Agriculture

Balers made in Hesston are part of changes in world’s food production

A baler is a large piece of farm machinery that doesn’t move that fast on the road, but it is leading Agco’s Hesston plant to strong growth.

Drought, freezes expected to cut Kansas wheat crop 22 percent

The Kansas wheat crop will fall 22 percent, to 299.7 million bushels, from last year’s 382.2 million bushel harvest, according to a forecast as of May 1 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

High court rules for Monsanto in patent case

The Supreme Court has sustained Monsanto Co.’s claim that an Indiana farmer violated the company’s patents on soybean seeds that are resistant to its weed-killer.

Wheat crop looks pretty good in eastern Kansas, tour participants say

There’s no substitute for seeing for yourself.

That’s the idea behind the annual Kansas Wheat Tour, an arduous three-day, many-hundred-mile trip to see first-hand how good or bad the wheat crop is.

Area wheat farmers waiting to see what recent cold spell may have done to crop

After temperatures dipped to 25 degrees Wednesday morning, area wheat farmers were waiting and worrying.

Brownback to promote ‘From the Land of Kansas’ slogan for agricultural products

Gov. Sam Brownback is headed to a Wichita brewery this weekend to promote a rebranding of the state’s agricultural trademark.

Precision agriculture helps farmers save time, money, the land

The popular image of agriculture is the farmer standing out in his field with his bib overalls, straw hat, a rusty old tractor and a piece of wheat straw popped in his mouth at a rakish angle.

Vilsack defends cuts to meat and poultry inspections as part of sequester

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reached out to local media around the country on Thursday to defend plans to furlough meat and poultry inspectors for 11 days spread through July and August as part of the federal sequester.

Horizon, ConAgra milling ventures to merge

Horizon Milling, which has two flour mills and a sales office in the Wichita area and is the nation’s No. 1 grain miller, is merging with ConAgra Mills to form a giant new milling venture.

Farmland prices expected to keep rising in 2013

Kansas farmland, like agricultural ground across the nation, is expected to continue to rise in value in 2013, according to a new report by farmland brokerage and land management firm Farmers National Co.

Cargill to idle beef plant in Texas

Cargill Inc., the largest U.S. beef processor, will idle a Texas processing plant, citing the decline in the nation’s cattle herd.

Kansas corn, grain sorghum, soybean harvest estimates falling

Kansas’s 2012 corn harvest is now projected at 379.2 million bushels, down slightly from earlier estimates and down 16 percent from the 2011 crop, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Final report on 2012 crops shows big losses from drought

DES MOINES – The federal government released its final crop report for 2012 on Friday, detailing heavy losses caused by the worst drought the U.S. has experienced since the 1950s.

Old farm bill extended as special interests worry anew about future

As part of the fiscal cliff package that passed last week, Congress and the White House cobbled together an extension of the nation’s massive farm bill that keeps many – but not all – of the country’s agricultural and food programs sputtering along until September.

Pat Roberts bumped from leadership post on Senate Ag Committee

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts was bumped from his place as ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Thursday.

Corn, soybean prices may stay high; herd numbers will likely fall

Kansas farmers were optimistic that a wet winter and rainy spring meant that the 2011’s drought was over. But the rain largely stopped falling after early May, allowing a good wheat harvest for much of the state, but dooming the corn and soybean crops.

Beef analyst: 2013 to see more high costs, price volatility, shrinkage in the herd

The drought has driven up costs – as well as prices – for livestock, making the lives of those in the cattle industry financially precarious, Randy Blach, CEO of Cattle-Fax, told the audience at the 100th annual Kansas Livestock Association meeting Friday.

Farm & Ranch Show to be Nov. 6-8 at Kansas Pavilions

The Wichita Farm & Ranch Show will be held Nov. 6-8 at the Kansas Pavilions at the former Kansas Coliseum complex.

Drought takes toll on Kansas cattle industry

The drought may have damaged the state’s corn and soybean crops most directly, but the bigger blow to the state economy comes against the much larger cattle industry.