Split Opinions Farm Bill There are two sides to any fight in Washington, and it is an inelegant blood sport. Neither side respects the observation of renaissance American writer Elbert Hubbard that, “If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.” Anyone in their policy comfort seat can find fault in the opposition. But what about the power to question family orthodoxy?
Farm input costs have skyrocketed. But in an extraordinary inflationary period should we only consider it in nominal terms? Cash receipts are falling in 2023, but from a record high. It is declining 16 percent, but that is after rising 73.4 percent the previous three years. ARC/PLC payments are low and stagnant. Cost-shared crop ins...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
