China to Make ‘Substantial’ US Soybean Purchases, Bessent Says

Oct 29, 2025

By Ryan Hanrahan

Bloomberg’s Hallie Gu and James Mayger reported that “China will make ‘substantial’ purchases of US soybeans, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday after talks with Chinese counterparts, in a sign that the relations are thawing ahead of a possible leaders’ meeting.”

“Bessent’s comments to CBS’s Face the Nation follow two days of meetings with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An initial consensus was reached on various bilateral issues including agriculture, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce,” Gu and Mayger reported. “The move underscores efforts by both sides to stabilize relations after months of on-and-off tensions and exchange of sharp rhetoric.”

“If confirmed by Beijing, the pledge to step up purchases of US supplies would bring major relief to American farmers struggling with financial stress after China, their top buyer, walked away this season,” Gu and Mayger reported. “The Chinese government has wielded soybean imports as a major bargaining chip throughout its trade dispute with Washington, helping to strengthen its leverage in the latest round of negotiations.”

The Hill’s Max Rego reported that “according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. farmers sold $12.64 billion worth of soybeans to China last year, more than $10 billion more than that sold to the next closest trading partner, the European Union. During the last decade, soybean exports to China peaked in 2022, when farmers sent $17.92 billion worth of the crop to the East Asian country.”

Source : illinois.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.