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South American Weather and Crop Update (4-7-26)
There’s plenty of rain in the forecasts for Brazil and Argentina. Even though that rain can get in the way of planting and harvest progress, the crops that are pollinating will enjoy the moisture. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather conditions in South America. McBride said crop progress looks good for the most part in Brazil. Corn harvest progress in Argentina is significantly ahead, and soybean harvest will start soon as well. Looking ahead to the...
FBN speeding up land loan approval process
Traditionally, securing land financing has been a time-consuming and sometimes complicated task. The new Instant Land Loan Approvals program from Farmers Business Network Finance is designed to speed up the loan application process and help farmers in a competitive...
Improving water quality remains the focus at IDALS
The recent decision by the Supreme Court over the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has limits on the jurisdiction over private properties. It also affirmed that the states and local governments still have jurisdiction...
Gov. Reynolds announces $5M investment to help boost food bank capacity
DES MOINES ? Today, Gov. Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced a $5 million investment in food banks and food pantry networks to help more Iowans in need get access to fresh, nutritious food.?Access to fresh foods is a challenge for those...
Exports providing optimism for red meat industry
While the U.S. red meat industry is facing challenges in 2023, exports provided some optimism at the U.S. Meat Export Federation Spring Conference in Minneapolis. Mexico tops the list of export markets where beef and pork purchases have continued to grow this year....
Bureau of Land Management?s proposal raises concerns
The Bureau of Land Management?s recent conservation proposal would be a major shift in public land management. Shelby Hagenauer, American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Government Affairs Director, said the proposal could change the way farmers and ranchers operate in...
Debt deal could mean little new farm bill money
The United States has never defaulted on its debt but time appears to be running out for both sides of the aisle to come together on a debt limit deal. United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that by June 5th the United States will reach its debt limit...
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More Ag News
Making “cents” of soil health practices
We all know that soil health practices make sense from a conservation perspective, but do they also make “cents” (or dollars) from a financial point of view? This will be one of many topics of discussion at the Practical Farmers of Iowa 2024 Annual Conference, which...
2024 will be a big year for dairy policy
Many opportunities for change and improvement in U.S. dairy policy have been delayed until 2024 or are in the formal rulemaking process. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the farm bill extension has delayed work on some of the...
U.S. Pork certified as compliant with animal welfare standards
Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®) version 5.0, PQA Plus Site Assessment version 5.0, and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®) version 8 have been certified to be I-S-O, or International Organization for Standardization, compliant with international animal...
Ag groups pleased with rail re-opening
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reopened the Eagle Pass and El Paso rail crossings into Mexico. Ag groups like the National Corn Growers Association were happy with the move but cautioned the agency against making similar decisions in the future. “This is...
ASA watching issues on the horizon for 2024 (Part 2)
Yesterday, we began a discussion with the American Soybean Association (ASA) about some of the things they are watching on the horizon for producers in 2024. We focused mainly on where things are sitting with the Farm Bill. While that is a very important piece of...
