Top Stories
Demand for soy oil driving price to the upside
When petroleum diesel prices rise, renewable diesel and biodiesel become more competitive. As the crude oil price has climbed in the weeks since the beginning of the war in Iran, soy oil prices have followed suit. However, it’s not just the war that is causing price movement to the upside. In March, the EPA finalized its RFS rule, mandating the highest biodiesel and renewable diesel blending volumes in history for 2026–27. This has led to another boost in demand for domestically produced...
The grills may be cold, but pork is still hot
With the mercury dipping to the single digits at night and the sprinkling of snow on the ground, many of you are probably putting your grills away or under their covers for the season. (Unless you are a die-hard like me, but that’s a story for another time.) The idea...
Helping farmers overcome some of the toughest challenges
In row crop production there is a seemingly endless cycle of new challenges that confront farmers each year. Fortunately, growers are very adept at taking on new problems and using the tools at their disposal to overcome those obstacles. Nick Schweizer is the Director...
Pork and beef exports to China strengthen
U.S. beef and pork exports to China received a boost recently. China’s General Administration of Customs approved 18 U.S. beef establishments and 12 U.S. pork establishments for export to China – the first new U.S. plants cleared for export to China in about 10...
Most states saw growth in net farm income in 2022
The U.S. saw growth of almost 31 percent in net farm income from 2021 through 2022. NFI is a broad measure of farm sector profitability. Researchers with USDA’s Economic Research Service used data from the Farm Income and Wealth Statistics to classify states into six...
A New Bio Stimulant Seed Treatment is Now Available
Taking a look at a new bio stimulant that shows results in early season stand establishment. You may or may not be familiar with the product called Biochar, which is a product basically made from things like timber stalks or corn stover and applied dry in tons per...
EPA reaching out to farmers and funding community projects
It seems recently that there haven’t been a lot of good relations between the agriculture community and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You need to look no further than topics like the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule or the ongoing...
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More Ag News
Previously dry soils are now too wet in some areas
While we have received a lot of rain recently, it still has not been enough to rid the state of drought yet. In fact, large portions of the state are still in drought conditions. Mark Licht, Iowa State University professor of agronomy and ISU Extension and Outreach...
Increased tariffs on Chinese imports could cause retaliation
The Biden administration is continuing current tariffs and adding new ones. Dave Salmonsen, senior director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says that the increases are primarily tech focused. Salmonsen says there are a couple of reasons...
NPPC, Farm Bureau lead coalition to urge congressional fix to Prop 12
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined forces with the American Farm Bureau Federation to garner support from 900+ agricultural stakeholders supporting the federal fix to California Prop. 12 to be included in the 2024 Farm Bill. Laying out robust arguments...
Taxpayer groups speak out against Farm Bill subsidy costs
As the House and Senate Ag Committees have released their versions of the Farm Bill, we are seeing reactions from all over the place. Mostly we focus on the programs that are included in the titles from an Ag perspective. We talk about the Commodity Credit...
Connecting with consumers to put more pork on the plate
Among younger generations in the United States, fresh pork consumption is on the decline. What does that mean for the pork industry and how can the industry adapt to make pork the protein of choice for younger consumers? That is Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork...
