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South American Weather and Crop Update (5-6-26)
Dry weather is still causing concerns for some of the crops down in South America. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions for Brazil and Argentina. At the very least, the dry weather is allowing for harvest to continue at a good pace in Argentina. McBride said they are making good progress on harvest in Brazil as well. That dry weather could cause ending stocks in Brazil to get lowered a little bit, which can turn around and be a benefit for the markets...
USDA investing $207 million in clean energy and fertilizer projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Monday announced USDA is investing $207 million in renewable energy and domestic fertilizer projects. Vilsack made the announcement at the 105th annual American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Vilsack says,...
New Enlist platform Corn will reduce weed resistance
We have talked for many years about the Enlist E3 platform for controlling resistant weeds in soybeans. It has had a large market share as the years have gone by. Farmers have been making the switch from other weed control platforms based on Enlist’s ability to target...
Hong Kong foodservice industry recovering as ASF concerns grow
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom just completed a market visit to Hong Kong for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Halstrom said that Hong Kong’s foodservice sector- which was decimated by limitations on...
AFBF announces new mental health resource for farming families
Mental health is not something that should be taken lightly. It's okay to not feel okay, but it's also important to make sure that you and your loved ones are doing what you can to develop and promote positive mental health. This past Sunday, the American Farm Bureau...
Budget disputes leading to farm bill frustrations
Congress has voted to extend temporary funding again to keep the government open, but in the process has likely produced more delays in writing a farm bill. That has led to frustration among members of Congress hoping to complete work on the farm bill early in 2024....
Fed’s January 2024 beige book on ag economy
The Federal Reserve Board released its January 2024 Beige Book, a summary of its commentary on the current economic conditions in each Federal Reserve District. In the sixth district around Atlanta, Low cattle supply led to higher cattle prices, but consumers are...
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Food Bank of Iowa receives donation of almost 240,000 eggs
Today, the Iowa Egg Council, Rose Acre Farms, and Hatch partnered together to make a generous donation of almost 240,000 eggs to the Food Bank of Iowa. This comes at a time when food donations are critical, as communities like Greenfield and Spencer are still...
Beef exports climb even higher while pork sits below last year’s pace
The value of U.S. beef exports topped $900 million in May, the highest since June 2023, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said exports trended higher year-over-year to...
Vilsack says clock is ticking on passage of new farm bill
United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says that everyone is on the same page with the goal of getting a new five-year farm bill done. However, he also says that time is getting tight for the completion of a new farm bill and is calling for all sides to...
Thirty million farm acres abandoned since 1986
In 2022, a University of Wisconsin study claimed that U.S. farmers had converted several million acres of pristine grassland and other “semi-natural areas” to cropland. Researcher Tyler Lark said that was in response to the Renewable Fuel Standard and ethanol...
High-tech equipment increasing demand for larger farm sheds
We talk at length about the changes we see in technology and the larger equipment we are seeing in the fields. While we focus so much on how the technology is changing the face of farming and how it makes us more efficient with our resources and inputs, we tend to...
