The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced it will defer accrual of interest for all agricultural producers’ spring 2019 crop year insurance premiums to help the wide swath of farmers and ranchers affected by extreme weather in 2019. Specifically, USDA will defer the accrual of interest on spring 2019 crop […]
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that some recently announced tariffs on Chinese imports would be postponed until December. And a report this week indicated that the ongoing trade war continues to be a factor impacting the soybean market. Wall Street Journal writers Josh Zumbrun, Vivian Salama and Alex Leary reported on Tuesday that, “The Trump administration abruptly suspended plans […]
Prospects are that soybean prices will continue to be low over the next several years, leading to a period of lower farm incomes. Even given those prospects, prices could go even lower causing more financial stress to develop. Herein, we present an adverse set of prices that could plausibly occur but are not likely to […]
Today’s update features recent news items that provide background information into the long running U.S., China trade war. Articles highlighting the trade conflict’s impact on agriculture, including ramifications on markets and farmer sentiments, are also included. U.S, China Trade Talks- Background Last week, Los Angeles Times writer Don Lee reported that, “The U.S.-China trade war took a […]
Farmer sentiment improved again in July as the Ag Economy Barometer jumped to a reading of 153, an increase of 27 points compared to June. July was the second month in a row that the barometer rose sharply, leaving the barometer 52 points higher than in May. Although both the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations improved […]
The U.S., China trade war escalated this week as news articles reported that China has halted its purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Background On Thursday, President Trump announced additional tariffs on Chinese imports. And on Friday, Bloomberg writer Ryan Haar reported that, “White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow played down the impact on U.S. consumers of additional tariffs on Chinese […]
Recent news items have highlighted variables associated with the agricultural economy, including: loan repayment rates, debt levels, bankruptcy filings and agricultural production expenses. Today’s update includes a brief recap of some of these articles and reports. A Market Intel update last week from the Farm Bureau stated that, “Following several years of low farm income and rising debt levels, a […]
U.S. and Chinese officials held trade talks on Wednesday in China. News reports noted that increased purchases of U.S. agricultural products were discussed, although no significant breakthroughs were announced at the conclusion of the meeting. Additional talks are scheduled to take place in September. Meanwhile, recent trade data shows that big agricultural purchases by China remain elusive; and […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released payment rates and additional details for the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP). Compared to 2018, the 2019 MFP will pay on more crops and have higher payment rates per acre. Payment limits are higher in 2019. The MFP is designed to aid producers dealing with the price impacts […]
Uncertainty regarding soybean acreage and yield potential will continue to be significant factors in soybean price movements through harvest. Without a severe crop shortfall, higher soybean prices rely on demand prospects over the next year. Soybean crush slowed in the final quarter of the current marketing year. The USDA lowered 2018-19 marketing year crush by […]