U.S. pork exports to Mexico hit the second-highest on record in January, while another major meat processor says it's shutting the doors on another pork processing plant as consolidation concerns continue to grow.
The new 45Z tax credit passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, means a farmer's carbon intensity score will soon be worth more, especially if your corn goes to an ethanol plant.
In the West, automation is geared toward smaller, driverless equipment. In the Midwest, major manufacturers have introduced their largest horsepower combines and tractors yet, all with autonomous capabilities.
USDA cut its estimate for Brazil’s soybean production by 1 MMT in the March WASDE report, which was less than what the trade expected. USDA didn’t make any cuts to Brazil’s corn.
The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor projects a major drop in net farm income this year. Economists are also growing more pessimistic about the potential for interest rate cuts in 2024.
Reports say China has purchased more than 20 cargoes of feed grain in the past two weeks. Where is China buying from, and what's behind the sudden surge?
Changes to the GREET Model are expected later this week, and depending on how the model is interpreted, it could be the ticket for corn ethanol to start taking flight as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Edgewood Locker got its start in rural northeast Iowa in 1966. The business now spans over three generations, and it's largely thanks to Joan Kerns who helped start the family business that's now seen phenomenal growth.
Ag economists have little doubt Brazil will remain the world’s top exporter of soybeans, but with potential safrinha corn production problems, economists aren't confident Brazil can hang on to the top spot in corn.
While resilient farmland prices were the theme in 2023 and farmers were in the driver's seat in most sales, Jim Rothermich with Iowa Appraisal has recently noticed a couple changes in the market.
Ag economists’ views on the ag economy took a dive in the first Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor of 2024; however, relatively strong balance sheets and working capital could provide a cushion for 2024.
With larger-than-expected yield revisions to both corn and soybeans, it leaves one burning question: which states grew such big yields in 2023? USDA NASS released maps and charts to help answer that.
USDA’s final look at crop production for 2023 caught the commodity markets by surprise. The agency increased the final yield estimates for both corn and soybeans, and as a result, prices plummeted on Friday.
From drought issues posing problems in the Panama Canal to growing tensions and attacks in the Red Sea, it's causing freight rates to skyrocket and ongoing delays in shipping products around the globe.
Major winter storms are on the way early next week. With the possibility of blizzard conditions to flooding in the southeast, the impact on agriculture could be two-fold: good news for drought but stress to livestock.
In October 2023, Arkansas became the first state to ban foreign-owned farmland. More states look to adopt similar laws, but one policy expert says the issue is rooted in politics and warns of unintended consequences.
Brazil is seeing a sudden shift in weather with heavy rains now forecasted over the next two weeks. While it will bring relief to drought areas, it could cause harvest delays and issues planting the safrinha corn crop.
From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.
From the election to world trade, as well as geopolitical factors that have the potential to shape agriculture in 2024, the December Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor shows the possibility of several economic surprises.
Virginia farmer David Hula is known for growing big yields and he's doing so once again. He won the 2023 NCA National Corn Yield Contest with a new record yield, beating his previous world record set in 2019.
On Nov. 19, 2023, Iowa farmer Joe Rempe suffered severe injuries from an anhydrous leak while in the field. His fiance, Kendra Vander Leest, not only helped save Joe, but she's been caring for him since.
West Texas is the largest cotton production area in the country, but after battling drought and heat, area farmers say the dryland crop is a failure, and the irrigated acres are only yielding half of normal.
Despite weather concerns sprouting in Brazil, USDA didn’t make any major adjustments to the South American crop in Friday's reports. Increased demand from China and Mexico prompted USDA to trim U.S. ending stocks.
After a year of struggles in 2022, this year’s crop reaped weather that was much more favorable for growing cotton. Burlison, Tenn., farmer Brad Williams describes this year’s growing season as almost perfect.
AgResource Company forecasts 80% of the soybean crop is planted as of today, but for some farmers it's been a year of replant for both corn and soybeans.
After two months of a waning outlook on the ag economy, economists views took a turn in the November Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor, a survey of nearly 70 ag economists from across the country.
East-central Texas farmers battled historic heat, along with no rain during the heart of the growing season. The outlook on the cotton crop was bleak, but one Texas farmer says cotton harvest produced several surprises.
The debate over immigration continues to be an issue in Washington. However, the Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor shows economists are still skeptical it's enough for Congress to act on immigration reform.
USDA upped its corn yield estimate by nearly 2 bu. to a 174.9 bu. per acre national yield. The agency also increased its demand estimate, which softened the potential blow of such a big jump in production.
Corn and soybean prices seem stuck. So, what catalyst could it take to move commodity prices higher? There are a few, but analysts say the reality is there’s simply no story at the moment.
At 22 years old, Emma decided the college life wasn't for her. She dropped out and decided to become a farmhand. With each adventure comes lessons she shares on her "Ag With Emma" social media accounts.
Political unrest, a healthy ag economy and the start of an election year. These are all reasons economists in the October Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor think it could 2025 before Congress passes a new farm bill.
As pork producers’ potential profits continue to erode this year, some economists say 2023 could be financially worse than 1998, which is unearthing concerns about contraction, restructuring and vertical integration.
While ag economists continue to be at odds when it comes to the likelihood of a recession in the U.S., some doubt the country's biggest importers will be able to avoid a recession over the next 18 months.
Researchers from UNL, Iowa State University and the China Agricultural University have done what seemed impossible a decade ago: they finished sequencing the entire corn genome, a major breakthrough for yield.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. According to the CDC, between 2000 and 2020 suicide rates climbed 46% in rural areas. By comparison, the rate in metro areas climbed 27.3%.
Ag economists’ view on the ag economy is starting to erode. The September Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows lower commodity prices, concerns about demand and a negative outlook for China’s economy.
There’s a new record farmland sale on the books. After a 15-min. bidding war between two area farmers, the gavel fell at $34,800 per acre, which is $4,800 more than the previous record set in November 2022 in Iowa.
Nearly two years after close to 10,000 John Deere workers went on strike over a labor dispute, the company is indefinitely laying off 225 jobs from its Harvester Works location in October.
The University of Missouri became the first college to land an electric autonomous tractor, a tool that will drive teaching and research into the future.
Members of Congress are currently in disagreement over how long it will take to get a new farm bill finished, which is why one ag economist fears it could take two years to finally see a new Farm Bill.
Both Dan Basse and Chip Nellinger say considering how dry it’s been, crop yields could be falling, and USDA may be forced to make more cuts to the national yield forecasts in upcoming reports.
There are just over two weeks for Congress to pass 12 spending bills to avoid a total government shutdown. If time runs out, one analyst says that could mean no USDA report in October and no yield cuts, which are likely.
Mizzou's Ben Brown says the 81.2 million bushels new crop export sale marks the largest week of sales for the 2023/24 marketing year to date and double the previous record weekly volume for the year set last week.
Even with red flags with demand and the economy, the August Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor shows economists continue to be impressed with the staying power of the U.S. ag economy, as well as the U.S. economy as a whole.
Tyson Foods’ decision to shutter four poultry processing plants, combined with Smithfield Foods announcing the closure 35 Missouri pig farmers, are strong signals that rapid consolidation is already underway.
USDA’s first farmer survey-based yield estimate offered few surprises, but analysts warn the estimates might already be out of date due to rain that fell after Aug. 1. USDA also made more cuts to demand.
What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.