September 26, 2025
Soybean Producers’ Frustration is Climbing
A recent announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has upset the nation’s soybean farmers. In a post on X, Bessent said the U.S. will offer financial support to Argentina to help prop up its ailing economy. Argentina is a key competitor of American producers in the world soybean market. Almost immediately after the post, a reported 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans were purchased by China after the Argentine government announced it would waive taxes on soybean exports. American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland was not pleased with the developments. “Soybean farmers have been clear for months in saying the administration needs to establish a trade deal with China,” Ragland said. “China is the world’s top soybean customer and our top export market.” The U.S. has made zero sales to China in the new crop marketing year because of a 20 percent retaliatory tariff imposed by China in response to U.S. tariffs.
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China Signals That Buying U.S. Soybeans Hinges on Tariff Removal
A spokesman from the Chinese commerce ministry was asked this week when China might resume buying American soybeans. He said the U.S. should remove what China describes as unreasonable tariffs and create conditions that help expand trade between the two nations. Traders in China have opted to fill their soybean needs in South America. China, the world’s biggest soybean buyer, hasn’t booked any soybeans from the U.S. during America’s harvest. American farmers are in danger of missing out on billions of dollars’ worth of soybean sales because of the unresolved tensions. Reuters said Senior Chinese Trade Negotiator Li Chenggang’s meeting with leaders from the Midwest may signal the world’s second-largest economy might be willing to buy some U.S. soybeans ahead of more wide-ranging talks. Disagreement on technical details might be slowing the negotiations. “U.S. action on the unreasonable tariffs would create possible trade expansion,” said a commerce ministry spokesperson.
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NCGA Joins Effort to Modernize Pesticide Drift Software
The National Corn Growers Association has joined a project to modernize the pesticide drift model software known as AGDISP. The “Agricultural Dispersion” software was developed by the U.S. Forest Service in the 1980s and is used by the EPA to model the movement of spray in the environment after it is released from a sprayer. The modernization project will update and improve AGDISP software. A modernized version will more accurately estimate off-target spray movement for all types of pesticide applications when the EPA conducts ecological, endangered species, and human health risk assessments. It will also allow the drift reduction benefits offered by new application technologies and techniques to be recognized by the EPA. That should result in less restrictive and more flexible application requirements on labels. The AGDISP software will also be available to the public and open source, which means companies developing new application technologies can incorporate it into their research.
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Rollins Proposes Updates to SNAP Retailer Stocking Requirements
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is proposing changes to strengthen the stocking requirements for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These changes would protect the program, participants, and taxpayers by mitigating fraud, waste, and abuse and ensuring additional healthy food options for recipient families. She said retailers participating in SNAP need to sell real food, plain and simple. “Right now, the bar for stocking food as a SNAP retailer is far too low, allowing people to game the system and leaving vulnerable Americans without healthy food options,” Rollins said. “These commonsense changes are designed to minimize benefit tracking and skimming, among other fraudulent activities.” Among other changes, the proposal requires retailers to stock seven varieties of food in each of the four staple categories, including dairy, protein, grain, and fruits and vegetables, which is up from the current requirement of three.
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National FFA Next Gen Conference Held in North Dakota
The National FFA Organization hosted its third Next Gen Conference of the year in Fargo, North Dakota, earlier in September. Next Gen Conferences provide FFA members the opportunity to explore career options within the agriculture industry. The conference brought together 70 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from 21 states to learn more about emerging technologies in the agricultural space through informational sessions, panel discussions, and tours. “Emerging technology is a key element of agricultural education and helps students explore unexpected careers in the industry,” said Ashli Weinrich, a program specialist for National FFA. “We showcased how their learning in school and participation in FFA are actively preparing them for future careers across a variety of interests.” The 70 students selected to participate were chosen from a competitive applicant pool. Students were asked to share about their Supervised Agricultural Experiences and the work-based learning portion of their ag education.
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Lowest U.S. Ethanol Production in Four Months
New data from the Energy Information Administration says American ethanol output dropped to a four-month low while inventories increased. Production fell to an average of 1.024 million barrels a day during the week ending on September 19. The agency said that’s down from the 1.055 million barrels produced during the previous week and is the lowest level since May 9. In the Midwest, which produces the largest amount of ethanol, production fell to an average of 964,000 barrels a day, down from 997,000 barrels a day during the previous week. That’s also the lowest in four months. That was all the declines as production remained steady with the previous week in the Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountain, and West Coast regions. The East Coast was the lone gainer, rising to an average of 13,000 barrels a day from 12,000 a week prior. Ethanol inventories rose to 23.46 million barrels during the week.
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