Tuesday May 12 Ag News - Weekly Crop Progress Report - NE Ext Hosts Roller Crimper Workshop - Beef on Dairy Dialogue webinar - UP Reports Grain Shipments Significantly Higher - and more!

Nebraska Crop Progress & Condition Statistics - May 10

                             Very Short      Short    Adequate     Surplus
Topsoil Moisture .......:    49          35            16              -     
Subsoil Moisture .......:    45          36            19              -     

                            .....  Last year   Last week   This week   5YrAve
Corn Planted ...............:    70            43             67               60     
Corn Emerged ............:     32            7              25                18  
Soybeans planted .......:    58            40             64                44     
Soybeans emerged .....:     17            2               18                 8     
Sorghum planted ........:     15            4               7                  7     
Winter Wheat headed .:      2             6               36                3     

                                              VP       Poor       Fair        Good       Excellent    
Winter Wheat Condition .:    37          45          13          05               -     
Pasture Conditions ..........:    41          38          16           5                -    



Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

There were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 10, 2026, which is 0.1 day more than last year, when there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture conditions rated 3 percent very short, 23 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions rated 3 percent very short, 18 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. 

Corn planting in Iowa reached 72 percent complete, which is even with last year and 9 percentage points above the five-year average. Corn emergence reached 19 percent, 8 percentage points below last year but even with the five-year average. 

Soybean planting reached 60 percent, which is the same as 2025 and 12 percentage points above the five-year average. 7 percent of the soybean crop has emerged. 

Oats planted in Iowa reached 94 percent, 2 percentage points behind last year when 96 percent of the crop had been planted. 



USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report

Corn planting was over halfway finished by the end of last week, while soybean planting continued ahead of last year's pace and its five-year average, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

CORN
-- Planting progress: 57% of corn was planted nationwide as of Sunday, 2 points behind last year's pace of 59% and 5 points ahead of the five-year average of 52%. 
-- Crop development: 23% of corn had emerged as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year's 26% and 4 points ahead of the five-year average of 19%.

SOYBEANS
-- Planting progress: An estimated 49% of intended soybean acreage was planted as of Sunday, 4 points ahead of last year at this time and 13 points ahead of the five-year average of 36%. 
-- Crop development: 20% of soybeans had emerged as of Sunday, 4 points ahead of last year and 8 points ahead of the five-year average of 12%.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Crop condition: An estimated 40% of winter wheat was rated poor to very poor as of May 10, up 22 percentage points from 18% a year ago, according to NASS.

-- Crop development: 61% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday. That's 10 percentage points ahead of last year's 51% and 16 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 45%. 

SPRING WHEAT
-- Planting progress: 53% of the crop was planted nationwide as of May 10, 10 percentage points behind last year's pace of 63% and 2 percentage points ahead the five-year average of 51%. 
-- Crop development: 23% of spring wheat was emerged as of Sunday, 2 percentage points behind last year's pace of 25% and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 19%.



See Roller Crimpers in Action at Nebraska Extension Workshop May 20

Discover how roller crimpers can help manage cover crops without turning the soil — see the equipment in action and learn how to make this low-disturbance method work for your operation at Nebraska Extension’s hands-on workshop on Wednesday, May 20.

Roller crimpers mechanically terminate cover crops while leaving the soil undisturbed, ideally creating a thick mulch that suppresses weeds. They are commonly used by organic and regenerative farmers, as well as others looking to reduce herbicide inputs or improve weed control with cover crops.

Growers and ag professionals interested in learning more about this termination strategy are invited to attend Nebraska Extension’s annual workshop at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC), near Mead, Nebraska. Free on-site registration begins at 9 a.m.; no pre-registration is required. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 11:30 a.m.

In the event of inclement weather, the workshop will be rescheduled for Friday, May 22.

For more information, contact Katja Koehler-Cole at 402-504-1016 or Aaron Nygren at 402-624-8030. ENREEC is located at 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Nebraska.

This event is free thanks to funding from Nebraska Extension and the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP).



Indiana Passes Nebraska in Planted Popcorn Acres

According to the Farm Service Agency, Indiana has passed Nebraska in terms of planted popcorn acres. However, Nebraska continues to be in the lead in white corn acreage, which were up last year. Nebraska also continues to be 3rd in seed corn acres, though all major states were down from last year 



Beef On Dairy Dialogue webinar: What’s Going On With Carcass Size?

The 2026 Beef On Dairy Dialogue webinar series continues on Thursday, May 14 at 12 noon CDT with a presentation by Dr. Warren Rusche on carcass size and the implication to the industry and consumers.

Warren Rusche currently serves as an Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Specialist at South Dakota State University. His outreach and research efforts focus on strategies for enhancing the value of crops and livestock to improve rural profitability across South Dakota. Prior to his current role, he served as a cow/calf field specialist based in Watertown and was the co-manager of his family’s cow-calf and cattle feeding business in South Dakota for thirteen years. He earned an MS in Animal Science from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from South Dakota State University.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at: https://go.iastate.edu/CARCASSSIZE.

For more information; in Iowa contact, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota contact, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; in South Dakota contact, Warren Rusche, 605.688.5452 or in Nebraska contact, Kortney Harpestad, 507.525.3584.



Union Pacific: Grain Transports Off to Record Start in 2026

Union Pacific’s grain shuttles traveled fast and fluid across the rail network during the first quarter of 2026, as the railroad reported record volumes of grain transports fueled by demand in Mexico and overseas markets.

The railroad surpassed its first quarter record of grain volumes previously set in 2008 amid renewed demand for U.S. feed grain for export.

“Our team’s ability to capture record volumes of grain is a testament to our focus as a railroad on providing tremendous service to our customers while operating our network at peak performance,” said Jason Hess, senior vice president – Bulk, Marketing and Sales. “Our network is running incredibly fast, allowing us to handle more volume, which is a win-win for the railroad and our customers.”

For example, Union Pacific grain shuttle velocity averaged 334 miles per day during the first quarter, compared to 294 miles per day in 2025. 

The renewed demand for U.S. feed grain comes after farmers harvested a record corn crop in 2025, with production up 14% from 2024.

Union Pacific’s commitment to operational excellence is a big reason for the fluidity of the railroad’s network, but two other key enhancements also have helped: investments in new grain hopper cars that can carry more grain and improved fluidity at the southern border.

Union Pacific has been adding new high‑efficiency covered hoppers to its fleet that can carry an additional 2,500 pounds and are 3 to 7 feet shorter than legacy cars. These design improvements allow more covered hopper cars per train within the same track footprint, increasing the total volume transported for our customers

In addition, a new crew change procedure at the Eagle Pass international border crossing has expedited the time it takes for trains to travel across the Mexican/U.S. border. The new procedure allows Mexican partner crews to travel seven miles from the border into Union Pacific’s Eagle Pass yard to interchange with U.S. crews rather than conducting a time-consuming crew change operation on an international bridge.

“The enhanced fluidity across the international bridge means we can handle more volume while delivering faster times to our customers,” Hess said.



ASA Statement on Mosaic Phosphate Production Cuts

Monday, the American Soybean Association issued a statement in response to reporting on The Mosaic Company’s plans to scale back domestic phosphate production:

“This unsettling news from Mosaic comes at a time when U.S. soybean farmers are facing major economic headwinds, and neither the skyrocketing cost nor the availability of inputs – like phosphate fertilizer – are helping ease those challenges,” said ASA President and Ohio soybean farmer Scott Metzger. “This is the worst time possible for Mosaic to decrease domestic phosphate production. High sulfuric acid costs are disrupting the global fertilizer market, and farmers are ultimately paying the price through higher input costs.”

ASA again calls on the Trump administration to help address the high cost and availability of phosphate fertilizers by terminating the countervailing duty on imported phosphate fertilizers from Morocco and Russia, Metzger said, adding, “this ill-conceived duty has increased the cost of phosphate fertilizer for farmers by $6.9 billion over the past five years while commodity prices continue to trend downwards. We urge the President to remove the CVD on phosphate fertilizers to address the availability and affordability of this important input.”



Drought Lingers in South and West
Will Secor, Extension Livestock Economist, University of Georgia

Five months into 2026, and unfortunately, drought is not a new topic. The current U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry or drought conditions covering much of the southern and western portions of the U.S. Around 60 percent of cattle inventory are in drought conditions.

Drought impacts two important areas: herd management and feed decisions. Drought impacts herd management through marketing decisions – timing, weight, retention, and more. In the short-run, drought may increase the number of calves and feeder cattle hitting sale barns earlier and at lighter weights. This effect may put some downward pressure on lighter-weight calves this fall when spring calves are weaned. Additionally, cull cow price may face headwinds as more cows are culled to save pasture and range resources. Long-term, drought conditions slows and/or delays the cattle inventory rebuild.

Feed decisions will be important to watch this year. Hay production in many southern and western states struggled in 2025 (e.g., Texas’s other hay production was 20 percent lower year-over-year), and many southeastern states had lower hay stocks on December 1 compared to last year. Hay prices may move higher this year on tighter supplies. This may have knock-on effects for other commodity prices (e.g., corn) as producers seek out alternative feed components.

This feed topic is interesting as it relates to decisions within the cattle supply chain. The incentive many feedlots have been facing over the last several months is to feed cattle longer with relatively cheap feed to capitalize on high feed cattle prices. If drought impacts the feed-cost part of this situation, it could have two impacts. First, it could put downward pressure on feeder cattle prices. The breakeven price that feedlots could pay would drop as the cost of gain increases. Second, it could crimp the interest feedlots have to feed cattle longer. This may reduce beef supplies later this year, putting additional upward pressure on beef prices.

NOAA drought outlooks project some improvement in the South in the coming months, but drought is expected to remain for most areas that are currently in drought. Both short-term and long-term impacts will start to be felt later this year from decisions producers are starting to make today.



Preparation and collaboration are key for navigating issues, according to 2026 Stakeholders Summit speakers

Speakers at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2026 Stakeholders Summit addressed pressures impacting animal protein, including animal rights extremism, legislative agendas, animal health and welfare, and supply chain coordination. The 2026 Summit was held May 5-7 in Kansas City, Mo. and included more than 205 registered in-person attendees. A recording pass is available for purchase through May 21 to access session recordings.

“The 2026 Stakeholders Summit highlighted the importance of the farm and food communities working together to navigate pressures impacting animal protein,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance president and CEO. “Speakers emphasized the need for continued collaboration across sectors, the strength that comes with preparation, and the role telling our personal stories can play in reaching consumers. The networking opportunities across attendees was also a particular highlight for this year’s event, with several new events added to the agenda.”

Preparation is key
A key theme from Summit speakers was that preparation is key to safeguard against agricultural threats. During the session “High Steaks, Real Threats,” panelists Andrew Rose, BIO-ISAC, Kristin King, AnzenSage, and Jonathan Lawler, Rural Strategies Group, offered several pieces of advice to attendees, including documenting practices and policies as verification if crisis hits the farm. They also recommended surveying the farm layout and looking at it as honestly as possible for potential weak points. The growth of technology in recent years also highlighted the need for increased cybersecurity measures to ensure data privacy and confidentiality.

A separate session, “What’s Heating Up,” addressed trends in activism and how farms, processing facilities, and zoos are being targeted. Speakers, including Challis Hobbs, Fur Commission USA, Joe Regenstein, PhD, Cornell and Kansas State University, and Tom Albert, Zoological Association of America, noted that vandalism, trespassing, animal release, and arson are some of the top tactics used to target animal facilities. In some cases, it’s been identified that extremists are being hired and paid to attack farms. There’s also a growing trend of smaller, family-owned farms being increasingly targeted. “Confidence comes from being prepared,” Hobbs stated, quoting legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

Supply chain collaboration
Collaboration – from the farm level to consumer-facing restaurants and retailers – was also a key theme of the event. In the session “Tools of the Trade,” speakers Stephanie Wetter, National Pork Board, and Callahan Grund, U.S. CattleTrace, discussed the importance of record keeping and data to support research and innovation. On the farm, it was stressed that employees should be trained, outcomes measured, and data verified to continuously improve protocols. Similarly in the animal health space, tracking disease spread between animals can be communicated with animal health officials to further collaboration and improve response. Supply chain members – wherever they sit – were encouraged to ask for data, engage with current data collection programs, and lean into traceability and transparency as assets rather than risks.

The opening keynote, “Leading Under Pressure” with Sarah Bohnenkamp, touched on supply chain collaboration as well, encouraging attendees to share more data across the supply chain and to walk a mile in each other’s shoes to consider perspectives. Stakeholders need to trust one another to do their part and be intentionally curious to foster engagement and understanding. In the closing keynote, Crystal Mackay, LOFT32, stated, “For our industry to show up and grow and meet demand, we need to show up and collaborate.”

Tell your story or others will tell it for you
Sessions also recognized the need to continue telling personal stories, noting if the farm and food communities don’t tell their own stories, someone else will tell it for them and it may not be accurate. During the session “Leveraging Sustainability to Build Trust,” panelists including Nancy Himmelfarb, Himmelfarb Sustainability Consulting, Francois Leger, FPL Food, LLC, and Rachael Wagner, Eocene Environmental Group, recommended sharing values, practices, and policies confidently with the public. A strong stance is more authentic and clearer and will resonate more with the audience. Companies were also encouraged to ensure they are engaging with employees who can be their strongest assets in sharing personal stories and building brand trust.

A recording pass has been made available to purchase for those who were not able to attend the 2026 Summit in person. Session recordings will be posted within two weeks after the event and will only be available to registered attendees and recording pass holders.

Save the date for the 2027 Stakeholders Summit, scheduled for May 5-7 in Arlington, Va. Follow the hashtag #AAA27 for periodic updates about the event.

The 2026 Summit would not be possible without the support of sponsors, including U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Farm Journal, Meatingplace, Watt, Cargill, Perdue Farms, Zoetis, American Feed Industry Association, Dairy Farmers of America, U.S. Soy, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., Amick Farms, Aviagen, CoBank, Dairy MAX, Farm Credit Council, Mountaire Farms, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Lamb Board, Cal-Maine Foods, Cobb-Vantress, LLC, Empirical, Hendrix Genetics, National Chicken Council, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Progressive Dairy, Trans Ova Genetics, Tyson Foods, United Egg Producers, Vivayic, Eggland’s Best, and Eocene Environmental Group.