Ag Groups Urge U.S. to Drop Phosphate Fertilizer Tariffs on Morocco, Russia Imports
More than 60 agricultural organizations, including USA Rice, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association, have asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to lift countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco and Russia. The groups argue that the tariffs protect a handful of dominant producers and restrict supply options for American farmers. They contend that eliminating the duties would broaden the market, lower costs, and improve resilience amid rising fertilizer prices. The request will be considered during the department’s upcoming sunset review.
New H-2A Legislation Coming: GOP Ag Lawmakers Target Year-Round Farm Labor Needs & Cost Controls
U.S. House Republican agriculture leaders are drafting legislation to broaden the H‑2A guest‑worker program, allowing contracts that extend beyond the current 12‑month limit. The Department of Labor’s recent adjustment to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate aligns H‑2A wages more closely...
Early Fertilizer Buy Saves Minnesota Farmer From Price Spike Pain
Minnesota farmer George Goblish bought all his fertilizer in the fall, shielding his 2026 corn‑soybean operation from a sharp price surge. Current fertilizer costs are described as outrageously high, forcing growers to reconsider planting decisions. The inflated prices could tilt...
Sugarbeet Growers Planting at a Loss After $500 Million in the Red in 2025
American Sugarbeet Growers Association reports that beet farmers lost an average of $500 per acre in 2025, a loss driven by a 30% drop in sugar prices and a 40% rise in input costs. The financial strain is compounded by...
Cattle, Hog Futures Lower Heading Into Friday
Cattle and lean‑hog futures fell on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as traders awaited the USDA On‑Feed report. Live cattle dropped $2.12 to $233.27 and feeder cattle slipped $6.07 to $347.75, while lean‑hog contracts were $1.70 lower at $92.05. Cash markets...
Farm Bureau Opposes Proposed Railroad Merger
The American Farm Bureau Federation has publicly opposed the pending merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Farm Bureau economist Danny Munch warns that the consolidation could repeat service reliability problems seen after the 1996 UP‑Southern Pacific merger, which stalled...
Corn Growers Pushing for More Support for Lock Improvements
Illinois Corn Growers Association President Mark Bunselmeyer announced that the National Corn Growers Association is pressing Congress for a stable funding source to modernize America’s inland waterway locks. The group backs the Water Resource Development Act, which would channel the...
Young Cattle Producers Face Historic Barriers to Entry, but Opportunities Still Exist
Jackie Moore, owner of Joplin Regional Stockyards, warns that entering the cattle industry is tougher than ever for young producers. He highlights steep land costs, high cattle purchase prices, and the need for sophisticated financing to succeed. Moore advises newcomers...
Lawsuit Filed over 2024 Iowa Fertilizer Spill
A conservation group sued NEW Cooperative over a 2024 fertilizer spill in Red Oak, Iowa, where 1,500 tons (about 265,000 gallons) of liquid nitrogen fertilizer leaked from an above‑ground tank. The discharge killed more than 750,000 fish along a 50‑mile...
House Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on WTO Reform as U.S. Agriculture Continues to Face Trade Challenges
The House Ways and Means trade subcommittee held a hearing on March 17 to examine WTO reform amid persistent challenges for U.S. agriculture. Chairman Adrian Smith urged the organization to address non‑tariff barriers that now limit market access. Former Trump...
U.S. Exploring Venezuelan Fertilizer Purchases
The U.S. Treasury is expanding sanction waivers to allow imports of Venezuelan fertilizer as part of a broader effort to curb soaring input costs for American farmers. The move follows comments from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins that the administration is...
Hawley Questions Top Fertilizer Companies on Price Spikes
Senator Josh Hawley sent letters to the five largest U.S. fertilizer producers—CF Industries, Mosaic, Koch Fertilizer, Nutrien and Yara—demanding an explanation for a sharp two‑week price surge. He warned that any exploitation of the Iran conflict to justify higher prices...
Leaders in Ag and Manufacturing Stress Stability of USMCA
Leaders in agriculture and manufacturing emphasized the stability of the US‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA) as essential to North‑American supply chains. Soybean exports to Mexico have quadrupled and to Canada doubled since the pact took effect, while Canadian pork and cross‑border equipment...
‘Failure to Warn’ Bill Clears Missouri Senate Ag Committee
Missouri’s Senate Agriculture Committee approved SB 1005, a "failure‑to‑warn" bill that treats federally approved pesticides, including glyphosate, as meeting state cancer‑warning requirements. The measure, backed by farmer‑senators Jason Bean and Kurtis Gregory, aims to give growers certainty about glyphosate use across...
Cash Dairy Prices Mostly Lower Wednesday
Cash dairy prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange were largely lower on Wednesday. Dry whey held steady at $0.64, while 40‑lb cheese blocks fell $0.04 to about $1.51 and cheese barrels slipped to $1.5125 with no trades. Butter declined $0.0425...
Midday Cash Livestock Markets
Midday cash livestock markets showed modest declines in live and dressed cattle prices, with live cattle at $235 and Nebraska dressed cattle at $372, each down $5‑$8 from the prior week. Calf and heifer prices were mixed, favoring lighter weights...
Biomanufacturing Seen as Key for Driving Domestic Crop Demand
Biomanufacturing is being positioned as a catalyst for domestic demand of row crops, according to Beth Conerty of the iFAB tech hub. By converting corn dextrose and soy‑based glycerol into value‑added chemicals, fuels, and ingredients, the sector creates new revenue...
Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act Targets DEF Issues for Farmers
The U.S. Senate is reviewing the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act, which would direct the EPA to modify regulations so diesel engines in agricultural equipment are not forced into automatic shutdown or derate mode due to diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)...
Former Ag Secretary Says Tariffs Threaten Key Export Markets
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman warned that presidential tariffs are endangering key export markets, especially for soybeans. He highlighted that U.S. agriculture relies heavily on overseas sales and that recent tariff measures have squeezed demand and farmgate prices....
Markets Watching for Trade Developments Ahead of Trump-Xi Talks
Agricultural markets are closely monitoring the upcoming face‑to‑face meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of March. The talks follow a late‑October summit that produced a trade framework committing China to 25 million...
Soybeans, Corn, Wheat See More Support From Drop in the Dollar
Grain prices surged as a weaker U.S. dollar boosted soybeans, corn and wheat, pushing them to multi‑month highs. Technical and commercial buying, reinforced by stronger crude oil and expectations of renewed Chinese soybean demand, drove the rally. Weather concerns in...
Corteva Agriscience Expert Warns 2026 Will Be Challenging, Urges Growers to Prioritize Pre-Emergence and Product Stewardship
Corteva Agriscience’s expert warns that 2026 will be a tough year for growers across all regions, emphasizing the need to invest in pre‑emergence weed control and robust product stewardship rather than cutting costs on cheap post‑emergence applications. He highlights how...
Drought Relief Could Be Coming Soon for Much of the Midwest
The Midwestern Regional Climate Center warns that more than 70% of the Midwest remains in moderate to extreme drought after a dry winter. New weather models, however, project several inches of rain across the Eastern Corn Belt in March, offering...
Cumulative Broiler Placements 2% Ahead of Last Year
The USDA reports that broiler hatchery activity is 2 percent ahead of 2025, with 254.46 million eggs set and a hatchability rate of 78.5 percent. Placements rose to 193.98 million chicks, up 1.532 million week‑over‑week and 2 percent year‑over‑year. State data show Arkansas leading placements while...
Brazil’s Record Soybean Harvest Adds Pressure to U.S. Prices
Brazil's soybean harvest hit record levels in 2026, with unprecedented acreage, yield, and total production. The surge creates a global surplus that could flatten U.S. soybean price expectations for the upcoming season. Economist Chad Hart notes the bounty mirrors last...
AMVAC Unveils New Rootworm Control Product at 2026 Commodity Classic
American Vanguard (AMVAC) highlighted its new Duro LQ product at the 2026 Commodity Classic, emphasizing its dual action against rootworms and nematodes. The company stressed its commitment to delivering proven, competitively priced solutions that boost farmer profitability, and noted that...
Feeder Cattle Mixed Waiting on Direct Trade
Live cattle futures closed about $1.02 higher, while feeder cattle slipped modestly, leaving the market mixed ahead of anticipated direct‑trade activity later in the week. Direct cash cattle trading was quiet on Tuesday, with no bids or offers surfacing. At...
Are Flex-Fuel Vehicles Making a Comeback?
Chevrolet is re‑launching flex‑fuel vehicles (FFVs) equipped with a 1.3‑liter engine, marking the first standard‑fit FFVs since 2026. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) highlights California’s dominant E85 market and urges other OEMs, including Toyota and Honda, to follow suit. Nationwide...
Revenue Protection: Soybeans Gain, Corn Lower
Revenue protection guarantees are rising for soybeans and slipping for corn as the 2026 spring price outlook solidifies. Soybean prices hit $11.09 per bushel, roughly five percent above last year, while corn settled at $4.62, just eight cents lower. Higher...
FAPRI: E15 Expansion Could Boost Corn, Cut Soybean Prices
The University of Missouri’s Food and Ag Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) projects that expanding year‑round E15 gasoline could lift corn demand, nudging corn prices up 2 to 7 cents per bushel, while pushing soybean prices down 9 to 22 cents...
Missouri Farmer Says Growing Global Competition Makes Boosting Demand for U.S. Corn More Critical than Ever
Missouri farmer Brian Willott warns that Brazil’s expanding double‑cropping of corn and soy is intensifying global competition for U.S. grain. He argues that U.S. corn’s quality edge must be leveraged to secure premium prices and new export markets. Willott also...
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: February 27, 2026
U.S. grain futures closed modestly higher on Feb. 27, 2026, with March corn up 5.4 cents to $4.38, soybeans gaining 9.5 cents to $11.57, and Chicago wheat rising 19.5 cents to $5.91 per bushel. Rough rice also posted a 45‑cent...
Vance Addresses Ag Concerns in Post-SOTU Speech
Vice President J.D. Vance used a post‑State of the Union stop in Plover, Wisconsin, to spotlight the farm commodity‑price crisis and rising input costs. He promised continued bipartisan efforts with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to keep farmers afloat amid low...
Soybeans, Corn Find Support From Short Covering, Dollar Weakness
Soybeans and corn rallied on short covering and a weaker U.S. dollar, lifting both grain complexes despite mixed weather signals. Brazil’s soybean harvest is progressing, but export forecasts were trimmed to 10.69 million tons, while Argentina’s rain benefits later‑planted beans. Traders...
Ethanol Numbers Mixed on Week, Year, but Do Show some Positives
U.S. ethanol production held steady at 1.113 million barrels per day, slipping 5,000 barrels from the prior week but climbing 32,000 barrels year‑over‑year as plants chase demand. Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development reported improved operating margins...
Live Cattle Mostly Higher, Hogs Rally Despite Uneven Pork Demand
Live cattle futures on the CME edged higher on Tuesday, with April contracts down $0.15 to $239.10 and June up $0.10 to $235.55, while feeder cattle prices rebounded sharply. Cash cattle trade remained muted, as bids and offers were not...
USDA Seeks Input on Data Reporting as Farmer Trust Concerns Grow
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a 45‑day Request for Information to gather public input on improving its market data reporting. Farmers have voiced growing distrust, citing confusing acreage updates in the 2025 corn report and perceived gaps between supply...
Pork in Cold Storage Rises Above Year Ago Levels
U.S. pork cold‑storage rose 1 % year‑over‑year to 410.404 million pounds in February, driven by gains in butts and bone‑in hams despite a dip in overall pork production. Beef inventories fell 4 % YoY, pulling total red‑meat stocks 2 % below last year’s level....
More Cheese, Less Butter in Cold Storage Last Month
The USDA reported that U.S. cold‑storage cheese inventories rose modestly in January, reaching 1.38 billion pounds, up from 1.37 billion pounds a year earlier. By contrast, butter stocks fell to 215.4 million pounds, down 45 million pounds from the same month last year but...
Eastern Arkansas Faces Sharp Decline in Rice Plantings
Eastern Arkansas rice growers are projected to plant only 900,000‑925,000 acres this spring, a sharp drop from the usual 1.3‑1.4 million and the lowest level since the 1983 Payment‑in‑Kind program. AgHeritage Farm Credit’s Greg Cole attributes the decline to persistently...
USDA Reports Good Start to Egg Production in 2026
The USDA reported that U.S. egg production began 2026 on a strong footing, with 9.196 billion eggs produced in January, a 2% year‑over‑year increase. Both the total number of laying hens and output per 100 hens rose about 1%, reaching 374.6 million...
U.S. Crop Sector Expected to Face a Challenging 2026
U.S. crop producers face a tough 2026 as input costs stay elevated and policy uncertainty squeezes margins, according to Ohio State economist Carl Zulauf. He highlights that the global stocks‑to‑use ratio now outweighs domestic ratios in determining profitability. USDA chief...
USDA Reports a Big Week for U.S. Corn Export Inspections
The USDA reported a record week of U.S. corn export inspections, with more than 2 million tons shipped out of ports during the week ending Feb 19. Japan, South Korea and Mexico accounted for the bulk of the shipments, underscoring strong Asian...
January Milk Production Rises as USDA Reports Four Percent of Dairies Closed
U.S. milk production rose 3.2% in January, reaching nearly 20 billion pounds, while per‑cow output increased by 24 pounds. The dairy herd expanded by 200,000 head to 9.15 million, despite a 4% drop in licensed dairy farms for 2025. Kansas and South Dakota...
U.S. Poultry Production Falls to Start 2026
U.S. poultry production slipped in January 2026, with the USDA reporting 4.49 billion pounds certified wholesome—a 3% year‑over‑year decline. Chicken output fell 3% to 4.081 billion pounds, while turkey production dropped 4% to 398.6 million pounds. The contraction stems from slower processing speeds...
Soybean Growers Applaud Court Ruling, Warn Against New Trump Tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump cannot invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on agricultural inputs. The decision overturns several IEEPA tariffs on fertilizer and farm equipment, a relief for soybean growers. Despite the...
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: February 20, 2026
On February 20, 2026, U.S. grain and livestock futures showed mixed movement. Corn edged higher to $4.27, while soybeans slipped to $11.37 and soybean meal rose to $309.80. Livestock prices fell, with live cattle at $242 and feeder cattle at...
Cattle Futures Mixed Ahead of On Feed Report
Live cattle prices slipped modestly on the CME, with April contracts down $0.27 to $242.52 and June contracts down $0.02 to $238.42. Feeder cattle also fell, March contracts losing $0.40 to settle at $370.57. The market is largely waiting for...
Dairy Margin Coverage Signup Slow in the Dairy State
Most Wisconsin dairy producers have yet to enroll in the USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, with only 1,616 of the state’s 5,116 licensed farms—31.5%—signed up as of Feb 17. The enrollment deadline is Feb 26, prompting FSA officials and risk‑management advisors...
Export Momentum Carries Corn Market Into New Year
U.S. corn prices remain buoyed by robust export demand that persisted into early 2025, according to Compeer Financial economist Megan Roberts. While prices are still below target levels, the export momentum offsets downward pressure. Roberts noted that a nationwide E15...