Farm Progress

7 ag stories you can’t miss – February 9, 2024

Catch up on the federal court's ruling on dicamba, USDA's February WASDE report, the new combine from Case IH and more!

Rachel Schutte, Content Producer

February 9, 2024

3 Min Read
7 ag stories you can't miss
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Did you miss some news this week? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a collection of the top headlines in agriculture.

Federal court revokes dicamba approval

A ruling Tuesday by the U.S. District Court of Arizona in Tucson vacates the 2020 registrations for the popular dicamba products XtendiMax, Enginia, and Tavium. Industry groups are now pressing the Environmental Protection Agency to issue an existing stocks order to allow retailers and farmers to sell, distribute, and use all products is the supply chain as of the day of the cancellation order. – Farm Progress

February WASDE: Brazilian soybean crop remains big

International production took the spotlight in Thursday’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report from USDA, but domestic usage had a few surprises of its. USDA made only minor downward revisions to the Brazilian soybean crop, while the country’s corn crop saw bigger reductions. Get the full report recap from the Farm Futures team – Farm Futures

USDA organic changes for livestock, poultry

In March, two major amendments to the USDA’s National Organic Program will become enforceable. The Strengthening Organic Enforcement and Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards Rule were introduced last year and will be the most extensive program updates since 1990. The rules aim to strengthen consumer trust and ensure the same standards for all sellers. – Agriculture Dive

Commodity prices weaken farmer sentiment

Farmer sentiment took a downturn at the start of 2024 as the January Ag Economy Barometer Index fell eight points to a reading of 106. Farmers felt less optimistic about their current situation and the future. More producers this month cited lower crop and livestock prices as their top concern. – Purdue/CME Group

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Case IH debuts new AF11 combine harvester

More grain capacity and a faster dump speed are the two most notable features of Case IH’s freshly minted AF11 combine harvester. The manufacturer unveiled its next-generation combine at a media event Feb. 5 near Orlando, Fla. Learn more about the updated efficiency and automation features. – Farm Progress

U.S.- Mexico corn dispute will likely be resolved this year

Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip says the long-running dispute over United States genetically modified corn exports to Mexico will likely be resolved this year. Panelists have been chosen for the dispute resolution panel and a chair is now in place. Arguments are scheduled to take place later this year. – Farm Progress

2024 Super Bowl MVP: Farmers

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest food holiday of the year following Thanksgiving. Some viewers will have their eyes on the players, some will look forward to the commercials, others will be searching for Taylor Swift, but nearly everyone will enjoy some gameday snacks, courtesy of dedicated U.S. farmers. Check out these fun food facts compiled by the American Farm Bureau:

  • Almost 1.5 billion chicken wings are consumed during the big game, enough to put 693 wings on every seat in all 30 NFL stadiums.

  • More than 8 million pounds of corn tortilla chips will be eaten during the game.

  • Americans will purchase 25 million pounds of cheese for Super Bowl Sunday. That’s enough to fill the field at SoFi Stadium 25 times.

About the Author

Rachel Schutte

Content Producer, Farm Futures

Rachel grew up in central Wisconsin and earned a B.S. in soil and crop science from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. Before joining the Farm Futures team, Rachel spent time in the field as an agronomist before transitioning to the world of marketing and communications. She now resides in northeast Iowa where she enjoys raising bottle calves and farming corn and soybeans alongside her husband and his family.

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