December 02, 2025
Rollins: Farm Aid Expected within Weeks
The Trump administration anticipates it will be ready to announce an aid package for American farmers within two-and-a-half weeks, as well as a deal on Chinese soybean purchases. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins made the announcement this week but didn’t provide further details. Reuters reported that the administration has said for months it would issue assistance for U.S. farmers ravaged by low crop prices and trade disputes. “We’ll have an announcement probably in the next week or two on what that’s going to look like,” Rollins told CNBC. But AgWeb’s Monthly Monitor found a divided view on the benefits of trade aid. Economists responding to the Monitor agreed on two things. One is that U.S. agriculture has become too reliant on ad-hoc payments. They say repeated aid packages distort land values, cash rents, equipment purchases, and overall decision-making. Number two is that they all agree that aid payments will keep fertilizer prices high.
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The Impact of Tyson’s Beef Plant Closure
Tyson Foods recently announced the shutdown of its beef processing plant in Lexington, Nebraska. The news followed months of losses in its beef division, driven largely by the smallest U.S. cattle herd in decades. Dr. Derrell Peel, a livestock market economist with Oklahoma State University, told the Radio Oklahoma Network that the move wasn’t entirely unexpected. With an additional slowdown at Tyson’s plant in Amarillo, Texas, Peel said the combination represents a seven to eight thousand head per day loss of packing capacity, which is about 7.5 to nine percent of total U.S. packing capacity. The southern plains region is also especially tight due to drought-related issues and the impact of the New World Screwworm, which has restricted the flow of Mexican feeder cattle into the U.S. Peel did say that Tyson heavily invested in updating the Amarillo facility, which means the company likely won’t abandon the beef plant long-term.
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Accumulated Exports of Corn and Wheat Rise Annually
The USDA has begun catching up after the government shutdown, releasing the latest available sales data showing exports of corn and wheat as of October 16 were well above year-earlier levels. However, soybean sales, as expected, have plunged compared to last year. Accumulated exports of corn from the start of the marketing year were reported at 10.684 million metric tons, a 58 percent year-over-year increase. Wheat sales from June I through October 16 totaled 11.355 million metric tons, up 23 percent from the same period a year earlier. USDA said soybean sales from September 1 through mid-October came in at 6.726 million metric tons, down 32 percent on an annual basis. Overseas buyer commitments to purchase corn stand at 35.366 million tons, up 37 percent year-over-year. Commitments to buy U.S. wheat from June 1 through mid-October stand at 16.4 million tons, up 22 percent. Soybean commitments are down 38 percent year-over-year.
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Deere Outlook Suggests No Farm Economy 2026 Uptick
Deere and Company’s weak forecast for the year ahead reinforces the difficulty in predicting a level of recovery in the U.S. farm economy. Bloomberg said that’s because uncertainty continues around the impact of tariffs and trade deals. “Shares of the world’s biggest farm machinery maker fell as much as 5.7 percent in New York as the company’s first profit outlook for 2026 fell short of expectations,” Bloomberg said. “The forecast emphasizes how the U.S. agriculture sector remains uncertain even after a U.S. trade agreement with China saw the Asian nation begin buying U.S. commodities again.” Deere also said its net income in fiscal year 2026 would be between $4 billion and $4.75 billion, missing the average Bloomberg estimate of $5.31 billion. It’s also a drop from the $5.027 billion in income reported for the year that just ended. Deere CEO John May believes 2026 will mark the bottom of the ag cycle.
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New Bee Strategy Protects Pollinators and the U.S. Honey Market
Four major North American beekeeping organizations released the first-ever North American Bee Strategy. It’s a coordinated, continent-wide plan to protect honeybees, strengthen the viability of professional beekeeping, and safeguard food security across the U.S. and Canada. The strategy lays out four priorities, including improving monitoring, treatment, and research on pest diseases. It also strengthens honey authenticity standards and enforcement to curb fraudulent imports. “The strategy was built by beekeepers and for beekeepers,” said Matt Mulica of the Honeybee Health Coalition. The four organizations include the American Beekeeping Federation, the American Honey Producers Association, the Canadian Beekeepers Federation, and the Canadian Honey Council. Other priorities include supporting applied research, shared research infrastructure, and streamlined scientific collaboration. The goal is to build a more unified and sustainable honey market across national borders. “This strategy will secure the future of beekeeping,” said Dr. Peter Awram of the Canadian Beekeepers Federation.
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Good News For Nevada Meat Producers
USDA announced that Nevada has met the agency’s rigorous “at least equal to” food safety standard and will be joining the State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program. Nevada’s participation expands local inspection capacity, food safety oversight, and boosts market access for small and very small producers. “The Nevada State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program will significantly expand our local meat processing capacity, strengthen the supply chain, bolster Nevada’s agriculture economy, and ensure greater access to locally-produced food,” said Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. “This initiative was a priority in my first term, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of the program and enjoying our Nevada-raised meat products.” Nevada becomes the 30th state with an approved MPI program, which supports more than 1,500 small processors nationwide with the benefit of state inspection. The Food Safety and Inspection Service will work with stakeholders to ensure a smooth program implementation.
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