Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture
Business Recorder
19 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Ample supply pushes soybeans below $10 a bushel
CANBERRA: Chicago soybean futures fell on Monday below $10 a bushel for the first time in three months, as favourable weather bolstered expectations for a large U.S. harvest and a rise in inventories. Corn and wheat futures edged lower, with global markets rattled by U.S. President Donald Trump ramping up tariff threats. The most active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell to $9.98-1/4 a bushel, its lowest since April 9, in early trading. However, it had recovered to $10.07-3/4 by 0336 GMT, up 0.1%. CBOT corn lost 0.2% to $4.11-1/4 a bushel and wheat eased 0.1% to $5.44-3/4 a bushel. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected U.S. ending stocks for 2025-26 at 310 million bushels, up from its previous estimate of 295 million bushels and above analysts' expectation of 302 million bushels. The USDA trimmed the outlook for U.S. soybean production to 4.335 billion bushels from 4.340 billion bushels, but traders believe yields will rise if weather conditions remain favourable. China June soybean imports hit record high on strong Brazil shipments A large U.S. harvest would follow a bumper crop in rival exporter Brazil. 'The South American harvest is coming to market and there don't seem to be any significant issues in the U.S. with their crop,' said Dennis Voznesenski, an analyst at Commonwealth Bank in Sydney. 'Soybean stocks around the world are heading to record levels globally and right now there don't seem to be any issues on the horizon.' Consultants Safras & Mercado predicted Brazil would plant a larger area with soybeans in September, leading to record production in the 2025-26 season. The increased use of soyoil to make biofuel is supporting soybeans. The USDA said fuel makers would consume more than half of all soybean oil produced in the United States next year as federal policy transforms the sector. However, speculators are betting CBOT soybean prices will fall.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Do you believe that deported farmworkers will be replaced by Medicaid recipients?
You know, it's not just the large language models of AI that are hallucinating. The Trump administration is promoting the idea that if it deports all the undocumented farmworkers who plant and pick our crops, the labor gaps will be filled by able-bodied adults currently sitting around the house playing video games and mooching off taxpayers for their publicly funded healthcare. This is absurdity masquerading as arithmetic. The other day, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that, contrary to Trump's own recent statements, the administration is not planning to back off mass deportations of agricultural workers. 'The mass deportations continue, but in a strategic way, and we move the workforce towards automation and 100 percent American participation,' she said during an event at U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters. 'With 34 million people, able-bodied adults on Medicaid, we should be able to do that fairly quickly.' That figure is grossly misleading, and a thinly veiled effort to vilify Medicaid — Medi-Cal in California — recipients as idle, which, overwhelmingly, they are not. The number of able-bodied Americans on Medicaid who might be able to pick our lettuce and apricots or who might be able to harvest our watermelons and strawberries is closer to 5 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But whether the number is 34 million or 5 million, it's a fantasy to believe that Americans will do the jobs currently filled by migrant farmworkers. 'Not gonna happen,' said Manuel Cunha, head of the Nisei Farmers League, a grower support organization founded 54 years ago in response to the United Farm Workers labor movement. In the 1990s, Cunha was involved in a disastrous attempt to get adults off welfare and into the California farming workforce. Growers coordinated with the state's Employment Development Department, arrangements were made for child care and transportation. And yet, as Cunha told the U.S. Senate's immigration subcommittee in 1999, only three people showed up to work in the fields. 'There was no interest on the part of welfare individuals to work in agriculture.' And there is no reason to think that would be any different today. Farm work requires skill and physical tenacity that comes from years of experience. You don't just plop someone into a peach orchard and tell them to go prune a tree. Or let them loose on a strawberry field and expect them to come back the next day. In 2013, my colleague Hector Becerra decided to experience farm labor for himself, and arranged to spend a day picking strawberries in Santa Maria. The experience sounded, frankly, hellish. He worked alongside three dozen Mexican migrants 'bent at an almost 90-degree angle, using two hands to pack strawberries into plastic containers that they pushed along on ungainly one-wheeled carts.' He could not keep up with the other pickers, and by lunchtime, Hector wrote, he was sore and exhausted. He lasted little more than seven hours, and then 'surrendered.' Many of California's thousands of migrant farmworkers have been here for decades. They cannot easily be replaced. 'They are skilled laborers and their families are part of our small rural communities,' Cunha told me. 'My farmers deserve a workforce that can do the job. Provide them with a work authorization card.' It was only a few years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cunha recalled, that the country heaped praise on farmworkers. 'Everybody said they were the most essential front-line workers. Every worker put their life on the line to feed the world, and today we can't give them a little piece of paper to be here legally?' Rollins' claim that growers are moving 'toward automation' is as preposterous as assuming native-born Americans will take to the fields. 'As far as automation,' a San Joaquin Valley grower told me, 'there is no automation.' He did not want me to use his name because he's afraid of calling attention to his fields, where workers are currently harvesting. 'If I could replace those 20 people with machines,' he said, 'I would.' But melons, strawberries and tree fruit are delicate. ('If you look at an apricot the wrong way, it will turn brown,' Cunha joked.) Farmers can use machines to harvest produce like tomatoes that are destined for a cannery, for example. But when it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables, the grower told me, 'The American consumer wants perfect fruit and there is no machine that can harvest like human hands can.' We are at this pathetic moment because President Trump's brand of authoritarianism is incompatible with good faith efforts to find a workable solution to our dysfunctional immigration system. When it comes to agriculture, hospitality and construction, we need immigrant workers, most of whom are from Mexico. Our economy cannot function without them. In my view, the raids happening at California farms and Home Depot parking lots are a form of state-sponsored terrorism, aimed at instilling fear and panic in hard-working communities. They have no bearing on Trump's campaign promise to deport violent criminals. In May, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San José), offered a new version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a comprehensive immigration and labor bill that would offer a path to legalization for some farmworkers, reform and expand the current H-2A guest worker program, allocate funds to improve farmworker housing and require employers to use E-verify for all workers. Similar bills were passed by the House in 2019 and 2021 but died in the Senate at the hands of hard-line immigration critics. This time, Lofgren has said that the Senate will have to take it up first, as her fellow Californian, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove), who chairs the House's Immigration Subcommittee, does not support it. Don't hold your breath. In Trump's world, there is no appetite for real immigration solutions. As many have noted, the president and his supporters are reveling in the violent theater of it all — the images of masked, armed men terrorizing people in the streets and fields. They see no downside to the cruelty. Maybe they will reconsider when crops rot in the fields, hotel rooms stay dirty and construction sites are stilled. One day, the bill for this folly will come due. Bluesky: @rabcarianThreads: @rabcarian
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Millions of flies to rain from US planes? Here's why Washington may make this wild move
The United States has temporarily closed its southern border to livestock imports as it battles a growing threat, the New World screwworm fly , a flesh-eating parasite that has moved further north in Mexico than expected. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the parasite poses a serious danger to the country's cattle industry. Female screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Unlike most fly larvae, their maggots feed on live flesh, which can lead to severe injuries or death in livestock. Why is the US worried? The USDA fears that if the parasite reaches Texas, it could cause massive economic damage, similar to what happened decades ago. The fly was largely wiped out in the 1970s through a special program where sterile male flies were bred and released. When these sterile flies mated with females, their eggs failed to hatch, reducing the population over time. The pest had been contained to Panama for years until it was found in southern Mexico late last year. Most recently, a new infestation was found about 370 miles (595 kilometres) from the Texas border, much further north than previously recorded. What is the US doing about it? On Wednesday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. would again tighten its border to prevent the pest from entering. "Thanks to aggressive monitoring, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest," Rollins said in a statement. Live Events The U.S. is planning to spend nearly $30 million to build new facilities for breeding and releasing sterile flies. The plan includes a new fly factory in southern Mexico, set to open by July 2026, and a holding site in southern Texas to store sterile flies from Panama for rapid deployment if needed. How is Mexico responding? Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticised the border closure, calling it 'totally exaggerated.' She said Mexico is following all the right protocols and is working hard to control the situation. Mexican authorities said there were 392 infected animals as of this week, a drop of nearly 19% since June 24. They believe the issue is under control. U.S. lawmakers are also urging quicker action. On Thursday, Reps. Tony Gonzalez of Texas and Kat Cammack of Florida asked the Trump administration to approve existing anti-parasite treatments for livestock, saying current labelling rules are slowing down the response. If the fly population continues to grow, the U.S. may begin aerially releasing millions of sterile flies along the southern border as part of a long-term plan to stop the parasite in its tracks. Inputs from agencies
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Biofuel demand to soak up more than half of US soyoil production next year, USDA says
By Karl Plume CHICAGO (Reuters) -U.S. biofuel makers will consume more than half of all soybean oil produced in the United States next year as a recent flurry of federal policy moves has transformed the sector, including higher blending mandates and curbs on foreign biofuel imports and feedstocks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday. In a monthly supply-and-demand report, the USDA sharply raised its outlook for soybean oil use by biofuel producers in the 2025/26 marketing year, which begins October 1, to a record 15.5 billion pounds, up 11.5% from its forecast a month ago and 26.5% higher than the current marketing year. U.S. soyoil exports were seen tumbling to 700 million pounds in 2025/26 as more oil is consumed domestically, down from 2.6 billion pounds in the current season. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month proposed to increase the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the nation's fuel mix in 2026 and 2027, driven by a surge in biomass-based diesel mandates, along with measures to discourage biofuel imports. The moves were welcomed by the nation's fast-growing biofuels industry after months of policy uncertainty that had hobbled output of fuels made from vegetable oils like soyoil, canola oil and used cooking oil. Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, refiners are required to blend large volumes of biofuels into the U.S. fuel supply or purchase credits known as RINs from those that do. "EPA not only significantly raised the mandates but also proposed to reduce the number of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) generated for imported renewable fuels and renewable fuels produced from foreign feedstocks starting in 2026, which increases demand for domestically produced feedstocks like soybean oil," the USDA said on Friday. Additional incentives via state biofuel mandates and the federal 45Z clean fuel production tax credit in U.S. President Donald Trump's recently enacted budget law further fueled the outlook for soyoil use in biofuel, the USDA said. Benchmark Chicago Board of Trade soyoil futures firmed on Friday, hovering just below a 7-1/2-month peak hit on June 23. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tomatoes May See a Big Price Increase Soon—Here's Why
A change is coming on July 14, and it's likely going to affect the price of your BLT's. On that date, the U.S. is expected to pull out of the Tomato Suspension Agreement that was most recently negotiated in 2019 with Mexico. More specifically, the agreement, which dates back to 1996, is between the Department of Commerce and producers and exporters of fresh tomatoes that are grown in Mexico, as explained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This deal essentially ensured that producers and exporters will sell tomatoes at or above an "established reference price." The agreement initially stemmed from a long-time antidumping the agreement is terminated, the International Trade Administration expects a 20.91% tariff on "most imports of tomatoes from Mexico." The dissipation of this agreement is intended to allow "U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace." The Trump Administration has enforced strict U.S. trade laws since the beginning of his term, surging predicted price increases for a number of staple foods (such as bananas, shellfish, olive oil, chocolate, and nuts). Typically, the lowest cost of tomatoes is handed to the summer months, due to increased production deriving from peak harvest times. During the winter, when production decreases, is when grocery stores usually fall victim to a higher price. However, with Mexico being the largest supplier of tomatoes to the U.S., it's likely consumers will now see an increase year-round, including the summer months. RELATED: The USDA's most recent forecast cites 93% of the U.S.'s tomato imports coming from Mexico. Growers are already preparing for the change, with the report stating that "producers are expected to reduce planting in the autumn-winter season in response to the U.S." With this seasonal anticipation, the amount of available agricultural work may also decrease. Canada and Guatemala are the next biggest trade partners to the U.S. as of 2023, as reported by the World Integrated Trade Solution, but the countries still only account for a small percentage of total tomato imports. What does this mean for your grocery store bill? Well, aside from purchasing the vegetable outright, tomatoes are a staple ingredient in so many of your everyday foods—salsas, sauces, ketchup, pizza, etc. So, should these tariffs come into full effect, your grocery receipt will begin to see a subtle price change (especially in the upcoming winter months, when the U.S. more heavily relies on imports of seasonal summer foods).Tomatoes May See a Big Price Increase Soon—Here's Why first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2025
