NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — While the ongoing government shutdown has furloughed nearly half of the staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and paused the release of weekly harvest progress numbers, farmers across the country continue making strides in the fields.
Lewis Williamson, with HTS Commodities, joined us on Tuesday’s Market Day Report to share insight on what he is hearing from producers during harvest and how the shutdown could ripple through the ag sector.
In his interview with RFD-TV News, Williamson discussed the progress farmers are reporting despite the lack of official data, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the Trump Administration’s expected relief package aimed at supporting soybean growers still grappling with China’s absence from the market.
He also provided an update on Mississippi River levels and the potential implications for grain movement during this critical harvest window.
Iowa land values dropped 3% year-over-year. Sen. Chuck Grassley said this discomforting pattern is a harbinger of crisis for farmers, as seen in the 1980s.
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Jed Bower, the incoming president of the National Corn Growers Association, joined us for his sector’s perspective on the ongoing government shutdown.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week said an announcement would be made on Tuesday. However, that self-imposed deadline has now passed.
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George Baird, with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), joins us with updates on how this year’s rice harvest is shaping up.
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RFD-TV Farm Legal and Tax Expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law dives into a “potpourri” of ag tax and law-related issues in his latest
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Dr. Todd Davis, Chief Economist with the Indiana Farm Bureau, shares a snapshot of his state’s harvest conditions and insights from producers.
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Market analyst Kevin Huddleston said news of trade deals could rebound cotton prices in late fall, and producers need to be ready to strike deals.
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