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Swine industry remains cautious about NWS
Earlier this week, the USDA announced that there was an official detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the U.S. The pest was found in a three-week-old calf in South Texas. Since NWS is an indiscriminate parasite, all warm-blooded mammals are at risk of infestation if they have an open wound. That’s why the swine industry is remaining vigilant. Todd Marotz, vice president of the National Pork Producers Council, said they have been monitoring NWS since November of 2024. Even though there are...
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...
Rollins says administration backs year-round E15, but Congress must act
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins says year-round E15 sales have the full support of the Trump administration but it’s up to Congress to pass legislation which expands access to E15. Rollins says that President Trump’s early executive order cited year-round E15 as a...
Iowa Farm Bureau sets 2026 legislative priorities
During the 2026 legislative session, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state’s largest grassroots farm organization, will address key priorities including property tax reform and the prioritization of tax policies that support farmers and the agricultural...
Agribusiness Association eyes key Iowa legislation
As the Iowa Legislature begins work on the 2026 session, agriculture and agribusiness are once again front and center in policy discussions at the Statehouse. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa states that several proposals this year could directly impact investment...
Brazilian soybean harvest underway
With a main global competitor of U.S. soybeans now beginning harvest for this year's crop, what is the outlook for Brazil’s production this season? USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski provides the latest update on the Brazilian growing season....
Feenstra says a new farm bill is still possible
The year is 2026, and we are still using the 2018 Farm Bill. After eight years, much of the legislation needs to be updated in order to match the constantly evolving ag industry. Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra said the process will start again next month in the House...
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Iowa regulators highlight changes to pesticide guidance
New federal pesticide decisions and evolving endangered species requirements are expected to bring more field-specific guidance for Iowa applicators heading into the growing season. Conversations following the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Showcase highlighted how...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-12-26)
Heading into this week’s export sales report, the markets were expecting to see negative corn sales and positive soybean sales. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the report turned out to be the complete opposite from those estimates. Flash sales were active...
Demand is shifting for U.S. farmland
Farmland values have been resilient and even robust in past several years. However, those prices are entering a new phase as profit margins continue to change. Colton Lacina, the senior vice president of real estate operations for the Farmers National Company, said...
Dietary guidelines implementation updates
Secretaries for the Agriculture and Health and Human Services Departments Wednesday provided an update on implementation progress for the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That was USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. The guidelines provide guidance for federal food...
Smaller cattle herd means market volatility
It’s well-known that the U.S. cattle herd continues to shrink. The January U.S. Cattle Inventory report showed the total inventory at 86.2 million head on January 1. That was down 300,000 head from last year. American Farm Bureau analysis showed the combination of...
