What You Need to Know Today:
Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural exports less competitive. The 14-point Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran prioritizes short-term de-escalation over a long-term strategic resolution. The key for the economy is that the Strait of Hormuz will be open to commerce, but other terms of the agreement appear favorable for Iran as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear capabilities were pushed into the future and sanctions will be removed. Old crop soybean export sales doubled f...
What You Need to Know Today: Headlines emerging from negotiations between President Trump and President Xi were relatively limited, with a more substantive announcement expected Monday. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that additional details related to agricultural trade cou...
The heat of summer is now transitioning into more moderate temperatures, and the next two months have the busiest marketing periods of the year for replacement cattle. Weather always influences the replacement cattle market, and the primary grain belt in the Southern Plains, where many cattle a...
Key Takeaways: Diesel accounts for about 64 percent of U.S. farm fuel spending. For farmers, the pressing question is what a higher price adds to each field operation. Iowa farm diesel averaged $5.50/gallon in September, compared with the $2.89/gallon Iowa State assumed for its February machin...
