House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday she's not likely to support the farm bill and Republicans should figure out on their own how to come up with the 218 votes needed to pass the bill. Pelosi and Democrats are going to draw a hard line on the $20.5 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It would be naive to think Smithfield executives can just wave their corporate wands and transform the Chinese porkscape into a model of global efficiency.
On the eve of U.S.-EU talks on a trade-and-investment pact, the EU has acceded to a French demand for a "cultural exception." There's no "agricultural exception" -- yet.
DTN Staff Reporter Todd Neeley reports on how widespread ammonium nitrate (AN) use is, and more specifically on how much of the product is stored in various states. It proved a complicated task, and a touchy one as well, for many reasons.
Dry Wed. in U.S., Canada Crop Areas6/19 6:35AM Mostly dry Wednesday for U.S. and Canada crop areas, with just a little light rain in southern areas from the southwestern Plains to the southeast.
Crops
Kane Bercaw of Union City, Mich., looks over his 2013 wheat crop. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)
Scouting Time for PestsProducers Encouraged to Check Now for Insects6/13 10:56AM A wet spring may have distracted many farmers, but as insect activity picks up, producers should start scouting for pests such as armyworms and cereal aphids.
Tue Jun 11, 2013 03:51 PM CDT Government regulators have extended the comment period regarding the environmental impact of new 2,4-D-tolerant and dicamba-tolerant seeds, and will be holding online meetings to discuss those seeds prior to allowing commercial launch.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:00 AM CDT The ground is wet and the corn is yellow. Here's what to consider before you rush to apply extra nitrogen.
Livestock
Duane Strider says the beef business today is built on good cow genetics. The North Carolina cattleman's herd is Gelbvieh and includes 25 Dam of Distinction and Dam of Merit cows. (DTN/Progressive Farmer photo by Boyd Kidwell)
Refocus the HerdFertility, Longevity New Keys to Success6/17 10:38AM Duane Strider sells a lot of bulls, but he believes it's family that counts. Cow families, that is.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:47 AM CDT Grady Fort was once a cattleman. But three years ago, drought pushed this Texas Hill Country producer to sell off his entire herd and exit the beef cattle business.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:32 AM CDT Gerald Stokka is a North Dakota State University Extension livestock stewardship specialist, a position that does not exist in any other university Extension service in any other state. His task is to combine animal science with the philosophy of modern livestock production.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:51 AM CDT Why are my cows udders so similar in size?
Land Management
Ponding is a common sight in Midwest cornfields. This one near Macon, Ill., is beginning to drain, but the corn underneath is likely to be damaged. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)
How Long Can Crops Swim?No Soggy Solutions: From Drought to Deluge6/10 1:36PM Crop fields have gone from drought to deluge in much of the Midwest. Plants can survive the conditions, but not for long.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:31 AM CDT Some Iowa farmers are struggling to get their crops planted after the wettest, coldest May on record in their state, and are looking at what it will mean now and in the longer term if they make prevented planting claims.
Mon Jun 3, 2013 02:23 PM CDT Farmers throughout the saturated northern Corn Belt are vacillating on what to do with their unplanted corn acres. For the first time in decades, growers with millions of acres of top corn and soybean ground are seriously toying with prevented planting claims.
Farm Business
All of the traditional safety net programs -- including the Senate-approved package and House Ag Committee proposals pending full approval next week -- curb price supports compared to protections available under the current law's Average Crop Revenue Election program, according to University of Illinois economist Gary Schnitkey. (DTN file photo)
Price Protection ShrinksCorn to Take Haircut Under Likely Farm Bill Options6/12 1:49PM Expect little in price supports if Congress approves either Senate or House farm bill options and season-average prices fall to around $4.50 or less between now and 2016, a new University of Illinois study cautions.
Wed May 22, 2013 11:29 AM CDT For Russ Quinn, author of the Vintage Iron column, having an interest in vintage equipment and farming practices, living on a farm and raising his own young family, has led Russ to try his hand at vintage farming.
Mon Jun 3, 2013 02:26 PM CDT Bruce Anderson, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension forage specialist, said a maintenance checklist is good idea for hay producers before the season begins.
Ag Policy
House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, shown here in a DTN file photo, finally got to introduce his farm bill on the floor Tuesday. Debate begins Wednesday. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)
House Farm Bill Hits the FloorBattles Ahead Over Food Aid, Dairy, Sugar, Crop Insurance6/19 6:53AM The House Rules Committee agreed late in the night to floor debate on 103 amendments to the farm bill. Some of the proposals would dramatically shift costs for crop insurance, alter farm programs for dairy and sugar farmers, and lower the amount of corn-based ethanol required under the Renewable Fuels Standard.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 01:14 PM CDT U.S. President Barack Obama, England Prime Minister David Cameron and European Union officials held an event Monday in Northern Ireland to discuss trade talks between the U.S. and the European Union with the opening round of negotiations to begin the week of July 8 in Washington.
Wed Jun 12, 2013 01:46 PM CDT Expect little in price supports if Congress approves either Senate or House farm bill options and season-average prices fall to around $4.50 or less between now and 2016, a new University of Illinois study cautions.
Tue Jun 11, 2013 09:07 AM CDT The Senate farm bill contains the same target price-based program as the House bill, which should make it easier to gain approval.
Farm Life
Honey bees have lost foraging sites as farms have consolidated and corn and soybeans have covered the landscape. More plantings of things like crimson clover are being encouraged (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)
A Big Ball of WaxIs Big Ag to Blame for Plight of Honey Bee?6/17 10:53AM Agriculture is getting a lot of the blame for honey bee losses. A recent summit reveals the complexity behind the plight of the honey bee.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 09:02 AM CDT Gerald Stokka is a North Dakota State University Extension livestock stewardship specialist, a position that does not exist in any other university Extension service in any other state. His task is to combine animal science with the philosophy of modern livestock production.
Mon Jun 17, 2013 01:17 PM CDT Niche production provides a foothold for young growers who want to get into farming.
Featured Column
Gulke: A Look at Reports6/17 8:04AM The views expressed are those of the individual author and not necessarily those of DTN, its management or employees.
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Raising Cain Over Crop Insurance
