The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped in May to a reading of 99. Agricultural producers' perceptions regarding current conditions on their farms, as well as their future expectations, both weakened as well. The Index of Current Conditions dipped to a reading of 94 and the...

Energy Information Administration (EIA) data released recently shows slightly lower domestic ethanol inventory in the week ended May 20 amid progressively higher demand, which climbed to a near nine-month high.

Imagine if a foreign power blockaded the U.S. ports in the Gulf of Mexico. And, imagine if someone had decided that all the train rails west of the line of states from Louisiana to Minnesota had to be a different width than those to the east. Picture that and you can see some of what farmers and...

The United States will export a record $191 billion worth of agricultural products this fiscal year as the world scrambles to replace the corn, wheat, and vegetable oil it would normally get from Russia and Ukraine, according to the latest USDA forecast. It would be the second year in a row of...

The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices.

Bird flu outbreaks are driving up egg and poultry meat prices far faster than usual, with eggs expected to cost 20% more and poultry 9% more this year than their 2021 averages, according to USDA. The department’s economists raised their forecasts of food inflation for the fourth month in a row, to...

U.S. corn and soybean plantings are close to normal after the slow start to the season. Still, delays due to wet weather persist in some areas, including northern portions of the Midwest and Plains. The USDA says that as of last Sunday, 86% of the corn crop is planted, compared to the five-year...

China’s push to achieve self-sufficiency, which has incentivized the nation to purchase, and even steal, agricultural assets in other countries, could present risks to the economic and national security of the United States, warns a report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission....

Last week’s Cattle on Feed (COF) report came with no real surprises as the market witnessed another detailing of record on-feed numbers and huge placements. However, one fact that we may overlook when diving into the intricate numbers of the COF report is: What are the numbers outside of the...

The president of Iowa Farm Bureau believes his state has laid the blueprint for an E15 standard. Brent Johnson stated, “There’s no doubt other states will be looking at the Biofuels Access Bill recently signed into law and want to emulate what Iowa has done. This is the first time that we’ve got an...

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst for AgResource Co., acknowledged during a recent Professional Dairy Producers - Dairy Signal webinar that we have lost a lot of milk production all over the world due to high feed prices, declining dairy cow numbers, weather issues and a shortage of...

Following up on comments made by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a recent Senate hearing, USDA released plans to distribute an estimated $6 billion in crop disaster payments that will soon be sent to recipients based on crop insurance data. The new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) administered...

Bellwether (noun) definition: something that leads or indicates a trend. Example: “The wheat market is now a bellwether for the war in Ukraine.”

Nutrien Ltd. has announced that it is evaluating Geismar, Louisiana, as the site to build the world’s largest clean ammonia facility. Building on the company’s expertise in low-carbon ammonia production, clean ammonia will be manufactured using innovative technology to achieve at least a 90 percent...

The John Deere Foundation recently announced a $1 million donation to World Food Program USA. The donation is being made “to combat global food insecurity and address the staggering rise of acute hunger exacerbated by the crisis in Ukraine,” the Foundation said in a press release. Half of the grant...