March 17, 2026

The chief economist with The Fertilizer Institute says the Trump administration’s move to facilitate purchases of Venezuelan fertilizer products could eventually provide some relief for farmers facing high prices.   Veronica Nigh says the conflict in the Middle East has impacted many of the top fertilizer exporting countries, so the world is looking for supplies. […] The post U.S. exploring Venezuelan fertilizer purchases appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A market analyst says weather is generally favorable for South American corn and soybean producers. Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities, tells Brownfield conditions can vary widely from northern Brazil to southern Argentina. “Let’s just (describe it) like going from Canada all the way to the tip of Texas, so the length of the growing […] The post Analyst: weather conditions largely support South American crops appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag meteorologist says there’s no end in sight for on-going drought in the parts of the Western Corn Belt. Eric Hunt with the University of Nebraska Lincoln says conditions for farmers and ranchers have been deteriorating  for several months.  “If you are in severe or extreme drought or really close to severe drought, this […] The post Ongoing drought threatens Western Corn Belt production outlook appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden says global market access is becoming increasingly difficult for U.S. rice producers. “Rice is now one of the most distressed commodities,” he said Tuesday, “particularly when one factors in that rice has the highest cost of production in regard to any of our large commodity crops.” He says rice exports […] The post Global market access challenges mounting for U.S. rice producers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A former U.S. chief agricultural negotiator says expanding trade relationships in Southeast Asia is critical to long-term growth for the ag industry. Ambassador Darci Vetter served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative from 2014-2017 under the Obama administration. “That is an area where you have multiple countries that are already good customers, that […] The post Former ag negotiator says Southeast Asia trade critical for U.S. agriculture’s future appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A rancher in south-central Nebraska says an on-going wildfire has left widespread destruction across the region.   Adam Grabenstein says the Cottonwood Fire near Gothenburg has burned more than 130,000 acres since Thursday. “North to south what you’re seeing is a lot of black and extreme damage in our rangeland. A lot of fences are […] The post Cottonwood Fire leaves “nothing left” across parts of Nebraska appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

FCS Financial is giving back to its member-owners in a big way this year. Chief Financial Officer Rick Krueger says the cooperative is returning $35 million in cash patronage. To celebrate, FCS Financial is hosting Member Appreciation Day on Tuesday, March 24. Hear more in the latest FCS Financial Field Notes. The post FCS Financial Field Notes: More Than a Customer appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A member of the U.S. House Ag Committee says a $51 million investment into the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub is paying off. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski says a 2024 federal grant awarded to the central Illinois biomanufacturing corridor has helped spur research and development. “They have 30 different partners that are a […] The post iFAB Tech Hub building momentum appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Minnesota farmer Tom Frisch recently served as chair of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and says there were several takeaways. Frisch is also a volunteer firefighter and has helped promote soy-based firefighting foam. As secretary of the United Soybean Board, Frisch also traveled to Egypt and calls it an increasingly important market for […] The post Expanding Markets for Soy appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story