Top Stories
Drought pressures western rangeland management
When I visited Washington, D.C. recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Karen Budd-Falen, Associate Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, about the challenges facing western rangelands as drought conditions continue to affect large portions of the country. Budd-Falen said those conditions are forcing difficult decisions for both ranchers and federal land managers as they work to balance livestock production, wildlife needs, and long-term resource health. Budd-Falen said...
Highlighting ag trade during World Trade Month
May is World Trade Month, and trade is an important conversation topic for the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). Brent Boydston, USGC Chair, said World Trade Month is a significant event for the Council. Boydston said the USGC contributes to improving international trade...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-16-24)
Corn and soybeans sales came in within estimates, but they are still leaning towards the lower side of the range. This is not what we want to see with both markets trending lower already. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest export...
EPA’s Regan hears counter argument to EVs in Senate hearing
During a recent Senate hearing in Washington D.C., Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan heard criticisms from lawmakers regarding the Biden administration’s push for increased electric vehicle use via regulation. Wyoming GOP Senator Cynthia...
Grassley and Ernst lead Iowa delegation in asking for federal aid
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) led the state’s delegation in calling on USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to swiftly approve Iowa’s request for federal assistance. Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig made the request on...
School breakfast programs start to incorporate meat again
When it comes to creating a marketplace for our products, we tend to put a lot of focus on developing international markets. That is good because we produce far more food than we hope to consume. However, we cannot afford to overlook the demand we can create here at...
Grassley wary of Chinese response to increased tariffs
On Tuesday President Biden announced a surge of increased tariffs on imported Chinese products under Section 301 of 1974’s Trade Act. The tariff hikes will be applied to $18 billion worth of imports from China including electric vehicle batteries and computer chips....
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More Ag News
Chefs across Vietnam gather for Porkstars competition
Chefs from across Vietnam recently competed in Porkstars, a cooking competition designed to promote creative uses of U.S. pork. Now in its third year, the livestreamed event is a collaboration between the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the National Pork Board, the...
Gas prices should remain mostly unaffected by Hurricane Milton
Back-to-back hurricanes in the southern United States are taking a tremendous toll on everyone involved. One of the few places that likely won’t feel as big of an effect is the price of gas. Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com said Milton, the latest hurricane, likely...
Ag trade deficit continues to grow
The ag trade deficit continues to grow, based on USDA’s latest trade figures for fiscal year ’24 through August. USDA Economist Bart Kenner says US farm exports continue to decrease. Imports on the other hand are on the upswing. That’s nearly twice the farm trade...
Scientists examining corporate influence over food and farm bill
The Union of Concerned Scientists recently released a report analyzing the influence of lobbying on food and agriculture systems. The report finds that agribusinesses, industry associations, and other interest groups have spent more than US$500 million to influence...
Crop protection doesn’t end in the field
We talk about what we need to do to protect our crops in the fields. We use various tools meant to protect our hard work from weeds, disease, and insects. We invest a lot of money into the plants we grow in the field and don’t want to see that investment endangered....
