Author: staff

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, elected four times from a swing district south of the Twin Cities, won the endorsement of the House Democratic Steering Committee on Monday to be the party’s leader on the Agriculture Committee beginning in January. The full Democratic caucus plans to vote on the post on Tuesday. The party usually follows the committee’s recommendations but success is not guaranteed. Reps. David Scott of Georgia and Jim Costa of California also sought the Democatic top spot on the committee and could be candidates on Tuesday. Published reports said Scott would drop out. “I’m ready to help us…

1. Soybean Futures Drop in Overnight Trading Soybean futures plunged overnight as expectations build for a bumper crop from Brazil.  The South American country, the world’s largest exporter of the oilseeds, is expected to produce 169 million metric tons of soybeans in the 2024/2025 marketing year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast last week.  That would be a record high and up from 153 million metric tons a year earlier.  Rainfall is expected to return to northern Brazil in the next two weeks, keeping moisture levels “stable” in the area, Commodity Weather Group said.  Wetness is southern Brazil and Paraguay…

Congressional leaders have agreed on $10 billion in financial aid to farmers to offset lower commodity prices and high production costs, said House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday. The money would be part of a must-pass bill to fund the government for the next three months. “So I think what you’ll see reflected in this final package is $10 billion,” Johnson said during a news conference. “The CR [continuing resolution] is coming together. Bipartisan work is ongoing. We’re almost there.” The package also included another one-year extension of the 2018 farm law, authorization of year-round sales of E15, and $20…

By Cami Koons The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the highly pathogenic avian influenza had been detected in commercial and backyard flocks in Sioux, Worth, and Monona counties.  The bird flu virus impacted another egg-laying flock in Sioux County, a commercial turkey flock in Worth County, and a mixed species backyard flock in Monona County.  This comes just days after IDALS announced another detection, this time in a commercial layer flock, in O’Brien County on Dec. 14. The state has now reported 11 detections of the virus in 2024. The latest string of detections began Dec. 6 with a case in…

By Jacob Fischler A spending bill U.S. House appropriators released Tuesday evening to keep the government open into next spring includes a provision to allow sales of a gasoline blend that includes up to 15% ethanol nationwide throughout the year. After years of prohibiting the blend, known as E15, from being sold at gas stations during the summer months, the Environmental Protection Agency this year allowed year-round sales in eight Midwestern states. The provision in the stopgap funding bill would allow E15 sales in all states throughout the year. The provision is a major win for corn producers and their…

Image by Oakridge Farm Supply Harvest is completed, and grain is in the bins, but there’s still work to be done. GSI District Manager Dave Ellis says it’s important for farmers to perform postharvest grain system maintenance. “If they haven’t already done so, now is the time to check their grain bins, dryers, and grain handling equipment,” he said. “Maintenance work following harvest helps prevent preseason replacement, and an ounce of prevention can help save farmers tons of problems next season.” Ellis’ recommendations include: Grain pit: Clean out the grain dump pit to prevent it from filling up with debris…

A patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”) infection. This is the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the case on December 13 and announced it today on their website. Since April 2024, there have been 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States. Partial viral genome data of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that infected the patient in Louisiana indicates that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype…

By Stanley Dunlap Georgia U.S. Rep. David Scott of Atlanta will no longer be the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee following the House Democratic Caucus’ vote Tuesday to appoint Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig to the position. Craig, who is entering her fourth term, was one of three House Democrats to be awarded leadership positions Tuesday, completing a post-election shakeup that saw some longtime lawmakers ousted. The caucus voted to make Craig the top Democrat on House Agriculture, Virginia’s Gerry Connolly the ranking member on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and California’s Jared Huffman the ranking member of…

The House of Representatives proposed legislation late Tuesday to fund the government through March 2025. The bill also includes a year-long extension of the 2018 Agriculture Innovation Act, known as the farm bill, plus $10 billion in additional aid for farmers and ranchers. Included in the $10 billion is emergency economic aid that aims to address substantial losses stemming from weather and market challenges, offering critical financial support to the farming community. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson emphasized the importance of this assistance, describing it as a necessary “financial bridge” to help mitigate the current downturn in the…

March corn is down less than a penny this morning. March soybeans are down 14½¢. Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor at Total Farm Marketing, says the Christmas rally may be over for March soybeans, as a head and shoulders chart formation has taken shape. “The Christmas rally only amounted to 25¢ this year, as the good crop weather in South America and 470-million-bushel U.S. carryout continues to weigh on prices,” she said.   She noted the current chart formation indicates March soybeans could go as low as $9 per bushel. “Last year, in hindsight, this formation occurred this time of…