Author: staff

By Ella Cao, Naveen Thukral, and Maximilian Heath BEIJING/SINGAPORE/BUENOS AIRES, June 26 (Reuters) – Chinese firms have booked the first soymeal cargo from Argentina since Beijing approved Argentine imports in 2019, as China’s animal feed industry looks to broaden its supply options to mitigate potential disruptions from the U.S.-China trade war. Several Chinese feed makers have jointly signed the deal to purchase 30,000 metric tons of Argentine soymeal for July shipment, four trade sources told Reuters on Thursday. “This is just a test case,” said one Singapore-based trader at an international trading company, which sells soybeans to China. “If it goes through China’s inspection and…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled this week in favor of Texas Corn Producers, Texas Sorghum Producers, and National Sorghum Producers, vacating a 2024 Environmental Protection Agency rule that they said unfairly penalized ethanol-containing fuels in federal fuel economy calculations. At issue was the EPA’s use of an “R Factor” — a technical value automakers must use when certifying the fuel economy of new vehicles. Under the previous administration, the EPA implemented a new R Factor for E10 (gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol) in 2024 — replacing decades of testing based on E0 (pure gasoline).…

U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), along with Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), have formed the bipartisan 4-H Congressional Caucus in the 119th Congress. The caucus will serve as a platform to advance federal policy and investment in Cooperative Extension’s 4-H programs, which reach nearly 6 million youth around the country through hands-on learning in agriculture, STEM, health, and civic engagement. With strong bipartisan leadership, the caucus will elevate the importance of positive youth development and build a workforce and society that’s prepared for the…

By Maximilian Heath June 26 (Reuters) – Dry weather over the last week in most of Argentina boosted 2025/26 wheat planting, especially in key farm areas that had been suffering with excess moisture after heavy rains in May, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said on Thursday. “The good weather allowed the acceleration of farm work in particularly delayed regions … like the southern farming core and central Buenos Aires province,” the exchange said in its weekly grains report. Wheat sowing moved ahead 12.4 percentage points over the last week, with the total planted area rising to 72.7% of 6.7 million hectares expected for…

When Jessie Scott, editor in chief at Successful Farming, asked me to write an editorial for the 30th anniversary of Pork Powerhouses®, my first instinct was to turn her down. Do I want to revisit those years of reporting?  I retired from Successful Farming in 2021 after writing about the swine industry for 37 years and had seen the best and worst of that most maligned — yet fascinating — chunk of agriculture. During that time, the industry flipped from independent farrow-to-finish family farmers, like my father, to packers owning production.  The late 1990s, especially, were a time of tremendous…

The Institute for Competition Sciences and the National FFA Organization have announced an agreement to provide a competitive event for agricultural education students that emphasize skills in plant, soil, and aerospace science, as well as experimental design, data analysis, and teamwork. The Plant the Moon Challenge is a global citizen science experiment that invites students of all ages to explore the possibilities of growing vegetable crops in lunar or Martian soil simulants. It brings STEM and agriculture together in a hands-on, challenge-based, real-world learning project that is closely tied to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the…

The latest Crop Protection Network map indicates positive cases of tar spot have been reported in six Missouri counties so far this growing season. First reported in the U.S. in 2015, the disease has been confirmed in Missouri since 2019. In total, 63 of the state’s 114 counties have a history of the disease. The northern half of the state has been more impacted than southern counties. Tar spot has also been confirmed in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana this growing season. What Should Farmers Do? Good scouting is the best way to identify tar spot in corn, said…

I’ll confess to being a bit of a nerd about Nordic-designed gear. My best axe is a Hults Bruk, my sport watch of choice is a Suunto, my Bushcraft blade is made by Helle Knives, and my favorite running vest is from Uswe. And since my wife and I started wearing Helly Hansen Workwear a few years ago around our small Virginia farm, I’ve gravitated toward the brand’s blend of flexibility and durability that comfortably spans seasons. The Nordic approach Helly Hansen Workwear brings to farm and industrial clothing is innovative without being gimmicky, functional without being basic, and rugged…

Higher tariffs on nearly all major U.S. trading partners are piling pressure on farmers already struggling with soaring agricultural supply costs and elevated rates. For April Hemmes, a fourth-generation farmer on land her family has worked for almost 125 years in north-central Iowa, life is guided by a simple philosophy: “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” It’s a mindset that has helped her navigate extreme weather, market shocks, and trade disputes. But this year, Hemmes said, feels different: President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hikes on nearly all major U.S. trading partners have escalated a trade war, fueling…

Plant-based products’ use of the term “milk” has caused friction for decades among consumers, dairy producers, and the companies that produce milk alternatives. Now, the American Butter Institute is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action against Country Crock’s Dairy Free Salted Butter, asserting the product is misbranded and violates multiple federal labeling laws. In a letter dated June 25, 2025, ABI Executive Director Christopher Galen emphasized that the product, labeled as “butter,” fails to meet the legal definition and creates a misleading impression for consumers. ABI’s central argument rests on the long-standing statutory definition of butter,…