Top Stories
Growing crush capacity shifts soy demand priorities
For decades, one of the soybean industry's biggest challenges was finding new markets for soybean oil. Today, however, the conversation is changing. Growing demand from renewable diesel and other biofuel markets has helped create new opportunities for soybean oil, while expanded processing capacity is creating a new challenge: finding markets for increasing supplies of soybean meal. When I visited Washington, D.C., I spoke with Pat Giberson, a New Jersey farmer and member of the United Soybean...
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,...
Major progress on beef trade at U.S.-China summit
On Friday, May 15, China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) granted a five-year registration extension to 425 overdue U.S. beef establishments in China’s Food Import Food Establishment (CIFER) system – a critical step toward restoring market access for U.S....
NWS cases less than 100 miles from U.S. border
There are over 1,800 active cases of the New World Screwworm in Mexico, and 15 of those cases are now less than 100 miles from the U.S. border. Rear Admiral Michael Schroyer, the associate administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, says that...
China agrees to $17 billion in ag purchases
China has agreed to purchase at least $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products annually through 2028. That’s according to a White House fact sheet released Sunday following President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. The agreement came after meetings between Trump and...
USDA watching western drought, Midwest summer outlook
Summer weather patterns remain difficult to predict heading into the heart of the growing season, but USDA Chief Meteorologist Brad Rippey says current forecast models continue pointing toward ongoing drought concerns across much of the western United States. Speaking...
Recapping a volatile week in the grain markets
President Trump’s meeting with China President Xi Jinping is over, and, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there was much discussion about agriculture. The ag industry was hoping for some official trade deals, but all we’ve seen so far are verbal agreements between...
Video
More Ag News
Trade announcements with China are a positive step forward
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met recently to discuss trade and other topics. This may be a sign that trade tensions are slowly thawing between the United States and China. Faith Parum, an economist for the American Farm Bureau...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-21-26)
As more details come out about the trade agreement between the U.S. and China, the weekly export sales continued following along its recent trends. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were the highest ever for this specific week. McBride said...
Importance of grower surveys in June Acreage Report
In the next few weeks producers will fill out USDA surveys that will provide the data for the June Acreage Report. Lance Honig of the National Agricultural Statistics Service says the surveys will provide a very important snapshot of the acreage for the year. Honig...
Naig: Recent weather helped Iowa farmers catch up
After a slow and uneven start to planting season this spring, Iowa farmers have made up significant ground over the past few weeks. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says favorable planting windows recently allowed farmers to move quickly and bring statewide...
Smithfield Foods awards 12 Impact Grants nationwide
Smithfield Foods has awarded more than $280,000 in Impact Grant funding to 12 nonprofit organizations working to strengthen communities where Smithfield employees live and work. These grants build on the more than $24 million Smithfield invested in 2025 to strengthen...
