Category: Ag News

Mississippi River drought over, but situation still shaky By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek  The drought that plagued the Mississippi River basin since 2022 and resulted in ag shipment delays and higher transportation costs is officially over. “I’m happy to report there…

USDA Invests Approximately $11.5 Million in Composting and Food Waste Reduction Projects in 23 States, Including Illinois CHAMPAIGN, February 1, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $11.5 million in 38 cooperative agreements that support innovative,…

Agriculture needs a stable workforce in 2024  By BRIAN DUNCAN Illinois Farm Bureau President  Finding and affording labor are among the top challenges Illinois farmers, suppliers and processors tell me they face in 2024. From locating qualified truck drivers to…

Tuesday, November 21, 2023 Wolf Carbon Solutions “remains committed” to the project, plans to refile application By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Plans for a pipeline that would have transported carbon dioxide from Iowa for eventual storage in central…

By ALI PRESTON FarmWeek Ellen Ewing doesn’t consider herself a farmer or even an agriculturalist. But her interest in food and nutrition as well as a personal mission to help others has her elbow-deep in soil. After reading an article…

Aging farmers have less incentive to invest in cattle expansion By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek The average age of a farmer and the future of the cattle industry go hand-in-hand. As contraction of the U.S. cattle herd continues, farmers nearing retirement…

Accelerated plant breeding yields results By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek Finding the best genetic characteristics of a crop one season at a time through traditional plant breeding was like finding, “a needle in a haystack,” according to Michael Kovach, head of…

Army Corps to implement ‘lessons learned’ from 2022 low water levels  By TIMOTHY EGGERT  FarmWeek  Top leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the service is working to insulate the ag industry from negative impacts similar to those…

Food, nutrition benefits safety net for 1.7M Illinoisans  By KAY SHIPMAN  FarmWeek  More than 1.7 million low-income Illinoisans depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), based on the most recent data from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)….

Future of autonomous farming equipment taking shape  By DAN GRANT   FarmWeek  The use of driverless ag equipment might seem like something from a science fiction movie, but it’s already gaining ground on farms today. And some of that technology was…

USDA: Food costs to remain on upward trajectory By DAN GRANT   FarmWeek  Food costs will continue to eat away at consumers’ pocketbooks this year. USDA estimates food price inflation could increase another 8% this year after racing to its highest…

Ukrainian farmers challenged as war enters second year  By DAN GRANT   FarmWeek  Crop production in Ukraine is expected to take a big hit this year, despite farmers’ best efforts, as the Russian invasion enters its second year. Myloka Solskyi, Ukraine…

ISA Joins ASA in Washington, D.C.   BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – MARCH 6, 2023 – Last week, American Soybean Association (ASA) and Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Board Directors, alongside ISA staff, visited our nation’s capital to meet with legislators and to visit…

Office of Management and Budget Seeks Input on Broadening Public Engagement in the Federal Regulatory Process The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget is inviting public feedback on potential recommendations for broadening…

McDonald’s sees value from pork industry partnerships By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant chain, is not only a large end user of pork but also a net exporter of “The Other White Meat.” The Illinois-based company therefore…

Illinois agriculture students one step closer to international livestock competition  By FarmWeek Staff The Prairie Central High School FFA chapter’s Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Team has the exciting opportunity to compete at the Royal Highland International Dairy Judging Contest…

Canadian dairy quotas focus of second USMCA dispute panel By TIMOTHY EGGERT FarmWeek For the second time in two years, the United States is asking a panel to rule that Canada unfairly uses its dairy import quotas to limit market…

Fertilizer demand expected to grow this year By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek The supply of fertilizer is improving around the world following shocks to the system last year. And the timing of the buildup is critical as fertilizer demand is expected…

Barge traffic back to normal; lock closures loom By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek Barge traffic is getting back to normal on the lower Mississippi River for what’s typically a slower time of the year anyway. “The water levels are back up…

‘Rural is changing, not dying’: Sociologist urges changes in narrative By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek Ben Winchester is hoping to flip the script on the negative narrative surrounding rural communities. “The narrative we’re using to describe our small towns and rural…

Workforce shortage remains key concern for transportation sector By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek The shortage of truck drivers eased slightly across the nation last year compared to 2021. But the workforce shortage remains a top concern of the transportation sector for…

Could Brazil surpass U.S. as world’s top corn exporter?  By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek  Competition in world markets is expected to intensify as Brazil is projected to produce record corn and soybean crops for 2022-23. Joana Colussi, postdoctoral research associate at…