Author: staff

July corn ended the day down 3¢ at $4.44 per bushel. July soybeans closed down 10¢ at $10.41¾ per bushel. July wheat contracts closed mostly higher. CBOT wheat ended the day unchanged at $5.34 per bushel. KC wheat was up 1½¢ at $5.33¼. Minneapolis wheat was up 10¢ at $6.25½. “Friday’s trading session started out mixed, but by mid-day, futures were favoring the downside,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “This is the path of least resistance in the market, and without fresh news, futures struggle to rally. “Heightened trade worries impacted the market today as President Trump…

A $776 million federal contract to develop an mRNA-based vaccine for H5N1 avian influenza has been abruptly canceled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, citing what it called under-tested technology and unresolved safety issues. “After a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna’s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,” HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “This is not simply about efficacy — it’s about safety, integrity and trust.” The canceled program was part of a pandemic preparedness effort that aimed to adapt mRNA technology — pioneered during the COVID-19…

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor maps published May 29, three of the top 18 corn-growing states reported D3 extreme drought conditions, or worse. Here’s a closer look at the moisture situation and the challenges it is creating for crops in Texas, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Texas U.S. Drought Monitor Latest Drought Ratings D4 exceptional drought is persistent in west Texas and covers more than 14% of the state. That’s a slight improvement from the week prior, but dramatically worse than the start of 2025. In the first report of the year, less than 7% of the state reported exceptional…

Nonprofit news outlet NOTUS revealed in an article on Thursday that The MAHA Report released last week includes several phony citations and appears to have been influenced by the writing of a generated AI platform like ChatGPT. The report from Robert F. Kennedy’s MAHA Commission was highly critical of agricultural pesticides and leaned into the belief that these products contribute to a host of chronic childhood diseases. Ag stakeholders overwhelmingly pushed back against the findings and highlighted the sustainability impacts — both financial and environmental — of restricting the use of scientifically tested pesticides. The report also addressed other areas…

After months of uncertainty and backlash over planned government office closures, a quiet shift in federal policy has removed more than 70 U.S. Department of Agriculture locations from the Department of Government Efficiency’s controversial lease termination list. The change comes as part of an unannounced update to DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts,” a digital log of office closures that was previously targeting nearly 750 government leases. By May 28, that number had dropped to 494, and many of the USDA offices that serve and agricultural communities — especially those tied to the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service —…

A deadly outbreak of Equine Infectious Anemia has claimed the lives dozens of Quarter Horses in the Southwest United States, prompting investigations and racing suspensions across several states. All 23 horses that tested positive for the virus were connected to the barn of trainer Heath Taylor, whose operations have been heavily impacted. According to the Equine Disease Communication Center, the affected horses were traced to races held in New Mexico during August and September. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the disease likely spread through iatrogenic transmission — unintentional exposure through contaminated medical treatment or equipment. A source told…

On Tuesday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the appointment of new Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development state directors. These follow the first slate of appointments announced at the beginning of May. “President Trump is putting farmers first, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture. Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper. I look forward to seeing the work they will do supporting farmers, ranchers, and producers across the country by implementing President Trump’s America First policies,” Secretary Rollins said. According…

“Last week’s cool and soggy conditions sidelined many farmers who were looking to finish planting or complete other field work. Despite the delays, most farmers are grateful to receive the rain as we recharge our soils and give the crops a strong early season boost,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Tuesday, looking back on the week ended May 25. “We expect a less active weather pattern with warmer temperatures and spotty rain in the week ahead.” Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan recapped the week’s weather in more detail. “Unseasonably cool and wet conditions were the headline of…

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, May 29 (Reuters) – Wheat planting for the 2025/26 season started at a good pace in Argentina, supported by dry weather in the west and north of the country, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange (BdeC) said on Thursday. Argentina is a major world exporter of wheat and in recent weeks its farmers started sowing the cereal, with the BdeC projecting a planted area of 6.7 million hectares. “Planting activity was mainly concentrated in the north and center-west of the agricultural region, with notable progress in the Center-North of Cordoba province, which is ahead of the average pace…

AGCO announced it will be significantly expanding the availability of PTx precision agriculture products to over 50 additional Fendt and Massey Ferguson dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. AGCO is also planning to equip all of its production agriculture dealerships in North America with the PTx Trimble guidance and steering technology by the end of 2025. “Our commitment to precision agriculture has never been stronger,” said Eric Hansotia, AGCO chairman, president, and CEO. “Through the rapid expansion of PTx supported by our dedicated technology dealer strategy, we are equipping our dealers with the tools and expertise to help farmers maximize…