NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — New research from Rabobank says the global pork industry is taking a cautious approach to growth. This year, researchers say producers are refocusing on productivity and cost control.
Production is expected to rise in the first half of the year, led by modest gains in the United States, Europe, China, and Brazil, before slowing in the second half due to herd reductions, especially in China and Spain.
Trade remains volatile amid shifting import policies and disease pressures, including African Swine Fever and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), keeping expansion plans in check.
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Strong demand supports sweet potatoes, but grading challenges and rising costs weigh on returns for Southeastern growers.
Pressure on grain storage capacity and stronger export positioning are pushing more grain onto railroads, highways, and river systems as logistics become a key bottleneck this fall.
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.
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.
