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Markets reacted negatively to today’s slew of USDA reports
Several USDA reports were released today, including the January WASDE report and the Quarterly Grain Stocks. Unfortunately, most of these reports were negative for the ag marketplace. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the markets really did not like seeing a 1.2 million acre increase to the harvested corn acres. The USDA also has not addressed the aggressive export numbers they put out for the soybeans last year, which caused another negative reaction today. Fortunately, McBride...
USMEF honoring recipients of two prestigious awards
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) announced the 2024 recipients of its two most prestigious awards, who will be honored Nov. 7th at the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Nick Giordano, the former lead lobbyist for the National Pork...
Seed technology advancements helping growers stay one step ahead
With a very wet start to the growing season followed by an extremely dry and warm finish in August and September, the weather has thrown a lot of curveballs at growers this year. Eric Bartels is a northwest Iowa Beck’s Hybrids agronomist, and he says that advancements...
Distressed agricultural borrowers get $250 million in USDA assistance
The Department of Agriculture announced an additional $250 million in automatic payments for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. With the assistance more than 4,600 producers across the country will...
Nutrien makes multi-year commitment to FFA
Later this week the National FFA convention will be expected to hit a record attendance in Indianapolis. More than 70,000 students from all over the country are set to assemble to discuss agricultural leadership and gain more insight into leadership training and the...
Pioneer brand Brock Purdy jerseys raise money for scholarships for Iowa ag students
When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy recently appeared in a commercial for the Pioneer brand wearing a custom Pioneer green Brock Purdy jersey, it led to a simple question from viewers. “Where can I get a Pioneer branded Brock Purdy jersey?” This led to an...
U.S. Export Sales Report (10-18-24)
Export sales are continuing their positive trend, but pressure is building in the marketplace from both harvest and the rain in Brazil. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers. McBride said the flash sales have continued to be...
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Ag industry still seeking some more clarity from USDA
The recent USDA guidelines on climate-smart ag practices for biofuel feedstocks has been generally received positively, but there are still some areas that need clarification. Fortunately, there is now a 60-day window for farmers to speak up about what they would like...
Tariff war is the last thing beef producers need
The North American beef cattle herd size is at a 40-year low, after several years of drought and feed shortages in primary cattle regions have taken a heavy toll on cow and heifer numbers. While cattle producers are seeing record-high prices, the beef processing...
EPA nominee Zeldin vows clarity in WOTUS rules, timeliness on RVOs
Former Congressman Lee Zeldin was recently questioned at his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of EPA Administrator. At the hearing Zeldin vowed to provide more clarity on WOTUS rules, timeliness on renewable volume targets, and cooperation with USDA. Zeldin...
U.S. agriculture dominated by family farms
In 2023, roughly 86 percent of all farms were small family farms. A USDA report says these farms have a gross cash income below $350,000 and operate on 41 percent of all U.S. agricultural land. The family farms produced 17 percent of the total value of U.S....
La Niña has brought drier trends back
After a double-dip La Niña in 2022 and 2023, we were relieved to see El Niño return to start 2024, bringing us back a mild winter and more moisture. After a few years of heavy drought, farmers breathed a sigh of relief. However, it was soon announced that we were...
