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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 million per week. Although some offal shipments to Mexico have resumed, restrictions on products from Iowa and Texas remain in place. USMEF Mexico Trade Manager Rigoberto Treviño highlighted the importance of pork offal and variety...
House hearing focuses on improper labeling of dairy products
The Food and Drug Administration performs the critical task of providing consumers with clear nutritional information by enforcing labeling standards, but there is still work to be done on the misuse of terms on labels. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin said she’s...
Settling into a long-term period of low commodity prices
It’s no surprise to you that market prices for grains are low. They’re nowhere near what we enjoyed a few years ago. Many factors are driving this situation, but understanding them doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. The main question I Have been hearing farmers...
Beef-dairy cows providing added-value for producers
A growing trend in animal agriculture is the breeding of dairy cows with beef bulls to take advantage of desirable traits and provide added value for producers. The process, also known as beef-on-dairy, can improve the value of the calf says Olivia Genther-Shroder of...
December starting off with arctic winds
As we get into the colder and drier part of the year, we don’t really see much change to the Iowa drought monitor. However, state climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan said that this year’s drought map looks significantly better than last year. Glisan said a large-scale...
U.S. Export Sales Report (12-5-24)
The weekly export sales continue to look great for corn and soybeans- in fact, soybeans set a record for this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest report from the USDA. McBride said flash sales have been slightly slower lately....
Last of Iowa’s Ag drainage wells finally closed off
Drainage and water runoff have been an age-old problem in agriculture. We have taken many steps to try and find quicker and more efficient ways to create drainage solutions. While many of us are more used to the tile systems we see today, that wasn’t always the case....
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March ends like a lamb with mild USDA reports
There’s an old saying that says March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. With today bringing two major USDA reports, it was looking like the month might end more like a lion instead. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case, as both the Quarterly Grain...
Proposed port service fees would hurt red meat exports
The office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) held hearings this week on a proposal to impose a service fee for each U.S. port call of a Chinese-operated ship, or a per-net-ton service fee applied on the ship’s carrying capacity. While they do support the overall...
Recapping the winter weather season
For the most part, the 2024-2025 winter season in Iowa was mild with warmer temperatures and not much precipitation to help replenish soil moisture levels. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that the final numbers from the winter months of December, January, and...
Producers have until April 15th to enroll in key safety net programs
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15, 2025 to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm...
Secretary Naig praises Iowa farmers during Iowa Ag Week
National Ag Week and Day were two weeks ago, and Iowa celebrated Iowa Ag Week last week. However, the events come to a culmination tonight in Ankeny for the Ag Leaders Dinner. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to speak along with Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig. It’s...
