Ag News

Lower prices for meat, milk, buns and watermelon led to a decrease in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s summer cookout survey. John Newton, AFBF’s director of market intelligence, says the informal survey shows the cost [Read More…]

The U.S. Senate is debating a federal Farm Bill with a vote expected this week. Missouri Republican U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says the plan includes funding to expand broadband internet access in rural areas. Speaking [Read More…]

The number of dicamba misuse complaints in Missouri has risen over the past week. The Missouri Department of Agriculture has received 68 dicamba complaints, 50 of which are from southeast Missouri. The complaints cover nearly [Read More…]

Milk futures were up sharply Wednesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, but not enough to make up for huge Monday losses.  Cash dairy prices also made small gains. Class Three June milk was up $.01 [Read More…]

Many ag and renewable fuels groups are upset that oil refinery hardship waivers were not addressed in the EPA’s 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation proposal. Rob Shaffer, an Illinois farmer and board member with the American [Read More…]

A group of bipartisan Senators is trying to attach an amendment to the Farm Bill that would require Congressional authority before the President can impose tariffs in the name of national security. Republican Senator Patrick [Read More…]

Dairy farmers at Farm Bureau’s Joint National Commodity Conference want policy to modernize the milk marketing system. Idaho dairyman and committee chair Steve Ballard tells Brownfield they’re crafting policy to protect dairy farmers’ access to [Read More…]

Across the Corn Belt, mostly dry weather has returned to western corn and soybean production areas, but major flooding continues along several Missouri River tributaries in western Iowa and environs. Currently, rain has shifted into [Read More…]

Farmers and agribusinesses hoping for a year-round worker visa program will have to wait even longer. The proposed H2-C visa promoted by ag groups including the American Dairy Coalition was part of Representative Bob Goodlatte’s [Read More…]

Discussion of the Senate farm bill continues today on the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he’s pleased the ag committee included his provision to allow legal farming of industrial hemp. “Industrial hemp [Read More…]

More reaction to the EPA announcement of the proposed RFS Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). Iowa Corn Growers Association president Mark Recker says by failing to reallocate the gallons of ethanol exempted through the small refinery [Read More…]

A plant pathologist at Iowa State University says record heat in May resulted in the earliest presence of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) in his nearly 30 years studying the pest. But, a wetter and cooler [Read More…]

Growers should be on the lookout for signs of Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN). Iowa State University professor of plant pathology Greg Tylka says SCN populations eb and flow with the weather. “Earlier this year, in [Read More…]

Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen suggests EPA administrator Scott Pruitt has been less than truthful about oil refinery hardship waivers. Responding to Pruitt’s comments to farmers on a recent tour of the Midwest about [Read More…]

An agronomist with Seed Consultants says farmers should be on the lookout for crop diseases as warm and wet conditions continue in the Midwest. But, Bill McDonald says there are a few steps farmers should [Read More…]

An analyst says a trade war with China could usher in a global recession, setting back commodity prices even more. Global Commodity Analytics president Mike Zuzolo tells Brownfield a lot of negativity has been factored [Read More…]

Indiana Farm bureau President Randy Kron says trade continues to be a concern for all U.S. farmers. Randy Kron says retaliatory tariffs aren’t helping farmers who are already facing low commodity prices. “We’ve lost $1+ [Read More…]

Farmers for Free Trade say now is the time for the Trump administration to sign trade agreements, not explore ways to compensate farmers for lost markets. Angela Marshall Hofmann with Farmers for Free Trade says [Read More…]

The USDA Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs says the Trump administration is exploring ways to mitigate farmers’ lost market share caused by trade disputes. USDA Under Secretary Ted McKinney tells Brownfield the [Read More…]

Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has been living in China as the U.S. Ambassador and sees good things ahead for American agriculture if trade disagreements are straightened out. He says it took more than a [Read More…]