September 05, 2025

Trade Deal with Japan Set to Boost U.S. Ag Sales

President Trump on Thursday signed an order to implement a trade agreement with Japan that is expected to increase U.S. agricultural sales by $8 billion a year. Over the past five years, Japan has bought on average just under $12.9 billion in annual farm goods from the U.S. In detailing the agreement, the White House cited, “Critically, unlike any other agreement in American history, the Government of Japan has agreed to invest $550 billion in the United States.” Those investments will be chosen by the U.S. government and are expected to “generate hundreds of thousands of United States jobs, expand domestic manufacturing, and secure American prosperity for generations.” Spelling out agricultural trade, the order stated, “Specifically, the government of Japan is working toward an expedited implementation of a 75% increase of United States rice procurements within the minimum access rice scheme and purchases of United States agricultural goods, including corn, soybeans, fertilizer, bioethanol (including for sustainable aviation fuel), as well as other United States products, in amounts totaling $8 billion per year.” 

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California Assembly Votes to Allow E15 Sales

California lawmakers voted Wednesday to allow the sale of a higher-ethanol gasoline blend that could help bring down fuel prices in the largest U.S. auto market. The sale of E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol, would be allowed immediately once the bill is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. California had been the only U.S. state that did not allow sales of the fuel. The move likely will benefit biofuel producers and corn farmers, as it will expand the market for their products to the most populous U.S. state. California’s state Senate passed the bill, AB 30, in a unanimous 39-0 vote. The measure passed the state Assembly in June. California has been grappling with how to rein in skyrocketing pump prices while maintaining its ambitious environmental goals. California consumers cannot wait any longer,’ California Senator Laura Richardson said on the Senate floor while introducing the bill. She pointed to a University of California study that estimated that the fuel’s availability could lower gas prices in the state by 20 cents per gallon.

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Corn and Soybean “Overproduction” is Becoming a Concern

American farmers are good at producing two crops: corn and soybeans. One of the largest crops in history in the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The harvest follows several years of bumper crops for farmers, fueling a glut that is driving down commodity prices. Weaker prices are crimping profits and farmers’ ability to stay afloat. Technological advancements from the world’s largest seed and pesticide companies are expected to increase harvests in the coming years. The current market dynamic is years in the making. American farmers have been encouraged for decades to plant more acres and boost their harvests for a growing global population. The expectation was that new export destinations would emerge, according to industry officials. Finding partners beyond China has been difficult. Shifting trade policies and tariffs have complicated that equation further, leaving more crops in U.S. grain bins and countryside elevators. We need markets fast for this supply, said Kenneth Hartman Jr., an Illinois farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association.

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Tractor Mishap Spills Ag Chemicals into North Dakota River

The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality is advising the public to avoid a 2-mile stretch of the Cannonball River in Hettinger County after a chemical spill Wednesday. The spill, which included 200 gallons of diluted herbicides and approximately 15 gallons of diesel, occurred Wednesday morning when a tractor and sprayer fell into the Cannonball River roughly a mile west of New England in southwest North Dakota.  He got too close to the bank, and the bank gave way. The driver was not injured. said Bill Suess, manager of the Department of Environmental Quality’s spill investigation program. Suess said he does not expect any long-term negative impacts from the spill. Approximately 15 gallons of diesel also spilled, causing a light sheen on the water. We should have that cleared up already today, Suess said Thursday. The river is not a source of drinking water, nor is there any risk of downstream effects.

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Arkansas Farmers Seeking Emergency Aid

Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers are pleading with the federal government to provide emergency funding amid a farm economy crisis. Almost everything that could go wrong for Arkansas farmers went wrong this year. A dismal global market and plunging commodity prices mean there’s little hope of breaking even, even as input costs soar because of inflation and tariffs—on top of bad weather earlier in the year. Inputs costs have gone up, fertilizer has gone up, commodity prices have gotten worse. “After a horrible year last year where most farmers in Arkansas lost money, this year is going to be worse,” said Derek Haigwood, a farmer from Independence and Jackson County.  The “Big, Beautiful Bill” provided a much-needed update to safety net subsidies for farmers, they won’t see those federal dollars until late next year. By then, some have projected that as many as one-fourth—or even one-third—of Arkansas farmers could face bankruptcy or be forced out of business.

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Tar Spot Confirmed in 28 Wisconsin Counties

With harvest approaching, Wisconsin growers are becoming concerned as tar spot continues to spread throughout the state. In the most recent USDA Crop Progress Report, 83% of Wisconsin’s corn crop was rated good/excellent. Of the top 18 corn producing states, the Badger State ranked second. Even though the corn crop is progressing well, tar spot is still spreading across the state. Disease was the big factor in August, said Nick Groth, agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection. He shared that disease pressure seems to be the major concern, as tar spot, along with southern rust and northern corn leaf blight, are showing up in many fields. Heavy pressure from these diseases can be found in certain fields throughout the state. Southern rust is a main concern now, but changing conditions could alter that. Cooler weather this week will slow development of the crop some. It may also slow southern rust development, but other diseases like tar spot may ramp up.

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