Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Economy”
USDA Launches $16 Billion in SDRP Disaster Assistance Following Government Reopening The Trump administration has officially begun rolling out long-awaited disaster assistance for America’s farmers and ranchers now that the government has reopened. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is moving forward with the distribution of $16 billion in SDRP assistance, which includes support through both the Emergency Commodity Assistance …
USDA: Cotton Harvest Progress Near Average by Mid-November As the 2025 cotton crop harvest moves into its later stages, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey reports that national progress remains close to normal for mid-November, with only a few regional slowdowns. His latest update shows that growers across the country are making steady progress despite pockets of delays. Rippey explains, “The cotton …
USDA Releases 2025 Peanut Crop Estimates: Record Year Ahead for the Southeast Despite recent disruptions in Washington, the USDA Ag Statistics Service has released its 2025 peanut crop estimate, offering an early look at expected acreage, yields, and total production across key Southeastern states. Based on interviews with farmers and verified FSA acreage reports, the numbers point to a strong …
Likelihood of Federal Reserve December Rate Cut Falls Below 50% The probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut at the December meeting has fallen sharply over the past month, according to CME FedWatch data. Diverging Opinions Among Fed Board Members Despite the overall decline in market expectations, there is not unanimous agreement within the Federal Reserve. A few board …
Early Farmers and the Realities of Supply and Demand In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how early American farmers and ranchers quickly learned a fundamental economic principle: the law of supply and demand. These producers discovered that market forces could just as easily boost their prosperity as threaten it, depending on how supply aligned with global demand. …
USDA Reports Record-High Peanut Production Expected for 2025 USDA has released new numbers following the government shutdown, and the latest data show that the U.S. peanut industry is heading toward a record-breaking harvest. According to updated projections, the country “will now have three million seven hundred and thirty five thousand five hundred and fifty tons.” This represents an increase of …
USDA Officials Praise Mexico’s Screwworm Prevention Efforts During Chiapas Visit During the recent trade mission that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins led to Mexico, USDA officials had the opportunity to visit one of the New World Screwworm Detection Sites. The visit offered important insight into how Mexican authorities are working to prevent the reintroduction of the pest into North …
Arlan Suderman: Recent U.S.–China Deal Was “More of a De-Escalation Than an Agreement” Arlan Suderman with Stonex recently wrote a commentary that has sparked discussion throughout agricultural and financial markets. His analysis raises doubts about the strength of the trade agreement announced between the United States and China in late October. According to Suderman, the event was not a breakthrough …
Understanding This Year’s USDA Peanut PLC Program Payments Peanut farmers across the Southeast continue to navigate fluctuating markets, and one tool available to support them is the USDA’s Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. Many growers may qualify for a payment this year based on how the market price of peanuts compared to the USDA reference price. As explained, “The peanut …
Global Stock Markets Hit Record Advances in 2025 The U.S. stock market isn’t the only stock exchange worldwide showing record advances. “Wall Street has been setting records seemingly every week.” This surge has captured global attention, but it’s part of a broader trend—major markets worldwide are experiencing strong, synchronized growth. Year-to-date, “the Dow is up over 10 percent, S&P 500 …
