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South American Weather and Crop Update (5-19-26)
After several weeks of dry weather that started to raise concerns over crop conditions, farms in Brazil finally found some relief in some timely rains. Allendale commodity broker Ben Breisch said that rain may have still come in a little too late, however. Breisch said those weather concerns have allowed U.S. grain- particularly corn- to have a price advantage over Brazil when it would normally be the other way around. As a result, Breisch said now is a good time for U.S. farmers to be selling...
Millions of birds die during two years of bird flu
One-fourth of America’s bird flu losses during outbreaks beginning in early 2022 were recorded during the final quarter of 2023. USDA data says that’s when the disease staged a resurgence. Approximately 20.9 million birds were culled in infected domestic flocks from...
How much moisture help will this snow bring?
Old Man Winter is finally here after an extended vacation. He is already bringing heavy snow just off to our west, and as the day proceeds it will make its way across the state. Check local listings, but the main call from the National Weather Service is for 6-12...
Cattle and swine markets trying to stay above moving averages
The grain markets have not had the best start to the year, but the cattle markets look like they could trend upwards after putting in lows last month. AgMarket.Net Hedging Strategist Kaden Sweeney said the cattle markets have been sitting above the moving averages,...
Livestock insurance products see big increase in demand
Livestock Risk Management products are in high demand, showing “astronomical” growth, according to USDA’s Risk Management Agency Administrator Marcia Bunger. Bunger tells the National Cattlemen’s Beltway Beef podcast that insurance products like Livestock Risk...
College may become even more expensive for farming families
Whether you’ve put your kids through college or gone through it yourself, it’s a widely known fact that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process can be very stressful. Unfortunately, it looks like that process could now create even more of a...
SNAP participation varied across states in fiscal year 2022
New data released by USDA's Economic Research Service shows that in fiscal year 2022, USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program served an average of 41.1 million people per month in the 50 states and Washington, DC. SNAP is the largest domestic nutrition...
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More Ag News
Landus gearing up for a big Farm Progress Show in August
Before we know it, the Farm Progress Show will be upon us once again. The annual event is returning to Boone, Iowa, this year, so many Iowa-based companies are excited to have easy access to producers from around the globe. Ryan Grant, senior vice president of...
Opportunities abound for AI in agriculture
The potential for artificial intelligence in agriculture is vast. While AI is still not fully integrated into the agriculture industry, data collecting for AI ag applications has been taking place for years. Austin O’Brien, is an Associate Professor of Computer...
U.S. Export Sales Report (6-27-24)
Ahead of tomorrow’s Quarterly Grain Stocks and Planted Acres Report, today’s export sales were very ho-hum. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said corn continued its trend of decent export sales. Soybeans, on the other hand, are still very much behind where they...
NPPC VP talks current swine industry issues
Earlier this month at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, our own Quentin Slater was able to talk with Vice President of the National Pork Producers Council Rob Brenneman to discuss current issues in the pork industry, how the industry continues to better itself, and...
Iowa approves carbon pipeline project
The Iowa Utilities Board granted approval for a proposed carbon pipeline project to begin in the state. That clears the way for Summit Carbon to build that segment of the pipeline that covers 688 miles in 29 Iowa counties. The board hasn’t yet granted a permit that...
