Caleb Ragland Calls for Relief for Soybean Farmers

Oct 30, 2025
By Farms.com

Ragland Calls for Tariff Relief and Biofuel Policy Support

Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soybean farmer from Magnolia, Kentucky, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing titled “Pressure Cooker: Competition Issues in the Seed & Fertilizer Industries.”

Ragland highlighted the financial challenges U.S. soybean farmers are facing, noting that high production costs and reduced market prices are severely impacting profitability. “Commodity prices have fallen by an average of 50% since 2022, at the same time farm production costs continue to skyrocket,” Ragland said. “Soybean farmers are expected to net a $109 per acre market loss on their crop this year.”

Ragland emphasized that rising input costs - including seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and equipment - are among the most significant threats to farm sustainability. “Farm profitability for row crops like soybeans will continue to remain in peril if input costs remain static at current levels,” Ragland stated.

Ragland called on Congress and the administration to act swiftly to reduce production costs and prevent further family farm closures. He proposed three key policy actions: removing tariffs on critical farm inputs, finalizing biofuel policies such as RFS and 45Z credit guidance to expand soy markets, and providing targeted financial assistance to farmers facing severe market losses.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.