IARN — As the largest pork producing state, Iowa farmers of course have an interest in maintaining pork’s place at the dinner table as a large part of a healthy and balanced diet. In order to do that, the Pork Checkoff is investing in three pillars: strategic research, compelling consumer outreach, and community building with nutrition professionals. Emily Krause, director of nutrition at National Pork Board, says their recent Pork and Partners fits into this strategy. Read more
Farm Bill looking less likely to be completed on time.
IARN — During the Iowa State Fair, Senator Chuck Grassley told IARN about the optimism he had for getting the Farm Bill done by the September 30th deadline. Senator Ernst didn’t share his optimism and was looking for an extension of the current legislation, with the hopes of completing it before the end of the year. Read more
September WASDE leads to potential harvest lows
IARN — No real changes to the old crop numbers in this month’s WASDE report, but, as expected, there were bearish changes to the new crop numbers. But these changes were even more bearish than expected, especially in the soybeans. Much of this can be attributed to a lack in global demand. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided a breakdown of the September WASDE report. Read more
July beef exports experience slow month as pork continues to grow
IARN — Building on a robust first-half performance, July exports of U.S. pork continued to outpace year-ago levels, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). July pork exports totaled 219,014 metric tons (mt), up 5% year-over-year, while export value increased 1% to $628.7 million. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said pork export growth has been driven by market diversification. Read more
Farmers remain optimistic about 2024
IARN — Many of us are too young to remember or know who the humorist Will Rogers was. However, there is one thing he said that rings true with agriculture producers around the world. Read more
Technology extends to all areas of the farm
IARN — Precision agriculture technology is a part of almost every segment of a farming operation in 2023. From seed population meters to spot spraying with drones, technology has made farmers more efficient and offered more tools on the farm than ever before. That technological reach extends to areas of the farm that you might not have associated as heavily with technology, like baling hay. Read more