Top Stories
Smaller cattle herd means market volatility
It’s well-known that the U.S. cattle herd continues to shrink. The January U.S. Cattle Inventory report showed the total inventory at 86.2 million head on January 1. That was down 300,000 head from last year. American Farm Bureau analysis showed the combination of fewer beef cows and a declining calf crop means the 2026 calf crop will likely continue to trend downward because there are fewer calves available for the breeding herd, even if more heifers are kept for breeding purposes. Tighter...
Pork Thank You extended to three Iowa cities
On Wednesday, May 4, Iowa pig farmers brought community leaders from Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge and Webster City together to thank them for their continuous efforts to work through Covid-19 issues since the spring of 2020. The pandemic immediately put stress on every...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-5-22)
Another uneventful report this week. No flash sales, and most everything came within expectations. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said there weren?t really any surprises in this week?s numbers.Recently, we?ve heard rumors that India may be banning wheat...
Ag labor reform is stalled in Senate
Labor and the workforce are hot topics in the economy these days. For agriculture, it is just another day as we continue to call on lawmakers to pursue labor reforms. Political Candidates come and go while promising changes to these issues, but if you have noticed,...
La Ni?a?s effects can differ greatly in close parameters
The warm and dry weather pattern known as La Ni?a has more than worn-out its welcome in the ?I-states? and the plains states. It feels like it has been on a constant repeat for well over a year. As we get set for what is expected to be another drought, we are also...
NCGA BeSure! campaign promotes BMPs
As the planting season is underway, the National Corn Growers Association launched its fourth-annual BeSure! Initiative. The national campaign is designed to promote best management practices (BMPs) when applying insecticides.Ag stakeholders appreciate how seed...
Axne unveils Rural Prosperity Agenda
Many times, when we talk about the infrastructure of rural America, we often focus on roads, bridges, and the internet. While these are very much a part of growing the success of rural communities, they are only a small part. We also must consider, jobs, housing,...
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More Ag News
What are ag bankers looking at in the next Farm Bill?
As conversations over the 2023 Farm Bill intensify in the coming months, all corners of the farming economy will watch the debate very closely for a variety of reasons. But what about the ag lending community? Ed Elfmann, Sr. Vice President for Ag and Rural Banking...
Selecting the correct seed for your operation
The Iowa Ag Expo was held in Des Moines last week with hundreds of exhibitors on hand to highlight the latest and greatest in the agriculture industry to the thousands of show attendees. While at the Iowa Events Center, the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network had a chance...
U.S. pork seeing growing demand in Latin America
A trade team from the National Pork Board, assisted by staff from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), toured retail locations as well as expanding transportation and cold storage facilities during a recent mission to Panama and Colombia. USMEF Chair-elect Randy...
Iowa farmers react to Brazilian farming trip
On my recent trip to Brazil, hosted by Commstock Investments, I had the chance to travel with a few Iowa farmers who came along on the trip to see what there was to learn about agriculture in Brazil. Having that perspective of being in the second largest Ag state in...
Grassley, Fischer, Wyden, Tester reintroduce cattle market reform bill
Senator Chuck Grassley and a bipartisan group of Senators last week introduced the bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2023. Joining Grassley was fellow Republican Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Jon Tester of...
