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AG trade deficit drops 42 percent
New numbers from USDA show progress in reducing the U.S. agricultural trade deficit, but officials say there is still more work ahead to return to a long-standing trade surplus. USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says when the administration took office, the U.S. was facing a significant ag trade deficit after years of declining market access opportunities. Lindberg says while the U.S. is not back to a trade surplus yet, the improvement shows there is...
Margin Protection offers safety net for farmers
Farming is an inherently risky business, and, unfortunately, it sometimes feels like there’s nothing you can control. However, that makes it even more important to take the reins for things you actually can control. Doug Burns, regional vice president of insurance...
Excessive heat lowers crop condition ratings
A six percent drop in the primary crop condition rating across the state according to the USDA’s latest numbers. Weekly crop condition ratings are out from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Upper Midwest Regional Office. Agricultural Statistician Brian...
Gas lower, diesel higher, ahead of Labor Day Weekend
For the first time in over a month, the nation's average price of gasoline declined, falling 4.0 cents from a week ago to $3.78 per gallon. The national average is up 5.8 cents from a month ago but 3.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average...
Generating more sustainable soy for the future of farming
Sustainability practices are some of the biggest things we are discussing in agriculture right now. We are constantly looking at ways to do better work on protecting our soil, air, and water. Farmers are embracing new ways to do better and make sure that they are...
Secretary Naig tours innovative FFA meat science program
Looking at the other side of Iowa agriculture, the food side of things as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig tours an innovative FFA program. Midland FFA has a meat science lab and is looking at a greenhouse to create products and put them into the school lunch...
U.S. Wheat still poised to be ready to meet global demands in 2023
We don’t spend a great amount of time discussing wheat, because there isn’t a whole lot of it in Iowa when you compare it to the number of acres of corn and soybeans. However, it is still one of the major commodities in the world as we look at its global demand. It...
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More Ag News
Neutral March WASDE provides support to grains
A mostly neutral WASDE report left the markets feeling good to end off this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said this was the first time in a while where there were virtually no changes. McBride also noted that the USDA decided to play it safe when it...
Protect your cattle from pasture parasites
Parasites will be close by when cattle are out on pasture. Good pasture management and a strategic deworming protocol can limit the chances of parasites affecting the efficiency and performance of your beef herd. Dr. D.L. Step, a professional services veterinarian...
Japanese-American fusion is top pork dish at student chef contest
The classic American meal of meat, potatoes, and vegetables was fused with Japanese ingredients to win over judges at this year’s student Taste competition, hosted by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) on Monday. For the annual contest, culinary students were...
Iowa Farmer will be a Mosaic Frontier Fields Farmer in 2024
Companies are always trying to put their products through rigorous testing before they release them to the public. However, many times the results we see are based on controlled sites and conditions. What happens when it goes out to the average acres across the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (3-7-24)
This week’s U.S. Export Sales Report was actually a good one- including a slight rebound in the soybean numbers- ahead of tomorrow's WASDE. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the export sales numbers. Flash sales have been quiet lately, and that...
