Trade
Another set of estimates have been released to divvy up the $11 million earmarked for eligible row crop producers. Payments range from $21 per acre for barley to a high of $134 per acre for rice.
At a White House roundtable with farmers, a rice producer’s candid message stole the spotlight. Meet Meryl Kennedy, the rice producer who had a powerful message for President Trump last week.
In a recent one-on-one interview, Luke Lindberg highlights the three-point plan and the three-step process Ag Secretary Rollins and the team at USDA are deploying to create what they are calling “the new golden age for American agriculture.”
As farmers look ahead to 2026, grain markets are sending mixed signals based on record corn exports, large supplies, federal payments and ongoing China trade uncertainty.
Record corn exports are tightening stocks and lifting prices, but long-term strength depends on expanding domestic demand. Could year-round E15 overcome legislative hurdles in Washington and change the market trajectory?
USDA will deliver $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to help farmers offset 2025 trade disruptions and rising costs. Eligible producers must verify 2025 acreage reports by Dec. 19, with payments expected by Feb. 28, 2026.
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.
Susan Olson, of Action Intel, analyzes barge movement and logistics and says the past few weeks show a divergence in how grain is getting to export markets.
Oklahoma State’s Derrell Peel says the beef industry needs time — not politics or policy — to solve beef supply and demand realities.
Because ag retail is deeply affected by USMCA implementation, ARA submitted a letter supporting a renewal of USMCA for a full 16-year term
A new report spotlights how agricultural acquisitions and business strategy linked to the Chinese government have amassed production and power, and it’s being called into question by policy thinktank America First Policy Institute (AFPI).
Growers say they remain cautiously optimistic and believe the U.S. is “headed in the right direction.” But they want the gridlock with China to end and for actual steps to be taken to get their crops sold and shipped.
ARA Applauds the Department of the Interior on Potash and Phosphate Critical Minerals List Inclusion
“These designations are a major step forward for American agriculture and supply chain resilience,” said ARA President & CEO Daren Coppock.
USMCA has been a boon for the American meat, livestock and poultry sector, along with the broader American food and agriculture economy and ancillary industries, The Meat Institute says in comments to the USTR.
Strong production numbers and government policies support the thesis of higher costs for longer.
The announcement Beijing is buying soybeans marks a crucial step toward achieving some market stability for U.S. growers in the near term and hope for the future. USDA’s Vaden says the purchase ‘represents a floor and not a ceiling,’ while ag economists offer a mix of optimism and caution.
As a handful of corporations influences more of the agricultural supply chain, row crop growers say they are left with fewer input choices, higher prices and diminishing control over their own operations.
As the two countries battle over trade tariffs, China reportedly buys three cargoes of U.S. soybeans, its first purchase in months.
On Wednesday, Secretary Rollins announced a plan for American ranchers and consumers as Trump posted comments on social media regarding tariff impact on beef prices.
The senior senator from Iowa says the president ‘has to’ get an agreement made that will enable trade between China and the U.S. to resume.
As Jed Bower takes the helm at NCGA, he is working to expand market opportunities in the U.S. and abroad, and looking for practical ways to reduce regulatory burdens on farmers.
As farmers harvest their 2025 crop, post-harvest logistics are growing in complexity as elevators fill, river levels are low and trade destinations are unknown.
While the Trump administration weighs an economic bailout for farmers that would use tariff income, groups like ASA continue to press for better market opportunities and a trade deal with China, in particular.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we might not see it completely turn around for two to three years,” says Grant Gardner, University of Kentucky ag economist.
“I’ve had conversations with lawmakers on the hill, counterparts in the white house and across the cabinet. We are putting together options from A to Z, so when the President decides it’s time, we can step in,” she says.
New survey gives a pulse of the current farm economy, deteriorating conditions, and what it could mean in the coming months.
As farmers think about 2026 cropping plans, step one is to book fall fertilizer. However, those plans are leading to challenging discussions about profitability and what can be applied as a bare minimum.
Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, says unless China buys soybeans soon, they may be looking at aid similar to the Market Facilitation Program used back in 2018-19 during the last trade war.
ARA and TFI Praise Trump Administration’s Recognition of Potash as Critical, Push Same for Phosphate
“Over half of all global phosphate production occurs in China and Russia,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock.
The Chinese government is continuing to instruct importers to avoid purchasing U.S. soybeans. Until that changes, soybean prices are likely to remain low.