Author: staff

March corn ended the day up 14½¢ at $4.70½ per bushel. This was the highest daily close in over six months and higher than last week’s close by nearly 20¢. March soybeans closed up 26¼¢ at $10.25¼ per bushel. This was the highest daily close for the contract in nearly two months and 33½¢ higher than last week’s close. While March wheat contracts ended the week higher, they ended the day mixed. CBOT wheat ended the day down 3¼¢ at $5.30¾ per bushel. KC wheat ended the day up 1½¢ at $5.51¾ per bushel. Minneapolis wheat ended the day up…

California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones has implemented a statewide ban on dairy cattle and poultry exhibitions to help contain the spread of H5N1 avian influenza. The ban will stay in effect until the outbreak is brought under control.  H5N1 avian influenza has become widespread among dairy cows and domestic poultry (commercial and backyard flocks) in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in December due to increasing detections. “Due to the continued spread of H5N1 bird flu in California, the State Veterinarian has implemented a ban on all California Poultry and Dairy Cattle Exhibitions at fairs and…

The Biden Administration’s long-awaited 45Z tax credit guidance on the production of renewable biofuels was released Friday, 10 days before the administration hands over power to president-elect Donald Trump. The interim guidance is not a full-scale proposal, as there is little mention of agricultural practices in the document, per Agri-Pulse. One main omission the article cited was the lack of guidance over feedstocks. The tax credit originated from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) with greenhouse gas emissions at least 45% lower than petroleum-based jet fuel are eligible for 45Z credits. The Department of the Treasury…

After a decisive presidential victory on Nov. 5, 2024, Donald Trump and his transition team have been busy filling out his administration. Of the 15 cabinet heads, the secretary of agriculture will arguably be the most impactful for farmers. Trump’s USDA secretary “short list” was actually a long one before the official nominee, Brooke Rollins, was named. Who was on the list, and what will they do now? Here’s a look at what 16 individuals who were rumored to be in the running for the agriculture secretary role are up to now. Kelly Loeffler In late November it was widely…

Today, USDA released four major reports: the January World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), Crop Production 2024 Summary, quarterly Grain Stocks, and Winter Wheat and Canola Seedings reports. Crop Production 2024 Summary In the Crop Production 2024 Summary, USDA lowered corn and soybean yield and production figures from what had been estimated last month. While the average trade expectation was for these numbers to go down, USDA went lower than expected. Yield (Bushels Per Acre)   January  Trade Expectation December Corn  179.3  182.7  183.1  Soybeans  50.7  51.6 51.7 Production (Billion Bushels)   January  Trade Expectation December Corn  14.867  15.090…

The stakes are high as agriculture producers hope the incoming Trump administration remembers the support it got from rural America. The New Year is upon us and with it comes a new presidential administration — one that will undoubtedly be compared to the term that began in 2017 with the same chief executive, President Donald Trump. By all accounts, the election of 2024 was a wild ride, to say the least, and agricultural stakeholders are now wondering what exactly is in store for the future. As usual, the U.S. farm bill is high on the mind of producers. Last approved…

The future of over-the-top (OTT) dicamba products in soybeans remains unclear for 2025.  Labels for OTT dicamba products (Xtendimax, Engenia, and Tavium) were vacated for the second time by an Arizona federal court in February of 2024. An existing stock order was put in place, which allowed limited use in 2024.  “As of right now, there are no labels approved for use of OTT dicamba on dicamba-resistant soybeans for 2025,” said Tommy Butts, weed scientist at Purdue University. “There is no label pre or post. They no longer exist as an option.” New labels were submitted to the EPA by…

1. Soybeans rise, grains slightly higher overnight Soybean futures gained overnight while grains were modestly higher as investors square positions ahead of today’s monthly supply and demand reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The Ag Department likely will reduce its outlook for corn and bean stockpiles in its monthly supply and demand report scheduled for today.  The agency will probably project corn inventories at the end of the 2024-2025 marketing year on Aug. 31 at 1.675 billion bushels in today’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, according to a Reuters poll.  USDA last month forecast ending stocks…

It’s hard to tell whether Geoff and Travis Postin are farmers first and tractor collectors on the side, or if it’s the other way around. Either way, Geoff says they’re basically “two farmers who are stuck in the 1980s.” Like many collectors, the two brothers have a vast collection of tractors between them. In this case it amounts to 30 or more Allis-Chalmers models. Unlike many of their counterparts, though, the Postins use every one of their tractors in their farming operation, which consists of about 700 acres of corn, soybeans, hay, and livestock near Ellisville, Illinois. “It all kind…

Since John Deere’s arrival in Las Vegas in 2019, ag tech has been carving out a space for itself at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  While many of these innovations are still years away from arriving at your farm, the technology shown off at CES presents a roadmap for the future of agriculture.  John Deere The driverless autonomy system will first be available for tillage functions, compatible with John Deere model year 2025 and newer 8R and 9R tractors. Select older Deere tractors will be compatible after further retrofitting. Alex Gray John Deere revealed the next stage in its autonomous…