civil war

Post–Civil War Wheat Crash: How Farmers Turned to Corn and Livestock

The Civil War’s Wheat Boom During the Civil War, wheat became one of the most valuable crops in the United States. With soldiers and civilians alike needing bread and other staples, demand soared—and so did prices. Farmers across the Midwest and East quickly responded, planting more wheat than ever before. Fields that once held diverse crops were converted to wheat …

soybean

Soybean purchases by China Announced By Treasury Secretary

Over the weekend, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that China will be resuming their purchases of U.S. soybeans in an interview on CBS’s Face The Nation, saying “the soybean farmers will be extremely happy with this deal for this year and the coming years.” He also shared that, “The three leading suppliers are Brazil, Argentina and the United States, …

peanut production

Peanut Farmers Continue To See Higher Input Costs

Peanut Farmers Regain Loan Access as Harvest Progresses but Prices Lag Last week was a significant one for U.S. peanut farmers, who finally regained access to their farm loan programs after weeks of disruption caused by the government shutdown. These loans are essential for farmers to secure financing for storage and operations. With access restored, peanut producers are filling up …

Trade discussions between the US 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 US agricultural products as part of broader efforts to stabilize trade relations after last year's tariff escalation disrupted export markets and commodity prices. That is especially important for Southeastern agriculture because commodities like cotton, peanuts, poultry, soybeans, and timber products all depend heavily on international demand and export movement. Market analysts say cotton producers in Georgia and Alabama are watching particularly closely since export sales remain one of the biggest drivers of cotton prices. Peanut growers are also monitoring negotiations because trade stability can influence global commodity movement and overall market confidence heading into harvest planning later this year. While no major new tariff rollbacks have been formally announced yet, agricultural groups are looking for signs that China could increase long-term purchasing commitments for American farm products in the coming months. Growers across the Southeast remain cautious, however, because many trade uncertainties that impacted commodity prices over the past two years remain unresolved. /audio Audio Reporting by Josh McGill for Southeast AgNet.

Rate Cut and China Trade Talks This Week

FedWatch Week and U.S.-China Trade Talks: Markets Brace for Rate Cut and Tough Negotiations This week marks a pivotal moment for both Wall Street and U.S. agriculture as FedWatch Week and U.S.-China Trade Talks overlap. Investors, traders, and policy analysts have been anticipating this period since the Federal Reserve Board meeting on September 16–17, and with no meeting scheduled for …

justice

Justice Department and USDA Announce MOU to Protect Competition in Ag Markets

The US Department of Justice and the US Department of Agriculture have announced a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their partnership in an effort to protect competition in agricultural markets. The markets that they are targeting through this MOU includes feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment and other essential goods. Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust …

Markets

Ag Stocks in the Red Rebounding

Ag Stocks Show Strong Gains and Late-Year Rebound Across the Board As 2025 moves into its final quarter, AgriMarketing Magazine has released its latest listing of major agricultural company stock performance, revealing notable gains and key rebounds across several industry sectors. “We reviewed some of the major ag companies and their performance on the big board year-to-date. AgriMarketing Magazine posts …

base acre

USDA FSA Operations Resumes Despite Government Shutdown

USDA Resumes Farm Service Agency Operations Amid Government Shutdown While the government shutdown continues to affect many areas of the federal government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the resumption of core operations at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) — a move welcomed by producers and commodity groups alike. The shutdown had forced the closure of many federal …

review

Ag Stock Values Up

Ag Stocks See Strong Gains in 2025; Livestock Companies Lead the Way According to Agri-Marketing Magazine, most major agricultural stocks have performed well in 2025, showing solid growth through mid-October. Tracking ag-related companies traded on the big board, the magazine notes that livestock-related stocks are clearly outperforming grain and equipment manufacturers so far this year. “It should be no surprise …

Supplemental Disaster Relief Program

Agricultural Groups Ask Trump Market Access and Bridge Funds

Agricultural Organizations Urge President Trump for Immediate Farmer Support A coalition of agricultural organizations has sent a formal letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to take action to support American farmers amid worsening economic conditions in the sector. “We need help. We encourage you to continue using your considerable international leverage to secure new export markets, access for Georgia …

market

Bull Market Continues For Fourth Year

Bull Market Enters Year Four as S&P 500 Stays Strong It was October, three years ago, the bull market began on Wall Street, and it continues into year four, it appears. Back then, the S&P 500 hovered near the $3,500 mark. Now, after years of strong economic resilience and investor confidence, the market shows little sign of slowing down. October …