Author: staff

My wife and I knew we were in the right place because embossed on our hotel room’s throw pillows were the words, “I like big boats and cannot lie.” As if to drive that message home, a mighty airhorn blared outside our hotel. Even though it was a quarter of a mile away, the horn was loud enough to loosen your toenails. I watched in awe as a 1,000-foot-long ore boat slid beneath the aerial lift bridge at a speed that could be nautically described as “super-duper slow.” Big boats indeed! And that was just an appetizer. We were in…

In a virtual press conference, Mitchell Hora, CEO of Iowa-based soil health data intelligence company Continuum Ag, spoke to farmers for over an hour about the impact of the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill on 45Z for farmers, biofuel producers, and ag companies. The bill extended the availability of the 45Z tax credit through 2029. Walking through some of the most important changes and unknowns still to be finalized after the bill’s passage, Hora thanked the Iowa Congressional delegation for “fighting for us” throughout the reconciliation process and focused his remarks on what farmers and producers can do in the…

By Michael Hogan HAMBURG, July 14 (Reuters) – Chicago wheat, corn and soybeans rose on Monday on bargain-buying after sharp falls on Friday. But expectations of good crops in the United States limited rises, with an uncertain mood in markets after U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up tariff threats. MKTS/GLOB Chicago Board of Trade most active soybeans Sv1 rose 0.4% to $10.12 a bushel at 1125 GMT after earlier on Monday trading below the psychologically-important $10 level at $9.98-1/4 a bushel. Corn Cv1 rose 0.6% to $4.14-3/4 a bushel, wheat Wv1 rose 0.7% to $5.48-3/4 a bushel. “Corn, soybeans and wheat are seeing support from bargain-buying and short covering after…

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up his trade war this week, threatening sharply higher tariffs on 14 countries starting August 1 as his administration aims to finalize agreements with others. Despite promises to work on 90 deals in 90 days, Trump and his team have been able to complete only a limited deal with Britain and a not well-defined agreement with Vietnam. Here’s the state of play for several U.S. trading partners: European Union Officials with the 27-member European Union, the largest bilateral trade partner of the U.S. say they are aiming for a deal before Aug. 1, with…

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson wants to move legislation this fall to address farm and nutrition programs left out of the budget reconciliation bill. Thompson, R-Pa., told reporters Tuesday the bill would need about $8 billion in additional funding over 10 years, far less than the $66 billion spending increase included in the reconciliation bill dubbed the One Big Beautiful Act and paid for out of cuts to funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Asked about his timetable for committee action, he said, “September … Let’s get this, get this out of the way so it can start to…

By Cami Koons Corn and soybean crops continue to progress well throughout Iowa, with 15% of corn silking and 36% of soybeans blooming amid another week of above-average temperatures and precipitation, according to the latest crop progress and condition report.  This statistic puts corn two days ahead of the five-year average, and the report, generated from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, said there were several accounts of corn reaching the dough stage across the state. Iowa’s main crops rated overall good to excellent during the reporting period of June 30–July 6. Corn rated 86% good to excellent and soybeans…

By Roberto Samora SAO PAULO, July 8 (Reuters) – Brazil’s corn exports are set to face new challenges this year as the shipping season starts with possible logistics issues, China making fewer purchases and strong competition expected from the United States, analysts told Reuters. Corn exports for 2024/25 are set to increase in volume, they said, but could face bottlenecks as they will have to compete for space in ports if China’s demand for Brazil’s record soybean crop remains firm in the second half of 2025. Brazil’s corn production this season is expected to total 128.3 million metric tons, according to government projections, an 11%…

By Nicolás Misculin BUENOS AIRES, July 8 (Reuters) – Farmers in Argentina, one of the world’s top grains suppliers, are set to favor corn over soy in the upcoming 2025/26 season, the head of the major SRA agricultural association told Reuters, citing higher export taxes on soy, subdued prices and margins. The South American country is the world’s top exporter of processed soy oil and meal and the No. 3 for corn, with its production levels having an impact on global prices. Nicolás Pino, president of the SRA, said in an interview that stronger prices for corn and lower domestic taxes versus…

Trump administration officials, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, and senior MAHA adviser Calley Means, met with state Farm Bureau leaders at the White House Wednesday. Some 105 Farm Bureau state presidents and government affairs representatives were at the meeting in addition to American Farm Bureau Federation staff, according to the White House.  AFBF President Zippy Duvall told Agri-Pulse the topics discussed ranged form the farm economy to trade, labor concerns, regulatory reform, and the administration’s Make America Healthy Again policy plans. The administration officials also included U.S. Trade Representative Counselor Jeff Goettman and White House Domestic Policy Council…

President Donald Trump has released a second batch of letters to countries letting them know what tariff rate their exports will face from Aug. 1, including a letter for Brazil, which had previously only been subject to the 10% baseline rate. On Wednesday, Trump posted letters addressed to leaders in the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Iraq, Libya, and Sri Lanka. The letters come on the back of 14 letters sent Monday, including those sent to South Korea and Japan. Trump had previewed further letters on Tuesday evening, promising to release letters to at least seven countries on Wednesday. The administration’s 90-day tariff reprieve for…