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Secretary Naig opens sign-up for annual cover crop cost-share program
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged Iowa farmers and landowners who are planning to seed cover crops this fall to enroll in the state's annual Cover Crop Cost-Share Program. This program is open to first-time and returning cover crop users in all 99 counties and offers cost-share assistance on up to 160 acres per participant. “More Iowa farmers are choosing to plant cover crops because they've seen the benefits in their own fields, while also delivering cleaner water for...
Iowa officials confident in screwworm strategy
While New World Screwworm remains confined to parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico, animal health officials are focused on making sure it stays that way. Although the insect is still hundreds of miles from Iowa, state and federal officials are relying on a proven...
What to expect from the USDA acreage and grain stocks reports
On Tuesday June 30th USDA will publish the planted acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports. These reports typically have been known to move the ag marketplace one way or the other based on the updated numbers for planted acreage and the grain on hand in the stocks...
US hog inventory edges lower; productivity ticks up
The U.S. hog and pig inventory totaled 73.7 million head as of June 1, down slightly from a year earlier and from March, USDA said Thursday in its quarterly report. Market hogs accounted for 67.8 million head, while 5.88 million were kept for breeding, according to...
Next week’s heat dome could stress Iowa crops
We’re roughly halfway through the growing season here in Iowa, and there are varying crop conditions across the state. Much of the crop looks very strong currently, but there are some areas struggling with disease, pest, and weather issues. Dan Bjorklund, technical...
Uncertainty around Brazil’s production forecast for 2027
Brazil’s corn and soybean crops could have a major impact on global grain markets. Joanna Colussi, a research assistant professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, identified fertilizer as the root of the problem. Colussi discussed how the stagnant...
Screwworm far from Iowa, but worth watching
New World Screwworm remains hundreds of miles from Iowa, with confirmed cases confined to parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. While there is no indication the pest is moving into Iowa anytime soon, state officials say it's important for livestock producers to...
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Mexico’s restrictions on pork offal remain costly for U.S. industry
As a result of a recent pseudorabies detection in Iowa, Mexico closed its border to U.S. pork offal products for more than a month. According to U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) estimates, since its implementation, the closure has cost U.S. exporters roughly $7...
Weather will affect how much disease pressure we see in 2026
Due to the beautiful weather we have seen in Iowa recently, which has included some cool and wet nights, tar spot has already been detected in some fields across the state. However, this week’s much hotter temperatures should suppress any additional pressure from tar...
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...
Boozman defends excluding Prop 12 from farm bill
Senate Ag Chair John Boozman shares reasons for his decision not to limit the out-of-state reach of California’s Prop 12 restriction on extreme animal confinement in his farm bill draft. Boozman says although Republicans are ready to vote to restrict California’s...
How El Niño will impact agriculture
The weather pattern shifting to El Niño this year has been a topic of conversation in weather forecasts for some time. Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, says the El Niño weather pattern arrived earlier this month. Merrill says the forecast for July is...
