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Younger consumers continue to cook more pork
Demand for ground pork continues to grow, driven by its versatility in the kitchen and its role as a gateway protein for younger consumers learning to cook with pork. Gen Z and millennial consumers are leading in both purchase frequency and annual spending. Neal Hull, director of state and regional marketing with the National Pork Board, said they are working with retailers to ensure ground pork is prominently placed and easy for shoppers to find in the meat case. Hull said one area they...
Telling the story of sustainability in the pork industry
The 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly called COP28, was an opportunity to tell data-driven facts about U.S. agriculture and sustainable on-farm practices. National Pork Board’s Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr says 84,000 people...
Ethanol production hits two-year high
The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output surged to a two-year high, and inventories hit their highest points since April during the week ending on December 22. Ethanol production rose to an average of 1.107 million barrels per day, up from 1.071...
John Deere precision equipment leads the way after 30 years
Last year at Commodity Classic in Orlando, I had the chance to visit with Matt Olson of John Deere as they were rolling out their revamped precision farming tools for the 2023 growing season. They were excited to make updates to everything from displays to modems and...
2023 a memorable year for the ethanol industry
2023 was a year to remember for the ethanol industry with corn ethanol demand reaching the highest levels since 2019 and the blend rate in gasoline setting a record as production rose to 15-and-a-half billion gallons. Rising domestic demand for ethanol and growth in...
U.S., Brazil competitive balance in soybeans
The U.S. and Brazil are major competitors when it comes to exporting soybeans around the world. USDA’s Economic Research Service did a comparison study to figure out how changes in factors underlying production, marketing costs, and infrastructure might affect export...
A year-end message from Secretary Naig
As we take stock of 2023, there are things to be proud of. There are those moments where we persevered through adversity in weather, trade, markets, and the Federal Government’s lethargy. There are things that the farmers in Iowa can be proud of, like the strides we...
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NPPC President-Elect looking forward to stepping into new role
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) represents the pork industry year-round on many important issues for producers. The NPPC has a strong executive team full of experience that allows them to tackle these issues posed by the producers they represent. Duane...
Clean Label Solution wins 2024 Soy Innovation Challenge
Clean Label Solution is the grand prize winner of this year’s Soy Innovation Challenge. They won the challenge with their fermentation process that uses soybeans to make high-value feed for beef and dairy cattle. Dr. Mohammad Arshadi, founder and CEO of Clean Label,...
Ethanol industry’s EV fight heading to the courts
The second lawsuit in as many weeks has been filed against the Environmental Protection Agency’s final tailpipe emissions rule. This effort is being led by the ethanol industry as it enters a separate challenge following another lawsuit that was submitted by the...
Farmers holding large corn and soybean stocks
After stockpiling crops for much of this season due to low commodity prices, many U.S. farmers continue to turn away buyers despite few signs that prices will improve. Farm Policy News says grain supplies are ample, and early ratings of summer crops are good. While...
Upgraded tiling systems have been saviors this spring
Nobody would have believed after the past few years in the Western Corn Belt that we would want a break in the rain. Iowa certainly has had its share, even though some spots are drying out again. My family in Minnesota has been screaming at Mother Nature to turn the...
