Brownfield

The National Pork Producers Council is hopeful the Supreme Court case on Proposition 12 could be over by the end of the year. NPPC president Terry Wolters, a pork producer from Pipestone in southwest Minnesota, tells Brownfield the High Court will likely take oral briefings beginning early next month. “And then ultimately we hope that by late October or somewhere around November timeframe, that we have a chance to actually […]

Across the Corn Belt, cool, mostly cloudy weather prevails in the wake of a departing storm system. In addition, rain and snow showers linger across the eastern Corn Belt. On March 27, prior to the most recent precipitation event, topsoil moisture ranged from one-quarter to one-half surplus in Michigan (50% surplus), Ohio (48%), Indiana (44%), and Illinois (31%). On the Plains, temperatures are quickly rebounding across Texas, where Friday’s high […]

The head of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says consumer demand confirms a desire for real meat.  NCBA CEO Colin Woodall tells Brownfield plant-based protein sales for some companies seem to be falling flat. “The stock price of Beyond Meat is absolutely cratered, losing almost 70 percent in the last year,” he says. When it comes to cell-based protein, Woodall says there’s a lack of transparency and sustainability metrics. ...

A livestock economist says after Russia’s invasion into Ukraine the global food supply is under a microscope. Rupert Claxton with Gira, an international research firm, says global commodity supplies were already tight and exports of corn, wheat, barley and sunflower oil could be impacted. “We are not going to lose Russian exports to the world markets as a result of this. But they are going to flow to different places. […]

Milk futures and cash dairy prices were mostly higher on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Friday. April Class III milk was up a penny to $23.69.  May closed up $.08 at $24.55.  June closed up $.08 at $24.35.  July was up $.22 at $24.17.  August through March contracts ranged from twelve cents lower to eighteen cents higher with November and December futures dropping. Dry whey was down $.0525 at $0.61.  six […]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is having a big impact on South Dakota poultry operations. Dr. Mendel Miller with the South Dakota Animal Industry Board says, “We’re actually at 22 cases now, and we’ve had new cases almost every day.” Miller tells Brownfield as of April 1st, the 22 cases of avian influenza in the state include 21 commercial flocks and most of them are turkeys.  He says the producers are […]

Cattle producers can now receive additional assistance to offset the impact of unparalleled drought and skyrocketing input costs. Allison Rivera with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the USDA has expanded the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) to now cover a portion of the costs incurred from the transportation of livestock to feed sources.  “Producers were also really concerned about having the flexibility to transport […]

Fieldwork is underway for Western Indiana farmer Kevin Cox. “We’ve been getting all the equipment ready to go because any day the weather could change, it could warm up and dry up and we want to be prepared and be ready to roll,” he says. “We had the ability to be able to get in the field and start putting on some anhydrous. So that was good. We ran for […]

A rancher in the Nebraska Sandhills says time is running out to get relief from an on-going drought.  Frank Beel tells Brownfield he has 30 days before he’ll have to make tough decisions about grazing. “If we don’t get any rain toward the end of April, we’re going to have to ship off some yearling cattle. Our fall calves, we try to hold off until to July to sell them […]