Author: staff

At the close on Wednesday, March corn was down 1¼¢ at $4.93¼ per bushel. March soybeans closed down 18¢ at $10.57 per bushel. March wheat contracts were also lower. CBOT wheat was down 4¾¢ at $5.72¼ per bushel. KC wheat was down 3¢ at $5.91¾¢ per bushel. Minneapolis wheat was down 3¼¢ at $6.18½¢ per bushel. April live cattle ended the day up $2.65 at $201.30 per hundredweight (cwt). March feeder cattle closed up $2.48 at $270.73 per cwt. April lean hogs ended the day up $1.80 at $91.55 per cwt. Just ahead of 2:30 p.m. CT, March crude oil…

U.S. farmers began 2025 with an optimistic outlook, as the January Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 5 points from the previous month to a reading of 141. This increase was driven by a 9-point growth in the Current Conditions Index and a 3-point rise in the Future Expectations Index. The improvement in sentiment was linked to higher crop prices between December and mid-January and fewer producers citing crop and livestock prices as a top concern. For instance, Eastern Corn Belt prices for near-term delivery of corn and soybeans rose by 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively, during that…

No one questions how lucrative the Super Bowl is for advertisers. It’s the year’s biggest televised event, and brands pay premium dollars to get their names front and center. Plus these brands get their creative juices flowing. That goes the same for the agricultural and food industries. Folks with a stake in agriculture — whether trying to sell something related to farming and rural life or trying to advocate for something important to farmers, the Super Bowl gets commercials that speak directly to us. Ironically, for all the money that companies spend for 30 seconds at the Super Bowl, many…

Do you own a drone? If yes, the odds that it was made by DJI are high — the Chinese-based company is the dominant presence in the drone sector, accounting for about 80 percent of all drones in the U.S. and 70 percent globally. The company supplies drones for a wide array of applications, from hobbyist photography, business logistics to deliver packages, and in the agricultural sector through spray drones. With such a domineering presence across the board and the United States’ increasing tensions with China, DJI has long faced scrutiny over how it protects its data privacy and prevents…

The United States’ approach to global food security, along with its leadership in animal public health, changed course on President Donald Trump’s first day in office with a 90-day pause on foreign aid programs. Heading into the new administration, budget cuts and efforts to improve the “efficiency” of government programs were expected. However, recent executive orders are already having unexpected impacts on agriculture, land-grant universities, and international agricultural partnerships working to improve health outcomes. Since 1954, the United States has provided funding and led projects in numerous diplomatic missions to combat global hunger, partnering with philanthropic organizations and fostering public-private…

By Gus Trompiz and Naveen Thukral PARIS/SINGAPORE, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Chicago corn, wheat and soybeans set fresh multi-month highs on Wednesday, helped by a falling dollar and relief that U.S. tariffs did not appear to be triggering a trade war with major economies including China. Adverse weather in South America was also lending support, though chart resistance was capping prices. The most-active corn contract <Cv1> on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was up 0.3% at $4.96 a bushel by 1210 GMT. It earlier reached its highest since October 2023 at $4.98-1/2, just above a previous 15-month top struck…

By Roberto Samora and Gabriel Araujo SAO PAULO, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Brazil’s 2024/25 soybean crop is expected to reach a record 174 million metric tons, agribusiness consultancy Celeres said on Monday, bumping up its forecast from a prior 170.8 million tons due to positive weather conditions. That would be 15 million tons more than in 2023/24, when farmers grappled with adverse weather, Celeres said, adding that the bumper crop would be driven by higher yields in Brazil’s center-western, northern and northeastern regions. Agribusiness consultancies have been widely expecting a record crop in Brazil this season, with many forecasting output…

By Cami Koons The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Sunday a detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in O’Brien County.  This is the second detection of the bird flu in 2025 in Iowa.  According to a spokesperson for IDALS, approximately 240,000 layer hens at a commercial egg facility in O’Brien County were affected by the flu.  To date, Iowa has had more birds affected by the current outbreak of the avian influenza than any other state. Since December 2024, more than 6.7 million egg laying hens in Iowa have been culled in efforts to contain the spread of the bird flu. The…

By Cami Koons Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented reports for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to an appropriations subcommittee Monday, highlighting the ongoing struggles with the highly pathogenic avian influenza, as well as successes with the Choose Iowa program and conservation efforts.  Naig appeared in front of the Iowa House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee to share information on IDALS’ budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year (FY).  He began with an update for the subcommittee on the ongoing threat of the highly pathogenic avian influenza which jumped from birds to dairy cattle in 2024 and…

The Latest To date, more than 138.72 million reported birds have been affected by HPAI since February 2022, with cases found in all 50 states. Cases slowed down significantly for most of 2024, but have risen since the start of November. Cases have continued to rise in the opening days of 2025. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 124 new cases of Highly Pathological Avian Influenza (HPAI) over 32 different states in the past 30 days. USDA, APHIS What Producers Can Do Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard to the large commercial…