Thursday August 27 Ag News - Groups Urge Trump to Reconsider Ground Beef Imports - Dairy Production Expands on Protein Demand - US/Canadian Cattle, Hog Inventories Expand - Fertilizer Prices Decline - Fertilizer Expansion Project Announced - and more!

Smith Urges Admin to Support America's Ranchers

Wednesday, Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Trade, released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s move to increase foreign beef imports:

“As Nebraska’s ranchers continue to recover from the historic wildfires this spring—amid an ongoing drought—they need market certainty. With cattle inventory at 75-year lows, we must focus on policies which empower ranchers to rebuild our domestic herd.

While I acknowledge the administration’s efforts to address consumers’ concerns, providing certainty for America’s hardworking ranchers is essential. Moving forward, I will continue to encourage the administration to pursue policies that give America’s ranchers the assurance they need to make long-term decisions for their operations.”   



AFBF, LMA, NCBA and USCA Urge President to Reverse Proposed Beef Import Plan

Four of the nation's leading livestock and agricultural organizations have joined together to urge President Trump to reverse a proposed 90-day import plan they believe would weaken the long-term stability of the U.S. cattle industry.

In a letter sent today, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), and United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA) called on the Administration to work with industry stakeholders on solutions that keep food affordable while protecting producers, consumers, and strengthening the nation's ability to produce its own food.

The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

On behalf of America’s cattle producers and the broader livestock industry, we write to express our deep concern with your announced plan to import up to 300,000 metric tons of beef over the next 90-days. The stated purpose of driving down beef prices and the commitment to sell it at a price that undercuts domestic supply send a disheartening message to farmers and ranchers across the country.

We share your goal of keeping groceries affordable for American families. However, flooding the market with discounted foreign beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd, strengthen food security, or lower grocery bills in a lasting way. This announcement has already driven cattle markets sharply lower and undermines producers at a critical time of year when they are marketing cattle and making herd-building decisions.

Beef prices are in line with other consumer prices and reflect the inflated cost of raising cattle, grain, and forage. Ranchers and farmers are finally experiencing the strong beef demand needed to invest in their operations after years of drought, high input costs, processing plant disruptions, and other challenges that have reduced cattle numbers. This announcement will discourage investment in the U.S. cow herd and undo the progress producers have made.

We are deeply concerned that this import strategy sacrifices long-term food security for a short-term solution. Americans deserve safe and wholesome beef free from any market distorting actions. There is nothing more American than beef, and we look to your leadership to ensure resilience for our farmers and ranchers, which is the only long-term way to prevent higher grocery costs and maintain control over our food supply.

American cattle producers are asking you for a fair and competitive market, honest price signals, and policies that put U.S. farmers, ranchers, and consumers first. We urge you to reverse course on this 90-day import plan and work with us instead on solutions that strengthen, rather than weaken, America’s capacity to feed itself. We stand ready to work with you on policies that keep food affordable, protect producers and consumers, and preserve a viable future for the U.S. cattle industry.

Respectfully,
Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
Joe Goggins, President, Livestock Marketing Association
Gene Copenhaver, President, National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Justin Tupper, President, United States Cattlemen's Association



Milk producers added 52,000 head to the milking herd 

Dairy protein demand has continued to support nonfat dry milk (NFDM) prices at the CME on account of limited supplies. Meanwhile, rising butter production continues to limit price gains, even as demand grows at home and abroad. Domestic demand for cheese remains limited as the decrease in quick service restaurant foot traffic is now being compounded by decelerating retail sales. Record export volumes are helping support cheese, and thus Class III, prices, from sliding further.

DMC margins were $10.88/cwt in June as feed prices and the All-Milk Price both slid. Expectations for the formula to reflect the recent increase in feed prices and a lower All-Milk Price set the stage for a potential DMC margin below the maximum payment threshold in August.
 
Exports are becoming increasingly important for cheese and butter. Strong milk production has increased production for both products beyond incremental increases in domestic consumption, but as U.S. prices sit below EU and New Zealand, international buyers have bridged the gap and lent support to the market, buying an estimated 66% of the “new” cheese produced over the last two years. Cheese exports have risen 24% and butter exports have soared 90% through the first half of 2026, adding stability to these categories as changing consumer behavior and economic pressure reshape retail and food service demand at home.

View Full Report: https://www.nmpf.org/milk-production-climbs-on-protein-demand/.  



Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/21/2026

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending August 21, ethanol production expanded 2.1% to 1.11 million b/d, equivalent to 46.70 million gallons daily. Output was 3.9% higher than the same week last year and 10.7% above the five-year average for the week. Yet, the four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 0.5% to 1.11 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 17.00 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks ticked up 0.3% to a 10-week high of 25.2 million barrels. Stocks were 11.8% more than the same week last year and 12.2% above the five-year average. Inventories built in the Midwest (PADD 2) and West Coast (PADD 5) but thinned across the other regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, improved 4.1% to an 8-week high of 9.04 million b/d (139.01 bg annualized). Still, demand was 2.1% less than a year ago and 1.2% below the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol edged down 0.3% to 923,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.19 bg annualized. Net inputs were 1.0% less than year-ago levels and 0.1% above the five-year average.

Ethanol exports rose 25.6% to 162,000 b/d (6.8 million gallons/day). It has been more than two years since EIA indicated ethanol was imported.



United States and Canadian Cattle Inventory Up 1 Percent 

All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 106 million head on July 1, 2026, up 1 percent from the 106 million head on July 1, 2025. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 42.6 million head, were up slightly from a year ago.
                        
All cattle and calves in the United States as of July 1, 2026, totaled 94.2 million head, up slightly from the 94.0 million head on July 1, 2025. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 38.1 million head, were unchanged from a year ago.

All cattle and calves in Canada as of July 1, 2026, totaled 12.1 million head, up 3 percent from the 11.7 million head on July 1, 2025. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 4.49 million head, were up 2 percent from a year ago.

This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the number of cattle and calves by class and calf crop for both countries within one publication. This information was requested by the United States cattle industry to provide producers additional information about potential beef supplies. United States inventory numbers were previously released on July 24, 2026. Canadian inventory numbers were previously released on August 24, 2026.



United States and Canadian Hog Inventory Up Slightly 

United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2026 was 87.7 million head. This was up slightly from June 2025 but down 1 percent from June 2024. The breeding inventory, at 7.12 million head, was down 1 percent from a year ago and down 2 percent from 2024. Market hog inventory, at 80.5 million head, was up slightly from last year but down 1 percent from 2024. The semi-annual pig crop, at 82.4 million head, was up 1 percent from 2025 and up slightly from 2024. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 6.87 million head, down 1 percent from last year and down 3 percent from 2024.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2026 was 73.7 million head. This was down slightly from June 1, 2025 and down slightly from March 1, 2026. The breeding inventory, at 5.88 million head, was down 1 percent from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 67.8 million head, was up slightly from last year but down slightly from last quarter. The pig crop, at 33.5 million head, was up slightly from 2025 but down 1 percent from 2024. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.82 million head, down 1 percent from 2025 and down 3 percent from 2024.  

Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on July 1, 2026 was 14.0 million head. This was up 1 percent from July 1, 2025 and up slightly from July 1, 2024. The breeding inventory, at 1.24 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and up 1 percent from 2024. Market hog inventory, at 12.8 million head, was up 1 percent from last year but down slightly from 2024. The semi-annual pig crop, at 15.8 million head, was up 4 percent from 2025 and up 6 percent from 2024. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 1.27 million head, up 2 percent from last year and up 2 percent from 2024. 

This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the total hogs, breeding, market hogs, sows farrowed, and pig crop for both countries within one publication. This information was requested by the United States hog industry to provide producers additional information about potential hog supplies. United States inventory numbers were previously released on June 25, 2026. Canadian inventory numbers were released on August 24, 2026.



Soy Checkoff Invites Farmers to Prove the Quality of Their Crop

United States soybean farmers have a free, straightforward way to prove the quality of their crop to the world. Through the Annual Soybean Quality Survey, funded by the Soy Checkoff, farmers can send in a sample from their 2026 harvest at no cost and receive a personalized report on its quality. Samples are due Oct. 21, 2026, and the effort helps position U.S. soy as the premium choice for customers around the globe.

Since 1986, the Annual Soybean Quality Survey has documented the quality of the U.S. soybean crop, one sample at a time. The survey is led by Dr. Seth Naeve, professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota. Farmer participation supports the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) in building international marketing programs on behalf of the Soy Checkoff.

“Every sample a farmer sends in makes our picture of U.S. soybean quality more complete,” said Dr. Naeve. “That information travels with our crop to customers around the world and helps them understand the real value of what American farmers grow.”

As the global marketplace grows more competitive, U.S. soy increasingly wins on value and quality rather than price alone. Survey data gives buyers a clear, science-based picture of the protein, oil value and overall composition of the U.S. crop, and it helps ensure every growing region is represented at global buyers’ conferences. When farmers include the seed company and variety with their sample, they also help researchers identify which varieties deliver the most value to international customers.

How to participate
    Request a free sample kit at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkfTxIvYahxiqlSodvh34zZr5uUwggk2zpmJN-YqNym1zn9w/viewform?usp=dialog or z.umn.edu/soybean-quality. Each kit includes simple instructions and a postage-paid sample bag.
    Scan the QR code on the bag to record your information quickly and accurately.
    Return your sample by Oct. 21, 2026. Samples are accepted through mid-December, but returning early helps ensure your region is represented.
    Receive your personalized results by mid-December.
    View the full survey report in January 2027 at https://z.umn.edu/SoyQualityReports, where past reports are also available.
    All individual results are kept strictly confidential. Only aggregated data appears in the final report. 

“Taking a few minutes to send in a sample is one of the easiest ways to invest in the reputation of U.S. soy,” said Cindy Pulskamp, a USB farmer-leader from North Dakota. “It costs nothing, and it helps every soybean farmer compete in markets here and abroad.”

Farmers can learn more about the Annual Soybean Quality Survey and access past reports at https://z.umn.edu/SoyQualityReports.



UAN28 Leads Fertilizer Price Declines for Fifth Consecutive Week

Retail fertilizer prices remained somewhat varied during the third full week of August 2026, according to retailers surveyed by DTN. For the fifth week in a row, five fertilizers were lower in price compared to last month, while the remaining three were slightly higher. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

Like last week, only one nutrient had a significant price move. UAN28 was 8% less expensive compared to last month, averaging $436 per ton. The average price of all nitrogen fertilizers tracked by DTN was $625/ton. Four other fertilizers were just slightly lower. Urea averaged $664/ton, 10-34-0 $715/ton, anhydrous $943/ton and UAN32 $458/ton.

The remaining three nutrients were just slightly more expensive looking back a month. DAP averaged $916/ton, MAP $959/ton and potash $495/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, urea averaged $0.72/lb.N, anhydrous $0.58/lb.N, UAN28 $0.78/lb.N and UAN32 $0.72/lb.N.

Seven of the eight fertilizers tracked by DTN are higher in price compared to one year ago. Potash is 2% higher, UAN28 is 4% more expensive, urea is 5% higher, MAP is 6% more expensive, 10-34-0 is 7% higher, DAP is 8% more expensive and anhydrous is 24% higher year over year. The one exception is UAN32, which is 5% lower than a year ago.



CHS and OCP North America launch major initiative to strengthen U.S. fertilizer supply

CHS, America’s leading farmer-owned cooperative, and OCP North America, a subsidiary of the OCP Group, are taking a major step to strengthen domestic fertilizer production in the United States. Through a proposed joint venture, the two companies are preparing to build and operate a phosphate fertilizer production facility at the Cornerstone Energy Park located in Waggaman, Louisiana. The new plant is expected to produce over 1 million metric tonnes of phosphate-based fertilizer annually and would be the first of its kind constructed in the United States since 1984. 

American farmers use phosphate fertilizer to grow the crops that fuel and feed the world. However, phosphate reserves in the country are declining and today the U.S. imports approximately 40% of the phosphate-based fertilizer that is used to meet farmer demand. The potential to bring this new capacity online could reduce U.S. dependency on imported phosphate-based fertilizer by more than 48%, significantly strengthening the domestic fertilizer supply chain.     

“This is an exciting moment for American agriculture,” said Jay Debertin, president and CEO of CHS. “As a farmer-owned cooperative, we exist to help farmers succeed. Together with OCP North America, we have the opportunity to build the first phosphate fertilizer plant in the U.S. in more than 40 years. This investment has the potential to create more value for our owners by bringing fertilizer production closer to the American farmer and the cooperative network.”

In connection with the proposed joint venture, the OCP Group will supply phosphoric acid to the facility, drawing on its global phosphate expertise and resources. Finished fertilizer products will be distributed through both OCP North America and CHS, which serves cooperatives, retailers and farmers across the United States through its extensive wholesale and retail crop nutrients network. The new fertilizer plant’s expected location within the Cornerstone Energy Park in Waggaman helps ensure access to raw materials and the ability to transport products via the Mississippi River system.

"This project represents a milestone in OCP North America’s commitment to serving American agriculture,” said Kevin Kimm, CEO of OCP North America. “Together with CHS, we aim to build lasting infrastructure that strengthens U.S. food security and delivers a reliable, domestically produced supply of the crop nutrients American farmers need.” 

Once approved, the project is expected to create approximately 60 permanent, high impact jobs in Jefferson Parish along with 500 construction jobs. The parties estimate that the project will have a total job impact of 924 direct and services-support jobs. This is expected to bring real, positive economic and community impact to the state of Louisiana. Subject to project-related and funding approvals, construction is expected to take up to 24 months.

“This announcement by CHS and OCP North America further solidifies the Cornerstone Energy Park and Jefferson Parish as key economic development locations attracting global industry,” said Matthew Sokol, president and CEO of Cornerstone Chemical Company. “As one of the largest employers in Jefferson Parish supporting hundreds of employees who call South Louisiana home, the Energy Park plays an important role in the area economy and the Greater New Orleans region.”

The project aligns closely with the U.S. government’s priority to expand U.S. fertilizer production capacity to support America’s farmers. Reflecting this, an application has been submitted for potential funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) program.   

In addition to announcing the potential project in Waggaman, CHS and OCP have also committed to charitable giving in the greater New Orleans area. “OCP believes that where we do business, we have a responsibility to invest in the people and communities around us, and we're proud to stand with CHS in making that commitment to greater New Orleans,” stated Kevin Kimm, CEO of OCP North America.

“At CHS, we operate with the value of cooperative spirit, which means we invest in the communities where we live and work,” said Debertin. “We are excited to be joining with OCP to invest in this area as it supports a key role in serving America’s farmers.”  



Stine® HP Corn®: 10 lines for 2027, backed by three decades of high-population research

Stine® Seed Company is bringing growers 10 HP Corn® options for 2027, including two new lines, extending a high-population breeding program the company has led for more than three decades.

Stine HP Corn is the company’s high-population corn program, built around genetics bred and selected to perform when growers tighten spacing and add plants per acre. Crowding is where a corn plant reveals its weaknesses in standability, leaf structure, pollination and ear placement. Since the 1990s, Stine has advanced only the material holding up under those conditions, producing lines that tend to have shorter plant height, strong stalks and plant architecture suited to tighter spacing.

“We didn’t set out to make corn shorter. We set out to build the highest-yielding corn we could find, and this is where the genetics took us,” says Myron Stine, company president. “Every generation we advanced got selected in high populations, where a weak plant shows itself fast. What’s in the bag today is the material that kept making grain every time we crowded it.”

Two new HP lines for 2027
Stine E481-G brand corn is a new version of the widely sold MX481-G brand corn, delivering an additional 4% yield increase along with improved standability. The 97- to 99-day, glyphosate-tolerant line has demonstrated consistent success west to east, performs best at higher planting populations and carries a premium seed treatment. E481-G led Stine’s Mid Elite Yield Trials at over 111%.

Stine E530-0 brand corn is a high-yielding conventional line with excellent moderately tall ear placement that performed at 113% in Stine’s Early-Mid Elite Trials, a separate trial group covering earlier maturities. Its semi-fixed ear allows for increased populations and maximum yield potential, and it features premium seed protection for fast starts and outstanding early-season growth.

Including E481-G and E530-0, the 2027 Stine corn lineup features 10 HP Corn options: 9105-10, 9213-G, 9322-10, 9453-G, 9756-G, 9808E-0, 9808E-G and 9808E-20. Maturities run from 83–85 days to 114–116 days, so growers on short-season northern acres and full-season southern acres alike have an HP Corn option in their zone. All 10 maintain the ear height Stine targets for harvestability.

Built for the populations growers are moving toward
Stine research shows growers can increase populations by up to 12% with HP Corn, and a potential 10% yield boost at higher plant populations when the genetics hold performance under greater density. 

Population is only part of the equation. Narrowing row width moves plants toward the more equal-distance plant spacing that lets a dense stand perform. The goal on fertility is making sure nutrients are available when the plant needs them most, including sulfur in the fertility program. Those practices pay off when the genetics underneath them hold standability and ear quality in a crowded stand.

“Growers ask how far they can push populations without giving up standability or ear quality,” says Brian Hartman, Stine national corn product manager. “That’s the question our program has been answering since the 1990s. We aren’t guessing at what happens when a grower adds plants. We’ve been planting and selecting at those populations for three decades, so a grower can move up and know the genetics have already been through it.”

Plant architecture built for dense stands
HP Corn architecture addresses the challenges of higher plant populations.

More upright leaf structure keeps neighboring plants from shading one another in a dense canopy, so the stand captures sunlight it would otherwise lose. Smaller tassels cast less shade on the leaves below them, and a shorter distance between the tassel and the uppermost ear supports more efficient pollination.

Sturdier stalks and a lower center of gravity hold plants up through wind events, when a crowded stand is most vulnerable. Ear placement has moved up the plant relative to plant height across generations of selection, keeping ear height favorable for excellent harvestability.

Shorter plants also open up management options. Where field conditions and equipment allow, growers can make fungicide and fertilizer applications with ground equipment rather than by air.

Proven in the Elite Yield Trials
Every HP Corn line moves through Stine’s Elite Yield Trials before reaching a grower’s field. E481-G led its Mid Elite Yield Trials group at over 111%, and E530-0 performed at 113% in the Early-Mid Elite Trials.

“These have been tested in real fields, at the populations growers actually plant, generation after generation,” says Hartman. “That’s the difference between a concept and a product growers can plant with confidence.”

The breeding program behind the 2027 HP Corn lineup is the same one Agri Marketing magazine recognized with its 2023 Product of the Year award, an honor whose past recipients include Roundup Ready technology and Bt-traited corn.

Explore Stine’s full 2027 corn lineup in the Stine Corn and Soybean Product Guide on StineSeed.com. Farmers can also contact their local Stine sales rep for more details on HP Corn options for next season.