Farmers Show Improved Willingness to Spend
The Ag Economy Barometer suggests farmers felt less cautious about big expenses in April than they did in May. The survey overall shows subtle improvements.
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Ag
Ag Auction Group Reports Strong Spring
Buyers are looking for well-maintained equipment. The company saw a sharp rise in sales of well-cared-for tractors that are 15 years old or older.
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Farm Aid to Launch After Memorial Day
Farmers and ranchers seeking a lifeline from the Agriculture Department can sign up for a relief check starting Monday.
Read moreAg In Motion Becomes Virtual Event
Ag In Motion Discovery Plus is July 21 to 25. The digital format is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read moreCanada’s Ag in Motion Expo to Become Digital Show
The sixth annual Ag in Motion, an outdoor farm expo in Western Canada hosted by Glacier FarmMedia, has been replaced this year by a digital expo.
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Hemp Appears Immune to Coronavirus
Upheaval in the supply chain has been less disruptive to hemp growers than more traditional producers. Pandemic restrictions may even be driving up CBD sales.
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Farmers’ Moods Reflect National Mood of Caution
Data released Tuesday shows that the optimism farmers felt after the 2016 election has all but faded as a result of uncertainty around COVID-19.
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Farmers to Receive Cash Payments, Mass Purchases
The White House announced a $19 billion economic rescue package for farmers and ranchers. The plan calls for making cash payments to producers as well as mass purchases of commodities to be distributed to food banks.
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China Still Expected to Dial Up Soy Purchases
China’s hog herd is recovering well from African swine fever. The country is expected to accelerate soybean purchases from the U.S. between May and August.
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Trump Calls for Additional Support for Farmers
The White House wants the USDA to move quickly in distributing a new $16 billion aid package to U.S. producers.
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Shift in Consumer Dining Habits Hits Farmers
The COVID-19 pandemic has left restaurants shuttered and created a frenetic pace at grocery stores, which has led to a shift in the food supply chain that stands to reshape agriculture in the short-term.
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Trade with China: Leaders Stay Focused on Phase One
Trade leaders for U.S. and China stay focused on deal amid global pandemic.
Read moreTrade Deals Push Confidence to Seven-Year High
The confidence index in the Rural Mainstreet survey shows a boost that researchers have not seen since 2013.
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Court Issues ‘Welcome Decision’ for Corn Growers
An appeals court ruling that the EPA did not properly grant exemptions to three small oil refineries is good news for corn growers and biofuels advocates.
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USMCA – Passes Senate with bipartisan vote of 89–10
We agree with USDA Secretary Perdue’s statement on following U.S. Senate Passage of USMCA on a bipartisan vote of 89 –
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Pork Producers Put Dollars to Potential in China
U.S. pork producers see a potential $24.5 billion annual market in China within 10 years if the Trump administration can gain unrestricted trade access after the Asian country’s hog herd has been devastated by disease.
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Uncertainty Lingers Over Pact with China
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. hasn’t agreed to roll back all tariffs on China, muddying hopes raised by China and even some of the president’s own aides that the U.S. was ready to lift some tariffs to secure a trade deal.
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Farmers Show Greater Willingness to Make Big Purchases
Producers who responded to the Purdue University survey in October thought more favorably about making big investments. The index rose to within eight points of its peak.
Read moreDealer Release News of Earnings, Expansion
Earnings reports show farmers continue to be conservative in choosing to invest in equipment.
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Fine Print on Ethanol Proposal Disappoints
Details released last week as part of the Trump administration’s proposal to boost ethanol are getting low marks from corn farmers and ethanol advocates.
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Farmers Feel Better About Tomorrow, Worry More About Today
Although the Ag Economy Barometer dipped only slightly, there was a relatively large sentiment shift among ag producers as they were noticeably more pessimistic about current conditions but somewhat more optimistic about future economic conditions.
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Beef Prices Rise in Response to Demand in Asia
Cattle prices in the U.S. have risen since September as a protein shortage in Asia drives bets that livestock will be in increasingly high demand.
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EPA, USDA Announce Agreement on Promoting Biofuels
“The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association is pleased to see integrity returned to the Renewable Fuel Standard. No other sector in
Read moreFederal Crop Insurance to Increase Payments
Farmers who could not plant a crop this year because of flooding will receive extra assistance from the federal crop insurance program. An economist from the U of I said the payment “is more generous than I expected.”
Read moreWhite House Seeks Solution for Corn Growers, Ethanol
The White House is putting together a deal to mitigate damage done to corn growers and the ethanol industry as a result of waivers being granted to small oil refineries. Ethanol advocates are asking for the administration to remain committed to the 15-million gallons a year called for in the Renewal Fuel Standard.
Read moreAfrican Swine Fever Advances in Asia
South Korea has now been hit with African swine fever. A veterinarian with the National Pork Board said the global outlook continues to worsen.
Read moreSC farmer first to be arrested for growing hemp.
Law enforcement mowed down 10 acres of hemp and arrested John Pendarvis — the first farmer in the state to be charged with growing the crop on unlicensed land.
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Pro Ag SD Governor Says She Will Veto Hemp Again in 2020
Pro Ag SD Governor Says She Will Veto Hemp Again in 2020
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Canadian Government Assists Dairy Farmers
The owner of a typical farm with 80 dairy cows will be awarded about $28,000 this year to assist farmers hurt by trade disputes.
Read moreLegal News
Court rejects HSUS’s attempt to advance an anti-meat activist agenda WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2019 – The U.S. Court of Appeals
Read moreSecretary Perdue Statement on Japan Agreement
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the new trade agreement between the United States and
Read moreUSDA Details Trade Damage Estimate Calculations
(Washington, D.C., August 23, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Read moreCattle Farmers Celebrate U.S. Deal with EU
The U.S. and European Union agreed last week to nearly triple the volume of duty-free beef exports from the U.S. to Europe. The president expects the agreement to increase exports from $150 million to $420 million.
Read moreUSDA: Direct Payments to Farmers Begin Soon
Farmers hit by retaliatory tariffs may receive larger checks from USDA’s second batch of trade aid than in 2018. Direct payments, which will total about $14.5 billion, are expected to be sent out as soon as this month.
Read moreAfrican Swine Fever May Shrink China’s Herd by Half
By the end of 2019, African swine fever is expected to have eliminated half of China’s pig herd. Analysts estimated the size of the herd at 360 million in late 2018. Recovery may take more than five years.
Read moreU.S.-China Talks Resume This Week
Top American and Chinese negotiators are set to speak by phone this week in an effort to revive stalled trade talks. Among sore spots: U.S. demands for China to buy more American agricultural and industrial products.
Read morePlant Conditions Make Marginal Gains in Crop Report
As of Sunday, 98 percent of corn has emerged and 8 percent is silking, compared to the five-year average of 22 percent. In soybeans, 96 percent of the soybean crop is planted and 90 percent has emerged.
Read moreWho Grows the Most? Ag Census Breaks It Down
The National Agricultural Statistics Service recently released a trove of stats detailing which congressional districts have the most farms, grow the most soybeans, raise the most cattle, and more. Check out these highlights.
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Farmers Experiment with Hemp Amid Trade Challenges
A growing number of U.S. farmers battered by low grain prices and the threat of a prolonged trade war with
Read morePepsiCo Sues Four Indian Farmers Over Potato Variety
PepsiCo Inc. has sued four Indian farmers for cultivating a potato variety that the snack food and drinks maker claims
Read moreEPA: Glyphosate Not a Carcinogen
The U.S. EPA said last week that glyphosate, a chemical in many popular weed killers, is not a carcinogen, contradicting
Read moreAlaska Bucks Trend, Adds Farm
At a time when the number of farms nationwide is declining, Alaska is bucking the trend. The state saw a
Read moreAg Talks Progress, Trump Turns Up Heat on China
President Donald Trump said Sunday that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods will increase to 25 percent on Friday,
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Farmers ‘Severely Behind’ in Planting Corn
USDA reported this week that farmers throughout the Corn Belt are severely behind the five-year average when it comes to planting
Read moreKubota Releases Yearly Earnings Report
For the year ended Dec. 31, consolidated revenue for Kubota Corp. increased by 5.7 percent compared to the previous year.
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Presidential Hopeful Warren Tackles Right to Repair
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) rolled out an extensive agriculture platform during a recent campaign stop in Iowa. It included a
Read moreAg Economy Barometer: Willingness to Invest Improves
Concerns about economic conditions led to a dip in the Ag Economy Barometer from February to March. The Index of
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