Top Producer
Fertilizer prices have been on a steady climb, despite grain prices continuing to lag. Josh Linville with Stone X points to the driving force: Global production is lagging behind demand.
“The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field offices, agronomy teams and more,” said Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed.
“The carbon markets are maturing. The next phase is product-based carbon programs,” says Thad England, director of U.S. strategic accounts with Groundwork BioAg.
“For now, we don’t believe there’s going to be much in the effect in terms of fertilizer production from either country, though it would be a little silly to not consider it,” says Josh Linville from StoneX.
“We must ensure that we make a way for young and beginning farmers to fill our boots,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
This is biggest investment ADM regional manager Travis Sayers has seen ADM make in St. Louis.
The recommendations in the recent report could impose steep economic and environmental costs on U.S. farmers by limiting access to glyphosate and atrazine for weed management.
These space weather events can disturb the Earth’s magnetic field and at this severe level cause “more frequent and longer periods of GPS degradation.”
“It’s another option to have some control over fertilizer prices, which have been extremely volatile in the past couple of years,” says Josh Linville vice president of fertilizer at StoneX.
CFTC says expanding trading hours would ensure markets remain vibrant, while commercial hedgers and commodity brokers who work with farmers say it will fuel volatility and won’t make the markets stronger.
Earlier this spring, Bayer leadership confirmed it’s engaging in the multifront approach to limit its legal liabilities as the only domestic manufacturer of glyphosate.
Agriculture has been watching a ballooning backlog: 504 new chemicals in review plus 12,000 pesticide reviews that are overdue compared to their expected timelines
“Let’s just put it this way, things are happening this spring we’ve never seen before,” says Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer at StoneX.
While 56% of farmers say they believe the ongoing trade disputes with China and other countries will hurt them financially this year, 70% say they believe the U.S. and agriculture specifically will benefit in the long-term.
“Don’t panic,” says independent crop consultant Steve Hoffman with In-Depth Agronomy. “This is going to be a gradual phase in, and I know it’s definitely adding complexity.”
The stakes are high with the latest trade war. While the risks of losing more market share into China are a concern, the upside potential of a trade deal with China could be monumental.
Agriculture is an export dependent business. At peak uncertainty, the industry could go either way: Gain ground with new trade deals or take a big hit as exports further decline.
Regarding technology, the data-driven solutions seeker, wants a retailer who is on the leading edge of technology including precision ag along with assistance on interpretation of field-level data.
The regulations are a response by EPA to enforce the Endangered Species Act at the agency level rather than through litigation and the court system.
The Department of Commerce will now issue and announce the final duty rates on the imported products.
Here are five takeaways from the latest semi-annual report, including the top tariff fronts to watch for impact to fertilizer prices.
“In today’s economy, the ability to farm often depends on the ability to commute,” says Daniel Munch, economist at American Farm Bureau Federation.
John Block shares an insider’s perspective on the challenges faced by farmers and policymakers alike.
North Dakota becomes first state to enact law focusing on federal labels for product use and safety
“We’re only 15 days into this. It feels like a year, right?” says Matt Clark, senior rural economy analyst. “I catch myself feeling very overwhelmed by the news flow, a lot has happened in 15 days.”
Per CEO Bill Anderson in an interview this week, Bayer will have a decision in months — not years — about whether it will remain the only domestic producer of glyphosate in the U.S.
As tariff proposals continue to bring uncertainty, the agricultural sector is assessing how any forthcoming country-by-country trade deals might offset the disruption, or if the industry needs to brace itself for a different kind of future.
The downturn in the ag economy has everyone from farmers and ag lenders to even ag economists concerned. Waning optimism is an overriding theme for the row crop side of agriculture, yet some farmers hope President Donald Trump’s tough stance on trade can get the ag economy back on track longer-term.
The March Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found 62% of ag economists think the row crop side of agriculture is currently in a recession, and 85% think the situation will accelerate consolidation on farms and among agribusinesses.
The majority of respondents in the March Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor agree the U.S. is currently in a trade war, but who wins? Ag economists say it’s not the U.S., Canada or Mexico but rather Brazil that could come out on top.