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Naig stresses value of USMCA framework
Trade agreements often receive the most attention when negotiations become contentious, but for Iowa agriculture, their greatest value is often found in the stability they provide. Canada and Mexico remain Iowa's two largest international trading partners, making the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement an important part of the state's agricultural economy. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said while there are issues that still need to be addressed between the three countries, the agreement...
Meat industry professionals invited to gather in central Iowa for Midwest Meat Summit
Demand for locally produced meat is on the rise, which provides a unique market opportunity for livestock producers, butchers, and other meat industry experts. All members of the meat supply chain are invited to attend the Practical Farmers of Iowa’s (PFI) second...
AFBF highlights gaps in Dairy Margin Coverage Program
The Dairy Margin Coverage Program is a farm safety net program that helps U.S. dairy farmers manage risk when the gap between milk prices and feed costs shrinks. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the program has been a big help...
Grassley sees several Senate pathways for year-round E15
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says there are several avenues for year-round E15 to pass in the Senate. Grassley says the freestanding House-passed E15 bill needs to be attached to another piece of legislation to make its way through the Senate. Senator...
Stand establishment offers one of the first real looks at yield potential
The first signs of emergence reveal far more than whether a crop came up. Stand establishment is one of the first meaningful tests of how well a planting plan is translating in the field. Uniform emergence, healthy seedlings and consistent populations can provide an...
Naig urges Senate action on Farm Bill
The House has passed its version of the Farm Bill, but Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the focus now turns to the Senate, where the legislation could face a much more difficult path forward. Naig said House passage was an important step toward giving farmers...
News from May Cattle on Feed Report
The May Cattle on Feed Report offers some of the latest trends from the cattle feedlots. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell provides some details. Total inventory was up 2% year over year, that was driven in part by a 6% increase in April of cattle placed in...
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Rollins confirms NWS detection 25 miles from U.S.-Mexico border
Today, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins held a press conference with the media to provide a full update on the New World Screwworm (NWS) situation and clear up some misleading headlines that have been circulating. There was a lot of concern building over an alleged...
Top considerations when planning a calving barn
As attention to livestock production intensifies, producers continue to evaluate the benefits of calving barns for enhancing both livestock management and operational efficiency, according to Dennis Lee, farm product line manager for Morton Buildings. Lee cites...
Examining demand concerns heading into the summer grilling season
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to the summer grilling season and with the grills firing up around the country questions about meat demand are lingering. With meat prices at the store at lofty levels and beef prices reaching record highs, will consumers have...
Trump cuts tariffs on ag equipment to 15 percent
President Donald Trump has announced tariff reductions on certain agricultural and industrial equipment, a move that could help ease some cost pressures facing farmers and machinery dealers. Under a new proclamation, tariffs on products like harvesters, bulldozers,...
Interior touts grazing’s conservation benefits
When I visited Washington, D.C. recently, I had the opportunity to hear from Karen Budd-Falen, Associate Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, about several issues affecting western ranchers and public lands. One topic that generated considerable...
