Total farm tractor unit sales in the U.S. turned positive for the first time in 2023, led by continued strength in large tractors and combines. The Association of Equipment Manufactures report gains in the U.S. market were led by 100-plus horsepower two-wheel-drive units, up 25.4%, closely followed by four-wheel-drive units, up 21.9%. However, a change…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
USDA Spending Accountability Act Introduced
The bill was introduced by Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas and Mike Braun of Indiana. The legislation would limit the disbursal of funds through the USDA’s financing institution, known as the Commodity Credit Cooperation, to be permitted only when authorized by Congress. The Secretary of Agriculture has broad discretionary authority…… MORE
Canned And Frozen Corn Industry Struggling
For those whose primary experience with corn is the butter-drenched cob variety, it might come as a surprise that other forms of sweet corn are in trouble. A new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign analysis shows sweet corn production for frozen and canned products has been steadily shrinking in the U.S. over the past 27 years,…… MORE
USDA Expands Risk Management Options
The USDA is expanding insurance coverage options for specialty crops and other actual production history crop programs. Through the Risk Management Agency, it will expand the availability of enterprise units to crops where they were previously not available, giving agriculture producers greater options to manage risk. An enterprise unit allows a producer to insure all…… MORE
Farm Bill Doubtful to Override California’s Prop 12
Farmers and ranchers are slightly more optimistic that Congress will get a new farm bill passed this year. However, Successful Farming says they don’t think the farm bill will get used to overturn California’s Prop 12 animal welfare law. The pork industry is looking for a legislative way to override the requirement after losing a…… MORE
Farmer Outlook Rebounds on Future Optimism
Purdue University/CME Group’s Ag Economy Barometer Index rose 17 points in June to a reading of 121. The upswing in farmer sentiment was driven by producers’ more optimistic view of the future. However, their perception of current conditions remained unchanged from May. The Index of Future Expectations rose 25 points to 123, while the Index…… MORE
Climate Smart Ag Grant Applications
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation is announcing that it is now accepting applications for Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance grants. This effort supports climate-smart agriculture incentive grant programs which include: the Alternative Manure Management Program, Healthy Soils Program, and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program. The application…… MORE
Milk Labeling Concerns
The National Milk Producers Federation sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration regarding a lab-produced product that the federation calls fake “milk.” A company called Bored Cow based in New York, calls its product milk, which the U.S. dairy industry says is completely false. “They take water and add what we believe to…… MORE
Lawmakers Want To Improve Freight Rail Service
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have reintroduced the Reliable Rail Service Act. The legislation seeks to help address the unreliable service and high costs of rail shipping for American businesses. Supported by members of the agriculture industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers, the bill ensures the largest freight railroads provide American businesses reliable services…… MORE
Summer Barbecue Down Slightly From 10-Year High
Celebrating the 4th of July with a barbecue will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with ten family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey. The $67.73 grocery…… MORE
