National Ag News for June 27, 2025                                                                              

Global Urea Prices Surge

Prices for urea, a key ingredient in the world’s fertilizer supplies, have surged globally alongside escalating violence in the Middle East. Bloomberg said the violence is interfering with the flow of urea supplies from one of the highest-producing regions in the world. Almost half of the world’s urea exports are sourced from manufacturing facilities located along the Persian Gulf. Iran and Egypt have already lowered production. Josh Linville of StoneX says the world lost its number three and four urea exporters in the world with that reduction. Those two countries were responsible for 20 percent of the global urea trade in 2024. One of the most commonly used nitrogen fertilizers, urea provides one of the vital nutrients that make global food production possible. U.S. Gulf urea spot prices, a global price benchmark, rose approximately 16 percent in the past week. Middle East prices also rallied 11 percent last week. 

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Ethanol Production Down for the Second Straight Week

During the week ending on June 20, U.S. ethanol output fell for a second straight week while inventories rose, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Production declined to an average of 1.081 million barrels a day, which is down from the 1.109 million barrels during the prior week and the lowest total since the seven days ending on May 23. The Midwest, which produces the most ethanol in the country, produced an average of 1.023 million barrels per day, down from 1.052 million barrels during the previous week, the lowest total in just over a month. Gulf Coast production dropped to 26,000 barrels a day from 27,000 the prior week, the agency said. That was the entirety of the losses as East Coast and Rocky Mountain production held steady from the prior week. The West Coast saw the only increase, rising from 8,000 to 10,000 barrels a day. 

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Bee Colony Collapse Due to Resistant Mites

Researchers, scientists, and beekeepers have been looking for answers as to what caused catastrophic honeybee losses earlier this year. Now, new research from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has identified the cause behind the devastating losses. The study’s findings point to alarmingly high levels of viral infections caused by Varroa mites with genes that are resistant to a common treatment as key drivers of the colonies’ collapse. The Honey Bee Health Coalition says all Varroa mites collected from the affected colonies tested positive for a genetic marker linked to resistance to amitraz, the most commonly used miticide in commercial beekeeping. This finding underscores the urgent need for new tools and integrated pest management strategies. Researchers encouraged U.S. beekeepers not to rely on amitraz as their primary mite control method, but to turn to a host of other available chemicals. The mortality-causing viruses were the Deformed Wing Virus and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus.

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Democrats Speak Out Against Possible SNAP Cuts

Senate Democrats, including Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), held a press conference this week on how Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Betrayal” will take food assistance away from millions of Americans. They say SNAP cuts will hurt millions of Americans, including seniors, children, and veterans. The Republican bill will also raise grocery costs and increase hunger, while blowing a hole in state budgets by shifting billions of dollars in SNAP costs onto states. “Congressional Republicans are rushing to raise costs and take food away from millions of Americans,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This bill will harm Americans who count on SNAP to put food on the table and will force governors to choose between funding food assistance or investing in education, public safety, and infrastructure.” She also said this would be a major hit to American farmers. “This reckless legislation will force kids to go hungry,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. 

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Registration Deadline Approaching for the Consider Corn Challenge

The National Corn Growers Association is calling on entrepreneurs, researchers, and startups to reimagine the potential of American field corn in the fifth Consider Corn Challenge. The Challenge will award up to $300,000 to help jump-start the early development of high-value, corn-based products that create long-term demand for U.S. corn growers. The Challenge encourages innovation across industries spanning sustainable chemicals, bioplastics, textiles, fuels, and more to reduce reliance on petroleum-based materials. The goal is to open new markets and elevate corn’s value far beyond its traditional uses in food, feed, and fuel. As manufacturers seek renewable alternatives, corn offers a scalable, homegrown solution that helps contribute to supply chain resiliency, rural economic development, and domestic manufacturing. Many of the new technologies not only replace petroleum-based inputs but also often outperform them. Applications for the Consider Corn Challenge are due on June 30. Go to ncga.com/considercorn(Link is external) for more information. 

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China Signs Agreement with Argentina for Soymeal

Chinese firms have booked the first soymeal cargo from Argentina since Beijing first approved Argentine imports in 2019. Reuters said China’s animal feed industry wants to broaden its supply options to mitigate potential disruptions from the U.S.-China trade war. Four sources told Reuters that several Chinese feed makers have jointly signed the deal to purchase 30,000 metric tons of Argentine soymeal for July shipment. One Singapore-based trader called it a “test case,” and if the soymeal gets through Chinese inspections and quarantine successfully, then expect more deals in the future. The cargo was purchased at $360 per ton on a cost and freight basis and is expected to arrive in September. China is the world’s biggest consumer of protein-rich animal feed raw material but produces most of it by crushing soybeans, mainly imported from Brazil and the U.S. Argentina is the world’s top exporter of soy oil and meal.

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