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USDA Bridge Assistance Payments already reaching farmers
Farmers across the country are already signing up for the new Farmer Bridge Assistance payments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program was designed to provide short term financial relief to producers ahead of the 2026 growing season, and USDA officials say participation has been strong since enrollment opened in late February. FULL CONVERSATION WITH USDA UNDERSECRETARY RICHARD FORDYCE: USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce says farmers...
August U.S. pork exports strong, beef exports hit $1 billion mark again
August U.S. pork exports passed 2021 totals for the first time this year. Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO, says Mexico, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region showed significant gains in pork shipments...
Food Bank of Iowa donation highlights Iowa?s pork industry during #Porktober22
Last week, Farmland, in a joint effort with the National Pork Board, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, and country singer Luke Bryan?s Farm Tour to combat food insecurity across the Midwest for their Honoring the Heartland Tour, visited the Food Bank of Iowa in Des...
Input costs among several factors limiting dairy expansion
Dairy farmers are not looking to expand much right now, especially given the current market conditions. Mike North of Ever.Ag said there are several factors limiting expansion for dairy farmers currently.?Obviously, feed costs and overall input costs and you can throw...
Barge operator can?t make deliveries due to dry Mississippi river
The largest barge operator in the U.S. told its customers last week that it won?t be able to make good on deliveries due to the shrinking Mississippi River. Bloomberg says Ingram Barge Company declared a force majeure in a letter to customers because of the...
Take the opportunity to unplug and power down
I'm sure by now that you've noticed that for the last few days, I've been absent from content on the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network. Last Wednesday, I turned 42 years old. Since I joined the workforce at age 16, I have always taken my birthday off. I am sure it's...
Iowa soils need good rains before the ground freezes over
Last night, we got our first real frost of the fall season. It may feel a little early for the temperatures to be this cold already, but this actually lines up with annual patterns. Iowa State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan said we usually see our first killing...
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Farm Bureau continues advancing farmers? right to repair with another MOU
The American Farm Bureau Federation signed a memorandum of understanding with CLAAS (CLAHS) of America regarding the right to repair. This brings the number of signed MOUs with ag manufacturers to five. Combined, the agreements cover about three-quarters of the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (6-15-23)
Contrary to the recent export sales, this week?s report was actually positive. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided an update on this week?s U.S. Export Sales Report.Now, the numbers weren?t exactly excellent per se, but McBride said they are relatively...
Examining the current state of the hog marketplace
The hog market made a turn for the better just before last week?s World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The upturn certainly made for more smiles at the expo but is this a sign of things to come or a short term turnaround?Hog market futures did...
Tentative agreement reached on West Coast port labor contract
Last night, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced a tentative agreement on a six-year contract. The agreement, which covers all of the West Coast ports, brings an end to a year-long negotiation that...
Southeast Iowa water quality project accelerates toward new phase
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that a successful Water Quality Initiative (WQI) project in Southeast Iowa is progressing toward its next phase, with a specific focus on the seeding of more cover crop acres as well as implementing additional...
