Global Economy
Today’s market is evolving, not just correcting, according to ag economists. To win the long game, farmers are using generics and delaying machinery purchases as trade shifts to allies and consumers demand premium meat portions.
Beyond China’s political goodwill purchases and Brazil’s soybean showdown, the U.S. is eyeing a 30% surge in domestic processing. To stay resilient, farmers are advised to focus on profit margins rather than volume.
New Farm Journal research explores six keys highlighting consolidation risk, regional divides and expansion sweet spots in a shifting landscape that prioritizes integrity and a tech mindset.
While inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%, the outgoing president and CEO favors a pause on interest-rate reductions while noting AI’s potential to shift labor needs
A new multi-year AI partnership between Syngenta and SAP SE aims to modernize supply chains and speed up product development to help farmers better navigate production and market volatility.
Will 2026 be a repeat of 2016? Chris Barron, Ag View Solutions, shares four strategies to help farmers capture some profit in this down cycle.
As he finishes up his term as American Soybean Association president, the Kentucky farmer’s key takeaway from his time in the spotlight is the importance of farmers banding together to influence policy.
Farmers weigh in on the pros and cons of federal aid programs and what they believe is needed to adopt regenerative practices in today’s environment of tight margins.
Commodity prices have not kept pace with rising costs, leaving many row crop growers struggling to keep their operations on positive footing headed into the new year.
China’s pledge to buy 12 MMT of U.S. soybeans is facing questions over timing, storage capacity and price competitiveness, leaving markets uncertain whether the full promise can be met before year-end.
The Farm Action co-founder says it’s time for agriculture to face an uncomfortable truth. From cattle to crops, American agriculture must rebuild from the ground up or face a tough reality: U.S. agriculture no longer feeds the world.
Third-generation farmer Amy France and team at NSP are on a mission to improve buyer demand for the crop domestically and abroad.
The senior senator from Iowa wants E15 approved for year-round use, fair and tariff-free trade, plus more action and a lot less talk regarding tax cuts and budget reconciliation efforts in the Senate.
President Trump’s new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China have gone into effect. While the economic consequences are unknown, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has promised to have a plan ready for farmers, if needed.
China retaliated swiftly on Tuesday with 10% to 15% retaliatory levies impacting $21 billion worth of U.S. agricultural and food products, moving the world’s top two economies a step closer toward an all-out trade war.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins kicked off the 2025 Top Producer Summit on Tuesday morning, detailing her plan to advocate for trade. ‘We want to find market access for all our products,’ Rollins said.
A newly introduced bill and judicial review could stall some damage, but a number of U.S. producers will likely still feel economic pain. Funding cuts will also impact 19 land-grant university-based innovation labs in 17 states.
The Panama Canal is in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs — and he’s pledged to retake control of the strategic waterway due to Chinese influence. He also claims U.S. ships have been unfairly charged for using the canal.
The first trading day of 2025 saw the U.S. dollar hit a two-year high, but the strength of the dollar in 2024 also had a major impact on commodity markets.
From a possible trade war to brewing discontent within the country, there are five significant trends poised to shape China in the coming year.
The Fertilizer Institute’s 2024 Fertilizer Industry Economic Impact Study details the contributions of the U.S. fertilizer industry to the economy and also explains the global nature of fertilizer markets.
As federal policy decisions tend to heavily impact rural industries, the outcome of the 2024 election promises to significantly shape the rural economy in the year ahead. CoBank’s annual report outlines what to expect.
USDA forecasts agricultural exports at $173.5 billion and imports at a record $204 billion for a projected record trade deficit of $30.5 billion.
A Virginia Tech report finds global agricultural productivity growth has slowed from 1.9% to 0.7% annually.
China’s soybean imports reached a record high in August 2024, reflecting significant growth in the country’s demand for the oilseed, but meat imports declined.
Agricultural imports are expected to reach a record $212 billion, up $8 billion from FY 2024. This increase is largely due to rising imports of horticultural products, sugar and tropical products.
U.S. corn prices hit a four-year low as the prospect for record corn and soybean crops takes shape in the field. The eroding outlook also appeared in the August Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor.
The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor, a survey of nearly 70 ag economists from across the U.S., shows the lack of exports, as well as the current crop prices, are eroding outlooks on the crops side. While strong beef demand and cheaper feed prices are creating more optimism in cattle.