23 US pork plants approved to export to China

The U.S. Meat Export Federation says recent trade cooperation between the U.S. and China has led to a boost for U.S. pork producers. USMEF’s Joe Schuele tells Brownfield that 23 pork processing plants have been granted access to export to China. “This comes as welcome news,” he said. “There’s a lot of obstacles and headwinds…Continue Reading

South-central Iowa rains beneficial to crop, livestock producers

A south-central Iowa farmer says the amount of rain his farm received this week was a pleasant surprise. Steve Kuiper raises corn and soybeans in Marion County. He tells Brownfield some parts of the county had more than four inches of rain through Tuesday morning. “We’ve got enough growth out there now that hard rains…Continue Reading

Pork export sales up sharply, Mexico leads the way

Pork export sales shot sharply higher during the week ending June 19th. The USDA says Mexico bought more than half of the total for pork, continuing to show very strong demand, and China also made a notable purchase. Beef, new crop corn, and new crop soybean sales also showed week-to-week improvements. The USDA’s next round…Continue Reading

Proven crop protection

A practical farm research (PFR) agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids says long-term studies show some crop protection practices are a wise investment. Clayton Stufflebeam, who’s based in central Illinois, says the company’s PFR Proven label is well earned. “Any product that’s been tested in our research at multi-locations, with at least three locations in that data…Continue Reading

More seasonal heat & rainfall ahead for the Heartland

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for near- or above-normal temperatures and rainfall across most of the country.  Cooler-than-normal conditions will be limited to parts of the Southwest, where monsoon-related cloudiness and showers will suppress temperatures. Meanwhile, the Southwest will also have the greatest likelihood of experiencing wetter-than-normal weather.   The post More…Continue Reading

Forage harvest going well for SW Wisconsin farmer

A southwestern Wisconsin dairy farmer has been busy bagging forage. Mike Yager raises crops to feed his 275 Holsteins near Mineral Point, in Iowa County.  He tells Brownfield, “We got our triticale chopped on Sunday and then we done about 120 acres of second-crop on Monday.” Yager says three and a half inches of rain…Continue Reading

Production efficiency remains crucial to hog industry

The USDA releases its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report later today. University of Kentucky livestock economist Kenny Burdine says production efficiency continues to be the story for the U.S. hog industry. “We’re adding probably a percent and 1/2 or so to pork production every year just based on productivity,” he says. “Just an incredible case…Continue Reading

Patience could pay off with old crop marketing

A market analyst says don’t panic if you’ve still got old crop to market ahead of harvest. Tim Marsh with Summit Commodities says there’s a lot that you can learn from historical trends in grain marketing. Hear more in this Managing for Profit. The post Patience could pay off with old crop marketing appeared first…Continue Reading

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