Top Agriculture News

 It’s a tough time for production agriculture in the U.S., especially in grain farming. Mississippi Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith said things are heading in the wrong direction. Well, you don’t have to talk to many farmers to quickly understand that we’re headed in a dark direction there, particularly on the row crop side of things. […]

U.S. President Donald Trump drew the ire of the U.S. cattle industry after proposing to import more beef from Argentina to help lower beef prices at U.S. grocery stores. Christian Lovell, the senior director of programs for Farm Action, said he wasn’t happy with Trump’s saying producers need to take less money to help lower […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Melissa made landfall Tuesday in southwestern Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials warned of devastating damage and urged residents to seek shelter as the hurricane crossed the island. Melissa’s winds tied records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The storm is expected to move toward Cuba, where authorities prepared for evacuations. The hurricane has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean. Relief efforts are underway, with supplies and emergency services ready to assist.

South Korea ranked as the fifth-largest market for U.S. pork year to date. Andy Tauer, vice president of international market development with the National Pork Board, says strong consumer demand in South Korea is expected to keep growing, potentially moving the country even higher on the global demand scale. “And through the first seven months […]

 President Trump fired back at American cattle producers upset by his plan to buy beef from Argentina to help lower beef prices in the U.S. Arlan Suderman, the chief commodities analyst for StoneX, said the president’s post on Truth Social claimed credit for the high prices beef producers are experiencing. “Basically, he’s attacking the cattle […]

The annual Global Ethanol Summit, hosted by the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council, recently concluded in Washington, D.C. Jacob Knaebel, director of market development for the Missouri Corn Growers Association, talked about what went on at the event. “There are participants from all across the globe. We’re talking folks in the oil industry, and people […]

The trade war has had an impact on the farming community, but the depth and extent haven’t been fully determined. Earlier this year, many producers reported challenges in getting some of the fertilizers they needed for their operations. As the trade war with China has continued, that’s really impacted farmers in the Midwest growing soybeans. […]

Even if they haven’t finished harvesting this year’s crop, U.S. farmers are already turning their attention to 2026. Mike Zuzolo, president of Global Commodity Analytics, expects to see some movement in the corn market in early 2026. “I think there should be. I have said to clients and subscribers for several months now that I […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days. The notice comes after the Trump administration said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the benefits flowing into November. The Trump administration blames Democrats, who say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We’ve discussed it fairly often on the “WPTF Weekend Gardener” over the last 40 years. The first step is to find a relatively shady well-drained location in your back yard. You don’t have to buy a container, just build your own or find a proper spot on the ground. A wire cylinder 3 to 4 feet in diameter will work or build a three-sided box that’s 4 to 5-feet high and wide. However, if you prefer, ready-made bins are easy to find.