Author: staff

By Philip Blenkinsop and Xiuhao Chen BEIJING/BRUSSELS, April 9 (Reuters) – China will impose 84% tariffs on U.S. goods from Thursday, up from the 34% previously announced, its finance ministry said on Wednesday, firing the latest salvo in a global trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries took effect earlier on Wednesday, including massive 104% duties on Chinese goods. The European Union is also preparing its own retaliatory measures for later on Wednesday. Trump’s punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession and wiped trillions of dollars off the market…

For years, Kelly Lozensky found himself on a treadmill. He was purchasing more and more inputs to increase yields, only to find himself heading down a path toward decreasing profitability.  Before overhauling his system, Lozensky farmed 7,500 acres of rented land with his wife, DeAnna, in north-central North Dakota. They grew all-GMO crops of corn, soybeans, canola, and sunflowers along with spring wheat, barley, and flax. Necessity drove their decision to overhaul their system. “Something had to give,” Kelly Lozensky said. “We were borrowing a lot of money just to purchase inputs.” At the end of each year, they were…

By Sybille de La Hamaide and Michael Hogan PARIS/HAMBURG, April 9 (Reuters) – European Union counter-tariffs on U.S. goods starting next week are set to halt a large flow of U.S. corn to Europe and raise costs for buyers chasing alternative supplies of the feed grain, traders and industry representatives said. Grain market reaction has been restrained so far with traders unsure if a barrage of tariffs, including tit-for-tat U.S. and Chinese duties, will stay in place or be removed following negotiations. The EU will impose a 25% duty on corn (maize) from April 15 in response to U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs.…

May corn closed up 5¢ at $4.74 per bushel. May soybeans ended the day up 20¢ at $10.12¾ per bushel. May wheat contracts also closed up. CBOT wheat was up 2¼¢ at $5.42¼ per bushel. KC wheat was up 6½¢ at $5.68. Minneapolis wheat was up 7¾¢ at $6.08¾. “It was another choppy day of trade, with commodity futures seeing both sides of unchanged,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “A technical bounce and pre-WASDE short covering provided early market support, as did early gains in the outside markets.” Tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT, USDA is expected to…

President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs for most U.S. trading partners, offering a temporary reprieve in his ongoing global trade conflict. The pause excludes China, which will now face a staggering 125 percent tariff rate — effective immediately — following what Trump called a lack of “respect” for global markets. The move is a dramatic shift in Trump’s trade policy and comes after more than 75 countries reportedly reached out to the U.S., expressing willingness to negotiate. “These countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way,” Trump said in a statement posted…

The active precipitation pattern should slow down in the next week to 10 days, after what AccuWeather labeled a “1-in-1,000 year” rain event inundated areas across the Midwest to the Mid-South. The Climate Prediction Center shows near normal to above normal chances for precipitation in its 6- to 10-day outlook, as some areas look to recover from historic flooding.  Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist, said the severity of flooding will vary by field.  “It really does depend on a field-by-field basis, given the amount of flooding that has taken place,” Ford said. “There may be some parts of Southern Illinois,…

AGDAILY Reporters · April 9, 2025 Famer Derek is back with another farm-themed spoof, this time targeting the Generation Xers and Millennials among us with a Friends parody. With his record of unconventional and creative videos, Derek takes his cows to center stage once more, mixing up humor and country life to a new set of lyrics. For decades, Farmer Derek has used his Kansas farm as the backdrop for his popular YouTube channel, where he has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of creativity. From cows showing up on Shark Week to scribbling notes that get picked up by satellites, his…

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced bipartisan legislation to curb anti-competitive practices in the meatpacking industry and reduce rising grocery prices, particularly for meat and eggs. The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act would establish a U.S. Department of Agriculture office dedicated to enforcing antitrust laws and investigating potential violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act. The new office would work in coordination with the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to hold the nation’s four dominant meatpackers accountable. Today, just four companies control 85 percent of the beef market…

The newest title from Feeding Minds Press, I Love Blueberries, is bursting with farm fresh facts, bringing the joy of farming to readers of all ages. I Love Blueberries, written by Shannon Anderson and illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, is the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning I Love Strawberries. The story follows Jolie and her new friend, Margot, as they work together with their classmates and their community to set up a hydroponics growing station in their classroom to grow their own blueberries. Through Jolie’s comical scrapbook-style journal entries and Margot’s creative sketchbook, readers will learn about the joys and challenges…

By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS, April 9 (Reuters) – The European Union will launch its first countermeasures against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs next week, the bloc’s members agreed on Wednesday, joining China and Canada in retaliating and escalating a global trade conflict. The approval came on the day that Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on the EU and dozens of countries took effect, including massive 104% duties on China, extending his tariff onslaught and spurring more widespread selling across financial markets. The 27-nation bloc faces 25% import tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars as well as the new broader tariffs of 20% for almost all other goods under Trump’s policy to hit countries he…