Top Stories
Whey protein boom is redefining dairy market dynamics
The boom in demand for whey protein is reshaping the economics of the U.S. dairy industry. While it does introduce plenty of new opportunities for revenue, it also creates a few new risks for dairy producers. Fred Hall, Northwest Iowa Extension Dairy Specialist, said there are a couple factors that are contributing to the increase in demand for high-quality protein. Whey, which is normally thought to be a low-value byproduct of cheese production, is now one of the most profitable components of...
Animal food manufacturers vital to U.S. economy
New research from the American Feed Industry Association shows the industry drives economic growth across the national and local economies. The organization's economic contribution study estimates that in 2023, the total animal food industry, including indirect and...
South American Weather and Crop Update (6-27-23)
Still looking dry in most of Brazil and Argentina. Brazil is still in the early stages of harvest, and Argentina wants to forget about harvest. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather patterns in South America.With the massive size...
Summer cookout prices down slightly from record high in 2022
The cost of an Independence Day cookout for a family of ten this year is $67.73, according to the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation market basket survey. AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said the latest survey shows inflation is still impacting food prices.?The...
Soy checkoff advances infrastructure improvements
The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers little change, as expected. Mac Marshall, United Soybean Board vice president of market intelligence, says the only major change was a reduction in old crop...
Economic viability begins in your hog nursery
?Let?s start at the beginning; a very good place to start.?Okay, I don?t claim to like ?The Sound of Music? by any means, but I know that it is a very famous line in the movie. There is a lot of truth to that saying and its many incarnations over the generations. Its...
Drought continues to expand across the state
Despite decent rainfalls over the weekend, drought conditions continue to expand across Iowa. At this point, it?s going to take a lot to even make a dent on moisture deficits in some areas. Iowa State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan gave an update on the U.S. Drought...
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More Ag News
Soybean numbers appear to weaken in South America
As we go through the winter, it is obvious that the markets are watching what happens in Brazil. They are passing our numbers for exports and are in the midst of their growing season. However, they are also getting much attention because the conditions in the south...
Great Plains Manufacturing talks partnership with Bayer ForGround
The newest sustainability practices can be confusing or intimidating to some farmers, so it’s important for companies to make the technology easy to use and to understand. James Shurts, president of the ag division at Great Plains Manufacturing, said they’ve been at...
Finding positivity in a bearish ag marketplace
The January WASDE report typically moves the market with traders reacting to the final year-end numbers for production and supply. After a bearish report was released last Friday, the commodity markets have seen price movement to the downside in both corn and...
2024 farm equipment sales are looking to be a mixed bag
Combine sales closed out the year ahead of 2022 levels, while almost all tractor segments saw declines in both the United States and Canada. The latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows total U.S. farm tractor sales fell 5.1 percent in...
USDA: Large family farms account for bulk of commodity production
Large-scale family farms accounted for a majority of the value of commodity production in 2022, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service. Specifically, these farms accounted for 51 percent of cash grains and soybeans, 56 percent of hog...
