Thursday May 15 Ag News

 SELECTING SUMMER ANNUAL FORAGES
- Jerry Volesky, NE Extension Pasture & Forage Specialist

It is close to the ideal time to plant a summer annual grass, maybe to replenish your hay supply or have some extra grazing.  Which one will you plant?  

Choosing a summer forage can be confusing because there are about seven different types of major summer annual forage grasses.  These include: sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrids, forage sorghum (which we often call cane or sorgo), foxtail millet, pearl millet, Japanese millet, and teff.  Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.  So, base your choice primarily on how you plan to use it.

For example, do you want pasture?  Then use sudangrass or pearl millet.  Both are leafy, they regrow rapidly, and they contain less danger from prussic acid poisoning than other annual grasses.

What if you want hay or green chop?  Then select sorghum-sudan hybrids or pearl millet because they yield well and they have good feed value when cut two or three times.  On sandy soils, or when conditions are dry, foxtail millet may be a better choice for summer hay.  It dries fast, doesn't regrow after cutting, and handles dry soils well.  Cane hay is grown in many areas and produces high tonnage, but it’s lower in feed value and dries more slowly after cutting than the hybrids or millets.  Japanese millet can either be cut for hay or grazed and is a plant that can tolerate heavy, wet soils.  Choose teff if you are looking for a really soft, leafy, high quality horse hay.

Maybe you plan to chop silage.  Then choose the forage sorghums, especially hybrids with high grain production.  They can't be beat for tonnage or for feed value.

While there are several choices of summer annual forages, simply select the one that is best adapted to the way you plan to use it.  And, of course, hope for rain since even these grasses won’t grow without some moisture.  



Downward Trend in Iowa Cash Rental Rates for 2025

The 2025 survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9% in 2025 to $271 per acre. This is the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre the previous two years of the survey. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach conducts the annual Cash Rental Rates for Iowa Survey.

Crop reporting districts experienced differing results in cash rents: from a decrease of 6.9% in Crop Reporting District 8 (South Central) to an increase of 2.8% in Crop Reporting District 9 (Southeast). Every Crop Reporting District showed a decline, with the exception of the Southeast Crop Reporting District, which reported an average cropland cash rent 0.8% ($2) higher than its previous peak of $252 in the 2023 survey.

By District - dollars per acre
District 1 (NW)  2024 - $304  -  2025 - $288  
District 4 (WC)  2024 - $297  -  2025 - $295
District 7 (SW)  2024 - $263  -  2025 - $255

The intent of the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2025 Survey https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/1841 is to report typical rents in force, not the highest or lowest values heard through informal sources. Iowans supplied 1,492 usable responses about typical cash rental rates in their counties for land producing corn and soybeans, hay, oats, and pasture. Of these, 44% came from farm operators, 37% from landowners, 8% from professional farm managers and realtors, 6% from agricultural lenders and 5% from other professions and respondents who chose not to report their status. Respondents indicated being familiar with a total of 2.5 million cash-rented acres across the state.

Changes in average rent across counties and land quality
There was considerable variability across counties in year-to-year changes, as is typical of survey data, but 68 out of the 99 Iowa counties reported decreases in average rents for corn and soybean acres.

All land qualities reported similar decreases in average cash rents. High-quality land experienced a 3.4% decrease, from $328 per acre in 2024 to $317 in 2025. Medium-quality land experienced a 2.5% decrease, from $278 per acre in 2024 to $271 in 2025. Low-quality land experienced a 3.0% decrease, from $232 per acre in 2024 to $225 in 2025.

The report also shows typical rents for irrigated, alfalfa, grass hay, oats, pasture, corn stalk grazing and hunting rights by crop reporting district. New information in the 2025 report includes crop reporting district averages for land in organic crop production.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 5/9/2025

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending May 9, ethanol production contracted by 2.6% to 993,000 b/d, equivalent to 41.71 million gallons daily and the lowest volume in over a year. Output was 0.7% lower than the same week last year but even with the three-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 0.4% to 1.02 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.71 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks climbed 1.0% to 25.4 million barrels. Stocks were 3.9% more than the same week last year and 6.8% above the three-year average. Inventories built across all regions except the Rocky Mountains (PADD 4) and West Coast (PADD 5).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, rose 0.9% to 8.79 million b/d (135.18 bg annualized). Demand was 0.9% less than a year ago and 1.6% below the three-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol surged 4.9% to a 36-week high of 929,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.28 bg annualized. Net inputs were 1.0% more than year-ago levels and 1.7% above the three-year average.

Ethanol exports declined 11.6% to an estimated 114,000 b/d (4.8 million gallons/day). It has been more than a year since EIA indicated ethanol was imported.



Urea, UAN Lead Fertilizer Prices Higher Again, With UAN32 Up 10%

For the second consecutive week, urea, UAN28 and UAN32 led the way higher for retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the first week of May. All eight major fertilizers were higher compared to last month. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

UAN32 had the most significant price increase. The liquid nitrogen fertilizer was 10% higher compared to last month, with an average price of $484 per ton. Both urea and UAN28 were 9% more expensive from a month ago. Urea had an average price of $621/ton, while UAN28 was at $406/ton. Urea was more than $600/ton for the first time since the second week of July 2023, when the price was $609/ton. UAN28 was over $400/ton for the first time since the third week of June 2023, when the price was $402/ton.

The remaining five fertilizers had slightly higher prices. DAP had an average price of $787/ton, MAP $825/ton, potash $473/ton, 10-34-0 $665/ton and anhydrous $783/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.68/lb.N, anhydrous $0.48/lb.N, UAN28 $0.73/lb.N and UAN32 $0.76/lb.N.

Four fertilizers are now higher in price compared to a year ago: 10-34-0 by 4%, both urea and UAN28 by 12%, and UAN32 by 16%. The remaining four fertilizers are lower in price: DAP, MAP and anhydrous are lower by 1%, while potash is lower by 8% from a year ago.



NCBA Secures Initial Tax Relief Wins for Cattle Producers

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released the following statement in response to the House Ways and Means Committee passing a tax package that provides significant tax relief to family farms and ranches. The bill includes several beneficial provisions including an increase in the exemption amount for the federal estate tax, also known as the Death Tax, a top priority for America’s cattle producers. The tax package must be approved by the House of Representatives as part of the reconciliation process.

“The Death Tax is a death warrant for family businesses and the top threat to family-owned cattle operations. NCBA has been working with members on and off the Ways and Means Committee for months to educate them about the needs of cattle producers and advocate for the tax provisions that are the most effective for cattle operations,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “This work would not have been possible without the broad participation we had in NCBA’s tax survey from producers, who detailed the struggles they have had with paying the Death Tax and what they would like to see in a broader tax package. This is a huge victory for grassroots advocacy and everyone that made their voice heard—from the producers that have not paid the Death Tax yet—to those that have paid it multiple times to avoid losing their livelihoods.”

The tax provisions in the bill that help family-owned cattle operations the most include:
    An increase to the estate and gift tax exemption amounts to $15 million per individual and $30 million per couple, adjusted for inflation annually, the package also makes this exemption permanent.
    A permanent increase to the Section 199A Small Business deduction from 20% to 23%.
    Expanding the limitation on Section 179 expensing from $1 million to $2.5 million.
    Reinstating the 100% bonus depreciation for five years without a phase out period.

“Thank you to the Ways and Means Committee for passing a bill that protects the family legacies that U.S. farmers and ranchers have built up over multiple generations. We appreciate Chairman Jason Smith’s continued leadership on tax policy and we thank every committee member that stood with cattle producers in voting for this bill,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “NCBA has long been advocating for full repeal of the Death Tax and while we continue to fight for full repeal, we are happy to see an increase in the exemption that will provide tremendous certainty to producers. Expanding tax deductions like section 199A, section 179, and bonus depreciation will not only preserve family cattle operations but promote growth across America’s main street businesses and rural America.”



NCBA Pushes for Domestic Sterile Fly Facility to Eradicate New World Screwworm

As the threat posed by the New World screwworm rises, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association this week joined affiliate state associations in urging Congress to pass the STOP Screwworms Act to fund the opening of a new sterile fly facility in the United States. Introduced by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), this bill would help protect both livestock and human health from the New World screwworm.

“When I was growing up, I heard the stories of how damaging the New World screwworm was to our cattle before it was eradicated in the 1960s. I never want to see that kind of devastation return to our country,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman. “That is why the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is supporting the STOP Screwworms Act so we can construct a sterile fly facility in the United States that will help us prevent this pest from ever returning to our country.”
 
Due to the New World screwworm’s continued push north, the urgency to create a new sterile fly facility in the United States has increased. NCBA supported the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to close the southern border to shipments of cattle, horses, and bison to protect American agriculture, but the long-term strategy to eradicate the screwworm from North America requires the use of sterile insect technique.
 
Under sterile insect technique, millions of sterile flies are released into the environment where they breed with wild flies, ultimately creating no new offspring. The United States spent millions of dollars to successfully eradicate screwworms from North America back in the 1960s using this method, but once the threat was mitigated, most sterile fly production facilities shut down. Today, only one facility is still active in Panama, but it cannot produce enough sterile flies to fully prevent the New World screwworm from spreading through Mexico and eventually reaching America’s southern border.
 
“To protect American agriculture, NCBA strongly supports the creation of a new sterile fly facility within the United States,” said NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “We also appreciate the hard work of NCBA state affiliates in ensuring that members of Congress closest to the southern border understand the severity of this threat.”

In addition to NCBA, this legislation is supported by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA). NCBA and TSCRA are also working with numerous lawmakers to secure additional financial resources to combat the New World screwworm.
 
“Texas will be among the first impacted by the New World screwworm, making domestic sterile fly infrastructure critical,” said TSCRA President Carl Ray Polk Jr. “We’re grateful to Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Gonzales for acting quickly and ensuring this threat is taken seriously in Washington.”



ADC files official comment on FDA Healthy Labeling Rules

American Dairy Coalition, an organization of advocacy by dairy farmers for dairy farmers, has filed an official comment at the Federal Register on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Healthy Labeling Rule and proposed Front-of-Package rating label for saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. The FDA recently extended the public comment period to July 15, 2025.

The rule discriminates against all real dairy products, with the possible exception of nonfat yogurt and nonfat milk, on the basis of outdated thresholds for saturated fat and sodium, paying little attention to the nutrient density of real dairy products that deliver unsurpassed nutrition, including key nutrients of public health concern, which health officials admit are under consumed in the low-fat dietary recommendations today.

In the introduction of its four-page letter of public comment, ADC states:
"Allowing a “healthy” label only on foods low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat discriminates against many of the most nutrient-dense foods that contain under consumed nutrients of public health concern. The front-of-package “nutrition information box” for rating saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar as high, medium, and low is also concerning because it causes confusion.

"To call the front-of-label rating box “nutrition information” is a misnomer. The most nutrient dense natural foods that are high in nutrients of public health concern are also above the thresholds being set for saturated fat and sodium. For example, most natural and minimally processed dairy foods, as well as all natural meats and other animal-derived products, would not be permitted to make a healthy claim or use the healthy label under the rule FDA is finalizing. This is a travesty to Making America Healthy Again.
    
"The front-of-label ‘nutrition information box’ contains no ‘nutrition information,’ which will confuse consumers and direct them away from reading the back-label containing actual nutrition information! The front-of-label box only highlights saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar without regard for nutrients. Furthermore, these ratings are based on outdated Dietary Guidelines.

"Under the current thresholds for saturated fat in the healthy labeling rule, only unflavored non-fat yogurt and unflavored non-fat milk would qualify. These two products tend to be flavored and sugared, however, to make up for the removal of fat, so even most versions of these products may not qualify. Few adults and practically zero children will consume nonfat yogurt or nonfat milk without flavoring. By keeping the fat in these products, more consumers would be takers -- without needing the added sugar, or certainly less of it.

"Under the threshold for sodium, dairy products are also discriminated against – without regard for actual nutrition. This means no cheese, even the cottage cheeses, yogurt, kefir, or other natural dairy products would qualify even though these and other dairy products are a most nutrient-dense and natural source of complete high-quality protein in the diet. Even the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has observed that dairy contains hard to find, under consumed nutrients for health, such as natural calcium, potassium, as well as Vitamin D. Dairy contains 13 essential nutrients! Nutrition and health panels have already declared that Americans – especially children – do not consume enough dairy and do not consume enough calcium, potassium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients that dairy delivers, and some of these nutrients are fat soluble.

"These FDA rules will further reduce consumption of these foods and nutrients – because of saturated fat and sodium content. This outcome is especially harmful to growing children. Surely by now, it is now obvious that the experiment with nonfat and low-fat diets has shown an inverse relationship with negative health impacts in the higher rates of overweight, obesity, and chronic illness, including for children and teens. The latter are even more subjected to the flawed basis for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) via school lunch rules, where most children get two meals a day, five days a week, most of the year."



Chairman Thompson Delivers Ag's Portion of the One Big, Beautiful Bill

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement after the committee passed its portion of H. Con. Res. 14 Title 2001(b)(1):

"Our section of the One Big, Beautiful Bill restores integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides relief to farmers, invests in the future of rural America, and prevents the largest tax increase on American families.

We ensure that SNAP works the way Congress intended it to, by reinforcing work, rooting out waste, and instituting long-overdue accountability incentives to control costs and end executive and state overreach.

We preserve the program’s ability to serve the most vulnerable long into the future. At the same time, we’re strengthening the farm safety net and delivering critical support to the farmers, workers, and communities that keep America fed.

These commonsense solutions help build a stronger, more resilient rural America. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Committee for their hard work, and I look forward to passing this bill in the House and delivering results for families across the country."



NCGA Comments on House Budget Reconciliation Legislation

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today praised the passage of key tax extensions, championed by the organization, which passed the House Committee on Ways and Means as part of the budget reconciliation process.
 
“We applaud the members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and Chairman Smith for approving these tax policies, which are important to the financial viability of the nation’s corn growers,” said Illinois farmer and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “These important provisions in the federal tax code must be extended this year.”  

The bill includes many of NCGA’s federal tax priorities, including:
    Permanently extending key provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, including the expanded estate and gift tax exemptions and the qualified business income deduction.  
     
    Renewing 100% bonus depreciation for five years.  
     
    Extending and modifying the clean fuel production tax credit, referred to as 45Z, until 2031. The tax credit can help the biofuels industry make inroads into the aviation sector and attract investment into opening new markets for U.S. corn.

NCGA also weighed in on the measure that passed the House Committee on Agriculture on Wednesday night. Corn growers recognized Chairman Thompson and members of the Agriculture Committee for shepherding key agricultural initiatives in a complicated political and budgetary environment.  

“We appreciate Chairman Thompson’s efforts to include key agricultural investments in must-pass legislation,” he said.  
 
The bill contains several of NCGA’s longstanding farm bill priorities, including:
    Addressing the affordability of federal crop insurance coverage for producers. The language expands support for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers and provides improvements to the Supplemental Coverage Option.
     
    Doubling mandatory funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program, which will develop new markets and promote U.S. goods, helping to boost U.S. agricultural exports.  

    Strengthening the producer safety net by investing in modifications to the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage commodity programs that are more responsive to the current economic environment. Hartman said corn growers appreciate that the legislation increases the ARC coverage level and payment band and increases the statutory PLC reference price for corn to $4.10.  

However, corn growers remain concerned with the imbalance of investment across various commodities and potential impacts of the changes to the PLC program. NCGA is particularly concerned with the adoption of a new floor price of $3.30 for corn, which would create a new gap in price coverage if the national marketing year average prices for corn were severely depressed. The legislation unfairly expands the concept only to corn growers.
 
NCGA continues to advocate for more meaningful reforms to existing base acres that underpin the eligibility for the ARC and PLC commodity programs. Those reforms were not fully included in the committee’s budget proposal. NCGA will continue to advocate for policies to ensure that all base acres, program eligibility and payments better reflect growers’ recent planting history.  
 
While acknowledging that the House Committee on Agriculture’s budget proposal contained some of NCGA’s farm bill priorities, the organization also voiced concerns with the overall process and its implications for future farm bills.
 
“NCGA’s farmer leaders have long stood on the policy position that farm bills should be comprehensive and bipartisan, and that they should include farm programs and nutrition programs,” Hartman said. “Given that budget reconciliation provides only a partial pathway for select components of the farm bill, we would like return to a bipartisan, comprehensive approach to future farm bill debates.”
 
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce included language that would rescind the latest EPA multipollutant rules and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's CAFE Rule. NCGA has called for inclusion of the language in the budget reconciliation bill. This is a significant action that would protect ethanol demand in the future.

NCGA has called for inclusion of language in the budget reconciliation bill that would eliminate a regulatory barrier to consumers' year-round access to fuels with 15% ethanol blends, referred to as E15.
 
“NCGA will continue to make the case to legislators to include E15 in the final reconciliation package,” Hartman said. “Providing nationwide, year-round access to these fuels would save consumers money at the pump and help farmers financially, while serving as a boon to rural economies. Including this fix in reconciliation offers the added benefit of eliminating the need for regulatory waivers and our analysis shows it would achieve significant cost savings.”  



House Agriculture Committee Advances Legislation with Key NCBA Priorities

Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee passed their initial reconciliation bill, which contains several NCBA supported provisions that strengthen our defense against foreign animal disease and support producers who have lost cattle due to predator depredation or natural disasters. The legislation now moves to the full House of Representatives for further consideration.

“Cattle farmers and ranchers across the country have continued advocating for tools that protect the cattle industry from foreign animal disease and help producers recover from the loss of their cattle, whether by predator depredation or challenging weather conditions. This legislation is a critical step forward for addressing these issues,” said NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA appreciates the support of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman GT Thompson, who continues being a champion for the cattle industry. We urge the full House and Senate to quickly pass this bill so President Trump can sign it into law.”

This bill addresses many of the issues that NCBA members have brought forward through our association’s grassroots policy process. In particular, this bill would:
    Reimburse cattle producers for loss due to depredation by federally protected predators.
    Expand access to the livestock forage disaster program for producers experiencing drought.
    Continue funding the feral swine eradication program.
    Bolster the “three-legged stool” that protects the cattle industry from foreign animal disease, including the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). The NAVVCB currently houses emergency supplies for responding to a food-and-mouth disease outbreak.



NFU Statement on House Agriculture Committee's Budget Reconciliation Instructions

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew released the following statement in response to the House Agriculture Committee’s passage of budget reconciliation instructions:

“We appreciate that the House Agriculture Committee recognizes the financial pressures facing family farmers and ranchers. Proposals to strengthen crop insurance, bolster the farm safety net, and maintain voluntary conservation programs are important steps toward securing the future of our food system.

But this is not the best way to produce a meaningful farm bill. Our members know that the process matters. Pitting farm and nutrition priorities against one another creates unnecessary division and weakens the broader effort. A strong farm bill—however it comes together—must reflect the full scope of challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, and it must work for everyone it touches: farmers, ranchers, and families across the country.”



NMPF Lauds Dairy Policy Provisions in House Ag Reconciliation Package

The National Milk Producers Federation today lauded the inclusion of critical resources in the House Agriculture Committee’s reconciliation proposal that would boost the agricultural economy and provide farmers certainty.

“We commend Chairman GT Thompson and committee members for advancing important investments that will help support and create opportunities for dairy,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “We will work with lawmakers to advance these provisions through Congress, knowing that dairy is well-served by what the House Agriculture Committee is approving.”

NMPF is pleased that the bill extends the Dairy Margin Coverage program through 2031, providing dairy producers with much-needed continuity. The package also bases the program’s production history calculation on a farmer’s highest production year out of 2021, 2022, or 2023, an update that better reflects recent on-farm production levels. The bill also funds mandatory USDA dairy processing plant cost surveys every two years, which will better inform future make allowance conversations. Finally, it includes long-term resources for important trade promotion, conservation, research, and animal health programs.

The legislation, which is expected to be approved today by the House Agriculture Committee, will ultimately be folded into a broader budget reconciliation package that will include an extension of current tax policies, among other areas. NMPF supports House Ways and Means Committee language to make the Section 199A tax deduction permanent, which will allow dairy cooperatives to continue to either passing the deduction back to their farmer owners or reinvesting it in their cooperatives.

“Whether it’s risk management or tax issues, the stakes are enormous for Congress to get the policy right in this legislation,” Doud said. “House committees have done good work this week to start major elements of this bill on the right track for dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own.”



ACE Announces “Homefield Advantage” Theme and Opens Registration for 38th Annual Conference

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is pleased to announce registration is now open for its 38th annual conference, taking place August 20–22, 2025, at the new Canopy by Hilton in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year’s theme, “Homefield Advantage,” focuses on the countless benefits ethanol delivers and how ACE is working to help its members unlock new market opportunities.

“ACE is working hard to give our members a competitive edge in unlocking new and valuable market opportunities,” said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. “We invite ethanol producers, farmers, retailers, and stakeholders to join us in Sioux Falls this summer as we discuss strategies and tactics to grow the value and demand for corn ethanol into the future.”

“For nearly four decades, the ACE conference has been a platform for biofuel leaders to come together, share knowledge, and shape the future of our industry,” said Katie Muckenhirn, ACE Vice President of Public Affairs. “Each year brings new challenges and opportunities, and this year’s agenda will focus on the most pressing topics facing ethanol today — and the solutions that will drive our continued growth.”

The conference will feature two days of general sessions covering a wide range of issues, including:
    Policy priorities to expand ethanol use and unlock new markets,
    The latest developments in the E15 and E85 retail landscape,
    Global trade and export opportunities and challenges,
    Technology innovations to enhance sustainability and profitability.

In addition, breakout sessions will offer attendees a choice of three focused tracks: Leadership & Management, Technology, and Carbon.

For nearly 40 years, The ACE has centered on the people of the ethanol industry — connecting producers, retailers, policymakers, and researchers in a collaborative setting designed to advance shared priorities.

Stay tuned for event updates in the coming months. To register, sponsor, or learn more about the event, visit ethanol.org/events/conference.