Author: staff

By Jeff Beach The North Dakota Senate on Monday passed a bill that backers say ensures farmers in the state will have access to needed ag chemicals, while protesters outside the Capitol lobbied against legal protections for pesticide manufacturers.   House Bill 1318, which is similar to legislation being considered in several other states, passed on a vote of 29-18. The bill was amended and will return to the House, which had previously given the bill unanimous approval.  Much of the discussion on the bill has centered on the product Roundup, produced by the German company Bayer. Bayer has been hit…

Corn and soybean planting progress is officially underway in Iowa, according to the USDA Crop Progress report published April 14. “Planters are beginning to roll across the state. The warmer temperatures and drier weather over the past week allowed for a good start to the planting season,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig in a statement Monday. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) said fieldwork last week included tillage and applying anhydrous, manure, and dry fertilizer. Corn In the March Prospective Plantings report, USDA said it expects Iowa farmers to plant 13.5 million acres of corn in 2025, up…

By Giovani Preza Fontes and Emerson Nafziger The first half of April has been a little cooler than normal, with a very wide range in rainfall totals, from an inch or more below normal in northwestern Illinois to 6-8 inches above normal in south-southeastern Illinois. There is some rain in the forecast over the next week, but some progress in fieldwork and planting is likely. While it’s too early to consider planting in wet soil, there is no reason not to plant as soon as conditions allow. Seed costs for corn and soybeans have risen considerably in recent years, along…

A recent study has revealed that a single genetic change in a strain of the highly pathogenic H5 influenza virus could potentially unlock its ability to infect and spread between humans. Scientists studying the H5 2.3.4.4e strain — a type of influenza A virus known for infecting a wide range of birds and mammals — discovered that one specific amino acid mutation might enable the virus to bind to human cells, a critical step toward human-to-human transmission. The research, published in PNAS, focused on how influenza viruses adapt to new hosts, especially humans. A key factor in this process is…

July corn ended the day down 3¼¢ at $4.89½ per bushel. July soybeans closed down 3¾¢ at $10.46½ per bushel. July wheat contracts were also lower. CBOT wheat closed down 5¾¢ at $5.56 per bushel. KC wheat was down 1¾¢ at $5.68½. Minneapolis wheat was down 3½¢ at $6.15½. “Futures’ trade was choppy today, with futures seeing both sides of unchanged,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “Corn was the early leader of the market, taking support from the second consecutive day of flash [export] sales. Spread trading developed in corn as the session progressed, pressuring nearby contracts…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it has officially canceled the $3 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, a signature Biden-era initiative aimed at promoting environmentally friendly farming practices. The decision follows what the agency called a “comprehensive review,” which concluded that the program’s structure did not align with the priorities of the Trump administration and provided too little direct benefit to farmers. Originally launched to support projects that encouraged soil health, carbon sequestration, methane reduction, and other recognized sustainable practices, the PCSC program had awarded funding to 135 projects across all 50 states. Recipients included nonprofits like…

On April 14, the USDA announced it was cancelling the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program and renaming it the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative with a new set of rules.  Introduced under the Biden administration, the $3.1 billion PCSC program included more than 130 projects with the goal to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices to produce climate-smart commodities. Funds for PCSC have been frozen while the Trump administration reviewed the program.  In a press release, the USDA said, “Following a thorough line by line review of each of these Biden era partnerships, it became clear that the…

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced a new grant program Monday aimed at drawing more veterinarians to rural parts of the state to care for livestock. The Nebraska Rural Veterinary Grant Program will offer up to $150,000 each to 13 recent veterinary graduates who commit to working in rural Nebraska, where at least 80 percent of their practice is dedicated to “production animals” like cattle and other livestock. In exchange, recipients must agree to remain in rural Nebraska for eight years. “We’re running into an extraordinary shortage of food-animal practitioners across the state,” Pillen said at a news conference, reported by…

What Happened Trade wars and tariffs sent energy prices significantly lower in the last couple of weeks. While uncertainty exists in the world marketplace, the potential to lock in longer-term energy needs presents itself. An environment of tight margins for farmers means paying attention to every opportunity. Crude oil prices recently dropped from over $71 a barrel to under $55, a change of over 20%. The current administration has promoted the idea of increased energy production, yet there is no guarantee prices will stay low. The administration has also echoed concern that prices will be on the rise, as the…

DELAWARE, Iowa — In northeast Iowa, a wispy stand of trees looks out of place. It is surrounded by crop fields on the north side of a four-lane highway, an oasis of nature that is uncommon in rural Iowa, where farming every inch of land is paramount. Its owner hopes to cut and till it for cropland. But he can’t do it without risking his business. For now. Jim Conlan, an out-of-state investor in Iowa farmland, knew the federal government considered those nine acres to be a wetland before he bought it as part of a larger tract. If he clears and…