Author: staff

By Jason Franken The USDA’s July cattle inventory report estimates the total inventory on July 1 at 4.2 million head, down 1.26% from two years ago, as the USDA didn’t release the report last July. In its absence, a prior Farmdoc Daily article estimated nearly the same size cattle herd for last July, which if true implies only less than a 0.1% further reduction over the last year. That July herd estimate reflects two main indicators of expansion and contraction — specifically, the share of the cowherd slaughtered and the share in feedlots that are heifers, which respectively last dipped below 7.0% and…

1. Wheat Futures Lower in Overnight Trading Wheat futures were under pressure in overnight trading amid favorable weather in the U.S. and on harvest pressure as collection of the spring crop begins.  Rainfall is expected today and tomorrow in parts of North Dakota, the biggest U.S. producer of spring wheat, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, Commodity Weather Group said in a note to clients.  Parts of the northern Plains have 55% risk of wetter weather in the next one to five days, the forecaster said. That will boost spring wheat plants that are almost ready for harvest in the region. …

1. Grains, Soybeans Little Changed in Overnight Trading Grain and soybean futures were again little changed in overnight trading, as investors weigh optimism over trade talks with China against wet weather in the Corn Belt.  U.S. and Chinese officials concluded talks in Stockholm yesterday without reaching an agreement to end the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.  Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that the meetings were “constructive” and “productive.” They were optimistic that a possible deal could be reached to avoid implementation of tariffs Aug. 12. The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese officials had…

by Jeff Beach An annual industry tour of the wheat crop in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota projects lower yields than a year ago but an overall good-quality crop.  The Wheat Quality Council tour projects an average yield of 49 bpa, down from 54.5 bushels in 2024. The durum wheat forecast also was down at 37 bpa, compared with 45.3 in 2024.  Dave Green, one of the tour organizers for the Wheat Quality Council, said the yield projections did not quite live up to his expectations. “I thought it looked a little better than that,” he said during a debriefing at…

By Luciana Magalhaes and Lisandra Paraguassu SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, July 30 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday slapped a 50% tariff on most Brazilian goods to fight what he has called a “witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro, but softened the blow by excluding sectors such as aircraft, energy, and orange juice from heavier levies. Trump announced the tariffs, some of the steepest levied on any economy in the U.S. trade war, as his administration also unveiled sanctions on the Brazilian supreme court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial on charges of plotting a coup. “Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge…

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, July 31 (Reuters) – Recent rainfall in Argentina has improved soil moisture reserves for the country’s 2025/26 wheat crop, with nearly all of the planted area now in normal to optimal condition, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday. Argentina is a major global wheat exporter. Farmers have already planted 98.3% of the estimated 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres) for the crop, according to the grains exchange. “78.7% of the grain is developing under adequate to optimal moisture conditions, and 96.9% is in normal to excellent crop conditions,” thanks to the extended rainfall, the exchange…

A longtime crop insurance agent and member of the Iowa and the American Soybean Association board of directors, Pat Swanson may be new to the USDA but not to the many crop insurance programs farmers depend on. On Newsmakers this week, Risk Management Agency Administrator Pat Swanson discussed her plans to lead the agency and how her background serving on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation has prepared her for the role.Plus, two former USDA undersecretaries, Robert Bonnie and Bruce Knight, offered their perspective on the agency’s reorganization plan, which moves more than half the 4,600 Washington-based staff to five regional…

NASCAR driver Ross Chastain started the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 in last place, but he was the first to cross the finish line when the checkered flag waved 400 laps later. After taking a victory lap, Chastain climbed on top of the No. 1 Chevrolet, and as fireworks erupted behind him and the crowd roared, he held a watermelon over his head and smashed it onto the track of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The watermelon featured in his signature celebration was grown on Chastain’s family’s farm near Fort Myers, Florida, representing generations of hard work and perseverance. Watch Our Interview Meet…

The USDA published the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, July 28. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of Missouri’s most important crops in late July. Weather Most of the northern half of Missouri has more than double the normal amount of moisture for this time of year, with the southern half near average. However, some parts only have half of what’s normal, according the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.  Missouri moisture at the end of July compared with the state’s average. Iowa Environmental Mesonet In Monday’s Crop Progress report, the USDA said farmers had 4.0 days suitable…

By Cami Koons Bayer, the biotech company and manufacturer of Roundup, has substantially increased its spending on lobbying in Iowa since the introduction of a pesticide labeling bill in 2024.  In 2025, according to client reports published by the state, Bayer paid lobbyists $123,250. Reports for 2024 show $86,099 spent. on its lobbying efforts. From 2021–2023, years before the pesticide labeling bill was introduced, Bayer spent annually from $20,000–$30,000.  An analysis of lobbying data from Food & Water Watch, an environmental group that organized protests and lobbied against the bill, found Bayer’s spending in the cycles since the law was introduced nearly doubled what…