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Farmers face another year of tight margins
U.S. farmers are entering another growing season with tight profit margins as lower crop prices, elevated input costs, and trade uncertainty weigh on the outlook for 2026. Corn and soybean prices remain below levels seen during recent highs, while expenses for fertilizer, fuel, seed, and machinery continue to pressure farm budgets. Economists say many producers may break even or post losses unless yields are strong or markets improve later this year. Dakota News Now reports some growers are...
Now is a great time to deworm your cattle
Deworming is a fairly routine part of taking care of any livestock, especially cattle, but it’s still not something to be taken lightly. For every day that there are parasites in your livestock, you are losing valuable dollars in ROI. Grant Crawford, associate...
Ag A.I. pros and cons voiced at senate ag hearing
Artificial intelligence on the farm is no longer a sci-fi dream, but a reality. But there are costs as well as benefits, as the Senate Ag Committee heard at a recent A.I. hearing. Artificial intelligence on the farm could have major benefits in terms of helping...
Study proves U.S. corn superiority
The U.S. Grains Council released its second annual Corn Origins Report, which explores the performance of U.S. corn against corn from other countries in poultry diets. U.S., Argentinian, and Brazilian corn samples were collected from an international feed company in...
Modernizing practices one step at a time
Implementing change into your operation one practice at a time and improving efficiency and environmental stewardship along the way. Iowa's Conservation Farmer of the Year provides his recommendations for you based upon experience. 5th generation family farmer Dan...
What does USSEC look for in a potential trade market?
The one lesson that we have really driven home since the pandemic, is that we cannot have all our trade eggs in one basket. When China shut down, we had to find places to make up that market share that was dwindling. To that end, we had to look towards the trading...
Soybean growers concerned with EPA pesticide proposal
The EPA’s latest proposal to restrict pesticide use is causing alarm among soybean growers. The American Soybean Association’s Chief Economist Scott Gerlt says the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed pilot to protect endangered species well before years’-long...
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Despite tighter margins, there are still opportunities for profits
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago recently released its May agricultural market newsletter, and it included data on agricultural conditions in Iowa. Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers said the report highlighted some persisting struggles that Iowa farmers are...
Grassley comments on House version of farm bill
Last week House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson released the House version of the farm bill for discussion ahead of the markup session on May 23rd. United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that he is still working through the text of the bill but is pleased...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-21-24)
Completely opposite to what we’re experiencing right now, there’s some dryness across much of Brazil right now. This is starting to raise some concerns for the safrinha crop. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather patterns. The...
Iowa crop progress and condition report
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and...
NCBA concerned over abuse of Endangered Species Act
When I was a broadcaster in Minnesota, one of the hot topics that we dealt with was the dispute over the gray wolf. For a long time, the gray wolf had been on a protected list under the Endangered Species Act. Its numbers had dwindled for several reasons. While the...
