May 23, 2025

U.S. red meat and poultry stocks at the start of the month were below year ago levels. The USDA says the red meat total on May 1st of 893.577 million pounds was down 6% on the year, with a 2% decrease for beef to 418.147 million pounds due in part to lower production in April […] The post U.S. red meat, poultry stocks tighten appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Market ready cattle numbers could get even tighter in the coming months. The USDA says 1.613 million head of cattle were placed into feedlots during April, a decline of 3% on the year. That dip is at least partially due to generally tight supplies because of herd contraction and reduced feeder cattle imports from Mexico […] The post USDA reports lower April cattle placements appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag economist says the continued slowdown in ag equipment purchases could be part of a larger trend in the ag economy. David Widmar, with Agricultural Economic Insights, says 2021 to 2023 were some of the strongest years in ag equipment purchasing, but that’s changed. “We have this expansion of capital production,” he says. “When […] The post Slow ag equipment market reflects tighter ag economy  appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A plant pathologist says wet weather across Indiana have created challenges for wheat growers trying to manage foliar disease pressure. Darcy Telenko is with Purdue University Extension. “We worry a lot about fusarium head blight or scab, and so that application needs to go out in a timely manner when we’re just beginning flowering ,” she […] The post Indiana wheat growers monitoring disease risk appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says there are concerns over the amount of credit deterioration occurring in the ag sector. David Oppedahl says low commodity prices and high input costs continued to plague agriculture in the first quarter of 2025. “There is an increase in demand for non-real estate loans.”  […] The post Ag credit deterioration concerning appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A specialty crop grower says this is the first year H-2A guest worker wages have declined on his farm in more than a decade. Fourth-generation farmer Derek Oomen tells Brownfield the constant wage increases have become a major financial strain. “It’s just really, really hard when you’re in a system like that and you’re competing […] The post H-2A wage pressure for farmers far from over appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A lead attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center says the federal government has been ordered to release frozen grant funds. “Those grants should start flowing again immediately.” Kym Meyer tells Brownfield President Trump’s executive order to freeze and terminate 32 Inflation Reduction Act and Inflation Investment and Jobs Act grants violated the Administrative Procedures […] The post Judge rules to lift federal funding freeze, some USDA grants in limbo appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Cash dairy prices were mixed going into the holiday weekend Friday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.    Dry whey was unchanged at $0.5425.  No sales were recorded.  Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0775 at $1.87.  Three sales were recorded, ranging from $1.87 to $1.88.  Cheese barrels were down $0.0175 at $1.8525.   Two sales were recorded, at […] The post Cheese prices down, butter up entering holiday weekend appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story