A 12-year-old boy from downstate Fisher, in Champaign County, has a story to tell after a tornado ripped through his family’s farm Monday afternoon. (WBBM)

The USDA maintained its forecast for 2021-’22 soybean oil use in biofuel production in its latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report, released on July 12. The expected price of soybean oil was lowered. (Biodiesel Magazine)

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and her British counterpart Liz Truss agreed to continue working to strengthen bilateral ties in a meeting in Washington on Tuesday, Tai’s office said in a statement. (Reuters)  

With 3% of the state in extreme drought, farmers nearing the breaking point, especially in the northeastern zone, have looked gratefully upon recent rain, but experts warn optimism could be premature. (Washington Examiner)

Prices in the US spiked again in June, driven higher by the cost of used cars and food increasing. Consumer prices jumped 5.4% in the 12 months to the end of June, up from 5% the previous month. (BBC)

The latest batch of crop progress data from USDA, out Monday afternoon and covering the week through July 11, showed corn, soybean and spring wheat quality ratings were steady to slightly improved versus a week ago. (Farm Progress)