Optimism for a New Farm Bill Hard to Find
As the Farm Bill 2.0 markup was to begin on Tuesday afternoon, optimism about getting a new five-year bill can be hard to find. Duane Stateler, about to finish his term as president of the National Pork Producers Council, said time spent on Capitol Hill talking about a new farm bill that fixes California's Proposition ...
Time to Move Some Old Crop Beans
A lot of commodities remain in storage because of low prices for corn and soybeans. Ed Usset, an agricultural economist, said soybean prices have begun to bounce back after sinking in late 2025. "First of all, we had a wonderful rally in the world of cash soybean prices back in November, just three months ago. And...
Fertilizer Prices Feeling the Pressure of War in Iran
Roughly 20 percent of the world's oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. War in that region will affect oil prices, which have responded accordingly by going higher, and fertilizer prices are responding too. Josh Linville, the vice president of fertilizer for StoneX, said there's obviously never a good time ...
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday, Mar. 3rd
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. The joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran has dominated the news cycle for the last several days. Everyone is still scrambling to try to understand the implications and see what the results and respo...
Troxler highlights biosecurity risks from farm visitors
We're joined again by Commissioner Steve Troxler. Commissioner, I know that biosecurity is something you take very seriously, but it's not just the farmers who can take steps. I know you've recently put some information out to help communicate to other people who may be coming onto a farm site. Can you talk to us about...
Changing Discussions Regarding the "Waters of the U.S."
There's been a shift in recent years when it comes to the "Waters of the U.S." discussions. Mary-Thomas Hart, the chief counsel for government affairs with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, talked about how things have changed. "We talked about this during the Biden administration, and we had se...
Overall U.S. Fertilizer Capacity Running Behind
The U.S. remains in a deficit when it comes to fertilizer capacity, though manufacturers and distributors have front-loaded supplies of certain nutrients into domestic markets. Sam Taylor, farm input analyst with Rabobank, on current fertilizer availability and what it means for producers. "If you look at the cumu...
Meat Production, Demand Expected To Increase This Year
Except for beef, U.S. meat production will increase in 2026. At the recent Ag Outlook Forum, USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer noted continuing contraction of the nation's beef herd, even with cattle reaching higher weights. "Exports will be up for pork and broilers, down for beef. For beef, exports are expec...
Protecting Crops While Staying More Sustainable
During the 2026 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, first-time exhibitor VM Agritech launched a new product that means growers don't have to choose between protecting their crops and staying sustainable. Steve Princinsky, the chief operating officer for VM Agritech, talked about their new release. "VM Agritec...
H-2A Workers Are Not Taking Jobs from Americans
Despite the claims by some that H-2A foreign guest workers are taking jobs from American workers, the numbers don't back them up. Kate Tynan, Vice President of the Northwest Horticultural Council, says there are laws that say American workers who want to work on a farm get the first shot at those jobs. "The rules ...