Northwest hay producers are operating at or below breakeven margins, but the 12-month profitability outlook is improved for those able to start with a clean inventory slate and keep a lid on costs, according to the latest Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Hay Market Snapshot report.

Efforts are underway to find a marketing home for about 100 dairy farmers orphaned after two Wisconsin processors notified them they could no longer take their milk. Meanwhile, the farmers impacted by the loss of milk markets are being urged to contact their lenders, and review any risk management contracts.

On the farm, kids have endless opportunities to be hands-on and involved from a very young age. Farm kids grow up to be responsible, capable individuals, and often are mature beyond their years.

Most Progressive Dairyman readers perform off-season maintenance on their field equipment in the spring and the fall.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has given approval for the proposed acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina, according to a Syngenta press release.

FMC Corp. and DuPont announced on March 31 the signing of a definitive agreement for FMC to acquire the portion of DuPont’s crop protection business it must divest to comply with the European Commission ruling related to its merger with The Dow Chemical Co.

Editor's note: CEO Corners are editors' compilations of business news from top publications, which they have tailored for the dairy industry. The cover story of this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek (April 3, 2017, issue) tells the story of a company with an unlikely parallel to the dairy industry.

Dairy Marketing Services LLC (DMS), the marketing arm of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), has provided about 700 independent Northeast dairy producers with a timeline to find another milk market or join the cooperative.

What started out as a year of milk price optimism is turning into a nightmare for some dairy farmers. Two recent announcements have producers in the Midwest and Northeast facing the reality they must find new markets for their milk.

Depending on which side of the gate you’re on, it was heartening or worrisome to see cattle and beef prices recover coming into spring. Cattle markets are widely reported in farm and ranch media, but beef and competing protein prices underlie it all.