Author: staff

By Bo Erickson and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – As U.S. farmers enter autumn harvest season worried that low crop prices and a trade war could hurt their livelihoods, Republican farm-state lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump’s administration to issue economic aid for farmers by year’s end. Discussions between lawmakers and the administration highlight the trade-offs Republicans face between loyalty to the president and representing constituents who have contacted their offices and flocked to town halls in their districts, worried about the impact of Trump’s trade policies. Four farm-state members of Congress told Reuters they are in talks with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other…

Wheat variety selection sets the stage for the entire crop, but there is no single “silver bullet” variety, explained Dennis Pennington, wheat specialist with Michigan State University Extension. Instead, choosing the right wheat is about balancing yield potential, disease resistance, and agronomic fit for the farm. Yield Is Only Part of the Equation “Yield is the number one thing to look at,” Pennington said. “But yield alone isn’t enough. No variety wins every trial every year. Look for consistency in the top 10% of plots over multiple years and locations similar to your own.” Mark Lubbers, WestBred winter wheat technical…

Key Takeaways Corn harvest has started in 11 states and is 7% complete, which matches the five-year average.  Texas and North Carolina are leading in harvest progress, with Texas at 71% and North Carolina at 59% corn harvested.  Seven states have not yet reported any harvest activity as of Sept. 14. In the USDA Crop Progress report released on Sept. 15, 11 states reported harvested corn, adding three more states to the list from the prior week. Harvest progress across the 11 states was 7%, on track for the five-year average. Here’s a closer look at the states that reported harvest activity…

If you’ve been wondering about the state of the American farm economy, the perception among corn growers is that it is already in crisis … or, at best, may be on the brink of one. That was the major takeaway from a new survey released by the National Corn Growers Association. The feelings that emerged in the NCGA survey closely mirror the findings in the monthly Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index, which has seen farmer sentiment across all crops falling for the third straight month, particularly as questions remain about how to fill the gap left in the…

A little past 9:30 a.m. CT, December corn was down 1¾¢ at $4.25 per bushel. November soybeans were down 5¼¢ at $10.38½ per bushel. December CBOT wheat was down less than a penny at $5.27¾ per bushel. December KC wheat was down 2½¢ at $5.13¾ per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat was up a penny at $5.75. This morning, USDA announced Mexico is buying 110,000 metric tons of corn for the 2025/2026 marketing year. Source: The Brock Report. Brock Associates USDA also released the weekly U.S. Export Sales report for the week that ended Sept. 11. The Brock Report characterized the…

By Ryan Hanrahan The Financial Times’ Susannah Savage reported that “the Trump administration is drawing up plans to use tariff revenue to fund a programme to support U.S. farmers as they head into harvest facing falling export sales and rising input costs, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said.” “‘There may be circumstances under which we will be very seriously looking to and announcing a package soon,’ Rollins told the Financial Times on Wednesday. ‘We are reviewing markets every day,’” Savage reported. “She added that financing the bailout through ‘tariff income that is now coming into America’ was ‘absolutely a potential.’” “The…

Overall U.S. sales for tractors dropped 8.2%, and combine sales fell by 34.6% in August 2025 compared to August 2024, according to numbers from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). Canadian sales for farm tractor sales fell by 6.7% in August 2025 compared to last year, while combine sales grew 52.2%. “While the rise in Canadian combine sales is a bright spot, the continued declines in the U.S. underscore the cautious sentiment we’re seeing across the ag equipment market,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president of AEM. “Farmers are clearly taking a measured approach to capital investments, weighing operational needs…

“Farmers always know how much fuel is in the truck. But ask how much moisture is in the field, and many don’t know,” said Steve Risley, northeast region manager with Lindsay Corporation. Companies likeT-L Irrigation Company, Valley Irrigation, and Lindsay Corporation recently shared updates to their product lines at summer events — highlighting tools that aim to simplify irrigation, improve reliability, and reduce labor needs. From real-time moisture tracking and hose-free reversals to remote controls that work across fleets, the latest innovations reflect a growing focus on helping farmers get more done with fewer trips to the field. T-L Irrigation…

KUHN North America Inc. is introducing three new pieces of hay and forage equipment designed to improve efficiency, durability, and forage quality for North American producers. The launches include the KUHN FB 3125 fixed chamber round baler, the KUHN Merge Maxx MM 952 and MM 1092 commercial mergers, and the KUHN FC 9830 D RA rear-mounted mower conditioner with windrow merger. Here’s more detail about each piece: KUHN FB 3125 fixed chamber round baler The new FB 3125 is a compact 4×4 baler built for livestock operations, custom balers, and mid-sized farms. Kuhn emphasizes durability and productivity with a heavy-duty…

USDA released its latest estimates last week and the news is big — big crops that is. In fact, the 2025 corn crop is estimated to be record-large at 16.8 billion bushels. Estimated soybean production at 4.3 billion bushels isn’t record-breaking, but soybeans face a different challenge. With China not currently buying from the U.S., more bushels will need to be stored than in years past. The question becomes where is all this grain going? If storage becomes an issue and post-harvest sales increase, what will that mean for prices?  Naomi Blohm, senior market adviser at Total Farm Marketing, said…