Farm & Agricultural News Headlines

New research from the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program and the National Wildlife Research Center reveals feral hogs are responsible for over $1.6 billion in agricultural damage annually across 13 US states. The invasive animals, now present in more than 35 U.S. states, cause extensive crop and livestock l...

North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced that five agricultural projects will receive a total of $1,084,000 through the Agriculture Diversification and Development (ADD) Fund. The awards were approved at the fund's quarterly meeting on May 28 in Minot. The ADD Fund supports financially feasible...

North Dakota State University Extension is offering summer training sessions for pig producers to renew their Pork Quality Assurance and Transport Quality Assurance certifications. These programs aim to promote proper animal care, enhance pork quality, and ensure safe working and environmental practices. PQA focuses on...

The USDA's 2026 budget proposal includes a major cut to Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), reducing discretionary funding from $776.5 million to zero and slashing NRCS staff by nearly a third. While some mandatory and IRA-based funding for technical assistance remains, the USDA plans to shift more responsibility ...

The U.S. Senate is reviewing the budget reconciliation bill that includes nearly $30 billion in farm safety net improvements over 10 years, but commodity support is uneven. While crops like rice, peanuts, and cotton would see significant per-acre gains, corn and soybean farmers would see modest increases of just $5 to ...

A delegation of animal feed industry leaders from Cambodia and Kazakhstan visited North Dakota recently as part of a trade mission organized by the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health, the visit aimed to highlight the nutritional value of U.S. soybean meal, particularly its essential amino acid profiles, through c...

Thanks to state commodity group sponsorships, North Dakota farmers can test up to four kochia or pigweed samples per operation for free. Growers are advised to collect leaf samples within a week of burndown herbicide applications, focusing on plants that survived treatment. Proper sample collection, labeling, and timel...

The USDA's latest export sales report showed mostly sluggish results. Corn exports totaled 37.3 million bushels, landing on the lower end of expectations. Old crop corn sales fell 23% week-over-week and 34% below the prior four-week average, though cumulative sales remain slightly ahead of last year. Soybean exports we...

Farm employers continue to express concern over inconsistencies in a USDA farm labor survey, which is being used to determine H-2A guest worker wages. Sarah Black, general manager of Great Lakes Ag Labor Services, says the survey is unrepresentative, with very few farmers actually receiving it. Arguing it was never int...

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Donald Trump lacked the authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad global tariffs. The decision will block several major tariffs, including a 30% tariff on Chinese goods and 25% tariffs ...

As of May 26, 2025, the U.S. has logged 1,010 tornado storm reports, making this year the third-highest tornado count through that date in the past 15 years. This is nearly 40% above the average of 727 LSRs for the same period. Only 2011 (with over 1,600 tornadoes) and 2024 (with more than 1,000) had higher counts. Fou...

U.S. corn and soybean planting are ahead of schedule as of May 25, 2025, with corn 87% planted and soybeans 76% planted - both above the five-year averages. Corn emergence is strong, and its first condition rating shows 68% in good-to-excellent condition. Soybeans are also progressing well, with 50% emerged. Spring whe...

More Agricultural groups are responding critically to the Make America Healthy Again Commission report, expressing concern over its messaging on crop protection tools. Nebraska's Farm Bureau acknowledged the report's praise for American farmers but took issue with its implications about chemical exposure, suggesting it...

New precision agriculture technology from John Deere has enabled fully autonomous operation of tractors in North Dakota, where Gooseneck Implement employees have been testing the system on 9RX models in Morton County. The upgrade is not yet commercially available but allows tractors to perform tillage tasks without a d...

After the release of the Make America Healthy Again report, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. emphasized that the commissions report supports American agriculture while aiming to tackle rising chronic health issues in children. The report focuses on improving food quality ...

Dust storms have become a growing problem in the Midwest states, with tragic consequences. While changes in weather patterns may play a role in localized events, research from the University of Illinois indicates that farming practices are a more significant factor in widespread dust events. The removal of windbreaks l...

U.S. ethanol production rose to 1.036 million barrels per day last week, an increase of 43,000 barrels from the previous week and 17,000 more than the same time last year, as some facilities concluded seasonal maintenance. Despite the production boost, Iowa State University reports that average operating margins for Io...

North Dakota State University Extension is hosting the 2025 Crop Management Field School on June 27 at the Carrington Research Extension Center. The event is open to agronomists, crop consultants, Extension agents, and farmers, and the event offers in-depth, hands-on training led by NDSU specialists. Topics will includ...

Governor Kelly Armstrong has proclaimed May 19-26, 2025, as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Awareness Week in North Dakota to raise awareness about the severe threat the invasive insect poses to ash trees. The emerald ash borer, a metallic green beetle from Asia, kills ash trees by cutting off their water and nutrient flow. Wi...

Michigan Farm Bureau committees have begun their annual policy development process, with USDA staffing emerging as a top concern. With nearly 100,000 employees in over 4,500 global locations, the MFB is urging members to evaluate current policy and consider updates that would enhance the department's workforce and serv...