News

A disturbance producing heavy rain in southern and coastal Texas will drift eastward and weaken, with additional amounts of 2 to 4 inches possible in the western and central Gulf Coast States.  Meanwhile, active weather will expand in the vicinity of a frontal boundary draped across the northern U.S.  During...

A cooperative leader says so far, the flow of agricultural products is going smoothly this spring. Joshua Grunnet with Alcivia Cooperative tells Brownfield they’ve been able to move fertilizer all winter. “We’ll take inbound rail and we’ll take as much as we can off the Illinois River.” Grunnet says when...

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were higher, getting ready for widespread direct business. April live cattle closed $2.47 higher at $209.55 and June live cattle closed $2.77 higher at $205.80.  April feeder cattle closed $1.67 higher at $287.55 and May feeder cattle closed $1.35 higher at...

The retiring head of the Wisconsin Agribusiness Association and former feed mill manager says the new tariffs on Canadian products that start in April will likely cause a shift in livestock feed use. Tom Bresner tells Brownfield canola meal has been a low-cost protein source popular with producers, but that’s...

Soybeans were higher on commercial and technical buying. Beans followed bean oil, which was supported by global demand expectations. Soybean oil was one of the few major commodities to see an improvement in the week export sales report and nearing the halfway point of 2024/25, the pace is considerably faster...

May corn closed at $4.50, down 1 and 1/4 centsMay soybeans closed at $10.16 and 3/4, up 15 and 3/4 centsMay soybean meal closed at $294.50, up 90 centsMay soybean oil closed at 44.27, up 163 pointsMay wheat closed at $5.32, down 3 and 1/4 centsApr. live cattle closed at...

The U.S. hog herd got a little bit smaller over the past year and could see further declines. The USDA says the domestic hog and pig inventory on March 1st, 2025 was 74.512 million head, slightly below March 1st, 2024, when many analysts had been expecting an increase. That included...

A U.S. Representative from Iowa says she’s encouraged by farm bill progress in Congress. Republican Ashley Hinson tells Brownfield she’s optimistic a new five-year farm bill can get completed before the current extension expires in September. “We’re talking about the need to make sure certainty is in place with crop...

An ag economist says the wheat markets have been hesitant amid some Black Sea uncertainty. University of Missouri’s Ben Brown says, “There was a lot of talk around the Russia-Ukraine situation. The U.S. was in Saudi Arabia with Russia trying to broker a peace deal. It seems like there’s some...

Another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in Indiana.  The state board of animal health says HPAI was found in a commercial table egg pullet facility in northeast Indiana. Denise Derrer Spears says additional cases could impact efforts to rebuild the state’s poultry sector. “The illness is...

Photo provided by the Indiana Soybean Alliance. A group of Purdue University students developed a non-plastic soy-based wrap that won top prize at the 31st annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition. Purdue University environmental and natural resources engineering sophomore Claire Eckhardt explains the product.  “SoyShield is a self adhesive, flexible thermoplastic...

Sorghum is expected to be an attractive crop for areas experiencing drier than usual field conditions. Bryan Thomas with DEKALB says there are two new varieties of sorghum available in 2025. He says DKS49-76 and DKS43-76 have done well in field trials. The varieties yield well for growers in Kansas,...

The Missouri Senate has advanced a bill that would bring Missouri Farm Bureau another step closer to offering a health plan to its members. Senate Bill 79 provides an exception in statute for the non-profit membership organization to offer a health plan, outlined as a priority for the farm group. ...

A longtime agricultural economist says he’s concerned about the industry’s outlook.   Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech University, says the ongoing threat of tariffs are weighing on agriculture. “I think we have to be very concerned about counter tariffs.”  He says, “In other words, we put tariffs on...