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Specialty crop payment rates due in April
The USDA has already allocated over $6 billion in payments under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Programs. Payment rates for specialty crops under the program are due in early April. “I believe we’ll have those payment rates in place by early next month,” Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden told Politico. “We’ll publish those payment rates as soon as we have them, and then quickly get going on the payment part of it.” He added that sugar beets, cotton, and rice are the commodities in the most...
Rollins reflects on FFA roots and updates livestock threat
The National FFA Convention is always a celebration of youth, leadership, and agriculture’s bright future, but this year’s event offered a special full-circle moment for one of the nation’s top ag leaders. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins returned to the same...
President Trump announces framework for China trade deal
The trade meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping resulted in an agreement of a framework for a trade deal. While the news is reassuring, there is still a lot of information that we don’t know about this potential deal yet. Allendale commodity...
Connecting insights, strategies, and sales for pork
The National Pork Board’s Retail Advisory Committee (RAC) serves as a vital link between pork industry leaders and the retail community. At their recent NPB-hosted event, retailers voiced insights to help shape important strategies to make pork more relevant to more...
China commits to future soybean buys
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that China has agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans this year. The announcement by Bessent follows President Trump’s meeting with President Xi Jinping of China in South Korea. Bessent told Fox Business that China...
Iowa soybean farmers encouraged by tangible progress with China
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) welcomes the Trump administration’s latest action to prioritize Iowa farmers in today’s announcement regarding U.S.-China trade. Following months of uncertainty around Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and other agricultural...
Calls grow louder for Washington to deliver a Farm Bill
It’s been another week of reminders that Washington still hasn’t delivered on one of agriculture’s most basic needs: a new Farm Bill. Earlier this week, Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig said that agriculture craves certainty, and that’s something producers haven’t had in a...
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Creating success in the soy industry by driving demand
It’s been a challenging year financially for many farmers, especially on the soybean side of things. Tariffs, trade deals, and swinging market prices have all added a significant amount of stress. The United Soybean Board (USB) says driving demand will be the key to...
Frozen versus fresh turkey from a food safety perspective
Side dishes on the Thanksgiving dinner table receive a lot of plaudits, from mashed potatoes and gravy to green bean casserole and cranberry sauce. However, the Thanksgiving turkey remains the star of the show. And while many Thanksgiving dinner cooks are seasoned...
U.S. soybeans set for first shipment to China since May
Two cargo ships were headed for port terminals near New Orleans, Louisiana, this week to load the first shipments of U.S. soybeans to China since May. That’s according to a shipping schedule seen by Reuters. A third ship was heading to a Texas Gulf Coast terminal to...
Farmers are dealing with severe financial stress
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is bringing attention to the financial plight of the country’s farmers and ranchers. A recent AFBF Market Intel Report shows that financial stress is severe and persistent across farm country. John Newton, AFBF vice president...
Naig says Vietnam is ready to buy more Iowa products
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the state’s recent trade mission to Southeast Asia revealed significant opportunities for Iowa agriculture in Vietnam. The delegation included Iowa commodity groups representing corn, soybeans, pork, and beef, along with...
