Shrinking US Barge Fleet Could Strain Grain Exports, Farm Margins
The United States faces a squeeze on grain transportation over the next decade because its inland barge fleet is retiring vessels faster than it builds new ones, according to CoBank, a cooperative bank that serves rural industries. In a report released this week, CoBank projects that the U.S. inland barge fleet will shrink by about 17 percent by 2035.
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State Requests for Renewable Fuel Waivers Threaten Grain Demand, Biofuel Groups Say
“Farm and biofuel groups are pushing back on an effort by some big petroleum states to partly roll back federal biofuel-blending requirements, warning the Trump administration that such a move would harm ag markets and rural communities.” …
Corn Surges After USDA Surprises with Larger-than-Expected Yield Cut
Corn surged the most in three months after the US Department of Agriculture surprised traders with a bigger-than-expected cut to yield and production of America’s most widely grown crop. USDA lowered corn yield 1.6 bushels per acre from October to 179.6 bpa, …
USDA Provided ‘Little Transparency’ for Reorganization, Watchdog Agency Says
“Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins lashed out at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for scrutinizing USDA’s reorganization plan, calling the GAO’s report partisan, politicized and incomplete, while the GAO said USDA repeatedly failed to provide information needed to evaluate the reorganization plan’s costs …
USDA Will Use AI Tool To Double Check Data Releases
“The US Department of Agriculture will use an artificial intelligence tool it built to check data in (this) week’s monthly crop production report, agency officials said, after a series of data missteps eroded farmers’ and traders’ trust in its forecasts.” …
How ‘Blue Wave’ Election Could Shape Ag Policy, Lame Duck Farm Bill
“A remarkable streak of wins in farm country battlegrounds delivered Democrats majority control of Congress on Tuesday.” They will now “face pressure to address rising fuel and agricultural input costs, trade concerns and the effects of global conflicts on agricultural markets while …
John Deere to Close Two Iowa Manufacturing Plants
Less than a week after announcing plans to recall and hire hundreds of employees across the Midwest, “John Deere announced plans to close two Iowa manufacturing plants in the next few years and move production to other cities, in a news release …
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