…milk supply in New Zealand is expected to reach 21.9 million tons, surpassing the prior record of 2014, thanks to higher-expected cow numbers and optimal pasture conditions. With the further…
Rural Mainstreet Index Lower
The Rural Mainstreet Index fell to its lowest level of the year last month as farmland prices declined and agriculture equipment sales were dismal. The index, compiled by Nebraska’s Creighton…
Margin Protection Crop Insurance Decision Due
…setting period. It locks in input prices (the margin) based on corresponding futures traded in Chicago for urea, DAP, diesel fuel, and interest rates. Program Schnitkey doesn’t see any compelling…
Proposed Guest Worker Plan to Replace H-2A Worker Program
…workers without a path to citizenship, higher wages (15 percent above a state’s minimum wage), no requirement for worker housing or transportation, and allows currently illegal farm workers to participate…
Pecan Pies at Risk Following Hurricane Irma
…News reports that while pecans are a niche crop, the nuts are often associated with holiday desserts, and they’re among Georgia’s top agricultural commodities. Prices were already at the highest…
Ag Exports, Trade Surplus, See Increases
Data from the Department of Agriculture shows exports of farm goods will push higher in 2017. A forecast compiled by USDA predicts the value of agricultural exports in the fiscal…
National Farm Safety Week
…year there are 20 farm work-related deaths for every one hundred thousand workers. That’s six times higher than the combined average for all U-S workers. Each day of the week…
Retail Meat Prices Slip Lower in August
Consumer prices for meat decline 0.4 percent in August, compared to figures compiled in July. A monthly report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows overall U.S. meat prices for…
Higher Ag Exports in 2017 and a Trade Surplus Next Year
A U.S. Department of Agriculture report says the value of farm exports will push higher in 2017, coming on the heels of two straight years of lower numbers for farm…
Almond Board: Low-Dust Harvest Equipment Demos
…regulations. As a Federal Marketing Order, it is important to note that the Almond Board is not involved with and is expressly prohibited from setting field or market prices. …
Study: Organic Farming Reduces Carbon Emissions
…Organic Center. The study finds that on average, organic farms have 44 percent higher levels of humic acid, the component of soil that sequesters carbon over the long term, than…
NAFTA Renegotiation Could Send Avocado Prices Soaring
Avocado prices have reached a record high and a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could have U.S. consumers paying even more for the fruit. A group of avocado…
California Wine Grape Harvest in High Gear
…an hour at peak harvest. Many growers have been switching to machine harvesters to save money on higher wages and limited workdays. Nearly 80 percent of the state’s wine grapes…
U.S. Cropland Value Holds Steady
…the biggest increase in their cropland values, which went six percent higher. The Northern Plains states of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas dropped 4.4 percent in value from last year….