Check our advice monitor on ProFarmer.com for updates to our marketing plan.
Annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour starts Monday… Our annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour is next week, Aug. 18-21. Look for daily updates from crop scouts and state results each evening at 8:00 p.m. CDT. Our final yields will be released on Friday, Aug. 21 at 1:30 p.m. CDT. We will produce our daily newsletters, though our “Crops Analysis” and “Livestock Analysis” will be replaced with an extended version of “After the Bell” all next week. We will also suspend “Evening Report” for the week.
Cattle Producers laud Trump administration support in fight against NWS… WASHINGTON (August 15, 2025) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced continued support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) aggressive plan to combat the spread of New World screwworm by ramping up construction of a sterile fly distribution facility alongside a production facility at Moore Air Base in south Texas.
“American cattle producers commend President Trump and Secretary Rollins for their swift action in combatting the spread of New World screwworm. Their leadership and diligence, along with USDA’s collaboration with Texas in building sterile fly production and distribution facilities at Moore Air Base, marks a critical step in stopping the spread of screwworm and protecting the American cattle herd,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.
Woodall continued, “Today’s announcement of rapid construction of sterile fly facilities that will boost weekly output of flies to more than 300 million, is vital news for U.S. cattle producers. Producing flies domestically under American oversight will overcome supply challenges in Mexico and Central America, strengthening our fight against New World screwworm and protecting herds on both sides of the border.” -source: NCBA press release
FNC finds resilient farmland market… Despite ongoing challenges, agricultural land values have remained remarkably stable through mid-2025. According to the Farmers National Company, the resilience is mainly driven by simple supply and demand; there are more motivated buyers than willing sellers. While producers remain the main buyers of ag land, interest from individual and institutional investors can’t be ignored.
As land values stabilize after the peaks of the last five years, investors are increasingly attracted to the annual returns and long-term appreciation. Farm Credit Services of America says benchmark Midwest farmland values increased 57 percent over the past five years and 39 percent over the past decade.
Inventory remains limited, with listings down 25 percent from the peak in 2020-2021. “While producer balance sheets generally remain strong, any negative movements in the ag economy could quickly impact the land market,” said Paul Shadegg, senior VP of real estate operations at Farmers National Company.
Nebraska leads nation in farmland use… An article released this week by visualcapitalist.com details U.S. Farmland by State in 2025 and includes a map that is worth a look. According to their findings, farmland covers 876 million acres, or 39% of U.S. land. The report found, “Nebraska ranks first with 89.5% of its land in farms. North Dakota and South Dakota follow closely at 87.2% each. Kansas (85.6%) and Iowa (83.9%) round out the top five, reflecting deep prairie soils and flat terrain that support large-scale row crops.”
Alaska sports the smallest percentage of farmland by state at just 0.2%. The northeast region is at the low end of the list with Rhode Island just above 9%, New Hampshire at 7.3% and Maine farming just 6.1% of its ground. Population density, forested or arid acres and topography all figure-in to each state’s farmability. Click here to read more and view the website’s cool map…
USDA publishes SNAP use by state… In fiscal year (FY) 2024, USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served a monthly average of 41.7 million people, or 12.3 percent of the U.S. resident population.
SNAP is the United States’ largest domestic nutrition assistance program, accounting for about two-thirds of USDA food and nutrition assistance spending in recent years. SNAP is available to most households with limited incomes and assets, subject to certain work and immigration status requirements. Participating households receive monthly benefits through an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, which can be used like a debit card to buy food items at authorized retailers.
SNAP participation varies across States, influenced by differences in the demographic characteristics of the population, program administration, and economic conditions. In FY 2024, the share of residents receiving SNAP benefits in each State ranged from as high as 21.2 percent in New Mexico to as low as 4.8 percent in Utah. In 36 States, the share was between 8 and 16 percent. -source: USDA news release
Vietnam recognized as a friend to the American soybean… The U.S. Soybean Export Council commemorated three decades of partnership between U.S. Soy and Vietnam with milestones including a Memorandum of Understanding and a keystone conference. The event highlighted the strength of the countries’ enduring relationship and its role in supporting Vietnam’s food, feed, and livestock sectors.
Notable closes:
The addition of 1 billion bushels to the size of the 2025 corn crop in Tuesday’s Crop Production Report sent futures sharply lower that day – but corn has been grinding higher since then. The lack of followthrough selling on Wednesday and Thursday turned into short-covering to end the week.
- September corn futures were 8 Âľ cents higher at $3.83 3/4
- December corn up 8 cents to $4.05 1/4
- March corn futures closed at $4.22 1/2, up 8 ½ cents
Buyer’s slipped back into the cattle complex on reports of strength in the cash cattle market and a new high in the boxed beef market. Heavy-weight, Choice-graded boxed beef surged $6.02 this morning to a high of $399.81 – that lifted both fats and feeders.
- October live cattle were $3.82 ½ higher at $230.65
- December live cattle jumped $3.77 ½ to $232.17 ½
- September feeders jumped $6.32 ½ to $347.35
Your weekend read…
Sweet home Alabama is under surveillance. Without warrant, probable cause, consent, or restriction, state officials claim the right to enter private land, secretly monitor citizens, and collect data. However, two Alabama landowners, backed by Institute for Justice, have filed suit after repeated intrusions by game wardens.
“This is as fundamental as you can get,” Dale Liles says. “The government repeatedly has entered and monitored my private land with no warrant or warning. I want answers and I want it to stop. The public needs to know what is happening.”
“In my own back yard area, the state is watching my family,” Dalton Boley echoes. “They’re sneaking around with no accountability to anyone, trampling on basic rights.”
Americans, including Liles and Boley, are subject to total surveillance on private land according to state and federal officials, but legal challenges are mounting in multiple states.
Click here to read Chris Bennett’s post titled, “Surveillance State: Game Wardens Sued for Secret Private Land Intrusions in Alabama,” on AgWeb.com…