Blogs

  • Editors' Notebook

    The April 2026 issue of Progressive Farmer magazine focused on the challenges facing rural America and what some communities are doing to survive. Those stories will run on DTN/PF's digital platforms over the next few weeks. (AI-generated illustration from a concept by Katie Dehlinger)
    Posted by Anthony Greder , DTN/Progressive Farmer Content Manager

    DTN/Progressive Farmer examines the challenges facing rural America and the solutions some communities are embracing to succeed, in a series titled "Rural Resilience."

  • Ag Policy Blog

    Farmers selling rice at a market in Kenya. The director-general of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday raised concerns that the fertilizer trade disruptions caused by the war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz will lead to lower global crop production later this year and into 2027. (DTN file photo by Chris Clayton)
    Posted by Jerry Hagstrom , DTN Political Correspondent

    The director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning that fertilizer disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz will strain the global food system and tighten food supplies in the second half of 2026 and into next year.

  • Canada Markets

    March 31 Canadian barley stocks in all positions came in at a relatively common level recently of 3 million metric tons (mmt). Looking further back during the past 25 years, the market may be getting lulled into a false sense of security considering the very few times it has been any tighter. (DTN chart)
    Posted by Mitch Miller , DTN Contributing Canadian Grains Analyst

    Although they are not nearly the tightest seen during the past 25 years, barley stocks as of March 31 were certainly snug enough to warrant keeping an eye on.

  • Ag Weather Forum

    El Nino probabilities are very high from midsummer 2026 through the end of the year. The top three Super El Nino years all featured large U.S. corn production. (NOAA Climate Prediction Center graphic; DTN file photo)
    Posted by Bryce Anderson , Ag Meteorologist Emeritus

    Robust El Nino events are accompanied by generally large U.S. corn production.

  • Sort & Cull

    After an impressive rally which led both dressed and live cattle prices to new all-time highs, traders are anxiously waiting to see what fundamental support arises as the market's technical base is jittery. (DTN ProphetX chart)
    Posted by ShayLe Stewart , DTN Livestock Analyst

    Last week's fed cash cattle market scored new highs in both the Northern and Southern regions. However, after last week's rally, traders seem on edge about the week ahead.

  • Market Matters Blog

    The 2026 spring wheat crop is in the ground in Great Bend, North Dakota, while some farmers aren't as fortunate yet. (Photo courtesy of Chris Johnson)
    Posted by Mary Kennedy , DTN Basis Analyst

    It's been slow going for spring wheat planting in some parts of North Dakota and South Dakota as the cold temperatures are still hanging around.

  • An Urban's Rural View

    China is the world's largest auto exporter. The Chinese would like to manufacture cars in the U.S.
    Posted by Urban C Lehner , Editor Emeritus

    As President Donald Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing, Democratic congressmen are urging him to completely ban Chinese cars from the U.S. market. Here's a modest proposal for a better way to protect U.S. jobs and manufacturing.

  • Production Blog

    Soybeans were just getting a start in central Illinois when rains caused ponding this week. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)
    Posted by Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor

    Answering the question of how long a crop can hold its breath underwater requires some patience.

  • Ethanol Blog

    An update to a regulation under consideration in the European Union could limit U.S. soybean exports to the EU for biofuels production. (DTN file photo by Joel Reichenberger)

    The European Commission's April 2026 proposal to phase out soybeans as a biofuel feedstock by 2030 could threaten U.S. soybean exports for biofuels production to the European Union.

  • MachineryLink

    A University of Missouri diesel cost study shows 50% higher diesel fuel prices cut expected net returns to land by 10%. (DTN photo by Dan Miller)
    Posted by Dan Miller , Progressive Farmer Senior Editor

    In this equipment roundup, DTN/Progressive Farmer looks at high diesel costs hitting returns; March equipment sales down; reports that Cat buys Monarch technology; Fieldwork Robotics readying an autonomous picker; new equipment from KIOTI and Loftness; and Kubota offering...

  • South America Calling

    The last month of the wet season does not look particularly wet for Brazil. (DTN graphic)
    Posted by John Baranick , DTN Meteorologist

    Yet another month of below-normal precipitation puts into question how much corn Brazil can produce with its safrinha crop.

  • Fundamentally Speaking

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

    Net fund position in corn with both futures and options vs. the price of spot corn in dollars per bushel.

  • Technically Speaking

    This is a daily chart of May soybean futures showing the bear flag pattern. (DTN ProphetX chart)
    Posted by Dana Mantini , Senior Market Analyst

    The May soybean futures chart appears to be forming a bear flag pattern that typically indicates a downward resolution. However, chart patterns are certainly not always highly reliable and there are outside market forces controlling the narrative on grain and soy lately.

  • Minding Ag's Business

    Determine your price and time action points based on your operation's cost of production and cash-flow needs. (Photo by Michael Westhoff, Getty Images)
    Posted by Katie Micik Dehlinger , Progressive Farmer Editor-in-Chief

    Commodities brokers advise farmers to develop disciplined grain marketing plans based on production costs, stick to price targets, seek professional guidance and utilize futures and options for effective risk management.

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