Author: staff

Americans are spending a greater share of their income on food than they did before the pandemic, but the increase is less dramatic than some commentators are making it appear in an election year, said two think tank analysts on Wednesday. Food is the second-largest consumer expense, accounting for about 13.4¢ of the consumer dollar. During the inflationary surge that followed the pandemic, the wealthiest U.S. households spent an additional 0.5 percentage points of their income on food, and the lowest-income households spent an additional 1.3 percentage points. In 2022, the highest-income households spent 11.2% of their income on food…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced expanded guidance on Oct. 15 for inspections in the animal slaughtering and processing industry, superseding previous guidance that applied only to poultry establishments. OSHA says that this updated Inspection Guidance for Animal Slaughtering and Processing Establishments aims to significantly reduce injuries and illnesses stemming from occupational hazards through a combination of enforcement, compliance assistance, and outreach. The guidance outlines a comprehensive focus for OSHA inspections, which will now prioritize hazards associated with sanitation and cleanup operations, ergonomics, hazardous energy control, machine guarding, and more. Image by Craig Chandler /…

By Ryan Hanrahan United States corn and soybean farmers could lose billions of dollars in annual production value in the event of a potential new tariff-induced US-China trade war, according to a new economic study commissioned by the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association and conducted by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services. The study found that “U.S. soybean farmers (could) lose an average of $3.6 to $5.9 billion in annual production value” while “U.S. corn farmers (could) lose an average of $0.9 to $1.4 billion in annual production value” depending on how China would respond to increased…

DAILY Bites Michael Wayne Butikofer stole over $5 million in livestock and COVID-19 pandemic benefits, leading to his 15-year federal prison sentence. Butikofer operated a fraudulent cattle-feeding operation, selling cattle without ownership rights and defrauding investors. He exploited H-2A migrant workers, subjecting them to poor conditions and threats while continuing fraudulent practices even after his indictment. DAILY Discussion A Clayton County, Iowa, farmer who stole over $5 million in livestock and COVID-19 pandemic benefits was recently sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison. Michael Wayne Butikofer, 54, from Monona, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023,…

Corn and soybean harvest is sailing along Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska. In all three states, corn harvest is nearing the halfway mark, and soybean harvest is even further along. Here’s a closer look at harvest progress for all three states using pie charts and input from agronomists. Comparing corn harvest and yield Illinois corn harvest reached 49% the week ending Oct. 13, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Based on acreage data published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in June, this means there are just under 5.5 million acres of corn still to be harvested in…

Two agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Texas intercepted a “First in Port” pest on board a motor vessel arriving from Vietnam to the Brownsville Seaport. “CBP agriculture specialists play a key role in preventing invasive pests from negatively affecting the agriculture of our country. I commend CBP agriculture specialists for the interception of this First in Port pest, Artaxa sp., that has the potential to defoliate hundreds of species of trees and shrubs,” said Tater Ortiz, port director at the Office of Field Operations at the Port of Brownsville. The interception occurred September 18. The vessel being…

December corn is down 3½¢ this morning. November soybeans are down 7¾¢. December wheat contracts are mixed. CBOT wheat is down 1¾¢. KC wheat is down less than a penny. Minneapolis wheat is up 2¢. This morning USDA announced more sales to Mexico and unknown destinations: Mexico is buying 197,180 metric tons of corn for the 2024/2025 marketing year.Unknown destinations are buying 101,000 metric tons of corn for the 2024/2025 marketing year. December live cattle are up 30¢ this morning. January feeder cattle are up $1.23. December lean hogs are up 40¢. December crude oil is down 13¢. The U.S.…

DAILY Bites Over 150 experts from agencies and universities joined forces to address PFAS challenges in agriculture. The workshop developed strategies for detecting and reducing PFAS contamination in soils, water, and food systems. Plans are underway to create tools and practices to help farmers in areas severely affected by PFAS. DAILY Discussion Concerns have been growing over “forever chemicals” in drinking water and beyond. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service as outlined new strategies following a recent workshop aimed at addressing the rising concern of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in agricultural soils and waters. With PFAS increasingly…

Recent trade policies have imposed tariffs to boost U.S. production, but Midwest agriculture has suffered, losing ground to competitors like Brazil in soybeans and pork. Farmers urge the new administration to prioritize free trade and stable agreements. Just as he did in 2016 and 2020, Iowa farmer and rancher Lance Lillibridge plans to vote for Donald Trump this November. However, this self-described conservative said his vote for the former president will come with concerns. “His policies didn’t do us any good; his tariffs didn’t do us any good,” said Lillibridge, referring to Trump’s first term as president. At the start…

It has been an early and fast-moving soybean harvest for Wisconsin. As of the latest USDA Crop Progress report released Oct. 15, the Badger State is over three weeks ahead of its progress from the 2023 soybean harvest. Here’s a look at the harvest season so far, according to agronomist feedback and pie chart comparisons. Soybean harvest and yield As of Oct. 13, Wisconsin has completed 83% of its soybean harvest. Based on data from the June Acreage Report, there are only 360,400 acres of soybeans left to harvest statewide. This mark is well ahead of the state’s five-year average…