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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 during a weather briefing in Washington, D.C., Rippey said forecasters are currently caught between fading La Niña conditions and the expected development of El Niño later this year. Rippey, who authors the weekly U.S. Drought...
RFS and USDA July bean and corn balance sheet
How does the recently announced Renewable Fuel Standard proposal play a role in USDA's U.S. soybean and corn supply and demand estimate in the July WASDE report? USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says the RFS proposal plays a big role in the soybean numbers from this...
Great weather for pollination in Southwest Iowa
If you look at the nearest corn field, you might see tassels at the tops of each of the stalks of corn. That means pollination is in full swing, and farmers are praying for the stars to align and allow their crops to reach their full potential yields. Southwest Iowa...
USMEF talks global beef demand and more at Cattle Industry Summer Meeting
Tariffs and other trade issues were top of mind for cattle producers and other beef industry leaders attending the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, California. U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom said that, despite tariffs...
Shrinking labor force poised to threaten U.S. economic growth
Declining labor force participation, lower birth rates and a collapse in net migration are combining to squeeze the U.S. labor supply. The looming labor shortage could begin to weigh on businesses and strain economic growth as soon as later this year, according to a...
Iowa Eyes Below-Average Missouri River Runoff
Despite a wetter year in parts of the region, the runoff in the Missouri River Basin remains below average. Years of drought have left a lasting impact, and the system has yet to recover fully. Iowa depends on the Missouri River to the west and the Mississippi River...
Markets decided to sell off in reaction to July WASDE
There were slight expectations that the USDA would adjust corn yields in this month’s WASDE report, but that did not end up happening. And while the report as a whole was still fundamentally friendly to the marketplace, the commodity prices did not like missing out on...
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September WASDE leaves analysts scratching their heads
This month’s WASDE report was not as friendly as projected, but the markets still moved higher to end the week. A few factors, including the recent end of the old crop marketing year, may be influencing the markets in confusing directions. Allendale commodity broker...
Secretary Rollins on new dietary guidelines, updated MAHA Report
Sound, simple and clear. That’s how Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins describes the roll out of the national dietary guidelines while previewing their content. The dietary guidelines will follow recommendations by the MAHA Commission which Rollins is a member of. Commodity...
Fertilizer prices climbing higher once again
Fertilizer prices appear to be on the rise again. While they have not hit the record high they reached in 2022, Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said some products, like phosphates, are climbing higher. Parum said there are two main...
Pork producers from 20 states gather in Washington to promote fix to Prop 12
More than 100 pork producers from 20 states traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to call on Congress to deliver an urgent legislative fix to California’s Proposition 12, which is driving up costs for consumers, threatening small family farms, and disrupting...
Landus helps farmers capture extra value this harvest
Iowa farmers now have a fast and simple way to add profit to their soybeans this harvest — with no change in how they farm or market their crop. Landus has launched a Clean Fuel Regulation (CFR) program that connects local growers to export markets in Canada that...
