Agriculture

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Dan Maffei says shipping container problems were COVID triggered as the amount of demand for imported consumer goods rose. He tells Brownfield, “Frankly, it went up to such an extent that it has crowded out some other important imports, but it’s also even crowded out exports.” Maffei tells Brownfield the shortage of containers is not as bad now, but problems with logistics remain including early return […]

Several state corn and soybean groups are suing the EPA over its revised greenhouse gas emissions standards that would focus clean energy efforts on electric vehicles. The groups’ petitions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia argue the rule change would be detrimental to the biofuel sector by only allowing electric vehicles. Missouri Corn Growers President Bradley Schad calls the proposed rule “an extensional threat” to […]

South Dakota officials are overseeing the depopulation of a mixed poultry operation after high-path avian influenza was confirmed over the weekend. Dr. Mendel Miller is the Assistant State Veterinarian for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board.  He tells Brownfield, “It’s a mixed poultry operation so there’s a mixture of turkeys and chickens. Overall, we’re looking at close to 50,000 total.” Miller tells Brownfield poultry producers large and small should be […]

Highly pathogenic avian flu has been detected in a commercial turkey flock in northwest Iowa. This is the second case of the H5N1 virus being found in the state and the first time a commercial facility has tested positive for the disease since 2015. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has established a surveillance and control zone around the confirmed location. Iowa Turkey Federation director Gretta Irwin says […]

Getting shipping containers into the heartland to help move U.S. agricultural exports has been a two-year challenge, but one logistics expert sees improvement coming soon.  Jason Hilsenbeck with Drayage.com tells Brownfield many twenty and forty-foot shipping containers commonly used for international shipments have had loads transferred as soon as they’re off the ship to rapidly send empty containers back. He says, “You need the import loads arriving intact and not […]

The CEO of a farm credit cooperative says farmer-members are adjusting to input price-hikes and shortages. Rod Hebrink with Compeer Financial tells Brownfield while commodity prices are high, the cost of nearly every input has risen dramatically. “And there are supply chain challenges. So in some cases it’s going to be a concern about whether we can actually get the products regardless of the price level. But producers are planning […]

Soybeans were mixed, with nearby contracts weak. Soybeans adjusted spreads and took profits, continuing to monitor conditions in South America. AgRural pegs production at 122.8 million tons, compared to the previous projection of 128.5 million, due to drought conditions impacting southern Brazil. Those have also affected production in Argentina and Paraguay. China bought 132,000 tons of U.S. beans, half old crop, half new crop, the seventh business day in a […]

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Dan Maffei says shipping container problems were COVID triggered as the amount of demand for imported consumer goods rose. He tells Brownfield, “Frankly, it went up to such an extent that it has crowded out some other important imports, but it’s also even crowded out exports.” Maffei tells Brownfield the shortage of containers is not as bad now, but problems with logistics remain including early return […]

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures were sharply higher, with boxed beef up at midday, getting ready for the week’s direct business. April live was up $2.12 at $137.90 and June was $1.40 higher at $133.92. March feeders were $1.47 higher at $154.60 and April was up $2.42 at $159.67. Direct cash cattle markets were quiet. This week’s show list looks mixed, higher in Kansas, but lower in […]