Lorrie Boyer

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major focus in global markets as disruptions have created bottlenecks that are driving input costs even higher. Josh Linville is the vice president of fertilizer for StoneX. “You can say something's open, but if the industry isn't comfortable with the safety of what they're doing, they're not going to go ahead and, open or closed, it doesn't matter if there's nothing flowing through, and that's what it’s really been," Linville said.

(KMAland) -- Hog farmers across the US continue to struggle with California’s Proposition 12 law which establishes minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves, and bans the sale of non-compliant products in the state. Katie Brown, president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association, says it’s a real challenge. “Prop 12 that came out of California says that what I do on my farm has to have a specific amount of square feet per sow.

The Trump administration is in the middle of trade negotiations with a large number of countries to help rectify trade imbalances. Kenneth Hartman, Jr., president of the National Corn Growers Association, said China and Mexico are two of the biggest international corn customers. “China has bought corn from the U.S. We definitely want them as a customer. There is concern there. As far as corn, though, our major concern is Mexico.