Did you miss some news this week? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a collection of the top headlines in agriculture.

John Deere selects Starlink to boost connectivity

Deere announced it is teaming up with Starlink, the brainchild of Elon Musk, to provide satellite-based high-speed internet for its machines and better connect farms that have internet connectivity issues. Later this year, farmers will be able to get a Starlink terminal installed on their machine for internet service, so long as they also have a 4G LTE JDLink modem already installed. – American Agriculturist

January WASDE data surprises markets

The January crop reports always seem to have some surprises, and 2024 continued the trend as USDA raised the 2023 national yield to a record at 177.3 bushels per acre. Corn and soybean prices hit the skids after the report release last Friday. Get a recap of the data from the Farm Futures team, along with post-report analysis from our Ag Marketing IQ contributors:

Farm bill’s future

News that Congress may be on the verge of passing a third budget extension will likely further delay progress on a new farm bill. Multiple sources say there is a growing sense that new farm bill legislation is still a long way off. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, D- Mich., announced five key principles earlier this week she says will modernize the farm bill safety net.. – Farm Progress

5 questions top farmers are asking

What’s on the mind of some of the top farmers in the United States? A host of topics were discussed at the recent Farm Futures Business Summit in Coralville, Iowa. Read what the experts had to say about Russia, interest rates, basis trends, and everything in between! – Wallaces Farmer

ADM expands traceable soybean pilot

ADM announced this week that it has loaded and shipped its first vessels of verified, fully traceable soybeans from the U.S. to Europe. In anticipation of new EU deforestation regulations becoming effective at the end of the year, ADM now intends to expand these capabilities to other key locations across North America in the 2024 growing season. – Feedstuffs

Bayer signals ‘significant’ layoffs

Bayer is beginning a process of staff reductions that aims to slice through the bureaucracy CEO Bill Anderson blames for the company’s sluggish performance. A headcount has not been announced, but the company made clear that the layoffs will be significant. Bayer has considered breaking up its business segments, a plan backed by investors especially as the company’s crop unit grapples with declining glyphosate demand and costly Roundup lawsuits. – Agriculture Dive

New Corporate Transparency Act

As of Jan. 1, the federal government has a new set of reporting rules aimed at small businesses — and farms aren’t exempt. Congress passed the CTA to make it harder for bad actors to benefit from their ill-gotten gains through ownership structures, but it casts a net wide enough to entangle your farm. Will these reporting requirements affect you? – Prairie Farmer