Agricultural Studies & Research
NCGA Chief Economist Krista Swanson discusses the evolving role of ethanol in the current energy crisis, opportunities for expanding corn discusses the evolving role of ethanol in the current marketdemand, and the industry’s outlook moving forward.
China’s reliance on imported soybeans remains entrenched, shaping global demand and trade leverage.
Tight cattle supplies favor poultry and pork while keeping beef margins under pressure.
Strong corn exports offer support, while soybeans and wheat remain weighed down by ample global supplies, according to the USDA’s latest WASDE report for February.
Higher livestock prices reflect resilient demand, even as disease and herd shifts reshape 2026 supply expectations.
Kevin Charleston of Specialty Risk Insurance discusses the importance of grain bin safety and joint efforts with Nationwide to provide farmers and first responders with access to critical, life-saving rescue tubes.
Bankruptcy filings reflect prolonged margin pressure, rising debt, and limited financial flexibility across farm country. Bigger operating loans are helping farms manage costs, but they also signal growing reliance on borrowed capital.
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey was in Mission, Texas, where state and federal officials addressed growers and producers at a round table event hosted at a citrus grower’s facility. He shows us how welcome news was all around.
A transition from traditional, technology-specific subsidies toward a performance-based, technology-neutral framework
Lower freight costs helped sustain export demand amid a challenging pricing environment.
Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
Income support helps, but farm finances remain tight heading into 2026.
Rebuilding domestic textiles depends on automation and vertical integration, not tariffs or legacy manufacturing models.
Strong supplies and rising stocks point to continued price pressure unless demand accelerates.
Seasonal price patterns can inform soybean marketing timing, particularly when harvest prices appear unusually strong or weak.
Low prices are painful now, but production response could support stronger milk markets later in 2026.
The USDA’s February WASDE report looms as the CME Ag Economy Barometer shows declining farmer confidence, and more ag industry groups calling for swift policy action.
Danny Munch of the American Farm Bureau joined us to discuss USDA’s latest farm income forecast, revisions to prior estimates, and what the updated data means for farmers heading into 2026.
HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy calls on cattle producers to retain breeding cows while Ivomec receives emergency authorization to prevent New World screwworm.
Policies aimed at ground beef prices may primarily reshape dairy incentives rather than deliver lasting consumer savings.
Modest rate relief may come late in 2026, but borrowing costs are likely to stay elevated.
Purdue University Professor of Agricultural Economics Dr. Jim Mintert shares a closer look at farmer sentiment and the key issues shaping the agricultural economy in January.