NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Global sugar markets are seeing a shake-up, and it is all tied to ethanol production. Market analyst and friend of the show, Shawn Hackett, says Brazil’s shifting use of crops for biofuel production is a significant factor.
“One of the big demand factors in Brazil is ethanol from sugar, and in the last few years, because the price of corn got so undervalued that it’s actually much, much cheaper to produce ethanol out of corn than it is out of sugar,” Hacket said. “And so, all of the corn that they possibly can utilize to make ethanol is being utilized, so demand for corn-based ethanol is going through the roof.”
The dip in corn prices, followed by a rise in demand, is putting sugar in a pinch.
“The sugar processors are now trying to make as much sugar as possible, and they’re reducing that demand for ethanol, and that is significantly changing the equation of how much importable supplies they have to the open market,” Hackett explained. “That’s been really hitting sugar prices pretty hard, and that’s a big structural change that, until corn prices go up, sugar prices could be in an oversupply.”
The Cotton-4 are pushing hard for new value chain investments. Still, many U.S. cotton producers face unsustainable losses, and weakened regional textile capacity threatens the survival of the Carolina “dirt-to-shirt” supply chain.
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Late harvest and tight supplies shape crop progress and agribusiness this week. Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Dec. 1, 2025.
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Tryston Beyrer, Crop Nutrition Lead at The Mosaic Company, examines planning trends as producers weigh corn and soybean plantings for 2026.
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Brooks York with AgriSompo joins us to offer an update on what agents are prioritizing as the calendar year winds down.
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The newly elected Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA), Dale Parker, joins us on-set to share his vision for his state’s cattle industry.
December 01, 2025 02:47 PM
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SDRP Stage 2 now helps producers recover shallow, uninsured losses from major 2023–2024 disasters, with streamlined sign-ups open through April 30.
December 01, 2025 11:16 AM
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Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.
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Strong yields and higher cattle prices helped stabilize conditions, but weak crop prices and rising carryover debt remain major challenges for Eleventh District farmers.
November 25, 2025 02:55 PM
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Corn exports remain strong, while soybeans and wheat shift week to week on river conditions and global demand.
November 25, 2025 02:51 PM
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