Cotton

Wednesday's USDA crop report brought mixed news. Wheat is down sharply across the board, but corn could finish as the second biggest harvest ever recorded in the United States.

From cattle carcasses to cotton samples, the USDA is rolling out AI grading tools that are lowering costs, cutting wait times, and opening doors for smaller farming operations.

The latest crop report is out, and while most numbers stayed put, sugarcane is seeing a surprising little bump.

With the rise of fast fashion, U.S. cotton faces tough competition — and it’s not just from synthetic fibers but from other countries, too.

According to ERS’s most recent America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance report, most American farms, 86% are small family operations.  These farms operate on 41% of U.S. agricultural land and account for 17% of the total value of American production.  Large-scale family ...

The value of U.S. exports of so-called bulk commodities, such as wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton continue to struggle.  The USDA says the export of those high-profile commodities are down 14% year-over-year.  Department of Ag economist Bart Kenner says more exports of high value products are helping to make up the difference.   “We have s...

USDA’s October crop production forecast was released last week, and it was a mixed bag on the national scene.  The latest projections released Friday show a less than 1% increase in corn production from the previous month, coinciding with a slight adjustment up in corn yields.  Soybean produ...

Milkfat and protein yield are the main drivers of ROI on dairy operations.  Dr. Kevin Harvatine, a professor of nutritional physiology at Penn State University, says high-fat feed additives like whole cottonseed can help dairy producers maximize milkfat content on their farms.  ...

We now have the complete U.S. Ag trade numbers for the first nine months of this fiscal year October through June and the central theme running through it all.   “The continued cooling of U.S export values, which is really tied to the bulk commodities," said USDA economist Bart Kenner.   His la...

American agricultural exports in fiscal year 2023 are projected at $184.5 billion, down $5.5 billion from the November forecast.  The export forecasts for all major commodity groups are down, with the largest drops projected for corn, sorghum, and soybeans.  Corn ex...