Agriculture

The president of the American Soybean Association says he’s optimistic President Biden’s announcement addressing food availability and farm costs will provide some relief. Northeast Arkansas farmer Brad Doyle says the expansion of double cropping insurance gives farmers more options for the upcoming growing season.  “The opportunity to double crop, because we’re in planting season now, will not be until next year,” he says.  “We have some time.  Farmers can sit […]

A new study shows fuel prices would be four percent higher without U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel production. Paul Winters with Clean Fuels Alliance America tells Brownfield the two biofuels reduce distillate prices by increasing the supply. “We calculate the current impact at about 22 cents per gallon,” he said. “Given that the national average for diesel fuel prices is about $5.50.” In addition to benefiting consumers, Winters says biodiesel […]

The Chicago Fed is reporting a rise in farmland values and farmer credit conditions in the first quarter. Senior business economist David Oppedahl tells Brownfield values for the first three months of the year were up 23 percent compared to last year and the strongest in nearly a decade. “The increase in commodity prices has been a big part of it,” he says.  “It’s helped to shore up cash flow […]

South Tennessee farmer David Nichols says the rising cost of inputs is really putting the squeeze on farmers this year. He tells Brownfield higher fuel prices have been hard to digest.  “In the last 10-days we’ve seen another leg up in the diesel fuel market,” he says.  “And now we’re getting to run pretty hard and that’s an extra cost in that fuel is beginning to hit us pretty hard.” […]

The President of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association says it will take some time for USDA’s recently announced fertilizer production incentive program to help alleviate supply shortages. KJ Johnson tells Brownfield while the Biden administration’s announced $500 million of funding to spur local fertilizer production is great… “…But also, to build a new fertilizer plant, to start a new phosphate mine, potash mine, that’s time; that’s not just going […]

A northwest central Ohio farmer says she’s excited to test out new technology as the planting season picks up speed. Patty Mann tells Brownfield “last year we started a row starter on our corn planter and this year we added high-speed planting units so hopefully we’ll be able to make it really count when we get the opportunity.” She’s hopeful they’ll be able to play catch-up after weather-related delays.” “We’ve […]

An east-central Illinois farmer is working double time to capitalize on a planting window. KJ Johnson said he’s about half done with soybeans and a quarter done with corn planting. And he tells Brownfield if he’s able to duck forecasted rains this weekend… “If we could just keep rolling, I think we’ve got a good shot at getting the vast majority of this crop in here in the next three, […]

New Zealand has invoked dispute settlement proceedings against Canada under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP agreement.  The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand issued a statement saying Canada’s approach to trade agreement dairy quotas breaks the rules and severely restricts market access.  Chairman Malcolm Bailey says Canadian domestic processors sit on unused dairy quota allocation and have no interest in giving consumers access to New […]

A specialty cheese plant is being acquired by Sargento Foods. Plymouth, Wisconsin based Sargento says they’ve signed an agreement to add Baker Cheese Factory in St. Cloud, Wisconsin to their family. Baker Cheese Factory is a four-generation business that started in 1916 and is a leading on-the-go mozzarella string cheese producer selling products in all 50 states.  They employ 250 people. The terms of the deal have not been announced. […]