Author: staff

What Happened When winter fades to spring, attention for row crops starts focusing more on weather developments and its impact on planting and the early growing season.. For many, this has been a challenging spring due to less-than-ideal conditions. Yet, planting progress is ahead of schedule for soybeans and on track for corn, according to the most recent USDA Crop Progress report. The report indicated 97% of the corn crop in the top 18 producing states is planted, the same as the five-year average for that point in the year. Soybean planting was ahead of schedule in the top producing…

A routine livestock auction in Decatur, Arkansas, turned into a spectacle last week when a cow escaped the sale ring and bolted up the bleachers, stunning the crowd and sending attendees scrambling. The unexpected incident, quickly dubbed “udder chaos” online, was caught on video by attendee Ashley Buffer and has since captured national attention. In the now-viral footage, the cow can be seen leaping up into the seating area of the auction house, climbing its way to the top row. As the animal scrambled over the metal bleachers, it knocked down ceiling tiles and caused auction-goers to dive for cover.…

To celebrate 30 years of building healthier herds in partnership with valued customers, Veterinary Pharmaceutical Solutions will offer new scholarship opportunities to early-career veterinarians. VPS will award two $2,500 scholarships to veterinarians in their first five years of practice. “These scholarships are a token of our sincere appreciation for the support from the veterinarian community over the past 30 years,” says Dean Warras, CEO of VPS. “We remain committed to supporting the future of swine veterinary medicine, and we hope these scholarships will provide welcomed support to their recipients.” To qualify, veterinarians must be within the first five years of…

Corn planting has wrapped up in two of the country’s top-growing states, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report. Both North Carolina and Minnesota reported 100% corn planted as of the week ending June 8. Considering historical averages, it was expected for one state, but not the other. Here’s a closer look at where things stand now that corn planting is done in these two geographically distinct states. North Carolina Farmers in North Carolina pushed corn planting to the finish line the week ending June 8, up from 99% the week prior. The timing of the wrap up was…

The International Dairy Foods Association recently released its updated Dairy Delivers report, showcasing the U.S. dairy industry’s immense economic and social impact. The 2025 analysis reveals that dairy supports more than 3.05 million American jobs, provides $197.6 billion in wages, and contributes nearly $780 billion in total economic impact. Additionally, the industry generates $83 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues and exports $8.2 billion worth of products annually. “The data is clear: dairy runs deep in every community across America,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “From family-owned dairy farms to processors, retailers, and community…

1. Wheat, Corn Futures Drop on Improved Conditions Wheat and corn futures plunged in overnight trading after the condition of U.S. crops improved more than anticipated.  About 54% of the winter wheat crop was rated good or excellent at the start of the week, up from 52% a week earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a weekly report.  Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting 52%.  The winter harvest is underway with 4% in the bin as of June 8 versus 3% the previous week and the prior five-year average of 7%.  Fifty-three percent of the U.S. spring crop…

By Ryan Hanrahan CNBC’s Jeff Cox reported that “the U.S. deficit with its global trading partners tumbled by the largest amount on record in April as companies and consumers no longer rushed to get imports ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.” “Following a record-breaking surge in the trade imbalance, the deficit slid to $61.6 billion, a decrease of $76.7 billion from the prior month and below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for $66.3 billion, according to a Commerce Department report Thursday,” Cox reported. “The move reverses a massive surge in imports that came ahead of Trump’s April 2 ‘liberation day’…

By Kylie Madry June 6 (Reuters) – Progressing trade negotiations between the U.S. and Vietnam could significantly diminish Argentina’s substantial share of Vietnam’s corn and soymeal import market, the Rosario grains exchange said in a report on Friday. Argentina is currently Vietnam’s leading grains supplier, accounting for more than 50% of its corn and 65% of its soymeal imports by value over the past five years, the exchange said. Vietnam is increasingly turning to U.S. farm goods in a bid to avoid tariffs from President Donald Trump, the exchange wrote. Trump has cited a significant trade deficit with Vietnam, where multinational companies have major production facilities,…

A woman from Central Georgia is facing federal charges after allegedly orchestrating a scheme to steal more than $375,000 from Perdue Farms by billing the company for the labor of nonexistent workers. According to a charging document from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Ashley Moore is accused of bank fraud related to her role at GDI Integrated Facility Services, a staffing company that provided labor for Perdue Farms’ plant operations in Perry, Georgia. Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and March 2024, Moore allegedly used the identities of eight inactive employees — referred to as…

By Heather Schlitz CHICAGO, June 6 (Reuters) – A biological sample that a Chinese researcher was accused of smuggling into the United States and that prosecutors cast as a “dangerous biological pathogen” is a common type of fungus already widespread in U.S. crop fields that likely poses little risk to food safety, experts said. On Tuesday, U.S. federal prosecutors accused two Chinese researchers of smuggling samples of the fungus Fusarium graminearum into the U.S., describing it as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon. Yunqing Jian, 33, a researcher at the University of Michigan’s Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology has been chargedin connection with allegations that she…