A Glimmer of Trade Optimism for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers

Nov 06, 2025

Trade is certainly a hot topic among the agricultural community, with farmers and ranchers facing concerns on a number of fronts. However, Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said there has been some important progress with one of our nation’s largest trading partners.

"China has agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans before January, and at least 25 million metric tons annually for the next three years, of soybeans," Parum said. "They've also said that they're going to resume purchases of other ag products, but no official announcements have been made. In addition, the United States has removed the Chinese port fees on any Chinese-owned and -operated ships, so that should help tensions be relieved."

The administration also announced several smaller deals, including agreements with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Video: How Data Predicts Swine Outbreaks - Swaminathan Jayaraman

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Swaminathan Jayaraman, Research Assistant and PhD Candidate at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, explains how integrated data systems can improve disease surveillance in swine production. He discusses combining diagnostics, animal movement data, production records, and spatial analytics to identify risks earlier and support proactive decision-making for PRRS, PED, and swine influenza. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Disease surveillance remains largely reactive because outbreaks are often confirmed only after transmission has already occurred across multiple connected production sites."

Meet the guest: Swaminathan Jayaraman / swamjay is a Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. With academic training in management information systems and engineering, he focuses on integrating diagnostic, production, and movement data to improve disease surveillance and decision support in swine production systems. Listen to Swaminathan Jayaraman on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.