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Ag economist expecting additional disaster relief assistance

An ag economist at the University of Illinois is expecting farmers to see additional disaster assistance through the American Relief Act of 2025. Gary Schnitkey says the legislation includes $21 billion that was allocated for natural disasters. “This is a continuation of the WHIP... Read More.

Ag economist concerned over ongoing tariff spats

A longtime agricultural economist says he’s concerned about the industry’s outlook.   Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech University, says the ongoing threat of tariffs are weighing on agriculture. “I think we have to be very concerned about counter tariffs.”  He says, “In... Read More.

Economist says decline in placements expected to continue

The USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed numbers had placements down 18 percent in its latest report. Mississippi State University livestock economist Josh Maples says the February 2024 placement number contributed to the decline. “We had winter storms that really shifted cattle movements,” he says.  “So... Read More.

Economist discusses USDA’s grain sorghum adjustments

An ag economist says changes to grain sorghum estimates were the biggest surprise in USDA’s most recent supply and demand report. University of Missouri’s Ben Brown says, “USDA acknowledged that grain sorghum exports are pretty weak, and that feed demand has been strong. They... Read More.

Will the Fed cut rates in March? Economist says not likely

An ag economist says he doesn’t expect any policy changes from the Federal Reserve during its March meeting this week. University of Missouri’s Ben Brown says several recent economic reports indicated weaker conditions, slowing consumer demand, and some softening in the job market. “My... Read More.