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Tariff battle heating up on Capitol Hill
The fight over President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs is heating up again on Capitol Hill, while the Supreme Court has not ruled on their legality as of Thursday. President Trump turned to tariffs again this week, threatening 25 percent duties against countries like China, India, and the EU. Each of these are doing business with Iran, which is crushing a nationwide uprising with deadly force. Senate Majority Leader John Thune commented on whether the U.S. is on the cusp of new trade wars with...
John Deere announces more Iowa layoffs
John Deere has another round of layoffs scheduled at its plant in Iowa. The facility in Waterloo Works, Iowa, is the company’s largest plant. The state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, website says the company will lay off more than 100...
House hearing focuses on improper labeling of dairy products
The Food and Drug Administration performs the critical task of providing consumers with clear nutritional information by enforcing labeling standards, but there is still work to be done on the misuse of terms on labels. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin said she’s...
Settling into a long-term period of low commodity prices
It’s no surprise to you that market prices for grains are low. They’re nowhere near what we enjoyed a few years ago. Many factors are driving this situation, but understanding them doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. The main question I Have been hearing farmers...
Beef-dairy cows providing added-value for producers
A growing trend in animal agriculture is the breeding of dairy cows with beef bulls to take advantage of desirable traits and provide added value for producers. The process, also known as beef-on-dairy, can improve the value of the calf says Olivia Genther-Shroder of...
December starting off with arctic winds
As we get into the colder and drier part of the year, we don’t really see much change to the Iowa drought monitor. However, state climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan said that this year’s drought map looks significantly better than last year. Glisan said a large-scale...
U.S. Export Sales Report (12-5-24)
The weekly export sales continue to look great for corn and soybeans- in fact, soybeans set a record for this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest report from the USDA. McBride said flash sales have been slightly slower lately....
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More Ag News
South American Weather and Crop Update (2-26-25)
After an extended period of dry weather, there’s now plenty of rain in South America. In fact, it has rained so much that they are now worried about having too much rain. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and...
NPPC President Lori Stevermer testifies before Senate and discusses Prop 12
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minn., brought the industry’s point of view to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee today through her “Perspectives from the Field” hearing...
Slowing equipment purchases highlight pressures on the rural economy
The downturn in commodity prices doesn’t just impact farmers—it sends shockwaves through the entire agricultural economy, affecting everyone from equipment dealers to rural retailers. When farmers tighten their budgets, they spend less on machinery, supplies, and even...
Using carbon markets to increase profit margins
As input prices make margins tighten, farmers are looking for other ways to increase their profits. One option is to enroll in a carbon market program. Lisa Kubik, inside sales manager with Agoro Carbon, said they have a variety of programs farmers can take advantage...
Animal disease response training exercise helps stakeholders prepare
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is among various animal health groups involved in tabletop training exercises to improve response to a potential disease incident or outbreak. USDA Chief Veterinarian Rosemary Sifford says that training exercises can...
