Agriculture

A U.S. coalition of oil and biofuel groups met with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday to advocate for increased biomass diesel blending mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), amid growing internal disagreements over the economic and political fallout of higher quotas. The EPA is expected to propose updated RFS targets for 2025–2026 […]

China vowed to conduct a “fair and objective” investigation into beef imports during a hearing this week, as global suppliers brace for potential tariffs or quotas aimed at protecting its domestic industry. The probe, launched in December 2023, covers all imported beef amid a supply glut and slowing demand in the world’s largest beef market. […]

Brazilian coffee farmers are increasingly turning to costly irrigation systems to combat severe droughts and meet soaring global demand, as climate change disrupts traditional rain-dependent cultivation. While industrial-scale farms in regions like Bahia thrive with advanced irrigation, water scarcity in traditional growing areas like Minas Gerais threatens yields, exacerbating a global coffee shortage that has […]

Brazil shipped a record 22.8 million metric tons of soybeans in Q1 2025, with 17.7 million tons destined for China, as the Asian giant stockpiles supplies ahead of escalating trade tensions with the U.S. While current shipments stem from pre-conflict contracts, analysts warn the trade war could reroute even more Chinese demand to Brazil later […]

Chicago corn and soybean futures staged a late-session rebound on Friday, shaking off early losses tied to U.S. planting forecasts and Brazilian soybean pressure, while wheat slid to an eight-month low amid export sluggishness and improved weather. Key Developments: Corn Recovery: After hitting a 3.5-month low of 4.42/bushel, most−active corn futures closed 0.74.53-1/4/bushel on bargain-buying […]

U.S. beef exports to China plummeted to near-zero levels in March after Beijing allowed export registrations for American meat facilities to expire, compounding pressures from retaliatory tariffs and a Chinese oversupply crisis. Weekly sales fell from 2,000+ metric tons in February to just 54 tons by March 20, per USDA data, as buyers and exporters […]

Coffee lovers face steep price hikes of up to 25% as roasters like Lavazza, Illy, Nestlé, and JDE Peet’s clash with retailers over passing on soaring arabica bean costs, triggering temporary stockouts and consumer rationing. A four-year global arabica deficit, worsened by Brazil’s historic droughts, has doubled raw bean prices since 2023, forcing supermarkets to […]

India will allow mills to export 1 million metric tons of sugar in the 2024/25 season, rejecting speculation of export curbs despite lower output forecasts, as the government asserts sufficient stockpiles to meet domestic demand and ethanol needs. Key Details: Output vs. Demand: 2024/25 Production: Estimated at 26.4 million tons (down from previous forecasts). Domestic […]

A U.S.-brokered Black Sea security agreement between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to significantly increase Russian food exports in the near term, analysts say, despite claims from Moscow and Washington that the pact will bolster global food security. While the deal eases maritime attacks and sanctions, Russia’s agricultural shipments—already at record highs during the Ukraine […]

Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer, will reduce export contracts for the 2025/26 season to 1.3 million metric tons—a 24% cut from the usual 1.7 million tons—as climate shocks, aging farms, and rampant disease cripple production for the second consecutive year. Key Drivers of the Crisis: Swollen Shoot Disease: A fatal virus with no […]