Brownfield News

Tuesday was
a down day on the dairy markets, with butter being the only product with a price
increase, and that was just a penny.  The
most noticeable change was in the cheese market, where Blocks closed down
$.0225 at $1.9475 a pound, and barrels took a bigger fall of $.1325 to close at
the same $1.9475 a pound price. 

John Umhoefer with the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association tells Brownfield this move makes sense.

Continue reading An explanation for Tuesday’s CME cheese price drop at Brownfield Ag News.

     

Dairy leaders are applauding the USMCA agreement reached by House Democrats and the Trump administration.  Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association Executive Director John Umhoefer says, “We’ve had a tough several years in the dairy industry, especially on the farm side, and this will really help with moving trade forward.”

Umhoefer tells Brownfield they have members who have seen export sales go down. “Opportunites have shrunk there during some of the trade negotiations and the trade tariffs that we had in place, and now we’re poised, I think, to grow.

Continue reading Dairy groups applaud USMCA announcement at Brownfield Ag News.

     

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson will not seek re-election at the end of his term in February.  Johnson says he plans to spend more time with his wife and grandkids and is preparing for the transition. “My top priority as President and now during this transition process is to protect the future of family farmers in rural communities, and I’m confident that National Farmers Union is well-positioned to keep doing just that.”

Patty Edelburg

National Vice President Patty Edelburg tells Brownfield she did look at possibly seeking the Presidency.

Continue reading Johnson to step down as National Farmers Union President, VP Edelburg not running at Brownfield Ag News.

     

More than 70-thousand pounds of ham is being donated to
Missourians in need across the state. 
The Missouri Pork Association joined with Smithfield Foods and Prairie
Fresh Pork at the Food Bank of Central & Northeast Missouri on Tuesday for
the announcement.

Marcus Belshe is a pig farmer and chairman of Missouri Pork
Association, “Being a good neighbor means doing what’s right and being involved
in the community. It means donating our time and resources.

Continue reading Missouri pork producers donate hams to food banks at Brownfield Ag News.

     

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is praising the Trump administration and Congress for reaching a deal on the US Mexico Canada Agreement.   

Maria Zieba, director of international affairs with the NPPC, says the agreement provides pork producers with much needed certainty.

“Given how much pork Canada and Mexico purchase it’s so important to continue to have that longevity and continue to have an agreement with Canada and Mexico that really fortify those wins and successes,” she says.

Continue reading NPPC is pleased with USMCA progress at Brownfield Ag News.

     

The head of the Missouri Pork Association says the news that House Democrats have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration on the USMCA is exciting and he hopes Congress votes on it quickly.

“It’s just phenomenal. If you look at the trading pork that
we do with those two countries – 41% of all our exports goes to Mexico and
Canada so, combined that’s our largest trading block. Mexico has been a partner
for a long, long time as has Canada.

Continue reading Missouri Pork and MO Farm Bureau react to USMCA movement at Brownfield Ag News.

     

The Missouri River is expected to drop below flood stage by
the end of this week. If the forecast holds, the Missouri River will be at a level
not seen in 275 days, but springtime might bring more flooding.

“By the end of the week, all the gauges from Yankton, South Dakota to St. Louis
will be below flood stage,” said Tom Waters, chairman of the Missouri Levee and
Drainage District Association.

Saturated soils and levee damage from this year’s sustained flooding might make
celebration brief, said Waters.

Continue reading Missouri River to drop below flood stage by week’s end at Brownfield Ag News.

     

At the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange, live cattle ended the day mixed on spread adjustment ahead
of widespread direct cash business. 
Feeder cattle were mostly higher on technical buying.  December live cattle closed $.30 lower at
$119.87 and February live cattle closed $.17 lower at $124.57.  January feeder cattle closed $.12 higher at
$141.65 and March feeders closed $.25 higher at $142.52. 

Direct cash cattle trade activity is still relatively quiet.  A few early asking prices have surfaced at $121 to $122 live with a few live bids at $118. 

Continue reading Cattle futures mixed ahead of cash business at Brownfield Ag News.

     

Soybeans were modestly higher on short covering and technical buying. Beans are optimistic about China, with reports the U.S. and Beijing are working to delay the next tariff increase on the 15th. That increase could still take place though and phase one of the trade deal remains unsigned. The sticking points are essentially the same as they have been during the entire negotiation. The amount of soybeans China will use a tariff waiver on remains unspecified, but China has reportedly purchased U.S.

Continue reading Corn, soybeans, wheat up after USDA numbers at Brownfield Ag News.

     

A House Democrat says one of the compromises that helped the
U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement move forward had to do with big pharma.

Minnesota’s Angie Craig tells Brownfield the original USMCA text included a provision for brand name pharmaceutical companies that would’ve forced farmers to choose between open markets and their prescription drug prices.

“You hear people talk about the biologics provision, but I led a letter earlier this year that 100 members signed onto urging the Administration to remove that provision.

Continue reading Big pharma provision removed from USMCA text at Brownfield Ag News.