News Archives
Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: Mary Kay Thatcher on elections, ESA from WIA Summit
Nearly 1,000 women gathered in Denver for the Women in Agribusiness Summit this week. We connected with Mary Kay Thatcher from Syngenta to discuss EPA's Final Herbicide Strategy and an outlook for the November election.

Make every kernel count: Tips for avoiding harvest loss
As the 2024 season enters the homestretch and farmers begin to reap what they have sown, it's easy to get impatient. But budgeting a little extra time to ensure that harvest equipment is performing at peak efficiency is critical to maximizing yield and minimizing field losses.

Congress avoids shutdown, full farm bill extension not included
The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee says a continuing resolution to fund the government that passed Wednesday does not include a full farm bill extension.
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Cotton, Rubio, Hawley introduce legislation to end Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) Thursday introduced The Neither Permanent Nor Normal Trade Relations Act to end Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China.

U.S. pork producers, veterinarians protected from misguided antimicrobial reduction mandate
In a victory for America’s pork producers and swine veterinarians, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Thursday celebrated the United Nations’ (UN) decision to reject proposed on-farm target reductions of antimicrobials.

National Farmers Union joins global call for farmer-centric and innovative food systems
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew joined leaders from G7 countries’ farmer organizations in Ortigia, Sicily, to emphasize the crucial role farmers play in shaping sustainable food systems.

Port strike could sink access to foreign markets
A looming U.S. East Coast port strike would have severe consequences for food and many other farm products shipped from American farm and ranch families to international buyers.

State ag directors share policy priorities
Directors of state departments of agriculture are working to ensure policies are beneficial to America’s farmers and ranchers.

USDA's Grain Stocks and Small Grains Summary reports due out Monday
At 11 a.m. CDT on Monday, Sept. 30, USDA will release its estimates of Sept. 1 Grain Stocks, inventories that will represent ending stocks of corn and soybeans for 2023-24. USDA's NASS will also issue its Small Grains Summary with attention on U.S. wheat production in 2024.

True and fall armyworms relishing on Kansas crops
True and fall armyworms have been a nuisance to crop production in Kansas over the past 40 years. Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth said these pests have once again made their presence known in 2024, noting that their similar developmental schedules and rapid life cycles heighten crop damage.

Climate-smart grazing: U. of I. study shows how weather mitigates nitrogen runoff
Livestock production is an important component of U.S. agriculture, with global demand for meat and dairy expected to double in the coming decades. This increase will lead to intensified grazing on U.S. grasslands, potentially exacerbating water quality degradation from livestock waste runoff into waterways.

Bills introduced to expand 45Z tax credit, restrict to domestic feedstocks
Bipartisan federal legislation that restricts eligibility for the 45Z Clean Fuel Production tax credit to only renewable fuels that use domestic feedstocks has been introduced in both sides of Congress, in a push that seems to be gaining steam.

McKalip praises trade agreement with Chile
A key U.S. trade official says a new agreement with Chile will help improve market access for a number of U.S. cheese and meat products.

NCAE files lawsuit to protect farm and ranch families from unlawful and unconstitutional rule
The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to protect farm and ranch families across the country from the Department of Labor’s (Department) unlawful and unconstitutional Final Rule entitled, “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States” (Rule).

Previewing the USDA's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report
A livestock economist says breeding inventory is a number to watch in this week’s Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report.

Forestry legislation backed by NCBA and PLC passes U.S. House
The Fix Our Forests Act on Tuesday passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 268 to 151.

14% of U.S. corn, 13% of soybeans harvested
The U.S. corn and soybean harvests stayed ahead of average last week. That followed a dry week in much of the region, with this week’s delays in some areas showing up in next week’s numbers.

USDA launches assistance network to support financially distressed farmers and ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation.

Regulatory realities likely to keep over-the-top dicamba off the market in 2025
Like most farmers this time of year, Josh Gackle is field-focused as harvest gets underway. But that doesn't mean he isn't looking ahead.

USMEF statement on Colombia fully reopening to U.S. beef
With the Colombian government recently lifting its ban on U.S. beef originating from states in which H5N1 was detected in dairy cows, the Export Library for Colombia has been updated to reflect restored access for beef from 13 states.

Purdue, Bayer announce partnership to address regenerative agriculture on global scale
Purdue University and Bayer announced the creation of the Coalition for Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture, a public-private partnership designed to help improve the soil health of farmland while also increasing food production for a growing population.

Economist says no big surprises in latest Cattle on Feed report
A livestock economist says there still aren’t clear signs the cattle herd is growing.

Corn growers applaud House vote to overturn tailpipe emissions
The National Corn Growers Association applauded the U.S. House of Representatives Friday for passing a bill that would overturn tailpipe emissions standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that focus solely on using electric vehicles to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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Farmers talk harvest drydown, service trucks and playlists
Weather whiplash continued for Dan Lakey this week. After wishing for rain all summer, the Soda Springs, Idaho, farmer finally received measurable precipitation, only to have it delay harvest and cause drying concerns.

EFIF study showcases ethanol industry's central role in decarbonizing the transportation sector
The Energy Futures Initiative Foundation (EFIF), led by Ernest J. Moniz, the 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy, today released a new study detailing pathways to further decarbonize ethanol to reach near net-zero carbon intensity by 2035 and negative carbon intensity by 2050.

Free soil sampling program available for Indiana farmers
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and partners throughout the state have worked with the Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) to develop a no-cost program with a focus on increasing the knowledge and use of soil sampling as a nutrient management practice to benefit farm operations. The program, titled Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program, is open now for applicants through Nov. 1, 2024.

Good week for new crop corn, soybean export sales
New crop U.S. corn and soybean export sales were up on the week.

Limited ARC and PLC support leads Senators to call for aid
Crop farmers won't be able to count on any support from USDA commodity programs when payments are announced in October for Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage -- ARC and PLC.


