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USDA raises U.S. agricultural export forecast
U.S. agricultural exports are expected to strengthen as USDA raised its trade forecast and projected a smaller agricultural trade deficit for fiscal 2026. USDA's Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service forecast agricultural exports at $179.5 billion, up $3 billion from the agency's May projection. Imports are forecast at $204.5 billion, down $1 billion from May. That would produce an agricultural trade deficit of about $25 billion, compared with the $29 billion deficit...
Senator Grassley responds to beef import plan
Last Friday President Trump announced the administration's plan to allow an additional 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef imports over the next 90 days. In a social media post, President Trump said the beef would sell at roughly 25% below market prices to help...
Secretary Naig and INREC expand nitrogen soil sampling project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and the Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC) today announced the expansion of the Nitrogen Soil Sampling Project that delivers free nitrogen soil testing for farmers in counties upstream from the Des Moines and...
Fertilizer concentration concerns Iowa Corn leadership
A concentrated fertilizer industry and stubbornly high prices are drawing increased scrutiny from farmers and federal investigators. The United States Department of Justice is reportedly investigating several leading fertilizer producers to determine whether pricing...
Ag Secretary Rollins addresses President Trump’s beef import plan
Last Friday, President Trump announced via Truth Social his plan to lower the tariff on 300,000 metric tons of ground beef imports in order to lower costs for consumers. However, this has generated a largely negative reaction from cattle producers as the U.S. cattle...
August Cattle on Feed report shows decline in placements
USDA published the August Cattle on Feed report last Friday and while it shows increased cattle inventory in feedlots compared to last year, there are still lower placements. USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer breaks down the numbers in the August report. Fischer...
ICA responds to announcement on foreign beef imports
The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President Craig Moss issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s post regarding beef imports: "President Trump's announcement today about importing foreign beef is extremely disappointing to the Iowa Cattlemen’s...
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Pork demand continues to build in consumers
A growing appetite for pork is building momentum with consumers. Dr. Glynn Tonsor, an economist at Kansas State University, said the pork industry is turning appetites into action by making pork a favorite every day. One of the key shifts has been looking more closely...
Cooler weather in store for the end of August
After bouts of extremely hot weather in July and early August, a week of cooler temperatures is welcome across Iowa. The cooler temperatures could even help with soil and crop conditions as we approach the final stretch of the growing season. USDA meteorologist Brad...
Farm Bureau urges U.S., Canada to resume trade talks
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall is urging the United States and Canada to return to the negotiating table after trade talks broke down and additional tariffs were imposed. Duvall said Canada has been one of U.S. agriculture’s most important trading...
Ag groups speak out against President Trump’s beef import plan
The Trump administration has announced a new plan aimed at lowering beef prices in the grocery stores, but the plan- which will bring up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the U.S. over the next 90 days- will negatively impact the farm economy. Beef industry...
Iowa water quality progress requires everyone at the table
Clean water is not solely a rural concern or an urban concern. Water moves across property lines, through communities, into rivers, and eventually downstream. Whatever reaches it moves with it. That makes Iowa’s water quality challenge a shared problem, even though...
