Author: staff

We’ve heard a lot about trade this year. The U.S. government is negotiating with multiple countries to reach trade agreements. New tariffs and threats of new tariffs have sparked concerns of reciprocation and loss of markets for U.S. agricultural commodities. But how much does all that really matter? What do farmers stand to lose?   Roland Fumasi, head of RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness for North America, described the nightmare scenario for global trade of agricultural goods.  “Ultimately, the worst-case scenario would look something like: You have trading blocks around the world — basically, a group of countries that are friendly traders, and…

By Joshua Haiar Two days after a U.S. senator from South Dakota said he was encouraged by the desire of President Donald Trump to “do right” by American ranchers, Trump outraged many of them by rolling out a policy to import more beef from Argentina. A White House official told Reuters on Thursday that the Trump administration will quadruple the amount of beef that can be imported from Argentina at a lower tariff rate.  Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in response to a reporter’s question at a White House briefing Thursday that Trump “loves our ranchers and he also loves American…

The U.S. Drought Monitor map released this week reflected improvements and deteriorations, continuing the season’s mixed pattern but ultimately showing a slight decline in overall coverage across the country. Abnormally dry or worse conditions covered 72% of the country, down from 74% last week. However, about 21% of the country was experiencing severe drought or worse, down slightly from 23% last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Midwest In the Midwest this week, moderate to heavy precipitation fell across much of the region. Drought improvements were noted across the Michigan Lower Peninsula and the Ohio Valley. Nick Groth,…

Corn harvest continues to progress across Iowa as October slips by, with nearly a month having passed without a USDA Crop Progress Report. Looking back at the 2024 season, 68% of the corn crop had been harvested in Iowa at this time last year. Logan Dinkla, agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection in central, south-central, and southwest Iowa, said harvest has been moving at a fast pace so far. “Corn yields have been all over the board,” said Dinkla. “There is a major difference in yields based on fungicide applications and hybrids.” Rainfall was also sporadic throughout his territory…

By Jeff Mason, Tom Polansek, and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON/CHICAGO, Oct. 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is quadrupling the country’s low-tariff imports of Argentine beef in his attempt to lower grocery store beef prices, a White House official said on Thursday, evoking fury from the nation’s cattle ranchers. Raising the tariff rate quota on Argentine beef to 80,000 metric tons will let the country ship more of its beef to the U.S. at a lower rate of duty. U.S. beef prices have set records due to tight cattle supplies and strong consumer demand. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced a plan to expand the…

By Mayank Bhardwaj NEW DELHI, Oct. 24 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said this week he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mainly about trade, and that Modi had assured him India would limit its oil purchases from Russia. After the United States sanctioned Russia’s top oil producers on Wednesday, Indian refiners – major buyers of cheap Russian oil – said they are set to sharply cut imports, potentially clearing a key hurdle to a U.S.-India trade deal. Why India Wants a Trade Deal With the USA India faces steep 50% tariffs on its exports to the United States – with half of the duties aimed…

USDA recently signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to protect farmers from high and volatile input costs. Andy LaVigne, president and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, joined Agri-Pulse Newsmakers to discuss the announcement and seed costs. Plus, he explained how tariffs are impacting the seed industry and ASTA’s recent acquisition of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s crop biotechnology advocacy portfolio.Plus, Jay Vroom with Vroom Leigh Agriculture and Peter Carstensen with the University of Wisconsin discussed farmers’ concerns about consolidation in the inputs space and the differences between the Trump and Biden administrations’ work on ag industry consolidation.…

As the chief economist for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), Krista Swanson studies ag markets and policy for a living, but she also has skin in the game as an Illinois corn and soybean grower, farming alongside her husband, Brett, and his family. “My strengths or skill set works well for the bookkeeping and financial type of decisions, so that’s where my biggest involvement is on the farm,” she said. “I was a Corn Growers member before I was a staff person, so that definitely helps make me relatable to our growers, and it makes it personal for me.”…

It’s been a contentious week in the cattle sector. From President Donald Trump’s initial comments on purchasing Argentine beef, to strong reactions from numerous industry groups, to continued back and forth as the week progressed, both the administration and policy leaders made their voices heard. Here’s a brief look at how the controversy unfolded over the last several days. Sunday Trump roused the cattle industry on Sunday, Oct. 19, when he told reporters during a flight on Air Force One, “We would buy some beef from Argentina. He added, “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.” …

By Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, and David Lawder WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expected to reach agreements with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in South Korea next week that could range from resumed soybean purchases by Beijing to limits on nuclear weapons. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he planned discuss China’s purchases of Russian oil and how to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its third year. “I think we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, adding he believed that Xi had shifted his thinking on the…