A company letter released this week by the state of Minnesota says Cargill will permanently terminate almost 500 employees in the state, which is home to the company’s corporate headquarters. The terminations will begin on February 5. Cargill recently announced it would cut approximately five percent of its overall staff after revenue took a hit in its most recent fiscal …
Economic News Reflects Depressed Prices in Rural America
Looking back over the past year, recent economic news is reflecting depressed prices across rural America. Mark Oppold has more details. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Threats of Deportations Risks Hurting Agriculture
President-Elect Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations risks hurting the domestic agriculture sector already struggling with labor shortages. That’s according to Matt Carstens, chief executive officer of Iowa’s biggest farm cooperative, who said Trump’s plan should be approached carefully. Bloomberg reports farming would be one of the biggest US sectors hit should the incoming administration move forward with kicking potentially …
Rural Employment Trends at a Glance
USDA’s latest edition of its annual “Rural America at a Glance” report provides a look at rural employments trends of the past year. Rod Bain Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
American Agriculture History Minute: George Washington on Both Sides of the Coin
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. George Washington had a complicated relationship with slavery during his lifetime. He controlled a cumulative total of over 577 slaves forced to work on his farms and including his house in Philadelphia. As president, though, he signed laws by Congress that both curtailed slavery but also protected it. But his will …
Longshoremen’s Strike Over for Now
In a joint statement Thursday evening, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced there is an end, at least temporarily, to the work stoppage that shut down the East and Gulf Coast ports earlier this week. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the end of the strike is terrific news for U.S. …
Dock Worker Strikes Threaten U.S. Meat Exports
Dock worker strikes across the East and Gulf Coasts threaten to disrupt the U.S. meat and livestock industries significantly, according to Erin Borror, Vice President for Economic Analysis at the U.S. Meat Export Federation. The affected ports are critical, having facilitated nearly $3 billion in red meat exports during the first seven months of the year, averaging about $100 million …
Possible Longshoremen Strike Could Affect Agriculture
Longshore workers at various ports may walk off the job early Tuesday. Mark Oppold has more details about how it could affect agriculture. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
USDA to Gather Data about Farm Labor
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its biannual Agricultural Labor Survey in October. More than 1,700 farmers and ranchers in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina will be asked to participate in the survey. This is an opportunity for producers to provide accurate information about hired farm labor, including total number of hired farm workers, total hours worked, …
Traders Interested in New Jobs Numbers
The new jobs numbers report comes out today. Mark Oppold notes many people will be looking at where those numbers come in. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024