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Breaking down the numbers in USDA’s January meat outlook
USDA recently issued its first projections this year for meat production and prices. For the most part, increased production and price forecasts for the prior month are on display in the USDA January meat outlook. USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski says there are some exceptions. That is despite month over month production increases forecasted for beef in 2025 and 2026. Jekanowski says that changes were minimal for global meat trade. He expands on the numbers for beef...
List of state crop assistance payments
In addition to a farm bill extension through September 30, the American Relief Act of 2025, recently passed by Congress, contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments for 20 covered crops. This economic assistance is intended to offset part of the economic loss...
Consumers aren’t just looking at price as the main purchasing factor
Last week, we talked about the challenges that are involved in helping producers of pork products understand the sometimes volatile relationship between the supply and demand sides of the industry. In that conversation with Glynn Tonsor, an economics professor at...
New leadership in D.C. has work to do for agriculture
Election 2024 is behind us, and some new faces are taking over leadership on the House and Senate Ag Committees. Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the four leaders of the committees have a wealth of experience....
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association talks policy priorities for 2025
As we kick off 2025, the ag industry is still waiting for an updated farm bill. Following the results of the last election, especially with some agriculture-friendly faces in D.C., there is hope that something can get done this time around. The Iowa Cattlemen’s...
2024 A year of warm weather
A USDA meteorologist's list of top weather events in our nation this year includes what appears to be one of the warmest years on record. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says widespread warm temperatures across the country top the list for 2024. USDA meteorologist Brad...
Ten things that may affect ag in 2025
The majority of agricultural economists in the latest Monthly Monitor say U.S. ag ended 2024 in a recession. Farm Journal’s AgWeb.com says 56 percent of ag economists responded “yes” to the question of a recession. The newest Monthly Monitor asked economists what...
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Using corn seed traits to manage pest issues
Disease, pest, and weed pressure get stronger every year, so it’s important to have new seed traits that can better handle those problems. The corn lineup at Pioneer is currently going through some changes to make sure that farmers will have enough tools in their...
Forecasts for soybean world supplies and soybean oil and meal
USDA will release the prospective plantings report on March 31st and will give the first glimpse into what to expect for acreage numbers this planting season. The industry expectation is that there will be a shift of acres from soybeans to corn. However, USDA grains...
USDA expediting direct help for producers
On National Ag Day, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the agency is issuing up to $10 billion directly to ag producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program for the 2024 crop year. ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased...
U.S. milk industry projected to see modest growth in 2025
What are USDA’s projections for the American dairy industry in the coming year? At this year's Ag Outlook Forum, USDA dairy analyst Peyton Ferrier said the industry might see modest growth. When it comes to price projections for the year ahead, Ferrier said prices for...
Earth Optics’ Predictive Ag Report promises a deep dive into ag data
Advancements in precision agriculture, data collection, and soil sampling are revolutionizing how farmers understand and manage their land. With cutting-edge technology providing unprecedented insights, farmers of all sizes can make more informed decisions to boost...
