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The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Faith Parum reported that “the U.S. agricultural trade deficit is widening in 2025, driven by shifting global trade dynamics and rising import demand. USDA’s May 2025 Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade report provides projections for exports and imports, offering insight into current trade trends.” “From January through April, the U.S. imported $78.2 billion in agricultural products while exporting just $58.5 billion,” Parum reported. “This $19.7 billion deficit is the largest ever recorded for the first four months of a year and signals that the 2025 deficit could surpass previous records.” Courtesy of the American Farm…

DAILY Bites The USDA is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, lifting restrictions on road construction and timber harvest across 59 million acres of national forest land. Officials say the change will improve wildfire prevention and forest health by allowing more local control and proactive management. The move is expected to boost rural economies, especially in states like Utah, Montana, and Alaska, where large portions of forest land were previously restricted. DAILY Discussion U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001…

Half of the nation’s top corn-growing states are reporting corn silking, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report. Overall, 4% of the nation’s crop reached the silking stage during the week that ended June 22, which is just ahead of the five-year average of 3%. Eight of the nine states reporting silking are ahead of their five-year averages, and the one that’s not ahead is on track. Here’s a closer look at corn progress and conditions across the country, including input from farmers and agronomists. Illinois As of June 22, 1% of Illinois’ corn crop had reached the silking…

A new Texas law will require warning labels on food products containing certain ingredients, with enforcement set to begin in 2027. Signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 25 positions Texas as the first state in the nation to require warning labels on foods containing certain artificial colors, additives, and ingredients restricted in other countries. The legislation also introduces broad reforms across the state’s education and healthcare systems, reflecting a coordinated effort to “Make Texas Healthy Again” and advance U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. Starting in 2027, food manufacturers selling in Texas must label…

USDA published the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, June 23. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of Illinois’ more important crops as June comes to a close. Weather Syngenta agronomist Phil Krieg said last week started off cool with rain and thunderstorms. Across his territory, rainfall totals varied widely — a few tenths to more than 3 inches. “We got anywhere from 0.25 inches south of Springfield to 1.75 inches around Canton to Metamora,” Wyffels Hybrids agronomist Ryan Gentle said of his western Illinois territory. “It was perfect timing before the extreme heat we finished…

It takes a lot of work and time to produce food on a farm, but the process after is also fascinating! Your food travels — and sometimes it’s a long way between the farm and the store, while other times it’s a lot closer than you might think. Soon after harvest, all food goes through some sort of processing? The word “processed” gets a bad rap. It tends to have a negative connotation, but in reality, almost everything is processed in some way. For example, milk is pasteurized and homogenized and baby carrots are washed and cut to a smaller…

Law enforcement agencies across Arizona and New Mexico are investigating a wave of politically motivated vandalism and property damage that has swept across multiple counties, impacting ranchlands and other sites on both public and private land. Authorities say the vandalism may have begun over the weekend and are urging residents to stay alert and report suspicious activity. The incidents stretch across a broad region, from Show Low, Arizona, through Greenlee County, and into New Mexico’s Socorro, Sierra, Grant, and Cibola counties. Local sheriff’s offices, including those in Catron County and Sierra County, confirmed the damage spans state and federal lands…

DAILY Bites The United Soybean Board has awarded $500,000 to a multistate research team, led by Michigan State University and including Penn State, to develop rapid diagnostic tools for detecting herbicide-resistant weeds in soybean fields. Penn State researchers aim to reduce diagnostic times from months to minutes, enabling farmers to make real-time weed management decisions within the same growing season. The team will use transcriptome sequencing to uncover both known and unknown genetic mechanisms behind herbicide resistance, helping improve future diagnostics and weed control strategies. DAILY Discussion Herbicide-resistant weeds result in significant economic losses for U.S. soybean growers, according to…

What Happened Soybean futures recently traded at their highest level in eight months. Support came from small declines in weekly crop ratings and, perhaps more importantly, a positive biofuels mandate. It was anticipated the Trump administration might not raise biomass-based diesel volumes to higher levels after failing to raise the mandates earlier in spring. However, increases from the Biden administration’s 3.35 billion gallons in 2025 to 5.56 billion gallons in 2026 and 5.86 billion gallons for 2027 were considered price supportive and a driver for longer-term demand. Why This Is Important World supplies of soybeans are near record-large after Brazil…

As of 8:34 a.m. CT, December corn was down less than a penny at $4.33½ per bushel. November soybeans were down 6¾¢ at $10.40 per bushel. September wheat contracts were also lower. CBOT wheat was down 11½¢ at $5.58 per bushel. KC wheat was down 11¢ at $5.54. Minneapolis wheat was down 6¾¢ at $6.38½. “Corn condition ratings dropped two percentage points this week, which may offer some support,” said Cole Raisbeck, commodities broker at Kluis Commodity Advisors. “However, the overall tone remains bearish heading into Monday’s Acreage report, which could continue to weigh on the market. “Managed money continues…