Monday December 29 Ag News - Insights on Soybean Exports - Saunders Co Lvst Meetings and Banquet - NE Crop Prod Clinics - Pork Exports to Mexico - and more!

 Soybean Exports: Optimism, Skepticism, and Everything In Between

As the demand for domestic feedstocks grows, paired with uncertainty in foreign policy, many wonder if anything is happening at all in the realm of exports. It might not seem so, but reality says yes.

While trade as we know it is not going away, it certainly is changing. That optimism comes from Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) as he opened at their premier event, Soy Connext, also known as the Global U.S. Soy Summit. It is here where U.S. Soy buyers, sellers, growers and industry partners gather every year, creating an environment that builds relationships—a backbone of trade. Against a backdrop of changing trade dynamics and increasing global demand for reliable, high-quality soy protein and oil, the 2025 event gathered more than 700 attendees from 59 countries in Washington, D.C., from August 20 to 22. The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) was a sponsor of this event, with numerous staff and growers in attendance.

“About 50% of Nebraska’s soybeans get exported, including some of mine that get crushed locally and exported as soybean meal through the Pacific Northwest,” says Victor Bohuslavsky, who farms near Seward, serves as a director on the United Soybean Board and attended Soy Connext. “We sell into a global market, and events like Soy Connext help us play in that sandbox.”

Opportunities to connect face-to-face with others around the world make the event stand out. Attendees got a real-time crop update from a farmer panel during the program. Plus, the “Ask a Farmer” lounge made it easy for customers to meet face-to-face with U.S. Soy farmers.

“I visited with a marketer from Pakistan who understands the quality of U.S. Soy,” Bohuslavsky says. “He has had poor experiences with soy from other origins and wants to buy our soybeans.”

The Trade Team Invitational at the event connected 315 key buyers and 43 exporter companies to strengthen trade relationships and explore market opportunities. To complement this time in Washington, D.C., many international attendees participated in trade team tours before or after the conference. One of these groups visited NSB District 2 Director Jason Penke at his farm near Oakland, NE. Participants were from Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The visit highlighted the U.S. soybean industry’s transparency and readiness to meet global demand, giving international buyers a firsthand look at the sustainable practices, innovation and stewardship that are core to the U.S. Soy value proposition.

“People buy from people; they trust people,” Bohuslavsky says.

Relational trust is one thing, but price and market certainty are another. There is optimism with trade, but skepticism is also prevalent. Just a few blocks away from Soy Connext, at the White House, global tariffs have been brought to the front of everyone’s minds. One country in particular, China, has yet to purchase soybeans for the upcoming marketing year.

Nebraska farmer and NSB District 1 Director Anne Meis participated in a private breakfast session with the Chinese Soy Connext delegation, focusing on the historic and enduring role of U.S.-China soy trade. At the end of the day though, price has the final say.

In the 2023/24 market year, U.S. Soy exports to the Greater China Region represented 23% of the U.S. Soy market share and was the #1 export market. Soybeans are also America’s top agricultural export, contributing $31.2 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2023- 24 marketing year and traded in more than 80 countries, according to USDA. Year over year, the USDA also projects a 4.3% year-over-year increase in global soybean demand.

What do the signals point to, though? Besides China, what about demand elsewhere?

U.S. soybean export demand is not bad at all elsewhere. Actually, the numbers say it is quite good. According to the USDA, new-crop bean sales to all known destinations at the end of August are the highest they have been since 2018. While this will not fully replace China's demand, it is a silver lining.

Regardless, the U.S. will continue to be one of the pivotal and best sources of soybeans. Checkoff investments will also continue to focus on foreign markets. Relationships with international customers built over decades of collaboration are key to a profitable and reliable soy industry.

Many are wondering what trade will look like in the coming year. Good? Bad? The answer is probably somewhere in between. 



Saunder Co Lvst & Ag Assoc Annual Meeting, Banquet in January
Dan Kellner, President, Saunders County Livestock & Ag Association 

As we welcome the New Year, I extend my best wishes to each of you. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you about some important upcoming events.

We encourage all members to actively participate in the Association by attending our regular meetings, annual meeting and banquet. Membership dues for the upcoming year are as follows: $75 for local membership; $105 Nebraska Cattlemen; $180 for NCBA. Dues are payable now and are required to vote and participate as a member for 2026.

1. The Annual Business Meeting shall be held as follows:
Monday January 5, 2026, Saunders County 4 H Building, Wahoo, Nebraska
6:00 PM Social Hour
6:30 PM Dinner
Frontier Cooperative sponsor and presentation – Frontier is a full-service cooperative located primarily in Eastern Nebraska serving customers since 1915. Frontier prides itself on being a progressive leader in today’s agriculture world.

Annual Business Meeting Agenda
Approval of 2025 Annual Meeting Minutes
2025 Treasurer’s Report
2026 Board of Directors Election
Adjourn

RSVP is due on or before December 31, 2026
Dan Kellner – 402-480-8778
Pudge Donahue – 402-525-6262
Jordan Nelson – 402-540-7556
Dave Vrana – 402-840-0116

This year, the annual meeting will be held in advance of the Annual Banquet to allow the Association to focus on recognition of our 4-H participants and their achievements and to enjoy the entertainment.

2. The Annual Banquet will be held as follows:
January 26, 2026, at Starlight Event Center
Entertainment – US Veteran Col Tom Brewer
5:30 p.m. Social Hour
6:30 p.m. Banquet
$35.00 advance tickets – Purchase from Directors
NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR

3. Scholarships are available to graduating seniors who are children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Association members. Applicants must be from Saunders County or bordering counties. Call Cheyenne Chromy at 402-547-7107 or email Cheyenne.Chromy@gmail.com for an application. Applications are due on or before March 1, 2025.



2026 Forage Webinar Series Continues January 7

The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association Forage Webinar Series continues on Wednesday, January 7, from 7 to 8:30 pm CST with a variety of forage topics including an overview of virtual fencing, winter grazing and a hay market outlook.

Presenters this month include:
Yijie Xiong, Nebraska Extension Specialist notes Labor is tight, and input costs aren’t getting any cheaper. If you’re looking for ways to stretch your forage further, virtual fencing (VF) might be a tool worth adding to your operation. These GPS-enabled collars allow you to create or move paddock boundaries from your phone or computer. No posts, no reels, no fence to drag across the pasture. That makes it easier to rotate cattle more frequently, adjust grazing patterns on the fly, and make better use of your existing forage without adding to your workload. 

Dr. Yijie Xiong joined the University of Nebraska Department of Animal Science in 2020 as an Assistant Professor and Extension Precision Livestock Management Specialist. She has a split appointment between animal science and the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

Shelby Gruss notes that Interest in grazing cover crops and winter annuals has increased in recent years. Research on grazing winter and summer annuals in Iowa has been concentrated in southern Iowa, but because of differences in growing conditions, data on growth potential from the northern half of the state and the I-29 corridor, she will explore practical strategies to extend the grazing season into winter. We’ll discuss approaches for maximizing available forage, including management techniques and system adaptations that support livestock performance during the colder months for Siouxland.

Gruss is an assistant professor and forage extension specialist. Dr. Gruss joined the Iowa State University Department of Agronomy in November 2023. Her role's responsibility covers forage management: hay, pasture, and silage.

Amber Friedrichsen will provide the hay market report from what she is seeing across the country and across the country. She will discuss the impact of high cattle prices, weather and other plant pressures in her discussion.

She author is the managing editor for Hay & Forage Grower. Amber Friedrichsen joined the Hay & Forage Grower staff as an associate editor in May 2023. In July 2024, she has assumed the role of managing editor. Friedrichsen also served as the editorial intern in 2021 and 2022. She graduated from Iowa State University in May 2023 with a double major in agricultural communication and agronomy. Friedrichsen grew up and worked on her family’s diversified crop and livestock farm in eastern Iowa near Clinton.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at: https://go.iastate.edu/FLHTEP

Due to requests from participants who want to document education in our webinars, beginning in January 2026 requests for a “Certificate of Attendance” will be available when requested with the registration. There is the requirement to be logged on to each webinar for at least 85 percent of the total minutes of the program. With the requirements met, you will receive an email to collect the charge. Each certificate will be $5 to cover the cost of handling and shipping.

 For more information contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Sara Bauder, 605-995-7378; or in Nebraska Ben Beckman, 402-254-6821or Kortney Harpestad, 402-472-3571.



Nebraska Crop Production Clinics 

From winter agronomy updates to hands-on pesticide recertification, the 2026 Nebraska Crop Production Clinics offer growers a statewide opportunity to sharpen management decisions ahead of the new season. The clinics feature live presentations and research updates tailored to regional crop issues and grower interests.

Sponsored by Nebraska Extension, the programs will be held on eight days throughout January, beginning Jan. 7 in the Panhandle and continuing east to the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead. The final clinic on Jan. 27 will be held in partnership with the Nebraska Agribusiness Association Expo and will include free admission to the Expo trade show.

2026 Clinic Dates and Locations in northeast/east central NE:
    Tuesday, Jan. 13* — Northeast Community College, 801 E. Benjamin Ave., Norfolk
* Location includes second room with presentations on cropping systems, digital ag, agribusiness, and water and nutrient management.
    Wednesday, Jan. 14 — Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca (near Mead)

Individual clinics will be customized to address topics specific to that area of the state, allowing attendees to engage with research-based information on the issues that may be faced locally.

Visit the Crop Production Clinics 2026 website for the most up-to-date information https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc.

Registration is available online for each location https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc. 

Certified crop advisor credits will be available in crop production, nutrient management, integrated pest management, soil and water management.

Pesticide Applicator Recertification
The clinics will offer commercial and non-commercial pesticide applicators an opportunity to renew their licenses in the general standards, ag plant and demonstration/research categories.

The clinics are also a venue for private pesticide applicators to renew their licenses or obtain a new license.

For more information, contact Joshua Villazana, clinics coordinator and Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator, (402) 472-1632. Registration questions can be directed to Connie Hansen, (402) 472-8747.



Mexico Begins Dumping Investigation on U.S. Pork Imports
NPPC Newsletter
 
Mexico began an investigation on U.S. pork imported into the country, alleging unfair U.S. prices and/or government subsidies hurt Mexican pork producers. 
 
After several Mexican pork producers and processors and trade organizations complained that imports of U.S. hams and pork shoulders increased significantly and were sold at less than fair value, pressuring domestic prices and harming profitability, Mexico's Secretariat of Economy on Dec. 15 initiated the antidumping and countervailing duty investigation. The Ministry will consider data for dumping and alleged subsidies from 2024 and look at potential injury from Jan. 1, 2022, through 2024. The countervailing duty (anti-subsidy) investigation focuses on both federal and state level grants and payments. 
 
Mexico will consider whether U.S. pork was "dumped" at less than normal values and/or subsidized, and whether Mexican producers and processors were injured by U.S. imports. Under World Trade Organization rules, a government can take action against a trading partner when dumping and/or subsidies cause "material" harm to a domestic industry. If Mexico decides that these requirements are met, it may impose antidumping and/or countervailing duties. Such duties normally are imposed only on a prospective basis to imports after a preliminary determination has been made, at the earliest.   
 
If Mexico reaches an adverse determination, U.S. producers and/or the United States can appeal through the dispute settlement mechanisms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and/or the World Trade Organization agreements.
 
Mexico is a major consumer of pork, and the U.S. pork industry has decades-long partnerships with buyers there to satisfy demand for high quality, readily available pork products. NPPC has been working with experts including lawyers, economists and government affairs officials on a coordinated producer strategy. NPPC has been party to trade cases in Mexico and elsewhere in the past and will lead efforts with U.S. and Mexican government officials.
 
Mexico is the No. 1 export market for U.S. pork, importing 1.15 million metric tons of pork valued at almost $2.6 billion in 2024. Tariffs on U.S. pork products most likely would reduce exports to Mexico and hurt producers' bottom line.



Senate Confirms Brashears as Undersecretary for Food Safety
 
Dr. Mindy Brashears has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to return for her second term as undersecretary for food safety.
 
Brashears will oversee USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service, which is responsible for regulatory oversight of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, ensuring they are safe, wholesome, accurately labeled, and correctly packaged. Brashears has said she will prioritize finalizing a USDA rule allowing packing plants to run faster processing line speeds, a priority for NPPC. She also would serve as the chairperson of the U.N. Codex Alimentarius Commission's Policy Committee.
 
The undersecretary for food safety helps ensure the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. meat and poultry supply. USDA's FSIS conducts inspections at federally-approved meat and poultry establishments and ensures that state-approved facilities - those that sell product only within a state - have standards at least equivalent to federal standards.
 


Secretary Rollins & Congressional Ag Leaders to Speak at AFBF Convention

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees will all be featured speakers at the American Farm Bureau Convention.

Secretary Rollins, who has led USDA through a pivotal first year of the Trump administration focused on the agriculture economy, trade and reducing costs for farmers, will speak about the challenges and opportunities ahead for American agriculture during the closing general session on Monday, Jan. 12.

Tim Tebow was announced in June as a closing general session speaker – a two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and five-time New York Times best-selling author.

The chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Ranking Member Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will be joined by the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Pa.), and Ranking Member Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) on a panel to discuss their vision for the future of U.S. agriculture and their plans for 2026. The congressional panel will take place during the mid-general session on Sunday, Jan. 11.

AFBF’s 107th convention will be held Jan. 9-14, 2026, in Anaheim, California. The theme is “Imagine. Grow. Lead.” AFBF President Zippy Duvall will give his annual address to Farm Bureau members during the opening general session on Sunday morning, Jan. 11.

A full lineup of workshops will be offered in four tracks – public policy, rural development, member engagement and consumer engagement. The convention will include a trade show featuring cutting-edge innovations in agricultural technology, tools and services.

Learn more about the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention by visiting the event website https://annualconvention.fb.org/.