USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to eight national conservation practice standards. Proposed revisions to the national conservation practice standards include: Comments should be submitted via regulations.gov or via mail by March 4, 2024. NRCS regularly reviews all national conservation practices to seek opportunities to increase flexibility and incorporate new technologies to help the nation’s farmers, ranchers, and private …
NFU Leads Letter to Congress: Uphold Packers and Stockyards Act Progress
Last week, the National Farmers Union (NFU) sent a letter to Appropriations Committee leadership (.pdf) opposing restrictions that would undo work to revitalize the Packers and Stockyards Act. The letter, signed by national, regional, and state organizations, points out that “opponents of competitive agricultural markets are seeking to roll back the work USDA has already completed, prevent USDA from making …
Tracking Various Agricultural Commodities
We saw various agricultural commodities really struggle late last year. So, with the markets closed today for the President’s Day holiday, Mark Oppold takes time to look at how some of those are trading the first few weeks of 2024. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To Researchers For Applied ResearchJune 12, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Encourages Research into …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 02-16-2024
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended February 16, 2024, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended February 16, 2024, receipts at 17 markets totaled an estimated 9,147 head compared to 13,856 last week and …
Seeing Highs in Cattle Markets
We have been seeing some highs in both cattle and feeder futures. Mark Oppold has more on that, along with a reminder about the corporate earnings season. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To Researchers For Applied ResearchJune 12, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Encourages Research into Producers QuestionsJune 5, 2026Cattle Producers Proud of Efforts Funded Through the Florida Cattle …
Forecasting Profitability in the Cattle Industry
During the recent Cattle Industry Convention in Orlando, CattleFax noted the smallest beef cow inventory in the last 50 years, coupled with historically strong demand, led to those higher average fed cattle and calf prices in 2023. And as reduced cattle numbers and beef production continue over the next three years, they note leverage and profitability will continue to favor cattle producers. …
Next Steps for FMMO
The USDA has finished the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearing and is now considering more than 12,000 pages of testimony as it formulates its plan for FMMO modernization. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) continues to do what it can to ensure that the proposal best reflects the interest of dairy farmers and their cooperatives. “We feel that we …
Updating Data Ahead of Outlook Forum
USDA’s Outlook Forum is coming up this week. Mark Oppold looks at how data being compiled may affect the corn and soybeans markets, and also where things stand with quarterly livestock price projections. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To Researchers For Applied ResearchJune 12, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Encourages Research into Producers QuestionsJune 5, 2026Cattle Producers Proud of Efforts Funded …
CoBank: Lack of Heifers May Limit Milk Production Growth
According to a new report (.pdf) from CoBank, a sharp decline in the number of dairy heifers available to replace older cows exiting the U.S. dairy herd could limit meaningful growth in milk production. The number of dairy replacement heifers has fallen almost 15 percent in the last six years to reach a 20-year low. While the global demand outlook …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 02-09-2024
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama and Florida for the week ended February 9, 2024, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended February 9, 2024, receipts at 17 markets totaled an estimated 13,856 head compared to 11,000 last week and 13,717 …