USDA’s Foreign Ag Service is back from a trade mission to Peru, looking to open more doors for U.S. farmers.
Ag leaders from Maryland were on hand and said they are excited for opportunities around specialty crops.
“With the GDP growing here, and the quickly increasing middle class, we do see an opportunity for value-added products and consumer-oriented goods. Maryland is historically a rye whiskey-producing state, and a couple of discussions that we’ve had here indicate that there is an opportunity for diversification in that market here,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks.
Montana ag leaders were also on the trip, and they have their eye on Peru’s use of lentils and the opportunities for pulse processing facilities in the country.
Improved coffee output could strengthen the U.S. supply, but input costs and weather risks keep the outlook uncertain.
Estimates for 2026 harvested crops remain early. Corn and sorghum are below their reference prices, while wheat and soybeans are above them.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA has been preparing for a New World screwworm outbreak for more than a year as officials expand sterile fly production and containment efforts in Texas.
Ethanol, sorghum, dairy, and cotton provide additional export support as major commodity trade markets remain uneven.
USMEF says several African markets continue imposing barriers that limit opportunities for American meat exports.
AEM’s Kip Eideberg joins us to discuss tariff policy changes, their potential impact on agricultural equipment costs, and the outlook for the farm machinery sector.
