Top Agriculture News

The new year brings continued questions about possible U.S. beef herd expansion. Scott Varilek of KKV Trading says it’s tough to hold back heifers to begin that expansion when those heifers bring good money to the operation. “That’s the other side. You feel like this is my year to capitalize and to cash in, and […]

With the new year underway, a new president to be sworn in soon, and a new cabinet, many in agriculture are wondering what to expect from Ag Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says the administration appears to be more organized this time around. “When you look at the tempo of […]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sustainability is a key theme this year at the annual CES tech trade show in Las Vegas. Agriculture tech is on full display on the show floor while companies big and small also showcase their green innovations and initiatives. That includes Volvo CEO Martin Lundstedt’s vow to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 and Wisconsin-based OshKosh Corporation’s electric fire engines and garbage trucks. John Deere also unveiled a fleet of fully autonomous equipment like tractors that are already in use on some farms and orchards. Some experts say AI is key to the industry’s future as climate change makes farming more unpredictable.

 The cattle market had a great 2024, but Scott Varilek of KKV Trading in Iowa says January typically isn’t the best month to market cattle. “That’s always my least favorite month to sell cattle. It feels like we usually advertise some packers’ kill cuts. They do some of their cooler cleanouts or maintenance, so we […]

President-elect Trump’s cabinet will soon be taking shape, with the Ag industry watching closely. Pam Lewison, Ag Director at the Washington Policy Center, says the pending confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services could make the recent debate over our dietary guidelines interesting. “He has shown an unusual interest […]

Cotton growers are studying their options now as they anticipate the 2025 planting season. James Bookhart is a technical agronomist with Deltapine in North and South Carolina and suggests with the current price climate, one major consideration must be yield potential. “If you look at economic times, which is on a lot of people’s minds, […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s public inauguration ceremony scheduled for Saturday for new Gov. Josh Stein and other statewide elected officials has been canceled because of approaching winter weather. The state inaugural committee announced the decision Wednesday. It was supposed to be held on the grounds of the old Capitol building in Raleigh. Stein and Council of State members were to be sworn in publicly. A little snow with sleet and freezing rain is anticipated for Friday and Saturday. Stein and several Council of State members already have taken their official oaths in private or in small ceremonies. A block party for Saturday also was canceled but may be rescheduled.

As the calendar turned to 2025, plans were well underway for the new growing season. Ben Brown is an agricultural economist at the University of Missouri, and he’s predicting farmers will likely add to their corn acreage in 2025. “My expectation is I do think that the market’s going to incentivize additional corn acres, and […]

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina governments are receiving over $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to North Carolina state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Last week would have been a lot more constructive in the grain and oilseed markets if we had not had friday. We saw a washout in almost everything Friday and although we still managed to have some […]