Keeping an Eye on NWS as it Advances Northward in Mexico
The Texas Animal Health Commission continues to sound the alarm after New World Screwworm was confirmed about 90 miles from the Texas border. TAHC Deputy Executive Director and Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr. T.R. Lansford, says this should be treated as an immediate concern, but not a reason to panic. "To coin ...
When Every Acre Counts, Better Yield Is The Better Deal
When every acre counts, the right crop protection is more important than ever. The Better Yield is the Better Deal™ platform from Syngenta helps growers prioritize season-long performance and return on investment. Syngenta agronomy service representative TJ Binns said growers can get more value from every input t...
What Will New U.S. Blockade Mean for Fertilizer Prices and Supplies?
President Donald Trump announced a plan for a full U.S. Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The question across the energy and fertilizer industries is what that will do to prices. Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer for StoneX, said we're in uncharted territory. "It just continues to make a bad situati...
Ongoing drought forces North Carolina farmers to get creative
Local farmer Anthony Penny discusses the ongoing drought forcing North Carolina farmers to get creative As central North Carolina faces record-breaking dry conditions and temperatures in the 90s, about 94% of the state is now grappling with severe or extreme drought. Raleigh is experiencing its driest year on record. A...
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday, April 14
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. Wheat was the leader to the upside to start the week, as the showers in the Plains missed some areas that badly needed the moisture. That sounds very familiar to us in the Southeast, as drought c...
The Calculations Behind the New AEWR
The Trump Administration's revised Adverse Effect Wage Rate calculations are being praised by many in agriculture as the common-sense approach they had been waiting for, with pay rates now being tied to a less arbitrary standard. A report called "Broken Baseline" by Dr. Blake Brown, Economics Professor Emerit...
NCGA Survey Stresses Price Concerns to Fertilizer Companies
Corn growers are increasingly frustrated about fertilizer prices, with a new survey showing concern accelerating well beyond the current planting season. The National Corn Growers Association surveyed two groups of farmers. Nebraska farmer Jason Lewis serves on a National Corn Growers task force looking at input costs....
Reaction to a Mostly Quiet April WASDE
The USDA released its April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Report, and as expected, it was fairly quiet. Rich Nelson, the chief strategist from Allendale, talked about what he saw in the numbers. "As far as controversy, you're not going to find too much here, overall. The grain stock side of things...
China's U.S. Corn Imports Have Dropped Significantly
China is reducing its hog herd due to an oversupply of pork, a move that is impacting U.S. corn exports. Bryan Irey, regional manager of the Crossroads Co-op, talked about what's driving the shift. "We could talk for another hour about demand in China in terms of the hog herd, and in terms of their general populat...
Rising Farmer Sentiment in March Surprised Some Industry Experts
A rise in producer sentiment during the March Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer may have caught a few industry experts by surprise. Michael Langemeier, the director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University, talked about the rising March sentiment. "Well, certainly the impact of ...