As harvest is now in full swing across much of the Midwest, the spotlight has been on the expected bin-busting corn crop. However, gaining importance and garnering attention is this year’s soybean harvest – one that could be pivotal for U.S. soybeans and farmers. Rising and persistent input costs and low commodity prices create a...…
Jing Tang, Statistician The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its Monthly Energy Review report on August 26th, 2025 and its Monthly Biofuels Capacity and Feed Stocks Update Report on August 29th, 2025. In this article, we will conduct a descriptive analysis of pure biodiesel (B100) production and its feedstocks usage. Biodiesel Production and Five-Year...…
Corn yields in the U.S. have been trending upward since the 1930s. As shown in Figure 1, U.S. average corn yields have risen from less than 40 bushels per acre in 1950 to more than 179 bushels per acre in 2024. The rate of increase over that 75-year period has been 1.92 bushels per acre...…
By Kade Grafel, Research Analyst The IMPLAN Data Library is a relatively recent addition to the IMPLAN ecosystem. The Data Library is essentially a database containing a wealth of economic and demographic data at the national, state, and county level: IMPLAN industry data (output, value added, employment, etc.), population, household income, tax data, trade flow...…
By Spencer Parkinson, CEO, Founder and President In a highly connected world where exchange of goods, services and technology continues at a breakneck pace, risks of animal disease and other animal health concerns impacting our nation’s herds and flocks has substantially increased in the last several decades. Three animal disease and health challenges have recently...…
By S. Patricia Batres-Marquez, Senior Research Analyst Based on the latest data published by USDA-FAS, U.S. pork exports from January to April 2025 reached a volume of 809,612 metric tons (MT), down 3.1% from the same period during 2024 (see Figure 1). The export value was down 2.6% to $2.38 billion from the previous year...…
By Alex Robinson, Research Analyst Iowa State University publishes monthly estimates of cost returns on hogs that provides a general outlook on the margins that many producers are experiencing. Total returns for farrow-to-finish producers stay positive in our most recent update, with estimates showing that, on average, producers saw a profit of $13.48 per head...…
The cattle market is hitting historic price highs as inventories continue to dwindle, while demand remains near record levels. The U.S. cattle herd has been shrinking for decades, with current inventory levels marking the lowest in half a century. A combination of persistent beef demand, rising input costs for producers, and prolonged droughts spanning over...…
The most current U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 37% of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought as of April 29—a 7% decrease from April 1. Figure 1 shows that the area of the U.S. experiencing some level of drought is up 20% compared to the same time last year. Recent storms and...…
With Iowa’s winter in the rearview (I think!) and 2025 already more than ¼ over, I thought now would be a good time to update our friends, clients, and others on what our team has been up to so far in 2025. Industry Events and Conferences There are three primary reasons for members of the...…
