Author: staff

Cherry growers in San Joaquin County are dealing with the aftermath of two thefts in two days that caused around $2,000 in losses and left long-term damage to orchard trees. According to KCRA 3 and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Morada Produce was hit first, with more than $2,000 worth of cherries stolen and significant crop damage reported. “Unfortunately, because of the way the thieves stole the cherries by damaging the trees and breaking the branches, cherries cannot grow on those damaged branches for the next three years,” KCRA reported. The second theft occurred the next morning at an…

A sprawling Oklahoma property owned by the same family since the 1940s was sold on May 7, marking the end of an era for a piece of the state’s ranching history. The Hilseweck Ranch, located in the southeast part of the state, was a well-known and unique property, according to the broker in charge of the sale. The 8,488-acre ranch sold for just over $15 million, coming out to about $1,811 an acre.  Brett Grier of Hall and Hall says the property, accumulated over time, was entirely connected. “Finding 8,000–10,000 acres of one big block of land is rare,” he…

R-CALF USA has formally requested that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission open an immediate investigation into what the group alleges was a false report that triggered a sharp selloff in live cattle futures on May 27. In a letter addressed to Brian Young, director of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement, R-CALF USA called on the agency to investigate whether the rumor — centered on a claim of New World Screwworm detection in Missouri — was willfully fabricated to manipulate cattle markets. “We are deeply concerned that this potential manipulation harmed our nation’s independent cattlemen and women who rely on accurate…

By Sybille de La Hamaide PARIS, June 6 (Reuters) – Global food commodity prices declined in May, driven by marked drops in cereal, sugar, and vegetable oil prices, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in a basket of internationally traded food commodities, averaged 127.7 points in May, reflecting a 0.8% decrease from the April figure. The May reading was up 6% from a year earlier but over 20% below a March 2022 peak following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that started a devastating war between two of the world’s leading grains producers. The FAO cereal price index fell…

Just after 9:00 a.m. CT, July corn was down 3¼¢ at $4.36¼ per bushel. July soybeans were 1½¢ higher at $10.53¼ per bushel. “Corn, soybeans, and wheat favored the downside overnight as the buying interest that gave us [Thursday’s] rebound subsided.” Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting said, adding a reason for the bounce was updated weather forecasts, “[It was] calling for a ridge to set up across the U.S. bringing warmer, drier conditions to the region. Updated models are still calling for heat, but precipitation chances have increased, tempering the odds of crop damage.”  Setzer said the bottom…

Some time back, I read a widely circulated piece calling for a new era of American abundance — one where we fix what’s broken in housing, energy, and infrastructure. It offered a vision rooted in optimism and reform, and I don’t doubt the sincerity behind it. But like many such visions, it focused on urban renewal and assumed rural America would follow suit if the cities just got their act together. That assumption misses something big. Because for all the talk about economic growth and opportunity, very few of these pieces stop to ask the obvious question: Why do people…

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, June 5 (Reuters) – Argentina’s soybean yields continue to track higher than expected this season, the Rosario grains exchange said on Thursday, signaling that the process of harvesting the key agricultural export is however progressing slower than usual. “Despite delays in the harvest, we continue to see higher yields than those initially expected, especially in the southern agricultural region and western Buenos Aires province,” the Buenos Aires exchange said in a weekly report. Some 88.7% of this season’s soy has been harvested so far, it added. Argentina is the world’s top supplier of soybean oil and meal,…

By Cami Koons Despite an ongoing trade war and low profitability the past two years, pork industry leaders and producers at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, said Wednesday they are optimistic about the year.  Lee Schulz, chief economist for Ever.Ag, said 2025 could be the “quickest turnaround in pork producer profitability ever” — but, he clarified, that statistic says more about “how bad the situation was” the past two years than it does about 2025.  High input costs and decreased demand in 2023 caused what Schulz said was “the worst year in pork producer profitability to date.” That…

BarnTools has announced the launch of BinTalk Pro, a feed monitoring system that delivers near real-time insights and oversight for poultry and swine producers.  With updates every 15 minutes — 16 times more frequently than the industry standard — BinTalk Pro enables producers to detect issues as they develop and to prevent feed interruptions before they impact production. Smart Event Detection Technology Powered by smart event detection, BinTalk Pro goes beyond simple feed level monitoring. Using farm-tested algorithms, the system detects essential feed events and ensures alerts reach the right person for immediate action. The app provides growers with actionable…

Maximizing swine herd efficiency through animal health was a recurring topic at this year’s World Pork Expo. Here’s a roundup of new research and products unveiled at the show that may keep your herd healthy and improve your bottom line.  Consider Foot Health Foot lesions are a relatively new topic of discussion in the hog industry, but research shows they’re a widespread issue. Since 2012, researchers with ZinPro Corporation have evaluated 30,000 sows from 300 farms. They report 90% had a foot lesion and 40% had severe lesions and inflammation, said Ton Kramer, a business manager for ZinPro.  “From a…