Author: staff

AFBF and other industry coalition members achieved a crucial win yesterday that will help farmers across the country. In a case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, several agricultural and business organizations challenged amendments to federal regulations intended to strengthen protections for migrant agricultural workers under the H-2A visa program. The amendments, implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor, prohibit employers from discriminating against workers engaged in organizing activities or refusing mandatory meetings and grant workers the right to have representation during certain investigatory interviews. The plaintiffs argued that the DOL exceeded its authority by…

Coming off an extremely fast-paced corn harvest that produced average to slightly above-average yields, Wisconsin now seems primed for a great winter wheat crop. Here’s what the USDA had to say for the last week of Crop Progress reporting, along with some final thoughts from a Wisconsin agronomist. ‘Tremendous Harvest Season’ The Badger State is reaching the end of corn harvest earlier than usual. Corn for grain was 97% harvested the week ending Nov. 24, the USDA said in its Wisconsin Crop Progress and Condition report. That’s significantly ahead of 83% last year and the five-year average of 82% but…

By Gus Trompiz and Naveen Thukral PARIS/SINGAPORE, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Chicago wheat futures edged lower on Wednesday as a technical bounce from the previous session petered out in the face of improving crop prospects in major production zones worldwide. Corn and soybeans ticked up as the markets assessed the possible impact of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs against major trading partners when he takes office on Jan. 20. A drop in the dollar <.DXY> and a rise in crude oil <LCOc1> lent some support to grains as participants adjusted positions before Thursday’s closure for the U.S. Thanksgiving…

1. Soybeans, corn higher in overnight trading Soybean and corn futures were higher in overnight trading on continued signs of demand for U.S. agricultural products.  Exporters sold 454,090 metric tons of corn to Mexico, part for delivery in the 2024-2025 marketing year that started on Sept. 1 and some for delivery the following year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report yesterday. That follows sales last week of 198,000 tons of soybeans to an unnamed buyer, a separate sale of 198,000 tons to China, 135,000 tons of the oilseeds to an unknown destination and 133,000 tons of soymeal…

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig launched a campaign on Monday to be elected the Democratic leader on the House Agriculture Committee, joining two other candidates, California Rep. Jim Costa and Georgia Rep. David Scott, currently the ranking member. Costa and Craig say they will defend SNAP and climate funding in the new farm bill and carry a Democratic message to rural America, a weak spot for the party. “Right now, I worry that too many rural Americans don’t trust that Democrats have their best interests at heart,” said Craig in a letter to House Democrats. “It’s my mission to work with…

By Julie Ingwersen and Karl Plume CHICAGO, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Exporters have shipped soybeans from the busiest U.S. grains port at the fastest rate in nearly four years after rain raised water levels in the Mississippi River, government data showed. Some 60% of U.S. soy exports depart from Gulf Coast terminals that draw supplies from barges traveling south on the Mississippi, the country’s most important grain waterway. Heavy rainfall across the central United States brought relief to Gulf Coast grain shippers after the Mississippi fell to near-historic lows during peak export season for a third straight year. Deeper waters…

While adopting new technology may be daunting for many farmers, Adam Gittins is an old pro.  A longtime employee of HTS Ag, a precision agriculture technology company in Harlan, Iowa, Gittins purchased a majority interest in the company at the beginning of 2024. Now company president, he sees the impact of technology on agriculture every day.  “Technology has been a very integrated and critical part of my operation for a number of years,” he says. “I’ve viewed it from the lens of ‘How do I enable technology to create a return?’ That could be a financial return; it could be…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) in a child in California last week. According to the CDC, the child experienced mild symptoms, was treated with flu antivirals, and has since recovered. Initial testing showed low levels of the virus, and follow-up tests were negative for H5N1 but positive for other respiratory viruses. The California Department of Public Health is investigating the source of the child’s exposure, though no person-to-person spread of H5N1 has been detected. During the investigation, all household members showed symptoms, but tests for H5N1 came back negative,…

Thinking about starting a poultry farm of your own? Here are some things to keep in mind for your bourgeoning operation. You’ll find tips and advice on everything from the proper housing for your chickens to the best egg-laying breeds. Poultry Facts Chicken is the No. 1 protein consumed in the United States. Americans consume more chicken than anyone else in the world – about 101.2 pounds per person in 2023, per the most recent data from the National Chicken Council. According to data from the American Egg Board, Americans consumed 287 dozen eggs per capita in 2023. Around 15%…

It’s clear that human activities such as transportation and energy production are causing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to rise, which increases the global average surface temperature — and poses a threat to crop growth. Escalating concerns about climate change’s impact on global food security inspired researchers to create a way to explore how these factors influence crop yields. In Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, these researchers share a mathematical model created to capture the nonlinear dynamics of atmospheric CO2, rising temperatures, human population, and crop growth. Increasing evidence of chaotic and complex dynamics within ecological systems led…