July 24, 2026 

USB Announces Courtney Knupp as Incoming CEO

Courtney Knupp, director of global supply chain at the National Security Council and a former U.S. Soybean Export Council leader, will serve as the United Soybean Board’s CEO starting Oct. 1. “Courtney is the right leader at the right time to advance the work of the Soy Checkoff℠ and our vision of delivering sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day,” says USB Chair Brent Gatton. Knupp brings nearly two decades of experience spanning agriculture, international trade, public policy, and market development. “The checkoff exists to deliver value back to the farm gate, and that mission is personal to me,” Knupp says. “I grew up on our family farm in Iowa, where we still grow soybeans, and it is an honor to work alongside USB’s farmer-leaders, staff and partners to position U.S. Soy for success in a competitive global marketplace.” Knupp will relocate to the USB headquarters in Chesterfield, Missouri.

***********************************************************************************

$35 Million Available to Eradicate Feral Swine

USDA is making available $35 million for partnerships to respond to the threat feral swine pose to American agriculture, landscapes and human and livestock health. This partnership opportunity is part of a broader $105 million investment, where the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are working together to target feral swine. “These invasive species cause more than $3.4 billion in damage each year, including damage to agricultural landscapes,” says NRCS Chief Colton Buckley. “Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, NRCS is able to expand this effort, giving producers and partners more resources to protect working lands and strengthen the long-term resilience of agricultural operations.” Partners are invited to apply for feral swine eradication and control projects in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. 

***********************************************************************************

NSP Voices Concern on Proposed CME Sorghum Futures Contract

National Sorghum Producers Chair Amy France, a Kansas farmer, says significant questions remain around CME Group’s announcement of a proposed sorghum futures contract. If approved and widely adopted, the contract could reshape how grain sorghum is priced and traded in the U.S. If successful, it would be a new tool for managing price risk while improving transparency and price discovery in the sorghum market. France notes, however, that growers provided recommendations for more appropriate delivery points and other safeguards to support contract liquidity. Still, those recommendations are not reflected in the proposed CME product, which relies on a wheat-market model. “As implementation moves forward, we will continue advocating for improvements, seeking answers to outstanding questions and ensuring producers have the information they need to understand the product and its potential impact,” France says.

***********************************************************************************

 USDA Moves Forward with Mandatory Relocation Despite Pushback

The USDA Rural Development Mission Area intends to move nearly 3,000 members of its workforce out of the Washington, DC area, according to a report from Meatingplace. The relocation aims to modernize operations, increase accountability, and ensure federal resources are positioned where they can deliver the greatest impact. NOTUS reports that employees throughout the department overwhelmingly did not plan to move to new offices across the country – 80% say they would rather quit than move. This month, employee unions and nonprofits asked a federal judge to halt the USDA’s plans, warning a reduction at this scale will hamper wildfire response, slow federal dollars from getting out the door, and damage research. Politico reports that USDA rejected the idea that the reorganization would be detrimental to research.  

***********************************************************************************
Vietnam is the Target for an Upcoming Trade Mission

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is accepting applications for its Agribusiness Trade Mission to Vietnam, Nov. 9-12. This mission to Ho Chi Minh City will directly connect American producers with buyers in one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia. USDA is accepting applications through July 31. Vietnam is the seventh-largest export market for U.S. agriculture – valued at $5.6 billion in 2025 – making the U.S. Vietnam’s second-largest supplier of agricultural goods. With a population of more than 100 million, Vietnam is also Southeast Asia’s third-most-populous country. With Vietnam’s booming food processing, hospitality, and retail sectors, specific products are of interest, including fresh fruit, dairy, poultry, feed, cotton, ethanol, and forestry products. Younger Vietnamese consumers are also putting greater emphasis on health and wellness, opening the door for health and wellness brands, organic producers, and premium snack manufacturers.

***********************************************************************************
The Search is on for AI Solutions to Accelerate Crop Innovation

USDA is calling on universities and stakeholders to help build new artificial intelligence tools that can translate the huge amount of germplasm data the agency collects. Through the Genesis Mission and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, USDA is expected to launch an Agricultural National Science & Technology Challenge later this year. The Challenge will ask innovators to create practical solutions that pull together different types of information – images, field data, and lab results – so scientists can quickly spot important plant and seed traits and develop crops that are more resilient and productive. “When our partners help us to solve agricultural challenges by using AI tools, we’ll unlock faster discoveries with germplasm data and grow better crops that strengthen our food system for many future generations,” says USDA Chief Scientist Dr. Scott Hutchins. The Genesis Mission launched in 2025. It’s an effort coordinated by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to leverage AI to accelerate scientific discovery.

***********************************************************************************