Author: staff

By Cami Koons Iowa lawmakers advanced bills aimed at protecting landowners through the permitting, construction, and operation of liquid hazardous pipelines.  The bills, which passed out of House subcommittees Thursday, would make pipeline operators liable for the increased insurance costs of surrounding landowners and require at least one member of the Iowa Utilities Commission attend public informational hearings.  Lawmakers and members of the public who spoke in favor of the bills referenced the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, which would transport liquid carbon dioxide from biofuel facilities in Iowa to underground storage in North Dakota. Insurance House File 240 would increase the…

By Henrique Monaco, Joana Colussi, and Gary Schnitkey Brazil ‘s increase in total production has been driven first by increases in acres and intensifying land use (see Farmdoc Daily, April 9, 2024). In addition to expanding acreage, increasing yields is the other alternative to boost production. In recent years, Brazil’s soybean yield levels have been comparable to those in the United States. But where has this growth been most significant in recent decades, and where is there still room to grow? This article examines how soybean yields have evolved across Brazil’s main growing regions and identifies areas with further growth potential, along with…

By P.J. Huffstutter CHICAGO, Feb 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will release approximately $20 million in funding for previously approved contracts that had been frozen by the Trump administration’s push to overhaul the federal government, the agency said late on Thursday. The sum represents a tiny sliver of program funding the USDA suspended after the White House’s broad freeze of federal loans and grants last month. Although the administration rescinded the memo ordering the freeze and it has been blocked in court, a U.S. judge has said the government was still withholding funds. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the released funds will go…

For farmers looking to add restricted use pesticides (RUP) to their management plans, obtaining a pesticide applicator certification is an important first step.  What is a Restricted Use Pesticide? RUPs are classified by the EPA as a pesticide that has “potential to cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment and injury to applicators or bystanders without added restrictions.” “With these pesticides, you have to follow more directions and there’s a higher risk,” says Betsy Danielson, a co-coordinator for the Iowa Pesticide Safety Education Program. What Types of Certifications Are Available? In Iowa, there are two main types of pesticide applicator…

For the third year in a row, southern Texas farmers are being challenged to grow crops and raise livestock in drought conditions.  The latest drought monitor map for Texas shows just 23% of the state free from drought stress. Six percent of Texas is in D4 exceptional drought, 11% is in D3 extreme drought, 8% is in D2 severe drought, and 18% is in D1 moderate drought. The remaining 34% of the state is abnormally dry. U.S. Drought Monitor Sparse Rainfall Sarah McKenzie, a fourth-generation seed stock and commercial cattle producer in Fort Stockton, said there hasn’t been much rain…

Multiple trips in and out of a semi while unloading may be a thing of the past with the AGI Westfield X-Tend retracting swing auger. Able to move side to side and extend in and out, the auger’s design allows for repositioning between hoppers without moving the truck. “The overall concept is that it allows the operator to keep their truck in one position, and the X-Tend can reach both hoppers to unload the semi,” said Josh Kelly, portable territory sales manager for AGI. “They’re not having to get back into the truck and move it multiple times.”  The X-Tend…

The latest Milk Production report from the USDA was released Friday afternoon. In addition to the first look at production numbers for 2025, the report also included the annual milk production data for 2024. 2024 in Review: U.S. Production, Milk Cows Lower Than in 2023 U.S. milk production totaled 226 billion pounds in 2024, down 0.2% compared with 2023’s total. It was the second consecutive year that total annual milk production was down year-over-year. Although the country’s total milk production has increased 8.3% over the last decade, production has essentially held steady or decreased within the last few years. As…

The National FFA Organization has raised over $1.4 million during the 2025 Give FFA Day campaign, surpassing 2,200 total donations. The funds will support agricultural education and leadership development for more than one million FFA members across the country. This year’s campaign aimed to raise $1.5 million to provide opportunities for young agriculturists to grow in leadership, personal development, and career success. Donations will be used to address the organization’s greatest needs, ensuring the expansion of programs that equip students to sustain the global food, fuel, and fiber industries. Contributions will also help provide FFA jackets to members in need,…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released approximately $20 million in funding for previously approved contracts that had been frozen under the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul federal programs. While this represents only a small portion of the program funding suspended after the White House’s broader freeze on federal loans and grants last month, it marks a shift in the USDA’s approach under new Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins. Rollins emphasized the importance of American farmers and ranchers, acknowledging their role in feeding, fueling, and clothing the nation and millions worldwide. However, she criticized the Biden administration’s policies, attributing recent struggles…

Brooke Rollins was sworn in as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture on Feb. 13, after a Senate vote of 72 to 28. Rollins didn’t stay in her new office in the Jamie L. Whitten Building long before heading out to visit farmers and ranchers across the country. In her first seven days in the role, Rollins made stops in Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas and traveled more than 3,000 miles. Thursday, Feb. 13 USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins poses with her husband Mark Rollins and their four children in her Washington D.C. office shortly after being confirmed by the Senate on…