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Drought coverage shrinking across most of the U.S
Spring and early summer rainfall has helped to shrink the drought coverage area in the United States. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the U.S. Drought Monitor looks vastly different as of July 7th compared to the drought monitor maps of April 2026. The areas of D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought categories are also shrinking, although Rippey says only some of the regions with those designations have seen improvement. The Great Plains is one of the regions that has benefited from...
Domestic food trade shows open foreign market opportunities
A recent food trade show in Chicago illustrates the importance of such events in promoting U.S. farm and food goods to customers from across the globe. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says that there are other ways to...
Four Iowans to be honored at the 10th annual Ag Leadership Conference
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Ag Management and Leadership Program is now accepting nominations for the annual Iowans Impacting Agriculture recognition. This award celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to Iowa’s agricultural...
Farm Bureau focuses on farm economy beyond Farm Bill
During NAFB Washington Watch in Washington, D.C., much of the discussion centered on the Farm Bill and whether the House would finally move legislation forward. But according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the broader concern extends beyond any single bill...
Protecting swine herds against porcine circovirus
One of the longest-standing diseases in the swine industry is porcine circovirus (PCV2), and as the swine industry has evolved, so has this disease. Recent research has shown that there are now strains and genotypes that are more virulent and, therefore, harder to...
John Deere right-to-repair settlement announced
John Deere has agreed to a $99 million settlement in a class action lawsuit regarding its right-to-repair policies, which allegedly restricted farmers' access to necessary diagnostic tools and software for equipment repairs. Austin Peiffer, an attorney with Ag &...
USMCA renegotiation will likely take years
According to one trade expert at a recent Brookings Institution event, the USMCA renegotiation process will likely take years and extend past the Trump administration. Visiting Fellow Christopher Sands told the crowd at the event that the required six-year review of...
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Iowa livestock producers should be tracking NWS cases
Recently, New World Screwworm (NWS) was officially confirmed in the U.S. after it made its way closer to the border through Mexico. Now that it is in the U.S. cattle herd, we have also seen our first case of NWS in a different mammal- a dog in Lea County, New Mexico....
Secretary Rollins talks ag trade with lawmakers
The Agriculture Secretary Thursday discussed agricultural trade opportunities and gains with House Agriculture Committee members. Secretary Rollins began by touting trade deals that have been made by the current administration to increase U.S. farm and food export...
Supporters plot E15 strategy in the Senate
Supporters of year-round E15 gasoline sales are making another push in Congress, but significant hurdles remain before the measure can become law. Backers of the proposal are working to attach E15 language to a larger must-pass bill in hopes of advancing the policy...
Pork industry is optimistic despite trade limitations from pseudorabies
Strong export sales, particularly in Latin America, are contributing about $67 in value per every hog slaughtered and accounting for more than 30% of all U.S. pork production. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror said...
Growing crush capacity shifts soy demand priorities
For decades, one of the soybean industry's biggest challenges was finding new markets for soybean oil. Today, however, the conversation is changing. Growing demand from renewable diesel and other biofuel markets has helped create new opportunities for soybean oil,...
