Archive

The annual USDA Diverse Family Farms report says most U.S. farms are owned by families. “Ninety-eight percent of farms are family farms, and they account for 87 percent of farm production,” said Chris Burns, economic [Read More…]

Merck says it’s acquiring Antelliq Group, a company that does digital animal identification, traceability and monitoring. Merck is paying almost $2.4 billion for Antelliq’s outstanding shares and will assume Antelliq’s debt of about $1.3 billion. [Read More…]

A Cornell-led study shows that Midwestern agriculture is especially vulnerable to climate change. Ariel Ortiz-Bobea says the region’s reliance on corn and soybeans could cause challenges in the future. “In a way it’s like putting [Read More…]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, cattle futures closed mostly lower on technical pressure and disappointment in the cash trade.  Seasonal demand concerns are also limiting any price movement.  February live cattle closed $.45 lower at [Read More…]

Soybeans were modestly lower on fund and technical selling, cementing the week to week losses. China and unknown destinations both bought U.S. soybeans Friday morning, but the announced sales of around 1.5 million tons so [Read More…]

The Arkansas State Plant Board has drafted a regulation that would restrict “over-the-top” dicamba applications in 2019 in place of an all-out ban. The proposed rule includes a one-mile buffer zone around research stations, and, [Read More…]

The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and its Washington Post apologist Kathleen Parker, who writes “a twice weekly column on politics and culture,” would have us believe the recently approved 2018 Farm Bill will [Read More…]

USDA undersecretary for trade Ted McKinney says China’s purchase of U.S. soybeans is a good first step towards restoring the trading relationship between the two countries.  But he also has some words of caution. “We’ve [Read More…]

A North Carolina federal judge has shut down a lawsuit filed by eight neighbors of a Smithfield Foods hog feeding operation. While a jury determined Wednesday that those neighbors should be compensated for odors, flies [Read More…]

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says he expects the second round of Market Facilitation Program payments to be made “very soon”. Perdue told reporters he will be meeting today (Friday) with the head of the White [Read More…]

     Across the Corn Belt, rain stretches from Michigan to Missouri. A few pockets of freezing rain are occurring in Michigan. Most Midwestern producers have completed corn and soybean harvest activities in recent weeks, although [Read More…]

Heavy rain associated with a slow-moving storm system will fall across the middle and southern Atlantic States into the weekend, totaling 1 to 3 inches or more. Heavy rain will also fall in parts of [Read More…]