Author: staff

By Jeff Beach FARGO, N.D. – Matt Perdue, government relations director for the North Dakota Farmers Union, on Tuesday told U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that staff cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture have farmers worried they won’t get the help they need in securing federal loans.  “Earlier this year, we had a farm loans webinar. That same webinar last year had 17 attendees. This year, it had 107 and I think that is an indication of the financial stress and uncertainty out there,” Perdue said. “I think it also is an indication of how important FSA [Farm Service…

1. Soybeans Higher in Overnight Trading Soybean futures were higher in overnight trading as investors weigh comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicating the trade war with China is expected to de-escalate.  Bessent said Tuesday that he’s expecting to see “de-escalation” in the ongoing tit-for-tat trade war with China.  The U.S. has imposed a whopping 145% tariff on imported Chinese goods, while China has slapped a 125% rate on U.S. products. Still, Bessent reportedly said in a separate speech that talks with Beijing have yet to begin.  Weighing on futures this morning, however, is a stronger dollar that is…

The majority of seed is sold in bulk rather than bags, and a seed tender is an important tool to make planting more efficient. With tank and box-style carriers, farmers can choose which style fits their operation best.  “Which is more common? The popularity is a direct reflection on each farmer’s seed handling preferences,” said Jacob Mason, Unverferth product support and development manager. “Some farmers prefer to run the seed boxes right to the planter, while others like a larger capacity and go for models with larger tanks. “It also depends on the number of varieties you prefer to plant,”…

By Aaditya Govind Rao April 24 (Reuters) – Japan is considering increasing its soybean imports from the U.S. as part of tariff negotiations, the Nikkei reported on Thursday. Japan, whose soybean imports are handled by the private sector, could ask companies to boost trade with the U.S. amid the latter’s trade war with China, the report said. About half of U.S. soybean exports were shipped to China in 2024, totaling nearly $12.8 billion in trade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, last month China suspended the soybean import licences of three U.S. firms in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Japan’s tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa,…

By Ryan Hanrahan CNN’s David Goldman reported Wednesday that “President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he could re-impose ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on some countries in as soon as two or three weeks, a potentially significant re-escalation of the global trade war that has already raised fears of a U.S. and global recession.” “‘In the end, I think what’s going to happen is, we’re going to have great deals, and by the way, if we don’t have a deal with a company or a country, we’re going to set the tariff,’ Trump said in an Oval Office ceremony,” according to Goldman’s reporting.…

By a vote of 207–69, Illinois wheat producers approved a measure to bring a wheat check-off program to the state. The referendum goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026 and will implement a voluntary wheat check-off program with a 1.5¢-per-bushel assessment. The proposed assessment rate is less than the Kansas voluntary 2¢-per-bushel rate but less than those of Ohio (half of 1% [0.005] of the net market price) and Kentucky (one-fourth of 1% [0.0025] of the gross marketed price). Both Ohio and Kentucky’s assessment rates are voluntary. The referendum result was announced April 17 after the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA)…

Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin announced his retirement on Wednesday, signaling the end to a 44-year career in Congress after 2026. Durbin is the Democratic Whip in the upper chamber of Congress and was first elected to the Senate in 1996. As a senator in a major farm state, Durbin has been a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee since 2018.  While on the Ag Committee, Durbin urged for the passing of a new Farm Bill to replace the current bill passed in 2018 and encouraged Illinois farmers to enroll in conservation programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.  As…

Ahead of 9 a.m. CT, July corn was up 2¢ at $4.86 per bushel. July soybeans were down 2½¢ at $10.59½ per bushel. July wheat contracts were mixed. CBOT wheat was unchanged at $5.44½ per bushel. KC wheat was down 1¼¢ at $5.49½. Minneapolis wheat was up 2¢ at $6.09¾. This morning, USDA announced Mexico is buying 235,000 metric tons of corn — 130,000 for the 2024/2025 marketing year and 105,000 for the 2025/2026 marketing year. June live cattle were down 15¢ at $207.85 per hundredweight (cwt) ahead of 9 a.m. CT. August feeder cattle were up 8¢ at $292.78…

This week, North Dakota’s governor signed HB 1318 — a bill that reaffirms the federal authority in pesticide labeling — into law. The bill passed on Wednesday with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the state and senate. HB 1318 ensures that pesticides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, when labeled in accordance with federal law, also satisfy North Dakota’s state requirements for health and safety warnings. The measure protects companies from excessive litigation when they follow EPA guidelines, reducing legal uncertainty and helping stabilize the agricultural marketplace. “Enacting HB 1318 into law is a resounding win for farmers and…

What Happened in the Market After posting a new high of $4.79 in February led by demand, traders took profits in March ahead of Trump tariff announcements. December corn bottomed out at $4.36 March 31, traded sideways, then rose to $4.70 on wet spring planting.  November beans hit $10.64 in late February, chopped sideways to lower, then tanked to a low of $9.71 April 9 due to an intensified trade war with China.  In the last week, beans rallied back to the top of the range with resistance to nearly $10.40 due to wet weather and increased demand for bean…