As Wisconsin Soybean Harvest Begins, Farmers Are Missing Their Biggest Buyer

By Lorin Cox

Wisconsin farmers are starting to harvest this year’s soybean crop, but they’re still not sure exactly where their product is going to end up or how much they’ll get paid for it.

The state typically exports about two-thirds of the soybeans it grows each year, but those international markets have been disrupted by tariffs.

Wisconsin Soybean Association President Doug Rebout said China is the world’s largest importer of Wisconsin soybeans, but the country is refusing to buy U.S. crops because of the ongoing trade dispute with the Trump administration.

Rebout joined WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” to share how farmers are navigating this market uncertainty as combines start hitting the fields.