As the season rolls on, agronomists are keeping a close eye on conditions.
While corn has been holding steady for most of the season, soybeans are telling a different story.
So the soybeans, they’re truly a mixed bag, because you may be one guy who planted early May and has a beautiful crop. Being the guy who planted a week later had a hard time getting a stand. It was beat down. Just very, very variable right now,” said Bayer Technical Agronomist Zach Webb.
On the cotton side, the outlook remains tough. Webb says growers have struggled from start to finish.
“The guys who planted late April have got a phenomenal crop right now. It looks beautiful. But May, as you may remember, was very wet, and wet and cotton planting do not go together. So we got off to a rough start with cotton. But we’ve had a lot of heat, which cotton loves. We’ve had ample moisture, and I’m telling folks now cotton is starting to look like cotton again.”
Despite current conditions, Webb says the cotton crop is starting to make a turnaround. USDA’s latest acreage estimates show U.S. growers planted around 10.1 million acres of cotton this year, which is down 10 percent from 2024.
Economists are also closely watching how policy decisions in Washington could influence markets moving forward. Analysts say deferred futures for corn, soybeans, and wheat suggest markets are operating near break-even levels, not at prices that would encourage expanded production.
February 02, 2026 12:13 PM
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Traders say that shift could eventually prompt the USDA to scale back soybean export projections, noting the outlook differs greatly for other grain commodities.
January 30, 2026 01:13 PM
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Often overlooked, cotton wholesalers act as stabilizers during market stress, translating fragmented retail demand into workable production programs for mills and manufacturers.
January 30, 2026 08:00 AM
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Eliza Petry joins the RFD News team with a strong connection to agriculture and a commitment to covering the people and issues that matter most to rural America.
January 29, 2026 01:31 PM
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Corn and soybean exports continue to anchor weekly inspection totals, with China maintaining a visible role, while wheat and sorghum remain more dependent on regional and seasonal demand shifts.
January 27, 2026 03:08 PM
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Without additional support, many soybean operations will continue to face financial stress as they prepare for the 2026 crop.
January 26, 2026 09:41 AM
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