Republicans continued on Wednesday a years-long effort to override a 2018 California law that bans the sale in the state of pork from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, arguing in a House Agriculture Committee hearing that the law is overly burdensome to farmers.
USDA Data
Beef Prices Soar to Record Highs in June
Ground beef prices across the U.S. continue to reach new highs, driven by shrinking cattle herds, with looming import restrictions threatening to push costs even higher. The average price of a pound of 100% ground beef rose to $6.12 last month, up from $5.98 in May.
Ag Trade Deficit Reaches Record High $20 Billion Through April
From January through April, the United States imported $78.2 billion in agricultural products while exporting just $58.5 billion. This $19.7 billion deficit is the largest ever recorded for the first four months of a year and signals that the 2025 deficit could surpass previous records.
Integrity of USDA Data Questioned After Trade Report Redaction
Analysts voiced concerns this week about the integrity of U.S. Department of Agriculture reports after the agency delayed a report and excluded findings that point to tariffs as a reason for a forecasted increase in the agricultural trade deficit.
US Retail Egg Prices Fell 12.7% in April
The Associated Press’ Dee-Ann Durbin reported that “U.S. retail egg prices fell in April from the record-high prices they hit earlier this year, according to government data released Tuesday. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to $5.12 last month after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau […]
Corn Acres Will Top 95 Million in 2025, USDA Says
Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer reported Monday that “US farmers are boosting corn planting to a five-year high as the looming trade war makes America’s mostly widely grown crop a relatively safe bet even as demand is at risk of being shaken up by reciprocal tariffs.” “Farmers are expected to plant 95.3 million acres of corn this […]
Analysts Expect 4 Million More Corn Acres in 2025
Progressive Farmer’s Rhett Montgomery reported that “on Monday, March 31, USDA will release two major reports out to the market at 11 a.m. CDT. The Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report will serve to give a very early look into production potential for spring-planted crops, while also accounting for inventory still on hand from […]
Tariffs Threaten Shift to Higher Corn Acres in 2025
Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman reported late last week that “President Donald Trump’s slew of tariffs means American farmers may not make that big shift to corn after all. Growers were widely expected to plant the most corn in five years due to tighter supplies. Now levies on some products from Canada, Mexico and China have shifted […]
USDA Increases Corn Yield Estimate to New Record
Progressive Farmer Staff reported Thursday that “going against analysts’ pre-report estimates, USDA on Thursday raised corn production slightly as the yield was bumped up to a record level. Corn production was pegged at 15.186 billion bushels, up 39 million bushels from August. The yield was raised 0.5 bushels per acre to a record 183.6 bpa.” […]
Pro Farmer Tour Finds ‘Spectacular’ US Soybean Crop
Pro Farmer Editors reported on Friday that “Pro Farmer estimates the U.S. corn crop at 14.979 billion bushels using an average yield of 181.1 bushels per acre. We estimate the U.S. soybean crop at 4.740 billion bushels at an average yield of 54.9 bushels per acre.” “The national estimates above reflect Pro Farmer’s view on […]
USDA Projects Record Soybean, Corn Yields
The USDA on Monday said that US farmers will grow a record soybean crop in 2024, while national average yields for both corn and soybeans will set record highs. In its Crop Production Report on Monday, the USDA said that the national average soybean yield is estimated at 53.2 bushels per acre — 1.3 bpa […]
Farmers Still Holding Corn & Soybeans Amid Low Prices
Reuters’ Karen Braun reported Tuesday that “survey work published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday showed June 1 U.S. corn stocks at 4.99 billion bushels, a four-year high, up 22% from a year earlier and up 7% from the 10-year average for June 1. But 61% of those corn supplies was held on […]
Corn Acres Down, Soybeans Up Over Last Year
FarmWeek’s Daniel Grant reported Friday that “a challenging planting season apparently didn’t stop U.S. farmers from seeding a hefty amount of corn and soybeans, according to USDA’s much-anticipated June acreage report released (this past) Friday. Despite wild weather fluctuations in recent months, USDA pegged planted acreage at 91.5 million acres of corn and 86.1 million […]
SNAP Participation Up, Spending Down in 2023
Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased 2.3% in 2023 to an average of 42.1 million people each month, while total federal spending on the program decreased 5.6% in 2023 to $112.8 billion, according to new research from the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The 42.1 million people participating in SNAP each month “was […]
Crop Insurance Coverage Exceeds 500 Million Acres for First Time
FERN’s Ag Insider reported Monday that “farmers and ranchers bought crop insurance policies on more than 500 million acres of land last year, the largest amount ever, driven by the surging popularity of forage policies. Overall enrollment in crop insurance was up 85% in the seven years from 2016, according to USDA data.” “In 2021, […]
Corn Condition Off to Best Start Since 2021
Progressive Farmer’s Anthony Greder reported Monday that “the condition of the U.S. corn crop is starting off significantly better this year than it did last year, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress on Monday.” “In its first condition rating of the season for corn, NASS estimated that 75% of the crop was in […]
US Ag Trade Deficit Widens to $32 Billion
The United States agricultural trade deficit is projected to increase once again to $32 billion in fiscal year 2024, an increase of $1.5 billion from the February projection, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s May 2024 Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade report, which is released quarterly. “U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year (FY) 2024 […]
Republicans Represent 81 of Top 100 Ag Production Districts
Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks reported Wednesday that “Republicans are tightening their electoral grip on farm country, holding all but 19 of the top 100 congressional districts in terms of agricultural sales, according to an Agri-Pulse analysis of newly released data from USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture.” “Republicans control 21 districts ranked highest for the value of […]
Kansas Wheat Yield Projected Highest Since 2021
Reuters’ Heather Schlitz reported this past week that “scouts on an annual tour of Kansas wheat fields projected better-than-average yields in the top U.S. winter wheat state, reflecting improved moisture after several years of drought.” “The tour estimated Kansas wheat’s yield potential at 46.5 bushels per acre (bpa) after scouting 449 fields over three days,” […]
April WASDE Makes Few Changes
The April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report was relatively light on changes yesterday, with the USDA only slightly lowering domestic corn ending stocks for the 2023/24 marketing year and slightly increasing domestic soybean ending stocks. United States corn ending stocks are now estimated at 2.122 billion bushels, down 50 million bushels from […]