Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Friday, April 24th
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. Still hard to tell if the war in Iran is ramping up or winding down. One minute Vice President JD Vance is on the way and will arrive in Pakistan for talks, and the next minute he has not left ye...
Carolinas Drought Worsens as Dry, Warm April Fuels Expansion
Well, it's another week, and we would love to sit here and tell you about all the positive changes to the drought map. Unfortunately, that is not the case. It has been another dry, hot week - or cold week, depending on what day it is. Here in the Carolinas, I've got state Assistant Climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey...
Fuel Price Volatility Remains As U.S. and Iran Return To Negotiations
For the duration of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, oil prices have been on a rollercoaster ride, And that volatility continues as negotiations resume in Pakistan. Patrick DeHaan, the senior petroleum analyst with Gasbuddy.com, said oil prices decreased last week, following news of the ceasefire. However, prices turned ...
Blaming the Federal Government for State Government Problems
Farmers are used to challenges. There is always something that makes their job more difficult than the year before, or even the day before. But then it usually gets better again, at least for a time. But, Save Family Farming's Dillon Honcoop says the state of Washington has created an environment that is always challen...
Stress Reduction Strategies on the Farm Level
Planting season, growers working on their fields and getting their spring planted, crop seed and inputs into the ground. David Brown of Iowa State University Extension is among those who understand a farmer's planting season is much like harvest time in that: "I know they're putting in long hours." Long hours...
Senate Bill Tries to Preserve Legal Status of Hemp
There is a move in Washington to ban industrial hemp, a crop which has only been re-legalized for a few years. Senator Rand Paul says he is working with Senator Amy Klobuchar on a bill that lets states set their own hemp rules. "No one in Washington discussed the issue. There was no investigation, no hearings. Whe...
USDA Holds Groundbreaking on Sterile Fly Facility in Texas
Leaders from the USDA and the Army Corps of Engineers held a groundbreaking for the new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Texas. The new plant is a cornerstone in the USDA's plan to combat the advancing New World Screwworm in Mexico. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said this is an important event for U.S...
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday, April 21st
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. Is the strait open or closed? Is the war back on or over? It depends which hour you happen to be watching the news. After the initial stages of the war killed so many of the leaders, there was co...
A Farm Bill Vote Before May
There may be more help ahead for farmers continuing to face significant economic challenges. House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson (R-PA) said he's pushing for more assistance to keep farmers afloat. "Well, that's something I've been talking about ever since the first tranche of farmer aid was announced by the USDA...
Fertilizer Price and Supply Impacts Will Continue Into 2027
There's no question that the war in Iran and problems in the nearby Strait of Hormuz have had a major impact on the worldwide fertilizer market. Dr. Mark Welch, a grain marketing specialist for Texas A&M University, said the question now is how long those impacts will linger. "The concern I'm hearing now, and ...