Purdue U

A post-election surge in producer optimism pushed the Ag Economy Barometer to a record high for the second consecutive month, says Purdue University, which conducts a survey of farmers and produces the monthly report.

Yellow perch recovered from overfishing in Lake Michigan much more rapidly - by hundreds of years - than scientists thought possible, says Purdue U.

City dwellers are more likely than rural residents to regard livestock operations as environmentally harmful and to have concerns about impacts on water quality, say Purdue researchers who surveyed 797 Indiana adults during July 2014.

After the fall-off from record-high corn, soybean and wheat prices in 2012, Purdue economist Mike Boehlje says growers can expect to "bounce along close to break-even for five to 10 years," reports DTN.

The upturn in U.S. cattle numbers "is likely to continue for multiple years," writes Chris Hurt of Purdue in an analysis of the USDA's semi-annual Cattle inventory report.

After several years of constrained supplies, pork production will climb by 5 percent this year, says economist Chris Hurt of Purdue. "Pork producers are gearing up to provide their customers with what they want and that is 'More Pork' and 'More Bacon,'"...

Livestock producers can anticipate strong returns in coming years in a "mini-boom" that could last for several years, says Purdue economist Chris Hurt in a university news release.

Two agricultural economists say corn subsidies could cost $6 to $8 billion for this year's record-large corn crop, says Reuters. The estimates are based on the projected U.S. average price of $3.50 a bushel for the crop, the price guarantees of the farm bill and...

Farmers are far less likely than scientists to say climate change is occurring and that people are a driving force in it, says a study by Purdue and Iowa State universities.

A Purdue agricultural economist says land prices are likely to fall under the weight of low crop prices and rising interest rates. "We are looking at about a 5-10 percent correction over each of the next three years," says Michael Langemeier in a Purdue news release.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is to make a keynote speech during a two-day visit to Purdue next week, said the university. Its president, Mitch Daniels, is to moderate the question-and-answer session that follows Vilsack's speech, which will be open to the public, on Monday.

Adding calcium oxide at a 1 percent blend rate to distillers dried grains (DDGs) makes it easier for cattle to digest the ethanol co-product, say Purdue researchers.

Purdue will re-name its 175-acre forestry farm in honor of long-time Indiana Sen Richard Lugar, the university announced. A former chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Foreign Relations committee, Lugar was senator for 36 years until...

Beef will be in tight supply through 2015 and into 2016 but consumers may get a break from record prices with an increased volume of chicken, turkey and pork, said economist Chris Hurt of Purdue.

Cornell, Purdue, North Carolina and Colorado State universities will establish research centers on nutrition education and obesity prevention with $3.4 million in funding from the Agriculture Department.

Researchers identified a set of genes to naturally boost the level of substances the human body converts to vitamin A, important for eye health and the immune system, says Purdue University.

Ag economist Jason Henderson of Purdue says "what has me a little nervous" is an upturn in borrowing as the farm sector heads into a period of lower commodity prices and farm income.