*This article was originally posted here The U.S. and China remain deadlocked in a major trade dispute. While many sectors have been impacted, the U.S. agricultural sector has paid a heavy price in the dispute. The first major impact on U.S. agriculture came in July 2018 when China imposed a 25% retaliatory tariff on many […]
Last week, the Federal Reserve Board released its November 2019 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. The report included several observations pertaining to the U.S. agricultural economy. Graph of Fed Districts from, “The Beige Book.” * Fifth District- Richmond– “Farmers were reportedly hesitant to invest in land or equipment because […]
Now is a good time to wean calves, and producers should select the weaning method that best fits their operation, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists. For the beef industry, weaning can be defined as “the process of causing a calf to stop feeding on its mother’s milk, to rely completely on […]
On Monday, the USDA released its Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, a quarterly report from the Department’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Economic Research Service (ERS). Today’s update includes highlights from the report, which was coordinated by Kamron Daugherty and Hui Jiang. The Outlook stated that, “U.S. agricultural exports in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 are projected at $139.0 billion, up $2.0 billion from the […]
Earlier this month, in its monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) explained that, “U.S. trade data through September indicate that in the first three quarters of 2019 total exports of red meat and poultry increased 1.1 percent. However, driven by a large increase in expected fourth-quarter shipments, exports for the year are forecast to increase more than […]
A Purdue University Extension specialist is warning livestock owners that forage they harvested earlier this year likely has lower-than-usual nutritional quality. Without proper supplements, there could be serious consequences for their animals. “This is a very unusual year, and the quality is extremely low for this late-harvested forage,” said Keith Johnson, a professor of agronomy and […]
Bloomberg News reported last week that, “Tang Jie, who works on a pig farm, says he used to get pork from the wet market near his home every day. But he hasn’t bought any in two months. And his favorite dish, stewed pork ribs with lotus root, has been cut from the menu at his local […]
Producers should not introduce hungry cattle to unharvested soybean fields, according to a North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialist. “Ammonia toxicity is a threat to cattle that overconsume soybeans,” says Karl Hoppe, livestock systems specialist at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center. “Whether it’s a pile of harvested soybeans lying on the ground or an […]
Reuters writers Heather Timmons and Hallie Gu reported last week that, “U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that Beijing commit to big purchases of American farm products has become a major sticking point in talks to end the Sino-U.S. trade war, according to several people briefed on the negotiations. Farm Policy@FarmPolicy “@realDonaldTrump: We’re ahead of schedule on phase […]
The future of U.S. pork belly supplies isn’t so clear despite reports of an impending bacon shortage in 2020, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, College Station, said numerous recent reports regarding a bacon shortage in 2020 could be based more on expectations than current reality. Anderson said […]