October 5, 2026
China Buying Helps U.S. Soybean Export Sales Surge
Chinese purchases helped drive a sharp increase in U.S. soybean export sales during the latest reporting week, providing support for producers as the fall harvest moves forward. The Agriculture Department reported net soybean sales of 1.03 million metric tons for the week ending Sept. 24, up 78% from the previous week. China was the largest buyer at 589,400 metric tons, accounting for more than half of weekly sales. Egypt purchased 111,500 tons, while Algeria bought 95,500 tons. Farm Futures reports total U.S. soybean sales commitments for the 2026-27 marketing year have reached 817 million bushels, nearly double the level at the same point last year. Outstanding sales to China totaled 10.76 million metric tons as of Sept. 24. Corn export sales moved in the opposite direction. USDA reported weekly corn sales of 536,000 metric tons, down 36% from the previous week.
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Farm Bill Expiration Halts New CRP Enrollment
New enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program has stopped following the Sept. 30 expiration of the 2018 farm bill, leaving USDA without authority to approve additional contracts. DTN reports Congress’ latest continuing resolution funds the federal government through Dec. 11 but does not extend the farm bill. The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency told offices that Sept. 30 was the deadline for approving CRP contracts. Beginning Oct. 1, county offices can complete certain activities involving contracts approved before the deadline, subject to state office review. The lapse does not mean all farm bill programs immediately stop. Legislation passed in 2025 preserved funding for crop insurance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and many other agricultural programs through 2031. CRP faces a different problem because USDA’s legal authority to enroll new acreage expired. The 2018 farm bill originally expired in 2023 and was subsequently extended three times. Congress could restore CRP enrollment by extending or reauthorizing the program.
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Heavy Rain Slows Harvest Across Parts of Corn Belt
Heavy rain has interrupted corn and soybean harvest activity across portions of the Midwest, but forecasters say a drier weather pattern should soon allow farmers to return to fields. Remnants of Hurricane Polo contributed to heavy rainfall from Kansas and Nebraska through Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Flood warnings and advisories remained in effect Friday in several areas, according to the National Weather Service. Farther east, rainfall is slowing fieldwork in Indiana and Ohio. Agriculture.com reports nearly 40% of Ohio fields already had surplus soil moisture as harvest began, leaving some areas vulnerable to additional delays. Indiana averaged only one day suitable for fieldwork during the previous week, while Ohio recorded 2.6 days, according to USDA data cited by Agriculture.com. Conditions are expected to improve. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Pugh said a drier pattern should become established across most of the Corn Belt by October 5. The October 5-11 outlook favors below-normal precipitation in Indiana and Ohio.
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Soybean Crushing, Corn Ethanol Use Increase
U.S. soybean processing and corn use for alcohol production increased in August compared with a year earlier, providing stronger domestic demand for two of the nation’s largest crops. The Agriculture Department reported Thursday that processors crushed about 210 million bushels of soybeans for oil during August, up from 198 million bushels in August 2025. The crush produced about 2.45 billion pounds of soybean oil, a 4% year-over-year increase. USDA also reported 528 million bushels of corn were used to produce alcohol during August, up 4% from the same month last year. Of that amount, about 478 million bushels went into fuel ethanol production. About 92% of the corn used for fuel alcohol was processed through dry-milling facilities. Dried distillers grains production totaled 1.85 million tons, down 2% from August 2025. Wet distillers grains production increased 5% to 1.28 million tons. USDA released its monthly Fats and Oils and Grain Crushings reports Thursday.
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U.S. Ethanol Production Drops to Eight-Month Low
U.S. ethanol production fell to its lowest level since January as plants reduced output during seasonal maintenance. The Energy Information Administration reported production averaged 1.007 million barrels per day during the week ending Sept. 25. That was down 21,000 barrels per day from the previous week but 12,000 barrels per day higher than the same period last year. Midwest production, which accounts for most U.S. ethanol output, averaged 948,000 barrels per day, down 14,000 from the previous week. Ethanol inventories also declined sharply. Nationwide stocks fell by 818,000 barrels to 23.865 million barrels, the lowest level since the beginning of the year. Despite lower production, ethanol blending demand increased to 914,000 barrels per day, up 7,000 from the previous week. Exports also strengthened. Ethanol Producer Magazine, citing EIA data, reported exports averaged 142,000 barrels per day, up 16% for the week. No ethanol imports were reported.
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Federal Judge Rejects Colorado Land Claim, Protects Public Grazing Access
A federal judge has rejected a group’s attempt to claim more than 1,400 acres of the San Juan National Forest, preserving federal control of land used for grazing and other public purposes. Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico ruled that the Free Land Holder Committee and representatives Patrick Pipkin and Bryan Hammon have no ownership claim to the land near Mancos in southwestern Colorado. The ruling prohibits the group from rebuilding fences or blocking public access, according to the Denver Post. The dispute began in 2024 when the group posted notices asserting ownership and erected about 4.5 miles of barbed-wire fence around approximately 1,460 acres near Chicken Creek. The decision is significant for agriculture because National Forest lands across the West provide grazing opportunities for livestock producers operating under federal permits. Maintaining federal ownership and access preserves the established system under which ranchers can use authorized public lands for livestock grazing.
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