Author: staff

The Kentucky FFA Foundation is set to receive an $11 million gift from the Bill Gatton Foundation — the largest donation ever given to any FFA Foundation in the nation. The record-setting gift is expected to expand opportunities for the more than 24,000 Kentucky students involved in FFA chapters across the state. The announcement was made during a news conference at the Kentucky State Fair. Kentucky FFA Foundation Executive Director Sheldon McKinney explained that the funds will both strengthen current programs and launch new initiatives. The donation will support upgrades to the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center and its camp…

Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/top-third-agdaily-2025-08-25.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of Aug. 25, 2025 appeared first on AGDAILY.

December corn ended the day up less than a penny at $4.12¼ per bushel. November soybeans closed down 10¾¢ at $10.47¾ per bushel.  December CBOT wheat ended the day up 2½¢ at $5.29¾ per bushel. December KC wheat closed down less than a penny at $5.20¾ per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat was up 2½¢ at $5.92½. “Corn futures closed slightly higher Monday, supported by strength in wheat, expectations for tighter supplies, and a firm demand tone,” said the Grain Market Insider newsletter by Stewart-Peterson Inc. The newsletter said soybeans were hampered by concerns about a delayed trade deal with China.…

The United States has confirmed its first human case of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that has alarmed public health and livestock officials as it advances northward through Central America and Mexico. The case, confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health on August 4, involved a Maryland resident who had recently traveled to El Salvador. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, Andrew Nixon, told NPR that “this is the first human case of travel-associated New World screwworm myiasis (parasitic infestation of fly larvae) from an outbreak-affected country…

This past school year, the Dairy Excellence Foundation and Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow program partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary team to host multiple “Exploration Experiences” for high school students. The goal of these day-long events was to give high school students a firsthand look at careers in veterinary medicine by helping them meet veterinarians, assigning them hands-on labs, exposing them to technology, and allowing them to tour progressive dairy operations and veterinary clinics. These Exploration Experiences are hosted on an annual basis through Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow, a program designed specifically to prepare high school students to work…

On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued decisions involving 175 petitions for small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2016-2024.  EPA granted full exemptions to 63 petitions and partial exemptions to 77 petitions. The rest were denied or deemed ineligible. Farm and biofuel groups were quick to react to this step by the agency. Most were pleased by the move and all called for further action. Here’s a closer look. American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is the nation’s largest farmer-run organization and serves farmers in all 50 states. On Friday,…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is rolling out an initiative it says will help strengthen national swine disease traceability by providing no-cost radio frequency identification eartags for sow and exhibition swine producers. Beginning in fall 2025, eligible producers and State animal health officials will be able to order the tags through Merck Animal Health’s website at a link that has not been launched yet.  In July 2025, APHIS awarded Merck Animal Health a contract to supply up to $20 million worth of RFID tags over the next five years. The program is modeled after…

By Carl Zulauf Since 1980, South America’s increasing excess of its production over its consumption of grains and oilseeds has almost completely offset China’s growing excess of its consumption over its production of grains and oilseeds when expressed as a share of consumption. In short, the combined South America — China grain-oilseed demand-supply balance has changed little since 1980. Data and Procedures This study compares production and domestic consumption of grains and oilseeds by South America and China since 1980 as reported in the Production, Supply, and Distribution Online (PSD) database (USDA, Foreign Agriculture Service). Domestic consumption is the quantity consumed by a country…

BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Reuters) – U.S. protectionism is undermining agricultural cooperation with China, Beijing’s ambassador to Washington said, warning that farmers should not bear the price of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. “It goes without saying that protectionism is rampant, casting a shadow over China-U.S. agricultural cooperation,” said Xie Feng, according to the transcript of a speech published by the Chinese embassy on Saturday. Agriculture has emerged as a major point of contention between China and the U.S. as the superpowers are locked in a tariff war launched by President Donald Trump. China in March slapped levies of up to 15% on…

By Bradley Zwilling Based on Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association (FBFM) records, average farm operator returns for labor and management on 2,009 Illinois farms were lower for all geographic areas in the state in 2024 compared to 2023 and below the average for the last five years. Even with higher yields and lower costs, lower grain prices were the main reasons for the lower incomes. Livestock farmers experienced higher returns due to lower feed prices and higher prices for livestock and livestock products. Farm earnings were highest in the central and western areas of the state. Earnings were lowest in the northeastern…