The markets are watching the screwworm situation happening in Mexico. Steps have been taken, but R-CALF warns an outbreak would be devastating for the U.S. cattle industry.
CEO Bill Bullard says he has been watching the situation since the beginning. He has been following a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society that followed outbreaks of the screwworm in other areas. He says their findings show that if the right action is not taken, it could quickly get out of hand.
“If the spread is allowed to advance unchecked, it is highly likely to follow the cattle trafficking route through Guatemala’s Maya biosphere reserve and into Mexico. And the article further states that once the screwworm crosses the border, controlling its spread within Mexican territory will be challenging. Past experiences have demonstrated the complexity and cost of eradicating these pest efforts in Mexico and the U.S. in 1991 exceeded 955 million in today’s currency. So what this information tells us is that we have a very serious threat of the introduction of a very serious foreign animal pest that has already spread to Mexico from South America.”
Right now, the U.S. still has an import ban on live cattle coming from Mexico. Economists warn this could cause more volatility moving forward.
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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The changing political climate in America is leading to a drop in migrant crossings near the U.S.-Mexico border, where ranchers like Dr. Mike Vickers say they witnessed horrors from death to child trafficking.
January 30, 2026 11:47 AM
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STRAUSS CEO Henning Strauss joined us with a preview of “Meet Strauss: The Tool You Wear,” premiering live tonight at 7:30 ET — only on RFD Network and RFD+
January 28, 2026 05:01 PM
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USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg joined us with a recap of the Malaysia trade mission and a look at USDA’s broader trade strategy moving forward.
January 28, 2026 01:49 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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