Rising interest rates and the increased cost of capital means farmers may have to take a different approach to 2024 production expenses. Aimpoint Research Chief Economist Gregg Doud says it’s unclear what next year will bring for a capital-intensive industry like agriculture. “Are we going to have economic growth, which means we’re going to have improved commodity prices and we can offset the higher costs of interests and operating capital, […]
Dairy groups are showing educators ways to teach science, technology, engineering, and math with on-the-farm examples. Dairy Management Inc, the dairy checkoff, has teamed up with the National Dairy Council and Midwest Dairy to bring leading science educators and curriculum directors to dairy farms so they can discover ideas that can fit into the high school curriculum. The on-farm immersion experiences began in 2022 when Midwest Dairy arranged for educators […]
Jul. corn closed at $5.87 and 1/4, up 9 and 3/4 centsJul. soybeans closed at $13.24 and 1/2, up 2 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $402.20, down $4.20Jul. soybean oil closed at 48.00, up 24 pointsJul. wheat closed at $6.06 and 1/4, down 16 centsJun. live cattle closed at $166.10, up $1.82Aug. feeder cattle closed at $234.52, up $1.05Jun. lean hogs closed at $79.80, down 87 centsJun. ...
Soybeans were mostly lower on bull spreading. Contracts were up early on an oversold bounce, but mostly unable to follow through, with bean meal also selling off. Bean meal was down on talk China is cutting soybean meal use, profit taking, and spread adjustments with soybean oil. That spread trade and the higher crude oil supported bean oil. Export demand has slowed due to Brazil’s record crop and U.S. planting […]
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility officially opened Wednesday after nearly two decades of planning by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security. The $1.25 billion facility located in Manhattan, Kansas will replace the DHS’ Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York. Secretary Tom Vilsack says its research will be critically important to protect the agricultural industry and it has the highest level of biocontainment laboratories and safety […]
Beef is a bright spot in the latest round of cold storage numbers. The USDA says beef stocks at the end of April were 447.984 million pounds, 16% below last year, with solid demand and tighter ready numbers contributing to the decline. Pork came out at 565.479 million pounds, up 6% on the year, partially due to less consistent demand. That drop in beef canceled out the rise in pork, […]
An agronomist says farmers should be monitoring soybeans for symptoms of nitrogen deficiency. Kevin Keller with Pioneer says examine nodules on the plant at the V2 to V3 stage. “We want to see probably somewhere around 7 to 15 good nodules, good, healthy nodules. So, they’ll be pink or reddish inside, meaning that they’re active and going.” He tells Brownfield an in-season nitrogen application may help jump start the crop. […]
USDA has launched an assistance program to help organic dairy producers. The Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Act was established to help mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created what the agency calls “unique hardships in the organic dairy industry.” USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is making $104 million available to organic dairy operations to assist with projected marketing costs in […]
Ethanol stocks have tightened for five weeks in a row. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the domestic supply is the tightest since last November at 22.041 million barrels, a decrease of 1.15 million on the week and 1.671 million on the year. That’s due to improving demand as the retailers prepare for summer driving season and the ethanol industry gets ready for expanded E15 access. The drawdown included a […]
