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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...
Top ag legal issues to monitor in 2024
2023 was a year of significant developments and changes on the legal front of agriculture. Harrison Pittman, director of the Ag Law Center, says 2024 could be more of the same with issues such as the endangered species act taking center stage. The Waters of the U.S....
Farmland market is “resilient”
The Farmers National Company says the farmland market seems to be moving into the new year maintaining the value increases it’s built during the last three years. That stability is in place despite increasing pressure from declining commodity markets, rising interest...
Governor Reynolds sees a bright future in biofuels for Iowa
Last Thursday, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association held its annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona. There was a great turnout to hear the latest in the policy, technology, and progress of biofuels. One of the highlight addresses was from Iowa Governor Kim...
Lack of cuts in January WASDE disappoints grain markets
With the cuts the USDA made in last month’s WASDE, analysts were expecting a few more in the January report. However, the grain markets were very disappointed when the report came out and showed very few changes. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride broke down the...
Potential end of controversial doctrine spells good news for agriculture
A controversial legal doctrine with wide-ranging impacts may come to an end soon. Travis Cushman, deputy general counsel for litigation and public policy with the American Farm Bureau, explained the premise of the Chevron Deference doctrine. “What it does is it...
49 of 50 states now allow sale of E15
Of the 50 states in the union, 49 now allow the sale of E15 or 15 percent corn ethanol blended gasoline. Montana is the latest state to allow the sale of the blend but one state, and it’s a big one, remains the lone holdout. The biggest state and the nation’s...
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Sec Naig wraps up Dairy Month at Thelma’s
Last month was Dairy Month, and to finish off that celebration, Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig (a known dairy connoisseur) visited Thelma’s in Des Moines to tour the facility and check out their famous ice cream sandwiches. Highlighting dairy isn’t just for the month of...
USDA releases proposed FMMO updates
The USDA held a 49-day Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing and listened to hundreds of hours of testimony, which resulted in reform proposals released this week. Roger Cryan, chief economist with the American Farm Bureau, said the changes have some positives. Cryan...
Grassley says Vilsack wrong on lowering farm bill expectations
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s call for the GOP to lower its farm bill expectations is “wrong.” During a conference call with ag broadcasters this week, Senator Grassley was asked about Ag Secretary Vilsack’s call for...
Mexico to drop plan to cut yellow corn imports
The incoming government in Mexico will discard a key goal of the previous administration to reduce yellow corn imports and achieve self-sufficiency in yellow corn production. Investing Dot Com says the incoming ag minister, Julio Berdegue, says Mexico will focus on...
Pork industry expanding story around the globe
It takes a lot of hard work to market our goods around the globe. American farmers have become so good at what they do to produce food to feed the world that we have more of it than we can consume. The global marketplace is a fickle thing because we aren't the only...
