Author: staff

Ahead of 9:30 a.m. CT, December corn was up less than a penny at $4.16¼ per bushel. November soybeans were down 1¼¢ at $10.06 per bushel. September CBOT wheat was up 3½¢ at $5.50½ per bushel. September KC wheat was up 5¢ at $5.29 per bushel. September Minneapolis wheat was up 5¼¢ at $6.36¾.  This morning, USDA released the weekly U.S. Export Sales report. The Brock Report offered this commentary of the report: “Net U.S. corn export sales for the week ended July 3 came in at 84.7 million bushels, including 49.7 million for 2024/2025 delivery, easily topping trade estimates…

The Agriculture Department said Wednesday evening that the U.S. would be closing the southern border to livestock trade, effective immediately, after reports that New World screwworm has resumed its northward spread. The announcement came just two days after USDA reopened a single port of entry for Mexican livestock in Douglas, Arizona. It had planned to gradually resume imports through four further ports in the coming months. In a statement, USDA said that a new case of New World screwworm in Veracruz state, around 160 miles north of where current efforts to disperse sterile flies are concentrated, and just 370 miles south of…

Tractor development grew by leaps and bounds in the 1920s and 1930s, as droves of draft animals were herded away by engine-hungry farmers. A sure sign of the times, tractor sales had skyrocketed from around 250,000 in the early 1920s to well over 900,000 by 1930. Left in the dust of this stampede toward mechanized horsepower were small farms that couldn’t afford the large tractors of the time. Ever the entrepreneur, Allis-Chalmers Tractor Division Manager Harry Merritt saw an opportunity in small farms. He ordered some market research, which readily confirmed that fact. Allis-Chalmers marketers estimated that approximately 4 million…

Forty-two agricultural organizations sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday urging him to nominate a new Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as Trump warned in a Truth Social post that there would be “no extension” to the new Aug. 1 deadline for reciprocal tariffs. The president signed an executive order Monday confirming the delay. “This position is critical to prioritize the needs of American agriculture amidst the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations,” the letter said.  In April, reports came out that Trump would nominate Doug Hoelscher of the America First Policy Institute to…

By  Robin Opsahl Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that Iowa officials have contacted the White House to be involved in discussions on how to keep immigrant agricultural workers in the country. The governor spoke about the budget reconciliation bill Tuesday outside the Iowa Capitol with Bob Quinn, host of The Big Show, a farm radio show on WHO Radio. Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig attended the show’s Sweet Corn Day event, which included discussions on the radio program as well as sweet corn provided by Titan Goodyear Tires. Both Reynolds and Naig sat…

The public’s familiarity with the term “food insecurity” and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is mixed, with approximately 40 percent of Americans reporting they are only “slightly familiar” or “not at all familiar” with the concept and program, according to the June Consumer Food Insights Report. The survey-based results from Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assess food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural, and food policies and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S. “Public understanding of food insecurity and of the federally funded…

Farmers and ranchers impacted by extreme weather events in 2023 and 2024 may now have some access to relief through $16 billion specifically allotted for these needs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin accepting applications for disaster assistance on July 10 through local Farm Service Agency offices. The rollout includes multiple relief programs funded by over $30 billion secured through the American Relief Act of 2025. U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), who played a central role in securing the funding, welcomed the announcement. “Farmers and ranchers in Arkansas and the across country have faced relentless challenges…

More than half the U.S. winter wheat crop has been harvested, according to the most recent Crop Progress report. At 53% progress as of July 6, nationwide harvest was just shy of the five-year average of 54%. Seven of the top 18 winter wheat-growing states were behind average harvest progress, according to the USDA. Here’s a closer look at winter wheat progress and conditions in those seven states.  Oklahoma Of all top winter wheat-growing states, Oklahoma was the furthest behind average harvest progress. By July 6, the Sooner state’s winter wheat harvest had reached 83%, which is 13 percentage points…

In the Crop Progress report for the week ending July 6, the USDA reported that eight states have single digit corn silking. With four of those eight states reporting silking for the first time this season, now all top corn-producing states have corn at the silking stage. Colorado According to the USDA, 1% of Colorado’s corn was silking as of July 6. It was the first silking reported for the state this season. Last year at this time, 3% of the state’s corn was silking, the same as the five-year average. The USDA rated a notable 90% of Colorado’s corn…

Dozens of U.S. agricultural groups are urging President Donald J. Trump to nominate a Chief Agricultural Negotiator within the Office of the United States Trade Representative, warning that failure to do so could cost rural America key trade wins. In a July 8 letter addressed to the president, 44 national organizations — including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and American Soybean Association — wrote that the role is crucial to “prioritize the needs of American agriculture amidst the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations,” emphasizing that the lack of a nominee risks leaving agricultural interests underrepresented at a…