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President Trump says he is “not looking to renew” USMCA
Speaking at the White House today, President Trump stated that he is not looking to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, saying that “we don’t need anything that Canada has, we don’t need anything that Mexico has.” However, this statement comes as the ag industry continues to raise its voice in support of continuing the agreement, as Canada and Mexico are two of the largest markets for U.S. exports. Farmers for Free Trade Board Chairman Bob Hemesath, who is also a corn and hog farmer from...
What to expect in the USDA acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports
On Friday the USDA will publish its Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports at 11am. Will the reports be in line with industry expectations, or will there be any surprises included in the data on Friday? Jim McCormick, co-founder of AgMarket.Net, says that the...
Traceability is key to managing foreign animal diseases
Biosecurity has never been more important for the nation’s pork farms, especially in the face of diseases like PRRS and African Swine Fever. Dr. Brent Pepin, director of swine health at the National Pork Board, said the industry is working together to improve...
State disasters declared due to flooding
The governors of Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota have all issued emergency declarations as heavy rains that began late last week flooded several rivers in the Upper Midwest. A large number of counties in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and...
Summer cookout prices are at an all-time high
It’s a common complaint we are hearing during this time of economic hardship; grocery prices are way too high. It wasn’t that long ago when $100 bought you a fully loaded cart, now it buys you three or four bags full if you are lucky. This has negatively affected...
South American Weather and Crop Update (6-25-24)
The weather in South America still has not changed much, but at the very least it has been predictable at this point. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the current and upcoming conditions in Brazil and Argentina. McBride said that weather...
With wet soils, keep an eye out for nitrogen loss
Recent heavy rainfall not only delayed planting in many areas, but it’s also causing concern about soils becoming susceptible to nitrogen loss. Dr. Clayton Nevins, senior agronomic scientist for Pivot Bio, says this spring is a big change from last year. Dr. Nevins...
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More Ag News
Preparing the next generation of advocates for the pork industry
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) introduced a new initiative in 2024 called the “Young Pork Advocates” for students aged 18-22. The program is intended to help young advocates for the pork industry learn more about the industry and in turn pass that...
Keeping cattle healthy by minimizing stress
Many producers are rightfully worried about managing cattle diseases from infecting their herds, but there is another part of disease management that sometimes gets overlooked- stress management. When cattle are stressed, they have a tougher time fighting off those...
Corn and soybean harvests nearly complete
As of November 10, 95% of the 2024 corn crop in the top 18 corn-growing states was harvested. This was up from 91% a week prior and ahead of the five-year average of 84%. USDA said 96% of the soybean crop in the top 18 growing states was in the bins. This was up from...
Turkeys and egg layers see greatest impact from H5N1
Since 2022, the U.S. poultry industry has been battling a particularly persistent strain of H5N1, or avian influenza, and more than 100 million birds have been affected over the last two and a half years. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau, said...
BASF providing farmers with more tools to grow successful crops
Nobody in the state of Iowa would describe 2024 as normal. While it gave us more moisture than in years past, it also gave us a very dry second half of the year, which opened the door to different diseases and pests. The best we can do is learn from the lessons...
