Grains
14May

70% of Corn, 91% of Soybeans Not Yet Planted

It comes as no surprise to farmers that planting progress is woefully behind the five-year average again this week. However, with only 30% of the corn planted, this could be the slowest start in recent history – and by a long shot. In their Crop Progress report for the week ending May 12, USDA on Monday noted that the nation’s corn crop is 36 percentage points behind the five-year average planting pace of 66%. At 11% planted, Illinois is 71% behind...

By Grains, Weather
Read more...
09May

6 Need-to-Know Facts on China Trade

Today’s farmers are witnessing the largest trade war in history. Tweets, dinners and meetings are slowly transforming the political and agricultural rulebooks. For instance, markets around the world crashed when President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods may be raised from 10% to 25% on Friday, as trade talks between the U.S. and China progress were going "too slowly." How did the U.S. and China arrive at the current crossroads? A little context helps. “China...

By Grains, Livestock
Read more...
30Apr

Corn Planting: All States Behind Five-Year Average

As of April 28, USDA reports 15% of the nation’s corn crop is planted. That is the same percentage as this week last year but compares to a five-year average of 27% planted by late April. However, many states are behind the average pace and weather threatens to keep many farmers out of the field this week. Only 9% of Illinois corn is planted, compared to 28% last year. Normal pace would be 43% planted by late April, per the five-year average....

By Grains
Read more...
18Apr

Progress Reported on Several Trade Fronts

There is trade talk movement on several fronts right now: China President Trump is reiterating that progress is being made toward a comprehensive trade deal with China. He is emphasizing that it will help farmers and ranchers. He talked about the negotiations during a roundtable discussion on the economy in Burnsville, Minnesota this week. President Trump saying, "The farmers have not been treated well for fifteen years. You can go back and it's just a graph downward. Well, we're...

By Ethanol, Grains, Livestock
Read more...
03Apr

Canada Implements New Rules for Feed Imports to Mitigate ASF Risk

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released new import requirements for unprocessed grains and oilseeds, as well as associated meals destined for use in livestock feed, sourced from countries that have reported an active case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in domestic or wild pigs within the last five years. The new requirements went into effect on March 29 for specific ingredients identified to be the highest risk based on a comparative analysis of livestock feed imports conducted by CFIA. At...

By Grains, Livestock
Read more...