A dairy economist says herd size and milk production are growing. Corey Geiger with CoBank tells Brownfield, “It’s growing because dairy farmers are culling less dairy cows.” Geiger says that means milk margins are favorable for most producers. He says if you look at the past 96 weeks, dairy farmers have collectively culled 700-thousand fewer…… Continue Reading
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: July 17, 2025
Sep. corn closed at $4.02, down 3 and 1/4 centsAug. soybeans closed at $10.21 and 1/2, up 8 centsAug. soybean meal closed at $268.70, up 30 centsAug. soybean oil closed at 56.22, up 140 pointsSep. wheat closed at $5.33 and 1/2, down 7 and 3/4 centsAug. live cattle closed at $223.67, down 22 centsAug. feeder…… Continue Reading
Cattle futures mixed, lean hogs were higher
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle futures were mixed, watching direct business start to develop. August live cattle $223.67 down $.22 and October was $.42 lower at $220.32. August feeders were $.57 lower at $325 and September was down $.42 at $325.42. Direct cash cattle trade started to pick up steam Thursday…… Continue Reading
Soybeans follow bean oil, corn consolidates
Soybeans were higher on short covering and technical buying, along with spillover support from the strength in bean oil. Beans continue to monitor weather, which looks mostly favorable over the near-term. Longer-term outlooks do have the potential for a more stressful pattern in parts of the region, which would come during key development phases. Old…… Continue Reading
Soy Oils – EP 2
Soybean oil is more than just a byproduct – it helps add value to the crop and keeps demand strong. Soybean oil plays a crucial role in the world’s food supply, and science clearly shows that it is healthy for humans consumption. The post Soy Oils – EP 2 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.…… Continue Reading
Declines in migration expected to exacerbate labor shortages
CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Director says the labor crunch across the U.S. is only going to get tighter. Rob Fox tells Brownfield the historic surge in immigration in recent years has helped to offset lower workforce participation rates. “They really made the problem kind of less acute for the time being, but in 2025 and moving…… Continue Reading
See & Spray impacting soybean traits
Advancements in spraying technology are bringing changes to soybean traits. Katy Martin-Rainey, professor of soybean genetics at Purdue, says current soybean varieties don’t hold up well against most pre-emergent herbicides, but that needs to change. “See and Spray technology is something that everyone is quite excited about because we have a lower herbicide application overall…… Continue Reading
Uncertainties a concern for farmland values
An ag real estate specialist says there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty that could impact farmland values. Paul Schadegg is with Farmers National Company. “I’m not sure that I’ve ever experienced a time where we’ve been dealing with more geopolitical and policy and administration events, and unrest overall across the world. And that certainly causes…… Continue Reading
TBD: USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan impact on hog farmers
It’s unclear what impact the USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan might have on hog producers who contract with Smithfield Foods. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins tells Brownfield the Trump administration will consider all options assessing foreign owned ag land, including land owned by ag companies like Smithfield Foods, a subsidiary of WH Group Limited. “The…… Continue Reading
NEFB says Congress needs to take up ag labor crisis
The president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau says he’d like to see Congress create a solution for the nation’s ag labor crisis. Mark McHargue says that could eliminate any confusion surrounding the administration’s policy on amnesty for farmworkers. “I think we have to know where our workers are coming from. We have to know their…… Continue Reading
