Agriculture & Agricultural Markets (Test)
Test list, mainly US-focused. Farming, commodity market news, harvests, machinery, policy and farm management.
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State and private programs helping to fill conservation assistance demand
The Midwest regional director with American Farmland Trust says efforts to implement more conservation practices are paying off. Kris Reynolds, who’s also a central Illinois farmer, says farmer interest in traditional government conservation programs continues to outpace available funding. “The federal programs like EQIP and CSP, around 15% of the farmers got approved for funding,
Midday cash livestock markets
Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade opened 1.07 lower at 52.54 per hundredweight, the West was down 1.30 at 52.56, and the East was up .49 at 52.04. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady at 48.00 to 51.00. Country movement on Monday was moderate and carcass value was basically unchanged. Three
Brazil soybean planting progresses, but November weather raises concerns
An atmospheric scientist says timely rains are helping soybean planting progress in Brazil. However, Eric Snodgrass with Nutrien Ag Solutions tells Brownfield… “The rain coming into those big growing areas in Brazil are coming in on fronts, not monsoon yet.” He says a typical El Nino year can slow monsoon rains, and he’ll be watching
More concerns about moisture than freeze for the winter wheat
A farmer and a wheat specialist say the cooler temperatures moving into South Dakota this week aren’t expected to damage the emerging winter wheat. “The winter wheat can handle a lot of the cold weather, so I don’t think we’re going to get cold enough to damage the crop,” says Jon Kleinjan with the South
Nebraska Senator pushes cattle industry reform package
A Senator from Nebraska says works needs to continue to address challenges in the cattle sector. Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts says his Rebuild the American Herd plan would provide policies that provide competition and stability. “Allow ranchers to be able to expand the herd so that we can long-term help mitigate beef prices for families.” He
Producers skeptical of USDA’s higher Nebraska corn yield forecast
Some Nebraska farmers say they’re in disbelief that USDA sharply increased the state’s projected corn yield in the latest supply and demand report. “It’s a bit shocking still.” Falls City producer Logan Bredemeier says he’s not sure why the agency raised corn yields 11 bushels per acre in one month. “Some people picked 125-bushel corn
Escalating input costs heighten calls for new farm bill
The president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says high costs of production are squeezing margins in all sectors of agriculture. Brad Olson, who farms in Polk County, says record high diesel costs impact both crop and livestock operations. “There’s never a good time to have diesel prices high as they are now but certainly
CONAB sees sizable soybean, corn crops in Brazil
Brazil’s equivalent of the USDA is projecting big corn and soybean crops as planting starts to pick up steam in South America. CONAB sees soybeans at a record 181.617 million tons, up 0.7% on the year, and corn at a combined 148.016 million tons, an increase of 2.4%, with higher planted area expected to cancel
New energy projects are driving land-use challenges in Indiana
The leader of the Indiana Rural Land Use Council says growing energy demand is reshaping land-use conversations across the state. Cary Aubrey says communities are working to balance economic development and farmland preservation. “Community leaders need to educate themselves on all projects to ensure that they see the real numbers, and that the conversation stays
Corn was mixed overnight
Brownfield Commodity Market Reporter John Perkins has your look at the mixed overnight trade in corn and wheat, the losses in soybeans, and what cattle and hogs might be monitoring.
Cattle were lower at midweek
Brownfield Commodity Market Reporter John Perkins has your look at Wednesday’s losses in cattle, corn, and soybeans, and the mixed finishes for hogs and wheat. December corn $4.80 and ¾ down $.02November soybeans $12.77 and ¼ down $.06 and 1/2December soybean meal $364.50 up $1.30December soybean oil 67.06 down 96 pointsDecember Chicago wheat $6.73 and
Cattle futures move lower at midweek
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were lower, waiting on direct business to develop. December live cattle closed $1.25 lower at $225.12 and February live cattle closed $1.15 lower at $227.42. November feeder cattle closed $2.57 lower at $338.45 and January feeder cattle closed $2.25 lower at $333.60. Direct cash cattle trade
Great Plains Grassland Fund to support ranchers and conserve native grasslands
A regional director with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation says a new $18 million fund is aimed at helping ranchers and landowners conserve native grasslands. Chris West, Rocky Mountain regional director with NFWF, says up to $10 million in the Great Plains Grassland Fund, a partnership between the organization, the Walmart Foundation, McDonald’s USA,
Data center proposals raise questions about farmland values
Data centers continue to be a contentious issue in many rural areas. Compeer Financial certified general appraiser Aaron Stark is based in southeast Minnesota where he says several projects have been proposed. “That’s a real hot-button issue right now. It’s hard to say what exactly it does for (farmland) values because a lot of the
Soybeans, corn extend week’s losses
Soybeans were lower on fund and technical selling. Parts of the region will see near-term harvest delays, but conditions generally look drier after that. Beans are also monitoring planting in Brazil ahead of CONAB’s update Thursday. The USDA’s next look at supply, demand, and production is out November 10th. China bought 470,000 tons of U.S.
Soybean discoloration spreading across Corn Belt, raising quality concerns
The CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association says soybean discoloration seems to be happening in more areas of the Corn Belt and at higher levels than in recent years. “We’ve heard about it being reported in multiple states and from what we’re hearing it seems to be hop scotching,” says Mike Seyfert. He
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: October 14, 2026
Dec. corn $4.80 and 3/4, down 2 centsNov. soybeans $12.77 and 1/4, down 6 and 1/2 centsDec. soybean meal $364.50, up $1.30Dec. soybean oil 67.06, down 96 pointsDec. Chicago wheat $6.73 and 1/4, up 4 centsDec. live cattle $225.12, down $1.25Nov. feeder cattle $338.45, down $2.57Dec. lean hogs $66.07, down $1.95Nov. Class III milk closed
Southwest Minnesota farmer reports soybean quality issues after wet stretch
A wet start to harvest is raising corn and soybean grain quality concerns. Southwest Minnesota grower Matt Widboom says from mid-August through mid-September his area received 13 inches of rain. “So that really took our crop out of a drought and tried to get some crops growing again, and so that has (created) all kinds
Broilers see continued push from demand expectations
Broiler hatchery numbers continue to point to year-over-year gains in production as the industry pushes to meet demand. Consumer demand for protein is generally strong and chicken is a competitively priced meat. The USDA says 190.295 million broiler-type chicks were placed into meat production, up 1.115 million on the week and 1% higher on the
U.S. crop production pushing grain storage capacity
An agricultural economist with the University of Illinois says continued production gains are putting U.S. grain storage capacity at a premium. Joe Janzen says last year’s record crop pushed total storage capacity utilized to 80%, a new record. “Where the potential demand for storage, where we have a big crop and maybe big carry in
Rural 1st, National 4-H Council expand ag youth programming with $500,000 investment
A new partnership between Rural 1st and the National 4-H Council is helping expand youth development programming nationwide. Hannah Walker, community investment manager with Farm Credit Mid-America, says the $500,000 investment will help fund the organization’s Lead to Change and Ignite by 4-H programs. “The goal of these programs is to ensure that students are beyond
Cheese prices up, nonfat dry milk declines Wednesday at CME
Cash dairy prices were mostly up Wednesday at the CME. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.8850. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were up $0.0875 to $1.53. Nine sales were reported ranging from $1.50 to $1.53. Cheese barrels were unchanged at $1.4525. No sales were reported. Butter was up $0.0350 to $1.3050. No sales were reported. Nonfat dry milk was down $0.05
NFU says feedback on unfair ag equipment supply chain practices could invoke real change
The president of the National Farmers Union says a federal request for information on the agricultural equipment sector gives producers an opportunity to voice concerns about anticompetitive behavior. Rob Larew tells Brownfield, “We’ve lost tons of farmers through these anti-competitive behaviors.” “We are really hopeful now that the attention has been put on the markets,
Energy department funding to improve U.S. fertilizer supply chain
The US Department of Energy is investing $60 million dollars to help the ag industry diversify its chemical and fertilizer production. Undersecretary Audrey Robertson says the U.S. is too dependent on other countries and it’s time to change that. “We think there are a number of pathways where agriculture products can be the base resource
Agronomist says grain elevators largely accepting affected soybeans
An agronomist with Hoegemeyer says he’s been tracking grain quality reports. Eric Solberg says concerns have been prevalent in soybeans. “That two and a half to three weeks of wet weather we had, especially on the early season soybeans that were planted early, yeah, there was some issues with purpling on there,” he said. “Cercospora
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grants building food supply chain resilience
The USDA has awarded $86.6 million in Specialty Crop Block Grants to more than 600 projects across the U.S. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins tells Brownfield, “A lot of that work that we’re doing right now is focused on research about promotion, about education, and about resiliency in the food supply
Growers shifting focus to corn harvest across Upper Midwest
An agronomy specialist says farmers in the Upper Midwest are trying to gain traction on harvest after a difficult start to the season. Todd McRoberts, corn technical product lead for Syngenta, tells Brownfield, “People got into September there and everyone was (excited) to harvest and all of a sudden we just hit a rainy period
Midday cash livestock markets
Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade opened 1.07 lower at 52.54 per hundredweight, the West was down 1.30 at 52.56, and the East was up .49 at 52.04. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady at 48.00 to 51.00. Country movement on Monday was moderate and carcass value was basically unchanged. Three
Harvest progress looking good in northwest Iowa, agronomist says
An agronomist says the harvest pace has picked up steam in northwest Iowa. Hoegemeyer’s Eric Solberg says the weather conditions have been cooperating. “If we get another three days of running, I think the beans 85 to 90 percent will get done. If you look at corn, what wasn’t taken for silage or high moisture,
Indiana Farm Bureau targets market access and property tax reform in 2027 policy agenda
The executive director of public policy at Indiana Farm Bureau says supporting the state’s ag industry remains a top priority for the organization in 2027. Katie Nelson says creating new opportunities for farmers starts with adequate funding for state programs. “This really speaks to the core mission of our membership,” she says. “We want investments
South Dakota farmer reports below-average soybean yields after dry growing season
A farmer in southeast South Dakota says he’s been harvesting below average soybeans. Matt Bainbridge says the dry growing season didn’t help with pod fill. “We’ve got yields quite a bit below average here,” he says. “Probably two-thirds or three-quarters of actual production history the way it looks on soybeans. Corn is going to be
Missouri farm finances could improve in 2026 despite low farmer sentiment
An extension ag economist says Missouri’s farm financial picture for 2026 could be better than farmer sentiment suggests. “We got farmer bridge assistance program payments at the beginning of the year, crop prices rallied and many operations had already bought some of their inputs before the runup in costs this spring, and yields were good
Why higher farm safety net payments may not improve farm profitability
Record farm program payments are raising questions about the effectiveness of the federal farm safety net. In the latest Inside D.C., Brad Lubben with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln says stronger payments, due in part to an increase in reference prices, won’t necessarily address the underlying financial challenges facing farmers. “The margins are just as tight
Illinois launches new grain storage loan program
The director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says a new pilot program is aimed at making it easier for the state’s farmers to increase their grain storage capacity. Jerry Costello says the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) is partnering with private institutions to provide producers with additional lending options. “It’s $2 million, and it’s a
Record-high diesel prices adding additional costs for farmers during harvest
Record-high diesel prices adding additional costs for farmers during harvest An ag economist says record-high diesel prices are forcing farmers to take a closer look at their grain marketing plans this fall. David Widmar with Agricultural Economic Insights says it’s increased transportation costs by an extra 11 cents per bushel. “Think about how you want
Soybeans were up overnight
Brownfield Commodity Market Reporter John Perkins has your look at the firm overnight trade in soybeans, the mixed activity in corn and wheat, and what cattle and hogs might be watching at midweek.
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