Empty containers heading back to West Coast for return trip to China (near Amarillo, TX)
Grains Council Expands Name To Reflect BioProducts Role
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The U.S. Grains Council has officially adopted a new name—the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council—following a membership vote during its 65th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting held Friday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
President and CEO Ryan LeGrand says the change reflects the organization’s evolving role as a global advocate not only for U.S. grains like corn, sorghum, and barley, but also for co-products such as ethanol and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). LeGrand says the updated name better positions the Council to access new markets in the energy sector and capitalize on growing international demand for renewable fuels and feed co-products.
Founded in 1960 as the U.S. Feed Grains Council, the organization last changed its name in 1998. The new branding retains legacy recognition while opening doors to additional bio-based markets, according to LeGrand.
With operations in more than 50 countries and offices in nine, the Council promotes global trade and supports U.S. agriculture through strategic partnerships and technical assistance.
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Rail Merger Proposal Sparks Agriculture Supply Chain Questions
NASHVILLE, TN – Two major rail carriers—Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern—have announced plans to merge, forming what would be the first U.S. transcontinental railroad spanning 50,000 route-miles across 43 states. The deal, announced July 29, still requires approval from the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which has posted a dedicated merger resource page and expects a final ruling by 2027.
Under STB rules, rail mergers must enhance competition and serve the public interest. Agriculture stakeholders are watching closely, as the new network could streamline coast-to-coast shipments or, conversely, reduce routing options and drive up rates for grain, feed, and fertilizer transportation.
Meanwhile, rail congestion continues to affect the sector. Norfolk Southern has embargoed wheat shipments to Ardent Mills in Chattanooga due to backlogs. The mill, Tennessee’s largest, is also dealing with barge delays stemming from lock repairs. These chokepoints raise concern over near-term wheat deliveries, especially with export volumes on the rise and global competition from Russia expanding.
The STB is expected to scrutinize both competitive impacts and downstream effects, including whether other Class I mergers would follow this precedent-setting deal.
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USDA Reports Farmland Values Rise Across Most States
NASHVILLE, TN – The average U.S. farm real estate value climbed to $4,350 per acre in 2025, marking a 4.3% increase over last year, according to USDA’s latest Land Values report. The figure reflects the combined value of land and buildings on agricultural property.
Cropland averaged $5,830 per acre nationwide, up 4.7% from 2024. Pastureland increased 4.9% to an average of $1,920 per acre. Utah led all states in cropland value growth with a 9.7% increase, followed by Michigan at 8.2% and Minnesota at 7%.
The most expensive farmland in the nation remains in Rhode Island, averaging $22,500 per acre. New Jersey and Massachusetts followed at $16,600 and $14,900, respectively. On the opposite end, New Mexico held the lowest average at $725 per acre, with Wyoming and Nevada close behind at $1,000 and $1,200.
Pasture value growth was highest in North Dakota (8.6%), Kansas (8.1%), and Nebraska (7.9%), reflecting continued demand in the Plains.
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June Corn Use for Ethanol Inches Slightly Higher
NASHVILLE, TN – USDA’s latest Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report shows corn use for alcohol and other products totaled 498 million bushels in June 2025. That’s slightly up from May, but still a bit below June 2024 levels. Most of the corn—92.1 percent—went toward alcohol production, with 448 million bushels specifically used for fuel alcohol. That number is up 1 percent from May and nearly unchanged from a year ago.
Corn used for beverage alcohol fell to 3.06 million bushels, a 20 percent drop from the previous month and a 24 percent decline from June 2024. Dry mill and wet mill production remained steady, with dry milling accounting for 92 percent of fuel alcohol use.
On the co-products side, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) reached 1.88 million tons, up 6 percent from May and 4 percent above year-ago levels. Distillers wet grains (65 percent or more moisture) fell 2 percent from May but were 8 percent higher than last June.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production came in at nearly 250,000 tons, down 6 percent from May. Production of wet corn gluten feed with 40–60 percent moisture also fell by 7 percent from the previous month.
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USDA Reports Honey Bee Colony Losses, Renovations Rise
LUBBOCK, TX – The USDA’s latest Honey Bee Colonies Report shows mixed trends in colony health and management for operations with five or more hives. As of January 1, 2025, the U.S. had 2.63 million colonies, down 1 percent from the previous year. By April 1, that number rose to 2.99 million.
Colony losses remained steady, with 10 percent lost in both the first and second quarters of 2025. The highest loss rate in 2024 occurred in the fourth quarter, when 14 percent of colonies were lost. Additions outpaced losses early in 2025, with over 592,000 colonies added in Q1 and more than 641,000 in Q2.
Renovations—such as requeening or adding nucleus colonies—spiked in the second quarter of 2025, reaching 16 percent of operations. That’s the highest quarterly renovation rate recorded over the past two years.
Varroa mites continued to be the leading stressor, affecting 27 to 30 percent of colonies in early 2025. Meanwhile, colonies lost with Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms more than doubled year-over-year in Q1, jumping 110 percent.
