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Public data provides insights on pork demand
The National Pork Board aims to improve demand globally, and that commitment includes economists’ analysis of publicly available data. Lee Schulz, chief economist with EA Risk (formerly Ever.Ag), talks about risk and macroeconomic sensitivity across domestic and international markets being critical to building demand. Schulz examines fourth quarter data, including world market and trade. Schulz said the market is not being burdened by pork supplies overall. National Pork Board helps build...
Chinese buying of U.S. farm goods remains weak
China's purchases of U.S. agricultural products outside soybeans are on track for their lowest level in seven years, despite a trade agreement calling for billions of dollars in annual imports. A Reuters analysis of Chinese customs data shows Beijing purchased just...
Iowa grain producers navigate challenging market conditions
Iowa farmers continue to face challenging grain market conditions as harvest supplies, disappointing soybean demand figures, and uncertainty surrounding international trade weigh on commodity prices. While soybean demand has strengthened in recent years, the latest...
Potential strike at Southern California ports could majorly impact U.S. red meat exports
Security workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are threatening to go on strike if a contract agreement is not reached this week. While the union represents only a small portion of the overall port workforce, other unionized employees such as longshoremen...
Anti-animal ag groups spending millions ahead of midterms
Anti-animal groups have been spending big ahead of the midterm elections. Hunter Ihrman, executive director of strategic engagement at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), said those groups have spent millions in an effort to influence the election...
Farmers are becoming more invested in weed resistance management strategies
Weed resistance management is becoming more of a central focus for growers when developing their management plan for the growing season. As farmers are learning more about weed resistance, they are making changes to their management plans to ensure that they have the...
Winter soybean strategy may help pig farmers beat the summer heat
New research funded by the Soy Checkoff suggests winter feeding decisions could help pork producers minimize the seasonal drop in carcass weights during the summer months. Researchers found that increasing soybean meal levels in grow-finish diets helped pigs maintain...
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More Ag News
Strong soybean yields meet steep quality discounts
Soybean producers across the country, including here in Iowa, are dealing with quality discounts that are cutting into the value of their crops despite strong yields in many areas. While discolored soybeans have received much of the attention, concerns over test...
As profit margins tighten, debt management is critical
As tighter margins pressure farm finances, lenders are seeing producers rely more heavily on borrowed capital to cover operating expenses. At the same time, higher interest rates are increasing the cost of carrying that debt. Chad Gent, senior vice president of retail...
South American Weather and Crop Update (11-3-26)
Even though the South American crop season is still in its early stages, there are already projections that this will be a massive crop. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the weather has not been an issue for farmers in Brazil and Argentina. McBride said...
Grassley discusses potential compromise for a 2026 farm bill
Regardless of what happens in the midterm elections, there is still a limited amount of time for the current Congress to pass a farm bill before the end of the year. However, as United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) points out there is not a lot of time left in...
Chinese buying of U.S. farm goods remains weak
China's purchases of U.S. agricultural products outside soybeans are on track for their lowest level in seven years, despite a trade agreement calling for billions of dollars in annual imports. A Reuters analysis of Chinese customs data shows Beijing purchased just...
