The chief risk officer for Compeer Financial wonders how much the conflict in Ukraine might shift the scales of grain trade. Bill Moore tells Brownfield Ukraine represents about 15 percent of global corn exports. “While most of that is to Africa, the Middle East and China, we all know corn is a global commodity and like water, if you drain it in one place it will just flow and equalize. […]
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle ended the day mixed, adjusting spreads. June live cattle closed $.27 lower at $133.82 and August live cattle closed $.25 lower at $135.85. May feeder cattle closed $.10 lower at $159.37 and August feeder cattle closed $.72 lower at $173.55. It was a quiet end to the week for direct cash cattle trade activity following several days of light to moderate […]
A Northwestern Missouri farmer says it’s too cold and too dry to start planting. Richard Oswald tells Brownfield he wanted to start planting next week. “I took the soil temperature in the field I wanted start at, and it was 40 degrees at two inches. Things aren’t really warming up.” He says he’s received a couple of quarter-inch rains, but that hasn’t added up to much. “We aren’t really seeing […]
May corn closed at $7.68 and 3/4, up 11 centsMay soybeans closed at $16.89, up 43 and 1/2 centsMay soybean meal closed at $468.20, up $8May soybean oil closed at $75.12, up 210 pointsMay wheat closed at $10.51 and 1/2, up 31 and 1/2 centsApr. live cattle closed at $137.82, down 17 centsJune lean hogs closed at $114.57, up 42 centsApr. ...
Planting is underway for an Eastern Kansas farmer. Lance Rezac says he started today. “(We) started planting corn. Our insurance date is here. The ground is really dry and mellow and it’s working well.” He tells Brownfield there’s adequate soil moisture. “We got a couple of good snows in March that actually gave us moisture and we have some moisture to work with now,” Rezac says. “It is really dry. […]
A former Monsanto employee has been sentenced by a federal court in Missouri for trying to sell trade secrets of The Climate Corporation to China. Xiang Haitao plead guilty in January to economic espionage after trying to leave the U.S. for China in 2017 with a proprietary predictive algorithm, the Nutrient Optimizer, used in The Climate Corporation’s online platform. Haitao will serve 29 months in prison followed by three years […]
Wisconsin has confirmed its third case of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Kevin Hoffman with The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection tells Brownfield the third case is at a non-commercial farm with about 200 turkeys and ducks south of Milwaukee. Hoffman says the birds have already been depopulated and cleanup efforts continue. The ag department is encouraging flock owners to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures […]
Soybeans were able to gain support following USDA’s World Ag Supply and Demand report that came out ahead of midday on Friday. USDA’s estimated soybean ending stocks fell 25 million bushels from last month to 260 million. The Buenos Aires Grain exchange recently lowered its soybean ratings further, adding support into the market. CONAB, Brazil’s equivalent of the USDA, recently lowered its soybean production estimate to 122.4 million metric tons. […]
The agriculture education sector is turning to industry professionals to fill a large number of open teaching positions. Lisa Oellerich, President of the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers tells Brownfield in their state alone, “We have 68 openings and there are approximately 30 graduates to fill those openings.” She says the teaching vacancies are from retirements, teachers leaving the field during and after the pandemic, and growth in ag […]
