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Senators Chuck Grassley, Tammy Baldwin, and Joni Ernst are reintroducing the bipartisan Fertilizer Research Act which would require USDA to conduct a study on competition and trends in the fertilizer market and their subsequent impacts on price.
Senator Ernst said, “I’m working hard to drive down fertilizer costs and make life more affordable for both farmers and consumers.” The Fertilizer Research Act is endorsed by the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, and many other organizations that support farmers.
Bird flu strikes Nebraska dairy… A dairy herd in Nebraska is the latest to test positive for High Path Avian Influenza, or bird flu. Dr. Roger Dudley, State Veterinarian for Nebraska, says testing confirmed the virus came from dairy cows in California that moved to the state. Dudley was quick to add that the milk supply is safe.
“Pasteurization makes them completely safe. We know that that process has been proven repeatedly to eliminate any concerns with human health,” noted Dr Dudley. He went on to advise dairy farmers to keep biosecurity measures front and center.
Colorado legislators propose bills protecting state’s ag… Colorado lawmakers prioritized protecting the state’s agriculture industry in some of their first bill requests Monday through the Colorado Legislature’s Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee. Lawmakers have proposed four bills, all focused on agriculture topics, including taxing ranches, regulating farmers markets and keeping farmland in production. One of the measures would expand the definition of “ranch” to make more types of ranches eligible for tax exemptions.
Generational legacies are at the greatest risk of extinction since the 1980s farm crisis. Persistently high interest rates are a key reason. We’re in an agricultural downturn that owes its roots to many reasons: low commodity prices, high input prices, tariffs, trade disputes, etc. Interest rates happen to be one of many reasons contributing to this latest economic funk.
An Iowa corn farmer pencils out a purchase on quality farmland priced at $11,467 per acre (2024 Iowa State University Land Value Survey). With current financing at 7.6% interest (Federal Reserve agricultural lending rates), the annual debt service alone costs $777 per acre on a 30-year loan with 20% down.
The same acre generates roughly $814 in gross revenue from corn at USDA’s projected 2025/26 price ($3.90 per bushel at 209 bu. per acre average Iowa yield, USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, August 2025). Here’s the devastating math: total production costs, excluding land costs, reach $595 per acre (Iowa State University 2025 crop production cost estimates).
-excerpted from the article by AgWeb’s Steve Cubbage titled ‘High Interest Rates Could Reshape Agriculture’s Future.’
Mickey D’s to invest in regenerative ag… McDonald’s said Monday it plans to invest $200 million over the next seven years to promote regenerative agriculture practices on cattle ranches. Associated Press reports the Chicago burger giant said the investment was its largest to date in support of regenerative agriculture in the U.S. The company has also funded regenerative projects on potato farms in Canada and Europe.
“As a brand that serves more than 90% of Americans every year, we recognize the responsibility we have to help safeguard our food systems for long-term vitality,” Cesar Piña, McDonald’s chief supply chain officer for North America, said in a statement.
Senator Grassley frustrated with reallocation schemes… Long-time ethanol supporter and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is reportedly in support of EPA’s proposal to fully reallocate 2023-25 renewable fuel blending volumes lost to SREs. But as for a second proposed option to reallocate half of the exempted volumes to 2026 and ’27 RFS requirements, Grassley says, “…every gallon needs to be reallocated, 100-percent.”
EPA has already announced granting dozens of SREs and partial exemptions. Grassley is frustrated, lamenting the push-pull nature of EPA’s RFS policy decisions and announcements, “…and it’s just irritating that we have to deal with these all the time,” said the Senator.
EPA’s latest proposal also allows refiners to buy renewable identification numbers, or RIN credits to make up lost volumes. Grassley complains RINS should not be a substitute for meeting Renewable Volume Obligations.
Notable closes:
Boxed beef prices are down nearly 14 bucks so far this week... that’s got many expecting lower cash cattle trade. Still, beef exports of 15,800 metric tons helped support prices.
- October live cattle were $1.27 ½ higher at $232.37 ½
- December live cattle up $1.47 ½ to $234.15
- October feeders up $2.60 to $351.72 ½
Export sales of corn in the week ended September 11 totaled 1.23 million metric tons – that was in line with trade expectations. Mexico, Colombia and South Korea topped the buyers list. USDA this morning also announced the sale of 110,000 metric tons of corn to Mexico.
- December corn futures were 3 cents lower at $4.23 3/4
- March corn down 3 cents to $4.41 1/2
- May corn futures closed at $4.51 1/2, down 2 ¾ cents