The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that John Deere and Monsanto had terminated their attempted sale of Precision Planting, LLC., from Monsanto to John Deere. The department filed…
Ag Lender Survey: Farm Profitability Down, Commodity Prices Top Concern
ABA and Farmer Mac release first biannual survey of agricultural lenders Nearly 90 percent of agricultural lenders have seen an overall decline in farm profitability in the last 12 months,…
Ag Producer Sentiment Inches Higher in April
By Jim Mintert, David Widmar and Michael Langemeier Purdue University/CME Group Figure 1. Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. October 2015 to April 2017. Producer sentiment inched higher during April as…
2017 P.I.E. Program Tour Dates Set
The National Cotton Council (NCC) has scheduled tour dates and locations for the 2017 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program. The P.I.E. program’s goal is helping U.S. cotton producers maximize production…
Brazil Looking at Tariffs on U.S. Ethanol Imports
Reuters says the Brazilian Ag Minister is asking the country’s Foreign Trade Council to impose tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports after a recent surge in shipments coming in from America….
Canada/Mexico Doing NAFTA Renegotiations “Together”
The relationship between Mexico and Canada amid the upcoming North American Free Trade (NAFTA) negotiations is said by both countries to be more important than ever. The Canadian Broadcasting Company…
Groups Want Checkoff Reform
Over 80 organizations recently sent letters to both the Senate and House of Representatives, calling on lawmakers to fix the government’s “failed commodity tax support programs.” The 80 organizations represent…
New Spending Bill’s Impact on Agriculture
Congress put together a spending package on Sunday night that would keep the government running through the rest of fiscal year 2017. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the bottom line…
Agri View: China and Beef Exports
Everett Griner talks about beef exports to China possibly beginning soon in today’s Agri View. Most people know that China is one of America’s best export customers….
Dairy Industry Applauds USDA Secretary Perdue for Supporting School Milk Options
Dairy leaders thanked newly confirmed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for recognizing the important role school milk plays in ensuring school-aged children get the nutrition they need. In one of his…
NFU Calls on FTC to Oppose ChemChina Acquisition of Syngenta
Continuing a long tradition of advocating for competitive marketplaces for family farmers and ranchers, National Farmers Union (NFU) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to oppose the proposed China National…
Conaway Disappointed Cotton, Dairy Farmers Left in the Lurch
Conaway House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement concerning the exclusion of critical help for cotton and dairy farmers from the omnibus appropriations bill. “It…
Saving Costs with Cover Crops
A tractor rolls a rye cover crop and plants cotton seeds at the same time. (Photo by Ted Kornecki.) Cotton farmers in Alabama who use cover crops have a new,…
International Trade and Deforestation: Potential Policy Effects via a Global Economic Model
by Jayson Beckman, Ron Sands, Anne Riddle, Tani Lee, and Jacob M. Walloga USDA Economic Research Service What is the Issue? An increasing world population and a shift in global…