Ag News

Secure Pork Supply Plan readies industry for next disease outbreak
The pork industry continues to prepare for the next foreign animal disease outbreak. In his opening comments during a National Pork Board news conference at World Pork Expo Wednesday, NPB vice president of science and [Read More…]

Pork exports hit new marketing year low
The USDA reports combined old and new crop soybean export sales for the week ending May 31st were below pre-report expectations. The 2017/18 marketing year for wheat ended May 31st. It continues through August for [Read More…]

U.S. Senate Ag Committee to discuss farm bill Wednesday
The Senate Ag Committee plans to discuss its version of the farm bill next Wednesday. Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow say the committee will go over the draft bill and any possible [Read More…]

Branch joins Brownfield as News Assistant
Hello everyone, I’m Rhiannon Branch and I just started my summer as a News Assistant for Brownfield. I hail from the small town of Iuka in southern Illinois and although I did not grow up [Read More…]

Bayer acquires Monsanto stock, companies still operating independently
Bayer completed the acquisition of Monsanto stock today but company leaders say it will take some time before they stop using the Monsanto name. Bayer Crop Science Division President Liam Condon says, “Some authorities [Read More…]

Senator Grassley reacts to Trump RFS decision
An Iowa Senator is speaking out about President Trump’s decision to delay possible changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. Chuck Grassley says, “Thankfully, anti-ethanol forces were stopped by President Trump.” Chuck Grassley says the proposed deal [Read More…]

NPPC looks for ag labor solutions
The tight labor market in rural areas is a major concern to pork producers. At World Pork Expo, we discussed the issue with Jen Sorensen with Iowa Select Farms, which has 1,200 employees in Iowa. Sorensen also serves [Read More…]

Drought has changed the cattle price outlook
RaboBank livestock market analyst Don Close says weather continues to be the single-most disruptive influence in the U.S. beef complex. Drought conditions forced the early placement of calves into feed yards, which substantially increased cattle on [Read More…]

Pork producers discuss their transition to group housing of sows
At World Pork Expo on Wednesday, we stopped by the Nedap Livestock Management booth to visit with a couple of pork producers who own and/or manage facilities that have transitioned from gestation stalls to group [Read More…]

USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach addresses pork producers
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach addressed Wednesday’s SIP Luncheon at World Pork Expo in Des Moines. Ibach discussed topics that fall under his area of responsibility, including animal health, biotechnology and gene [Read More…]

NCGA: We need six things that equal the next ethanol
With a huge and growing corn surplus, U.S. corn farmers say they need new uses for their grain – yesterday. NCGA President Kevin Skunes grows corn in North Dakota. At the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference [Read More…]

Too wet and too dry, all on the same farm
Some fields are too wet, others are too dry. In southeastern South Dakota, Lewis Bainbridge finished corn planting a week ago, later than he would have liked, but “we’re still ok,” he told Brownfield Ag [Read More…]

Indiana farmer calls this one of the best planting seasons
North Central Indiana farmer Dennis Maple says he’s had a good planting season, “Planting was about the easiest planting season we’ve had, especially compared to last year. We started our corn in late April and [Read More…]

Hog futures supported by cash business
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were higher on follow through buying as traders prepared for the week’s widespread direct cash cattle business. No appreciable trade has been reported, but the futures market appears to [Read More…]

Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: June 6, 2018
Jul. corn closed at $3.78 and 1/4, down 5 and 1/2 cents Jul. soybeans closed at $9.94 and 1/4, down 7 cents Jul. soybean meal closed at $365.00, down $2.30 Jul. soybean oil closed at 30.65, down 14 points Jul. wheat closed at $5.19 and [Read More…]

New Pork Board President shares “We Care” successes
The new president of the National Pork Board says hog farmers will continue adhering to “We Care” principles and showing how they are having an impact. South Dakota pork producer Steven Rommereim has been elected [Read More…]

Soybeans, corn down, watching U.S. weather
Soybeans were lower on fund and technical selling, with July closing just above last month’s lows. The trade continues to monitor any movement in trade discussions between the U.S. and China. Many forecasts have light [Read More…]

Senate farm bill expected Thursday
Minnesota Senator and Ag Committee member Amy Klobuchar tells Brownfield introduction of the Senate farm bill is expected Thursday. “Bi-partisan agreement, how sweet those words are given what happened in the House, that would maintain [Read More…]

CME dairy markets end four-day slide
After four straight days of diving dairy prices, the markets took a slight turn higher at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Wednesday. Class Three June milk was up $.05 to $15.31. July was up $.16 to [Read More…]

Ethanol production holds, stocks higher
U.S. ethanol production held steady last week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.041 million barrels a day, unchanged from the previous week and up 42,000 from a year ago. The industry continues [Read More…]