Author: staff

The Angus Foundation and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) are set to join a global effort to improve livestock efficiency following the receipt of a $4.85 million research grant. The grant is part of a $27.4 million global initiative, backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub, to reduce energy waste within livestock by targeting methane emissions. AGI intends to build upon a 2023 study published in the Journal of Dairy Science, which found a portion of animals naturally emit less methane than others in the herd. The group hopes to better understand the genetic differences of more efficient…

A new study by Texas A&M shows chicken fertility rates in U.S. broiler eggs could decline to approximately 60 percent by 2050. That decline could lead to chicken production issues and higher costs for consumers. The study, published in Poultry Science by Cara Cash, a graduate student in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Poultry Science. Graduate student Kolton Witherspoon also contributed to the research. To assess fertility trends, researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service from 2013 to 2022. Their analysis revealed significant declines in essential production metrics,…

Organic farmers, food system organizers, and legislators gathered on April 16 at the Maine State House for the Farmer Day of Action — a tractor parade and rally calling on federal leaders to honor commitments for funding that benefits small farms, conservation methods, and local food systems. Other events were held in Middlebury, Vermont, as well as virtually.  The demonstration was organized by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association through partnerships with groups like the Crown O’Maine Organic Cooperative. The aim was to highlight the economic squeeze Maine’s organic and small farmers feel in the wake of deep federal…

Ahead of 10 a.m. CT, July corn was up 1½¢ at $4.93¼ per bushel. July soybeans were down 4½¢ at $10.45¾ per bushel. July wheat contracts were higher. CBOT wheat was up 4¾¢ at $5.65¾ per bushel. KC wheat was up 5¼¢ at $5.77½. Minneapolis wheat was up 6¢ at $6.23. This morning, USDA released the weekly U.S. Export Sales report. “Net U.S. corn export sales for the week [that] ended April 10 came in at 61.9 million bushels, near the high end of trade expectations that ran 28.5–71 million bushels and well above the previous week’s sales of 40.2…

The Problem: A friend’s crisis exposes financial work we need to do. We’re getting married! Between all the planning and doing, money and future finances have not been a priority conversation. However, several months ago, a friend of ours was killed in a car accident. As we support his wife and two young children, we see a mighty struggle, not only with loss and grief but also the unknowns of their financial security. Please share some basic insights that will help us build our lives together on a better financial foundation. – Submitted by email from E.H. and M.J The…

High-quality soil is essential for healthy crops and long-term farm productivity. However, as pollution and climate issues worsen, farmers and agricultural workers often face challenges in maintaining the integrity of the land in their environment. Because of this, experts have encouraged those involved in cultivation to explore the importance and viability of bioengineering for soil stabilization, focusing on common techniques and real-life examples. The threat of soil degradation Soil builds from the decay of organic matter, which is constantly happening. However, it takes an incredibly long time for a usable amount to form. Only 0.01-0.1 mm of soil materializes each…

1. Soybean Futures Lower in Overnight Trading Soybean futures were lower in overnight trading as the dollar rebounds overnight and as U.S. planting begins.  The U.S. dollar managed to eke out gains overnight, rising 0.1%. A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated goods including agricultural products less attractive to overseas buyers.  Planting has started as 2% of the U.S. soybean crop was in the ground at the start of the week, according to a report from the Department of Agriculture. That’s on par with the same week a year earlier.  Corn sowing is also underway with 4% now planted, the agency said.…

1. Soybeans, Grains Little Changed Overnight Soybean and grain futures were little changed in overnight trading as investors weigh a weaker dollar against concerns about the ongoing trade war with China.  The greenback was down another 0.6% in overnight trading against a basket of its counterparts. A weaker dollar makes U.S. goods more attractive on the global market.  Investors are keeping an eye on demand as trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the world’s largest importer of soybeans, remain high.  The tariff rate on Chinese goods imported into the U.S. may go as high as 245%, according to a…

In 1924, little-known McDonald & Company began selling a tractor equipped with a simple, low-engine-speed diesel. That was six years before Caterpillar would make history by offering a production-line made diesel crawler. Very likely the reason you’ve never heard of the McDonald, which can lay claim to being the first diesel-powered wheeled tractor in the world, is that the machine toiled far from U.S. farmers’ eyes in Australia. Such is the rich history of the Australian-built tractor. Since the 1910s, around 45 manufacturers on that continent effectively competed with imported tractors from Europe and the U.S. to supply farmers on…

By Ryan Hanrahan Government Executive’s Eric Katz reported Tuesday that “the Trump administration is planning to severely scale back or outright eliminate funding for many programs across the Agriculture Department, according to White House documents obtained by Government Executive, as it slashes workers and closes offices at the local level.” “The ‘passback’ document from the Office of Management and Budget [OMB] proposing fiscal 2026 funding levels would gut research and conservation efforts, trim program budgets nearly across the board, and cut staff as part of what OMB called ‘many difficult decisions’ that ‘were necessary’ to reach the proposed spending level,” Katz…