Agriculture

Soybeans are traded lower on profit taking. Covid related lockdowns continue in China with Shanghai, its largest city, still closed. Despite the lockdown, USDA announced this morning that China purchased another 145,000 tons of old crop U.S. soybeans. South American crops have been diminishing which the market is expecting to be reflected in USDA’s global supply and demand report Friday; an extreme or minor drop in South American crop expectations […]

Commentary. We have all heard commercials for anti-anxiety and weight-loss drugs advertised on television. They almost have you hooked until you listen to the disclaimers that end with something like, “If you develop a rash, diarrhea, constipation, high fever, severe pain in your abdomen, lose all feeling in your right arm, or harbor suicidal thoughts after taking this medicine, consult your physician immediately?”  The health problem you are treating does […]

Farmers in priority watersheds across Michigan can again enroll in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program after a six-year pause. Michigan’s Farm Service Agency executive director Tim Boring tells Brownfield contracts are available for up to 15 years in the Western Lake Erie Basin, Lake Macatawa, and Saginaw Bay watersheds. “Farmers can implement conservation practices including filter strips, buffers, sediment control, field windbreaks, wetland restoration, and super buffers,” he explains. The […]

May corn closed at $7.56 and 1/2, down 3 and 1/4 centsMay soybeans closed at $16.19 and 1/2, down 11 and 1/2 centsMay soybean meal closed at $461.80, up $4.10May soybean oil closed at $71.83, down 58 pointsMay wheat closed at $10.38 and 1/4, down 7 centsApr. live cattle closed at $137.70, up 90 centsJune lean hogs closed at $114.70, up 35 centsApr. ...

A mid-Michigan farmer says the season is starting off a few weeks behind normal and wet. Tim Boring tells Brownfield he’s especially watching how the wheat crop progresses. “I believe we haven’t had this poor of wheat in the good and excellent category going back to something like 1996, and we have a lot of wheat in the poor, very poor category,” he says. Boring says because of delayed plantings […]

The U.S. Dairy Export Council says increasing global commodity prices and strong sales of high-value dairy products are driving increases in export values. Total export values for February were up 23 percent from 2021 to a record $696.8 million while the volume declined by one percent. The council says exports of butterfat hit an eight-year high, up 75 percent, lactose was up 15 percent, and cheese set a new volume […]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle closed higher and feeders were mostly higher watching corn, and waiting for the rest of the week’s direct cash business to develop. June live cattle closed $.90 higher at $134.22 and August live cattle closed $1.05 higher at $135.70.  May feeder cattle closed $.95 higher at $159.95 and August feeder cattle closed $1.32 higher at $172.70.  Direct cash cattle trade was quiet on […]

A dealer for grain storage and drying systems says farmers need to plan far in advance of building new facilities. Chad Droessler with Schultz’s Interstate Ag in Monroe, Wisconsin says, “Right now, things are looking a year, a year plus out.” Droessler tells Brownfield more and more farmers want to have their grain stored at home because of rising prices at the cooperatives and commercial elevators. “If you look at […]

Cost and input availability are causing an Ohio farmer to pull back his corn acres this year. Nathan Eckel farms in the Western Lake Erie Basin.  “We’re going to be heavy on beans this year, just because of input prices,” he says.  “I spent the same amount of money on nitrogen this year and got half the product.” But, he tells Brownfield the rising costs are also impacting how he’s […]