Mark Ash and Dana Golden explained in this month’s Oil Crops Outlook, from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), that, “Despite an unchanged yield, USDA pegs the 2020/21 U.S. soybean crop down by 45 million bushels this month to 4.268 billion as the sown acreage is revised down by 731,000 acres to 83.1 million. With strong sales to China, USDA raises its forecast of […]
Reports this month from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) have provided updated information on market variables impacting soybeans, meat, and corn. Today’s update highlights some of the key findings from these FAS publications. Soybeans In a report Friday, Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade, FAS stated that, “Soybean prices on the Chicago Exchange topped $10.00/bu in […]
This year has exhibited wide swings in commodity prices, drastically changing net return prospects. Earlier papers examined net return prospects in early January (farmdoc daily January 10, 2020) and early May (farmdoc daily May 8, 2020). This article provides updated feeding cost of gain, breakeven prices, and net return estimates for the first nine months of 2020, […]
Common mullein (Verbascum thaspsus L.) has been a problematic invasive weed in Nebraska for a number of years. In in the past two years however, there has been a greater concern among ranchers and landowners in central and western Nebraska about controlling common mullein. Several articles have been previously posted on CropWatch regarding the biology and […]
Reuters News reported this week that, “One more case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in a wild boar in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, Germany’s federal agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. The discovery brings the total number of confirmed cases to 50 since the first one on Sept. 10. All were in […]
North Dakota producers need to be vigilant about keeping Palmer amaranth, a particular noxious weed, off their land, according to North Dakota State University Extension specialists. This weed has been found in new North Dakota counties every year since 2018, and 2020 was no exception. One source of introduction in 2020 was through contaminated grain […]
A recent report from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), “China: Evolving Demand in the World’s Largest Agricultural Import Market,” stated that, “As part of the Phase One Agreement, China has committed to purchase $12.5 billion more agricultural and related products from the United States over 2017 levels. “After a slow start in the first quarter, U.S. agricultural exports to […]
The USDA’s September Hogs and Pigs report places the September 1 inventory of all hogs and pigs at 79.1 million head, a record for this quarter, up just 0.7% from last year and slightly above the average pre-report estimate of 0.3% higher but still within the expected range. While down 0.7% from last quarter, the record for […]
Livestock owners feeding forage need to keep in mind the potential for some forage toxicities and other problems that can develop this fall. High nitrates and prussic acid poisoning are the main potential concerns. These are primarily an issue with annual forages and several weed species, but nitrates can be an issue even in drought […]
Reuters writers Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton reported late last week that, “China’s August imports of soybeans from Brazil rose 22% from a year ago, customs data showed on Friday, as buyers increased their purchases to take advantage of higher margins earlier this year. “China, the world’s top buyer of soybeans, brought in 8.15 million tonnes […]