Author: staff

1. Wheat Futures Rise as Winter Conditions Fall Wheat futures were higher in overnight trading amid declining winter crop conditions.  About 52% of U.S. winter wheat was in good or excellent condition at the start of the week, down from 54% seven days earlier, the Department of Agriculture said in a weekly report.  Analysts polled by Reuters had expected the agency to leave winter wheat ratings unchanged.  Ten percent of the crop had been harvested as of Sunday, up from 4% the previous week, but behind the prior five-year average of 16%.  Still, overnight gains were capped as spring wheat…

In this episode of 15 Minutes With a Farmer, farmer and longtime North Dakota Farmers Union president Mark Watne reflects on his 12-term leadership, the creation of the farmer-owned Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington, DC, and his work with Grand Farm to advance ag technology. He discusses the importance of leadership transition, connecting consumers with agriculture, and helping farmers test and adopt innovations that make sense for their operations. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to 15 Minutes With a Farmer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us! Meet Mark Watne Mark Watne, a North…

1. Grain Futures Lower Amid Favorable Weather Grain futures were lower in overnight trading and soybeans were little changed as investors turn their attention back to favorable weather conditions in several global growing areas.  Precipitation is expected in parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota today and light rain is forecast for counties in western Kansas where hard-red winter wheat is growing, according to National Weather Service maps.  Parts of Nebraska and Iowa likely will see showers today, the agency said.  The rainfall may offer a boost to growing grains and beans that are already in relatively good shape.…

By Ella Cao, Ethan Wang, Shi Bu, and Ryan Woo BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) – China has approved 106 new U.S. pork and poultry plants to export eligible products produced on or after June 12, Chinese Customs said in a notice on its website. The approval was issued on Thursday, the notice showed. It comes after China and U.S. agreed on a framework to get their trade truce reached in Geneva talks last month back on track. The newly approved facilities include 23 pork plants and 83 poultry plants, according to a Chinese Customs database. China in March slapped tariffs of up to 15% covering $21 billion…

Highly pathogenic avian influenza reached Antarctica’s mainland in early 2024, leaving Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations as the only regions on Earth that remain free from the H5N1 strain. Purdue University researchers now have developed an innovative, paper-based diagnostic test for rapidly detecting avian influenza, the main cause of recent high egg prices. This novel test addresses the urgent need for an efficient and cost-effective surveillance tool to combat the global threat posed by avian influenza viruses, said Mohamed Kamel, a Purdue postdoctoral research associate. This assay is suitable for use in field settings, including areas with limited…

At the market close, July corn was down 9¾¢ at $4.34¾ per bushel. July soybeans were unchanged at $10.69¾ per bushel. Jamey Kohake, senior risk manager with Pinion said the Friday renewable volume obligation numbers were seemingly forgotten, affecting the weaker close, “[Estimates for] the second crop down in South America are getting larger and larger, and that’s overhanging into our markets with no significant weather situation out there.” Kohake said the strength is all in the soybean oil market, which was strong at the close. Still, he added, there’s a lot of pressure coming out of South America with…

A giant, balloon-like tarp stretches over a lagoon of manure on a Central Valley dairy farm, concealing a quiet but remarkable transformation. Methane, a potent climate-warming gas, is being captured and cleaned instead of released into the atmosphere. A new study from researchers at the University of California, Riverside shows the effectiveness of dairy digesters, which are manure ponds tightly sealed to capture and re-use the methane they produce. The study shows these systems can reduce atmospheric methane emissions by roughly 80 percent, a result that closely matches estimates California state officials have used in their climate planning. The findings,…

Today, USDA published the eleventh Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season. Here’s a look at the latest corn, soybean, wheat, and oat numbers. Corn As of June 15, 94% of the corn crop across the country’s top 18 corn-growing states had emerged. That’s right on par with the five-year average. North Carolina’s corn has reached 100% emergence, per the report. It’s the first of the 18 states to do so. As of June 15, the condition of the nation’s corn crop was as follows: Good/excellent: 72%Fair: 23%Poor/very poor: 5% Soybeans The USDA said that as of June 15,…

Image by Nokwan007, Shutterstock Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ag-daily-2025-06-16.mp3

New World Screwworm (NWS) remains a looming threat for U.S. livestock producers as it continues its northward expansion. Positive cases of the pest — which had previously been eradicated in most of Central America — have been reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico, around 700 miles from the U.S. border.  If allowed to spread to the U.S., NWS could cost millions in production losses, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). “The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in an…