Current crop prices and farm returns may be weak but there will still be rallies and selling opportunities in the days and months ahead that producers must be ready to cash in on, an analyst says. Ben Buckner, chief grains analyst for AgResource Co., said at the Ontario Agricultural Conference earlier this month that such factors as the weather could come into play to lift crop markets out of the doldrums. The key for farmers, he said, will be recognizing and jumping on those rallies. “I don’t think the markets will be without opportunities,” he told the crowd. “But as your neighbours may start to see rising prices, thinking this is maybe the start of a long-term, sustained bull trend, I want you. . . to sell those rallies.” A weather problem somewhere in a major global production region will often spark a rally in the markets, and Buckner said those instances are becoming increasingly common. Prior to about 2017, it was only about once every 10 or 12 years there was a major drou
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, also known as NASS, has released its annual crop production summary. In Iowa, 2024 was a bountiful year for corn and soybeans. Corn production in the state was estimated at a remarkable 2.63 billion bushels, marking a 4% increase from the previous year. Iowa’s corn for grain yield reached a record-breaking 211 bushels per acre. Though the harvested area decreased slightly to 12.5 million acres, the impressive yield more than made up for it. Additionally, corn for silage production was up by 7%, totaling 8.16 million tons. On the soybean front, Iowa farmers harvested an estimated 598 million bushels, a 4% rise from last year. The average soybean yield was 60 bushels per acre, with a harvested acreage of nearly 10 million acres. The state saw an increase in both planted and harvested soybean areas, contributing to the overall production boost. Turning to hay, all hay production in Iowa surged by 19%, rea
A Lethbridge researcher is leading the effort to accelerate the digital transformation of the Canadian agriculture sector. In modern farming, innovation is key to addressing both biotic and abiotic stresses. Exciting research being done out of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Remote Sensing and Phenomics Lab (RSP Lab) at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre is harnessing data-driven tools to transform farming practices, including helping accelerate the development of new crop varieties. Keshav Singh, who leads the RSP Lab group, has dedicated several years to developing cutting-edge technologies that empower farmers. Over the past three years, Singh’s lab has worked to develop digital tools that help producers make better decisions using advanced technology. One of his projects, supported by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), focuses on spectral imaging technology to estimate nitrogen (N) fertilizer-use-efficiency to optimize grain yield and quality in
It was a clear, dry day when Tony Kurt welcomed a small group of neighbors, local officials and media personnel to his fields near Cascade for a drone-seeding demonstration. The fourth-generation farmer has a strong historical connection to his land and its past. But in hosting the event featuring cutting-edge technology he was looking ahead to the future. During the demo, a professional drone pilot on the ground flew small unmanned aircraft with four arms and eight propellers about 20 feet in the air over corn stalks that were.then yet to be harvested. Kurt was among the first farmers in the county to take part in a drone-seeding program that was new in 2024. The machines can hold about 100 pounds; they dropped seeds between corn and bean rows. Those seeds would become cover crops. “I’ve had (seeds) flown over in airplanes before, but this is the first time for drones,” said Kurt as he walked his land several weeks after the demonstration. By then the corn had been picked and radi
As a society we’re learning about variants in mental health – and consequently how to treat the diseases as well as the stigmas associated with depression and anxiety. Every facet of our culture is prone to mental illness, but the agricultural and farming communities are an at-risk segment. Karen Endres is the Farmer Wellness Program coordinator at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. She looks for ways to help Wisconsin farmers with their mental health. She’s not a psychiatrist or therapist. Rather, she said, she likes to consider herself a bridge between farmers and mental-health connections. Her job requires a lot of public speaking to farmer organizations as well as speaking at expos. “I’ve been in the agricultural industry since I graduated college,” she said. “I worked at a dairy co-op for 10 years as head of communications.” Her husband is a farmer; she said being around farming every day has helped her recognize how the industry provides in
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Kevin Robson
