Animal Ag News 1/5

Carrie Muehling

  • As of Dec.1, there were 75.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up one percent from December 2024 and up slightly from Sept. 1, 2025, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
  • The National Pork Board (NPB) welcomes five appointees to serve a three-year term ending in June 2028, and one appointee to serve a two-year term ending in June 2027. Congratulations to the following producer leaders: Chad Groves, Kansas; Jessica Stevens, Ohio; Paul Ayers, Illinois; Dwight Mogler, Iowa; John Rauser, Montana; and Jeremy Burkett, Wyoming (two-year term).
  • The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), has passed the House. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) originally sponsored this bill to speed up NEPA permitting processes. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) have consistently pushed to modernize NEPA to allow livestock producers to be able to quickly carry out critical conservation work.
  • The Pet and Livestock Protection Act, introduced by Reps. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) passed the House with a bipartisan vote. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) have been strong supporters of this legislation which would reissue the 2020 rule delisting gray wolves in the lower 48 states and ensure that the delisting cannot be overturned in federal court again.
  • Updated research, supported by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was released quantifying the U.S. poultry industry’s on-farm antibiotic use. The updated report shows continued improved antibiotic stewardship and commitment to disease prevention within poultry production. As part of its commitment to a transparent and sustainable food supply, the poultry industry works to balance the responsible use of antibiotics considered “medically important” to human health with the need to maintain healthy poultry flocks.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a research project focused on creating a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine platform for two major poultry viruses: infectious bronchitis virus and infectious laryngotracheitis virus. The research is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing and is made possible in part through proceeds from the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will host its annual Poultry Market Intelligence Forum at the 2026 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga. This year’s forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, and is complimentary for all registered IPPE attendees.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    2026 Starts with Beltwide Cotton Conferences

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The National Cotton Council and its cooperating partners will be ringing in the new year with the 2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 7 through 9 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Texas.

    Beltwide Coordinator Lauren Krogman says the conference includes three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands-on workshops and seminars designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions.

    “So there’s 11 total conferences and 10 of those run concurrently throughout the meeting,” said Krogman. “I’d like to highlight the Cotton Consultants Conference, which is scheduled for the afternoon of January 7th, which is the first day. Presentations include a panel discussion on emerging pests and invasive species, including the new cotton jassid bug. A report on PLINAZOLIN will be provided, as well as reports on resistance monitoring and cotton aborted terminal phenomena.”

    The Beltwide Cotton Technical Conferences provide findings from current research and updates on emerging technology and programs aimed at elevating US cotton production and processing efficiencies. Those sessions meet concurrently beginning the morning of January 8th and conclude by noon on January 9th, with a total of 310 presentations scheduled.

    Learn more in this interview with Krogman.
    Beltwide Cotton Conferences preview - Lauren Krogman 3:54

    Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

    Industry Ag News 12/30

    Carrie Muehling

  • Amidst today’s global challenges—including the escalated need for food and nutrition security under mounting population pressure–the mission of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska has never been more vital. The institute’s recent annual report marks a year of critical research, capacity building and global thought leadership, and details significant progress across the Institute’s three core focus areas.
  • Keystone Cooperative, Inc., an Indiana-based leader in agriculture and energy, announces 100 percent of member net profits are being returned directly to members through patronage. Keystone Cooperative will distribute $57 million in patronage to eligible farmer-members who did business with the cooperative in 2025. 80 percent or 90 percent of each member’s payout will be delivered in cash, based on their legacy membership status, with the remainder applied to their equity in Keystone. This cash patronage return equals more than $46 million.
  • Auburn University has named Eve Brantley as the 1862 Extension director for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, effective Jan. 1, 2026, Auburn President Christopher B. Roberts announced.
  • Nominate the cream of the crop for the Agribusiness Leader of the Year, National Agri-Marketing Association Marketer of the Year, Ag Association Leader, or Next Gen NAMA awards. These prestigious awards will be presented at the 2026 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 15-17 in St. Louis. Submit your online nomination(s) by January 31, 2026.
  • The effective across-the-board tariff rate is now about 17 percent but based on tax collections, the actual average import tax paid is only about 10 percent. According to a new year-ahead report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, that rate is expected to drop even further as the reduced tariffs on China and imported food products take effect and more bilateral agreements are finalized.
  • AdFarm is proud to welcome experienced agri-marketing leader Kari Palutis as Vice President, Growth and Revenue, leading growth strategy and agency initiatives across North America. Palutis brings more than two decades of experience in agency leadership, client partnership development and integrated marketing communications across many of agriculture’s biggest brands.
  • The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) elected Kim Baldwin of McPherson, Kansas, as chair during its annual board of directors meeting in December.
  • Plasma Blue has unveiled a newly redesigned website highlighting how its groundbreaking technology is destroying PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” The enhanced site — plasma-blue.com — features a fresh, electric design and expanded content that delves deeper into the company’s innovative plasma-based water treatment process. Visitors can explore how this technology transforms PFAS remediation and opens doors to new industrial applications.
  • BASF has partnered with the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) for the past 9 years to offer scholarships to students with ties to the wheat industry pursuing careers in agriculture. Applications are being accepted until December 31, 2025.
  • Applications are open for the World Ag Expo “We Believe in Growing” Scholarship, proudly presented by Coast Counties Peterbilt (formerly E.M. Tharpe). For nearly 20 years, this scholarship has supported agricultural education and encouraged Central Valley students to pursue careers in agriculture.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees will all be featured speakers at the American Farm Bureau Convention. Secretary Rollins, who has led USDA through a pivotal first year of the Trump administration focused on the agriculture economy, trade and reducing costs for farmers, will speak about the challenges and opportunities ahead for American agriculture during the closing general session on Monday, Jan. 12. Tim Tebow was announced in June as a closing general session speaker – a two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and five-time New York Times best-selling author.
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    Ethanol Report on 2025

    Cindy Zimmerman

    2025 marked the 20th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and showed just how far U.S. ethanol has come – and how much more it could accomplish for the world with just a little more freedom.

    Nationwide, year-round E15 spends another year in limbo, but California catches up with the rest of the country by unanimous passage of legislation finally approving sales in the state. Corn production, ethanol production, and U.S. ethanol exports are on pace to set big records in 2025. New RVOs and reallocation of small refinery waiver gallons have been proposed but yet to be approved. And what is happening with 45Z?

    Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper offers us his year in review for this edition of The Ethanol Report. Happy New Year!

    Ethanol Report 12-30-25 33:32

    The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

    Choose an option to subscribe

    Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA

    Precision Ag News 12/29

    Carrie Muehling

  • The results are in for World Ag Expo’s 2026 Top-10 New Products Contest sponsored by the F3 Initiative. The winners will be showcased February 10-12, 2026 during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.
  • FieldX Inc., an agronomist-owned software company serving U.S. and Canadian crop consultants, is proud to announce the launch of FieldX® VRT, an advanced tool for creating equation-based variable rate fertilizer prescriptions.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Yield Contest. With growing conditions that led to a projected record corn crop, this year’s participants delivered impressive yields, once again showcasing the ingenuity and resilience that define U.S. agriculture.
  • Loveland Products, Inc.® has announced the launch of WEATHER GARD™ ELITE, a next-generation all-in-one adjuvant designed to make spray applications simpler, more effective, and easier to manage. Building on years of trusted performance from two of their high-performing adjuvants, this enhanced formulation combines multiple functions into one easy-to-use product, now available in totes for greater convenience and flexibility.
  • AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a leading provider of advanced drone and aerial imaging solutions is proud to announce that its multispectral imaging sensors are now compatible with the Inspired Flight Technologies (IFT) IF800 Tomcat and IF1200 UAS drones thanks to the introduction of IFT’s new Smart Dovetail Kit. This innovative quick-release kit enables seamless integration of custom payloads with American-made drones, expanding the compatibility and reach of EagleNXT sensors in professional drone mission sets. EagleNXT will offer the IFT Smart Dovetail Kit as a bundled package with its sensors, providing customers with a complete, ready-to-deploy solution.
  • Insure.ag, the first AI-optimized crop insurance agency built to put farmers first, today announced the acquisition of CropCore, an industry-leading AI powered coverage-level optimization engine originally developed by CropGuard. The acquisition advances Insure.ag’s mission to combine deep human expertise with advanced analytics, ensuring growers invest wisely in the coverage that best protects their operations.
  • Join the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture for the 2026 Ag Innovation Forum on Feb. 26, 2026, a full-day event spotlighting the people and ideas shaping the future of agriculture. Register here.
  • Innoquest Inc., a U.S. manufacturer known for precision measurement tools used across agriculture and turf industries, is proud to announce the enhanced features of its SpotOn® Turf Moisture Meter Pro. While maintaining the same trusted exterior and rugged design, the upgraded model now includes advanced app-driven features that provide turf professionals with faster, smarter, and more actionable moisture insights.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Animal Ag News 12/18

    Carrie Muehling

  • Alltech is pleased to present the 2025 Most Valuable Employee (MVE) Award to Alejo Gutierrez of Enchanted Dairy in Little Falls, MN. This award recognizes the value of a dairy farm employee with an exceptional work ethic who exhibits integrity and who engages in their responsibilities on a dairy farm. Nominations are made by a farm manager, dairy owner, farm consultant, or nutritionist based on qualities such as perseverance, honesty, and integrity. The finalists were honored during the annual Alltech Dairy Summit on Dec. 11, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  • National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Gregg Doud praised the congressional passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, calling it a significant bipartisan victory for both dairy farmers and student nutrition.
  • Consumers continued their preference for wholesome dairy products in 2024, as new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows U.S. per-capita dairy consumption at near historic highs. Butter consumption hit a new record last year, while yogurt consumption showed the strongest overall growth followed by cottage cheese and regular ice cream in 2024. Cheese consumption remained unchanged from a record high the previous year. USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that Americans consumed 651 pounds of dairy per person in 2024 on a milk-equivalent, milk-fat basis, a level that nears historic records dating back to 1975 when USDA began tracking dairy consumption trends. Dairy processors are responding to this consistent surge in demand by making historic investments of more than $11 billion in new and expanded manufacturing capacity across 19 states.
  • The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the Abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Todd Wilkinson, South Dakota cattle producer and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) past president, testified on the rampant EAJA abuse by environmental groups that have become repeat litigants as soon as Congress discontinued reporting requirements in 1995.
  • The 2026 Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will be held at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta. Organized by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and the Meat Institute, the summit will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 27, and is complimentary for all registered IPPE attendees.
  • Envu is making it easier for ranchers to make smarter decisions about their grazing management rotation through their innovative ranch management tool, RangeView. Now, ranchers can seamlessly integrate CERES TAG into their RangeView dashboard, enabling even more powerful tracking of cattle across range and pasture, herd optimization, and return on investment.
  • Merck Animal Health recently announced the commercial availability of CIRCUMVENT® CL vaccine, a ready-to-use vaccine formulated to protect pigs three weeks of age and older against disease caused by Porcine Circovirus (PCV) Types 2a and 2d and Lawsonia intracellularis. Complements the CIRCUMVENT CML launched in 2023, giving producers tailored vaccination options based on herd health status.
  • Over a dozen Republican members of Congress sent a letter to President Donald Trump, highlighting concerns about the United States’ overreliance on China for the supply of its vitamins and amino acids used in both human and animal food. The letter comes just weeks after the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), the animal food industry’s nonprofit research arm, released a groundbreaking report, which detailed the extent to which the U.S. relies on China for vitamins and amino acids that are used in animal feed and pet food, human food and pharmaceuticals. The November report showed that, on average, 78 percent of U.S. vitamin imports come directly from China; for specific vitamins, such as biotin, imports are as high as 100 percent. The report also provided an analysis of the animal health, welfare and production impacts that could result should a disruption to the supply occur.
  • U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) pushed the Trump Administration to ramp up their avian flu response as the first dairy herd in Wisconsin tested positive for avian flu in Dodge County earlier this month. Specifically, Senator Baldwin is calling on the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary Brooke Rollins to stop delaying the implementation of their avian influenza vaccine policy, in order to keep costs down for consumers and ensure Wisconsin’s livestock and agricultural industry are protected from the ongoing outbreak. In a letter sent to Secretary Rollins, Senator Baldwin emphasized that nearly four years into the current avian flu outbreak, the disease is still spreading, infecting over 3.5 million animals on Wisconsin farms since September, including the first confirmed case of avian flu in dairy cattle last week. Senator Baldwin urged the Trump Administration to move forward with finalizing and implementing a national avian influenza vaccination strategy, as included in USDA’s Five-Pronged Approach from February 2025.
  • Updated research, supported by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was released quantifying the U.S. poultry industry’s on-farm antibiotic use. The updated report shows continued improved antibiotic stewardship and commitment to disease prevention within poultry production. As part of its commitment to a transparent and sustainable food supply, the poultry industry works to balance the responsible use of antibiotics considered “medically important” to human health with the need to maintain healthy poultry flocks.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Oh the Places We’ve Been!

    Chuck Zimmerman

    On-site coverage of major agricultural events has been the mainstay of what ZimmComm has done as a company with AgWired and AgNewsWire, but starting in the new year we are curtailing our business travel after over 20 years and nearly 900 events around the world.

    Since 2005, we have traveled at least once to 38 states to cover a conference, meeting, field day or other event. The state with the most events has been Missouri at 112. So many of those were industry meetings like NAMA and NAFB in Kansas City and St. Louis. In second place is Iowa with 85 events, then Illinois and Florida tied at 70 each.

    Internationally, we traveled to Germany ten times and Canada eight times, Belgium and Italy a couple of times. But there were many others with IFAJ in Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. I also traveled with the Grains Council back in the day, visiting Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Petra, and Mexico. All of the place we’ve been are represented in the 980 photo albums in our Flickr account. We have 226,488 photos in those albums that have viewed a total of 51,125,196 views.

    Check out our Album Collections page to find 20 years of agricultural meetings – from Ag Media Summit and the American Coalition for Ethanol to Cattle Industry Conventions, Commodity Classics, Farm Bureau and Farm Progress Show, National Biodiesel and National Ethanol, peanuts and cotton – you name it.

    Laura McNamara, RAW Life Studio

    We are happy to say that we will be able to continue doing photos and interviews and virtual newsrooms for several of our long time clients by retaining the services of others to do the on-site work, while we do the posting and distribution from home.

    We are very pleased to announce that two of the first 2026 events will be handled for us on-site by Laura McNamara, one of our very first freelancers back in 2007-2008 after she graduated from Mizzou and she covered many events for us at the time, showcasing her exceptional photographic talent at places like the 2007 Indy 500. She has been around the world since that time and evolved even more as a top-notch photographer – including doing our youngest daughter’s wedding in Cancun 11 years ago. She married and has the most adorable four-year-old boy and is now settled back in the Midwest near St. Louis. We have a great deal of confidence in her abilities and look forward to having her as our face on the road. The first place you will see her is the Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 7-9, 2026 in San Antonio, and then the 2026 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, California, February 4-6.

    We are basically just burnt out on air travel. In just the past two years we have had some of the worst travel experiences ever, and now that Delta and Southwest have both changed their policies and benefits, we just said enough is enough, we’re staying home with the dogs!

    We’re not going away – we’re just implementing a work from home policy!

    ZimmComm Announcement

    FieldX Introduces Groundbreaking Equation-Based VRT Software

    Cindy Zimmerman

    FieldX Inc., an agronomist-owned software company serving U.S. and Canadian crop consultants, is proud to announce the launch of FieldX® VRT, an advanced tool for creating equation-based variable rate fertilizer prescriptions.

    FieldX VRT streamlines the development of complex, equation-based VRT plans – enabling agronomists to manage batch workflows with minimal clicks. According to newly appointed CTO, Clint Ingram, “Our software is built to reduce clicks and support entire processes in batch.”

    “Unlike social media, which keeps you glued to the screen, FieldX VRT’s goal is efficiency,” Ingram adds. “Open the software, complete your work quickly, and move on.”

    Key features of FieldX® VRT include:
    – Template-based workflows: Save and recall complete setting templates for each step to eliminate redundant data entry.
    – Formula-friendly interface: Use formulas in familiar Excel-style syntax, with tooltips to ensure accuracy.
    – Seamless integrations: Import soil test results automatically via lab integrations.
    – Nutrient crediting: Account for previously applied or concurrently planned products in prescriptions.
    – User-friendly editing: Quickly fine-tune nutrient and product rates.

    To learn more, visit fieldx.com, email info@FieldX.com, or call 919-926-7001.

    Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, software, Technology

    Industry Ag News 12/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • Beginning in late December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend several months gathering information about farm economics from farmers and ranchers throughout the United States, as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2025 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).
  • Farm Journal has announced three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Top Producer of the Year Award, honoring some of the most progressive and successful farm operations in the country. The winner and finalists will be formally recognized at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, agriculture’s premier executive-level conference for elite farmers and ranchers, which is set for Feb. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. Also presented at the event will be the Next Generation Award and Women in Agriculture Award.
  • American Soybean Association leader and North Dakota soybean farmer Josh Gackle testified before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) during a public hearing to review China’s follow-through on commitments made as part of the 2020 U.S.–China Phase One Agreement.
  • During its annual election meeting in St. Louis, the American Soybean Association Board of Directors voted in the executive committee members who will lead the organization through the coming year’s top advocacy priorities, including the farm economy, biofuels, inputs, trade, markets and other critical policy issues for U.S. soybean farmers.
  • “Analyzing the Health and Economics of Seed Oils” is a webinar being presented by Agri-Pulse, the Soy Checkoff and the American Soybean Association. It will be held Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
  • Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board (USB) elected Brent Gatton from Bremen, Ky., as the new chair during the organization’s December board meeting in St. Charles, Mo. He’s joined by nine newly elected farmer-leaders to serve alongside him on the Executive Committee for the upcoming year.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission hosted a photo contest throughout 2025 to fill the pages of the 2026 Georgia Peanut Calendar. Peanut farmers and industry representatives from across Georgia were encouraged to submit their best, high-resolution photo from the farm for a chance to feature the photo in the 2026 calendar.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of the nation’s largest farmer- and member-owned cooperatives, announced a $1 million hunger relief investment aimed at supporting rural communities ahead of the holiday season. Grants will go to 15 Feeding America® partner food banks across Land O’Lakes’ member-owner and employee footprint, as well as to Feeding America. This commitment effectively doubles the cooperative’s 2025 hunger relief impact, building on nearly 4 million meals already provided this year.
  • Farm Credit Bank of Texas (FCBT) announced the appointment of Brandon Blaut as chief executive officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2026. Blaut’s selection by the FCBT Board of Directors follows the previously announced retirement of current CEO Amie Pala. Blaut brings extensive leadership experience to the role, having served as the bank’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
  • Florida’s Peanut Butter Challenge collects 32,773 jars of peanut butter spreading hope to the state’s hungry. The challenge is a collaborative effort of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, with support from the Florida Peanut Federation, the Florida Peanut Producers Association and community partners throughout the state. All those jars add up to 44,564 pounds of peanut butter.
  • The Farm Progress Show has been honored as the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) B2B Show of the Year, a prestigious recognition that underscores its transformative role in advancing agriculture. The 2025 Farm Progress Show brought together 161,000 attendees and 548 exhibitors, showcasing new equipment, precision ag technologies and sustainable solutions that are shaping the future of farming. With initiatives like career fairs, mental health resources, Women in the Field programming and live field demonstrations, Farm Progress created a dynamic space where innovation, education and advocacy intersect.
    • Zimfo Bytes