Author: staff

By Ian Karbal UNIONTOWN — Mike Reskovac was starting the harvest at his family farm in Uniontown, Fayette County, later than he’d hoped. Late-season rain meant he had to delay it about a week, since soybeans need to be dry when they’re harvested. Then, Thursday morning, Reskovac discovered two bearings that needed replacing in his combine. That meant calling dealers and suppliers, driving four hours round-trip to pick them up, shelling out $200 and installing them himself. He’d get to the field in the afternoon, and be at the harvest until after the sun went down. “They always say farmers wear…

By Tess Vrbin Arkansas lawmakers expressed concern about the state of the agriculture industry Friday and agreed to urge the federal government to provide financial aid to keep farmers afloat. Commodity crop farmers are facing one of their worst periods in decades as a result of skyrocketing production costs and stagnant demand. Agriculture industry leaders told lawmakers last month in Stuttgart that 25–40% of farmers are likely to leave the industry after this season unless they receive aid. Rep. DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, chairs the House Agriculture subcommittee that met in Stuttgart and has worked as a farmer herself. She said Friday during…

On Sunday, President Trump made waves with a proposal for dealing with high U.S. beef prices. “We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he said from Air Force One during a flight from Florida to Washington, according to the Associated Press. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.” His comments came after a report Friday that the administration was working on lowering beef prices for U.S. consumers. That news alone greatly impacted the market, with feeder cattle closing more than $9 lower to end the week.  The Commstock Report said, “Behind the scenes, sources close to…

The smell of fresh coffee wafts through a friendly meeting room overlooking a busy street in Rocky Ford, Colorado. A plate of glazed doughnuts sits on the table. The welcoming space features a large, rectangular table, comfortable chairs, plants, notice boards, and dozens of wooden plaques emblazoned with the brands of several local ranchers. Some of the men and women behind those brands make the drive to town on a Monday morning. They grab a mug of coffee and a doughnut, greet each other warmly, laugh, and talk about the things ranchers talk about: the weather, cattle prices, and what’s…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has published a field-ready New World screwworm Response Playbook, and the message to producers, veterinarians, and rural communities is simple: Be ready to move fast. New World screwworm is no ordinary pest. Females lay eggs in fresh wounds, including the navel of newborn calves and kids, and the hatched larvae feed on living tissue. Untreated cases can spiral quickly, threatening animal welfare, herd productivity, and, if an introduction were to take hold, interstate commerce and international trade. The United States eliminated NWS long ago using a combination of wound…

Key Points The USDA has now missed three straight Crop Progress reports, leaving October with no official data from the department.Private surveys estimate corn harvest near 60% and soybeans over 70% complete nationwide.Agronomists report variable yields across the Corn Belt, with disease pressure and dry weather driving wide swings. The USDA was expected to publish the 29th Crop Progress report of the growing season today, but the report was not published for a third week because of the continued government shutdown. The shutdown has affected three of the four expected October reports from USDA. Just five more reports are anticipated…

Trick-or-treat: It’s time to stock up on something sweet! Americans are forecast to spend $3.9 billion on candy this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s up from $3.6 billion last year and $3.1 billion in 2023. There’s no doubt: Halloween is largely about the tasty treats. Yet, you might face a fright as you purchase candy for the goblins and ghouls who haunt your door. The price you pay for candy has increased — while the already small amount our farmers receive for the sugar in that candy has decreased. The American Sugar Alliance looked at the prices…

CHICAGO, Oct. 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. soybean harvest was nearly three-quarters complete by Sunday and corn harvesting progressed as well, despite showers that interrupted field work in the eastern half of the Corn Belt, according to a Reuters poll of 11 analysts on Monday. Farmers were harvesting the biggest U.S. corn crop in history and a bumper soy crop. On average, the analysts estimated the soybean crop was 73% harvested by Sunday and the corn harvest was 59% complete. Estimates ranged widely from 61% to 82% for soybeans and 51% to 66% for corn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture…

DAILY Bites China bought zero U.S. soybeans in September, the first monthly shutout since 2018, even as total imports climbed to 12.87 MMT, the second-highest on record. Brazilian shipments rose to 10.96 MMT (~85%) and Argentina to 1.17 MMT (~9%), as tariffs and seasonality steered buyers away from U.S. beans, Reuters reports. Despite the September freeze-out, year-to-date U.S. shipments to China are still up ~15.5%. DAILY Discussion China imported no U.S. soybeans in September, the first month since November 2018 that American shipments fell to zero, even as overall arrivals surged to one of the largest monthly tallies on record.…

Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/top-third-agdaily-2025-10-20.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of Oct. 20, 2025 appeared first on AGDAILY.