SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Ed Usset says now is a good time to be contracting some of the 2017-18 soybean crop. The grain marketing economist with the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota has created simple one-page pre-harvest marketing plans for soybeans, corn and spring wheat. He created the plans six […] Read more
Tag Archives Commodity Classic
Farmers unimpressed with Trump’s anti-trade policies
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Rural America is largely credited with giving Donald Trump the U.S. presidency, but there is one policy area where farmers are not happy with the White House. Trump’s protectionist actions and rhetoric have put him at odds with his biggest supporters. John Heisdorffer, vice-president of the American Soybean Association, said the […] Read more
Video: Merger, U.S. farm bill, trade and hybrid wheat major topics at Commodity Classic
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Day one of the 2017 Commodity Classic ended with a series of press conferences for the 165 journalists attending the event. The most intriguing one was the joint Bayer-Monsanto press conference where two former adversaries embraced one another for a photo opp. Adrian Percy, global head of research and development with […] Read more
VIDEO: Marketing and farmer optimism hot topics at Commodity Classic
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It was standing room only during the grain marketing sessions at day one of the 2017 Commodity Classic. Commodity Classic describes itself as is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show. Bryce Knorr, senior grain market analyst for Farm Futures, said it looks like there will be neutral ENSO conditions […] Read more
Grading rules draw U.S. ire
NEW ORLEANS, La. — American wheat farmers are fed up with how long it is taking to change Canadian grain grading rules. Canadian wheat is graded and treated no differently than wheat that originates in the United States when it moves south. But U.S. wheat that comes north is automatically assigned a feed grade, even […] Read more
US: Take countries to task over exceeding wheat support limits
PHOENIX, Ariz. — U.S. Wheat Associates says it might be time to take some of the top wheat producing nations to task for flagrantly violating their World Trade Organization obligations. India, China, Turkey, Brazil and Thailand have dramatically in-creased trade-distorting subsidies and are failing to report those subsidy levels to the WTO, it said. China […] Read more
Farmers needed for food fight
PHOENIX, Arizona — Farmers and industry need to take on the work of convincing the general public about their safety and sustainability of food production. “There is nothing more sustainable than a seventh generation (American) farmer,” said Jim Blome, President and CEO of Bayer Crop Science. “They aren’t going to leave a mess for their […] Read more
Aging infrastructure could slow American transport
Investment needed | U.S. waterway official warns of looming crisis
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — U.S. farmers are trying to avert a looming transportation crisis. Crumbling locks and dams pose a serious threat to commodities moving up and down American waterways. More than 60 percent of the country’s corn and soybean exports use the country’s river systems to get to port and a significant amount of […] Read more
Interest high in biological market
Monsanto/Novozymes deal | Major seed companies are adding biological products to their lineups
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — An alliance between Monsanto and Novozymes will result in a broader array of thoroughly tested biological products for farmers, says a senior Monsanto executive. “We will innovate,” said Brad Griffith, vice-president of global commercial microbials with Monsanto. “You will see more products from us. You will see a lot more products […] Read more
Dump of snow brings optimism to dry U.S. plains
More moisture needed | Some areas need more precipitation to get to average
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Two recent snowstorms have delivered hope to U.S. winter wheat growers, but they still need more help from the skies. “It hasn’t broken the drought, but it has made a big difference,” said DTN agricultural meteorologist Bryce Anderson. “We saw the drought classifications improve by one full category across most of the […] Read more
