. This competitive speaking event is aimed at young people aged 17-22 to help explore issues facing the pork industry. We talked with three of...
Grassley discusses farm bill framework from Senate Ag Republicans
This week Senator John Boozman (R-AR), the ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee, unveiled the Senate Republican-drafted framework of the farm bill. Republicans have been stating for months that there should be more “farm in the farm bill.” Senate Ag committee...
Reflecting on the outstanding “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” campaign
A marketing initiative by the Iowa Pork Producers Association went viral last football season, encouraging consumers to purchase more ham and bacon through a clever name association. Kevin Hall, Iowa Pork Producers Association Communications Director, said the idea...
Uneventful June WASDE provides little market support
We weren’t expecting much from this month’s WASDE report, and those expectations turned out to be correct. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said this was a very neutral report. However, McBride said that this neutral report does not change the issues we’ll face...
Ag stakeholders react to Republican farm bill framework
Several key agricultural groups and stakeholders issued responses to the Senate Ag Committee Republicans’ farm bill framework. Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, calls it a strong framework that marks another important step in...
NPPC is working globally to keep animals safe and trade moving
Earlier this week, we started a conversation with National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) VP of Government Affairs Maria Zieba. We discussed why it is important to have an international coalition to collaborate on finding solutions to foreign animal disease (FAD)...
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More Ag News
Making the proper fertilizer decisions this fall
A frequent topic of discussion among farmers is whether or not to cut back on fertilizer usage, especially in the face of increasingly tight margins. However, hasty decision making could cause farmers to face higher fertilizer prices in the spring. Instead of relying...
USDA to test milk supply where H5N1 found in dairy cattle
USDA will test the milk supply beginning with states where dairy cattle tested positive in the spring for the H5N1 bird flu virus. Bird flu is an increasing concern for USDA, amid H5N1 infections in not just poultry, but also dairy cattle. Most recently the virus was...
Eastern Region FFA VP used contests to develop confidence
There are four new regional vice presidents on this year’s National FFA Leadership team. Caroline Groth of Kentucky is the new East Region Vice President, and she said that, although she did not grow up on a farm, family is a big reason for her FFA participation....
Pork herd contractions slowing in most regions
A new Q4 2024 pork report from Rabobank says improved profitability is slowing herd contractions in most regions. However, producers are taking a cautious approach to expansion. Disease pressure in parts of Europe, South Korea, and Southeast Asia are slowing...
Pork industry continues to improve animal welfare
Animals are a large investment and risk for producers. It can be a high reward if the markets and demand hold. Like crops, producers do all they can to protect their investment. You needn’t look any further than what has happened with the Pure Prairie Poultry mess to...
