Through language in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an increase in base acreage addition and allocation is set to be underway. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Richard Fordyce explains how the USDA works to determine additional base acreage for farm safety net programs. “30 million additional base acres will be allocated across the country, and right now, …
Grain Trade Seeing Lower Lows At Harvest
Bottom Line grain analysts wonder if the grain trade is getting a little ahead of itself here in early June. Corn, soybean, wheat futures all seeing lower lows on a regular basis. Wheat in fact is lower 10 sessions in a row, even with conditions here at harvest the lowest in 37 years. Harvest pressure is here, combines rolling in …
USDA Looks into Increased Fertilizer Prices
The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that they are formally launching a sweeping investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentrations. They are marking the first significant federal scrutiny of the fertilizer industry in years and giving farmers hope that the long-running concerns over soaring input costs and limited competition may finally face some legal examination. Speaking before farmers this …
Southeastern States Continue To Watch Trade Discussions Between the U.S. and China
Trade discussions between the U.S. and China may have significant impacts to agriculture. Agricultural markets across the Southeast are continuing to react to last week’s summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where trade and agricultural purchases were major topics of discussion. Following the meetings in Beijing, reports indicated China may expand purchases of U.S. agricultural products as …
Mortgage Rates Are Rising
Mortgage rates continue to push higher, reaching a nine-month high as we look to June. Mortgage Bankers Association says average 30-year mortgage rates rose to 6.65% this past week. That is a nine-month high. Rates had been trending lower since about this time last year, bottoming out at around 6% in late February, but rising every week since. The Bankers …
Optimism in Corn Futures
Bottom Line grain analysts suggest keeping an eye on corn futures, a rally back above $5 from just two weeks ago. December corn reached a 52-week high, $5.06 and a half on May 13th, and quickly backed off toward the $4.80 level, good planning progress, favorable weather in most major areas, and continued uncertainty on any resolution with Iran. Bottom Line analysts say those …
SBA Doubles Some Loan Limits to $10 Million Beginning July 4th
Administrator Kelly Loeffler of the U.S. Small Business Administration has announced a new rule that would allow eligible borrowers the ability to combine their 7(a) and 504 loans for up to $10 million in SBA-backed financing. The new rule would increase the cumulative loan limit from $5 million to $10 million, expanding the available capital for small businesses. SBA Administrator …
USMEF Releases Study of Red Meat Exports Increases Domestic Feed Demand
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) released a study highlighting how red meat exports provided increased value to corn and soybean producers in 2025. According to USMEF, “Nationally, U.S. beef and pork exports accounted for $2.18 billion in market value to corn producers in 2025, $375 million to distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and $1 billion to soybean producers, …
Milk and Dairy Product Futures Spurred By Demand
Butter and non-fat dry milk prices started the year in a deep slump, resulting in milk checks that didn’t even cover costs. According to dairy economists at CoBank, June Class IV milk futures have climbed nearly $7 per hundred since New Year’s, trading over $22, they say, an unprecedented move in just five months. Further, analysts at CoBank point to two very different reasons. …
EPA Cuts Refrigerant Rules Aimed At Lowering Food Costs
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin announced two actions that are expected to save American families and businesses over $2.4 billion. A final rule revising the 2023 Technology Transitions rule and a proposed technical fix to the 2024 Emission Reduction and Reclamation, focus on addressing the costly overreaching restrictions which limit the refrigerant options American businesses and families are allowed …










