Blogs

  • Market Matters Blog

    The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 allows the Federal Maritime Commission to protect the interests of U.S. businesses that rely on ocean transportation. (DTN photo by Mary Kennedy)

    Federal Maritime Commissioner Max Vekich spoke recently at the annual Transportation Go! conference on the importance of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act enacted last summer.

  • Technically Speaking

    In the week ended March 17, 2023, spot soybeans fell below their 100-day average, preceded by a sharp break in soybean prices in China, the world's largest buyer (DTN ProphetX chart).
    Posted by Todd Hultman , DTN Lead Analyst

    A technical look at weekly soybean, soybean meal and bean oil prices.

  • Canada Markets

    The blue bars represent the volume of grain delivered into licensed facilities as of week 32, which is compared to the five-year average (brown bars), as seen against the primary vertical axis. The grey line with markers represents the percentage of available supplies this volume represents, also compared to the five-year average (yellow line), plotted against the secondary vertical axis. (DTN graphic by Cliff Jamieson)
    Posted by Cliff Jamieson , Canadian Grains Analyst

    This study looks at deliveries of select crops into licensed facilities over 32 weeks, along with how this compares to the volume of grain available for delivery for this crop year and on average over the past five years.

  • Ethanol Blog

    Canadian biofuels officials are concerned a change in the U.S. blender's tax credit law will harm producers north of the border. (DTN file photo)

    Canadian biodiesel and renewable diesel producers are bracing for a change in the blender's tax credit to take effect in the U.S. The Inflation Reduction Act changed the credit to a producer's credit only available to U.S. producers.

  • Production Blog

    Farmers and friends, Keith Miller (left) and Bob Worth have stayed in touch after participating in DTN's View From the Cab series 17 years ago. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)
    Posted by Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor

    DTN's View From the Cab editorial series has sown seeds of friendship.

  • Ag Policy Blog

    EPA and National Transportation Safety Board members examining the aftermath of the train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, back in February. Senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania have asked USDA to help provide more assurance to livestock producers and crop farmers in the area that their land is safe to plant and livestock products are safe to sell. (Image courtesy of EPA)

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday committed to helping increase testing of soil and livestock products around area of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment beyond some soil testing that has already begun around the site. But USDA's disaster programs right now...

  • South America Calling

    Safrinha (second-season) corn planting (in blue) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, is at the slowest pace in at least the last five years, putting the focus on the rest of the wet season rains and potential for frosts later this year. (Sistema Famasul graphic)
    Posted by John Baranick , DTN Meteorologist

    With Argentina's crop production almost set, the focus in South America is for Brazil's safrinha corn crop, which may go through some significant challenges this season.

  • Editors' Notebook

    Posted by Greg D Horstmeier , DTN Editor-in-Chief

    March 21 is National Ag Day. Hope you'll join us to salute all the important things agriculture brings to our nation and the world.

  • Ag Weather Forum

    Heavy precipitation in the first half of March across the Dakotas places the Northern Plains and Midwest in wet conditions, while the Southern Plains remain dry following little to no precipitation in February. (HPRCC and NOAA graphics)
    Posted by Bryce Anderson , Ag Meteorologist Emeritus

    Dry soils lead to spring crop concern in the southwestern Plains while wet conditions elsewhere bring caution about delayed fieldwork potential.

  • An Urban's Rural View

    The rescue of Silicon Valley Bank propelled a historic bond-market rally, driving down interest rates and highlighting a dilemma facing the Federal Reserve. (DTN ProphetX chart)
    Posted by Urban C Lehner , Editor Emeritus

    Depositors in Silicon Valley Bank were protected, but what happens to the Federal Reserve's fight against inflation as a result?

  • Sort & Cull

    Boxed beef prices may be seeing some seasonal pressure but that doesn't mean that cash cattle prices should trade lower. (DTN file photo by Jim Patrico)
    Posted by ShayLe Stewart , DTN Livestock Analyst

    While seeing seasonal shifts or adaptations in the market is important to note, we can't allow ourselves to only focus on one side of the market. Yes, boxed beef prices have ran into some seasonal pressure, but we simply don't possess the number of cattle that we had in past...

  • MachineryLink

    Trimble combined hardware with its autonomous systems in the purchase last year of French technology company Bilberry, which specializes in selective herbicide applications. It's camera and data management system are shown here attached to the top of the sprayer booms. (DTN image courtesy of Bilberry.)
    Posted by Dan Miller , Progressive Farmer Senior Editor

    Before a group of its agricultural customers, Trimble showed off its systems and offered thoughts on its future. An important part of the presentation focused on Trimble's work in autonomy and managing the data systems that will generate profit and sustainable returns on...

  • Fundamentally Speaking

    Chart by Joel Karlin, DTN Contributing Analyst
    Posted by Joel Karlin , DTN Contributing Analyst

    Sunseed oil output out of Russia and Ukraine as a percent of world production vs. their exports as a percent of the global total while also reported is world sunflower seed oil production as a percent of the world vegoil total.

  • Minding Ag's Business

    The average interest rate on a non-real estate farm loan hovered around 6% in the fourth quarter of 2022. While that's the highest rate farmers have seen in 10 years, it's close to the 20-year average. (Chart courtesy of the Kansas City Federal Reserve)

    The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's most recent survey of lenders shows that non-real estate farm loans increased by 20% on average as production costs climbed. Interest rates also climbed to a 10-year high, putting additional pressure on financing costs.