January 21, 2025

An ag economist says he doesn’t expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in the short-term. University of Missouri’s Ben Brown says, “These measures of inflation directly impact most farmers through the expectations of interest rates,” he said. “I don’t think anything in this data signals that the Fed’s going to move forward with […] The post Is another interest rate cut coming? appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Commentary. I have said it many times: farming is not an easy life’s work and certainly not for the faint of heart. Farming can push you to your physical and emotional limits. It can nearly kill you. It can save your life. Farmers and ranchers are at the mercy of environmental extremes. Unpredictable weather patterns, […] The post Farming and ranching honorable pursuit appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

U.S. egg production declined during December. The USDA says 9.12 billion eggs were produced during the last month of 2024, falling 3% from December 2023, at least partially because of culling due to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The number of layers fell 3% to 372.59 million head with the rate of production per 100 layers […] The post Lower number of layers impacts egg production appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Farmers could continue to face challenges with access to fertilizer in 2025. Josh Linville with Stone X Group says the shifting geopolitical landscapes are affecting fertilizer availability and profitability. “In the last few years, the Chinese government has started to place export restrictions,” he says. “China is a major urea exporter. When China is out […] The post A global look at the fertilizer market appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A global airplane manufacturer is partnering with the Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub. Greater MSP Partnership CEO Peter Frosch says French company Airbus has agreed to invest as the airline industry attempts to decarbonize jet fuel. “It’s a great indication that we are on the leading edge not only nationally but globally in solving this […] The post Airbus joins Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America says the industry needs guidance from the new Trump administration if it’s going to continue to grow.                   Donnell Rehagen says recent announcements surrounding the 45Z tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel are a start. “And the delays have already begun causing real hardships for our industry.”  He says, […] The post Clean fuels industry needs guidance appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A resource specialist says this winter has helped replenish soil moisture heading into spring planting. Cody Linville with Indiana’s State Department of Agriculture is based in northeast Indiana.  “In the Jay and Randolph County area, we got 5 inches of rain before we got the freeze,” he says. “It did a really good job of getting those […] The post Indiana’s soil moisture outlook appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

President Trump plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico by the beginning of next month. Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump said he expects to issue 25 percent tariffs on imports from both countries starting February 1st. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley tells Brownfield he believes in fair trade and supports the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement. […] The post Trump eyes February 1st to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The head of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says pushing for permanent year-round sales of E15 fuel blends is his biggest priority in 2025. Monte Shaw says Congress had the opportunity to fix the issue once and for all near the end of 2024. “Congress really failed at the end of the year when they […] The post IRFA’s Shaw: Congress dropped the ball on E15 in 2024 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story