Author: staff

By Ryan Hanrahan Politico’s Samuel Benson reported that “the Agriculture Department has quietly extended the public comment period for its controversial reorganization plan to Sept. 30, doubling the length of time provided for input on an initiative that has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans since it was unveiled last month.” “USDA released the plan for public comment on July 24 for a period that was originally set to last 30 days. A department webpage that earlier this week listed the deadline as Aug. 31 now says it is Sept. 30,” Benson reported. “‘The additional days in the comment…

By Ryan Hanrahan The imposition of U.S. tariffs and new U.S. trade deals with countries across the globe are expected to reshape agricultural trade flows — on products ranging from beef to grains to oilseeds — in the coming months. For beef, Reuters’ Roberto Samora and Kylie Madry reported that “higher U.S. tariffs on Brazil are expected to reshape global beef trade flows, sparking increased shipments to the U.S. from countries like Mexico and Australia while Brazil seeks alternative markets, analysts said on Wednesday.” For grains and oilseeds, Reuters’ Naveen Thukral reported that “Southeast Asian nations are set to reshape…

By Cami Koons Forty-five percent of Iowa corn acres have reached the dent stage and soybeans are just beginning to color, with nearly all, or 90%, of the crop already setting pods, according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Corn and soybean crops are a day or two behind the five year average schedule on several progression stages. Corn in the dough stage reached 88% which is three days behind the average for the Aug. 18–24 reporting period. Corn acres rated 84% good to excellent and soybean acres rated 79% good to…

By Cami Koons Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Monday the state agriculture department has initiated a pilot project that will pay farmers to implement buffer strips along streams that feed the municipal water supplies of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.  The buffer strips must be 30–100 feet wide and on land that is currently in row-crop production. According to a press release on the announcement, the buffer strips are intended to prevent nutrients from entering the waterways upstream of the cities.  The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said it has initially allocated $3 million from the…

By Joe Janzen and Yu-Chi Wang Demand for soybeans is derived from the demand for soybean products. When a bushel of soybeans is crushed, there are four products: oil, meal, hulls, and waste. In the standard ‘board’ crush margin calculation, it is assumed that a 60-pound bushel of soybeans yields “11 pounds of soybean oil, 44 pounds of 48 percent protein soybean meal, 4 pounds of hulls and 1 pound of waste” (CME Group). The combined market value of these products along with the cost of processing, determines what the market is willing to pay for soybeans. Thus, if you…

AGCO has announced four new Fendt 1000 Vario Gen4 tractors, with Fendt DynamicPerformance engine intelligence and factory-integrated OutRun autonomy. The new Gen4 runs on a 12.4-liter MAN D26 engine. The tractors — the 1040, 1044, 1048, and 1052 — range in maximum horsepower from 400–520 hp. With Fendt DynamicPerformance, farmers are able to manage engine power, reducing horsepower to match an implement’s needs and increase fuel efficiency, or increase output by a maximum of an additional 30 hp, depending on the model.  The tractors use VarioDrive CVT, Fendt’s stepless transmission that manages the whole drivetrain. The VarioDrive is designed for…

What Happened In years when crops are highly rated in late summer, prices tend to bottom early, often before harvest. This month’s USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was filled with negative potential for corn prices, yet the December corn futures contract only lost ¼¢ by the end of the week. The big picture suggests that prices may be trying to establish a contract low. Predicting a bottom is challenging. However, when prices fail to fall on negative news, a signal is sent to the marketplace that buyers should be ready and those who are short (sold)…

1. Wheat Again Lower in Overnight Trading Wheat futures were again pressured overnight amid increased global production and as the U.S. harvest continues.  Output globally in the 2025/2026 marketing year was forecast earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 806.9 million metric tons.  If realized, that would be up from the 799.9 million tons produced a year earlier.  Russian wheat production is now projected at 83.5 million metric tons versus 81.6 million tons in the previous marketing year, USDA data shows.  Consultancy IKAR earlier this week raised its outlook for Russian wheat output to 86 million metric…

By Roberto Samora and Kylie Madry SAO PAULO, Aug. 27 (Reuters) – Higher U.S. tariffs on Brazil are expected to reshape global beef trade flows, sparking increased shipments to the U.S. from countries like Mexico and Australia while Brazil seeks alternative markets, analysts said on Wednesday. Brazil is the world’s largest beef exporter, with China as its main trading partner. In August, Mexico overtook the U.S.to become its second-largest export destination for the commodity. “It is very likely that countries that can triangulate Brazilian beef will increase their purchases following Mexico’s example,” Mauricio Nogueira, director of livestock consultancy Athenagro, said in an interview. “If Mexico starts sending beef to the…

By Ella Cao, Naveen Thukral, and Lewis Jackson BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Aug. 28 – Grains traders globally are closely watching talks between the United States and China for signs of progress on agricultural tariffs, a key test for American farmers to regain a foothold in their top export market. Senior Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang is visiting Washington this week for talks with U.S. officials. Why Does Agriculture Matter for Ties? Farm products are the biggest U.S. export to China and a commitment by Beijing to increase purchases is likely to feature in a broad trade deal. President Donald Trump has already urged it to quadruple soybean purchases.…