Grocery price inflation is becoming less volatile The United States is headed for the fifth year in a row of lower-than-average increases in grocery prices, part of a longer trend of smaller and less volatile changes in food inflation, said two USDA economists. Wet fields mean corn planting will run… Continue reading

Looking for a ‘huge vote’ in Senate to limit national-security tariffs Senate Finance chairman Chuck Grassley is working with like-minded senators on crafting a bipartisan bill to limit the president’s power to impose import tariffs in the name of national security. “We’ve got to get a huge vote on it… Continue reading

Nutritional quality of school food surges under 2010 reforms Researchers say the nutritional quality of school meals increased by more than 40 percent following a 2010 mandate to serve healthier food. Farmers could see “very low returns” on corn and soybeans When overhead costs such as seed, fertilizer, equipment and… Continue reading

Grocers ask Supreme Court to keep SNAP data secret In a case testing the limits of public-records laws, a trade group for grocers asked the Supreme Court on Monday to bar the release of store-by-store sales data for the $65 billion-a-year food stamp program. Many water wells in Iowa tainted… Continue reading

Small ag banks mitigate the risk of rising demand for farm loans In an indirect sign of stress in the farm sector, small agricultural banks are making adjustments, such as syndicating loans and charging higher interest rates, to offset risk in the face of high demand for farm loans, said… Continue reading

U.S. wins again at WTO, though compliance by China may be months away The WTO ruled in favor of the United States in its complaint that China had rigged its tariff system to constrict entry of foreign-grown grain. The ruling was the second U.S. victory in seven weeks against trade-distorting… Continue reading

Corn sweetener loses its luster, and its customers A brawl between brewers over a Super Bowl ad last winter was not just a market-share battle between beer-making giants. It also offered a revealing look the reduced role corn sweeteners are playing in the food and beverage industry. Two more rounds… Continue reading

Amid decline in commodity prices, farmland values could fall too Farmland values are still at elevated levels despite the sharply lower farm income of recent years but may drift lower in the near term, according to two examinations of the farm economy. The big customer for U.S. animal protein: Mexico… Continue reading

‘Flat-lining’ of U.S. gasoline use may hurt ethanol sales and corn farmers For years, larger and larger sales of corn ethanol were almost a given. For one thing, the Renewable Fuel Standard guaranteed biofuels a share of the gasoline market, and car-happy Americans used more gasoline every year. The joyride,… Continue reading

In a break, disaster relief bills could pay farmers’ crop insurance premiums In a departure from past practices, companion disaster bills filed by Democrats in the House and Senate would give farmers the money to pay for their crop insurance policies. Central figure in Iowa nutrient runoff case, Bill Stowe,… Continue reading