August 20, 2024

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle were sharply lower with weaker demand and external market pressure from the economy. October Live Cattle closed $3.42 lower at $175.60. September Feeder Cattle were down $4.77 at $234.50. In the direct cash cattle trade, a large string in Nebraska sold at mostly $295 dressed, $3 lower than last […] The post Light direct cattle trade develops at lower prices appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The president of the American Soybean Association says the EPA’s final Endangered Species Act Herbicide Strategy could have long-term impacts on the ag industry.  Josh Gackle of North Dakota says there were some improvements from the original proposal. “We know that they understand some of the difficulties for farmers in meeting these requirements,” he says.  […] The post American Soybean Association disappointed in final ESA herbicide strategy appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Researchers at Michigan State University are developing cost-effective technology to help farmers better manage irrigation needs. The Low-Cost Monitoring System (LOCOMOS) uses in-field sensors that measure soil moisture, leaf wetness, and other factors which are then analyzed to create precise irrigation recommendations. Researchers say the simpler system could prevent over-irrigation, reduce disease development, and lower […] The post MSU develops low-cost irrigation system appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The CEO of Farm Credit Illinois (FCI) says the cooperative’s members are already feeling the impact of the ag economy slowdown. Aaron Johnson tells Brownfield… “I believe the squeeze is going to show up more in 2025.”  He says, “You know, commodity prices aren’t what they were, and it seems like input costs for next […] The post Farm Credit Illinois CEO says members are feeling ag downturn appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Youth livestock exhibitors participating in the Missouri State Fair’s Sale of Champions say life lessons are learned in the livestock barn. Beau Ann Graves from Livingston County in northern Missouri exhibited the grand champion steer. She tells Brownfield she set a goal to participate in the Sale of Champions years ago. “People always tell me […] The post Lessons learned in the livestock barn appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The leader of a farm safety organization says autonomous machinery presents a whole new challenge for keeping farm families safe. Brian Kuhl with Progressive Agriculture tells Brownfield autonomous machine use is growing, whether it’s tractors, automatic feeders, feed pushers, or milking machines. “We’re seeing them being implemented for efficiency. We want to reduce costs, buit […] The post Autonomous machines bring new safety concerns appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Sugarbeet pre-pile harvest started for the Michigan Sugar Company this week and a grower says the early tonnage of the crop has been excellent. Rick Gerstenberger tells Brownfield some growers are harvesting 27 to 30 tons per acre and the quality is good. “We’ve had ample rainfall throughout the year, which will likely help with […] The post Michigan Sugar Company pre-pile starts strong appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The Global Dairy Index was up considerably in Tuesday’s trading session. The average price was $3,920 per ton. Every commodity except Cheddar cheese gained value.  Whole milk powder and Mozzarella cheese had the biggest gains. Cheddar cheese was down 0.2% at $4,274 per metric ton or $1.93 per pound. Mozzarella cheese was up 5% at […] The post Global Dairy Trade index up significantly Tuesday appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Jake Li, the deputy assistant administrator for pesticide programs at the U.S. EPA, says the final herbicide strategy gives growers more options on ways to minimize pesticide drift. “We’re giving credit to a number of mitigation measures a grower might want to adopt to get to the amount of protections the pesticide labels say they’ll […] The post EPA releases final herbicide strategy appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Soybeans were mixed, consolidating. Nationally, development is ahead of average, but most forecasts have a warmer, drier pattern in parts of the region starting later this week or early next week, depending on the area. That could cause some stress, possibly cutting yield potential, at least to some extent. A major crop tour ongoing this […] The post Wheat moves higher, corn down, soybeans mixed appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story