Quiet Start to the Weather Week for Midwest
Some parts of the western U.S., Ohio River Valley and Midwest got some major precipitation in the winter weather systems that moved through the country last week, delivering some drought relief especially for the parched western U.S.
Vilsack Confirmation Scheduled for Tuesday…Maybe
The Senate Agriculture Committee is slated to begin the confirmation process for Secretary of Agriculture nominee Tom Vilsack on Tuesday, but that isn't a sure thing.
Corn Rootworm, Resistance Management Top Crop Insecticide Trends
Farmers generally had access to a relatively limited pool of insecticide chemistries, experienced growing herbicide resistance among some pests and…
Fertilizer Prices Moving Higher
It's a common market dynamic; crop inputs often follow crop prices higher (though many observe the same doesn't necessarily always happen when prices are moving the other direction), and that's happening in the fertilizer market.
Drought Stokes Early-spring Row Crop, Forage Stress Fears
There weren't a lot of changes in Thursday's update to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map, with the most notable ones being the growth of "moderate drought" conditions in South Dakota.
Grain Prices Have Machinery Sales Surging
A lot of farmers cut back on machinery purchases when grain prices were bearish in the last few years. But now that prices have bounced back, a lot of pent-up machinery demand is reaching fruition in increasing sales.
“New Money” Entering Already-bullish Corn Market
A duo of global factors is upping the bar for the corn market this week, with the announcement of strong export sales to China and a looming transportation strike in Brazil, a major grain export competitor for the U.S.
USDA Temporarily Halts CFAP Payments
Late Wednesday, USDA announced it's temporarily freezing processing payments under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
Shipping Logistics Complicating Trade with China — Reports
It's no secret that the U.S. imports a lot of consumer goods and products from China. Usually when those purchases happen and products are delivered, shipping containers return to China containing U.S. products and goods — including grain.
Economist: Interest Rates Won’t Rise for Two Years
Good news: Interest rates are basically at zero right now. Even better news: That's likely to remain the case through early 2023 based on information coming from the Federal Reserve board of governors, one economist said this week.