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St. Jean Farm Days Reaches 35-Year Milestone

St Jean Farm Days is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
 
The event takes place January 8th and 9th at the St. Jean Centennial Hall.
 
Organizer Brunel Sabourin said his parents were part of the original organizing committee 35 years ago. The event was started in conjunction with Manitoba Agriculture. He says they are now seeing a third generation of volunteers helping to run the show.
 
St. Jean Farm Days is known as being the unofficial start of the farm show season.
 
"This year we're going to be talking a lot about the late season/wet fall that we had and what it's going to look like for next spring because not a lot of fertilizer went down last fall, so it's going to potentially cause some logistics issue come spring time and there's a lot of fields that got rutted up with the high rainfall that we got," said Sabourin. "We're going to be dealing with compaction issues and cleaning up those ruts, putting fertilizer down."
 
As always, the speaker list also includes weather and market outlooks.
 
Sabourin says they're maxed out at about 60 exhibitor booths with attendance usually ranging anywhere from a low of 80 people to as high as 130, which they saw recently. Close to 20 volunteers help to make the event a success every year.
 
He notes admission prices have gone up this year.
 
"This year will be the first year that we've raised our price since the beginning. All 35 years so far it was $6 entry at the door or $10 for couples. For this year we've raised the price to $10 for everyone just to make things easier. We're hoping to be able to make a donation to STARS Ambulance with the proceeds."
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Hail Storm Destroys MILLIONS of US Corn and Soybean Bushels

Video: Hail Storm Destroys MILLIONS of US Corn and Soybean Bushels


Severe Weather and Crop Damage
Recent hail storms across Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota have severely impacted corn and soybean fields, with south-central Nebraska experiencing significant losses. Hurricane Beryl's landfall on the Texas coast has brought hurricane-related rains northeast, potentially affecting Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. These conditions may help alleviate some drought issues but could also pose risks of flooding and additional crop damage.

USDA Drought Monitor and Crop Conditions
The latest USDA drought monitor report shows mixed conditions across the Corn Belt and High Plains. While areas like northwest Ohio and central Iowa saw improvements due to recent rains, southern Ohio and parts of Illinois experienced worsening drought conditions. The overall impact continues to be closely monitored, with rainfall patterns playing a critical role in crop development stages.

International Corn and Soybean Market Trends
The USDA's office in China has revised down its forecast for Chinese corn imports to 20 million metric tons due to a bumper domestic crop and increased imports of substitutes like barley. Meanwhile, US ethanol production has seen an uptick, reflecting slightly increased gasoline demand, which could influence corn markets given ethanol's significant corn usage.

US Crop Export Sales
Recent US crop export sales figures were disappointing, with corn sales falling significantly below expectations and soybean sales also at the lower end of forecasts. These trends highlight the challenges facing US exporters in the current global trade environment, where competition and domestic supply issues in importing countries can quickly alter demand dynamics.

Market Response and Future Outlook

The agricultural market is responding to these developments with caution, as traders and farmers alike navigate the complexities of weather impacts, international trade shifts, and domestic policy changes. The next few days will be crucial for assessing the full impact of the recent storms and adjusting market strategies accordingly.