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Major funding battles are showing up in the farm bill debate, particularly concerning allocation of resources to various programs and overall budget constraints. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) SNAP, which [...]

USDA's first corn crop condition ratings of the growing season pegged the crop at 75% 'good' to 'excellent' and 4% 'poor' to 'very poor.' That was higher than last year's [...]

President-elect Donald Trump views tariffs as a cornerstone of his economic strategy, describing them as 'the most beautiful word in the dictionary.' His proposed policies aim to boost American manufacturing, [...]

President-elect Donald Trump's accelerated actions on getting top personnel announced shows he has been working on his second term for years and learned a lot from his first administration. Prepare [...]

The financial downturn in the ag sector has the focus of lawmakers, lenders and farm groups. How Washington will deal with some of those issues depends on results of Nov. [...]

The global economy is critical for many industries. For agriculture, economic growth is paramount to demand as it impacts world trade flows. Following are highlights from the International Monetary Fund's [...]

As the Nov. 5 election approaches, a recent Farm Journal/AgWeb poll of 4,776 respondents reveals diverging opinions between farmers and economists on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump would be [...]

The U.S. agriculture sector, including farmers and farm-state lawmakers, have been clamoring for months for guidance on the 45Z tax credit program, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, [...]

U.S. trade issues with India, China, Brazil and Mexico are frustrating U.S. farmers and farm-state lawmakers who urge reciprocity in trade relations. One topic frustrating U.S. corn and ethanol producers [...]

Markets know there are big new-crop supplies coming as early corn and soybean harvest gets underway. Unless there's a major bullish surprise on the production side, markets will be focused [...]

Following are some key topics after recent speeches and talks with farmers across the country. Outlook for diesel prices Diesel fuel costs have declined, providing some financial relief in an [...]

The White House announced new guidelines to enhance the carbon offsets market--Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs). Despite criticism and numerous studies indicating that many carbon offsets are ineffective, the Biden administration [...]

We have now covered 11 of the 19 farm bills Congress has considered--and have never seen as much armchair quarterbacking and political hack attacks than during this version. This suggests [...]

President Joe Biden unveiled sweeping tariffs on a range of Chinese imports totaling $18 billion, including more than two dozen industrial raw materials. But the administration was careful to avoid [...]

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will qualify for tax credits of $1.25 to $1.75 a gallon if they are derived from corn and soybeans grown under a specific set of carbon-reducing [...]

The global economy is expected to remain 'quite resilient' during another year of slow but steady growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast. But IMF warns, 'The resilient global economy [...]

USDA is down to fine tuning usage forecasts for 2023-24, while March planting intentions give us a starting point on outlooks for the upcoming marketing year. CORN: We project old-crop [...]

USDA estimates farmers intend to plant a lot less corn in 2024 than they did last year, while soybean acres are expected to rise. That shift in acres was anticipated, [...]

Results of the annual Pro Farmer/Doane planting intentions survey signaled there will be a notable shift from corn to soybean acres this year, due mostly to crop rotations, but the [...]

Carbon intensity (CI) is being discussed in corporate boardrooms, on Capitol Hill and among corn and soybean farmers, notes Lauren Lurkins, a strategist from Bloomington, Illinois. This will bring mega [...]

CORN--USDA left U.S. corn ending stocks at 2.172 billion bu., unchanged from last month. That would be the largest carryover since 2018-19. USDA made no changes to any of the [...]

Many, including us, have been impatiently awaiting an overdue price recovery to increase 2023-crop corn and soybean sales. That hasn't developed as funds have amassed a record combined net short [...]

During a Senate Ag panel hearing, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed key issues, including California's Proposition 12, utilizing the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) authority to potentially raise reference prices in [...]

If former President Donald Trump wins re-election, his official trade policy proposals could have a major, and likely negative impact, on the U.S. ag sector. If implemented, they would lead [...]

USDA's Ag Outlook Forum projections serve as the initial acreage benchmarks for the new-crop marketing year. USDA's first survey-based acreage estimates come in the March 31 Prospective Plantings Report. We [...]

CORN--USDA raised corn carryover 10 million bu. from last month to 2.172 billion bu., which would be the highest since 2018-19. USDA's only change was a 10-million-bu. cut to projected [...]

We've complied a list of key issues farmers and ag industry officials are talking/asking about based on our recent conversations at meetings across the country. COMMODITY OUTLOOK: Corn and soybean [...]

USDA cut its corn yield projection 4 bu. to 177.5 bu. per acre, noting 'extreme dryness during June.' That seems logical. In fact, Pro Farmer argued USDA's trendline yield was [...]

President Joe Biden signed a bill that extends farmer safety net programs through Sept. 30, 2024. You can elect between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for [...]

A lot of (too much) attention after USDA's Jan. 12 reports was placed on the record corn yield estimate of 177.3 bu. per acre. How could we end up with [...]

The probability of a sharp economic downturn has declined significantly, though economic conditions will still feel like a recession for many people. Business and academic economists surveyed by the Wall [...]

CORN--USDA increased corn carryover 31 million bu. from last month to 2.162 billion bu., 57 million bu. above the average pre-report trade estimate. USDA raised total 2023-24 supplies 106 million [...]

Several key issues confront agriculture in the new year and beyond. Following are some of the most important factors that could impact your farming operations. Geopolitics carry big risks in [...]

2019 SPECIAL REPORT CORN Aug. 1 USDA Change from Tour Change Yield Estimate (*) 2018 Final Yield (**) from 2018 Illinois 181 -13.8% 171.17 -11.1% Indiana 166 -12.2% 161.46 -11.5% [...]

We always strive to go into the Pro Farmer Crop Tour with an open mind. The goal of the tour is to get a strong objective view of corn yield [...]

Ahead of the 2020 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, crop condition ratings were strong. Yet, dryness was expanding across areas of the Corn Belt. A team of crop scouts set out [...]

CORN--USDA increased old-crop carryover by 25 million bu. from last month to 2.253 billion bushels. USDA increased estimated corn-for-ethanol use 5 million bu. from last month but cut estimated exports [...]

Tracking the ups and downs of the possibility and details of another Covid-19 aid package is about as topsy-turvy as President Trump's tweets. Here is our latest assessment of the [...]

We've had a week to let the dust settle and reflect on what we found on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour. More importantly, we've had a week to analyze data [...]

The best analysis of this year's data will be to compare state-by-state results to past Crop Tour data, with close attention to the percentage changes. You also need to factor [...]

We always strive to go into Crop Tour with an open mind. The goal of the Tour is to get a strong, objective view of corn yield potential across the [...]

The 2019 U.S. growing season seems like it will never end for some producers. That's keeping some focus on the supply side of the market, but traders' attention has shifted [...]

Fertilizer prices have firmed steadily since placing a longtime low in November 2017, but the second quarter of 2019 was characterized by generally sideways to slightly higher price action. Prices [...]

Since 2008 Pro Farmer has designated veteran scouts on Crop Tour as Master Scouts. Earning this title isn't easy--it comes with hard work and sweat through many years of crop [...]

A theme during the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, which ran Aug. 16-19, was record ear counts as scouts pulled samples in seven states. Ear counts were up versus 2020 [...]

The U.S. meatpacking industry faces stricter oversight following complaints about meat companies' alleged influence over markets and farmers. USDA is crafting new rules that would change how companies pay chicken [...]

Corn and soybean futures are in the throes of a weather market, which heightens market volatility. Adding to this year's situation are tight old-crop stocks. Removing emotions in making riskmanagement [...]

CORN--USDA cut its old-crop corn ending stocks figure by 150 million bu. from last month to 1.107 billion bushels. It raised food, seed and industrial use by 75 million bu. [...]

The majority of the growing season lies ahead, but the corn and soybean crops finished May well ahead of their average development paces. As of May 30, U.S. corn planting [...]

We continue to get many e-mails and phone calls from Members regarding pandemic assistance payments. There are a lot of moving parts and everyone wants to receive all of the [...]