Nebraska Corn Board Enters 2026-2027 Fiscal Year with Expanded Reach, Continued Momentum
A new fiscal year is underway at the Nebraska Corn Board, and with it comes a lineup of new and growing initiatives funded through the corn checkoff for 2026-2027. Every dollar is directed through NCB's strategic plan, which organizes checkoff investments around four pillars: education, promotion, market development and research, with a clear focus on the return those investments generate for Nebraska corn farmers and the state's economy.
NCB continues to collaborate with state, national and international partners like the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN), National Corn Growers Association, U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council and U.S. Meat Export Federation to drive demand and increase the value of Nebraska corn.
Education and Promotion
For 2026-2027, NCB is expanding its partnership with the Omaha Supernovas, continuing for the second year a "Farmers’ Appreciation Night" featured match, season-long court signage and a branded media backdrop activation that deepens NCB's reach with fans across 180-plus Nebraska communities and 40 states through live events and broadcast visibility.
NCB is also continuing its partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom, partnering to extend the program's reach into underserved communities; last year the program reached more than 19,700 students through 1,102 lessons and trained 425 educators.
NCB is also partnering with the Big Ten Network to share the message of homegrown ethanol and E15 with nearly 30 million viewers nationwide. These partnerships and others continue to broaden NCB's reach in support of market development and research.
Market Development
Market development programs continue driving demand for Nebraska corn through ethanol, trade and livestock expansion and emerging market opportunities. Efforts include supporting ethanol infrastructure in Nebraska and key markets such as California, where demand for E85 continues to grow. Last year, these efforts helped 22 Nebraska locations add higher ethanol blends, intending to add 25 more this year. In California, NCB is working with Pearson Fuels to expand its network to 550 E85 locations across the West Coast.
In partnership with the Nebraska Ethanol Board, NCB will continue demonstrations exploring E30 in non-flex-fuel vehicles. The project has used more than 737,000 gallons of E30 to demonstrate vehicles can operate on higher ethanol blends. Additional research is evaluating fuel retail rewards programs to increase E15 purchases, following an initial study that found 41% of participants continued purchasing E15 after the promotion ended.
Beyond on-road transportation, NCB continues to evaluate ethanol opportunities in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and maritime shipping, where feasibility work indicates the industry could create demand for more than 5-6 billion gallons of ethanol annually.
Livestock development remains a key priority, with continued support for AFAN and specific projects that expand demand for corn through beef, swine, poultry and dairy sectors. Over the past two years, 24.6 million bushels of new demand have strengthened Nebraska’s value-added opportunities.
As global trade continues to evolve, Nebraska Corn remains committed to engaging with the current trade dynamics at play. Nebraska Corn will be hosting 3 international trade delegations over the next several months to educate international customers overseas and strengthen relationships, in addition to engaging with several other international representatives as they tour Nebraska. U.S. exports of corn and ethanol are on pace to set back-to-back record years.
Research
NCB is actively driving demand and profitability for Nebraska corn and ethanol. Six new end-use projects spanning biobased polymer coatings, industrial chemicals, and human nutrition are in development with the potential to unlock more than 2.5 billion bushels of additional annual demand. On the feed side, today's favorable distillers grain prices create a strategic opening to grow market share in cattle rations, supported by both biological and economic evidence.
For farmers battling rising input costs, two key programs are delivering real ROI. The Nebraska Nitrogen Initiative empowers farmers to conduct N-rate small plot trials, bringing data-driven precision to nitrogen decisions that can vary by as much as 100% from field to field and year to year, turning information into savings. Precision Conservation Management has expanded to two new Nebraska regions. This free agronomic service analyzes farm data to identify exactly which management decisions are profitable and which aren't. Growers even receive $500 in year one for participating.
NCB is committed to being a strategic partner in Nebraska's growing bioeconomy. Six new end-use projects spanning biobased polymer coatings, corn-derived industrial chemicals and precision human nutrition are in development, with the potential to unlock more than 2.5 billion bushels of additional annual demand. Corn-derived industrial chemicals are a particularly active area of research, as these compounds feed into thousands of everyday products in markets currently dominated by petroleum-derived alternatives. NCB is funding research that moves beyond proof of concept to focus on scaling and commercialization.
“This year's investments reflect our commitment to putting Nebraska corn in front of more farmers and consumers in more targeted places than ever before,” said Andy Groskopf, chairman of NCB. “Every checkoff dollar is directed toward programs proven to deliver a return, whether that's building new markets for our grain, strengthening consumer trust, or reaching the next generation of Nebraskans. We're confident these partnerships in promotion, market development and research will keep Nebraska corn, and our farmers, moving forward.”
Learn more about the programs funded by the Nebraska Corn Board at nebraskacorn.gov.
NEBFARMPAC Endorses Dan Osborn for U.S. Senate
Nebraska Farmers Union’s Political Action Committee, NEBFARMPAC Thursday announced its endorsement of independent candidate Dan Osborn for U.S. Senate in the 2026 general election.
John Hansen, NeFU President who serves as NEBFARMPAC Secretary said, “Our farm organization and PAC have always been independent and non-partisan. Our organization partnered with George Norris to create Nebraska’s unique non-partisan Unicameral system and non-partisan public power system. Political Party bosses should not run our state. We support Congress placing real limits on the size of individual campaign contributions and limiting corporations campaign contributions altogether. Our election system has been swamped by the corrupting influence of limitless campaign spending ever since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision. Dan Osborn’s independent campaign is a breath of fresh air relative to campaign spending and support for campaign financing reforms.”
Vern Jantzen, NEBFARMPAC President from Plymouth said, “Dan Osborn listens to farmers, ranchers, and members of the rural community. He has his “ears” on. We encourage voters to participate in his 93-county tour. Bring your issues and concerns to Dan, and also hear what he has to say. We cannot complain that our public officials are out of touch and are not willing to listen to us, and then not appreciate and support candidates that do listen.”
NEBFARMPAC Secretary Hansen said “Our Board is painfully aware of the fact that agriculture is facing another year of losing money thanks to record high ag input costs and below the cost of production ag commodity prices. Agriculture is facing the worst financial crisis since the 1980’s. Business as usual these days is about farms and ranches losing money, equity, and their generations old farm and ranch operations. Our PAC endorsements this year will reflect our realization that it is up to us as voters to send a strong message this election that we must stop digging the economic hole we are currently in deeper. The status quo does not work for our farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and state as a whole. Our 2026 PAC endorsements will focus on the need for real changes in who we support for public office.”
NEBFARMPAC Jantzen concluded “When our state’s largest single industry is in crisis, so are the rural communities and state as a whole that depends on agriculture. As voters, we owe it to ourselves and our future to positively to vote like we understand we are in a crisis, and we need to support those candidates that represent changes in farm policy, trade policy, anti-trust and competition policies that no longer work. Our PAC Board believes Dan Osborn represents the hopes and dreams of the little guys and gals in our society that work for a living. He represents badly needed positive change. We encourage all voters to give Dan Osborn a listen, and then vote for their own pocketbook interests and change.”
NEBFARMPAC is the political action committee of the Nebraska Farmers Union, which is a non-partisan, not-for-profit general farm organization founded in 1913 with a mission to protect and enhance the quality of life and economic well-being of family farmers and ranchers and their rural communities. NeFU is the respected voice of family farm and ranch agriculture with nearly 4,000 family memberships.
Commercial Red Meat Production Up 4 Percent from Last Year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.39 billion pounds in June, up 4 percent from the 4.22 billion pounds produced in June 2025.
Beef production, at 2.11 billion pounds, was 1 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.38 million head, down 2 percent from June 2025. The average live weight was up 39 pounds from the previous year, at 1,447 pounds.
Veal production totaled 1.7 million pounds, 15 percent below June a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 7,600 head, down 21 percent from June 2025. The average live weight was up 29 pounds from last year, at 387 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.27 billion pounds, up 7 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 10.5 million head, up 5 percent from June 2025. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 289 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 10.4 million pounds, was down 11 percent from June 2025. Sheep slaughter totaled 175,900 head, 7 percent below last year. The average live weight was 116 pounds, down 5 pounds from June a year ago.
By State (million lbs - % June '25)
Nebraska ....: 636.0 105
Iowa ...........: 737.1 109
Kansas .......: 494.6 108
January to June 2026 commercial red meat production was 26.2 billion pounds, down 2 percent from 2025. Accumulated beef production was down 5 percent from last year, veal was down 25 percent, pork was up 1 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was down 10 percent.
Dairy Market Report - July 2026
NMPF
Component-adjusted milk production grew 3.1% in May on account of a larger milking herd and a rebound in component tests.
More milk means more dairy products, and healthy domestic demand combined with exceptional export volumes have prevented cheese and butter volumes from becoming burdensome at the CME even as prices are towards the lower end of their historic range. Conversely, exceptional domestic demand for proteins, both in the form of nonfat dry milk and whey protein concentrates, has reduced export availability for those products. Beyond the United States, global milk supply may be slowing for the first time in months as heatwaves impact milk production, particularly in the European Union, potentially setting the stage for improved global prices.
Turning toward the farm, the Dairy Margin Coverage margin edged up to $10.62/cwt, up $0.08/cwt from the month before. However, feed costs are expected to increase as heat waves and renewed purchases from China elevate CBOT Corn and Soybean Meal futures, potentially setting the stage for DMC payouts in July and August.
View Full Report https://www.nmpf.org/dmr-july-2026/.
Farmers Applaud Progress to Help Struggling Farm Economy
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented Thursday on House passage of a budget framework that includes market relief for farmers.
“We applaud members of the House of Representatives for recognizing the economic toll facing farm country and advancing farm aid as part of their reconciliation package. High production costs and weak commodity prices are expected to drive billions in losses across row crops in 2027, with additional losses facing specialty crop, alfalfa and sugar producers.
“Our attention now turns to the Senate where we hope to not only pass the market relief but also work in a bipartisan fashion to advance other critical priorities for agriculture this Congress including a reauthorized farm bill and year-round E-15.”
Register to attend a virtual CHS owners forum Aug. 6 or 7
Cooperative owners and leaders are invited to attend a virtual CHS owners forum for business and financial updates, industry trends insights and a report from the CHS Board of Directors. Two virtual forums will be held:
Aug. 6, 2-3 p.m. Central time
Aug. 7, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Central time
Attendees can ask questions of CHS leaders during the livestreamed broadcasts or in advance by emailing questions to questions@chsinc.com.
Register today to reserve your spot here https://web.cvent.com/event/eef92943-0e44-484b-97eb-df752986a158/summary. Reminders and links to the virtual broadcasts will be sent to registrants prior to each forum.
USDA Announces $35 Million to Combat Feral Swine on American Agricultural Lands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making available $35 million for partnerships to respond to the threat feral swine pose to American agriculture, landscapes and human and livestock health. This partnership opportunity is part of a broader $105 million investment for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, where USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are working together to target feral swine.
“We are collaborating with our partners at USDA and across the country to help combat feral swine and keep our farms, ranches and landscapes safe,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “These invasive species cause more than $3.4 billion in damage each year, including damage to agricultural landscapes. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, NRCS is able to expand this effort, giving producers and partners more resources to protect working lands and strengthen the long-term resilience of agricultural operations.”
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivers the largest long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades, including support for this program. It continued the program for another five years with the $105 million total investment split between NRCS and APHIS, including the $35 million made available through this announcement.
Partners are invited to apply for feral swine eradication and control projects in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
About the Pilot Program
Feral swine can have significant negative impacts on plant and wildlife habitats, soils, water quality, as well as other natural resources. Livestock and humans are also susceptible to diseases carried by feral swine.
Partners selected to participate in the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program will provide landowner assistance for restoration and on-farm trapping efforts and provide related services, like training. Funding for these services will be provided through grant agreements between partners and NRCS.
All projects will be a collaborative and coordinated effort among the selected partner, NRCS, and APHIS.
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 ET on September 21, 2026. For more information about this funding opportunity and to apply, visit the notice of funding on Grants.gov.
More Information
From 2020 through 2024, NRCS invested $41 million in 34 projects across 12 states. During that time, Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program projects provided assistance to more than 6,700 landowners on almost 9 million acres to help reduce feral swine damage. More than 800 events related to teaching trapping techniques to landowners were conducted.
Joint Statement from Ambassador Jamieson Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard
Ambassador Greer met Thursday with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during the third bilateral negotiating round related to the Joint Review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Ambassador Greer and President Sheinbaum reviewed the status of discussions during the negotiating round on issues regarding economic security, labor, agriculture, electronic payment services, steel and aluminum and derivative products, and automobiles.
During the meeting, Ambassador Greer thanked President Sheinbaum for her leadership and commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Mexico economic relationship. Ambassador Greer and President Sheinbaum agreed on the importance of bilateral cooperation and underscored the urgency of growing North American manufacturing, strengthening regional supply chains, and addressing free-riding from non-parties.
Ambassador Greer and Secretary Ebrard highlighted the continued constructive engagement between USTR and the Secretariat of Economy and directed their teams to convene for the fourth bilateral negotiating round in Washington, D.C. in September 2026.
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