U.S. ag exports hit a record $196 billion in FY 2022. For FY 2023, however, the latest forecast from USDA in February puts exports at $184.5, down $5.5 billion from the November forecast. Moreover, ag trade is expected to be a deficit of $14.5 billion in FY 2023. Imports are forecast at $199 billion, unchanged from the November forecast. At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing last Thursday, Ranking Minority Member John Boozman (R-Arkansas) noted those forecasts, saying, The headwinds for our producers are great. For only the third time in 55 years we’re expected to have a trade deficit in agriculture and no new trade deals have been signed or are under negotiation.
Two of those years were 2019 during the U.S. China trade...
The corn and soy complex closed higher, with the wheat market mixed, as winter wheat closed up but spring wheat and livestock ended lower. Part of the strength for corn and soybeans may have been a weather premium, as crop planting has started out fast but warm weather has been slow to develop...
Real GDP grew at a 2 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2026, slightly below the consensus expectation of 2.3 percent but above the 0.5 percent growth in Q4 2025. The GDP number matches the average annualized pace of growth since the peak back in late 2007, right before the Financial P...
Reflect for a moment on what you eat. There is a lot of advice out there in the ether about what you should eat, but really, what do you currently eat and how much? The good people at the USDA have some data for you, to help you answer that question. USDA says that we eat quite a bit of meat. L...
